A Bucking Good Time
Much to Raquel's frustration, attempting to bind the Diffusion Weave to the ACSU fabric directly proved impossible, as the Diffusion effect interfered with the system's ability to absorb the ambient magical energy Sunset released automatically. To Sunset's surprise, however, applying a Diffusion Weave coat over top her ACSU suit worked just fine, and allowed the Diffusion Weave to draw power directly from her suit. Functionally, it was exactly the same as making a fabric that was a mix, without any of the technical issues. They'd tested the result, and Sunset was now able to deflect laser fire off any part of her suit, and was even able to direct it by the movements of her body. However, seeing Sunset kick a laser away had led to an interesting hypothesis: did the Diffusion Weave also reduce the force of physical impacts in this configuration?
Raquel was unable to bring an appropriate level of physical force to test the hypothesis, so Sunset intended to test it out next time she sparred with Pris. The opportunity would present itself sooner rather than later, as the next class Sunset was heading to was Mixed Martial Arts, another class she shared with her. She knew how hard Pris could hit and how that felt, so it would give a good measure of how well the Diffusion Weave worked at reducing the force of physical impacts, or at least how well it held up to it if it didn't reduce it.
As Sunset reached the gym where the class was held, she took another look around. While she'd been here several times before sparring with Pris, this was the first time there'd been anyone beyond herself, Pris, and Faris there. With the lights turned up, she could see the variable G exercise equipment scattered about, with each set designed for the musculature of the different sapient races of the Lylat System, which was a much larger variety than she'd first assumed based on her classes alongside Faris. Even the races that had similar builds had different muscular systems based on their native environments and dietary habits. As such, 'basic physical education' was a much more complex class at the Academy than at homeworld schools. However, before she could focus too much on any of that, her attention was drawn to the center of the gym...and the Ring.
At first glance it was just an ordinary boxing ring, until one looked close. The controls were to one side, and could be used to alter the configuration of the floor, gravitational effects, and even the environment of the ring itself. One could fight in the standard flat arrangement, atop mountain peaks, in zero gravity, in a high pressure electrical storm, and anything in between right in the Ring. Admittedly, only the teachers had the clearance to access the controls, so all of Sunset and Pris' sparring sessions had been in the standard arrangement, but she'd always been eager to see what it was like to fight in the other simulated environments.
At present, much to her disappointment, the Ring was in its standard arrangement. Much to her surprise, Pris was one of the combatants in the Ring...and she was losing. Her opponent was a Lupoid - a member of Wolf O'Donnel's species - female with an orange coat, blonde hair, bright green eyes, and an odd white freckle pattern on the fur of her cheeks. She was garbed in an overall-design green-and-blue flight suit, heavy metal boots, fingerless work gloves that exposed her claws, and a cowboy hat of all things. Despite Pris' phenomenal speed in the Ring, the orange wolf simply shifted slightly to avoid each incoming attack or redirect it, and frequently countered with heavy blows where Pris wasn't expecting. Sunset quickly rushed down towards the Ring, hoping she could cheer Pris on-
"Don't bother," Faris suddenly whispered to her from nearby. "Jacqueline there is the reason I have to patch Pris up every weekend. No matter how hard Pris tries, she's never managed to land a blow on her."
Sunset glanced at Faris. "It can't be that bad, can-"
A sudden howl cut off Sunset's words, and Pris came crashing down between Sunset and Faris. "...ow..." she moaned out ruefully.
Sighing, Faris knelt down and began treating her injuries. "Why do you keep doing this?" she asked ruefully. "You're already the top pilot in the year, why do you keep trying to get top fighter? How many times do you think I can patch you back together?"
"She's not...so tough..." Pris growled angrily, trying to push herself up only for Faris to pin her down.
"Ya really oughta stay down, suga'," Jacqueline said as she leaned over the edge of the Ring with a smirk. "Next time ah might not pull mah punches so hard."
"Why you!" Pris snarled, trying to get to her feet.
"Hey, take it easy," Jacqueline pointed out with a wolfish smile. "Ya lasted a full minute longer than last week. Whoever ya been sparrin' with must be pretty darn good."
