[IC] A Hero Tale {Complete}

[tex]

"Life is precious, but I don't think it's precious enough to protect. Life needs to defend itself, otherwise it becomes something evil, driven by darkness. I don't think it should be a matter of can or cannot, or whether you have the right. In the multiverse, there are no innate rights. What do you care about more, though? Yourself? Your people? Or your moral fibre."

[Jensoman]

Jenso nodded. "I...I do believe that some people deserve second chances, but...perhaps I've been to naive to believe that everyone can change their ways just by having their ass kicked or getting imprisoned. That's my moral fibre being at the wrong...some evil people simply can't change and need to be killed for the sake of protecting people. Even if I don't enjoy killing.." Jenso replied to Nexus.

[tex]

"To each their own, but you speak of defending so many. Haha, still, you do not quite understand what peace is. Such is necessary in our lives, Jenso. Without it, our efforts have nothing to defend, and our weapons are frail... I'm so tired of the chaos that I've been forced to partake in for the past five thousand years, but I've found an outlet, where peace pulls me away from it all, here, in my dream dimension. Time flows slowly, here. I feel away from it all, away from those idiots, and Yzeira. Despite my values, I've found peace."

[Jensoman]

Jenso smiled at Nexus. "I guess I do enjoy a good fight every now and then...I never really appreciated peace...I guess I'd be happy when everything with the Order of Chaos has passed, but...I guess I might end up feeling pretty bored. Sounds stupid, right? Like you said, I'll have to get used to the prospect of peace. I can't just randomly run around beating people up, right?" Jenso said with a smirk. "My life got a whole lot more exciting since I encountered the Order, that's for sure."

[tex]

"Haha, we do make things a little... Unruly, to say the least," Nexus quipped, picking up his drink again. "Jenso, peace is a powerful tool, and it can persist indefinitely, even in the heat of battle. It isn't something we look forward to, it's something we create. It's a resource, in our Ki," Nexus chuckled and nodded, "Literally."

[Jensoman]

"Do you mean like...being able to be at peace within your mind during combat?" Jenso asked Nexus. "I know it's important to keep your cool during battle...I usually try to do that, even though I'm not always the best at it..." Jenso stated. "It's hard to stay calm and at peace when a giant beam of death or something is about to strike you head-on."

[tex]

"That's not it. It's a little more applicable than that, literally. Hah, I didn't learn about it for the longest time, but Ki is actually quite simple. It should be obvious that Ki is influenced by our emotions quite drastically," Nexus began to explain, "Which is why you are they way you are, and why Yzeira is the way he is, now." Nexus patted his bare chest and conjured a small cup before Jenso. There was nothing in it, but he handed it over nonetheless.

"Anger overclocks the soul to the point of absolute fatigue, damaging it and leaving it in tatters. Much of the time, it can kill a person who harnesses their Ki this way. Occasionally, it will give them a permanent boost. Likewise, hope can expand the limitations of the soul, but it cannot exceed natural limitations in quick bursts the same way anger can. Determination, drive, the ability to never give up, the power which you hold far more sternly than anyone I've ever seen... Well, that's one of the most influential factors in determining strength. It naturally gives Ki limitless growth, on top of its already limitless potential. You hold that power, as does my master, Yzeira. It's a matter of pride, really." Nexus paused and looked down to his cup.
"The passionate emotions all work the same way, changing how Ki flows, in both dangerous and harmless integers. The less passionate however, the gloomy and depressing feelings we get, do something else. While it is impossible to reduce the overall might of a soul without access to the void, it can be dampened, disoriented, and shaken by things like sadness, hopelessness, and heartbreak. But, there is a center to all of this- Erm, a point where emotions lose their chaotic effect on our Ki. Peace. It's no so much a state of mind, it's the lack thereof. Normally, our Ki expands and contracts randomly within our bodies, changing in size and power based on how we think. But with proper training, a person can mold Ki to their bodies, sealing it in a stasis, where energy can be output without any fatigue. In this state of perfect concentration, it's possible to make more informed decisions, react faster, and be without worry. A literal peace, you see," Nexus explained thoroughly. "Peace is almost like a fourth state of energy, outside of the arcane, Ki, and void that encompass all of reality. It can shape the other energies perfectly, but it is limited, and can only be created by our conscious decision to do so, through meditation, and way of life. The way we speak, the way we act, and the way we live. Peace is an energy we create, and expend, for tranquility..." Nexus paused and looked around him at the beautiful realm they were in.

"This dream realm is not a simple task. I can only hold it for a year at a time, by expending the peaceful energies inside of me in order to break the normal laws of magical physics that bind realities together. It is a literal production of my peace. No analogies or metaphors at play here, heh."

