|
Post by Tarascha Terastari on Jan 19, 2016 16:42:24 GMT
[Enter Tarascha from the Medical Grotto & Medical Store]
After leaving the Medical Grotto and trotting through the various tunnels and caverns that were the camp, Tara had arrived at the Barracks & Training Hollow of New Hayven. The little march had him panting softly under the heavy cloak and hood but he kept both on him at all times. He had to admit. He felt a little naked without the knives that were usually strapped to his legs, the little tingly feeling of knowing that if he felt the poke of one of the knives tips on his leg, he was pretty much out cold in minutes. But Tara would have to survive without the extra weight there for now.
Once he entered this new room, he noticed right away the smell of sweat and metal. Must be the soldiers place, probably training ground as well. Maybe he could watch the ponies for a bit, see if they had any interesting things to talk about that he could listen to or maybe study some of their figthing styles. Living in a cave must have forced them to adapt to a more close quarters style and those were always interesting.
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Jan 21, 2016 7:24:05 GMT
Aegis followed her over to the training pits, smirking a little himself. "Even if you throw me, you still have to beat me. Have you practiced reading your opponent? Getting a feel for the pony in front of you thinks based solely on their facial expression, body language and the regularity of their breathing? Knowing the moves and being able to physically overpower them is one thing, but having the skill and patience to redirect the force is another. Does...does that make any sense?" He asked, wondering if he explained it well enough. He didn't doubt Moxie's intelligence, but his habit of interspersing his speech with various quotes he'd heard might make his point a little convoluted to some ponies.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Jan 27, 2016 22:52:37 GMT
"I've practiced!" She promised. he always reminded her of the same things and she chuckled internally. She must be a crumby student... her heart went out to the stallion for continuing to try to teach her such an artistic way of combat. He always moved with such fluidity while she bumbled about and tried to throw her weight around to compensate for her lack of precision with such alien movements. She dropped into a ready stance, urging him to begin. She was ready this time...
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Feb 15, 2016 1:01:13 GMT
Aegis smiled and took a stance of his own, the movements as natural as breathing after a lifetime of practice. He darted forwards to strike, his movements quick and effortless, telegraphing the direction of his attack. But there was a trick he always used at the start of every practice fight. The attack he was telegraphing was a lie and the real attack was coming from the side she wasn't guarding.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Feb 16, 2016 5:19:52 GMT
Knowing his tricks all too well to begin, Moxie rushed in and feinted a block toward his initial attack, leaving enough strength behind her blocking hoof to deflect it if it turned out to not be his usual fake attack but pulling much more strength into her wing flaring out to block or strike from her opposite side. She curled her body at the last moment to be in a position to spring into her next attack directly following. That is, if she wasn't already on her plot by then from Aegis...
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Feb 16, 2016 8:06:26 GMT
Aegis smirked, diverting the momentum away from attacking and into a different move. Moving his hoof downwards and joining it with his other hoof, he pushed off the ground to flip over Moxie. However, this meant that, for a brief moment, he had to take his eyes off her, since his neck didn't have that much rotation and his sense of hearing didn't give him as accurate a picture of what she was doing as his sight did. Of course, he wouldn't try this move if he wasn't sure he could mitigate the risks. The question, for this brief few seconds, became "Who is faster?"
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Feb 16, 2016 22:49:33 GMT
Her wing already in striking motion, it grazed along Aegis's backside as he flipped into the air over her, dodging the force behind it and instead getting a nice back scratch from her bristling feathers.
Moxie twisted and pushed off from where she landed, already pursuing him with another swipe of a forehoof. She kept her back legs tucked to kick out to the side if he decided to dodge to the side, using one forehoof to connect to the ground until the last minute that she might need a rear leg for support.
