#chapter 1x14

No one said anything. The Dueling Hearts looked at each other. They were all hurt, and tired, and the thought of training was, alone, enough to make them even more hurt and tired. This time, Jo didn’t hesitate to speak for the group. She frowned, and said, “Wil, I’m sorry, I know that we don’t have a lot of time to get ready, but we’re not in any shape to train today. We need time to recover.”

She said it like she was surprised to have to say it, like she was explaining the obvious to someone. Wilson was a martial artist. He knew the affect that hard training could have on a body that simply wasn’t ready for it. Beginning their training now could end up causing far more harm than good. The suggestion that the Dueling Hearts begin their training immediately was insane.

Wilson knew that, though. He smiled at Jo in a knowing way. “Oh, of course, you need time to recover,” he agreed. “That’s exactly what today’s lesson will focus on.”

“I don’t understand,” Jo told him.

Wilson smiled at her again, and a thoughtful look passed across his face. After a beat of a second or so, he said, “You all know that increased amounts of life energy can help people to heal faster.”

It wasn’t a question, but a statement, and yet Jo and the other Dueling Hearts all nodded in affirmation.

“That’s all well and good,” Wilson explained, “for someone who has the ability to harness external life energy, or someone who specializes in, or knows someone who specializes in, using Sol and life energy to heal. But that isn’t the case for everyone, and,” he looked at Jo, “some of us wouldn’t be any better off even if we did.”

Wilson approached Jo, and looked her right in the eyes, “You, Miss Sieger, are at a disadvantage compared to the majority of fighters. The nature of your Sol means that, when it comes to healing, you are restricted to your own life energy.”

Jo was a little surprised. She couldn’t remember the last time that Wilson had brought up her unnatural Sol. He was aware of it, of course, he’d just never seemed to care enough to bring it up, choosing to instruct her in ways that were best suited to her overall. Her first instinct, especially after the recent events at the Megadojo, was to be offended by Wilson brashness, but she was just exhausted enough that she couldn’t find to energy to feel as offended as she wanted to. Wilson continued speaking, and she was faced with the truth that he was not, in fact, being offensive, and that he had only brought up her Sol out of necessity.

“What happens,” Wilson asked, “when a Sol fighter forces their Sol and life energies to mix?”

“Both energies flare up,” Jen answered eagerly, “and someone who knows how can take control of the increased Sol energy to create an aura.”

Wilson nodded, “That’s correct, but only in part.”

Jen looked surprised. She wasn’t used to someone calling her knowledge into question.

“Very few fighters know this,” Wilson continued, pacing back and forth again, “but when a fighter mixes their energies together, creating an aura from the resulting spike in Sol is not their only option. Someone who knows how can choose to seize the increased life energy, and create an aura from it instead. It’s not possible to create an aura from Sol and an aura from life energy at the same time, and an aura made from life energy doesn’t increase one’s speed and strength, but it does infuse the fighter’s body with high amounts of their own life energy, continuously, for as long as it is active.”

It took a second to realize what Wilson was suggesting, but once that realization struck, Jo’s eyes lit up. Her mind was flooded with new possibilities. “Wait,” she exclaimed, “you’re saying that I can create a healing aura? That there’s a way for me to recover from fights faster?”

“Not you specifically,” Wilson replied, “but yes, the technique that I plan to teach all of you today can help all of you to heal much more quickly from injuries entirely on your own. It is not a fast method of healing by default. A healing aura is limited in its potency by the intensity of the energy that is generated to create it, just like a Sol aura, but it will heal your body over time, and even restore some of your stamina.”

“It makes sense,” Jen said, almost to herself. “I’m really surprised that none of us thought to try something like this before.”

“It isn’t all that surprising,” said Jo, just as thoughtfully as her cousin. “I remember hearing since I was a kid that making an aura out of Sol was the pinnacle of what could be done by mixing energies. It’s all I focused on for a long time, and as soon as I worked out how to do it, I just kind of stopped thinking about it.”

