Windows of the Soul

"I just thought of something," Twilight mentioned.

"Shoot."

"Descriptions of demons vary between belief systems. One common idea I've heard claims they're made out of stone. No matter how strong we get, we won't be able to break through something that sturdy. There's also a good chance my magic won't work in hell."

"You can't kill a demon, but that doesn't mean they're invincible. I'll show you the secret to beating them when we get to combat training, but in the meantime, I want you to study up on something. Fifty years ago, there was a martial artist by the name of Fei Lee Jun. He was a dragon, just like me."

"A dragon martial artist?"

"He learned several styles of martial arts when he was young, but he felt they were too limiting on their own. Instead, he developed his own philosophy of fighting focused on predicting the enemy's attacks. He called it the Way of the Intercepting Fist."

"He turned his opponent's offense into his defense..."

"Exactly. Once they dropped their guard, he would take advantage of their weak spots."

"But how will it help us?"

Spike gave a sly smile.

"You'll see. Let's just say I have a couple ideas of my own."

Twilight huffed in annoyance.

"Meanie."

"Don't go all anime girl on me."

"I won't even dignify that with a response."

"Suit yourself."

"I don't have a suit."

"If I'm the dick, you're the smartass."

"Fair enough."

"So we start training for real tomorrow?"

"Yeah. There's a specific order I've seen people recommend. We should do one day of cardio, one day of strength training, one day of combat training, and one day of rest so our muscles can recuperate. We'll get on track tomorrow."

"We should probably make a diet plan, too."

"I was just thinking the same thing. Nutritional foods will help better circulate blood to the brain, which means faster anticipation and response time, not to mention if we lose weight, there'll be less resistance to hinder our movements."

"I always thought bigger muscles were stronger?"

"There's some truth to that, but there are different types of muscle. What you get from eating a caloric surplus is called bulk muscle. Bulk muscle is great as far as boosting raw power goes, but it's noticeably slower than what we're after."

"Which is?"

"Lean muscle."

"Lean muscle?"

"Basically, it's muscle built through the training process alone. In exchange for less power, it offers speed. That's where the cardio comes in."

"Of course! Speed, stamina, and technical knowledge will make up for the lack of power!"

"Yahtzee."

"...I feel better now."

"Huh?"

"I wasn't sure how well this would work when we started, but now I see there's a method behind the madness."

"We'll get 'em. Trust me."

"I do."

"Come on. Let's go inside."

"Yeah."

Twilight and Spike jammed along to the metal band Dry Kill Logic until the sun finished setting.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving," Spike said.

"I hear ya'."

"I was thinkin' maybe some chicken and lettuce wraps."

"That sounds awesome."

The pair headed to the kitchen. Twilight chose another band to listen to while they were cooking.

"Heads up."

Spike tossed the lettuce to his sibling.

"I thought I'd be to worn out to even lift my legs, but it wasn't as bad as I thought."

"The soreness doesn't always set in right away. You'll definitely know when it does."

"Oh, good. I was worried about that," Twilight replied sarcastically.

"Smart. Ass."

The brother-sister tag team quickly scarfed down their meal. Despite her soreness having been delayed, Twilight's appetite was quite the opposite.

"Hey, Twi, do you have any cash on you?"

"A little. Why?"

"We need to start building up our training equipment. Anything that can help us get stronger should be taken into consideration."

"What did you have in mind."

"I want to pick up a jump rope. They're really useful for stamina and coordination training."

"How much are they?"

"The one I'm considering is a seven-foot rope. It's nine bucks plus tax."

"I'll give you the money tomorrow."

"Cool."

Spike bought the jump rope at one of the shops in town the next day. He was grateful to return home, away from all the hustle and bustle. He met Twilight near the entrance of the woods.

"Here."

"This is the one?"

"Yeah. You should probably start with a few warm-up stretches to loosen your muscles."

"Okay."

For the next half hour, Twilight focused on increasing and decreasing her heart rate through strenuous cardiovascular activity. She spent ten minutes using the rope, ten sprinting, and the last ten combining jumping jacks, push-ups, and mountain climbers into a single extended exercise. Just as she had done with her strength training the previous day, she took a thirty second rest between sets. By the end, she was practically wheezing to catch a breath of air. Sweat glistened across her fur, reflecting the rays of the sun from her body.

"I'm wiped."

"You did good. I'm impressed. Keep it up and you'll be as strong as a dragon in no time."

"And I still won't be strong enough."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"What about you? What are your limits."

"You'll probably see soon enough. I want to train with you, not above you."

"That's probably for the best."

"Let's chill out for a bit. If we catch a second wind, we can practice some more later."

"Right."