The Heavens Shall Fall

It was a few weeks after Elder Thane's last training session with Siu had ended. Since then, he had been mostly either meditating or going through the motions for a few hours, trying to do what he was told and get a feel for the essence around him, filling the world and the sect's grounds, entering his bloodstream, and... manifesting the next level of power for a cultivator. He had just finished another round of it, and walking out of his cave, he simply sat down on a flat rock, his elbows resting on his knees, looking towards the forest, unable to actually think about anything. There were... emotions in him that he never really considered before. He heard about them, knew they existed, but never could imagine it would come to him one day, and when facing them... he finally realized why people had trouble with breakthroughs. It was unlike his first one, as this one couldn't be cheated by consuming some excess energy.

“You’ve been quiet in the past few days,” Neya's voice came from beside him a few minutes later, arriving out of nowhere.

She had been sitting close to him for a long time now, not touching him at first, watching him get lost in his thoughts... So she just folded her arms neatly in her lap as she watched him, waiting. Then, noticing the way he furrowed his brows, his eyes looking at something that was not there, she finally couldn't help herself from speaking up. Finally blinking, Siu exhaled slowly, turning towards her with a faint smile.

“I can't help but think about what Elder Thane told me when he ended our training.”

“Oh? He ended it…? Like ended, ended?” she repeated, because this was the first time he told her, and true, it was also the first time she asked him about it.

“Mhm.” He nodded once. “He said there’s nothing more he can teach me in the Snake Form or the rest, and from all the previous lessons put together, and I know it, too. Well... At least… He can't do more, not at this stage.”

"Oh?" Neya inhaled, her eyes flashing with excitement, "Are you close to the next one?!"

“He said I’m ready,” he nodded after a moment. “The issue is that I don't know how to tell when I took the next step into Blood Resonance.”

"Huh?" She blinked her eyes, almost thinking he was joking, "What do you mean? Wouldn't it be obvious? You could then use the world's energies and... do stuff."

"See?" He chuckled, glancing at her, "It's not that simple. I can read the books; I did so, describing the feeling it gives, how to recognize it, and the effects it brings out in our bodies. But here comes the problem."

"Which is?" She asked when Siu fell silent, his eyes starting to wander.

"Everyone's abilities are of their own. And the way our bodies utilize that power depends on it... Without knowing what mine are, how am I supposed to spark it to life? To step into Blood Resonance?"

"Ask the twins. They for sure know more. I can also help you look in the library."

"I know..."

"Wait..." She suddenly looked at him, furrowing her brows, "You aren't just looking for excuses... are you?

“If I succeed…” He slowly tilted his head, looking at her. "I am about to become an inner disciple.”

“Exactly…! Duh!" She nodded, putting her hands on her hips, "So it’s time!” she said firmly, "Siu, are you looking for excuses to not do it?"

“Yeah.” He answered immediately, being honest with himself for the first time since his last session with Elder Thane, "I think I am, because I’ll have to move,” he added, his voice a little quieter now. “Just when I began settling in and enjoying it all...”

Neya looked at him fully now and then smiled, reaching out to hold his face, making him look at her, before leaning forward and kissing his lips, pecking them with a giggle.

“Stupid. Is this really you? Heh... you always have some surprises in your back pocket or what? What are you hesitating for?”

“Huh?”

“Just do it!” Her words came so naturally that they caught him off guard, stunning him. “There’s nothing to think about,” she continued, her eyes smiling just as honestly as she was. Suddenly, he remembered how Neya looked when everyone slowly moved out of the dormitory... and it turned out their roles were now wholly reversed, almost making Siu laugh at his own indecision. “You could be one of the fastest disciples, rising through the ranks... I will be angry if you aren't!”

“You have grown, huh?”

“Thanks to you,” she nodded, tilting her head. “So stop overcomplicating things.”

“I’d be leaving you behind.”

"That..." That made her sigh softly. “Siu…” She shifted closer, still holding his face, “I knew that since we split from the dormitory. You were always going to be faster than I am.”

