Chapter 5
It took Brawler five minutes to get back to town, the whole time he was walking he was thinking about those three fillies.
They weren't scared. No that's not quite right, they were a little scared, but usually when I bring up combat kids get even more intimidated. Those fillies got excited.
Brawler only knew about one other kid who reacted that way when they'd heard about combat. Himself. When he had first signed up in the dojo in Cloudsdale an instructor had lectured him and the new students on various techniques they would be learning, the rules of conduct, and any possible injuries that they might receive while training. He talked about a sparring match to illustrate his last point, describing each blow and how it hurt it's target. The class usually cringed during these descriptions but Brawler had been listening in rapt attention. Trying to picture every instant of the fight in his mind and thinking about what he would've done differently. By the end of the lecture he was practically twitching with anticipation for his first fight.
Even before I had my mark I was a fighter. Those fillies, are they fighters too?
The three of them had thought it was cool that he had fought twenty Royal Guards, hell, Applebloom had the courage to stand up to him when he had gotten angry.
If that doesn't scream 'I'm a potential fighter' I don't know what does.
Brawler shook his head.
Not that it matters, even if I wanted train them their families would never let them. I guess they'll have to find their Cutie Marks elsewhere.
As he finished the thought he entered town. He paused, looked around, then set off, heading no where particular. The ponies in town were very welcoming, always smiling and occasionally waving to him as he walked past.
"Hmph."
Wonder how long that's gonna last.
After a few more minutes of walking he saw a store with a sign with a picture of a quill and sofa on it. He quirked an eyebrow at the sign, then trotted in. Inside the store there was a wall of quills to his right, further in there were rows of sofas, and to his left was a brown Earth pony stallion behind the front desk.
"Welcome!" said the stallion, standing up and trotting to Brawler's side, "I'm the owner of this establishment, Davenport. How can I help you today?"
"Any chance you have a sofa for twenty bits or less?" asked Brawler. Davenport rubbed his chin.
"That's a bit low, how about thirty?"
"That's all the bits I got, and I need to buy food after this." said Brawler
"Hmm, that is problematic. Hmm, oh! Would you mind carrying it home yourself?"
"I was planning on doing that anyway."
"Wonderful! That brings the price of a plain sofa down to twenty bits. Any preferences?"
"What've you got?"
"Well we have all the plain colors; normal green, red, black, etc.. But I recently acquired a cloud couch from Cloudsdale that would be quite easy to trans-"
"Buck Cloudsdale and every asshole in it," snarled Brawler. Davenport's eyes widened as he stared at Brawler and he took a step back.
Brawler grunted and shook himself.
"Sorry. Bad memories," he looked over to the sofas, "I'll take the black one." He reached into his saddle bags and started counting out twenty bits.
"U-um, y-yes. Very good. I'll cart it to the door for you," said Davenport, swiftly trotting away.
Brawler sighed as he finished counting the bits.
Great job Brawler. You're not even in town for a full day and you've already got a pony scared of you. Fan-bucking-tastic.
He finished counting the bits and placed them on the front desk. Davenport came a moment later pushing the sofa on a cart that made the sofa sideways to him to allow passage through doors. He set it down in front of Brawler.
"Here you are sir, thank you for your business," he said, still slightly shaken up.
"Thanks," Brawler walked to the cart and grabbed the handle with his teeth, "Sorry for the trouble." He pushed it out the door before Davenport could reply, and started back to the dojo.
Jeez, it was just a cloud couch. Do you really need to get angry every single time you remember Cloudsdale?
He was looking over the side of the clouds, stunned by how high up they were. Then something shoved him from behind and he was falling. Flapping his wings desperately for lift but he hadn't learned how to fly yet.
Brawler bit the cart harder and growled.
Yes.
With a grunt he picked up his pace and shoved the unpleasant memory to the back of his mind. After five minutes he made it back to the dojo. He banged the door open with the cart and headed inside.
The first thing he noticed was how dark it was. He set the cart down and trotted over to one of the widows. The shades were drawn. Brawler rolled his eyes and opened them. Then he walked through the building opening every curtain he could find. The dojo had four square rooms, each about the size of a fairly large living room. There was the sparring hall, the workout room, a small library of books (all ancient) and an empty storage room.
