Apple Bloom sighed when she went into White Tail Woods after the second day of martial arts class. True to his word, Ash had given the kids their first introduction to proper punching with intent behind it.
And boy, did proper punching hurt. The cramps that lingered from the first day of training didn’t help matters in that regard.
“Okay, deep breath in, steady yourself, and punch!” Ash called out.
Again, Rumble hit Apple Bloom with the flat of his hoof, knocking her back just a smidgen.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Rumble asked as Apple Bloom took her position.
“Nah, just a little bruise, I’ve had worse. Hiyah!” She punched with the same technique as he had, knocking the boy back with a dull blow.
“Okay, time out, youngins.” Ash clapped his hooves.
The stallion took centre stage while his students sat back down.
“Y’all have got the idea of the technique down, now you need to work on proper execution. Earth style is firm, steady. When you punch, you step forward and put your whole body weight behind it.”
Sweetie Belle raised a hoof. “Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do with regular punching, too?”
Ash nodded reluctantly. “Well, yes.”
“So how is Earth style punching any different from regular punching?”
Ash gestured for Moongazer to come over and demonstrate. The two stood face to face, before going into Turtle Stance. Their hind hooves were quite far apart, though, farther than the kids had seen so far, possibly to exaggerate the motions.
“The difference,” Moongazer explained,”is that when you throw a regular punch, you’re only doing just that: punching.” She struck, slowly and carefully, at Ash’s neck. “When you do any movement in any elemental style, your speed and targets change. Earth style targets the bones, specifically.”
The kids winced when they heard the dull thud of hoof hitting bone. Ash was unfazed by the blow to his collarbone.
“Then there’s the rhythm of the punches. Regular, neutral punching is in line with your breath: you line it up as you breathe in, you let go as you breathe out. In neutral, that’s supposed to be at your regular breathing rhythm. Needless to say, neutral is for practice only. Earth style forces you to slow down even more: breathe in slow, breathe out slow.”
Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “So… Earth style’s even slower than regular punchin’? Isn’t that, I don’t know, kinda useless?”
“That is where the principle of tension comes in,” Moongazer explained. “When you throw a normal punch, neutral, you do so with no tension. There’s no intent behind it, there’s only the mechanical motions. In elemental style, you tense up your muscles at the right time to get maximal effect. Earth style depends on hard impact, so tensing up at the right moment is crucial. That goes doubly for you, Apple Bloom, since you’re an Earth type. This sort of movement will come more natural to you.”
Ash nodded and tapped the side of his neck again. Moongazer took a deep breath, took a step a forward, and hit him straight on the bone, hard enough to make him stagger back.
“The tension is what makes or breaks an Earth type technique,” he said. “Apple Bloom, for you to use this kind of thing, you’ll want to practise tensing up your entire body. The rest of you, you’ll only need to master tension in your arms. That’ll be hard enough for ya.”
Apple Bloom shook her head, confused. “Wait, what?”
She rubbed her shoulder to try and get the throbbing to die down. She’d partnered with Rumble, who, turned out, packed a real wallop. She’d hit him back, as the exercise demanded, of course, but that did nothing to stop the bruising on her end.
"Don’t worry about it, youngin. Every element has its own strength, and Rumble’s just more in tune with his, which means he’s good at hitting soft spots and bruising. You’re an Earth type, so you’re gonna end up aiming for the hard parts, like bones, most of the time. Just don’t do it too harshly."
Apple Bloom shook her head to clear it. She was in White Tail Woods for a reason, but what was it again?
"You gotta stand more stable, Apple Bloom, and mind your posture. Your natural style isn’t gonna be half as strong if you’re not standing stable."
She plopped her rump down in front of a clearing that had some beehives in it.
“Okay, class dismissed. You’re doin’ fine, all, you’ve got the basics down. Apple Bloom, before you go, a word.”
She sighed as she watched the bees.
