Chapter Text
Pain seared through Maddie’s side as she spat spare dirt and grass out of her mouth. With a wince of pain and a groan she rolled onto her back reaching around blindly for her silver longsword
“Again”
“Maddie I think that’s enough for today” Mario replied leaning over and extending a gloved hand over to her. The shapeshifter only shook her head raising the sword again panting from clear exhaustion.
“No, I got it this time. Do it again” Maddie replied with a lash of her tail.
“Cmon the sun is starting to set and I don’t want you to-”
“DO IT AGAIN!” she yelled, lowering her sword, her eyes finally meeting her new mentor. Maddie saw a mix of concern flash over his normal stoic demeanor before finally taking a breath as Maddie continued brushing dirt off her sleeve. “If you want to head back to the house I don’t blame you. I’m gonna keep practicing. I have to. I need-”
“I’m sure you don’t. Look how about this” Mario stopped and then jogged over to the back porch grabbing a water bottle for each of them. “Drink this and take five. I don’t want you to collapse from exhaustion over whatever got you into this ‘I need to practice all the time’ funk ok?”
With a grumble to herself, she took the water cracking the plastic top with ease before sitting on the nearby steps. Mario followed suit leaning on a nearby stack of wood as they sat in a somewhat comfortable but tense silence.
“Maddie, are you ok? After Lyn left-” Mario started
“I’m fine. Lyn left on their own accord and I don’t blame them. They didn’t feel valued so…” Maddie trailed off, ears flattened as she looked down at her dusty shoes.
“So you feel like you could have done better?” he asked tilting his head slightly
“I guess. I just wish I could have talked to them before they left.” She raised her head leaning back looking up at the red sky as the sun began to set for the evening
“You can’t change the past. You can only really look towards the future. Plus I don’t think you burning yourself in practice is going to help anyone. Especially yourself.”
“What are you, my dad?” Maddie joked looking over at Mario with a smug look on her face.
“I might as well with how you are acting Mrs ‘I can’t talk about anything.’”
“Oh wow I didn’t come out here to be slandered” Maddie clutched her chest dramatically as her head hit the next step with a dull thud “ow”
“Just go inside where it’s cool and drink that water” Mario jokes back, narrowing his eyes while stepping around the very clearly emotionally hurt girl on the steps.
“Ok FINE! But if I can’t take on the ninjas and other bad guys I’m blaming you!” Maddie replied getting up with a grunt wincing as her legs nearly gave out on her
“I’m not. Ok you know what I’m not gonna fight this” Mario replied turning around heading inside
“COWARD!” She joked, following him inside. Ok yea. Maybe she did just need to talk instead of burning herself away from everyone. Next time I see Lyn I’m gonna make things better. I promise you.