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Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Oct 19, 2011 15:30:28 GMT -5
It had been roughly a week since Kefka had attacked Michael and his new friends. Marisa and Alice had returned the day after; after a long explanation, they immediately began making improvements to the house. Besides more rooms, it now had improved defenses. Michael was a little worried regarding the letter that he had sent to Princess Celestia, as he had never received a response. All he could do was hope.
'I'm certain I'm never going to be able to look at a clown the same way again... Enough of that!' Michael walked outside, still with a slight limp. Both he and Rainbow had managed to recover quite well. Michael was almost certain that something was starting between Rainbow and Fluttershy, but he still didn't have anything concrete. "I'm thinking that it's time we finally got this started. Guys?"
Marisa and Alice walked outside as well. Alice said, "Yes; I do believe that is ideal."
Mokou had left a few days after the Incident; she was going to stay around the deeper part of the Woods, just in case.
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Post by Felix Falora on Oct 19, 2011 17:43:51 GMT -5
Patchouli had requested aid from someone. It had annoyed her to call upon such a character, but she felt that if anyone would be able to figure out Rainbow and thus help design cards for her, it would be the one who could see all. However, that didn't stop her from scowling a bit as she sipped her tea. Meiling avoided asking about the scowl and Rainbow, who was finally warm again and walking about, most likely due to her endurance as a cartoon character, was also advised to not ask. When Michael finally mentioned that it was time to start, however, she did a little turn. "Finally!" she replied. She had been waiting for this and the attack by Kefka really messed it up. However, nothing would be stopping them now. She walked outside with the others, including Meiling, as Patchouli merely floated behind.
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Post by DM: Dersite Merchant on Oct 20, 2011 11:32:16 GMT -5
A whole week away from Twilight Sparkle. How was she faring around him? Sure, she always had Owlowiscious to pick up the slack where he couldn't, but an owl can only do so much. Spike kept his mind off that by helping around the house. When he wasn't aiding in the kitchen, he was usually assisting Patchouli with her studies, much like he would with Twilight.
In doing the latter, Spike ended up learning a lot about Gensokyo and the spellcards the natives from there he now lived with used. Patch had taken to designing cards for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to train with, mainly combat for Rainbow and supportive and healing for Fluttershy. Much of the focus, of course, was on their inherent strengths, such as Rainbow's speed and agility and Fluttershy's affiliation with and influence over animals.
Right now, however, Spike was in the kitchen making breakfast. This morning he was making scrambled eggs and soy sausage, using his own fire to light the oven, and a small side of fruit salad. Nopony in Equestria ate meat (with the exception of substitute meat like soy sausage and veggie hotdogs), so Spike had grown up on a vegetarian diet. Milk and eggs were within the limits, of course, as they used them in various dishes such as their pastries or, say, quiche.
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Post by shiftyPotentate on Oct 21, 2011 22:02:10 GMT -5
Fluttershy stretched and yawned softly. She had been sleeping beside Rainbow Dash, but she evidently had left the room already. The yellow pony didn't seem to mind, it was a good sign that Rainbow was almost fully recovered from what happened to her. Fluttershy smiled, before crawling out of the bed.
She'd spent the last week carefully tending to Rainbow Dash, hoping to accelerate her recovery. She made soup every day, rubbed her to build her warmth up, and when the cold had fully gone away, she made sure no lasting effects, such as sickness or headaches, were plaguing the cyan pony. Under her careful watch, Rainbow Dash recovered in record time.
Fluttershy giggled. Another record speed for Rainbow. She'd get a kick out of that. So she decided to share that fact with her.
She walked out of the room, and immediately smelled the breakfast that was cooking. A glance in the kitchen showed it was Spike who was cooking. With a smile she walked over to Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow Dash?" she asked. "Are you feeling well today? I want to make sure you are, because... if you are, it means you recovered faster than anypony expected." She giggled again, excited for Rainbow even if it turned out she wasn't.
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Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Oct 21, 2011 22:13:10 GMT -5
Fluttershy's actions and statement had not escaped Michael's eye. 'Hm... I'm almost certain that there's something there. ...Jeez, look at me; I'm almost as bad as Nepeta... Well, I'll just push that train of thought away for a bit.'
Michael said, "Okay, Rainbow." He walked over, hands glowing with his Chi. He pressed on Rainbow's stomach, heart, and Third Eye chakras, leaving some Chi there. "Here's how this is gonna work. ...Um, Fluttershy; Meiling will be helping you learn what you're going to. It needs more focus than I'm capable of teaching."
Michael then looked back at Rainbow. "Anyway; close your eyes and take slow, steady, deep breaths. You should be able to feel your Chi flowing through your body. I left some of my Chi at your Chakras; it'll feel like something foreign to you. What you need to do is guide your Chi back and forth between the three points. After you've built sufficient power behind it; believe me, you'll know when; guide it to the tip of one of your forehooves and release."
Michael then walked back a few steps. "I'll be your target; fire the shot at me."
