JAIF

Location: Fox' Spaceship from SSB. A large spaceship that offers plenty of room to move about on its surface - the first contestant's advanced armor guarantees his ability to survive uncovered in space, and the fact that the other one is a spirit pretty much seals the deal for him. The spaceship appears sealed from the inside, but a strong blast could open it up for them. Also, an annoying smaller spaceship may randomly appear at times to fire blasts at the fighters - beware.

Time of Day: N/A (Irrelevant).

OOC: Since my knowledge of Fox and the folk is limited in my SSB experience, I did as best as I could to give Falcon the home field this time. Good luck to both of you.

__________________

Chuckles

As the ship roars in flight, stars filled the vast darkness of space with tiny diamonds of light above it. The wings of the ship were kept at a constant level and made the ship soar across the sky. Other ships flew over head and sent fire down upon the ship, making it shake and shutter but never lose position. It was not his ship but this was as close to home as the Captain could get. His helmet kept a steady supply of oxygen as it glistened off the hues of the ship. His blue suit held firm against his body, warmth was at its greatest for Falcon. His yellow gloves and boots did the same while giving him grip to stand in the changing balance of the ship. He then stepped forward with a quick jolt and smiled at the opponent in front of him. With a polite salute, he was ready for a battle. He said nothing, but his thoughts were all in his eyes. This battle would be different then most which is, and always was, a good thing.

__________________

Tuna2

In the empty reaches of space, where little to nothing outside a few ships existed, a sudden sound vibrated across the 'arena.' The sound was a strange one, one that wasn't dissimilar from a ripping sound. As strange as it may have seemed in these dark depths, the sound continued to grow until, following the abnormal sound, a slim hand appeared through a gap in space. The gap was just large enough to accommodate a human, or spirit, comfortably. Following said hand, a man in robes of black and white appeared, his eyes now gazing around the regions of utter darkness.

The shinigami, as he was called in the spirit world, looked down at his feet, which now clattered against solid metal. Looking around, he noticed nothing was below this large hunk of floating metal. It was strange, he had never seen something quite like it. It was almost as if he were stuck in the abyss itself, not that this wasn't an unfitting location for a person like himself whose very eyes seemed to reflect the eternal emptiness of space.

"It seems I have been misjudged once again," the robed man began coldly, his eyes gazing upon the human before him. The man did not return Falcon's salute nor did he give any sign of enthusiasm at being here. "A mere human such as yourself has no chance against the likes me, I will end this match in one stroke." As the last word left his mouth, Byakuya vanished, appearing behind the human with a blade already aimed at the man's back. If the human did not dodge or block the blade, he would surely be out of the match for good.

Chuckles

The roar of the ship suddenly seemed to quiet in the ears of Falcon. It seemed almost to stop completely but the Captain knew it was not so. It was the feeling of adrenaline rushing through the veins of his humanly body like a river. He had experienced the feeling before. It was a do or die moment in which if he did not move at his best momentum, he was dead before it had even started. It was the edge of life, where Captain Falcon always liked to be. Although the Captain could not see behind him, he knew where to move. With a burst of speed, the racer bent forward. Then with a fast snap, his heel was driven straight up to block the unforgiving blade, or better yet the opponent himself. As the heel came closer and closer to the opponent, a spark ignited on his foot. Flames began to pulsate threw his foot and engulf his leg. The next second all there was, was a flaming dart of power coming straight at the spirit.

"HUGH!" the Captain grunted in a stricken tone.

Although he had no knowledge if the heel had made contact, he did not stop. As his foot went up, he spun around to face the spirit and greet him with a knee of the same leg that had, just a moment ago had been driven heel-first. It was deadly fast. A ordinary human would have taken the hit to their graves not knowing what hit them. However, the Captain had no knowledge of how a spirit reacted or even how fast it was. So it was all speculation on his behalf. The vacuum of space shivered and the stars gleamed. Yet all that ran through Falcon's mind was if the attacks hit or if they had went as cold as space itself. Only time would give him his answer.

__________________

Tuna2

Moments, lifetimes, eons, the shinigami had seen them all. They passed on, like petals in the wind, lasting only a moment before being cast off by other winds. It was only in battle, during those very few seconds, that time seemed to slow down. During such times, the spirit's blade would hum in movement, it's sheathing and unsheathing only lasting a mere second in the human eye but an eternity in the captain's. Within that second, they would have fallen. Within that eternity, he would have been the victor. Such was not the case in this battle.