“This life aura thing sounds great,” Tucker announced excitedly. “I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but my fighting style involves getting hit a lot.”

He said it in a way that made you wonder if he was serious or not. Maybe it was how tired they were, or how thrilling it was to learn something new about something that they already knew so well, but Jo and Jen and Tucker all felt like laughing, and they almost did. The first chuckles were upon their lips when Sara interrupted their sudden happy mood.

“But I can’t create an aura.”

All eyes turned toward Sara. Jo’s stomach dropped. She’d completely forgotten about Sara’s limitations compared to the others. Even Jen, who hadn’t quite worked out how to create a proper aura, could still manifest her Sol in a similar manner.

“I’m aware of that,” Wilson told Sara, his tone straightforward, but not harsh. “It may take a little extra work, but I think you will also be able to master this technique within the time that we have. The principles behind creating the two auras are similar, but not exactly the same. It is technically possible for someone to master the creation of a life aura, and never manage to create an aura from their Sol even once.”

“No,” Sara began, “you don’t-.” Then she stopped talking abruptly, and looked away from the others.

“What is it, young lady?” Wilson asked.

“It’s nothing,” Sara replied, though she didn’t look him in the eyes, “if you think you can teach me how to do this, then let’s do it.”

Wilson eyed her for several seconds, but in the end, he seemed to decide that he was satisfied with Sara’s reply. He looked one more time at each of the Dueling Hearts in turn, “Then that’s that. You all know what the focus of today’s training will be. Meditate, mix your Sol and life energies together, and try to create a healing aura. It will not be easy, but it will not put a substantial strain on your bodies, either, and should you succeed, your injuries will begin to heal themselves. I will be meditating as well. Disturb me only if you need my assistance, or you manage to create the aura.”

He stepped past the Dueling Hearts, and he walked to the far end of the training floor. Slowly, he lowered himself into a sitting position. He crossed his legs, pressed his fingertips together, closed his eyes, and began to breathe slowly and deliberately. The four Dueling Hearts lined up, and dropped to the floor as well, following suit.

They meditated for hours, taking periodic breaks only to use the bathroom, and to recharge, taking advantage of the stock of protein bars and bottled water that Wilson kept in a fridge in the back corner. Jo was surprised by how difficult it was to do as Wilson had asked. He’d said that creating an aura out of life energy wasn’t like creating one out of Sol energy, that it sounded more similar than it was, and he had reiterated that point when Tucker had, twice, interrupted Wilson’s meditation to complain, but as time passed, and afternoon threatened to encroach on evening, Jo found that she was genuinely surprised by how right he was.

It was around four-thirty in the afternoon when Wilson finally, suddenly, ended his own meditation, stood, and addressed the Dueling Hearts again. “I think that that will be enough for today,” he announced. “Even though none of you have managed to create the aura yet, you all seem to have  a grasp of how you might, which is enough for the time being. Take two days to recover, to heal in your own ways, and to practice creating a life energy aura on your own time. Return here the day after, whether you have managed to create the aura or not, and we will move on to the next phase of your training.”

Jo opened her mouth to speak, but Wilson interjected, smiling, “Yes, you may do your independent training here. All of you may, if that is what you wish.”

Jo returned his smile, and stood up slowly, taking care of her aching muscles.

“I have a different question,” Jen asked, finding her feet as well. “What should we do if we manage to create the aura before the two practice days are up?”

It was an innocent enough question, but there was a certain tinge of anticipation beneath her words. Jen loved to learn, and was always looking for new things to try. It was clear to everyone present that she was hoping that Wilson would tell her what their next training exercise would be so that she could start early.

Wilson gave her a knowing look, and replied, “In that case, you are to practice sustaining that aura. A healing aura will not drain you in the same way that a Sol aura would, but it will take far more concentration to keep going. If you manage to create one, then you should practice creating it again, and again, until it becomes effortless to do so. Then you should practice keeping it going for long periods of time while you perform other activities. Try to run through your regular forms with the aura going. For example.”

