Negative Feedback (Danny Phantom Fic)

Chapter 13

"I, uh, never really thought I'd be training in something like this," Camry commented to her new teacher as she held onto her skirts and picked her way across an expansive dirt field. Lining one edge were half a dozen round, metal targets painted with black and red bull's-eyes. Dora waited for her about fifty yards away from the targets and looked as poised and elegant as any royalty would. "Is this at all practical for training?" 

Her dress had two main parts to it: a cream-colored slip that reached the ground and had a tight-fitting bodice, and a forest green cover with loose sleeves and an even darker sash to tie around her waist. Try as she did to figure out putting it on herself, Madison had eventually been called on to assist lacing up the back and tie the sash behind Camry. When Dora caught sight of her in the dress, she clapped her hands together once happily and tilted her head to the side. 

"You look adorable!" Dora said appraisingly. "Dresses really do suit you, Camry." 

"Th-Thank you," Camry stuttered in response, feeling her cheeks light on fire-- not in the literal sense, of course. "But am I really going to be able to train in a dress? The hem is so long, even after Madison pinned it up."

"Yes, you are a bit on the short side," Dora agreed, placing a hand on her chin as she scrutinized Madison's clever handiwork and Camry's diminutive stature. "But you won't be needing to do much moving around for now, so there's no need to worry. We're going to work on figuring out what sorts of powers you have today." 

"And how're we doing that?" she asked while looking around Dora to take in the sight of the targets. "With those?" 

"Not this time, no. Here, I want you to stand with your back straight and your arms at your sides," Dora instructed, using gentle nudges wherever necessary to get Camry into the right pose. "Relax your shoulders, and take a deep breath. Close your eyes." Camry obeyed, letting her eyelids slide shut as she exhaled quietly. "Your core is your center; it's where all your energy and power come from. Stay relaxed as you follow my instructions. I want you to-- Camry, your shoulders are tense again." 

Her eyes opened to see Dora looking a little perplexed, and she sucked in another deep breath. "S-Sorry, I, uh... I get anxious really easily. I'll try to stay relaxed." 

Dora nodded, and Camry closed her eyes once more while her mentor resumed in a calming voice. "Reach for your core. Feel all your untapped potential waiting for you in the place furthest from your grasp, and latch onto it. Your fire is in there, waiting for you to claim it." 

There was a long stretch of silence between them as the younger girl's eyebrows furrowed with concentration and Dora looked on expectantly. The relative quiet was broken after a moment when Camry slowly asked, "And... how exactly do I reach for it?" 

"Have you not once summoned your powers before?" Dora asked, incredulous at the mere idea. "Surely you must have. That lava you spat up was a part of one power." 

"Well..." Camry trailed off and stared at the ground while wrapping her arms around herself. Her mind wandered to when things had gotten fuzzy in her head only a little while before Dora had come across her, crying on that rock. The vague memory of the events that caused Danny to leave were wrapped in smoke, leaving only impressions of heat and anger. She flinched at the anger, feeling it surge ever so slightly in her blood before settling back down again. "I-I think I might have... when I had that negative feedback you mentioned earlier. The thing that made my friend leave me behind." 

"Well, we can't have that," Dora said, placing her hands casually on her hips. "Your powers have to have some sort of basis on more than just negative emotions. Otherwise, it would be difficult for you to learn proper control of them.