The human had reacted fast, faster than expected, turning within the same moment it had taken the spirit to draw his sword. A weapon? No, the man was using his own heel as a means of counterattack. It was lucky he had been trained for reacting at such high speeds. If he hadn't, he might have lost more than just his pride. However, even he wasn't prepared to take the second attack. Falcon's knee hit dead on, casting the shinigami captain across the 'arena' and off the edge.

Any normal human would have fallen to their doom had they not already suffocated from a lack of air. Byakuya, however, being the spirit that he was, had the unique but given ability of flight. With his reiatsu, Byakuya pushed off the empty space and back on to the 'arena,' a clear burn mark visible on his chest where Falcon had hit earlier. "It seems I have underestimated you," the shinigami said in acknowledgment of the Captain's efforts. "Yet even so, it is inevitable that you should lose this match. Give it up, before it is to late." This time around, the spirit drew his sword but refrained from attacking. Instead, he gave off a large amount of spirit energy, enough to cause the metal around him to shatter and enough to give Falcon a fair warning of what was to come should he choose to continue.

Chuckles

As the spirit's warning hovered through space and into the Captain's ears, a smile went across his face almost as if he had just won a race. The warning the shinigami sent, provoked every once of blood within Falcon. no, he would not quit. No matter the odds, it was a challenge all the same. Any average human would have fallen onto their pitiless knees and begged for any sign of mercy that doom would see fitting. Captain Falcon was one of the few exceptions, almost a whole different race of people. The grin stamped his face that he would never back down. He then gave his signature salute then brought his hands down with flames beginning all around his arm. The fire shot up his back and around his head then disappeared like the ghost before him. This flare was meant to tell the spirit that he fight onward despite the spirit's hostility. He would rather face the gates of hell itself than surrender himself to the might of his opponent.

"Show me ya' moves!" The Falcon said in a slightly whimsical tone, yet still serious enough to get the already clear message into flames in the shinigami's ears.

He would allow for the opponent to move first even if it had seemed fitting to attack first himself. He wanted to heat up these cold reaches of space with a battle that would shake it out of proportions. His attitude was never fearing and never totally cautious. Captain Falcon had learned that if you never swallow down fear, jump in, and do it, then it would never be done at all. This was a risky move to give the ghoul another starting attack, but then again, so was everything else Falcon did. It was a all or nothing move, but the Captain gave it little thought and waited in the vast open space for the attack to come ringing in the Captain's ears.

__________________

Tuna2

ooc: Just so you know, I've used capital C for the Captain in Falcon's name and lower case c when referring to Byakuya...since they're both captains. =/

Buildings had collapsed from under him, spirits had fallen before him, and yet here a mere human stood, seemingly unaffected by the spiritual pressure protruding from the shinigami captain's reiatsu. Byakuya could feel something different about this man, something odd, something that would have to be erased. Although he knew humans to be lackluster creatures, it was not like one of them to take his warnings as meaningless, let alone salute him right afterwards. It was odd, to say the least.

The captain of the sixth division shifted his stance ever so slightly as the pressure around them suddenly died down. One who didn't know better might think the captain was backing down. However, anyone who knew the captain would know things were about to take a turn for the worse. It was the calm before the quake, if the human was to hold his current position, then he would be defeated here, in this eternal emptiness. If he was to retreat, he would still have pride in knowing he had faced the captain of the sixth division and survived. Such an occurrence, after all, was rare.

The spirit slowly positioned his blade before his eyes, it was the only thing that now separated him and his opponent. The reflection of the Captain shimmered on the blade, if only for a moment, and then, like a man being lost to the abyss, was gone in a glow of pink. "You should have heeded my warning," the shinigami captain whispered callously, a lack of emotion clearly present in his voice. "This shall be a fitting end...for one such as yourself." As the blade continued to glow brighter, it suddenly vanished, disintegrating before the captain's very eyes. Petals scattered across the battlefield, ever hovering in the gravity devoid region of space. Then, suddenly, they circled Falcon in a small cyclone of pink, intent on coming together to cut their target to ribbons. As far as Byakuya was concerned, the battle was over.

Chuckles

OOC: Yeah, that works.

------------------------------
------------------------------

As Captain Falcon was now totally surrounded in a aura of pink. As these pieces seemed to glow like the stars around him in the black presence of space, it made them seem almost harmless. Yet the ever enclosing circle of shards seemed to elude the pink hues it let off. The Falcon knew already that there was no way in the heavens, he could escape the grasp of the attack without any sign of damage, but even still, the Falcon had to move now. He watched the nearest piece circle him as it's reflection glistened off his visor. Instantly the Falcon leaped up for his last chance of hope and began to spin like a cyclone himself. His spin was opposite the fragmented sword. Suddenly he stuck his foot out in the middle of his chaotic spin, causing it to began its revenge of flames the Captain was famous for. The foot knocked away many of the shards of metal, protected by the flames and his yellow boot. However, a intense shooting pain dove through his suit and into Captain Falcon's back feeling like millions of bee stings in the same place over and over again. He could feel the blood trickle down his spine and now he knew, this fight was suddenly serious.