Brawler hadn't been focusing hard on the rooms when he walked through them the first time, but as he walked back to the cart he paused in the library. Brawler had never been one for reading but something about the room intrigued him. He pulled out a book and blew the dust off.
"Monsters of Equestria and Their Weaknesses," he read aloud. He started to flip through the pages.
"Manticores, Timber wolves, Unicorns, Changelings. Wait, Unicorns?!" he flipped back a few pages and there it was, a chapter on the weaknesses of Unicorns. He skimmed through it.
Usually weaker physically, always close distance as soon as possible, horn is its weak spot but also source of its attacks. Wait, 'see also: Earth ponies and Pegasi'. Heh, shit this guy was thorough.
Brawler closed the book and looked back at the cover. Under the title, in black swirling ink read: By Iron Fist, Minotaur explorer.
Well that explains why ponies are in here.
He flipped back to the chapter about Unicorns and scanned through it one more time. Near the bottom of the second page was a paragraph with the information he was looking for.
The easiest spell for a Unicorn to learn is telekinesis. If a Unicorn is strong enough they can hold an opponent in place with this basic spell. If you find yourself caught in a telekinetic grip there isn't a lot you can do other than simply trying to force your way out of it with brute strength. If the Unicorns magical strength is stronger than your physical strength there's nothing you can do.
Brawler growled. That wasn't any help to him at all. A Minotaur or Earth Pony might be able to break out of telekinesis like that, but not him. When he had been in school he learned that a Unicorn's magical strength increased from any magical task they performed, no matter how trivial. By the time most Unicorns are adults they're capable of moving things that weighed twice as much as the average Pegasus could lift. Brawler wasn't average by any means but neither would the Unicorns that he'd want to escape from.
At best I could probably break out of that white Bitch's grip, but a trained Unicorn guard or an Alicorn? No chance.
He glanced back at the page, and noticed a little note written in the margin.
"To all ponies, forcing out inner magic will break telekinetic grip," he read aloud, "What?"
As far as Brawler knew only Unicorns could use magic like that. But the note clearly stated all ponies, not just Unicorns. Brawler sat down to think it over for a bit, then he remembered something.
When I broke out of that guard's grip, something surged in me. Not just rage, but something else.
He stood up and slipped the book into his saddlebag.
Time to pay Sparky a visit.
Looking back, Twilight supposed she should've expected something like this, but it still caught her by surprise. When she returned to her castle two Royal guards were waiting for her in the main hall. A Pegasus named Steel Feathers and a Unicorn named Soulful Fire. She invited them into the castle's library where they all sat at a round table. There was a few moments of silence.
"I'm assuming you're here because of Brawler?" asked Twilight.
"Yes. Princess Celestia wants us to monitor him for a while. And if he steps out of line we are to detain him," said Steel Feathers.
Twilight sighed.
"You are aware that he put sixteen Royal guards in the hospital when he was thirteen? And that he injured four more? Meaning no offense to your training but how do the two of you expect to stop him?" she asked.
"It's been eight years since his last proper fight. His skills will have dulled by now," said Soulful Fire.
"Even if they have he's not a pushover," said Twilight.
"How do you know?"
"After my friends and I confirmed that he wasn't evil he had a sparring match with Rainbow Dash and then with Pinkie Pie."
"You mean he's already getting into fights!?" said Steel Feathers, raising his voice slightly.
"They were SPARRING, not fighting," said Twilight.
Though his line between spar and fight is just a little too blurry for me.
"Both of them agreed to their matches. In fact, Pinkie volunteered to fight after Rainbow Dash was defeated, and Rainbow Dash has already agreed to a second sparring match tomorrow."
"Well for her own safety we'll have to insist that she cancels it," said Soulful Fire.
"I'm afraid that's not possible for two reasons: 1. Rainbow Dash is a stubborn pony who refuses to back down when her pride's on the line, and 2. these sparring matches are necessary."
"Necessary?"
"Ponies become agitated if they go too long without performing their talent, if years pass it's possible for the pony to become unstable. Brawler is more aggressive than the average pony and he's already gone through a long period of time without performing his talent. The last thing we need is for him to become even more unstable than he currently is."
"You think he's unstable?" asked Steel Feathers.
