Statera: The Balance of Yin and Yang

Who wants to use Yin anyway?

"Very good Elora! You've improved greatly recently," Advisor Maeve complimented Elora while she inspected our technique. The younger woman smiled embarrassedly as she thanked the instructor for her kind words.

Indeed, ever since the incident with the balaka, Elora's ability to control her Yang energy had grown exponentially - though her control over Yin energy was still nowhere near the icy cold punches she had landed during the bout of sparring.

The next balaka-sparring experience was not due for another few weeks and I was not sure whether I was glad or disappointed. Instead, Advisor Lokni had continued teaching us further sparring sequences and let us practice handling our weapons. Witnessing Elora's increasing strength and control first hand was equal parts terrifying and awe-inspiring. Wooden dummies were in constant danger of being blasted to smithereens if she didn't cull back on the amount of energy she used. Defence was becoming less of an issue as well, and there an iridescent shimmer gave away where she concentrated her energy. Where manipulation and Sento classes once left her drained and drowsy, she was now invigorated and raring to do more.

"I think we are all ready to start surrounding energy manips now. I believe you have all done the readings I set?" The instructor asked rhetorically to get everyone's attention, taking her place at the front of the room.

There was a chorus of agreements. The congees were generally very disciplined, and besides, were all very keen on this particular lesson. Not to mention, Advisor Maeve had given the readings quite a few weeks ago.

"Alright, observe and focus on my energy closely."

Advisor Maeve concentrated as she held her right hand out. Several people gasped as the air around the Advisor's hand shimmered, then enveloped a small wooden cube. A flick of her fingers levitated the object off the table.

In her left hand, she held up a withering plant as her brows furrowed. Seconds later, the brown and wilted leaves unfurled into a supple and deep green. A handful of congees clapped appreciatively, and Advisor Maeve smiled in return.

Someone called out, "Can Yin users pick up things too?"

"It is theoretically possible, but the amount of energy it requires is immense and I have not seen it done before. You would be much better off using a small amount of Yang to accomplish the same effect."

"Who wants to use Yin anyway!" another congee scoffed.

There was a smattering of agreement among the congees.

"I would, if I could," Enki said darkly. He was a Yin user but was bound by his Supplicancy to train in Yang instead. In order to change his natural affinity, all his free time was spent with a private Yang tutor. We seldom saw him in the recent weeks.

"Yin users are nothing but trouble. Didn't you hear? They said Reiki users were mostly also Yin users and they killed dozens of people. Besides, they can use mind arts to coerce you. Look what Morrigan tried to do to Aaryan," Finn said, involuntarily giving Xue a glance.

Indignance for Morrigan mounted, and I was ruffled by the comment about reiki users. Didn't Advisor Maeve just use Yin to save the plant? Why did people only focus on the black sheep? Yang users were not saints either.

Hera voiced my thoughts.

"Who knows whether the plant will die a worse death later on? Yin users are not so simple," Caleb said.

"But we learnt that yin and yang cannot survive without the other. They balance each other out," I tried to reason, glancing at Advisor Maeve. The woman had stayed silent, looking torn over what to say.

Caleb spoke again. "I bet it's a lie. Finn's right, look what Morrigan tried to do. Who knows, maybe all those Yin users have been brain-washing us into believing that we need Yin and Yang."

"Morrigan was just standing up for Yin because Aaryan kept provoking them. Besides, not all Yin users are bad, just as not all Yang users are good," Elora said firmly, supporting me. Xue peered at us curiously, as if surprised we would say that.

The class seemed to mull over Elora's words - she was quite well-liked by fellow congees. She was strong in Yang, humble, friendly, and her good looks were kind on the eyes.

"That's just rubbish that Yin users say to--" Kass tried to rebut, but Advisor Maeve finally decided to speak up.

"Alright class - let us not speculate unnecessarily. Several of your classmates will be Yin users, and I am sure that none of you here are bad people. We should return our focus to the lesson material," Advisor Maeve said, neither siding or defending Yin nor Yang. My shoulders dropped at her words. I liked Advisor Maeve, and had hoped she would not condone untruths. Then again, these were difficult times to show any support to the "wrong" side.

There was some lingering dissent, suspicious looks were directed all around. Unless you spent a lot of time training and sparring with each other, it was not always immediately noticeable what your affinities were. Usually, only your roommates and close friends would know. Even then, one would have to be very good at sensing energy to be able to tell with certainty. But that didn't stop people from making guesses. I had my own suspicions on several congees after all.

Advisor Maeve launched into a detailed explanation on how to feel for the surrounding energy with our own, and then shape it by connecting our energy to the surroundings.

The rest of the training passed by without further arguments, but I was having much trouble with manipulating surrounding Yin and Yang. Whether it was because I was distracted by the earlier conflict, or I simply was not adept at it, I did not know. Elora had no such issues, and was the first among all the congees to move the set of differently sized wooden cube we had been given to practice on. Advisor Maeve also distributed a few browned leaves, and even with her comparative lack of skill in Yin energy, Elora had managed to turn some of those green.

Pulling energy from the surroundings as taught, the dying leaves were revived easily enough. Working with the wooden cubes, however, was a separate matter. They vibrated and spun on the spot but did not leave the table at all.

I blew at my fringe annoyedly, glancing at Xue who was having similar troubles. His cubes did not even vibrate.

Even though Advisor Maeve informed the class that it was normal to have difficulty with manipulating surrounding energy, my teeth ground together at the struggle I was having. Some of us were more intrinsic users, who had great control of shaping our own Yin or Yang. Others were more extrinsic users, who could control surrounding Yin and Yang more easily. But she assured us that it would get better with practice.

I poked the wooden cube, making sure it was not glued to the table. Then pulled my hair in frustration. Alicanto be damned, how was this so difficult?

From the corner of my eye, Elora move the wooden cube in a figure of eight. Using what Xue had taught me, a flare of Yin energy wrapped itself around my brain, tamping down my rising feelings of --

Focus, Theia.

A/N: And here we see a little more of Aletheia's character! She's evidently someone easily overwhelmed/insecure but as the story progresses, we will see how she grows!