"Thanks for the compliment," Sunset offered with a grin of her own.
Jacqueline's grin widened, showing off her sharp teeth. "Well now...think ye can last longer than yer friend?"
"You never know," Sunset offered as she felt her blood beginning to race. "But I bet I can get that hat off you."
"Bring it on!" Jacqueline countered as she leapt back into the Ring, taking a ready stance.
Pris sent Sunset a wicked grin. "Take her down a peg, Fire-Head," she hissed out eagerly.
Grinning back, Sunset leapt into the Ring, landing in a basic ready stance from standard martial art forms. Nearby, the teacher shook his head. "Fine, another grudge match," he grumbled. "Why did I agree to teach this class...begin!"
Sunset and Jacqueline immediately closed the distance, their fists and feet lashing out as they sought holes in each others defenses. For a full minute, neither managed to land a blow on the other that wasn't deflected. At the end of the minute, Jacqueline pulled back, a smug grin on her face as she relaxed her fists, curling her claws for combat. Seeing her arms outside the standard guard position, Sunset lunged forward to take advantage of the momentary hole in her defenses...but something was off.
Without being certain why, Sunset lashed out with a wide kick instead of a straight punch. Jacqueline's eyes widened as she ducked under it, scampering back for more room. Seeing the hole again, Sunset lunged forward...and this time she saw what was wrong. There...were there two Jacquelines? One more visible than the other? Acting on the thought, she lashed out with her other fist...and snatched Jacqueline's hat off her head as she ducked under the strike.
Jacqueline blinked in surprise as she saw Sunset twirling her hat on her hand. "Well now," she murmured in awe, "been a while since anyone saw through the Wolf Shadow." She got back upright, loosening herself up as she changed stances, shifting to a wider stance that had her lower to the ground.
"You'll have to teach me how it works," Sunset observed calmly as she plopped the hat on her own head before getting back into her stance. "Never seen anything like it."
"And ye won't again," Jacqueline responded before dashing forward, her claws leading the strike.
Sunset stepped back, trying to evade, but the claws slashed across her belly. Seeing the metallic sheen briefly, she was relieved to learn the Diffusion Weave kept the claws from slicing through her ACSU suit. To her surprise, the force of the strike sent her flying back into the edge of the Ring. She braced herself there, taking a few breaths. It didn't actually hurt, but it had taken the wind out of her.
"Heh, you can take a hit good, too," Jacqueline observed with a smirk.
Bracing herself, Sunset stepped forward. "Let's see how well you take one," she growled out as she shifted her own stance. She braced her legs firmly, and held her arms up with her fingers brought together to a point. This was her Dinosaur Stance, taking the combat styles of the Earthwalkers, Cloudrunners, and Lightfoot and blending them together into her own style.
Jacqueline raised an eyebrow. "That's different," she murmured before dashing forward.
Seeing the strike coming, Sunset leaned forward into it to throw off Jacqueline's point of aim. Her right hand lashed forward and caught the extended arm like a beak between pinched fingertips. The other hand lashed out like a tusk and jabbed hard into Jacqueline's side. With a grunt, Jacqueline spun free of the bind. "It's effective," Sunset replied eagerly.
Jacqueline panted a bit, then grinned widely. "Is that so?" she growled, her fur beginning to move oddly despite the absence of any air currents.
"Looks like you've got one last trick to pull," Sunset murmured as the visible circuits of her ACSU suit glowed brighter, showing she was focusing her magical energy into her own body.
"Let's see if yours can stand up ta it," Jacqueline replied eagerly. Shifting her stance wider, she tilted her head back, flung out her arms, and howled. The air around her seemed to vibrate, and Sunset tensed as she felt strong spiritual energy being focused into Jacqueline's body. When the howl ended, Jacqueline lunged forward...and two shadowy images of her lunged outward from her to come at Sunset from the sides.
Seeing the three pronged strike coming, Sunset closed her eyes and sank into her magic, feeling for the physical threat. As she'd thought, two of the images coming towards her were made up of pure spiritual energy, tied through blood and...something else to Jacqueline. While they could strike her physically, any counter strike of her own would pass right through her. The real Jacqueline was the only one she could physically counterattack, and she was...