Twilight mentally berated herself for giving them a foot hold.
"He has anger issues there's no denying that, but he is still capable of putting a lid on his rage. If we were to stop the sparring matches it would only be a matter of time before he lost what little control he still has."
Steel Feathers sighed.
"Alright, the sparring matches are necessary. Why not have us and other members of the Royal guard spar with him?" he asked.
"The main problem with that is Brawler's hatred for Celestia. I know it may be difficult to comprehend but Brawler likely hates her with every bone in his body. That hatred likely extends to ponies who have dedicated their lives to protect her."
Or gain her approval.
"If you were to engage in a sparring match with him he would likely use it as an excuse to put you in the hospital."
"But not Miss Rainbow Dash or Pinkie?"
"By Brawler's definition a sparring match is when he wants his opponent to stand back up after he knocks them down. He could have seriously injured either of my friends, instead when they said they were finished he left them alone. I have a difficult time picturing him doing the same for you." said Twilight.
"Why is him not holding back a concern? He's a self taught brute who hasn't had a proper fight in years, I think we can handle him," said Soulful Fire.
"Soul, you're getting cocky again," said Steel Feathers, "That self teaching made him a legitimate threat when he was only thirteen and if the Princesses are to be believed he's still dangerous." He turned back to Twilight, "Do you have any idea how skilled he is? I know hoof to hoof combat isn't exactly your specialty but even a vague idea would be helpful."
"Rainbow Dash currently has a black belt in Karate, and I've heard her brag about tournaments that she's won," Twilight sucked in a breath, "Brawler beat her in less than two minutes."
"Two minutes!?" exclaimed Steel Feathers.
"The fight technically lasted longer but most of that time was spent talking," said Twilight.
Steel Feathers shook his head.
"Two minutes," he muttered.
Soulful Fire snorted.
"I don't see why you're so worried Steel. Just one little telekinesis spell and he's hopeless," he said, tapping his horn.
"That is a VERY bad idea," said Twilight, "I held Brawler like that during the match and from the look he gave me I'd say there's nothing that makes him more furious than being held against his will. If he hadn't taken his frustration out in the subsequent matches-"
"You would've been able to keep holding him and deposit him in a cell," interrupted Soulful Fire, "He's a pegasus, not an Ursa Major. I could hold him in place for hours and he wouldn't be able to do a thing. So, we watch him, and when he steps out of line I grab him with telekinesis while Steel secures any wounded civilians, then we send him back to his old cell where he belongs."
Twilight grit her teeth.
"My goal is to be his friend, not his JAILOR!"
"Of course it is your Highness but we need to prepare for the worst case scenario," said Soulful Fire.
"My friends and I can handle him if he gets out of hoof," said Twilight.
"Yes, but if the response isn't immediate he could wound several innocent ponies, maybe even kill a few," said Soulful Fire.
"Brawler has never murdered anypony and I don't believe he ever will."
At least, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't.
"As for the response being delayed, I am capable of long range teleportation and one of the fastest Pegasi in Equestria lives here. She could alert me and I could detain him if necessary."
Soulful Fire opened his mouth but Twilight ignored him.
"Yes, it's not as immediate as your system but monitoring Brawler twenty four hours a day will only result in him being agitated, therefore more likely to lash out. So since your presence creates more dangers than it prevents, I must ask, no, DEMAND that you return to Canterlot and explain to Princess Celestia that I have the situation under control. Is that clear?" she asked, glaring at Soulful Fire.
The stallion narrowed his eyes but nodded. There was a brief, tense silence.
Then a low chuckle was heard at the library's entrance. When Twilight looked up and saw who it was she sucked in a quick breath and her eyes widened.
Oh no, not now!
Brawler was standing there, wearing a worn set of saddlebags, grinning, and chuckling.
"Heh, so Sparky has a backbone," he shook his head, "Learn something new everyday I guess."
He started walking toward the table. Soulful Fire stood up and started walking toward Brawler. When they met halfway between their starting points they paused. Brawler grinning, Soulful Fire glaring.
"You heard the Princess, buck off," said Brawler.
"I don't take orders from you," said Soulful Fire.
"Sparky was the one who ordered you out. I'm just telling you to buck off. That a crime now?"
