Two months before the South City events happened things were different.

Ayu was training on the Lookout. Back then everything seemed more peaceful, slower, and... Less tense. The training under Dende wasn't rigorous but he was a stern yet kind teacher, telling her about the Earth and his duties as the Guardian. Long meditation sessions were something that Ayu needed daily, trying to keep her power in check. The elder Namekian regularly was using his healing technique on her, just to get rid of the pain that the pressuring Ki was inflicting on her body. This way she could last longer before headaches started to creep in to dull her senses. It wasn't a foolproof solution but it gave her enough time to practice and meditate, hoping that with each passing day, she was getting better at controlling her energy. Even if only little by little, she wanted to stop being a threat to others... Calot was in a coma because of her. Liari was hurt so badly in the mayhem that happened and what if she would wound Terra with her vines attacking anything around her? Snapping out of control was something that made her skin crawl and Ayu was desperate to not repeat the same mistake again. She has to. There was no other choice.

Between the meditation sessions and lectures, however, there were other things that she needed to learn. For example, the Guardian's ability to oversee what was happening on the blue plant. As Dende said, he could see everything that took place on Earth, in detail, looking as closely or as long as he only wanted to - but that trick had a physical limitation. It wasn't an all-seeing technique after all and eyes could grow tired, the person looking needed a break, a moment to sleep, and could simply not be gazing in that very direction when something happened. That sounded fun at first but was way harder than Ayu thought and as many good uses it had it was also quite limited. Still, she wished to learn this ability.

It proved a bit too difficult but she was trying. Ayu sighed deeply, standing on the edge of the Lookout. One step and she would fall and the way down was - to be honest - not pleasant. Especially if someone like her did not possess the ability to fly... The only thing that could save her was vines that could hold onto the side of the tower but it still was risky. She didn't wish to experience the fall, so she needed to be mindful of her every step and move. Ayu carefully sat on the edge, looking at the uneven line of the horizon painted by mountains and forests. Breathing deeply, she glanced at the blue sky, at the clouds lazily floating above the mighty peaks. How was she going to learn this technique? As much as she wasn't too good with technology, what Dedne described felt like zooming in or out with her eyesight as if they were cameras. How could she possibly do that..? With magic, most likely - but still, how?

It wasn't about a third eye or any magic trick, just letting both her mind and sight wander. Dende told her that overseeing the area was easy once she learned how but Ayu wasn't sure how to feel about it. Where the Ki sensing ability couldn't go, the eyes were supposed to see what others couldn't fathom, observing places far away, far behind the horizon... Even on the other side of the planet. From this distance she couldn't even spot any buildings, let alone Earthlings or anything smaller - and yet it was about that. She should be able to see everything happening on the planet, spotting people and events, right? Hmm... Ayu rubbed her cheek, gazing at the distance. She most likely wouldn't be able to see the Dragon Balls from this height, after all, Dende told her about this old Radar that was needed to find them. And what was a chance that she could spot someone familiar? Leaving Lookout wasn't something easy and only once in a while, Ayu could visit the world below. Even when she tried, it wasn't enough to find Liari or Terra... And Dende couldn't stand on watch looking for them all the time either. Ayu missed them. She should have told them where she was going but she was in dire need of being treated so it didn't cross her mind exactly... And then when she got back home, it was empty.

That was on her, that's why she was sitting every day on the edge of the temple, practicing Far Seeing Arts. She wanted to see them again... That was a good reason for her to learn this technique.

So Ayu sat there, practicing. Her yellow eyes gazed at the distance, her eyesight trying to act like a wild bird. Flying higher between the clouds only to dive between the mountains, circling around the forests, and following the rivers below. With every try, it seemed that Ayu could see a bit further than before, and today the field of vision expanded - a little more than she expected. It sort of reminded her of watching a movie on a nature channel back at school, or about that time when Callion took her to the Lookout for the first time. Watching the view from above as they soared the skies gave her the same feeling. It was the little things that mattered... And counted the most. That Far Seeing Arts technique was important to Ayu but watching over the area gave her a sense of calmness. Of belonging - if she could dare to think this way. She missed her home but this routine wasn't so bad... Now that she knew for sure that she wasn't completely a human it explained why she always felt out of place in the cities. And now? Sitting here in the Lookout, gazing at the fields and forests, it all simply made sense.

Something pink ran into the woods on the edge of the western continent.

"... Terra?"

Ayu jumped up and stood firmly on the edge, looking in the direction where she spotted a tiny, bubbly, pink figure.

She wasn't sure but maybe, just maybe... Maybe she found her?

---

Power Level - 283,300
[ST1] Far Seeing Arts - Week 1/3
Word Count - 1,048