[Jensoman]

"Huh...that's...that's amazing.." Jenso muttered. "I see...so, do I need to meditate in order to achieve uh...peace?" Jenso asked, quite intrigued by what Nexus had said. He wanted to learn this power in order to protect the innocent, and have a better chance to stand up against the Order.

[tex]

"It's not that simple, but I'm sure you'll learn eventually. In a year, you'll have to wander the void for quite a while before I can reestablish this dimension. Hopefully you'll have known peace by then, haha.." Nexus slammed his cup down and stood up quickly, "Unless, perhaps you'd.. Like a teacher?"

[Jensoman]

'What? A year?! There's no way I have time for that!' Jenso thought, frowning at Nexus. "Yes, I could use a teacher.." Jenso said with a smile. Nexus was most likely talking about himself, but he wasn't entirely sure. He certainly appreciated the idea of being able to learn peace faster than a year, though.

[tex]

"Then it's settled," Nexus spat, tossing his cup into nothingness, "I think you're going to enjoy it here."

---

~ End Of Chapter II~

[tex]

~ Chapter III ~

_{Otherworldly Regimen}

Nexus brought Jenso to a small gazebo atop a nearby transparent hill, and waved him underneath. "Trust me when I say, learning how to achieve peace will melt away your worries and make your soul stronger in the end."

[Jensoman]

Jenso clenched his fists for a moment. 'Wait for me, guys...please be safe.' Jenso thought, thinking about all of his closest friends. He hoped none of them would die while he was...gone. He took a deep sigh and examined the gazebo while relaxing himself as much as he could. He turned to Nexus. "So uh...what do I do? Just meditate?"

[tex]

"No no, nothing so moronic, trust me. But it does require a certain level of ingenuity. It's a selfish technique, but it's absolutely necessary. You need to start putting yourself before everyone else. It's really that simple. From there, everything falls into place."

[Jensoman]

"You're asking me to forget about my friends and only think about myself?" Jenso asked Nexus, and frowned. "I'm not that kind of person...how am I supposed to tell myself that the others matter less then me?"

[tex]

Nexus sighed at Jenso's remark, and took a moment to think over how he'd approach the man's resolve. "Less than.. That's not it," Nexus whispered. His eyes closed and he took a thinking pose. But within moments, he realized excatly how Jenso learned. Simply talking to him and explaining it like he'd explain it to somebody like Yzeira, who thought solely with the logical part of their mind wouldn't work. Jenso had to learn with his heart. Nexus lowered his hand, palm up, and conjured up several small rubber balls. Within moments, one of the balls was at the center, and the rest began to float around it. The center ball grew larger, and the balls around it began to slow down, rotating around it peacefully. "This ball is strong, and the other use it as orbit. It maintains them, and it keeps them at a regular pace. What if, suddenly, that ball was gone?" With a small pop, the center ball dissipated, and the other balls all fell to the ground, and bounced away. "Where is the order? Where is the peace? All of the other balls are now gone. Without their hero, they are forfeit to the darkness. Wouldn't you say that.. The bigger ball was indeed more important than the smaller ones? Wouldn't you say that it matters more for the safety of all?"

[Jensoman]

Jenso frowned as he looked at Nexus's display with the rubber balls. "Yeah...they all count on me.." Jenso muttered, clenching his fists. "I guess I'm more important in that way, since without me, everyone might die.." Jenso said to Nexus. Nexus's words made more sense to him now, and he explained it in a less selfish way.

[tex]

"You should be proud of that, acknowledge the fact that you are worth more than everyone around you. You are strong, and you are, in a way, better. You can't protect anyone if you can't even recognize that you're stronger than they are," Nexus insisted, dispelling the balls completely. "It may take a while to believe, but it's necessary for what I'm trying to teach you."

[Jensoman]

Jenso gave Nexus a sad look. "But Lark is far stronger and smarter then me...how can I be stronger? If anything, he'd be the best person to fight the Order, not me!" Jenso retorted to Nexus. "I guess I did help people with my powers, but.."

[tex]

"Hah, that's exactly what I'm trying to erase! You're so unsure of yourself- You don't even know how much potential you have, and won't acknowledge it, even when it's laid plainly before you. Now you're just being stupid!" Nexus mocked, stepping over and tapping Jenso in the side of the head with his open palm.

"When he was a boy, far weaker than more, Yzeira thought himself the most important, most powerful, and most intelligent being in the universe. Fast forward ten thousand years, and he still believes that. I'm hard pressed to disagree with him now, because he holds a power that cannot be matched, and has retained enough knowledge to shame any scholar in the multiverse. He knows true peace, as have I. Everyone in the Order can harness the peacful energy I'm speaking of, easily, because they believe themselves superior to all else. They however, have the flaw of lacking humility and grace. Even Yzeira. Balance is key, but we'll get to that later.."