Behind!
Spinning around, Sunset left herself open to the visible attacks as she brought her 'tusks' down and caught Jacqueline at the neck and navel, just as Jacqueline's claws closed around her own throat and the images halted at her ankles and belly, like the hunting strikes of a wolf pack.
Jacqueline grinned up at Sunset as she felt the sharp points her 'tusks' shaped around her hands. "And here ah thought Pris was the only one here who could gimme a workout worthwhile," she chuckled. As they both relaxed, Jacqueline took her hat back and plopped it on her own head. "We need to face off again sometime. Next time, ah won't hold back at all."
"In that case, neither will I, Jacqueline," Sunset replied.
Grinning eagerly, Jacqueline took Sunset's forearm in her hand. "Call me Jackie," she corrected warmly.
Sunset returned the grip. "Sunset."
Jacqueline has joined Team Shimmer
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All my yes. Take it!
Is it wrong I feel cheated that the "power pony" analogue has the speed-themed technique?
And now Sunset can kick plasma. Of course.
Still loving the arc though.
...and we're shy a party planner in this party...
Pris was one of the combatants in the Ring...and she was loosing
1. Losing.
Guess Sunset could see the Shimmer in Jacq's style.
Dang, Pris got Jack'd up real good.
I expected Jacqueline to be a cow, but this is much better.
Once team Sunset gets fully equipped with magitech Jackie is going to be a monster.
NIIIIIICE! Good spar!
This universe Applejack as a wolf. Definitely fits her and can put a heck of a fight!
Just one more!
THAT WAS AWESOME!!!
What next Jacqueline go full demon mode to win
Huh, we're missing one member. Are squadrons limited to just four people?
Is it right for me to fear what the "Pinkie" of the group is going to be. Maybe another fox? Pinkie would have the energy to be one. Have you seen them when fully charged?
9245129
We haven't gotten around to Pinkie's counterpart yet. And anyways, I doubt that Faris and Raquel will actually be piloting Arwings. Faris seems more the type to stay on the bridge, helping with coordinating and such, while Raquel is Team Sunset's engineer and mechanic.
9245151
In all honesty? I think Pinkie is going to be a monkey/ape. Or a chameleon.
Pinkie Is the hummingbird.
I think you're all missing the most important question.
How dafuq did Jackie do that?
9245058
two more, Pinkie and Twi...
9245018
...are there cows in Star Fox? Genuine question, not that familiar with the series.
9245244
How did Jackie do what? After images or shadow fighting?
And we have our Applejack for the story! Woo!
9245178
Guess that could leave this world's Twilight as the fox. Unless the writer makes Pinkie a two tailed fox. That would be a great fit.
9245274
yes
9245254
Oh yeah... I stand corrected.
9245264 I don't think there is. I'm just spitballing.
Although, I'll bet dollars to donuts that Pinkie's either gonna be a reptile or amphibian.
Anypony besides me eager to see Team Shimmer visit Equestria, if only to see the Mane 6's reaction to their Alien counterparts?
And we readers had a buckin' good time reading this chapter
9245151
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9245356
She is going to be a poodle/ some kind of dog. I'll bet on that.
9245176 So, Faris will be a literal bridge bunny?
we are definitely getting closer to the aparoid assault
I like her and not just because she knocked Pris down a peg or ten
9245426
Wait, this is Pinkie we are talking about. She'll probably somehow insert herself into the story... Unless she was tied up and locked away in a closet full of cameras first at least.
It will be awkward if Star Wolf is actually Jaqueline's uncle or something and he finds out she's visiting the Great Fox right after his team sends a missile swarm at it.
9245426 Nope, Ponkers is going to be feline. Possibly related to Kat Munroe.
Think about it, playful, random, able to get in impossible spaces... Feline.
Hey, AJ, welcome to the party.
9245807
Now I can't help but imagen feline pinkie getting distracted by a laser pointer... Brilliant!
9245933
And now I can't stop picturing her actually managing to catch the dot somehow.
