Yumi's Training Road II

"Well..." Xana smiled after hearing Yumi "You seem to be able to control one of my favorite uses already..." She said grabbing the dark arrow "This little one, it can seal magic, correct?" She asked, examining the arrow closely "Darkness can also be use to hide your presence completely, look at Tix for example, as you saw in the lake, she can remove her presence and fuse with the shadows, it's a pretty dificult technique but..." As soon as Yumi noticed, Xana had vanished "With time and practice you'll be able to learn it as well." She added, smiling, while reappearing behind Yumi "You can also use it to block light sources and, if combined with light, you can use it to destroy... This last one is off limits, okay?"

Sent from Topic'it App

"Or...with a combination of light creating shadow, you can use light to create a shadow on someone to not only blind them but also create a shadow to appear anywhere close to them due to the shadow that the light creates." Yumi murmurs softly as she thinks on how Tix uses darkness as a mean to ambush. Her brows furrowed slightly at how light and dark runes was able to create a means of destruction. "I suspect you know this but there may be means of using both light and dark other than destruction." Her mind drifted to when they were discussing the meaning of both.

"I do know how to do it... Only used it once... And..." Xana looked like she was feeling guilty talking about it "I regret doing it... I shouldn't had denied her existence like that... She hasn't forgiven me yet..."

Sent from Topic'it App

Yumi knew exactly what Xana had meant, during the time at the entrance of Daraku castle where they fought Tix (was Alter) as a corrupted aspect of Dixi. "While I can speak to her on your behalf, the best that you can do is offer the hand of friendship and ask for forgiveness, but just offer the hand and allow her to decide for herself. it may take much time and I do not if there is a time...but hopefully she will reach at least speaking terms with you."

Xana negated with her head "I will fix this by myself, Yumi, but thanks you anyway, I appreciate your offer." She said smiling "But, let's focus on the class, okay? Anyway, imagine a moonless night, not a single star in the sky, focus on that darkness, feel it all around you."

Yumi nods before she closes her eyes as she emerge herself in what would be a imagination background of a pure darkness night where not the stars nor the moon shines its light. It also feels a bit peaceful if it isn't the fact that, one cannot see well in the dark, her mind is a form of meditative state but still fully attentive.

Xana noticed Yumi's focus "Very well, keep going, now I want you to focus that feeling of darkness, mold it at your will, imagine a sword for example..." Xana kept giving instructions to the dancer "Think about using it to protect Dixi and Jennifer."

Sent from Topic'it App

Yumi didn't react to Xana's word physically but mentally she imagine Dixi and Jennifer in peril creating the image of a rather malevolent youkai. Her instinct first to to create the sword Xana has said to defend them but something else seem to call to another solution. Her mind coalescent the darkness...and it exploded into the youkai's face, stinging the eyes with pepper and shrouding them with darkness even if they can be opened.

"Impressive!" Xana praised, as Yumi opened her eyes, she noticed the darkness she used on the yokai in the mental image, was used on Xana on tge real world as well "You really learn fast, faster than Ix I would dare to say..." She snaps her fingers, making the darkness vanish, Yumi could see a little black rune on her hand "That would be the Nauthiz rune, it means necessity, friction and shadow and it's the base of all my darkness based spells." She smiled at the dancer "You did really well summoning the rune, from now on it will be easier to use, once runes answer your call for the first time, you can use them anytime." She explained.

It took a moment of reorienting herself to reality to realize that she was able to use the spell she envision...on Xana! She quickly checked on Xana's eyes to make sure that she did not inflict harm upon her from that before sighing in relief as Xana had dispelled it. "Goodness, I was a bit afraid that I had harmed you. What I conjured within my mind would have been highly irritating and even harmful." It ws then that the concerned is adressed that she now focuses on the rune. "Would I just need this one rune for all darkness based spells?"

Xana nodded and smiled "Yes, all my spells are based on individual runes, as you just did the trick is envision it, to put it more simple, you use the rune as the base and then you use mana to conjure different effects based on that element, combining it with other runes creates different ones, for example..." She then creates a blue rune and a brown one combining it "These are water and earth, when combined they create wood..." A dark green rune appeared and with a snap of her fingers it created a little tree on her hands "So, yes, with that one rune, you can create as many darkness spells as you can conjure in your mind."

