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Training one's combat skills is a highly important aspect of being a trailblazer. Yes, witnessing the hidden beauty of the universe was marvellous, but also incredibly dangerous. Roads not travelled before could be covered in uuh… bears!
March nodded to herself, as she continued to jog down the train. Usually she wasn't especially excited for combat training, as although she had a passion for it and knew the importance of honing her skills… It also left her feeling sweaty and icky. Bleh!
However, today was different! Dan Heng had made amazing progress on being open about his past! March couldn't be happier, seeing him bloom into the beautiful flower he was meant to be… It made her proud.
Dan Heng had talked about the Xianzhou openly, shared knowledge about the Vidyadhara, and even promised that when he was ready he'd try and make his super cool dragon powers useful to the team.
March cared less about the usefulness– Not that having a powerful guy on her side was something she minded– What really mattered to her was Dan Heng's happiness. March couldn't help but to see how his isolation left Dan Heng to suffer, even when he insisted he was fine.
Him finding the bravery to open up and let his loved ones in? That was all March had hoped for a long time. Almost as long as she had loved photography!
She stopped outside the training car's door: clenching her hands in determined fists. March would do all she could to make sure this'd be the best training session e-v-e-r!
Get ready to be showered in care, Dan Heng!
She reached to open the door, and found her two beloved allies behind it.
The training car resembled a school gym. Just like in the sports immersia March loved. It had the equipment for all sorts of activities. Gymnastics, spaceball, climbing… All sorts of things that went largely unused. The Trailblazer's lifestyle was hectic and most often the best exercise was combat practice… And stretching! One should never forget to stretch! Stelle often did and suffered the consequences.
Dan Heng and Stelle were right at the combat training area, which was a small court with softer flooring so falling down wasn't as big of a problem. At the side were training dummies and many foamy practise weapons to bring in.
Both of her companions looked as they always did… March had sort of hoped to see him in the Vidyadhara form already: as she'd steeled her nerves to be totally ready and not say something dumb! However if he wanted to change when they were all there, that was fine too! March would just steel herself again!
They exchanged greetings as March headed over.
"Let's get training!" She said with a cheer. Her cute exercise outfit alone got her a little pumped up, but that combined with it being a special day had her all fired up!!
Stelle immediately grabbed her practise bat which was only slightly less lethal when made of wood and foam. It was truly something to be grateful of that Stelle knew how to hold back when training... Er, sometimes. March had seen her send a dummy's head to space.
"Wa-wait I don't want to spar until I'm warmed up!"
Stelle put the bat away.
"Besides, uhm!" March turned to Dan Heng, cautious and kind: "You wanted to try some new things today, right?"
"...That is true."
March could feel it immediately, the nervous energy building up with the expectation of Dan Heng doing something. However she also knew if the nerves grew too strong he’d back out of the whole idea!
Think March, think…!
"So cool!" March decided, "you're so cool and confident Dan Heng– If I was doing something like this I'd be so nervous I'd explode…!"
"I could explode." Stelle added.
"Please don't." Dan Heng furrowed his brows at that, but it also proved to March her plan had worked. He was too distracted to stress himself out!
"How do you even change forms?" March asked, trying to not sound super duper curious and excited. Calm, cool and collected March was needed here.
"It's…" Dan Heng hesitated but after clearing his throat spoke in his usual calm tone: "I just need to focus, really."
"Should we look away?" Stelle asked.
Dan Heng's brows furrowed.
No!! Stelle, don't make it awkward! She sent a glare to her, hopefully Dan Heng wouldn't notice.
"Uhm."
He noticed…!!
March wanted to yell out her misery, but knew that she shouldn't listen to her emotions at a time like this. Focus, March… Salvage the situation!
"Let's just ignore what Stelle said!" She nearly begged. "People changing forms is totally natural!"
…
She made it worse.
Both Dan Heng and Stelle looked away from her, Dan Heng in miserable awkwardness and Stelle to chuckle.
March wanted to sink into the earth…
Dan Heng placed a hand on her shoulder, the sudden gesture surprising her.