Soulful Fire grit his teeth and his horn started to glow orange.
"Soulful Fire! If you wrap Brawler in telekinesis for even a second for no reason beyond 'teach him a lesson' I'll declare the subsequent fight a sparring match and give him permission to do whatever he wants to you," said Twilight.
Brawler's grin widened. Twilight gulped.
"As long as he doesn't kill anypony," she added quickly.
Neither stallion moved.
Oh, please don't start anything.
"Well pretty boy? You gonna do anything? Cause if I get to send you to the hospital afterwards being held still for a few moments is worth it," said Brawler.
Soulful Fire's horn glowed brighter.
"I'd like to see you try-"
"SOULFUL FIRE!"
Everypony jumped and stared at Steel Feathers, who was now panting.
"Stand down and exit the castle," he said.
"You can't give me orders, we're the same rank!" protested Soulful Fire.
"I was promoted three months before you. Therefore in times of need I CAN issue you orders. Now stand down and listen to the Princess," said Steel Feathers.
Soulful Fire glared at him, then back at Brawler, then marched out of the room. Brawler watched him leave, then turned back to Steel Feathers and smirked.
"Teh, what an asshole."
"He's actually a good guy when his ego's not on the line," said Steel Feathers, he walked over to Brawler.
"Before I go I have to ask something, for my peace of mind."
Brawler nodded.
"Alright, but no guarantees that you'll get it."
"Understood. Now why did you fly toward Tirek when you escaped?"
"You WHAT?!" exclaimed Twilight, but the stallions ignored her.
"How'd you know about that?" asked Brawler.
"I was the guard you steadied when you first escaped. I saw you fly in the direction of the battle. Why? You had a golden opportunity to escape."
Brawler shrugged.
"I needed to fight something. Horny seemed like a prime candidate so I flew in that direction. After he beat Sparky I jumped in."
"Wait..." Steel Feathers' eyes had widened.
"You fought Tirek?" asked Twilight.
"If you could call it that. He swatted me out of the sky after a minute. By the time I got back up Sparky and her friends did the whole 'purification' thing and he was gone. I wanted to know what the hell was up with the mares that beat a god with one shot, so I followed them back to Ponyville. You can ask the Princesses for the rest."
Twilight and Steel Feathers stared at him, mouths agape.
Brawler raised an eyebrow.
"I got my ass kicked in a minute, how is that impressive?"
"That's a minute longer than all of the Royal guard," said Steel Feathers
"And at that point Tirek had the power of almost everypony in Equestria, including all four of us Alicorn's power. How in the world did you do it?" asked Twilight.
Brawler rolled his eyes.
"Ugh. I rammed into his ear, slashed it with my broken shackle, flew out then dodged his sucking powers until I reached his other ear, slashed that too. Then I flew out, avoided his laser beam and punched him in the eye. When he blinked the air blast made me lose control and he swatted me out of the sky."
Twilight and Steel Feathers continued to stare at him for a few moments.
"Well," Steel Feathers cleared his throat, "I hope that we never become enemies."
"Little too late for that," said Brawler, "Now if that's it buck off. I need to talk with Sparky."
Steel Feathers looked to Twilight, she nodded, so he bowed and left the room.
The second he was out of ear shot Brawler gave Twilight a hard look.
"Why did you defend me like that?"
"What?"
"I came in when you said your goal was to be my friend and I heard you fight to keep them out of town. Plus you threatened not to interfere if that guy attacked me. Why? Ever since we met I have insulted you, attacked you, and pranked you. I'm an asshole with a dangerous temper, why are you trying to be my friend?" he asked.
"I'm trying to teach you about the magic of friendship."
"Yeah, but why?"
Twilight sighed.
"I've been a Princess for a few months now, and other than Tirek, the only royal duty I had was smile and wave at royal ceremonies. I only recently got this castle and the title of 'Princess of Friendship'. You are the first pony that I've tried to help since I got this position and I don't plan on failing." She was meeting his gaze now.
Brawler nodded.
"Hmph, well you've got your work cut out for you."
"No disagreements there. But moving on, you said you wanted to talk with me?"
"Yeah, I need a favor."
Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"A favor?" she asked.
After everything I've done and put up with, he expects a favor?
