One Shots

24. [Blinded]

The boy stood in the middle of the forest, dead silent. He took a deep breath and let it go slowly, seemingly waiting for something to make a sound.

The wind brushed the boy's hair back. Even though it seemed like he was trying to concentrate, he cried out in frustration after just a few moments had passed.

"I DON'T GET IT!" He yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "How am I supposed to see WITHOUT MY EYES?!"

He was yelling to no one in particular: after all, his teacher was still in his house, quietly sipping on his tea as he waited for the boy to return.

Sure, many people would suggest him just opening his eyes and finding his own way back. But even if this boy opened his eyes, he couldn't see anything but blurred shapes and murky color that held no meaning to him.

Curse that demon that caused his eyesight to disappear. The scars on his eyes, even though the pain had already disappeared thanks to his Teacher's aid, were reminders of his failure to react properly at the time.

If only he could have reacted faster, he could've been able to see. He might have even been able to save his parents from being killed by those demons in the middle of the festival.

"I don't get it..." the boy mumbled in defeat, slumping onto the ground. "I don't get this 'Earth Breathing' stuff...how is it supposed to help me see?"

The ground was mushy with clumps of dirt and what he thought were insects underneath his hands. If he had his eyesight, he would have recoiled from the touch. But now that he couldn't see, it didn't matter.

There was no point in continuing without his eyes. How could he travel what he couldn't see?

He tried again, standing up. He took a deep breath, letting his air out slowly in attempts to recreate what his Teacher had taught him.

Use your breath to feel the energy of the earth. The flow of energy is always constant because the earth is constant. By being able to feel the flow of energy, you can see everything that happens on the earth without your eyes.

"Feel the flow, huh?..." he muttered to himself. "Maybe...?"

He sat back down on the ground again, and proceeded to tug his shoes off of his feet, along with his socks.

The dirt felt strange underneath his feet, almost uncomfortable and disgusting. But he felt that it was the right thing to do: he couldn't feel the earth if there was a layer separating him from it. The mud squished and squashed between his toes and into the soles of his feet.

He took another deep breath, letting it out slowly and quietly.

Take me back to the old man, he thought to himself. Let the energy lead me out of the forest back to Teacher.

He really didn't know what he was trying to do. However, he felt something tugging him backward, as if someone behind him was beckoning him towards them. Like an old friend, silently pulling him in the right direction.

The boy let himself be pulled by the force. He hadn't felt this way before, it had to be a good sign that the breathing technique was working.

Take me to the old man...Let the Earth's energy lead me home.

The ground beneath him changed from squishy to rough and bumpy. He couldn't tell from what little eyesight he had left what was in front of him, so he couldn't tell that there was a log in front of him.

He suffered a mouthful of dirt as he fell. But he still felt the sensation pulling him forward.

Feel the earth's energy. The energy will guide you along the Earth's paths to where you need to go.