“That’s not—”

“Sh! It is how it is and will be even in the future,” she cut in, not letting him finish. “And you know it. Are you forgetting all that you told me?”

"I think I am," he answered with a shrug, but his face kept meeting hers, held firmly by Neya's fingers.

“Then let me remind you that you ought to move faster than us,” she went on, giggling, touching her forehead to his, “Not a little faster either! I have a feeling that by the time I become an inner disciple, I will call you Elder, and that would be the funniest thing, like, ever! Just imagine how jealous Tian would be!”

"Why bring him up now?" He chortled, “You can be just as ridiculous as the twins sometimes, you know that?”

“Only with you. And I’m serious.” She added, looking at him as if she wanted to take in all that she could, be it his scent, the look in his eyes, the touch of his skin, everything. “Don't slow down because of us... or me. I would not forgive myself for it. I can guess what you are thinking, and no, you’re not leaving anything behind,” Neya said immediately, reading his mind perfectly, "We’re not disappearing just because you will break through. The Wardens aren’t going anywhere either! Rinmei’s running things better than you ever did.” She smirked slightly.

“Hey—” But he stipped, "Okay, that has been the case from the start."

“And we’re not stopping either,” she continued, speaking over him. “We’ll train, we’ll grow, and you can bet on it that we’ll catch up… eventually.”

“Eventually,” Siu echoed quietly the part that was troubling him.

“Mhm.” She leaned her head back lightly, letting him go. "It was inevitable... And I enjoyed myself immensely while it lasted, ehehe!"

“Neya.”

“I mean it.” She put a finger on his lips, shutting him down, “Listen to me when I say, go forward, as far as you can.”

“Alright,” he nodded, unable to not smile, feeling his body relaxing, “I’ll do it.”

“That’s better!” Neya laughed, her hands on her hips again, nodding her head, "See? I listened to you, now you will listen to me, hehe! And, maybe later I will call you Master?"

"Pft, don't put yourself down so much!" He joked, elbowing her, "You aren't that slow."

“There’s one more thing,” Neya said suddenly after they sat there, holding hands silently for a minute or so.

“Hm?”

She didn’t answer immediately; instead, she drew her knees up slightly, letting his hand go and wrapping her arms around them as she looked towards the forest.

“I won’t get jealous.”

“Um… What?" He asked, confused, but she didn’t look at him.

“When you move to the inner disciples,” she continued, her voice just a bit quieter now, “you’ll meet with more people, that's inevitable. Well, you already did, like that, Senior... Seloryn was her name, yes?"

“Aaaaand…? Okay?”

“Well, they will be, of course, stronger ones, more talented ones, and more beautiful girls, too. That's how it is, and... You are talented."

"Okay, stop for a moment!" Siu’s brows furrowed at that, "Where is this coming from?”

“Isn't it obvious?" She blushed, "You should be with them if you want to,” she muttered, going redder by every word she spoke, "I am surprised you managed to fend off the twins for so long... But that will just get harder and harder, especially now, you know... missing things, and whatnot... I know how boys are!"

“Neya.” Siu said with a deadpan look and voice, "You asked the twins for advice, did you not?"

“Yes, but, I mean it!” she pouted, now finally turning her head slightly, her eyes shining just a bit more than usual, not on the verge of tears but... getting there. “I’m not going to stop you.”

"..." He stared at her, unable to say anything, because he was simply stunned. “Why would I even..." he started, blinking his eyes, falling silent, not knowing what he would even do. What the hell were they even talking about?! What?!

“Because that’s how it works,” she said again, sighing and shrugging her shoulders, “Don’t act like you don’t know.”

“Sorry… I don’t.” He said firmly.

"Please!" She huffed lightly, rolling her eyes, "Powerful cultivators don’t stay with one person,” she said as if it were a matter of fact. “Especially not men! Look around you. The twins? Rinmei? Kira? Arya and Marly? Me?! I could even bring up Kae'Lin or Cal'Fia! If Nue hadn't died to that stag, maybe even she would be on the list!”