Marisa and Alice, tea in hand, watched intently; they were curious whether a pony could learn something like this.
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Post by Felix Falora on Oct 22, 2011 19:57:32 GMT -5
Rainbow heard Fluttershy and turned to face her. The two had been good friends before, but in a way, Rainbow actually felt this incident had helped the two come together. Even as arrogant as she was, being frozen to the point of hypothermia like that had finally instilled a sort of knowledge within her that any moment in this new world could be her last. The others seemed content with that knowledge, but she didn't want to accept it, especially in the case of Fluttershy. While she could be annoyed at Fluttershy's timid demeanor, she also cared dearly for her friend. If anything were to happen to her, hell would have no greater fury then a scorned rainbow colored pegasus of wrath. She tended not to think of that, however. Her thoughts never bordered on the ultra violent... she just accepted that she might have to fight to defend her friends in this alien world... and even in Equestria.
However, Fluttershy brought her thoughts back into familiar, friendly territory at the stroking of her ego. Chuckling heavily and doing some more turns, as if to show off, Rainbow stood on all fours and in a position that suggested she was ready to pounce. "Of course I am!" she replied with a grin. "No stupid clown is gonna keep me down! And if he shows his ugly face again after this training, I'll give him a taste of what happens when you mess with my friends!" She then blinked and took natural position, raising herself upright, at Patchouli's eyes on her. "Though... I'm still not sure about this whole... well... you know, don't ya Patchy?" Becoming more familiar with the mage, the Equestrians had taken to calling her by her shorthand.
"Your denizens are not inclined for fatality," she replied. "And it is better that way, morally... spiritually... it also tells how peaceful and serene your world is. However, it'll do your well to understand that, in this world, there will be individuals who are irredeemable. You'll have to figure out for yourself those who are able to redeem themselves and those who are so detatched from humanity that... well..." She closed her book lightly and let it float back into the house. "Let's save those inane thoughts for times they are needed. For now, it's time to teach you the tools of the trade, as it were. We'll start with basic danmaku shots and then, from there..."
"... move into your spellcards, a steady flow of progression from the basics into the more advanced." Patchouli's eyes narrowed at the familiar interruption. Right on time. Satori floated out from within the trees, causing Rainbow's jaw to drop at the second purple haired woman to join them. Satori looked at Rainbow's face and blinked. "Another one who looks like Twilight? This is crazy." That caused Rainbow's jaw to drop even further.
"Did you just...?!"
"... read my mind?"
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Post by DM: Dersite Merchant on Oct 22, 2011 20:56:11 GMT -5
Turning the stove off, Spike began scooping out portions of each food for everyponybody and setting the plates and bowls on the table. Once he was done, he went out to alert everyone he was finished.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," he declared, "but breakfast is re... ady..." He faltered to a stop when he spotted another Twilight-looking humanoid in their midst. "Oh..." Should he have known they were expecting company? "I didn't know..." he began voicing that very sentiment.
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Post by shiftyPotentate on Oct 23, 2011 2:53:18 GMT -5
Happy that Rainbow Dash was pleased, Fluttershy decided her place was best for now in the "audience", so to speak. She sat down near, but not directly beside Marisa and Alice. Close enough to be sitting "with" them, but not to close as to intrude on personal space, or seem too forthcoming. Which was how she liked it. A happy medium between being dangerously socialble and rudely evasive.
She looked on as Rainbow Dash started to learn and train. From the sound of what Michael had said, it sounded like he intended to have her learn stuff too. She didn't want to say no to such an offer, so she watched closely. As Satori came in, Fluttershy let out a light squeak of discomfort. The place was getting more crowded than she wanted.
Then she gasped. Did she really just read Rainbow's mind?
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Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Oct 23, 2011 11:04:25 GMT -5
When Fluttershy sat down where she did, Marisa pulled her over a little closer (gently, mind you), saying "C'mon, Fluttershy, we're all friends here. We won't bite." Trying to be reassuring, Marisa put her arm over Fluttershy's 'shoulder' in a friendly manner, like a friendly hug.
When Satori floated in, Michael and Marisa's eyes widened in shock. He started thinking, 'Oh, you've-' "-Gotta be kidding me," Satori finished. ".........." Michael turned towards Patchouli. "Patchy, I knew that you were bringing in someone to help, but I had no idea that you were planning on bringing her in." Michael shuddered. 'Ugh... baaaaad memories,' he thought to himself.
Michael then turned towards Rainbow and said, "...Yeah. She does that. Quite frequently. She'll be the one who'll help you with designing your first Spellcards."
Alice then chimed in, "Though it would be best to get the hang of regular Danmaku before you start with that."
Michael nodded. "Yeah. Alright; shall we resume where we were?"
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Post by Felix Falora on Oct 23, 2011 17:09:20 GMT -5
"As annoying and uncouth as she is, Satori will be a great help in designing Rainbow's spellcards," Patchouli replied. "The only ones I could get down on my own, much to my dissapointment, were the two obvious ones. Pegasus Sign: Sonic Rainboom and Nuclear Rainbomb are finished."