"It's… bound to be awkward." Dan Heng sighed. "I appreciate you trying to minimise it, but… " he pulled his hand away again: "We've faced worse horrors."
"Barely!" March shook her head. "Awkwardness is way up there with Phantylia and Mr. Dream Embryo!"
Dan Heng huffed, but in a way that made it clear he found her words funnier than he'd ever admit.
"...But you're right." March added, "The Astral Express crew can do anything if we set our minds to it!"
Stelle and Dan Heng nodded.
"Let's get started then…" He said, stepping a few steps back. "I'll need a bit of space for this."
March gasped, hands on her chin as she grasped what he meant. Stelle was cheering him on.
Dan Heng closed his eyes and lowered his head the slightest bit. The sound of water rushed in and shortly after ephemeral waves followed. They enveloped Dan Heng with great efficiency and grew into a dragon-like shape.
March watched eyes wide as it turned its head towards itself, rushing to where the process began and causing a great splash of water.
Behind the splash emerged Dan Heng, now changed.
March felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of it all.
Certainly it was all magical in a way that even an experienced Trailblazer would be stunned silent, but it was also one of her dearest friends.
She'd come here today to support Dan Heng, an act that seemed quite selfless. However at the edge of a sight like this, March couldn't help but to feel small. Her goal may have been selfless, but another part of her has been hyping Dan Heng up for herself.
March would be lying if she said that her unknown past didn't scare her sometimes. The way the memokeeper told her to stay away… Could she find a past that she would regret remembering?
If it was possible to grow beyond that… If Dan Heng could find confidence in his full self, maybe March…
She placed a hand on her heart. He gave her hope with his growth: the least March could do was help out!
Her first attempt may have totally failed, the situation was just bound to be awkward. However it had only begun… She just had to keep trying.
Dan Heng stepped forward on the dry flooring. Despite the watery entrance, everything around him remained dry.
His long hair flowed behind him a little lighter than hair usually did, perhaps it naturally floated some… His eyes now a deeper shade of teal and perhaps glowing a bit. His clothing was gorgeous and fitted to his frame as if the work of a world renowned tailor.
March felt herself hesitate. At first the sight stunned her by its beauty, but it was quickly followed by growing doubt. She didn't know anything about this form… How his hair was the way it was, if his eyes glowed, or where he got his clothing… It felt wrong seeing Dan Heng as a stranger.
She furrowed her brows: March, be smart about this! You're here to get used to this form of his, he must feel as odd as you do! Probably even more!
She glanced at Stelle who'd stopped cheering. March decided to do what needed doing now.
"Woo!" March cheered. "That was wild!" It came out much more naturally than her words before, as this time she felt confident in them. It was true after all, even if she felt doubt: The "show" had blown her away. "I thought I'd get splashed for sure!"
"It's only an illusion." Dan Heng explained. He always seemed most himself when sharing knowledge– He loved to ramble, even if he'd never call it that. "The Cloudhymn magic tends to take on water-like visuals when visible."
"Ooh…" March listened intently.
"I saw the invisible version once. When we were attacked by assassins." Stelle added. "Well, we didn't see them until they stopped being invisible..."
"R-right! Back when you two hung out with the healer lady." March recalled. "You guys still owe me a trio Luofu adventure!"
"I'm sure you'll get one." Dan Heng said in his toneless but reassuring way.
"Preferably without invisible assassins… or any kind of assassins." March added.
"No promises." Stelle shook her head.
March sighed, the memories of the few but scary Borisins she had witnessed around the wardance flooding her mind. The fun festival at Belobog turned into a fight, Penacony made her dizzy trying to figure out what was real, and the wardance put too much focus on the war part… could they really not have one nice outing?
Ough… March was suddenly not looking foward to her boarding day party...
Ah, she shouldn't think about that now! Dan Heng was the important thing here!
"S-so how do you feel?" March asked. "You look great!"
Dan Heng took a moment to take in the answer before sharing it. "Alright, I think…" he reached for his head, but thunk'd his hand on one of the two horns atop it.
"Thunk" Stelle repeated the sound. “Did you forget about them?”