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Feb 25, 2016 3:54:06 GMT
Aegis turned, noting that she had the sides covered and had learned from the last few times he'd dodged around her to attack from another angle. She was keeping him in front of her where she could see him. But he had another trick he could use, though he suspected that she'd have her counterattack almost instantly. As her swipe came in, Aegis' hoof moved swiftly and lightly pushed Moxie's hoof off target, directing her momentum elsewhere. But this left him open to her kicks intended to keep him in front. In these moments, Aegis reflected on how much she'd improved when she had an answer for many of his techniques. Soon, it would be time to focus on a different aspect of her training.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Mar 7, 2016 20:23:18 GMT
Moxie's eyes went large as she began to shoot off course but grit her teeth and put her attention on plan B. Lessening the strength behind her forehoof as it missed, she coiled her back legs and kicked out at the stallion as he went by her side. She knew she would be in for a tumble without strength in her forehooves to keep her standing, but she planned to roll into it to get away fast from her assailant.
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Mar 7, 2016 20:51:39 GMT
Her rear hoof connected with Aegis' chest, knocking the wind out of the stallion and launching him a short distance away. He grunted as he landed, kicking his legs out in a whirling kick to get back on his hooves in the same motion. Aegis grit his teeth as he assessed the damage from the feel. Good chance it was a bruise. If Moxie's opponent wasn't as durable as Aegis or one of the ex-military ponies, that blow could easily crush a rib.
"You managed to hit me this time...Good job, Moxie. Work on controlling your strength, though. It's not about power. It's control. Flow with the movements and keep the momentum going." He said, already preparing to guard against her next move. Her next blow might be capable of shattering one of his ribs, and that was a scary thought.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Mar 7, 2016 21:02:28 GMT
Moxie had felt the contact and had celebrated internally briefly before the ground in front of her came up to meet her. Wingout much strength, her forelegs crumpled under her and she attended to point her snout down and brace herself as she went into a roll. She hit the ground, tumbled by rolling on her head, to her back, to her butt before she caught herself with her rear legs. Her head spinning slightly, she now sat with her back to Aegis as she recollected herself, turning a dizzied look to where the stallion had retreated to. It wasn't the best landing, but it was something she could work on.
Getting back to her hooves and turning back to him, she listened to his advice and nodded. "I guess since I'm a mare, AND a pegasi, I try to use as much strength as I can. I'm weak compared to the other races," she admitted, though she knew he would already know, she just felt she needed to explain. Her rear hooves tingled from the force of her impact, and she hoped she hadnt hurt him.
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Mar 7, 2016 21:28:29 GMT
Aegis chuckled. What she'd said was something he was accustomed to. Due to the way his body was structured, he wasn't as physically strong as most stallions. But he was more nimble than most stallions. As for the Pegasi part...she might have a point. Except brute strength can be outwitted if you play your cards right, and not every Unicorn is a master spellcaster.
"I feel ya, Moxie. Trust me. My girly flanks can't outmatch an Earth pony on even terms, but that's why you don't try to push back directly. Try and control the battle and put it in your favour, just like that kick just now. Create more opportunities like that and you won't have to rely on strength to match your opponent. Put simply, fight smarter instead of harder. Oh, and something to say about your weaknesses. Don't fight them. Embrace them. Weaknesses are part of who you are, and fighting them just pronounces them more, making you weaker. If you embrace them, and accept them as a part of you, you can achieve inner peace and become whole."
He flashed her a slightly pained smile, using this break in the action to impart some wisdom and hopefully recover a little. The physical pain was nothing compared to the surprise that she hit him hard enough to leave a bruise. Of course, he was proud of her for improving so much. Soon, she might be able to teach others should anything happen to him in the future.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Mar 15, 2016 21:08:16 GMT
"Embrace my weakness?..." She looked back to her wings. Technically they are what forced her bones to be fragile and her body to stay unburdened by muscle mass. She supposed they were her source of the burden then... she gave a sly smile towards her sensei. "Okay then, I embrace my race!" With that, she shot into the air and began to dart overhead. Attacking from the sky felt natural, and she wondered if Aegis had fought much ariel battles from the ground over the years. Time to test HIM!