"I want you to take a look at this," he reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a book with his mouth. Twilight grabbed the book with telekinesis and floated it over to herself.
The Monsters of Equestria and Their Weaknesses. Hm, wouldn't be my first choice for an evening read but it would probably be practical. Written by Iron Fist, possible relative of Iron Will? Unimportant but interesting.
She opened the book and flipped through a few pages.
Pages feel old but not very weathered, so this book's been sitting on a shelf for a long time. How old is this book anyway?
She closed the book and held it in front of herself. Then she closed her eyes and cast a dating spell on the book to determine when it was created.
Her eyes bulged when she got the result.
"You alright Sparky?" asked Brawler.
"Where did you get this book?" she asked quickly.
"Huh?"
"This book is a hundred twenty seven years old! Where in the world did you find it? Are there anymore?"
Brawler started leaning away from Twilight.
"Um, I got it from the dojo. There's a room full of old books in there."
Twilight's eyes were now sparkling and she was grinning like a madmare.
"Should I be scared?" Brawler asked to nopony in particular.
"Yes, yes you should," said Spike as he passed the library. "My advice is smile and nod. That's what I do whenever she goes into 'new library' mode."
Twilight ignored both comments.
"The dojo is to the north on the outskirts of Ponyville correct?" she asked.
"Um, yes?"
Twilight closed her eyes and her horn glowed brighter, then the two of them vanished with a flash of light. They reappeared at the entrance of the dojo. Brawler was staggering a bit.
"Give me a bucking warning next time," he said as he regained his balance. Twilight was already trotting inside. She passed through the sparring hall and entered the dojo's library. She gazed up at the wall of old books.
Wow.
She spread her wings and flew up to examine a few.
War on Changelings, A Thousand Tales from Karate Masters, Equestiran Psychos. Ooh, so many books I've never even heard of before!
She let out a small squee, then heard Brawler chuckle from the doorway.
"Alicorns squee?" he asked.
Twilight blushed, landed and turned to face him.
"I'm sorry it's just, there are so many books here that I've never seen before! And they all look like they're at least fifty years old! It's always so exciting to discover new books and old ones let us see into the minds of our ancestors. Seeing so many like that here is just, amazing!"
Brawler rolled his eyes then nodded.
"Still," Twilight turned back to the books, "Why haven't I heard of any of these? I mean, I've been to a lot of libraries, including some really old ones and I've never seen any of these before."
"My guess, Sunshine banned them," said Brawler.
"Banned them?"
"She's been trying to stop out all combat and violence in Equestria for awhile now, even though it's never going to work."
"V-violence? Equestria's a land of peace."
"So violent crime and bullying don't exist here?"
"Th-th-those are the exceptions!" stammered Twilight.
"Teh, maybe, but everypony in Equestria is fascinated by violence."
"That's not true!"
"Twilight, think about it. That old kid's story of a dragon kidnapping a damsel and the heroic knight going to rescue her, by defeating and/or SLAYING the dragon? Nopony would read it if it ended with the knight and dragon resolving their problems with a diplomatic discussion."
"W-well alright, but that's just a story."
"Yeah? Well how about Marehammad Ali and Spike Tyton? Before Sunshine made official boxing illegal they made THOUSANDS by beating the crap out of anypony who stepped into the ring with them. Ponies paid hundreds for front row seats and cheered when the opponents went down."
Twilight could do nothing but stammer.
"Face it Sparky, ponies are fascinated by violence. Scared of it maybe, but when they know they're safe they can't get enough of it."
Twilight sighed and looked down, then looked back up with her head cocked.
"When did you think of all this?" she asked.
"In prison there isn't anything else to do," said Brawler.
"Ah," Twilight glanced back at the books, "You really think Celestia's trying to get rid of all violence in Equestria?"
"She's banned violent books and a violent sport, I can't think of any other reason."
"But, wouldn't a world without violence be, you know, good?" asked Twilight, mentally preparing a shield spell. Brawler's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, so Sunshine gets to decide how we think now."
