"Applejack." The country mare jumped, startled by Secret.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She told the stallion, scowling.
Secret smiled. "Force of habit." It was about midnight, and most of the caravan was asleep. Applejack stayed awake to guard.
"What do ya want?" Applejack asked, sitting down.
"I would like you to help me." Secret said, pulling out his shotgun.
"Help you with what exactly?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head.
"My marksmanship." Secret said, showing his eyes. "I've gone blind. I can't tell the difference between a stick and a shotgun." He looked away.
Applejack laid a hoof on his shoulder, and he looked back at her hooves. "Ya came to the right mare, partner." Applejack smiled, and Secret smiled a little too.
Intro
Applejack tossed a stick to Secret. Secret stood still until the stick whacked him in the face. "Oomph!" He stumbled backwards.
"Ya supposed to catch." Applejack said. The sun had come up, and ponies were just starting to wake up.
"Well, last I checked, I couldn't see." Secret argued.
Applejack rolled her eyes. She reached over and grabbed another stick. "Catch." She said, throwing it at him. Secret quickly caught it, twisted it in his hooves and pointed at a pony like he was going to shoot it.
"That was perfect." Applejack said. "How'd ya?-"
"I could hear her munching on something." Sure enough, the pony was eating on a protein bar.
Applejack tilted her head. "Ya sure have a good sense of hearing." She said.
Secret nodded and tossed the stick back to her. Applejack was taken by surprise, and she fumbled trying to catch it. Secret began to laugh. "Haha, real funny." Applejack said, moving to whack him with the stick.
Secret raised a hoof and grabbed the stick. "Nice try."
Applejack glared. "Ya really wanna start somethin'?" She said, glaring.
Secret raised his chin. "Just some good exercise."
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Keep practicing." She said, tossing a stick. He caught it and pointed it at AJ.
"Bam. You're dead." He said with a smirk. Applejack glared.
"How 'bout we try something harder?" Applejack asked.
"I'm up for it." Secret said, stretching. "What you got in mind?"
Applejack reared her legs and knocked Secret over. "Hey!" He shouted, falling onto his back. Applejack took off.
"Can't catch me!" She called, running circles around the camp. Secret glared, then quickly got up and took after her. The two rushed through the crowd like a filly and a colt. The ponies watched in entertainment as they weaved in and out of crowds, moving left and right, not a single one getting slower or faster.
Twilight stepped out of her tent, only to be rammed by Applejack. Applejack tripped over Twilight, both screaming. AJ rolled onto her back, and looked up as stars encircled her head. Secret stood over her. "I could hear the sound of you falling." He said, poking her with his hoof. "You're it." Applejack narrowed her eyes at the stallion.
After a two hour break, Secret and Applejack went to the top of a nearby hill. Applejack tossed Secret an apple, and he caught it quickly.
"Ya gettin' better." She said, taking a seat beside him. "Although, Ah don't think y'all be able to snipe anymore." She added, patting his back.
Secret shrugged. "I don't really need too. I'm sure one sniper is enough." He said, looking at her.
"Don't ya go playin' the modest game." Applejack said, smirking.
Secret laughed. Everything fell silent for a few moments, then Secret noticed something. Applejack was starting to move away from him. Through the silence, Secret heard something moving. It was getting louder. It was heading straight at him. Secret quickly got up and rolled to the side as Rainbow charged right past him. She quickly turned direction and charged back at him. This time, Secret was ready for it. He raised his hoof and caught her hoof in mid-air. He planted his hooves in the ground and dragged her to the ground. He quickly pulled out his shotgun, sat on her chest, and aimed it right at her face.
Rainbow's eyes widened, and Applejack trotted up. "That's enough, get offa her." She told Secret.
Secret obeyed, slowly putting away the shotgun and getting off of Rainbow. Rainbow pulled herself up. "He's good." She whispered to Applejack, brushing herself off.
Secret looked at Applejack. "You planned this?" He asked.
"Of course Ah did." Applejack said. "Ya know as much as Ah do, ya need to know how ta take a surprise hit." She said, nodding her head. "And ya did it alright."
Secret nodded. "Thank you, Applejack." He said. "For the training, for everything. I'd sure be dead if I didn't get more." He said, bowing in respect.
"Aw shucks." Applejack lifted her hoof and smiled. "Ya don't have ta be sincere 'bout it. It's what friends are for."
Secret raised his head. "Let's head back to camp." He said. The two mares nodded in agreement, and off they went.
Back at camp, Twilight greeted them. "Rainbow, you look like a mess." She said, holding back laughter.
Rainbow looked at Secret. "It's his styling." She said with slight humor, trotting off.
Applejack patted Secret's back hard, causing him to stumble forward. "Blind one's got some hard-working horsepower." She said. "Don't need to see to win."
Twilight smiled. "That means we don't have to carry you around in the back of carts much anymore, right?" She giggled.
Secret rolled his eyes. "Of course not." He said. "You could carry me on your back." He strutted off, feeling proud of his comeback.
Twilight watched him go with a smile. "Ya seem to like 'em." Applejack said to Twilight, nudging her.
Twilight snapped out of the trance. "Of course I do! He's a great addition to our protection. Anyone could see that." She said.
"Uh-huh." Applejack smirked and trotted away.
"Wh-wait!" Twilight called angrily. "What do you mean 'uh-huh'?! Applejack, get back here!" Twilight took off towards the mare.