"The first utilizes Rainbow's natural speed and pecision to create streams of danmaku that will slightly home in on opponents," Satori said, reading Patchouli's mind to finish. "The second, her Last Word, is a more powerful attack. The movement works similar to Sonic Rainboom as it is an attack that has to be timed out, but she doesn't zoom all over the outside. She instead zooms through and leaves a laser wall on the trail she fired through. The laser will actually stream the danmaku out of itself at the enemy."
"Precisely," Patchouli replied. "And we don't want Rainbow's unique color combination to..."
"... result in spellcards that would mimic Meiling's. Color may be her thing, but..."
"Ok, seriously, that is annoying!" Rainbow growled, the power starting to flow through her as she grasped some focus... focus on how annoying Satori was.
"My apologies. It is a natural habit to me... as boasting about your speed is to you."
"I only boast because it's the truth!" Rainbow said. However, as she pointed at Satori, an accidental reaction happened. She fired her danmaku stream and it knocked Satori down. She probably meant to get hit. She might've even planned that entire setup. But she was slumped against a tree. "... Whoa, hey, I didn't mean to..."
"Good job." Satori picked herself up. "Try to keep hold of that focus, vision it, and use it some more."
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Post by DM: Dersite Merchant on Oct 23, 2011 20:27:54 GMT -5
Spike jumped slightly as Rainbow suddenly fired something out of her hoof at Satori. "Whoa..." He threw a quick glance the newcomer's way, and it was clear she wasn't badly hurt. "That... was pretty cool..." he piped up, a tone of great interest rising in his voice.
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Post by shiftyPotentate on Oct 23, 2011 23:49:04 GMT -5
Fluttershy felt herself get pulled over, and smiled a little. She lifted her front leg and wrapped it around Marisa's waist to return the hug. As shy as she was, she was always good for a hug. She smiled and closed her eyes, relaxing.
She opened them again in time to see Rainbow Dash fire something out of her hoof. "Eep! Rainbow, how did you do that??" She was listening, so she knew how, she just didn't know... you know, how. She was relieved that the girl who'd been hit by it had been okay, so she kept her interest on exactly how Rainbow Dash did it.
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Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Oct 24, 2011 0:11:33 GMT -5
When Rainbow shot her Danmaku stream, Michael, Marisa, and Alice's eyes widened. Then Michael started clapping slowly. Marisa and Alice joined him a few seconds later.
Michael said, "...That's probably the fastest I've ever seen someone learn to fire manual Danmaku." Michael then said, "I mean... I was in Gensokyo a week before the Scarlet Mist Incident. I couldn't go, because I couldn't fire Danmaku. Even after Meiling started training me, it took me three months to get the hang of shooting Danmaku. Even when I finally got it, I only managed two wimpy shots."
Marisa chimed in with, "...When I started training with Mima-sama, I had to use my old wand or my options to fire Danmaku; I didn't learn how to do it myself until a few years later before that Incident."
Alice then said, "I learned how to make options quickly and how to use my dolls to fire Danmaku thanks to Shinki-sama, but didn't get the hang of manual Danmaku until much later..."
Michael then walked over and gave Rainbow a friendly slap on the back. "That means a few things: You've got a lot of willpower, a strong body, and a strong spirit. I knew this'd come easy to you!"
Marisa said, "Nice work, Dashie! Kudos to ya."
Alice then thought to herself, 'I wonder if Satori planned that...'
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Post by Felix Falora on Oct 24, 2011 20:38:32 GMT -5
Rainbow blinked lightly as she heard the words of praise and comparisons to their slow times. She knew she was a quick learner and a quick pony, but damn... talk about the differences. According to them, they didn't even learn danmaku that quickly and yet here she was already using it. Maybe it was due to her existence as was. Either way, she grinned and did a little victory leap. "Alright! Man, I never actually thought I'd be able to do that, but that was amazing! I can't wait to go any further!" Patchouli, from what Rainbow said, now saw that Satori's egging had been planned. Seems like she had to make Rainbow want to shut her up in order to get her past those primate thoughts of "it cannot be done." And it worked. Rainbow was on her way to progression. However...
"Well we have to make sure you get basic danmaku down before you push yourself too hard," Patchouli replied. "I've set up some targets in a clearing overhead. Meiling, please lead Rainbow to the area we discussed." Meiling nodded and took flight, the pegasus following. She then turned to face Satori. "So it looks like you're using your powers for good this time as opposed to being a nuisance?"
"I never was an evil princess, you know. And after the encounter with Marisa and Reimu, I kinda understood that it was my abilities that were causing the youkai to shun me. So I'm starting to get better with controlling that... habit."
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Post by DM: Dersite Merchant on Oct 24, 2011 21:31:54 GMT -5
That's when Spike stepped forward and spoke up. "Hey, not that all this danmaku stuff isn't cool and all, but I've got breakfast waiting on the table," he said. "Scrambled eggs and soy sausage! Get it while it's hot!"
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