“Listen, you’re an enthusiastic little girl, I get that. From what Rainbow Dash told me, you’ve got a real knack for leadership, good sense of planning, all good Earth stuff. But you gotta stop flailing around like you’re doing.”
“But I’m doin’ it just like you tell me! Just like everypony else is.”
“That’s because we’re doin’ it one step at a time. Earth is the most physical of the Elements, and it’s what you are naturally gonna be best at. Tomorrow we’ll cover Water, so Rumble and Scootaloo will have to up their game to progress. They don’t need to mind this stuff as much. You do. You’re holdin’ yourself back right now, Apple Bloom, and that’s a darn shame. If you wanna get stronger, if you want to earn your cutie mark, you gotta stand proud and solid.”
“So how do I do that, then, if I still have to move to punch?”
Ash looked away. “Hmm… try finding some bees, and meditate on that.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“This is an Earth pony town, isn’t it? A little farm gal like you must know where there’s beehives to be found.”
“Well, sure, I reckon there’s some in White Tail Woods, but how does that help me?”
“Find a beehive and just look at it. Meditate on it. It’ll come to you.”
So there she was, at a safe distance from the bees, watching.
Apple Bloom groaned. What was so special about bees that she could learn from them, anyhow? All they did was buzz around and sit on flowers, make honey out of pollen, build stuff… it wasn’t at all like what ponies did, was it?
She let her mind wander as she watched the hive bustling with activity. This was silly; bees were nothing like ponies, and they certainly didn’t fight like ponies. Why, a bee could only sting once before it died, what was the point of that?
Unless the one sting was the point.
Bees put everything they had into defending their hive, their family, their home. A bee attack was a one shot deal: their one shot had to count. Ash had said attitude was everything for a ninja. Maybe she had to put some more weight behind her punches. Maybe her way of punching was best if she did it like she only got one shot.
“You’re doing it wrong, you know.”
Apple Bloom turned and gasped. Behind her stood an alicorn colt, dressed in a costume that was a mix of armour and clothing, concealing his whole body. A green mask with dark eyes obscured the parts of his face the helmet left exposed, a three-pronged extension on that helmet covered his horn for good measure, and there were loose plates dangling from the sides to go down all the way to his jawline. His jawline itself was covered by a simple silver plate, possibly cloth made to look like metal. His lower arms and legs were packing thick metal bracers with some kind of brownish black cloth underneath, that was riddled with red stitches. His chest was covered by a metal plate, and the black cloth looked like it was a one-piece full-body suit from where she was sitting, with some padding underneath, no doubt. Where the plates left him uncovered, he was covered by the black stuff. Even his wings had their own armour pockets with hinges and everything, and his tail was tucked in a metal sheath so she couldn’t even tell what colour his coat was.
“Excuse me?”
The boy tilted his head. “You’re trying to meditate, aren’t you? Wall staring?” His voice was calm, deep enough to be a boy, definitely. Not as intimidating as the armour was, either.
“I ain’t starin’ at no wall.”
“No, but, umm.” He sat down next to her. “You looked like you were trying to meditate. Were you?”
“Yup.”
“Okay, then. If you want to meditate in nature, you have sit upright, like this.” He jutted his chest forward a bit, straightening his spine. “And tuck in your chin, then put your tongue behind your front teeth. It’s a trick for letting your magic run better.”
“Oh. I take it you’d know, huh?” She nudged an armoured wing. He recoiled, the wing clenched to his body. “Sorry. Is that a soft spot?”
“Just assume the position,” he replied coldly. “And breathe. If you have to, use the hoof seal for your third eye.”
Apple Bloom did as she was told. Watching the bees, letting their buzzing ring in her mind, she felt the lesson Ash had tried to impart.
Her fighting skills were sub-par because she wasted her strength. She was always strong when she was focused, and had momentum. When she did things with a purpose, she was successful, and happy.
The happiness really stuck with her. Something tickled in her tailbone, and almost made her giggle, but she held it back.
“Guess you’re an Earth type of fighter, huh?”