"Whoa, whoa, hold your horses, girl! What about them?! I have nothing to do with them, I mean, I do, but not like that! Plus, Kira is hanging around Varren most of the time, no?"

"For now." Her lips pressed together. “But would it stay like that? The twins would for sure win you over for a night, if not for two, sooner or later. And when Marly or Arya took human form, you would be sleeping with two extra women!"

"They can have their own beds!"

"Like that would work!" She chortled, shaking her head, "Even mortal emperors have harems, yet they don't have any power.”

"Mortal emperors have ample power..." Siu blinked his eyes, reeling like never before in his life. “And I’m not an emperor!”

“Not yet,” she muttered under her breath.

“Haaaah... For Heaven's sake, I hadn't thought I would have a discussion about something like this with you, Neya.”

“I’m serious,” she insisted, finally meeting his eyes fully now. “I’m not naive, Siu, I know what kind of world this is.” There was something different in her gaze now... the light he saw in them was actually more mature than what Siu could see in himself when looking into a mirror. “So I’m saying it now,” she continued, “I won’t be jealous. I was your first... And, I will stay your first.”

"Naturally." He said without hesitation.

"Mhm," Her fingers tightened slightly around her legs, smiling at him, “Don’t forget about that, about me, okay? And warn everybody else that they can only be second, even if they are stronger than me!”

"You ARE serious..." He exhaled, feeling that he was defeated more than when Elder Thane slammed his body into the ground, over and over again.

“Naturally. And don’t ever treat me like I was just… the beginning. Okay?”

"Like I would!" Siu stared at her, actually feeling himself getting angry, “You want me to swear that?”

"I..." She hesitated a moment, then saw Marly and Arya frolicking in the grass not that far away and came to a decision just then, “Yes.”

His answer was not something she expected, because he kissed her, pushing her down into the grass, climbing over her, without giving her a chance to resist... not that she could... or would. But when he began reaching under her robe, out in the open, only hidden away by some bushes and some sparse, blooming foliage, she began panicking, gasping for air when they separated.

"Siu...?"

"Should I stop swearing myself to you...?" He asked, panting for air, and then Neya answered by pulling him down, no longer caring about anything else.

...

....

.....

"Master, that was... awesome!" Arya laughed as she and Marly hopped next to him, while Siu was walking up the mountain path, heading to meditate throughout the night. He was trying to do it at different times, searching for any noticeable difference, looking for his future affinity to show itself. "You went after her like a true pack leader should! Even my mom would have been surprised, ahahaha! Bang, bang, bang, I bet it was super effective! What do you think, will she have a litter of yours, Master?"

"He is shining, so it has to be the case!" Marly added, making Siu groan and rub his temple, realizing that his anger, stoked by Neya's words, made him pretty... impulsive, in that moment.

"..." For the most part, he just ignored them, but it was harder to do the more Arya commented about his techniques and that he was getting better and better, swinging and twirling his hips just the right way. "Can you stop?" He asked out loud, watching Arya stand a few meters ahead of him, shaking her bottom, making her tail flick from left to right, leaving twinkling, star-like flashes here and there. "Wait... No. Don't stop! Go on, keep doing it!"

"Eh?" Arya looked back at him, but continued swinging her backside, "You like it, Master? You really are a pervert, huh? Okie-dokie! I don't mind you watching!" She kept doing it, producing more and more of those small, flickering, silvery lights that she kept sending into the air with every flick of her tail's end.

It was not like that before... Is she... also close? To... Transforming? But by just watching her do it, almost instinctively, Siu had raised his hand, following Arya's movements, flicking his hand the same way her butt was drawing an eight in the air... And the next moment, some silvery lights flew off his fingertips.

"..." He stared at his own hand, unable to put things together, furrowing his brows.

What was going on? Why... Why did it work? Why did he know it would work...? Why did he understand that it had to work? He had to sit down and meditate over this... because even he knew, this feeling wasn't normal.