Yumi ponders a bit of what Xana for a bit before something of an idea comes within her mind. "Well with runes able to be used within objects, and any spells being able to be used within a rune. I feel there is a particular potential that I may be able to utilize runes in a way that has not been done before." From the look on the dancer's face, it seems that she is concocting a technique using them.

"Pretty much, as you probably know, the thing with magic is that it's open to how we use it." Xana explained "You may find new uses that I never thought about, that's the wonder of magic." She added "I can't wait to see what uses you come up with, Yumi."

After a moment of thinking, Xana looked back at Yumi "The trick is to always remember the motivation you may have, in your case is protect those you care about and let me tell you that's a really strong one. Now look at Tix for example, her motivation is to save our mother, Ix? Hers is to fullfil her dream of bringing peace, Dixi... Dixi is... Complicated, right now she believes she's weak, but her potential, she has a hidden potential waiting to be awaken." She explained "Let's just hope Tix's plan works..."

Her mind withdraws to her inner thoughts. Dixi.. She is still very devastated mentally from what has happened so far. Yumi has an idea of a way to help her but first she may need some more knowledge, and to finish Xana's lesson. Light rune as next. But first....

"What is your motivation?" She does seek to understand what empowers others as much as she empowers herself emotionally and spiritually.

"Mine, you ask?" Xana replied "My motivation has changed from time to time at first was only to have fun, then to seek knowledge but right now is to protect those I love." She explained.

"Protect the ones you love is a pretty universal motivation." She observes even if she herself is not exempted from it either. "With that, let us continue with the lessons. Light would be next."

"I know it's a pretty common motivation but I just feel like that is what makes me go forwards." Xana replied, at Yumi's request of next lesson Xana nodded before creating a shining yellow rune "This one is Dagaz, known as the rune of dawn, intuition and light within..." She explained "Just as Nauthiz, this is the base for my spells, it has it's own uses for example Ix uses it to heal and give several boosts to others, but I..." Channeling some of her magic, Xana creates a sword made of pure light "I can use it to fight as well."

"One uses that that I seem with light is to liberate imprisoned souls from a trapped vessel and allowing them to pass in peace." She ponders the Dagaz rune Xana has for a moment. "I am uncertain of this but light runes and dark runes may not be necessarily the same with each other. I suspect it may be from the belief of the user of what light and dark means..."

"Indeed." Xana dispelled the rune "To Ix, for example, the light is something warm, something that heals and so, that's how they work for her, on my case I see the light as a shield and a blade made to protect." Xana explained "Such is the base of magic, two persons can see the same power in different lights, excuse the pun, creating different spells from the same source."

Sent from Topic'it App

Yumi nods before she decides to experiment as she closest her eyes. This time, she imagine herself as the center, the source of light, shining clarity, energy, lighting the path for others to follow as without light, one cannot see the path ahead. The guide up ahead.

Xana noticed how Yumi started to glow, the light rune had appeared on her kimono as she focused "She really is talented." She mumbled to herself "Now Yumi, imagine pointing your light to a determined point."

As almost instantly, she focuses her mind toward Xana before the light rune goes off as the light briefly fade...at least from her and potential onlooker's view. However, Xana would find that her mind is suddenly clearer, sharper, and more focus, as if any fog within her mind was being dispelled.

The other visible effect is that Yumi's eyes had brief wisps of light fading from the corner of her eyes before the light rune spell went off as opposed to the dark gray wisp from before.

Xana felt her mind becoming clearer and clearer. "Impressive, Yumi, you clearly have talent for this." Placing a hand on the dancer's shoulder, Xana smiled. "This one is the one I used to calm Dixi, both times, so now you can do it too."

"There is one thing I want to try out. Something related to my profession that I have not done for so long since..." Xana could see the light rune on Yumi triggering before Yumi stands up, almost as if she is in a trance of a sort before she started a motion, a motion of a dance with her body moving fluidly and slowly. Unlike many forms of dances that emphasized sensuality, this one emphasizes beauty and grace, poetry in motion. Xana would feel a stirring emotion as she watches, not of longing, but of a warmth in her heart. Yumi's mind is into the dance, and Xana could feel it as well.

Xana was impressed, Yumi had real talent for this and the combination of the rune with her dance? It was brilliant. The graceful moves, the beautiful gestures, all of that combined with the magic of the rune, it was perfect. Xana soon found herself staring and clapping at Yumi's performance.