Touching Life, Again. (Open Plantsurge Training)

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Thresh Sken"]

"Exactly. You wouldn't know the opposite without those emotions." He drew a hand away from the flowers before holding out his hand and reaching into another pouch before producing what looked like wood shavings. Putting the wood shavings in the open hand he let the creature watch them as they slowly started to glow before catching fire. It wasn't the wood shavings though that the man wanted Thresh to feel, instead it was what he drew his power from and that was the spike in negative emotions that rose from him.

Even as he maintained his calm and kind expression, anger and hate started to leak off him like he truly found disgust in thresh before him. Of course he didn't and only those who did not know the situation would assume such but he wanted to teach the creature a lesson all the same. "Just because we need these emotions to generate the power we do, doesn't mean they are bad. All emotions are part of the natural order, be it kindness, compassion, love, hate, anger, sadness, regret and the thousands of others we feel. Accepting that fact means you can feel them without letting them over power your mind or sense of judgement and allows you to control the power they give you more effectively... have you ever heard of the power called Plant Surge? Its what i was doing with the seed before, albeit in a much more passive manner."

 

[Thresh Sken]

Ah. So that was what he wanted me to figure out. [member="Solan Charr"] reached into his pocket and pulled something out. They started to glow with an orange hue, which turned red as they burst into fire. During the entire procedure I could feel faint feelings that were of the Dark Side emanating from him.

I listened to him as he talked. It wasn't a view I had come across from any of my teachers, or peers otherwise. So... if I recognized that anger was a natural emotion, I could think rationally when using it to fuel me? I would become more powerful that way? It was what every Dark Sider wanted, power, but to have control it and really own it... That seemed like a whole different level to me.

Plant Surge... "No, I don't believe I have heard of it before." I said. "It is a very unique skill to see being used." I assumed it was of the Light Side, because it brought life, but that didn't mean I couldn't learn it... Right? Although... did he call it passive what he was doing with the plants? Was there even more to it?

"Does it have any other applications besides speeding up the growth of plants?" I asked the master sitting before me, most curious about what else he could do with it.

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Thresh Sken"]

He smiled and shook his head at the mention of it being unique. In truth it was a rather rare power to see, but that was because few went through the effort of learning what could be considered a otherwise useless ability. Even now the being before him mentioned its only application being the control of a plant's growth and that made him smile as the creature fell into the same hole and train of thought that most did.

"Plant Surge actually is not that unique. It is merely a rarely learned and taught power. As for its applications, that is where the mind is required. First, it does not deal in the creation of life, because no matter how much you will it, the plants at your command will not grow without a source of energy, and the conditions that would be possible for its growth. From there anything is possible, such as a creation of a bridge through vines, or using the roots and branches of a tree like spears. A tool is only as restricted as you perceive it to be, so yes, it has other applications."

He smiled at the creature as he explained and gave one last question for the being.

"Would you like to know how to grow a flower with it?"

 

[Thresh Sken]

Ah. So I was wrong on many accounts. It helped to humble me, and I hoped [member="Solan Charr"] noticed my face lowered slightly in embarrassment. I was too quick to make assumptions, and should probably in the future be more patient, getting all the facts before deciding on a set train of thought. This has indeed already been a very profitable conversation with Solan, as I had learned much knowledge in our short conversation.

Then he asked me if I would like to learn it. It was very kind of him to extend that offer, as in the situations he had just explained it would be a useful skill to know. "Yes, I would, if you wouldn't mind" was my response to his inquiry.

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Thresh Sken"]

"Im going to have to ask you though, not to use your emotions. IT will make this much much harder, but life and the darkside do not mix too well, especially considering that we want to keep the beauty of this garden alive." It was a difficult but simple request made by solan, knowing just how hard it was to use the force without mixing in the normal corruption that the darkside brought with it.

Whether the other would accept or not mattered not to Solan, his hand retrieving one of the seeds from the pouch at his side and digging a small hole away from the others just in case a bit of the corruption leaks through Thresh. Things were difficult to control when you are so used to using the force in one way, which made it all the worse when you tried to do something new for the first time. His hand preparing the seed while the other decided if he could try it without the darkside.

 

[Thresh Sken]

Not to use my emotions. Got it. I nodded at [member="Solan Charr"] in acknowledgement, as a seed was put ever so gently into the ground.

I moved closer to the seed and bent my head to look at it. I reached out through the Force, looking for the tiny speck of life that would be the seed sitting on the ground in front of me.

Once I found the seed in the Force, I held onto it and prepared to mimic what Solan did. I cleared my mind of my anger, frustration and disappointment.

Slowly I started to feed energy into the seed, willing it to take root and sprout into the beautiful plant it was meant to be. I felt no change from it. I squeezed my eyes shut in concentration, trying to keep the energy as untainted as I could possibly make it. I still did not notice a difference. I felt frustration grow inside of me, but I quickly forced it down. I did not want the seed to be a casualty just because I couldn't keep my emotions in check.

I gave it even more energy this time, funneling it through me into the seed. "How. Am. I. Doing." I asked Solan through clenched teeth, still managing to keep my concentration.

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Thresh Sken"]

His eyes watched the other, hands crossed in his lap while the process began. The creature, whos name he had not gotten yet began to start with the seed, pushing the energy from him and towards the seed. But, like the old phrase had always said. Someone could not learn by simply watching, because even if you watched someone swim for a hundred days, you could never swim without attempting themselves.

He let the creature go on though, trying to funnel more and more energy into the seed as he forced the process and finally when he asked how he was doing did Solan put a hand on his shoulder, looking down at the spot with a smile.

"Relax, nothing will happen if you try to force the process. Growth is a natural thing and corrupting that natural process can do just as much damage. You aren't controlling a simple power that bends at your will, you are working with another living being and pushing it to grow faster than it would normally. Try to just let the force move into it for now, don't worry about actually making it do anything for now."

 

[Thresh Sken]

I stopped when I felt the hand on my shoulder, and looked down at the seed. Still nothing. I listened attentively as [member="Solan Charr"] spoke. I nodded when he finished, it has to be mutual, I can't force something to do what it doesn't want to or can't do.

I looked down at the seed again, and proceeded to clear my head of all thoughts, including the recent failure. This was a new slate. Another attempt. I found the seed in the Force again, this time acquiring it slightly faster. I tried the different approach Solan had told me to do. I guided the flow of energy just naturally flowing into the plant, instead of forcing it this time. I also tried to... ask it to grow. To communicate my wishes to stimulate it faster than normal. Because the normal rate would be weeks or months, and I was trying to accomplish it in minutes. I had to cooperate with the plant instead of bending it to my will, like so many Dark Side powers required. I closed my eyes out of a more peaceful attempt this time, meditating slightly while trying to goad the seed into action.

I had transferred much energy to the seed, trying to coax the plant into accepting it, and the residue left behind clouded my vision in the Force as to the amount of progress I had, or hadn't made.

"How is it this time?" I asked Solan after a while.