"Mm." Dan Heng sighed. "They're sturdy, thankfully…"
March chuckled.
"Can we touch them?" Stelle asked.
"Huh?"
"So I wont be curious later." Stelle signed again: "What if I get distracted and then impaled again?"
"I'd really hope you'd just get another sword…" March said with worry. That wasn't a fun thing to joke about!
"I… I suppose it'd be fine." Dan Heng crossed his arms. "But only this time: I may have no feeling in them, but I'd still rather keep them to myself. They're attached to me."
"Okay!" Stelle saluted and walked up to him, poking the horn a few times before petting it for a moment. She seemed a little disappointed that they were in fact just horns and not some secret levers that revealed Dan Heng’s 3rd secret form.
March watched curiously. When Stelle was done, Dan Heng turned to her and asked something surprising: "What about you March?"
"Er! Uhm!" She squeaked. "I suppose it'd be good to get that out of the way!"
Dan Heng nodded the slightest bit.
A-alright!
March approached carefully and watched as Dan Heng lowered his head for her. She repeated what Stelle did, poking first before petting a bit. It felt like a gemstone, a little cold and smooth. Much like the jade decor Dan Heng wore in his daily life too… She smiled at the realisation. Dan Heng looked different but as she'd insisted quite a long time ago: He was still their Dan Heng.
Even if March wasn't sure of herself back when she said it, it needed saying. They all needed to hear it.
She stepped back with a smile and commented: "They're just like Dan Heng!"
"Hm?" Dan Heng raised a brow the same time as he raised his head back up.
"Uhm!!" March realised she'd blurted it out without much thought. "Cool and teal! Dan Heng is both of those things."
"I suppose so." Dan Heng accepted, baffled.
"Can you use them to ram an enemy?" Stelle asked. "Or break a door open?"
Dan Heng's bafflement left immediately and was replaced with annoyance, only to be replaced yet again with uncertainty. "I… Doubt it." Oh… so he didn't know either.
"We should try it!" Stelle decided. "I'll get a training dummy."
"No- no, hold on." Dan Heng grabbed her hand before Stelle got too far. "I'm not doing that."
Stelle pouted. "Why not?"
"I'd rather not endanger them or my head," Dan Heng said, letting go and placing his hands atop his head, now not thunking his hands on the horns. "Besides, it doesn't seem very becoming of a Vidyadhara high elder."
"But you're not him." Stelle stated bluntly. "Who cares if you don't act like someone you're not?"
Dan Heng paused.
March walked by them both, and hesitantly grabbed Dan Heng's hand.
She wasn't sure if staying quiet would've been a better option or not, but March spoke anyway: "She's right. But I dont think Dan Heng of the Astral express would want a concussion either…! We need his head to keep us out of trouble."
"Ramming is one way to keep out of trouble…" Stelle added, but nodded. "Dan Heng can decide."
Dan Heng remained silent. As the two wondered if he'd speak again today, another strange thing occurred.
Behind him appeared a long glistering tail that although translucent, was unignorable! What was stranger, was that the end of it was waving back and forth like a mischievous puppy.
"A tail!" March squeaked.
"Wh–" Dan Heng gasped in shock, and as he turned to look, he nearly knocked March over with it. However right before the impact truly landed, the tail vanished right before their eyes.
"Wh-whoa!" March sounded out her balancing act, nearly falling over just from the surprise. "I didn't know you could have a tail!"
Dan Heng looked mortified.
"Did you not know either?" March blinked at him.
Dan Heng let out a huff, trying to recompose himself. "I… I did know, but— It's never just appeared before."
"Bailu would love it." Stelle added.
Dan Heng was too distracted to hear her. "It's only ever appeared when I've meditated in this form. Only if I've… lost myself." He said the last part quieter.
"Lost?" March tilted her head. "Like falling asleep?"
Dan Heng shook his head. His eyes landed somewhere distant: "I've… Mentioned how sometimes Dan Feng's memories invade my mind…"
"Oh…"
"I try to avoid hearing him, but… There are moments." Dan Heng continued hesitating. March was saddened by his words, but a part of her wanted to celebrate his openness.