Jen nodded. It probably wasn’t quite what she had expected, but it was intriguing enough to satisfy her curiosity regardless.

The Dueling Hearts filed from the building one after another, and went their separate ways. As Tucker and Jen made their way to the nearest bus stop, Jo and Sara walked towards home, together. Where Jo was left feeling optimistic after everything that she had learned, Sara was just as quiet and as downtrodden as she had been that morning. It didn’t take Jo long to notice, but even once she had, she wasn’t sure what, if anything, she should say.

As the two of them approached the house, Jo finally decided to just say something, even if it was just whatever popped into her head.

“Hey,” she said, “we’re gonna get those guys. You know that, right? And you’re gonna get the handle of your auras. Both of them.”

Sara paused, and she looked over her shoulder at her sister, but she said nothing, and her expression was unreadable. She started walking again, and didn’t look back.

She’s feeling down, Jo thought, as she watched her sister go. She was defeated more completely than she’s ever been, and she can’t help but wonder if having an aura would have changed that. Wilson’s training is reminding her of that.

Jo followed her sister inside. This was exactly the kind of situation where Sara would want space, and so Jo decided to give that space to her. She knew that, unsure of herself or not, Sara would do everything in her power to improve, and she would meet the Sol Takers with everything that she had when they returned.

Two days passed quickly enough. The Dueling Hearts spent very little time together. Only Jo and Sara, and Jo and Tucker, saw each other at all. Sara spent all of her free time training wherever it was that she usually trained. Jo didn’t know, and not for the first time, she was curious to find out. Strangely enough, Jo saw more of her best friend than she did of her own sister. Tucker showed up out of nowhere the morning of the second day to show Jo that he had succeeded. He wanted to demonstrate. It took almost a full minute to pull it off, but soon he was surrounded in a swirling, sparkling, shell of golden light. He had to visibly strain, but he was able to keep the aura going for a few more minutes after that.

Jo was impressed, and after seeing Tucker create a healing aura, she rededicated herself to creating her own. Tucker tried to help, but he couldn’t quite put into words what had been different the time that he had finally managed to pull it off. They had been best friends for years, and Jo still didn’t speak Tucker as fluently as she wanted to.

It was that afternoon, once Tucker had left, that Jo finally got it. It lasted only a few seconds, but she had done it. She had created an aura from her own life energy. After the fact, she couldn’t really describe the sensation either. If she had tried to put it into words, she might have said that, where creating an aura out of Sol required that you mix Sol and life energy, and then grab ahold of that Sol energy and shape it with your will, creating an aura out of life energy was less about forcing the energy, and more about holding the Sol energy back, and allowing the life energy to flow outward and fill you up, overflow, and create the aura all on its own. Even that, however, wasn’t entirely right.

Still, the sensation was unique enough that Jo remembered it, and the experience was meaningful enough to her that she was eager to repeat it. Just as Wilson had said, because the aura was made from her own energy, her body didn’t reject it. For the first time in her life, Jo was able to experience what so many Sol fighters took for granted: the ability to use Sol training to heal.

She didn’t recover all that much, despite managing to create her aura again and keep it going for the better part of half an hour, but as someone who had always had to recover from fights the hard way, feeling her injuries disappear before her eyes was life-changing.

Jo woke up the next morning at the same time that she had three days ago, but this time she awoke feeling very little pain, and quite a bit of confidence. She dressed, and made her way out of her room, and just as she had three days ago, she bumped into her sister. Sara’s spirits didn’t seem nearly so high, but when she saw Jo, she seemed more at ease than she had since the fight. At ease enough, at least, to roll her eyes in response to her sister’s comparatively good mood.

“Morning,” Jo said, as she fell in step with Sara.

Sara rolled her eyes again.

“I haven’t seen you much lately,” Jo continued, treading as carefully as she felt that she could, “and I was wondering, how did your training go?”

Sara didn’t look at her, but after a moment’s pause, she said, “I got the aura to work. Yesterday. I still have a little trouble making it whenever I want, but I can do it.”