Right, that was it. That was the way the energy felt when the power in her was adjusted to the healing frequency. Ayu's hands were resting on Dende's open palms, mimicking the sensation he created so she could learn how should she modify her energy to achieve the same results. His hands were bigger, darker, and full of wrinkles, emitting a peculiar warmth. Soon enough the cordial feeling started to grow in her too. After all, the act of healing someone wasn't something that could be born out of a cold heart... The energy was glowing gently on the tips of her fingers, while a familiar pattern was faintly painted on her body with a soft light. The longer she was in this state, the more natural, innate it felt - like her power from the very beginning should be only that, a healing Ki, and everything so far was an unwanted mess...

Maybe that's why it hurt so bad when she couldn't control it. A being unable to live in harmony with their nature at some point will, given time, break the shell, bone, and mind. She was once too close to the breaking point - there was a long way before she could use her Ki freely. Baby steps. It was getting easier a little bit every day yet it still felt like Ayu was standing at the foot of an enormous mountain she needed to climb.

"The amplitude feels more than right," Dende's voice called her back from the depth of her thoughts. Ayu slowly opened her eyes, and a light shined through her irises before it faded as her Ki quietened. The old Namekain patted her hands with a warm, proud smile. "I am convinced that you're ready. Unfortunately, my words do not equal action," his pensive gaze turned towards the horizon. "I'm sure you still have your doubts."

"I b-believe in your judgment," his student murmured, not wanting to make it look as if she wasn't trusting his words. A light, pinkish flush appeared on her cheeks when Ayu realized that this could also sound as if she was so confident in her abilities that there was no reason to prove them. That wasn't right. "I-I didn't mean that, I m-mean-" she lowered her gaze flustered and Dende took her hand in his. The old, wrinkled skin was dry but warm, similar in touch to an old parchment.

"Why not practice?" he suggested, the mentor's voice was warm and full of reassurance. Ayu nodded with relief and both of them stood up from the tilted floor of the Lookout. Dende gestured to the side, his eyes seeing further than anyone she knew. There was a landslide near the Western border a moment ago. No people were caught in the accident but the local fauna suffered greatly." It was clear what this offer meant. And quite a reasonable request too. A green-skinned woman appearing in the hospitals to heal people will certainly attract attention... Ayu was aware that despite her desire to help, she wasn't able to help everyone. That was something that she needed to learn by heart before her emotion could take the best of her - but now she needed to focus. A secluded spot in the wild area, away from stray people would be perfect for her. After all, animals do not gossip and sometimes they show more gratitude than Earthlings.

"I..." That was it. Another decision. Ayu took a deep breath and raised her head with a clear, serene, and determined gaze looking back at her teacher. "I will do it. I'll go there."

So she went there. A moment later... With one short fly on Mr. Popo's flying carpet, they landed in the right place. The sight wasn't pleasant. The flora of this area was turned upside down, the trees were torn away from their roots, bushes, and shrubs were ripped from the soil. Any forest critter that had its nest underground met a tragic fate. Such was the law of nature... But wasn't Ayu a part of nature too? Even more, than some other individuals, if she could dare to say so. Mr. Popo dropped her, promising to get back before the sun sets and Ayu was now alone. Standing on the uneven ground she felt a prickling sensation in her heart. Natural disasters like landslides weren't of Earthling cause and still could do so much damage. The laws of nature were cruel... Without missing a beat the young woman could tell that lots of energies were hiding around - even if the animals weren't visible by the naked eye. The majority of them, she could sense, were in pain already.

Just as she thought about it, a triangle head appeared behind the nearest tree and a deer strolled in her direction. The poor thing was limping, half-jumping half-hobbling. The bloodied leg wasn't able to move - the deer was dragging it behind him... That was enough to break her heart. Maybe it was her scent or finally, the deer spotted her presence because the creature froze in place. Feeling the tension she realized that it was ready to leap away. If he runs away she won't be able to heal his injury...

"It's okay..." she said gently, her hands lighting up with the warm energy. "I am not going to hurt you," an explanation in words, could it be understood by an animal? The creature was looking at her with fear in big, dark eyes. A primal instinct was telling him to flee but that untreated wound could cost the animal its life. Ayu wasn't sure what to do. She was closer to flora rather than fauna, yet the signature she felt was clear and vivid. A cautious, unsure, pained sensation of a life that was struggling against harm's way. Gently, slowly. Before she made another step, she decided to do this a little bit differently. If her voice isn't working, something else needed to. She tried using telepathy. Instead of speaking to the mind of the deer with words it might not understand, she let her emotions do the talking - presenting a genuine desire to help. For a long second deer was staring at her before he lowered his head and scraped the undergrowth with his hooves, letting out a pained grunt. Ayu sighed with relief, walking closer and placing her hand on the coarse, brown fur - the animal didn't flinch, looking at her without fear. "You were so brave to make it this far," she said softly, now reassured, patting the heavy head of the deer. The leg didn't look well. It was broken in several places and dirtied with soil, dry and fresh blood was making the fur sticky. The poor creature must have gotten its leg caught up in the landslide and didn't escape unharmed. Ayu's eyes filled with worry and compassion. It must have hurt a lot, causing anxiety and fear about the future... But she could help.

The sensation of the healing technique was now deeply ingrained in her body. It was time to practice. The young woman could sense her arms trembling but this wasn't time for that. She wanted to help, she could help. Ayu raised her hands, joining them together in a gesture akin to a prayer, and closed her eyes. Control the flow of energy in her body, feel the Ki circulating, like blood, through every inch of her being, carrying life and strength. One breath, two breaths. The palms of her hands were now adorned with thin, faint lines of light while the glow focused on the fingertips. Gently, as to not cause the poor deer any more pain, the girl placed her hands on its leg - and her energy started seeping in. It felt like every injured cell, muscle, and bone was soaking in the Ki as a dry sponge would. Through the half-open eyes, still focused, Ayu witnessed how the broken leg healed itself. The cracks in the fibula disappeared, flesh covered the bones and a new layer of skin and fur grew on top of that. And that was it. The deer whinnied and tossed its head happily, gazing at her with gratitude in its eyes. She couldn't help but smile, chuckling with relief and she raised her hands to embrace the animal.

"Now, off you go. And be careful," she gently patted the hairy neck. Again, she was tearing up. Was it gladness she did it or joy that finally Ayu would be able to be of help to others? The deer toddled deeper into the forest and the now reassured and more confident discipline of the Guardian of Earth looked around. She saved a life, even if a small, seemingly insignificant one - she did it. A certain heartfelt feeling was burning in her chest. A quiet determination growing now stronger and stronger. All around the landslide area, the energies present were clearly in pain, from as small as rabbits to as big as bears. There was no time to wait.

Ayu, in her habit, fixed her braid, tightening the ribbon at the end... She made sure her fingerless gloves were in place and she moved towards the signature that was the weakest. The time and place for treating patients were everything and some creatures needed her help desperately. Ayu had to get going.

After all, she was a healer.

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Power Level - 241,919
[ST1] Heal - Week 2/2
Word Count - 1,562