"Mysterious…" Stelle tilted her head. "Is it Dan Feng's tail?"
Dan Heng and March both reacted to the question with shock. She could be so blunt sometimes.
"Maybe." Dan Heng answered.
"A ghost tail?!" March shuddered at the thought.
"Like mr. Tail…" Stelle nodded.
"What? No? Ghosts don't exist."
"Right– A heli… something tail!"
"Heliobus." Stelle corrected.
"My tail is not a heliobus." Dan Heng sighed. "It's just— Likely a remnant of Dan Feng due to how my rebirth went."
"I see…" March accepted. "Do you think it'll appear again?"
Dan Heng thought about it. "Maybe, this form is still unfamiliar to me. The time I've spent in it before now has largely been in confinement."
Stelle looked aside, March suspected she was thinking back to their latest visit to the Luofu. What happened at the shackling prison when it was just them and Miss Hanya wasn't something the two had shared with March in much detail.. She could only wonder.
"I'll just be careful then to not get knocked over!" March decided: "and I'll let you know if it appears again!"
Stelle nodded: "Me too."
Dan Heng looked the way he always would when wanting to say sorry, but left it unsaid. He knew as well as March that she'd counter unnecessary sorrys with no remorse!
Instead of apologising pointlessly, Dan Heng decided it was time to move onto the next step of this unconventional training session: “There’s one more thing we should look over before trying anything combat related.”
“What is it, captain?” March asked.
“Yeah what is it, captain?” Stelle added.
“What…?” Dan Heng shook his head, knowing his companions better than to question their quirks. “Uhm. I’m capable of floating, as you saw during our battle against Phantylia–”
“And on Penacony.” Stelle added. “It was really cool.”
“Although in this case it was accurate to reality, a dream is not a good source for information…” Dan Heng disagreed. Whether he ignored the compliment or didn’t notice it was only for the aeons to know.
“So are you going to practise floating?” March asked with an attentive stare, maybe she could figure out the truth of his hair now!
Dan Heng shook his head. “In this form it’s more natural for me to float, actually… I’ve been making myself stand.”
“Then get up!” March insisted. “You don’t have to stand around for us!”
He took a moment to breathe in and out, before hopping off of the ground elegant like a beautiful deer… A deer that floated. March figured something like that was bound to exist somewhere in the universe!
March took a step back to see him better, as although he didn’t go far up, Dan Heng was already taller than her. Why did he get to be tall and float? Totally unfair!
“Man, I wish I could float…” March said with a grin as she took in the sight. Parts of his clothing moved as if underwater, swimming through the air like his hair… It was definitely affected by the levitation now at least!
“I’d have to get a carry-sized ladder.” Dan Heng commented. A joke! He was joking!! Rude!!
March pouted: “I wouldn’t get stuck!! I’d float around gracefully like the pretty girl I am!”
“I’d leave footprints on the ceiling so I could see how Pom-pom would clean them.” Stelle added.
“That WOULD be interesting to know… Maybe they have an extended scrubber…!”
“Hm…” Was the sound Dan Heng let out before turning to stare up at the ceiling. Before the two could question him, he raised all the way up to it, touching his palm onto it.
Stelle raised their hands up: “Unfair!”
Dan Heng chuckled lightly, before floating back down. March grinned widely, even if it annoyed Stelle further. It felt right seeing Dan Heng using such an elegant god-like form for goofing around… It felt like he was growing free-er.
Hm? Was that a tail? Oh it’s gone– Tricky little thing!
“So was this just to show off?” March laughed.
“Partly.” Dan Heng admitted to both of their surprise. “But I’ve only ever used this to aid myself. I wonder if it could be a tool for us as a team…”
Stelle’s eyes widened as she whispered: “A piggyback ride from Dan Heng…”
“...I suppose, yes. That is what I’m offering.” He confirmed. “Since you guessed it, do you want to try first?”
Stelle nodded and although she respected Dan Heng’s comfort it was still impressive how fast they’d climbed the poor guy.
