Meditation, by the definition, was an act of practicing mindfulness. Techniques varied from one person to another, but the focus and desired outcome were mostly the same. Train attention and awareness of surroundings to polish the stability of one's mind. It helped to have clear senses and emotions in check, as well the control over them. It all sounds reasonable and all... Ayu never thought about herself as an unstable individual, but she knew that there were many things she lacked - confidence, resolve perhaps, and resoluteness. Her emotions were often on her sleeve and more than anything, her face was an open book. It wasn't easy to control, but maybe with practice, she could mellow down the intensity of things she sensed? She often felt for others too strongly, and when her own emotions were caught up in that, they affected her state to a point of breaking down. In a way, she was a crybaby...

Thing was that Ayu never tried meditation before. Not in the classic and worldwide known form that is - she simply was prone to zoning out, where her thoughts started floating and dispersing towards indefinite subjects. There was no order, only the chain of thoughts and messy connections between memories, feelings, and ideas. It wasn't that bad, but certainly wasn't helping with keeping order and thoughts collected. A healthy mind meant a healthy body and soul - or something along those lines. Twirling a grey ribbon between her fingers Ayu sighed softly. Her mind was a mess right now... An anxious cauldron bubbling on a flame of trepidation filled to the brim with bizarre ingredients. Dreads, hopes, some affection, and a lot of unanswered questions. Between her worries and growing powers to the events that started happening now... It was like her life was purposely boring and quiet for around ten years and now the quota of craziness and distress was pushed onto her, overfilling her schedule with follies. The weight of it was troubling the young woman, who after all felt that she still knew too little to be a person of capability or even bigger meaning.

Because who she was..?

She didn't know. She was just herself. Just Ayu. A lonely, easy-to-overlook person with greenish skin and literal green thumb, loving plant life and calmness. Too shy to fight for herself, and too worried about everyone else. Desperately attempting to figure herself out and her place in this world.

Anyway, meditation appeared to be the thing that could help Ayu arrange her thoughts and quieten down doubts creeping into her mind. Although, a little skeptical, she decided to give it a try. How much could she gain from practicing a bit..? Hopefully, more than she was thinking. Her energy wasn't stable - she felt it in her core. Quite the foreign sensation slipped under her skin and was growing firmer with each passing day. Ayu could only compare it to seeing her face in the mirror without recognizing herself in the reflection. As much as she was able to sense every living being around her, she couldn't say the same thing about her own signature. The Ki that was ticking in her body to the sound of her pulse was twisted and fuzzy. Once she felt it and could swear that she got stronger, on other occasions it was blurred, unreadable, insignificant enough to be easily ignored. It didn't make any sense... But she hoped that with some understanding and patience, she'd be able to figure it out. Not herself, that would be wishful thinking - just the energy that her blood, muscles, bones, and soul were soaked with. A quiet spark, pulsing alongside her heartbeat, nothing more...

The signatures Ayu felt so far in her life were pretty much following the same rule - their hue, their feel and the sensation that they carried were unique to the owner. The power level might have been like a business card, but it carried the echo of the emotions as well... The stronger the feeling, the sensation was easier to recognize and the raw might was creating ripples of pressure all around the area. She got it mostly right, reading others' presence like a short introduction to the books - with only one exception - herself. Does she even fall under the right criteria..? Or was it impossible for people with energy-sensing ability to properly assess themselves? There was no one to ask. Entertwiging ribbon between her fingers, Ayu thought about Athren, when he warned her about her power level... Was she even that strong to be noticed by anyone? She doubt it, but the Saiyan was able to quieten down his energy, controlling both his presence and Ki. She wished she could do that. The power in her body was like smoke - she couldn't grab it or force it to do anything, it simply twirled around on its own.

Another sigh raised her chest slowly. Dawn painted the sky outside with grey clouds, dense and swollen, promising the rain later during the day. It will fill the next hours with quiet melancholy and some coldness in the air. Ayu was sitting on her bed, fighting with her locks and gazing outside the window at the gloomy weather. Her mind drifted among scattered thoughts while her hands were performing learned gestures. Brushing green hair was a chore - the thick strands with shiny surfaces were so hard to tame... Each one had a life of its own. The wooden brush was stroking the long locks, trying to smooth them as much as possible before Ayu started dividing them and braiding. It was a time-consuming task, but on its own, it was her little personal meditation. Reflecting on her thoughts and opinions, she repeated the same gestures, her fingers moving, doing the same thing over and over again. Green hair was put in a thick braid, tightly tied with a ribbon at the end. Ayu tried other styles before, but they weren't working, and with how long it took to prepare her hair each morning, she simply lacked time to experiment. The easiest and most comfortable way was to braid it. They were so long and thick... Oh, how many times has she tried shortening them? Out of frustration Ayu grabbed once kitchen scissors and cut her hair above her shoulders. They grew back to the way there were in a matter of hours...

No, no, it wasn't about the hair. Although it was no secret to Ayu that her regenerative ability was so strong it even affected the length of her hair, which felt a bit surreal. Then again, there was nothing she could do about it. Deep down Ayu appreciated this power, any harm that was done to her body would heal quickly and without leaving a mark - but it wasn't natural for humans. The realization that she isn't one came to her a long time ago, but she never told anyone about it. What if they would find it gross or scary..? What if..?