She carefully let her attention wander back to the present. “That’s what they told me. Are you a ninja, too? I didn’t catch your name.”
“I’m not a ninja, no, but I know some of it. And you can call me Hammer.”
“Apple Bloom. Pleased to meetcha.” She extended a hoof. He looked away awkwardly, rather than shaking it.
The girl withdrew her hoof, unshaken as it was. “O… kay. Thanks for the advice, at least. Are you here for the Warrior Meet?”
“Yup. I’m a Fencer.”
“Oh, so you’ve got, like, a pointy sword to practise with?”
“Umm, it’s more of a title, actually. It used to be about pointy swords and daggers, but then it got some other styles, and the word just stuck anyway. I’m an apprentice Master at Arms, technically. They’re like referees for martial artists, and for nobility,” he explained.
“Right. Nobility, obviously.” She let her eyes wander over his body, and noted his wings, his whole suit, even, clench tighter to him. Then she looked at his horn, or rather the triple-tip changeling horn that covered it and spread out over the sides of his helmet. “Why are you wearin’ that armour?”
“No real reason. Why are you trying to meditate on bees? Did you read it in a book?”
“No, my ninja teacher told me to.”
Hammer chortled. “You don’t have a ninja teacher.”
“Do too.”
“Do not. You’re too nice to be a ninja.”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
He fell quiet for a moment. “You’re not getting lessons from Blazing Trail?”
“No, my teacher’s the Ashen Blizzard. Started just the other day.”
He nodded. “Oh, sorry. My mistake. I thought you were a Feather Cloak.”
“What’s a Feather Cloak?”
“A ninja, and a really nasty one, too. Different school from Nine Dragons. Very different.” He got up with a sigh. “Anyway, if you’re taking lessons from the Ashen Blizzard, I’ll leave you alone.”
This set off a few alarm bells in her head. “Wait, what? That almost sounds like you wanted to challenge me.”
“I was going to, and if you were a Feather Cloak, I might have. But Nine Dragons Style is kind of different; you can’t fight with that unless you’ve had all the basics. And if you started this week, I’m guessing that’s not the case.”
“Hang on, Mister Prissy Prince, I can take ya.”
Even with his back turned, Apple Bloom could tell he was smirking. “No, no you can’t.”
Apple Bloom grumbled. “Okay, prove it.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. If you’re supposed to some arbiter type of pony, doesn’t that mean you gotta fight, too? Or at least know how to break up a fight?”
Hammer rubbed the back of his head, looking at the ground. “Umm, technically, yes, if I want to rank up to Duellist I have to fight students from recognised schools. Under supervision. The Ashen Blizzard has to give the okay before I get on the circuit.”
“Alright, then.” Apple Bloom did a cat stretch and some push-ups to warm up. She didn’t even feel the bruises from her morning class anymore. “You think you can take me, prove it.”
Hammer shrugged and sighed, turning to face her. “Umm, okay, but can we agree on some rules first?”
“Fine.”
“Rule number one: no breaking bones. I don’t want to waste time having to heal up, and it kinda drains power, too.”
“Sounds fair. Rule number two: no armour.”
“The armour stays,” he replied coldly. “I fight with my armour on.”
“What, you can’t beat a little girl without your fancy suit on?”
He sniffed, then shivered. He turned his back on the girl again. “Good day, Apple Bloom. Sorry to disturb you, I’ll just keep walking.”
“Hey, wait up.” She went after him and put her hoof on his shoulder.
Next thing she knew he was on his hind legs, and so was she, with her arms up as if to surrender. He’d jumped so fast, she wasn’t sure if he’d moved or teleported. She could hear his breath through the mask.
“Don’t… ever... touch me like that.”
She made a point to move and breathe very slowly, so as not to antagonise him further. “Whoa, I’m sorry. What is with that costume thing? Is it magical?”
“That’s personal, and I’m not taking it off for a little scuffle, it’s not worth it.”