Falcon looked at the captain with the same smile he had given earlier, however; this smile seemed less friendly and more hostel than before. As he did so, the falcon reached behind his back and pulled the protruding blades out of his punctured body. He slammed them to the ground and looked at the shinigami with eyes ready to fight with the force that would make the heavens itself shiver and shake. As the last drop of blood dripped to the floor, it was like a green light in the Falcon's mind. With anger, he blasted forward in a blitzing sprint through space. Ships flew overhead, yet not one shot of fire made him stop. His target was there waiting, and it would not wait long. Time seemed to stop once again as the ball of his foot pushed off against the high bump of the side of the ship. The Falcon felt like he was soaring again as his airtime was great. He then began a kamikaze flip readying up his assault on the captain before him. On the last flip, only a few gut wrenching feet from the ground, Captain Falcon was foot first once again. His hand was cocked back and in flames as his attacking punch shot forward. Flames spread out from his fist and began to gather into the shape of a falcon. It's reach seemed only inches from the spirit's face as Captain Falcon let out his forceful cry.

"FALCON PUNCH!!"

__________________

Tuna2

Chuckles

Captain Falcon felt a surge of joy as the attack left its mark on the opponent. The contact of the punch felt like this was a turning point in the battle until the other captain vanished from Falcon's eyes. In front of him only seconds ago was the spirit he had been fighting so forcefully, the next waking moment there was nothing but open space. The Captain then knew Byakuuya was behind him ready to wreak his vengeance on the Falcon for his punch. He, unlike before, had no time to recover from his last attack and was a sitting duck for the spirit's attack. Suddenly another brutal sting was felt in Captain Falcon's already wounded back. The pain was first hot like sunburn then cold as the frigid vacuum of space could now reach his skin. His back went numb as Falcon tumbled forwards from the blow. Was it over? No, the Captain would continue on until death told him otherwise. He slid to the edge of the ship on his stomach. He was going to get up, he needed the strength. Out of the blue, something flashed across his mind. He remembered racing and how even in last place, first place could still be achieved. He had the will and he had a way.

The falcon began to rise to meet the shinigami standing before him. His legs wobbled and his back ached. However he did not step back. He stared at the spirit in deifying stare. He was going to keep on coming and there was nothing the spirit could do about that. Flames began on the Captain Falcon's hand and grew up his arms. His eyes fixated on Byakuya's chin. He didn't care how powerful that last hit was, this one would be even more powerful. The pain was great, but his determination was greater. He would ignore it for another push at victory. With a sudden jolt, Captain Falcon rushed forward at the captain. Blood was the only thing left from where he stood only moments ago. He took a final step in and threw his fist into an uppercut at the spirit. If it landed, it would hit him squarely in the chin. He could not be sure if his attack landed but he wasn't done at all. The captain then leaped at Byakuya and attempted to slam him back down the way he came. If the attacks landed was the spirit's story, but Falcon was content that he had the strength to get back up.

__________________

Tuna2

As fast and unpredictable as a bolt of lightning, the beam of energy streaked across the emptiness of space, finding its target on the back of a certain human racer. Byakuya had been successful in his endeavors, Falcon was now on the ground before him, clearly in both a mixture of pain and shock. It was a fitting place for any human, especially one foolish enough to confront the captain of the sixth division of Soul Society. The shinigami, however, noticed Falcon's slight movements and began to prepare a defense for whatever the Captain had planned. He was not going to be caught unprepared this time around. Like a swarm of bees returning to the hive, the once scattered petals began to regroup at the edge of Byakuya's hilt, ready to defend their master when called upon once again. Unfortunately for the spirit, he was about to find himself in a disgraceful position once again.

Feeling a sudden jolt of searing pain, Byakuya realized he had already been hit by his opponent. A warm trickle of blood ran down the side of his chin as his body flew upwards into the darkened regions of space. His eyes wide with shock, Byakuya floated in the nether regions of darkness for but a moment and then, like an asteroid decending to its fate on some unknown planet, he felt himself rocketing towards the metal battleground below. His very being cried out in pain as his body came into contact with cold, hard steel and like the very ship they were fighting on, his body went rigid.