"What!? No! I just meant-"
"Sparky, unless Sunshine does something drastic, ponies will ALWAYS be fascinated by violence. I'm a prime example! Before I earned my Cutie Mark I lived a completely normal life in Cloudsdale. The most violence I was ever exposed to was those old kid's fantasy stories. Then one day I walked into a dojo where other ponies trained yet led normal lives and I walked out a fighter. Now I'm probably the most violent pony in Equestria," Brawler chuckled, "I wonder what Sunshine's planning to do next to get her perfect society."
Twilight let out a shaky breath.
I think I need to talk with Celestia about this, just to check.
"Anyway I didn't get you to debate about pony nature, I came for a favor," said Brawler.
"U-um, yes, what do you need?" asked Twilight, trying to clear her head.
"You still have the first book I gave you?"
"Oh, sorry I think I left it in my castle. Be right back."
She teleported back to her castle's library, grabbed the book then teleported back.
"Do you have a question about it?" asked Twilight.
"Sort of. Open to the chapter on Unicorns. Second page, third paragraph, there's a note in the margin," said Brawler.
Twilight flipped to the page and read the note.
Oh.
"So, you want to learn?"
"Yep, I wanna learn how to break out of telekinesis. Can you help me?" asked Brawler.
Twilight took a deep breath.
Okay Twilight, calm down, think through this rationally. Pros: 1. Learning about a field of magic you only recently discovered. 2. Having a willing volunteer to help with said research. 3. A chance build a friendship with the pony you are trying to help. Cons: 1. Brawler will be more difficult to capture if such an action becomes necessary.
Twilight's wings twitched nervously. Brawler noticed this and sighed.
"Twilight."
She looked up, surprised.
"Even if I could break out of telekinesis I'm still only one pony. I know that if I do something wrong you can set a hundred guards on me. I'm not doing this so I can go attack Sunshine. I'm doing this to make sure nopony can take my freedom away without even trying."
Twilight nodded.
"Alright, let's get started."
Stats
Page generated in 0.026 seconds
Total duration
1,043 users online
2,213,054 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Nice to see this story again. Twilight's reaction to the new books was hilarious.
6005551 Looking back I guess it is a bit ham fisted but here's my best explanation:
Nightmare Moon and Discord could be dealt with by the elements. Brawler can't.
And Discord, while reformed, is still chaotic he just doesn't hurt anypony while he's doing it. The only way to get Brawler to stop hurting other ponies would be to remove his Cutie Mark.
As for why Celestia's reaction was: Lock him away and throw away the key, I hint at the reason at the end chapter 5. I know 'it gets better later' is a poor excuse but it's all I've got.
Thanks for your feedback I'll see if I can improve next time
I LIKE THIS. ANOTHER!
I did not know that Spike had a last name and he was into boxing.
6006356 img.pandawhale.com/48707-Thor-ANOTHER-gif-VUYz.gif
6006454 If you have Pony name that resembles Mike I'll change it.
You are missing a "be" between the "I" and the "scared".
6006993 On it, thanks.
This guy reminds me of Kazuma from the anme Scryed...
But yeah, I think Celestia has some explaining to do
I am loving this story!
Not only do I find it well written, but it reminds me so much of the movie Demolition Man.
After reading the latest chapter and your Author notes, it looks like the reason Celestia imprisoned him have less to do with how much physical damage he could do to ponies and more towards how much damage he could do to the society that she wants to create. During the food fight, the fights Brawler had with Rainbow and Pinkie, and Brawler's talk with the CMC it is clear that he can influence others and get them excited when it comes to certain activities. It is clear that he does not have that effect on everyone, but it could be enough to get ponies to become interested in fighting again and bring back something Celestia has been trying to get rid of. In other words, she really hates him because he represents a mindset that she feels has no place in Equestria.
My guess is that you plan to have Brawler reopen the dojo in later chapters and possibly start training anyone who is interested. Even if that isn't your plan, I do hope that you have Brawler give some light training to one of the Mane 6 that is not Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie. I thought that Rarity would be a good choice and her fighting style could be more like Dove from the Justice League cartoon.
I can see Rarity using her opponents strength against them instead of actually trying to hit them. You don't have to do this if you don't want to, but I think it would be and interesting touch.