There were dozen of those what-if's in her head and Ayu badly needed a break. Stroking her temples she stood up, leaving her room to reach the backdoor and walk outside. Her garden greeted her with a scent of fresh grass, wet soil, and a pleasant rustle of grass. With her eyes unconsciously softening, she gazed at the rows of trees and bushes and strolled next to the berry patch looking for a place to sit. If she needed the right spot to practice her meditation, that would be here - a quiet, but familiar area where she felt safe. Somewhere away from curious eyes, if there be any, and from the growing wind. Because the sky was getting grayer and the breeze, despite the warm season, was carrying chilled air, Ayu decided to sit next to her tool booth, resting her back on wooden boards. One of the sunspots, scarce on the clouded sky, warmed up the place and tickled her cheek. She couldn't help but close her eyes.

The meditation process started with the right posture. So they said - Ayu even read a book about it before putting it all to practice. Even if she wouldn't be able to get the basics done, there wasn't anyone to correct her, and the most important thing was feeling comfortable, right? Tucking her legs under her, she took a deep breath. The young woman rested on the grass with bent knees and shins flat on the ground, her back straight and the weight of her body rooted through her hips. An upright posture seemed only proper for this kind of activity with her head comfortably facing the forest behind the fence. Ayu half-opened her eyes. And breathing... Breathing. Air softly filled her lungs after deep, slow breaths, the diaphragm helping with the amount of oxygen assimilated. Another sound emerged under the quiet breathing - a calm, steady heartbeat resonating through her chest. She was the only one hearing it, but it was okay. Her head was like a silent sphere for a moment, focus aimed at the sense of presence here. Here and now, and right now Ayu was at peace. The comfort came from the recurrence of both breath and pulse, like waves washing against the shore. Sea was pulling and pushing the waters in an eternal cycle.

One's awareness could be concentrated on everything outside or inside - Ayu decided to start from herself. Focusing on the body and breathing seemed like a good first attempt at meditation. So here she was. Her body sat on the grass, back straight, and muscles relaxed, without weariness staying in this posture. She felt the softness of green blades, sun warming the left side of her body, while the cold air brushed against her head almost tenderly. The fabric of heavy clothing was pushing her down, pressing on her limbs like an additional layer of gravity - but strangely, she was used to that, feeling out of place each time she took the weights off. From under ajar eyelids, her yellow eyes saw the shade and spots of light dancing on the leaves and greenery in front of her, which blurred into a mosaic of colorful flecks. The taste of air on her lips was growing moist with rain gathering above, scented with the smell of soil and the bracing fragrance of flowers and sweet pollen. Forest went quiet, with occasional, distant chirping echoing through the woods - the only thing heard was the rustle and breeze raising. And the gentle beating of her heart. Ayu's abdomen and chest raised a little with each breath, air was filling her lungs, very subtle, vital feel rushed through her body alongside the blood coursing through the veins. Nothing was tense in her body, to be honest, it was a perfect moment to go for a nap... But that would go against her desire to practice.

Now, move deeper. Her energy, her presence, her Ki... The essence of her being. Every living thing on this planet got a life force within them. The plants' energy was soft and vague, diffused in their whole organisms. Animals were more focused and direct, even the bugs were like tiny speckles of energy drifting through the lands. The bigger and stronger creature was, the sturdier and more defined their presence stood. Earthlings, Saiyans, Namekians, and every other intelligent race capable of overgrowing their potential were on a completely different level. Their signatures were sharp, vivid, and carried their emotions with them. The hue and intensity varied from person to person, that's why Ayu was able to tell energies apart, feeling that Zhang was still in East City and Williams was somewhere next to North City? Oh, and the tabby cat sneaked into her house again when she wasn't looking.

Yet, her own energy was a mystery. The harder was she focusing on it, the more difficult it was to fully grasp her presence. Sweat started to roll down her cheeks and Ayu frowned. Ki in her body was this foggy, indescribable signature, that although a key part of her, she still was unable to fully determine the level of power within herself. All fuzzy, blurry, it was sickening... Was she weak? Was she strong? One moment she thought she saw through it, but then again everything was obscured. It again turned into a mess of emotions and sparks of Ki in her head. Why couldn't she feel it as clearly as the others? Her mind was growing heavy the more focused she was and tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes. Something was pushing her away from the awareness locked down at the bottom of her soul. Her mind was slipping around the border of her powers - the line there wasn't drawn visibly for her, only for her, jumping from place to place, preventing her from reading the Ki withing. How come others didn't have this problem? An invisible wall stopping her from something that should have been obvious was set in the middle of her brain. Or maybe, deep down, Ayu was stopping herself from fully acknowledging her presence?

And as she thought of that, a flash of sharp pain in her core snapped her out of the meditation.