March cheered them on, as Dan Heng prepared himself for what was ahead. One exhale later he hopped again, and although it was slower and majorly less elegant, his plan worked. Dan Heng and Stelle reached the ceiling in a few moments and Stelle proceeded to excitedly slap her hand onto it.
Dan Heng seemed to struggle slightly, and soon after Stelle got what she wanted, he landed swifter than before.
“It takes more effort.” He admitted. “But if necessary I should be able to get us out of trouble.”
“You’ve got to test with me too!” March insisted. “If you’re tired it doesn’t have to be now but! But you have to!”
Dan Heng smiled a tad: “Hop on.”
March nearly blacked out seeing that, but quickly recovered! Yes! Yes! Piggyback ride from Dan Heng!
She headed behind him and climbed up with a bit of help from Stelle. Dan Heng grabbed onto her legs in a solid and secure way that March trusted with her life.
“Ready?”
March cheered: “Let's go!”
And with another hop he ascended to the ceiling, again it was slowed down by the presence of March, but nothing to complain about! Sure the sights were quite limited in the training car, but even that looked magical from so high up.
“This is amazing…” March said gently as a whisper. “I’m so glad you’re sharing this with us.”
There was a silence before Dan Heng said: “Yeah.”
It made her heart warm, her happiness soaring like a bird.
We love you Dan Heng, she thought. We always will.
They landed more gracefully than expected, and once on secure ground March hopped off of his back– Only to land on that evasive tail!!
Dan Heng hissed in pain as March’s shoe dug in– Thank goodness she didn’t wear heels to the gym! She quickly moved weight onto her other foot and yelped a “SORRY!”
Dan Heng turned around to glare at the tail, which vanished in an instant as his eyes landed on it.
“I forgot to say the warning outloud.” Stelle spoke apologetically, hand awkwardly atop her head.
“It’s– It’s fine.” Dan Heng inhaled and exhaled to calm himself. “Neither of you are at fault. Ho-However if this tail keeps causing issues this form will not be reliable outside of absolute emergencies…”
“Did the pain vanish with it?” March worried.
“...Yes.” Dan Heng sighed, placing a hand on March’s shoulder. “I’m fine.”
March relaxed a bit after that confirmation. “I’m sure we can figure out your tail.”
“I hope so…”
With that past them, Stelle signed: “So what’s next?” The question let Dan Heng to move on for now and focus on things he loved: like planned activities.
“I suppose what’s left is combat.” Dan Heng confirmed Stelle’s hopes. He waved his hand once and within it appeared a tennis ball sized orb. It was some kind of a Vidyadhara heirloom according to him. It was used as a focus to channel the greater Cloudhymn magic.
“I won't be using this on either of you.” He added to the explanation. “It’s far too volatile.”
Stelle deflated a little.
“I should show what it is capable of though, at least on a scale that wont exhaust me too much.”
“...Or break the train!” March added with a raised index finger.
“Or break the train.” Dan Heng nodded.
Stelle undeflated slightly.
They worked together to gather three practice dummies onto the mattress flooring and then moved to stand on the opposite end of the area. Dan Heng stood in the front, insisting Stelle and March stay behind him for this.
“Because of the eruptive nature of Cloudhymn magic, it is best used from a further distance.” He raised the hand holding his orb, and the orb began to float atop his fingers.
A pressure grew in the air, like the strange weight all around before a storm. He breathed carefully, waves appearing around him, although these too did not dampen anything around them.
Finally in a violent motion of Dan Heng’s hand, the magic growing in the air formed into a raging water surge that blasted the training dummy he aimed for and the ones besides it enough to pierce a major hole through the middle one. It fell over with nothing but a scalp and toes left.
March covered her mouth. She’d seen how strong Dan Heng could be when they fought Phantylia, but she was a being beyond human capabilities. This dummy was designed to be as tough as an average person…!
A part of her told to become scared, that such power wasn’t to be trusted. However March wasn’t just somebody. She was a Trailblazer, and knew the power her allies wielded. Lasers from space, synthetic blackholes… Stelle was a walking Stellaron for goodness sake! However even if none of that was true, she was also Dan Heng’s friend, and trusted him wholeheartedly. She forced the hand off of her mouth and clenched her fists.
