Meeting By Moonlight (Vash/Kurai/Anguo)

[Zhen Anguo]

'Guo stood up and picked up White Moon Dragon, looking at the crescent blade almost like it were his friend or brother he spun it over his head before it dropped almost casually into his palms in a ready position.

"Nah! So far all you've done is fly about giving orders!" He said with a big grin on his face "Why don't we actually see what you can do, huh?!"

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

I smiled. Most people label me a pacifist; they have no other words for someone who goes out of his way not to kill in battle. But even though I don't necessarily care for war, I'm fine with a good sparring match now and then. I drew my gun - a rare weapon on Allorum - and emptied the chambers. I wasn't going to seriously injure my own student, after all!

I clicked the gun closed, felt energy fill me with purpose, and sent my own energy down into the chambers, to fire when needed.

"You ready?" I asked.

[Zhen Anguo]

'Guo frowned for a moment as he looked at the weapon in Vash's hand, and his mind was suddenly aflutter with wonder of what it may be, was it some exotic sort of blade? Is that what would fly forth when he attacked? Maybe it was a crossbow of sorts, and bolts awaited him in their? No... It looked like one of the fabled guns that his father had spoken so lowly of, Yu was a traditionalist and he believed that in war, one needs to see his opponents face to face when he fights them.

"Am I ever!" 'Guo said, swinging his halberd through the air and stopping it behind his back, before raising a hand out to Vash, his defensive stance.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

I watched him, analyzed his stance; gathered my energy together. "It's a rule of fair play," I said, smiling, "that the least experienced combatant goes first."

[Zhen Anguo]

A plume of salt exploded into the air as 'Guo moved forwards. He slammed White Moon Dragon into the floor and scraped it along as he went, his speed leaving only a trail of flying, salty earth to determine his position. Just as the plume got closer to Vash, it disappeared, and when everything settled, 'Guo was nowhere to be seen at all."

A good fifteen feet up, Zhen Anguo was flying downwards towards Vash, with the flat of his halberd swinging down at his opponent.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

I didn't tell him that my eyes could track his every move; there was no time for that, just for action and reaction. So my gun came up, firing a burst of Lunar that knocked the White Moon Dragon's head aside, ruining the balance of Anguo's swing, before stepping lightly aside and sending another burst of energy at him, redirecting his energy until he was rolling sideways.

[Zhen Anguo]

White Moon Dragon burst into the salty earth with a low boom as he sent clouds of the stuff flying everywhere. Upon seeing that a second burst of energy was coming towards him, he spun round and swung his halberd, the sharp blade colliding with the energy, he stood locked with it for a brief moment before a hissing sound rung out around him, and the blade sliced clean through the energy, sending the two halves ricocheting off in opposite directions.

The blade of White Moon Dragon touched against the floor as 'Guo let out a small breath, clearly having drained some energy in the defense. But he couldn't let up now!

Putting his weight onto the spear, he jumped forwards, using it like a pole vault, before pulling the blade up from the ground and swinging the flat of it's head down towards Vash. He'd already displayed just what the halberd was capable of, and he didn't really fancy cutting one of his teachers in half...

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

It was similar to, but different from, the previous strike he'd used; he had power, and he knew his weapon well, I could see that. With refinement, he'd become a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately, my reflexes are often faster than my conscious ability to control them. I sensed the strike coming, stepped back out of the way, and grabbed the shaft of the weapon, redirecting the momentum and motion along its previous curve, but this time - the weapon swung the wielder.

[Zhen Anguo]

'Guo grunted as he felt the momentum of his strike turn against him and start to retreat back the way he came. He gave a small yelp and could feel his grip on the weapon start to slacken, but he knew just what he would need to respond with.

He released the shaft of White Moon Dragon and then moved his left foot back, taking his fist with it, before sending it pushing forwards with as much force as he could muster towards Vash's gut.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

All the reflexes in the world won't always help you if you're not expecting an attack; I was left holding the shaft of Anguo's weapon, with his foot in my gut. It sent me flying backwards, causing me to drop the halberd while I whirled in the air, sliding to regain my footing.

Hmph. He actually managed to land a blow!

He surprised me, I admitted. Been a while since that happened. And he's faster than I expected...

[Zhen Anguo]

'Guo grabbed the halberd that stood for a moment in stasis in mid-air, before spinning it over his head, and swinging it so that it sat comfortably behind his back. Charging forwards he gave a small grunt as he swung the weapon to the ground and sent up a cloud of salt, dragging his weapon through the ground, he circled Vash, sending up a constant cloud of earth to hopefully block his vision. Every now and again he'd change direction, speed and occasionally swinging his weapon inwards towards Vash, hoping to keep his sparring partner on his toes.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

I had chosen to fight without my cross, so I had nothing to block with; that was fine - I simply did my best to dodge his strikes, though I admit, I was having a hard time keeping up with them. He got a couple of good hits on me while I was attempting to figure out his attack pattern enough to fire back out of the dust clouds - finally, I settled on returning fire as soon as the halberd poked in at me.

I have to get out of this! I thought to myself, waiting for a break; I felt the swirling miasma change directions again, then rolled out fo the dust cloud, firing as Anguo passed around my previous position a second time.

[Zhen Anguo]

A burst of energy grazed against 'Guos side, catching him off guard and sending him rolling away from the attack. Stopping on his knees he held White Moon Dragon across his body in preparation for any more strikes heading his way. He didn't waste time on pushing the offensive, he kept his breathing regulated and suddenly he could feel this energy welling up in his chest, driving him onwards and forcing its way to the surface. How could he turn down such a strength?

"In the name of justice!"

He swing his halberd and a wave of white energy burst from his weapon, before soaring towards Vash.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

I shot three times, the impact of the two forms of Lunar combining, then negating each other down to nothing in an impressive show of sparks.

"Good!" I called to him. "You're beginning to access that power inside you - but you let it decide when to strike. Hold it, build it, and then focus on its release!" I charged forward, letting off another volley of magically-charged shots.

[Zhen Anguo]

"Got it!" 'Guo said with a firm nod as he brought his weapon closer towards him, in order to protect himself from any possible attacks by Vash. He could already feel the energy around him gathering closer, but he followed his mentors advice and held it in, he let the energy build before he released it. He would try and control it himself this time, refine it, take complete and utter control of the attack.

He stayed in his defensive stance, taking the time to bring everything together.