Just thought I'd say this now and get it out of the way, but, coming from an author who's inspiration stems from them, I would appreciate a review every now and again. Not much, just if you liked it, what you did like, what you didn't, etc. Just tell me your thoughts so that I don't drop this story out of lack of inspiration. Thanks!
Nashi wasn't entirely sure were they were going, but it seemed her father had something in mind. He strode through the forest with her in pursuit, wondering what her first test would be like. She, as she was sure her father was aware of, couldn't do very much, so hopefully this training would boost her power level a bit. Nothing much, just being able to produce a self sustaining flame when she wanted. She was tossed out of her train of thought when she bumped into her father, who had stopped in his tracks.
"We're here" He announced. Nashi looked around. She saw nothing but a pond in the clearing and a few deer around the edges on the other side, watching her and her dad.
"We are where?" Nashi asked.
"The site of your first test, sweetheart" Before Nashi could retort, She felt her father pick her up by the scruff of her neck, and toss her head first into the water. She struggled to surface, and spit water out of her mouth when she did.
"What the hell?! What kind of training is this?"
"The first and foremost part of your training is building up your internal flame. Without it, you'll constantly have to work at starting it before anything, which could prove detrimental. So, I want you to make the water boiling hot. Without using your hands, feet, whatever. Make the water good enough to cook food in." Nashi glared at her father.
"How in the hell am I supposed to do that? And what the hell do you mean internal flame?" He sighed.
"Your internal flame is the fire inside of you. The basic training I can give you is to make it go nonstop, and to do that, this is a good way to light it."
"But HOW?"
"What makes you angry? What makes your blood boil?" Nashi thought it over for a moment.
"The people who make fun of me" She finally spoke. He nodded.
"Now imagine how great it would feel to punch them all in the face." Nashi grinned devilishly as she imagined herself punching Rocky right in his stupid smirk. How amazing it would feel to call him ugly and useless. To stomp his confidence into the ground because he DEFINITELY deserved it. Nashi hadn't been paying attention to her surrounding until she heard a bubble pop. Her eyes snapped open and she looked down to find the water below her bubbling.
" I did it!" She shouted happily. Her stomach felt especially warm. Her dad laughed.
"Great job! Now, do the entire pond" Nashi grin faded as she scanned her surroundings. The pond as at least 50 feet wide.
"How am I supposed to do that?" She turned back to find her father walking away. "And where do you think your going?!" He laughed at her anger.
"Just keep getting angry" He called back. "Heat up the entire pond. I'll be back in an hour to begin your next training. Maybe I'll buy lunch for us too" Nashi growled.
"You piss me off pretty good too," Nashi thought darkly as she imagined herself punching her dad in the face too.
Nashi had successfully managed to turn the entire pond into a sauna. The water stayed boiling long after she stopped trying and had stripped to use it too relax. It was incredibly peaceful out here. Nashi wished her father never came back.
"I'm back!" She heard him call. Nashi quickly grabbed her clothes from the edge of the pool and threw them over herself as her dad appeared in the clearing. "And I see you managed! Great job!" Nashi wished that she would stopp getting a knot in her stomach when her dad praised her, but she felt happy nonetheless.
"It was pretty difficult for a first test" She said as she climbed out to greet him. He shrugged.
"If you that was hard, you should give up now"
"Not a chance!" Nashi was surprised at her own determination. Dad laughed.
"By the way, I brought lunch" He tossed her what looked like a torch.
"What the hell do I do with this?" Nashi demanded. Dad brought out matches, and used them to light all six torches on fire.
"Eat it" He replied. As if it were nothing, he stuck the lit torch into his mouth. Nashi gaped.
"I don't think I'm supposed to eat a fucking torch, Dad" He shrugged indifferently.
"It won't even burn. Try it" Nashi stared at the torch in her hand, before caving and cramming it into her mouth. It didn't hurt at all. In fact, it sorta tasted good. Nashi sucked on it like a lollipop until she felt the fire disappear down her throat. Her Dad had a retort before she even asked.
