Kist sighed, scratching the back of his head as he began to explain, “Well, my expressions are based the movements of the actual aurora. Well, more like how it’d been described in the history books before the Celestial Model got involved.”

Nue nodded thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing in concentration. “And what about your own interpritation?”

Kist hesitated, his expression contorting in confusion. “Interpritation... the hell do you mean interpretation? My power isn’t exactly that malleable, I mean, it can’t even physically hurt you unless my nebula’s up and I flood it with enough strength to do so.”

“Interesting,” Nue mused. “I see where your disconnect and mine are.”

Offering his hand in a lazy gesture, Nue pointed at kist before continuing.

“You need understand that these powers aren’t as limited as you believe. In fact, it’s the key to developing you further! To face the star, we’ll need precision, control, and creativity, not just raw power.”

Kist frowned, his playful demeanor vanishing. “I’ve been using these powers for years. You really think you can teach me something new?”

Nue’s smile widened. “I know I can. You’ve never fought alongside someone who understands abilities like I do. Together, we can refine your expressions into something unstoppable.”

Kist stared at Nue for a moment, the weight of the challenge settling on his shoulders. Then, with a determined nod, he said, “Alright, let’s do this. Teach me something instreating.”

Nue's eyes lit aflame as he placed a hand on Kist’s shoulder. “Then let’s begin. We’re going to turn your emotions into a weapon that even the stars will fear.”

The following hours were a whirlwind of focused intensity. Nue led Kist through the development of his advanced techniques, pushing him to refine his control over his aurora.

A numbing pain raced through Kist's body as he held himself up by his shaking limbs. The sweat beading down from his face crisscrossed across his body as they fell down his neck.

Lowering his head from the dark emerald green and violet-purple sky, Kist felt the gentle wind cooling him down. It was a pleasant feeling, one that he knew wouldn’t last.

Focused to drag himself to the ground as Nue sent out an expression that took the form of a swarm of static flies, Kist quickly created an arc of light, allowing him to escape the attack.

Reemerging a few feet away from where he originally was, Kist saturated his pointer figure with cosmic energy as he nearly collapsed only to fill his body freeze in place, another new feeling Nue introduced that he’d quickly learned to hate.

“Sorry, but my PTSD can’t let you get that damn attack off again.” Laughed Nue as he held his bleeding neck with a manic smile.

Fighting against the effect, Kist managed to form a twitching smile as he inched his finger toward the ground, sending a massive aurora curtain into Nue and driving him deep within the ground.

Now, freed from the paralyzing effect, Kist threw himself back as he knew that attack had another momentarily grounded Nue.

“You know it’d be a lot easier to dodge my attacks him you stopped acting like we’re supposed to be playing fair!” Kist yelled as he reset himself.

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Emerging from the smoke, Nue chased after a breath he couldn’t seem to catch, and Kist seized the opportunity.

Raising both his hands in a dramatic display, Kist felt his veins squirming with power as he prepared to end this bout, only to feel them knot within his forearms.

Screaming in pain as he collapsed to his knee, Kist thrashed on the ground as his entire body began to lock up.

“God damn this hurt!” Screamed Kist.

Coughing out a laugh, Nue fell to his ass as he watched Kist, “This is the third time this hour, maybe it’s time to take a break.”

Gasping for breath, Kist struggled against the spasms wracking his body, his muscles locking up with painful intensity. He gritted his teeth against the agony, frustration, and anger boiling within him.

Nue, still recovering from the previous exchange, watched with a mix of concern and grim amusement. Despite the intensity of their training, he knew this was a crucial lesson Kist needed to learn: the limits of his newfound abilities.

"This is fucking ridiculous! I've never had this issue before," Kist growled through clenched teeth, his voice strained with both pain and indignation.

"I told you the first time this happened. Just because your mind knows how doesn't mean your body does!" Nue shouted back, his tone sharp but tinged with understanding. He had faltered many times at this stage, overwhelmed by the sheer physical toll of attempting to master his powers.

Kist's frustration boiled over, his hands balling into fists as he fought against the pain. "How am I supposed to defeat the star if I can't even control my own damn body?"

Nue's expression softened, sympathy flickering in his eyes. "You will, Kist. But it takes time. Your body needs to adapt to the strain, just like your mind has."

As the spasms began to subside, Kist slowly pushed himself upright, his breathing ragged but determined. He met Nue's gaze with a defiant glare, his resolve unshaken despite the setback.

"Fine," Kist muttered, swallowing back the remnants of pain. "Let's keep going. I'll get this under control."

Nue nodded, a hint of pride mingling with his concern. "We will. But first, rest. Your body needs it."

Reluctantly, Kist nodded, easing back onto the ground with a frustrated sigh. The forest around them settled into a hushed calm, along with their abused bodies.

After a few moments of catching his breath, Kist looked over at Nue, who’d now laid prostrate on the ground. The tension from their training already dissipated in the air, but Kist knew he needed to discuss what had just happened.

"Nue," Kist began, his voice still tinged with frustration, "how did you deal with these setbacks? I feel like I'm making progress one moment, and then my body just betrays me. I’m used to the idea, but having my power do this is still strange."

Nue, raising his head, glanced at Kist with a knowing look, his demeanor softening as he considered the question. "Same way you showed me how to understand how to fight, Kist. You can follow my lead, but the path to mastering your powers is your own. I didn’t have nearly as many lock-ups but then again, I never aimed to progress as fast as you are now."

Kist nodded thoughtfully, absorbing Nue's words. "I guess I need to be patient with myself. It's just hard when there's only so many hours left."

"It is," Nue agreed, his gaze drifting to the starlit sky above. "But remember, you're not alone in this. We’re here to guide each other, and we'll overcome these challenges together."

Feeling a sense of reassurance, Kist managed a faint smile. "Right."

Before Nue could respond, Kist's expression turned curious. "By the way, earlier today while I was working, I overheard some of the customs talking about something called the Shadow Festival. Ever heard of it?"

Sitting up, Nue's brow furrowed slightly, his interest piqued. "The Shadow Festival? Yeah, it's just some scam artist looking to make a buck off the star being locked in the sky."

Kist shrugged, still intrigued by the idea. "They were talking about how it's happening soon."

Responding in kind, Nue answered,. "Yeah, in about fifteen hours or tomorrow night. Oh, and we will be attending, at least for a few minutes. It’s happening the day of our break in…easy way to make sure Beyond and Ensis are distracted but still close enough to intervene if and when we need them too."

Nodding his head, Kist spoke, “So you’ve more of a plan than I thought.”

Shrugging off Kist’s insult, Nue continued, “Anyway, we’ve only twenty eight hours left before the star’s gone. Meaning we have thirteen left to train and rest before the count down to the festival and start of our break in.”

“Damn, really?” Questioned Kist.

“Yeah, just enough time to rest and get you at least somewhat more capable than before.” Said Nue.

“Alright, then, let's get back to it. I think I got a new expression I wanna try, then after that we can met up at the festival.” Suggested Kist.

Nodding his head, Nue began to stand to his feet.

“Then lets see it then!” Nue said with an excited grin.

“Happily!” Smiled Kist