“That– That was awesome!” She celebrated. “If you’d brought that out against Sunday we wouldn’t have even needed the train!”
Dan Heng remained still, before sighing and letting the orb land in his palm.
“I thought I was ready.”
The words were quiet, his voice sounding broken.
March felt her heart drop as she walked in front of him even though he’d advised against it. There was something indescribable behind his eyes, a kind of void where his friend must’ve gone lost in.
Stelle joined her as well, reaching for Dan Heng’s arm.
He shook himself the moment she made contact, and looked aside with worry. “Ah, sorry…”
“What do you mean?” March asked, reaching for his hand to hold– He accepted, thank goodness. “You’ve been amazing all day.”
“I…” He looked down at the orb in his hand. “The previous incarnation of Imbibitor Lunae was a healer, and capable of far more precise forms of attack. He was known for his ability to weave water to pierce only the enemies of the Luofu.”
“You’re not him.” Stelle was quick to say.
“I don’t want to be.” Dan Heng confirmed. “But… I don’t want to be a danger either.”
“I’ve had some poor shots too!” March shook her head, holding tighter onto his hand. “Remember when I shot the floor right in front of Stelle and she went down in an instant?”
“I do.” Stelle mumbled.
Dan Heng remained quiet.
“There’s no such thing as a safe fight…” March insisted. “It’s all about… About trust! Trust that your allies will do what it takes to win, and won’t jump in front of your attacks. If we get in a situation where this form is needed, I doubt none of us would want to go anywhere in the splash zone anyway!”
Dan Heng closed his eyes, then huffed. “This wouldn’t be an issue if I’d tried to make this form mine a long time ago…”
“And I’m a lousy sword fighter!” March wasn’t deterred. “But just because I picked it up later doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to practise swordplay! It doesn’t mean it isn’t useful and that I can’t keep improving!”
She raised the hand of Dan Heng she was holding, and held it with passionate determination in her eyes: “Please Dan Heng! Don’t give up now! You’ve been doing amazing all day.”
Stelle patted his arm as well.
Dan Heng opened his eyes with an exhale: “You two are… Something else.”
“In a good way?” March asked.
“In a good way.” Dan Heng confirmed, raising his hand and within it the orb: “I’m here to practise… I need to not lose sight of that.”
Guess the sight of what he could do to the training dummy shook Dan Heng the way it had shaken her… He was such a sweetheart.
A few more training dummies pulled from storage and an extra one synthesised later as Dan Heng kept destroying them to bits, the piercing strike seemed to only take on the one target he aimed for. It didn’t go all the way through the dummy, making it clear it wasn’t more focused but simply weaker, but even so it was progress. March and Stelle cheered the whole time, and Stelle greatly enjoyed piling the remnants of the dummies in an icky wet pile.
March yawned by the end of that training, causing the other two to pick up on the fact they’d perhaps gotten a tad carried away. They’d been here for two hours already…
Although March hadn’t gotten much of her own training in, hauling the dummies and keeping the team motivated had definitely taken a lot out of her already.
“Ah. We should end soon.” Dan Heng noted.
“Don’t mind mee…” March mumbled.
“I could go all day.” was Stelle’s perspective on the matter. Of course they acted like someone with a furnace for a heart.
“...There was one more thing I wanted to try, but if March is too tired to continue we can do it another time.”
Another time? She was glad to hear Dan Heng had found this exercise worthy of repeating! That meant March and Stelle had done a good job keeping Dan Heng encouraged to explore this side of him.
Mm, but she did want to know what the one more thing was…
“No, no! I’m here! Let’s do one more thing…!” She fought back a yawn after. “And then go eat coffee– I mean drink coffee.”
Dan Heng raised an eyebrow, but relented.
He asked March to move to the back of the space, and Stelle the other side of him. “I’d like to try if we could combine our skills for a greater result.”
“Ooh.. A combo move…!” March gasped gleefully: “Just like in Welt’s shows!”