"It's how we fire dragon slayers power up." He said, eating another. "If we eat flames, it restores our power. And if fills up pretty good too!" He laughed as he patted his stomach.
"Then why did you bring matches? Couldn't you have lit them on fire with your own magic?"
"We can't eat our own flames. If we could, I'd never need anyone's help" He shrugged. "But that's just how it is" When they finished the torches, Father stood up and offered her a hand. She took it without thinking and felt warmth spread from his hand to hers. Nashi cursed inwardly. She could feel herself leaning towards forgiving him, but she wasn't sure about him yet.
"What's the next portion of training?" She asked as they walked away.
"Working on your endurance and martial arts skills" He replied. "Since you'll tire out faster without mastery of your internal flame, it'll be easier to train you to do this first. But I gotta warn you..." He grinned as he turned to her. "This is were it gets physically strenuous." Nashi grinned back, a grin of complete determination.
"Let's do it"
Nashi was regretting agreeing to this endurance and martial arts training, mainly because it resulted in her running 5 miles though the forest to warm up, followed by another 3 hours of her Dad slamming her into the ground and teaching her hand to hand combat. Nashi was muddy, she was bruised, beaten, exhausted, and bleeding a little. Her father had picked her up to carry her home. She, without meaning to, leaned into the warmth that was his chest to ease her pain.
"I told you it would get difficult" He said quietly, sounding like he felt bad. Nashi coughed.
"And I told you I didn't care. I'm fine, I can walk on my own"
"Let me be fatherly a little, would ya?" Nashi smirked as they reached home. "Now, we need to be able to explain to your mother. She told me I couldn't train you because your 'frail'. I'm gonna say I brought you on a job with me, okay?"
"We weren't even supposed to leave the house, and your gonna drop that bomb on her? This'll end well"
"I know, but the more you try to think of a plan, the worse it ends up. I'm just gonna wing it" Nashi sighed as he entered the house. The lights were on, which was already a bad sign.
"We're so dead" I hissed as we entered, and I saw my mother sitting there, impatience written on her features.
"Oh my god, Nashi! What the hell happened to you?!"
"I'm fine," I managed, pouring on the small, in pain voice.
"No you aren't! What the hell happened, Natsu?"
"I brought her on a job with me" Nashi winced as the look on her mothers face darkened.
"You... what?" Nashi looked up to find her Father at a loss for words against her mother. Then, she got a absolutely horrible idea.
"He used me as bait" She whimpered, giving her mother puppy dog eyes. Nashi almost laughed when her fathers grip on her arms tightened. She deserved that.
"Nashi..." Her mother spoke slowly. "Why don't you go and clean yourself up. Take a long shower, whatever you need, alright?" I nodded as my father put me down and I, not purposefully to get him in even more trouble, limped towards my room. After my shower, I could hear the yelling.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU HONESTLY THINK WOULD HAPPEN!?" Nashi winced. Her mother was a demon straight from hell when she got like this. Nashi felt bad for putting her father in that position.
"I... just thought..."
"NO, YOU CLEARLY DIDN'T THINK AT ALL! USING YOUR OWN DAUGHTER AS BAIT?! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! GET THE HELL IN THERE AND APOLOGIZE! YOUR SLEEPING ON THE COUCH TONIGHT!"
"No, anything but the couch!" He shouted. Nashi giggled as her door opened and shut, her father now inside. He turned slowly, glaring at her.
"I hate you" He said frankly. I pouted.
"Ah, come off it daddy, I was just playing along"
"Did you have to pour it on so thick?" He sighed. "In any event, I'm making sure you never come home in that shape again, she was throwing knives at me." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry I used you as bait" He called loudly. "It was completely stupid decision on my part"
"Damn right is was" Nashi replied, grinning widely. Nashi didn't think she'd ever smiled as much as she had today. Her father sighed at the sound of Mom walking down the hall. He turned to leave.
"Training every day" He said. "I'll wake you up early tomorrow, okay? Rest up"
"Goodnight" Nashi called without thinking, blushing when her father turned around in shock, then he grinned.
"Good night sweetheart"