simply diminished: a phantom troupe story

the blazing dragon

"AGAIN!" Emi yelled, watching the sweat roll off of my sun-kissed skin. "REST LATER. PRACTICE NOW!"

I heaved myself over the fence, praying my legs could actually finish the sprint this time. Stride by stride I made it towards the clearing in the forest.

"FIRST TECHNIQUE!" She screamed, chasing after me. I drew in a sharp breath and brought my hand back, releasing a searing blast of flame into the air. The ignited wave of heat flew in the air in the shape of a big fiery blob. "CONTROL CONTROL!" Ordered Emi, shaking her head at the flame. I focused the nen-made fireball and let its energy flow throughout me, lifting a hand and curving it through the air. After taking control of the shapeless bolide, it began to morph into a radiant dragon, lighting up the star-speckled ebony sky. "ATTACK." She Snarled, knocking over a dead tree in front of me. I guided the dragon to sweep under, before pushing out my hand hastily. The blazing dragon instantly dove towards the falling tree, shooting showers of fire out of its mouth. The fire swallowed up the tree branch, sprinkling ash as the only evidence of its existence.

"NOW SECOND TECHNIQUE!" Demanded Emi, now climbing up another tree. Moving my hands in the air, I forced the dragon back into a fireball before raising my arms and sending them down to the ground. Once the fireball hit the ground, it didn't make an impact but instead spread like spilt water. My nen fire was now spread across the forest, melting everything it game into contact with.

"THIRD TECHNIQUE!" Emi roared. I inhaled slowly and when I exhaled I began to deactivate my nen, hardening the raging fire into a thick layer of molten lava.

I groaned and leaned over, clutching onto my knees and breathing heavily.

"You know...I think we might be close to done with our training." Emi had slid down from the tree and was now standing beside me.

Emi and I had only been training for a couple months, but we had trained hard. Emi was only ten years older than me, but she had endured lots of experience in her pastimes. Since I walked out of Heavens arena with millions of jenny, I had hired Emi to teach and train me. Along the way, we had also become close friends. When I first told her that I wanted my nen abilities to be associated with fire, her reply was much different in comparison to Wings.

"I think it's a great Idea, and it matches your personality perfectly."

And with that, she was the best mentor, the best friend, I could ever had.

"Done? But we've only just started?" I protested, beginning to walk back towards the campground.

"You've captured your abilities perfectly. The only thing left to do now is name them." She shrugged and laughed, staring up at the glistening stars.

"I suppose. But you've gotta help me..I'm not good with titles or nicknames." My mind suddenly flashed back to the man at Heavens Arena...Hisoka. Or as I called him, the Cheshire Cat. Surprisingly, I haven't seen him since I left the arena. He said he would have followed me, but I suppose he had better things to do. Better toys to play with.

"Well you could name the first form dragon. That ones easy." Emi crossed her head and nodded.

"Ehh, that's not flashy enough." I brushed off the ash and rubble that was surfing my skin.

"Hmmm. Blazing Dragon?" Emi suggested, kicking at a stone.

"I guess. That sounds kind of lame." I stated.

"Hear me out...fire dragon."

"Okay no."

 Emi let out a loud giggle and we were nearing the campsite.

"Whatever. What about the second form?" I asked, intertwining my gloved fingers.

"Oohh how about...fiery hell." She piped, walking over to her tent and pulling off her shirt, replacing it with a clean one.

"Eh." I replied, leading over to my tent to do the same.

"Everlasting hell?"

"But it's not everlasting." I reminded her, rolling my eyes playfully.

"Ugh. Growing Inferno?" Her voice was strained, expecting to be rejectected.

"Hmm. Sure." I gave in, pricing a fireball to light the stack of sticks.

"And then for the third form...:"

"Final demise."

"Yeah, I like that."

"Okay but we need justice for "The Blazing Dragon"." I laughed, shaking my head at the corny name.

"It's not that bad." Emi insisted, combing her lengthy locks of sea-green hair into a braid.

"..."

"Okay maybe it is. What about...The fiery viper!" Emis face was proud and she was holding her hands in front of her, waiting for a response.

"I suppose."

The atmosphere was silent and I was just staring into the campfire, my eyes becoming irritated by the smoke.

"So it's set. We can leave in a week." Emi had come to sit beside me and she too was just staring into the ignited pit.

"I don't know where to go though." I sighed, as I felt a feeling that I haven't felt forever rise in my chest, and then through my face as small tears rolled down my cheek. Emi placed a hand on my shoulder and comforted me subtly.

"They're hosting the world's biggest auction next week. In York New City. You could probably get a good job there. And with your skills, you might even be able to become a bodyguard." Emi offered, rubbing a hand against my back.

"Emi...where are you going to go?" I sniffled and nearly choked on my words.

"Probably back to the Republic of Padokea. I think I'll pick back up on being an assassin for now."

"Oh. Who knows what I'll do after the auction. Although I do have some unfinished business."

"Let me guess- the card guy from Heavens Arena?"

I had told Emi the story a million times before, by this point she could probably tell it better than I could.

"Yeah. But Until then...I think I'll just sit back and relax."

After thinking about it continuously for the last week Emi and I were together...I finally decided.

I was going to York New City.