“...I suppose so, yes.”
Dan Heng then floated the orb up again, and focused on the last dummy standing. “I’ll go for something less intense but with good coverage. That’ll leave the ‘enemy’ soaked, and allow March to use less arrows to cause a freeze effect on them. Once frozen, Stelle’s bat should be even more lethal.”
“I like it.” Stelle raised her practice bat in preparation, but remained behind Dan Heng to not get soaked or frozen herself.
March also liked this idea. Sometimes a more fire-y enemy on the field allowed her to melt arrows and soak enemies for extra ease with her freezes, it was a very situational trick… If they could bring water with them anywhere thanks to Dan Heng, that could really turn the tide! Pun intended!
They discussed a few signs to make sure nobody acted out of order, too fast, or too slow. Then they all took in deep breaths, and got ready for the first ever combo wombo move of the Astral Express trio!
Dan Heng gave the sign he was going in, and with a less violent bounce of the ball, the dummy got soaked as if thrown into a pool.
Another sign, and March raised her bow for a quick shot of ice right onto the head of their fake enemy.
The ice spread sharply and engulfed the dummy, and with the final sign from Dan Heng: Stelle rushed in and used the speed of her running in to make her batting horrifically powerful.
With the sound of ice shattering, the dummy was ripped apart and only its lower part remained witness to the three who’d removed its upper body from this realm.
The trio took in the outcome for a moment, only for them all to cheer in their own unique ways. This was an absolute undeniable success and they were delighted! March rushed to pull them all into a tight squeeze, hugging them as hard as she could. Dan Heng let out a grunt, but she knew he’d let her have this.
March finally let go after what was likely too long for Stelle and Dan Heng, but not enough for her. Still, a hug should be appreciated by all involved! She’d just fill up on her hug bank with Pom-pom and her plushies later.
“For now the signs are too obvious for active combat– But this has potential.” Dan Heng said, which in his language meant: That was so cool and we all did amazing.
Stelle and March nodded excitedly. As March was about to ask if they should try it again, Stelle’s mouth went wide.
“Huh?”
She pointed up.
The upper body of the dummy had flown all the way up to the ceiling and gotten itself wedged between it and a conveniently placed pipe.
“I got it.” Dan Heng was quick on the uptake, and walked over before hopping to float up after it.
That was fine of course, but the surprises hadn’t ended there. March gasped as she spotted Dan Heng had his tail again! Caught you now, pesky thing!
“Dan Heng! Your tail!” March yelled so he’d hear her all the way up there.
Dan Heng was surprised enough to drop the dummy’s lost half who unfortunately didn’t do well with hitting the floor from such a height. Not that such a thing mattered now! Dan Heng get over here!
March rushed to where Dan Heng landed, and watched as he finally got a good look at the disappearing thing.
“Again…” Dan Heng grumbled.
“Again!” March repeated.
“Again.” Stelle repeated also, reaching to gather the squishy remnants of the one last dummy for her pile.
“There has to be some kind of a pattern to this…” Dan Heng mumbled, trying to reach for it, only for the tail to vanish on him. It was easy to tell how much frustration was growing in him. He huffed, hand landing on his forehead. “Is it just that I lack training…?”
March placed a hand on her chin, thinking about it all the best she could. That hypothesis didn’t seem quite right, Dan Heng was super capable in so many areas… Even in this form stuff like floating came to him all easy like. If it wasn’t some remnant of Dan Feng’s ghost either, the truth had to be something totally different.
Sigh, but what?
“You… You said it used to only appear when meditating?” March asked carefully: “When you… Didn’t feel like yourself?”
Dan Heng turned to look at her with distraught eyes. “Mhm.”
“Have you felt like that today?” March asked, her voice gentle and small.
“...No.” Dan Heng replied, seeming a little surprised by the truth. “I’ve felt… Fine.”
“Then–” March pouted: “Uh… This is hard.”
Dan Heng nodded, before lowering the hand on his head. “...I shouldn’t lie.” He then said: “Today has been better than fine. I’ve been… happy.”