Ayu gasped heavily with her hand grabbing clothing above her heart. Pressing her fist against her body in an attempt of calming the throbbing in her chest... It hurt. The pain faded away almost instantly, but she was still startled, trying to make heads or tails of what just happened. She was trying to read her signature again, pushing it this time further than before, and, well, this happened. Slowly blinking, her gaze slipped to the trembling hand, noticing two drops of dark rose color on her skin. Ayu wiped down her nose, looking at the smeared blood on her fingers. She wasn't prone to nosebleeds in any way, she was always in perfect health - but the shadow of a headache reminded her, that it wasn't about physical well-being. That was... Troubling. Whatever had she done just now during the meditation, it was one step too many. Tiredness was growing on her, as well as mental weariness... Again, only more questions, no answers, and no one to turn to. Something in her head was stopping her from reading her signature, but out of what? Care? Fear? Was she a being that shouldn't be able to acknowledge her own power, that what it meant? With a soft gesture, Ayu got rid of tears in her eyes, taking another deep, but trembling breath. The more she was thinking about it the worse it was getting, so, with a little bit of luck, she should maybe postpone this forced experiment. Wait for her energy to mature and grow stable, and possibly then...

If concentrating on herself wasn't working, she shifted her attention toward her surroundings. Returning to the previous posture and shutting her eyes now, Ayu let her thoughts loose. Her mind was able to stretch and spread its wings, rising above the garden, her house, and the forest around. Now, that was the thing that truly made her comfortable. The echo of pain that lingered somewhere in her body disappeared while breathing and pulse became steady again. Slowly, but surely, her awareness brushed through every individual plant in the area. The rose vines entangling the tool shed's roof were growing strong, roots deep in the soil, and flowers blooming with content. Each blade of grass gave off just a faint feeling of energy, but they resonated with her too. She wasn't the one in control, the chlorokinesis merged with plant empathy helped her influence the vegetation around her. Or rather, it was her Ki - she didn't have to do anything. The delicate vines of sweet pea growing near extended their tendrils, wrapping around her hair and arms. The patches of strawberries in the corner of Ayu's garden were content with their health and growth. Steady, calm trees rustled in the wind, not telling anything, and bushes and flowers gently bowed under the breeze.

But further grew the forest. Mighty oaks and pines, a life that wasn't tended by a human hand nor it ever have felt its care. Her garden might have been organized and tidy, but Ayu knew that the woods were enforcing different laws. The connection between the trees, and the symbiosis thrived deep there, under the broad, green crowns. The chain and cooperation, unseen by naked, uneducated eyes, was playing the main role. Wilderness wasn't something to be kept in check. Trees gave shade to the moss, the moss gathered moisture so the young foliage of plants could grow with ease. The rotting layer next to the undergrowth was giving saplings every mineral they needed - and nature expended. Yet Earthlings were occupying more and more of the green parts of their planets, making room for cities, towns, and fabrics. There were moments when Ayu wondered if cooperation was still possible... Yet she was certain of one thing. Despite everything that will happen on Earth, nature and life will always find a way.

Her affiliation and affection towards the greenery weren't the only things she felt. The world around was weaved from all kinds of signatures, small and large. One step above plants were animals... Ayu felt them too, so deeply in her core. The cat that adopted her as his own, was napping on the kitchen floor, next to the back door. Beetles crawling on the ground found shelter in the cracks of planks of the tool shed. Deep underground a greedy mole was hunting earthworms, their tiny, not bigger than a speck of pollen life signatures disappeared one by one. Sturdier presences were roaming the woods - quiet, skittish, and tensed energies of herbivores, constantly careful and ready to run. Predators were calmer, more focused, and dedicated to the art of hunting, slowly and cautiously measuring every step. And some beasts weren't afraid of anything in the depth of the forests. Their travels were based only on their whims, their presence was overwhelming to every other creature... They might have looked unnatural at the first glance, but on this planet, monsters weren't a rare sight. Encounters happened often - it was something that Ayu experienced firsthand herself.

And yet, the scarier beings were Earthlings, or possibly, other races alongside them. With the complex energies they were easy to spot - her house might have been placed far from the nearest human settling, but Ayu could count her neighbors at every time of the day. Stretching her mind further to the City, she could sense the presence of her grandfather there, and if she focused more and more, mayhaps she would be able to sense every living being on the planet..? But that would be a strain she wasn't ready to pull through. The young woman's dedication to learning more was only limited by her capabilities - if they grew, so would her powers. That was the initial rule, but now? In a quiet, reflective mood, she appreciated every presence around her.

Because that's how life went. Even if so different, contradicting, openly opposing each other, living creatures were connected on the basic level - they needed each other in the chain of existence. Not everyone agreed with it, but something couldn't be denied.

They all were living in unison.

Ayu trembled suddenly, opening her eyes. That was the end of today's meditation session... Only now did the sensation of a piercing cold appear in her mind, sending shivers down her spine as the body felt it too. She was... Chilled to the bone. She sneezed hiding her face in her hands. And she was soaked too, from head to toes, with completely wet hair, clothes sticking to the skin like glued there, and water splashed her shoes. The young woman rubbed her arms, feeling how cold her fingers were, raising her head to look at the grey, dark sky above. The heavy rainfall was pouring down on her without mercy.

"It's raining..."

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Power Level - 27,973
Word Count - 3,333
Super Weighted Clothing Equipped