Something was off here, she could feel it. There was a change in the air, something oddly familiar, but she couldn’t quite put a hoof on what it was. “Is it… hidin’ a scar, by any chance?”
Hammer shook his head, then nodded. “Something like that. It’s a long story.”
“Oh. Well, if you’ve got tender skin, that’s not a problem. I can be careful when we fight.”
The boy grunted. “It’s not a scar, exactly. And you don’t have to be careful, it’s my responsibility. I just don’t like taking it off, is all.”
“So… do you wanna practise or not?”
Hammer got on his hind hooves and took an inviting stance, one arm extended and the other resting on his hip. “Fine by me. If you like Earth style, I’ve got enough padding to block the harder hits. And I won’t use my horn, so you don’t have to get distracted worrying about my magic.”
“Or your wings. If you’re not using your horn, you can’t use your wings, either.”
The boy in the alicorn armour nodded. “Of course.” He made a ‘come hither’ gesture with his hoof. “Ready when you are.”
Apple Bloom struck, swinging her whole body around to hit him with the flat of her right front hoof.
The blow landed on one of the arm bracers, but didn’t seem to faze the boy. “You’re off balance.”
Apple Bloom did a firm jab at his arm then. Again, he barely moved. She, however, felt the impact go through her hoof and into her shoulder. “Ow!”
“See? You are unsteady, and for an Earth type that’s a major handicap.”
The girl bared her teeth. “I am not unsteady. Hiyah!” She jumped up and swung her right leg him. Again, with that dull thud, he caught the blow on his bracer. His arm didn’t even budge from the impact, it just hung there near his head.
“Yes, yes you are. You’ve got no sense of grounding.”
“Oh, and you do? Fancy Fencer or Master At Arms technique?”
“Grounding is very important to me, yes, same as you.” He took the inviting position again. “Try again, and this time try to picture roots growing from your hind hooves. Sink a little lower before you punch, and let the impact disperse into the ground.”
Apple Bloom growled, but did as she was told. She felt something tug at her hooves, and her body felt heavier for some reason. Everything from the waist down felt like it weighed a ton.
Then she punched. The blow came with a louder thud this time, and Hammer bent his arm back slightly. “See? That’s better. Still not right, but better.”
“What do you mean, not right? I did it like you said.”
“Yes, but your intent isn’t right. If you want to achieve harmony, put everything you’ve got behind the punch, you have to put your mind and heart into it. You have to know the right attitude before you strike. Put weight behind it. Punch, like it counts. Like it matters. Pretend I’m a threat and you cannot afford to let me stand.”
She took a step back and closed her eyes. She tried to picture a bee stinging, putting everything behind one blow, one desperate blow that would decide if everything she cared about would live or die. She kept herself grounded and stable, and breathed in.
When she breathed out, she drove him back at last. The simple jab was enough to knock him off his hooves, making the boy in alicorn armour take a step back to steady himself.
“There you go, now you’ve got it. Now you can start fighting.”
Apple Bloom glared at him, fury burning in her eyes. “What do you mean, ‘start?’ We’ve been fightin’, ain’t we?”
“Umm, no? I’ve just been waiting for you to punch right. That was a proper punch, so now we can start. Go on.”
“Hiyah!” She swung at him with all her might, with her body grounded and with her mind set. Her blow was powerful, it was mighty.
Now all she had to do was figure out how she’d work around him dodging her mighty blows. He sidestepped it, keeping one arm up.
She jabbed at him again. He stepped left. She jabbed again, he went right.
Apple Bloom growled and unleashed a flurry of punches, all jabs and all hard-hitters, or at least they would have been if any of them had actually managed to hit. “Why are you dodging like that?”
“Because you can hit me pretty hard, and I don’t want to get any dents in my armour before Sunday.”
“I thought you said we were gonna do a practice fight?”
“We are.”
“But you ain’t done anything yet! Come on, why are you holding back? Is it ‘coz I’m a girl?”