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Mar 15, 2016 21:42:58 GMT
Aegis' wings flared open and he shot into the sky to meet her. Fighting in the air required a different set of skills than fighting on the ground, and she did hold the advantage up here. But Aegis was already looking for a way to even the odds. His eyes scanned her form, trying to get a read on how she'd attack and where she'd attack from. He ran it through his head quickly in the span of a few seconds, using that split-second processing power as best he could. Funny how a natural tool for read air currents could be turned to aerial combat so easily. She moved so fluidly in the air, born to fly like a Pegasus should.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Mar 15, 2016 21:56:07 GMT
Moxie had an effortless way of flying, almost completely carefree in the air. It was second nature for her to avoid rocks on the ceiling, and her twists and loops in the air were graceful. She was fast and calculating up here, always skilled at precision with her movements and placement. While she looped around Aegis, she seemed to be having more fun than being serious with this spar, it made her very loose. She came at Aegis but seemed to dance right around him, not going to a strike with the first pass even though she had looked like she had intended to do so. She simply passed by with her legs pulling to her chest as she twirled off behind the stallion.
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Mar 15, 2016 22:09:25 GMT
Aegis took note of this, seeing how she was a completely different fighter in the air. He followed her, bringing himself around and giving a powerful flap of his wings to rocket towards Moxie. He wasn't as effortless as her, but he still held the same relaxed air about him. Easy-going and free, even in the middle of a sparring match.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Mar 15, 2016 22:12:05 GMT
Seeing him flying at her, she flipped to have her back to the ground and braced herself, ready for him, her rear legs the first thing he would hit.
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Mar 15, 2016 22:15:32 GMT
He flipped himself, going in for a divekick. A standard move of his, and the best match for Moxie's defence. Not that he'd seen it at first. He was already orienting himself into the attack. He didn't know about her counter until the kick landed.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Mar 15, 2016 22:20:22 GMT
Her back hooves clicked with his and she used his momentum to launch herself away in a split second, letting out a giddy cry as she rocketed through the air towards the other end of the barracks. Laughing hard as she opened her wings to stall and hit the breaks, she hovered in the air in place and held her sides as she chuckled at the ride she had gotten. She looked back out at how far she had come and called out to Aegis, "That's one way to get rid of an opponent!"
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Mar 15, 2016 22:37:01 GMT
Aegis steadied himself and hovered, having just figured out how to adapt his combat style to the air. He wasn't sure how it was going to work, as he wasn't as familiar with fighting in mid-air as the ground, but it was worth a shot.
"Yeah, sure is! It's usually a straight-on gutshot, though! Most of my opponents can't fly!" He called back, already starting to close the distance, but slower and more controlled this time. he didn't want to run out of energy too quickly and leave himself vulnerable. Moxie was way too powerful an opponent to take on in a weakened state.
|
|
|
Post by Tarascha Terastari on Mar 16, 2016 21:57:47 GMT
Having watched most of the battle until that point, Tara turned his head away finally from the two fighters to mind his own buisness again. Seeing them fight was entertaining for a while but he definitely wanted to see more of the ponies and the living arrangements inside the caves. He gave the two one last glance before slowly trotting towards the room's exit again.
But where to next. Maybe he should check back in with the doctor again and see if he had some time for conversation now after Tara had been out of his mane for a little while. Or maybe he should try to spot that Flux fellow again. He seemed honest enough to not betray him at the next best opportunity and knew his way around in the caves. And he wasn't as busy as the doctor was. With these thoughts, he left the barracks to see where else the path might lead.
[Exit Tarascha to the Medical Grotto & Medical Store]
|
|
|
Post by Forte Fermata on Mar 17, 2016 14:02:47 GMT
[Enter Forte from the Medical Grotto]
Forte passed the same grey stallion he had seen on his way out as he re-entered the training hollow. He gave a curt nod to the new pony before scanning the room for his partners in crime. He was a bit surprised when he didn't see them immediately, but breathed a sigh of relief when he glimpsed the two ponies sparing in the air.
He cocked his head curiously when he saw the bruise on Aegis's side. Had Moxie done that? He was impressed. Forte was no slouch when it came to hoof-to-hoof combat, but even he had a hard time landing a blow on Aegis. He beamed, proud of Moxie's progress, as he was sure Aegis was as well. He sat down by the entrance, watching the other pegasi spar, waiting patiently to report the outcome of his endeavor.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Mar 18, 2016 17:47:53 GMT
As Aegis spoke and flew at her, her own attention was distracted by the sight of green fur on the ground. Forte was back. Unable to help herself, she waved at him from her position in the air, forgetting Aegis for a split moment.