Looking forward to Pinkie the Party Gator. But will there be a Twilight Owl?
9245807
Oh yeah, check this link.
9246002
Hmmm...if that pattern is right, then shouldn't Rainbow Dash/Pris be a tortoise? Beyond that it matches.
9245244
Yeah, is manifesting spirit avatars a common ability?
9247451
Probably not. It's likely tied to the nature of that particular species. I also suspect that it's incumbent on the species not losing their tribal roots in exchange for technological advancement.
Not impossible, just really difficult. The Wookie managed it, and others have as well.
9246002
Pinkie's is likely going to be reptilian, but not necessarily gator. I'm thinking something more along the lines of a raptor or some such.
Something warm-blooded. Not that I don't think a cold-blooded species could evolve enough to develop space travel; just that a warm-blooded reptilian species has a better chance.
I'd say he [Tatsurou] might even go full avian, but he already went that route with Rainbow Dash's analog.
One last thing; while Pinkie's will resemble the pink party animal we all know and love, it won't actually be Pinkie in all but personality. That's why I use analog to refer to them; they're sort of an alternate-reality version of each one.
Also, this is the first time Tats has done something like this. Even in The Sparkle of His Eye he didn't make analogs of the Mane Six or the Humane Six.
9246331
No, that pattern started with Fluttershy's analog. Pris is an Avian, the same race as Falco.
I think it has more to do with personality than anything else; Rainbow Dash is all about speed, so a fast, flying- at least in the past -species makes sense for her.
That the others are matching more to their pets is because each pet happens to also correlate well with each of their virtues. Rabbits often invoke feelings of kindness; cats are often prissy, but can also be generous (mostly when THEY feel like it, heh); and dogs invoke both loyalty and honesty.
Rainbow's pet being a tortoise is a joke on the character. Giving such a fast character such a slow pet is amusing. Add the Aesop's Fable "Tortoise Beats Hare', and you have a recipe for many laughs.
9245310
Nah, not brainy enough. Two-tailed fox works for Pinkie's- massive sense of playfulness -but something a little more brainy has to be for Twilight.
Here's three for you; tortoise, horned owl, and poodle.
Hear me out on the last one before you criticize it! Poodles- indeed, all of the retriever species -are some of the smartest dog breeds.
Why a tortoise? Again, a lot of older cartoons often depicted turtles as smart; that's why Bentley from Sly cooper is a turtle.
9247589
I see what you're saying. Right now I'm just happy to see what the writer has planned. ^^
9247597
Oh, me too. It's nice to see him get back into the swing of things, though he really needed the break.
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It would appear that the lupoids mix some mystical arts (likely ki based rather than magic) with their martial arts. The Wolf Shadow technique is a canon technique used by Wolf O'Donnell in Smash Bros. There it was his modified version of Fox and Falco's Light Speed Dash.
9245696
You'd probably see Wolf detonate any missiles the Star Fox team missed just before it hit the ship.
Honestly, I won't be surprised at all if Jackie is related to Wolf, nor surprised if Raquel ends up related to Panther Caruso. Tats seems to like doing that with villains he plans to soften, and here it doesn't really even need that much to make the Star Wolf team move fully to antihero. They pretty much do that already in Assault.
9248538
I like the idea of Raquel being related to Panther, especially if Jaqueline and Raquel both start chewing their respective relatives out over an open channel and making the rest of Star Wolf and all of Star Fox in danger of lack of oxygen because they're laughing so hard.
9249658
What people don't seem to get is that Star Fox and Star Wolf aren't really all that different. Both of them are privately run assault forces. Oh hell, just say it like it is jwizard; they're both mercenary groups. Star fox is seen as the 'Good Guys' because they fought against Andross. And a great deal of that was personal, as James McCloud went down fighting that monster. It just means that there are some jobs that Star Fox won't take.
It would be funny if Tatsurou did either of those things. That's assuming he decides to 'go soft' on Star Wolf. He doesn't always do that; look at what happened to poor Azula.
I don't know how he managed to make me have sympathy for that bitch, but he did.