March’s mouth turned into an O shape as she took in his words. That was the best possible thing he could’ve shared! A happy Dan Heng was all she had been hoping for!
Wait…!
March suddenly snapped her fingers: “I got it!”
“Huh?”
“I know why your tail keeps appearing!” March said with glee. “Er– Maybe!”
Dan Heng’s eyes were wide, but he gave her a nod: “I’d like to hear it.”
“Remember what Bailu told us before? That the dragon in every Vidyadhara is sort of both them and another entity… Maybe your tail is like that!”
“It certainly seems to have a mind of it’s own…” Dan Heng supposed.
“Maybe!” March raised her hands in excitement of sharing her theory: “Maybe your tail is happy! After all! It wagged like a dog earlier!”
“It wh–” Dan Heng shook his head and simply stared at her in confusion.
Stelle returned now from the pile and nodded: “March might be onto something.” She proceeded to build on her theory: “It appeared after you flew with me, when you flew with March, and when you did that team move.”
March nodded fast: “Yes! All those things seemed to make Dan Heng happy!”
Dan Heng’s face grew redder, his gaze swapping between the two of them as they listed their evidence in unison.
Then, he furrowed his brows, settling to stare into the middle distance between them: “Could… Could that be it?”
“Totally!” March said, only to catch herself– Heh, she’d gotten a little carried away. “I mean, maybe… But it makes sense to me!”
“Us.” Stelle nodded.
Dan Heng was silent, before a smile appeared on his face.
“Are you laughing at our theory?” March gasped.
Dan Heng nodded: “It’s… Hah.” He turned to look behind him and once again the glimmering ghostly tail trailed behind him. “I’m truly grateful for you both.”
March grinned, Stelle joining in the triumph. As Dan Heng did as well, the end of his tail wagged lightly. Perhaps March wouldn’t point it out this time.
What a truly successful day, March decided.
_
After the training session Dan Heng turned back, clearly relieved. March was able to get another hug in then, and together they headed for coffee as planned. None of them wanted to see Pom-pom’s face when they would find the goop pile of dummy remains…
Around the lounge table they all took in their chosen brews, although March had also grabbed a sweet treat.
Dan Heng researched the things that had come up during their practice: confirming that floating was not something usually done with other people for example. He also hesitantly admitted that perhaps… Their theory was right.
“I’ve rejected parts of myself for so long… I realise there are many things I never even learnt about.” Dan Heng spoke, serious but not unhappy: “I may know Dan Heng the Trailblazer, but… Not who the other me is. I was so scared that he was Dan Feng, that I didn’t even give him a chance.”
“It’s good that you’ve got us, then.” March said with a smile, wiping stray sugar off of her cheek. “We know you super well!”
Dan Heng smiled a small bit again.
A nod from Stelle as they placed her cup down.
“Perhaps the tail I had in the shackling prison was not my own.” He thought aloud. “It only appeared when I didn’t feel myself.” He then looked at Stelle and March in turns, and then smiled down into his coffee cup: “Today I did.”
“You had to embrace the dragon..!” March gasped. “Dan Heng had to become his full true self!”
Dan Heng huffed with a smile: “Perhaps.”
March raised a hand to high five Stelle, who gladly took part.
“Thank you.” Dan Heng said, more to the coffee than them, but that wasn’t a problem. Everyone knew how hard vulnerability could be for Dan Heng, so the effort meant the world to March and definitely Stelle as well.
March placed a hand on his: “No problem.” Followed be her pulling out her phone with her other hand: “...Aand since you’re feeling so nice, maybe you could answer some questions I have?”
Dan Heng tilted his head, but didn’t say no.
March was happy to report to her diary that Dan Heng’s eyes did glow a little, his hair did float a little, and the outfit was not his choice but he enjoyed it.
She smiled as she laid down to sleep that night. Perhaps there were things people couldn’t decide in their lives. Pasts they wanted to run from, or didn’t even know if they should be running! However with friends by her side, March could do anything.
No matter who Dan Heng would become, who Stelle was, or what awaited in March’s past… They’d be okay.
Growing up was a beautiful thing, she thought.
