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Lucent is on one of the towers around the Cascade, reading a book borrowed from the library and enjoying the view, twirling a marigold close to his face.
Spring ::Lucent Copper Haze, are you busy?::
Lucent ::Not overmuch. In fact, I would kill for something else to think about.::
Spring ::Perhaps we might meet and discuss the art of education, then.::
Lucent ::Oh, indeed. Could you come to the Eastern Tower?::
Lucent closes the book
Spring ::Certainly.::
Spring In a few minutes, Spring arrives.
Lucent gets up. He is dressed in a simple, flowing golden robe, the Coronal shining under the light of the high noon filtering through the windows. His smile catches that light in a scene out of painting "Good Afternoon, Spring. How have the Sunlands been treating you?"
Spring "As well as ever. Perhaps better."
Lucent smiles brighter at that. "So... what do you need? Why this sudden interest in teaching?"
Spring "It is who I have become."
Lucent "Your name does say as much. To teach is to be like the Spring. To make things bloom."
Spring "Indeed."
Lucent "And I take it that you wish to learn that? The teachings that made the Kashaen and the Sunlands' army bloom?" He throws away the book, the Coronal's orbs rising, "That is fortunate, for I also want to learn from you. There is a school of Martial Arts I need to pursue."
Spring "When I awoke I found that I had forgotten many of my more...aggressive martial techniques. In their place, though, I knew many stratagems and approaches best suited to filling the head of a pupil with knowledge and wisdom -- which are not the same."
Spring "But, yes, you have, apparently, techniques from the First Age that I am not currently aware of. I have come to learn them."
Spring catches the book and eats it.
Lucent "Hmmm. ou fight without agressivity, now?" He smiles... and then the Orbs of the Coronal fall upon him as bursts of pure Essence, exploding over Spring's corner of the room.
Spring steps FORWARD, into the blasts...and yet somehow, though he walks into the face of annihilation, the strikes miss him by the narrowest of margins, each step putting him at the eye of a different storm, until he stands a step before Lucent, and the Orbs, spent, return to their hovering...except one, which lies in the palm of Spring's hand.
Lucent kicks high... and yet, there was no way the kick could strike at Spring. It was a supremely clumsly effort of perfect aesthetics. And he does more, like a dance! "There is a tale that says Oramus invented dancing, and thus Martial Arts without knowing; And that Sidereals are best at it due to Oramus liking it so much that he asked Sacherevell that the way stars move upon the firmament be defined dancing."
Lucent "Probably not true, but this is what it is!" Fake strikes, all around Spring. "Expression. A different art to every different essence pattern, the way it works in EACH and EVERY one different. To find that expression, is the first part."
Spring moves with each strike, flowing without pause, guiding the strikes not away from him, but TOWARDS him, at first with no force, then a little more, then a little more, until the last strike whips towards his head with murderous power...and is deflected casually into the nearby wall...and is suddenly deflected back again, into Spring's hand, to avoid chipping the slate.
Spring "You put your heart into each blow. This is good. Now learn to keep it back. Soften your eyes. Martial arts begin when you can dance without moving."
Lucent "... you are not striking, you are using my own strength. You HAVE changed!" His eyes soften. What was a choreographed dance becomes a little more of a battle with each word spoken by Spring. His movements become less expansive, more determined.
Spring "Strength is everywhere, if you know where to find it." Spring catches Lucent's arm again...and jumps out the window.
Lucent leaps out of the window as well, forming a trail with the Coronal far above the gardens for Spring to follow! And the Orbs not in use strike against each other, incredible fireworks exploding around them, deafening! And yet, Lucent's voice came accross, pristine. "Your words speak wisdom... but you need to learn how to RAISE them! Mightier than your students! Than your army! THAN A STORM ITSELF!"
Spring 's eyes flash, and for a moment, Lucent can see the dragon lines that criss-cross the grounds of the Cascade, as they hurtle towards them. His voice sounds, clearer, cutting through the wind shrieking by them. "Meru is held together by patterns of Essence. So is the Cascade. So are you. You must become aware of this pattern before you can arrange it."
Spring "Calm yourself," he says, as they fall. "Every moment, Essence is moving into you, and out of you. In this way you regain the power you have spent. Close your eyes, and try to become aware of your shard's breath."
Lucent sees the Dragon Lines and, helped by Spring's revelation, begins to arrange his body differently - the difference between Performance and Martial Arts, to realign your Essence together with your body! Around the, Secrets struck the Moon, the explosions of light to high that the Sun could not be seen anymore!
Lucent "Your voice is traveling far, but the knowledge is not! Higher, but not as a shout! With EXPRESSION!"
Spring "You must align yourself. Let power travel through you, not out of you, not into you." Spring stretches out a hand and lands, balanced, on one finger, before casually flipping backwards onto his feet,
Spring **.
Spring "Being a Solar makes it easy for you to generate tremendous force in yourself. This will make it very challenging for you to learn not to do so."
Lucent x1;ACTION leaps out of the high disks... and falls. His fall is a heavy one, over a garden, sliding down towards Spring in a shower of flowers of all stripes, falling all over them. "Yes." He closes his eyes, before him, letting that soak in, trying to let his flows be in a more... subdued manner. "But it is different with everyone. Do you see? Open your eyes." Lucent himself does so. "All of the flowers in the garden are different. Different times, differen
Lucent "All of the flowers in the garden are different. Different times, different seeds and colors."
Lucent "Each spring is different. And each spring will touch all of them differently. It washes over them, and their bloom will change, and it will have to know, each and every one, and understand how to make all bloom. You must be like a Season. You must wash over them. Not only must your voice reach all; Your teachings must touch each and every one in such way!"
Spring catches each flower, looking at them with careful eyes, trying to find the qualities that make each one unique, before letting them flutter to the ground. Then he waves a hand, and they float back into the air, heading for Lucent. "Power and control. Control and power. Prevent the flowers from striking you, without damaging them, and you will be ready to learn."
Lucent moves like a virtuoso, making that a performance, touching each and every one. As the dance finishes he holds them all in his hand, untouched. His movements were still green, but his deftness was perfect as that of others in the Circle. He did that, on his deftness... but his words. Guidance. "Well then, Sifu... it seems we both passed the first test."
Spring "Indeed." Spring bows, deeply. "Thank you...teacher."
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