“Umm, no? It’s because you’re new to fighting. I don’t want you to get discouraged.”
“Well, fine, I won’t. Now do somethin’ already!”
“Okay.”
Something slid over the ground, slapped her in the gut, then got behind her and pulled her down. It was only when she was looking at the sky that she realised it was her opponent. He had his hoof on her throat, just the sharp edge of it, and his arm was bent.
“This move is called ‘The Final Nail.’ If I mash down now, I could hurt you, badly. You don’t seem like a bad pony, so I don’t wanna do that. Do you give up?”
She gulped and nodded, as much as she could from that precarious position. “I-I give up.”
“You’re supposed to pat the ground then. Three taps, that’s a surrender.”
Apple Bloom slowly, carefully, tapped the ground loud enough for him to hear, three times.
He got his hoof off her throat and helped her up. Even with the mask, she could have sworn he was smiling. “See? No harm, no foul. Are you hurt?”
“No, I can manage, thanks. How do you move so fast?” she asked.
“A Fencer’s speciality is dodging. Our philosophy states that while armour reduces damage, a blow that doesn’t land causes no damage at all. We use ninja techniques to speed up our reflexes. You haven’t learned Fire style yet, have you?”
“Uh uh. That’ll be the day after tomorrow, probably.”
“Well, you’ll see what I mean then. Try to meditate some more, it’ll help.” He turned back towards Ponyville. “See you around, Apple Bloom. Maybe we’ll fight again on Sunday.”
Apple Bloom rubbed her sore throat. “Yeah, bye, Hammer.”
She sat down and tried to think about what had just happened. She’d figured out how to fight in a natural way, with harmony, that was something. And she’d made a new friend, or a rival, she wasn’t sure.
“Huh. That was weird,” a stallion’s voice remarked.
Apple Bloom looked up to see Ash sitting in a tree. Strange how that Shadowbolt costume didn’t stick out enough for her to notice sooner. “How long have you been sitting there?”
“Long enough. You did well, Apple Bloom, I’m impressed.”
“Doesn’t feel that impressive.”
“You managed to learn in an afternoon what some ponies can’t learn in a lifetime. That counts for something.”
The girl’s ears perked. “I don’t suppose… you were gonna show me anyway? Assumin’ that Hammer kid wasn’t around, what would you have done?”
“You are one clever little girl, you know that? Heh, yeah, I would have. Of course I would; I have a reputation to uphold. Some lessons are easier to learn one on one, without spectators. But you’ve got the basics of your element down now, that’s really all you need to focus on.”
“So I’m not gonna get that Fire style he was talkin’ about?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. It’s just that you’re not likely to need it to fight the way you normally fight. Stay grounded, hit hard, knock back the other guy, block properly, that’s the Earth style. Plenty of martial arts that use that, you can browse whatever moves you like. But you don’t want to go after the super fancy speedy ones. Wu ju speed, like what Scootaloo has, it’d be a waste of energy for you.”
Apple Bloom nodded and looked at the path Hammer had walked away on. “And him?”
“Him? Oh, that intrepid individual there’s a dedicated fighter, a pony who’s takin’ classes on weekdays, probably has a tutor and everything. Moongazer keeps track of that crowd, not me.”
“But if we fight on Sunday, am I gonna be able to beat him in a fight?”
Ash hrmmed. “Fencers are aristocrats, Apple Bloom. They’re stronger, more disciplined, more rigid, and that one’s packin’ layered armour for… some reason.” Ash looked on at the path. Something was definitely off about that Hammer kid. There was something in the air around him, like a smell, an alarming smell at that. He couldn’t place it, though. That was going to drive him nuts now.
“Right. Lost cause, then.”
The remark snapped him out of his reverie. “Oh, no. Quite the contrary; ninja martial arts were made exactly to beat fighters like him. If you work hard, and if you can catch him off guard, you can take him.”
Apple Bloom grinned.
“Then I think I’m gonna enjoy beatin’ up a little alicorn prince.”