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Mar 19, 2016 2:27:43 GMT
Unable to stop with his speed built up, Aegis tackled into Moxie while she was distracted. Unable to help himself given the proximity, he gave her a somewhat tender squeeze during the time he had to slow down and flip so he took the brunt of it before they impacted onto the ground.
|
|
|
Post by Forte Fermata on Mar 24, 2016 0:11:10 GMT
"Moxie!" Forte called out, "Aegis!" He broke out into a gallop across the cavern. He quickly realized there was no way he would reach them before they hit the ground, but he sprinted towards them anyway. The cave wasn't nearly high enough to cause any real damage, but the sight of friends falling was unnerving nonetheless.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Mar 24, 2016 14:50:27 GMT
Moxie let out a short yelp as Aegis smacked into her, cursing herself silently for not watching him. She flapped her wings wildly to try to correct out of the hurdling spin they seemed to be in as they rocketed back down towards the ground, but Aegis' added weight proved too difficult. As he squeezed around her middle, she let out a groan and closed her eyes, seeing the ground rise up to meet them, and braced herself for impact.
A dull thud echoed through the training hollow as the two ponies hit the sandy bottom. Lucky for them, this room had the softest flooring, nothing but sand from years of collecting from wind sweeping it back into it's depths from inner caves and the underground river that carried it from lands beyond. Their impact was drastically minimized and Moxie rolled away from Aegis to her back with a groaning sigh before she tried out all of her limbs. She was fine, bruised, but otherwise in working order.
|
|
|
Post by Aegis Dare on Mar 26, 2016 17:51:36 GMT
Aegis breathed heavily for a moment. The sand had prevented injury and reduced the impact, but he'd still landed on his back at speed. He had to be more careful in future and maybe brush up on his aerial combat skills. Tackling ponies to the ground was hardly an effective tactic in longer engagements, especially if he missed and couldn't correct for error. For now, though, sparring was over. He'd collected enough bruises for one day.
"Are you okay?" He asked, turning to Moxie. It must've been an unusual sight to see the usually calm and nigh-untouchable Aegis in such a state. If only she'd seen his early adventuring days when he could barely finish an adventure without pushing himself beyond his limits once a day, resulting in temporary narcolepsy, or injuring at least one of his wings. "I think today is a draw. You're improving a lot."
|
|
|
Post by Forte Fermata on Mar 29, 2016 17:24:35 GMT
Forte continued his gallop towards the two ponies, skidding to a stop as he reached them. "Are you two alright? That was a hell of a fall, especially for training..." He asked, looking his two friends over carefully.
|
|
|
Post by Moxie on Mar 29, 2016 21:45:57 GMT
Moxie was laying in the sand on her back, her hooves clutched across her chest to her sides as she laughed uncontrollably as Aegis spoke. Finally getting a moment to breathe, she wheezed out, "WHEW! That was fun. We could have died!" She went into a fit of laughter again before she stood to her hooves and shook her fur out, proving to herself and the others that she was infact, fine. She turned and grinned towards the stallions, a wild spark in her eyes, "Nothing like a close call to make you feel alive. I havn't had that in months! I used to get it all the time in the Everfree, but back then I always had my spring paint to help me heal if I hit the ground that hard!" She mused.
Suddenly, she realized fully that Forte had returned, "Forte! Where did you go? What did you do?"
|
|
|
Post by Forte Fermata on Apr 9, 2016 1:46:49 GMT
Forte was taken aback a bit at Moxie's sudden change in temperament, but he quickly remembered that that was just Moxie being Moxie. Forte hesitated a bit when she asked about his activities, averting his gaze for a moment. He steeled himself, then looked back to her. "I, um... I need to come clean about something, but first... I promised I'd ask. Do you really want to do this? The sneaking, the espionage. Getting your paints back. Know that if you say yes, I will be behind you 100%, and stand by you through this to it's conclusion, whatever that may be. But I'd promised that I would ask you, one last time. Do you want to go down this path?"
|
|