The shingami's hands slid across the slick surface of metal as he attempted to push himself into a standing position. He had to be quick, laying here would only make the situation more dire then it already was. With every fiber in his soul, Byakuya concentrated on getting across the floating arena. He had little time, every moment in battle was a wasted one if not used against the opponent. Quicker then the eye could follow, the spirit disappeared and reappeared on the opposite side of the spacecraft, his breathing coming in fast, unsteady pants, more so from shock than from pain. Standing and quickly turning to face his opponent, the captain raised a single hand towards the human. "Bakudou 4: Hanawa." Following the incantation, a thread made of pure spirit energy shot towards Falcon, ready to coil around the man and restrain his movements, even if only for a limited period of time.

Chuckles

Captain Falcon could not move, it was hard to breathe. One minute he had just smashed the spirit way with an attack, the next he was coiled in a rope of energy. His arms could not move even and inch. His movements were restrained. He felt hopeless to the captain's new attack. If there was one thing Falcon hated more tan losing, it was being unable to move. The thought of it shuttered the pilot to his bones. Not moving meant not racing, not controlling. It felt like a god-forsaken nightmare on his part. He had to think fast to avoid being hit again, for Falcon did not know if he had the strength to take another hit to the back. He had to be resourceful and fast. Suddenly, Falcon knew what he could do. He just needed the correct amount of force to do it. That was where the Shinigami came into play. If he could just pull it off fast enough, he may have a shot at escaping.

The Falcon beckoned Byakuya towards him with devilish eyes and a smile. He waited for his fate, or not so as Falcon already had his plan set in motion. As the engines roared like a beast, Falcon stood still and tall. His body encased in the web of energy only added fuel to the fire. Captain Falcon and Byakuya both knew he had the fire especially in his punch. Ships buzzed over head and time once again seemed to stand still. Captain Falcon waited for what seemed like eons. His body seemed to freeze in the vast space. His back still numb from the zap of power he had endured.

The Captain's helmet suffered a minor crack upon hitting the deck of the ship. Now the racer could feel the cold hand of space grip at his hair. It felt like an icicle running down his scalp. He had to ignore it if his plan were to succeed as he hoped. After a few short seconds, numbness of his back seemed to run through the numbness of his head like a river. It now felt like a volt of pain throughout his back side. It flt almost like frost bite, only much worse. His suits auto heater was working at full capacity to keep the Falcon alive and breathing. Even so, the temperature of space seemed to wash over and keep on chilling the Captain to his very core. The only thing that kept him standing at that very moment was his determination to survive and conquer all odds before him. The captain before him was his very target, but victory itself is what the Falcon aimed for. Even if he didn't win even close to beating this opponent, standing tall and proud was worth more honor than falling down and letting himself be defeated. He waited for the spirit's move like a cat stalks its prey.

__________________

Tuna2

Byakuya raised a single hand towards his opponent, his eyes now gleaming over with the sweet knowledge of success. A full body bind, it was no where near powerful enough to hold a man of Falcon's strength for long but, for the mean time, it was an admirable choice of technique. "You should congratulate yourself human," the shinigami announced, a rare hint of acknowledgment present in his voice. "You have come far in this battle, even so far as to actually damage a captain of Soul Society. However, like all humans, you were always bound to fail." The captain's hand suddenly lit up with an aura of red energy, its very essence creating a light where all else was dark. Sparks jumped around the captain's palm as though the very hand of the spirit itself was about to explode in flame. Needless to say, a fireball, one about the size of a human's fist, was soon to erupt from the spirit's hand, its very existence dancing in a way no human could.

"Perhaps I should also comment on your apparent weakness. While your power and speed are both commendable, you lack range, a vital tool to winning many a battle." The very ball of flame that had once been the size of a human fist suddenly grew in diameter, its current size now comparable to the many ships floating overhead. "Now, I shall take full advantage of what you, as a human, lack. Hadou 31: shakkaho." The ball of flame launched forward as the captain finished the last of the incantation. At first, it moved at an extremely slow pace, a pace at which even the slowest of humans could dodge. Soon however, the rate at which the ball moved picked up. It was not nearly as fast as the spirit or from what Byakuya had seen, Falcon, but it would definetly swallow up the human in his current predicament, that is if the human didn't have a way to dodge or counter the technique before the flaming ball hit him.

As the ball of flame continued on its path of destruction, the sword in Byakuya's hand glowed for a mere second before erupting into a swarm of pink light. Its form was once again that of the many petals it had been earlier in the battle. Following the ball of fire in silence, the technique acted as a precaution in case Falcon was once again to sidestep the attack Byakuya had set up for him.

JAIF

Wow, you two did some really good posts in this fight - and big ones, too. Great work, I hope you enjoyed it. Unfortunately only one may proceed from now on. Good luck to both - you deserve it.

__________________