Ember of the Starry Sky

"Of course," Hinote said, tossing a snowball into the air and catching it lazily. "You've come a long way from the kid who couldn't even control her own fire. Now look at you you've got spells, shields, attacks. Sure, they all kinda suck right now, but you're learning."

Yukari stared at her, lying flat on her back in the snow, utterly drained. "Thanks, I guess," she muttered, though the compliment barely registered after the royal beating she'd just endured.

Hinote plopped down beside her, crossing her legs casually, her fiery hair a bright contrast against the snowy landscape. "Look, kid. I know I'm not exactly gentle when it comes to teaching, but there's a reason for it."

"Oh yeah?" Yukari rolled onto her side to glare at her. "Is the reason to drive me insane or just to make me hate you more?"

"Both, probably," Hinote said with a grin, tossing another snowball into the air. "But mainly, I need you to be able to handle yourself out here. Take today, for example what's the biggest problem you've had?"

Yukari thought for a second. "Um, you beating me senseless with one finger?"

"Wrong," Hinote said, flicking her on the forehead, earning a yelp from Yukari. "Your biggest problem is that you're freezing your tiny little butt off."

Yukari blinked and realized, yes, her entire body was shivering, and her clothes perfectly normal for a summer stroll were doing nothing against the biting cold. "Oh, right. I forgot about that part."

"Exactly." Hinote stood up, dusting the snow off her legs. "Lesson time, kid. You've been learning how to burn things, blow things up, and shield yourself from attacks, but you haven't mastered the basics."

Yukari frowned. "The basics? I thought I had that down."

Hinote raised an eyebrow. "You're shivering like a wet kitten, and you think you've got the basics down?"

"Okay, fine, I get it!" Yukari grumbled, getting to her feet and wrapping her arms around herself. "So what do I do about it? It's not like I can just set myself on fire to stay warm."

"Well, actually…" Hinote began, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Wait, what?" Yukari's eyes went wide. "You don't mean—"

"Of course not, you dimwit," Hinote said, smirking. "I'm not telling you to torch yourself. But you can use a little bit of your fire magic to create heat. Think of it like… simmering instead of boiling. Just a low, steady burn."

Yukari crossed her arms, looking skeptical. "That's it? Just make myself a human campfire?"

Hinote nodded, patting her on the head like she was a toddler. "Exactly. You're a walking heat source, Yukari. You've just been so focused on blowing stuff up, you forgot about the simpler uses of your magic."

Yukari grumbled, batting her hand away. "I didn't forget. I just… didn't think about it."

"Uh-huh. Sure," Hinote said, clearly not buying it. "Alright, let's see what you've got. Show me a little heat just enough to keep yourself warm, without turning into a bonfire."

Yukari nodded and closed her eyes, focusing on her magic. She could feel the familiar warmth flickering inside her, like the embers of a fire waiting to grow. She pictured it spreading out, not in a wild burst, but slowly, steadily, until her body was wrapped in a soft, comforting heat.

"There you go," Hinote said, nodding approvingly. "Now keep that going, but don't burn up all your energy. This is about control."

Yukari opened her eyes and looked down at herself. The biting cold was still there, but it didn't feel as sharp anymore. She wasn't shivering, at least. "Hey… it's working!"

Hinote grinned. "Of course it's working. I'm a genius, remember?"

Yukari rolled her eyes. "More like a pain in my—"

"Ah, ah, ah," Hinote interrupted, wagging her finger. "Watch the attitude, kid. You're doing great, but don't get cocky just yet."

Yukari stuck her tongue out at her. "I'm not cocky, I'm freezing."

"Well, now you've got a solution," Hinote said, crossing her arms with a satisfied smirk. "And you didn't even need to burn down a village to figure it out this time."

Yukari groaned, her cheeks turning red not from the cold this time. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Absolutely not," Hinote said, her smirk growing wider. "It's too funny."

"Funny for you," Yukari muttered, though a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She hated to admit it, but Hinote's teasing was starting to grow on her. In a weird, twisted way, it felt… comforting. Like having a really annoying older sister who was somehow still looking out for you.

Or a mom.

A really, really irritating, fire-breathing mom.

Hinote must have noticed her change in expression, because she crouched down to meet Yukari's eye level, her smirk softening into something almost genuine. "Hey, kid. I know I give you a hard time, but you're doing alright. Better than alright, actually. You're tough."

Yukari blinked, caught off guard by the sudden sincerity. "You… really think so?"

"Of course," Hinote said, her tone still playful but with a hint of warmth that wasn't just from the fire. "I wouldn't bother training you if I didn't think you had it in you. You've got potential, Yukari. And yeah, you've got a long way to go, but you're stronger than you know."

Yukari felt a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with her magic. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. "Thanks," she mumbled, looking away to hide the small, embarrassed smile creeping onto her face.

Hinote stood up, clapping her hands together. "Alright, enough mushy stuff. Let's get back to work. We need to make sure you can keep that heat going all day, or else you're going to freeze to death up here."

"Gee, thanks for the pep talk," Yukari said, rolling her eyes again, though her voice was lighter now. "But I think I can handle it."

"Good," Hinote said, grinning. "Because I'm not carrying your frozen butt back down this mountain."

Yukari huffed. "I wouldn't want you to, anyway."

As they continued through the snowy landscape, Yukari focused on keeping her internal fire steady, using just enough magic to stay warm without burning herself out. It was harder than she expected there was a delicate balance between too much and too little, and the cold had a way of creeping in if she wasn't paying attention.

Hinote watched her closely, offering occasional tips or corrections, but mostly just teasing her whenever she messed up. It was like having a sarcastic, fire-obsessed coach who couldn't resist throwing in a snarky comment every five minutes.

But despite the constant ribbing, Yukari could feel herself getting better at it. Slowly but surely, she was learning to control her magic in ways she hadn't thought of before. It wasn't just about big explosions or powerful attacks it was about finesse, control, and knowing when to hold back.

After what felt like hours, Yukari finally collapsed onto the snow, panting but proud of herself. "I… I did it," she gasped. "I didn't freeze!"

Hinote crouched down beside her, a smug grin on her face. "Not bad, kid. Not bad at all."

Yukari looked up at her, grinning despite her exhaustion. "So… does this mean I'm finally not a total screw-up?"

Hinote chuckled, ruffling her hair. "You've still got a ways to go, but yeah. You're getting there."

Yukari felt a warmth in her chest again not from the fire this time, but from something else. Something that felt a little like… pride.

"Thanks, Hinote," she said quietly.

Hinote's grin softened, and for a brief moment, the teasing, snarky exterior melted away, replaced by something warmer. "Don't mention it, kid."

Then, just as quickly, the moment passed, and Hinote stood up, her usual smirk back in place. "Alright, enough of this sappy stuff. You've got more training to do, and I'm not going easy on you just because you managed to not freeze to death."

Yukari groaned, but there was a smile on her face as she got back to her feet. "You're such a pain, you know that?"

"And you love me for it," Hinote shot back with a wink.

Yukari just laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, old lady."

Hinote gasped dramatically, clutching her chest. "Old lady?!" She pointed a finger at Yukari, eyes blazing. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today, or I'd fry your little butt for that!"

Yukari just grinned.