I have also read the comments and you mentioned how you may put in a light ship. My vote is having him shipped with Rarity. Although their initial start wasn't great I can see Brawler warming up to Rarity since she is not afraid to speak her mind around him and (as she said) will not let him push her and her friends around. I think Rarity could warm up to Brawler as she learns more about him and sees that he can be a good guy despite his rough exterior. However, this is just my opinion.
Finally, I just want to mention one little nitpick I have about the story and it has to do with the ponies definition of Cutie Mark advice. Everyone seemed to think that Brawler giving Cutie Mark advice to the CMC or kids in general would be a bad idea; even Brawler himself thinks that. However, wouldn't that kind of advice boil down to the same thing overall despite who you ask? To me, Cutie Mark advice should involve telling kids not just to be patient, but to try and find your mark by doing what you feels natural and right to you. Focus on the feeling you get when doing a certain action or activity and try to see if doing this activity really makes you feel accomplished and good when you perform it. If ponies would focus on making this their Cutie Mark advice, than Brawler's advice would just be the same as everyone else's. I understand that no one would want the CMC to be influenced by Brawler's personality, but I think his Cutie Mark advice could be just as good as the next pony's. After all, they got their Cutie Marks in the same way, doing what makes them feel good and accomplished.
Any way, that is the end of my ramble. I can't wait for more chapters! Keep up the good work!
6029158 Thank you so much for your comment. I'm planning on shipping Brawler with somepony else but you did give me the idea to put more effort into how Rarity and Brawler think of one another, (like a way for him to stop calling her bitch). Up until now I had no idea what to do with Rarity, now I have a few ideas for how she and Brawler could be friends. As for Brawler training her, eh, I just don't see it. He might teach her a few moves but I just don't see her sparring with him. (Sweetie Belle however definitely. Thanks for the idea of the counter-style fighter.)
As for your nitpick beyond just: be patient and do things you love. Another way to give Cutie Mark advice might be: try this with me and see if you like it. I imagine a lot of ponies would be pretty scared if Brawler gave the latter. (Just my explanation you don't need to agree with me.)
Again, thank you so much for your comment and your advice, while I won't use all of it you gave me a lot of great ideas.
6033089 I am glad that my comment was so helpful.
I can also accept the way you explain how Cutie Mark advice can be given since I never thought of it that way before. As I said before, I am enjoying this story very much and I can't wait to see what you have planned.
At least you didn't put in a boxer that runs in circles and hugs people for a living...*cough, Merryfeather, *cough
And I'm just sitting here, waiting for brawler to go kaioken/super saiyan when he tries to break out of TK. Also, I think you could do better with those boxer's names, like Floyd Mareweather, or some such
6006283
Maybe go back and have Celly explain her thoughts back when she was giving him the assignment to stay in ponyville? that would be a perfect opportunity to help distill some of their tension.
Sad truth Celestia. You can't hind violence and you shouldn't never be taking people's rights to.
Thousands of years of life and the ability to subtly change the way that society is structured is a lot of power.
You don't start it off drastically. You just start it off simple. A simple dismissal of a sport, a simple bad review of a book. People follow you because you're their idol. Then, over generations it grows and becomes commonplace. Soon, you've taken control and choose what they think and feel.
Celestia may not be the most powerful magic weilder, that depends. But she has more power over that world than any other, villain hero or otherwise. Power like that leads to a sort of madness. It may not look like it, but it is madness. It's the kind of madness that makes you think you're a god who can control others and make them do what you want.
Wow. Celestia's MENTAL.
6005659
everybookaworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/154639__UNOPT__safe_twilight-sparkle_animated_crystal-empire.gif
At first I thought Sun Butt was being more than a little OOC, but now it fits to a very frightening degree...
I'm listening to die in a fire and thinking of brawler either standing over celestia or him saying this is to celestia with her in the room and then singing it also amazing story even through rereading
Ahhhhhh Celly... ol Celly... Fighting... its coming back girl, violence... sometimes its a must in certain situations.
Diplomacy is also a good thing, if you can talk them down go for it, but sometimes you gotta be prepared to throw a few punches and kicks, I know that for a solid fact. Fighting is a part of life if you ask me, has been for eons, its not something that'll go away anytime soon. I'm not saying its an everyday thing or anything, I'm just saying...
You gotta know when to fight, and when not to, that is the true strength of a warrior.
Nice chapter man, loving it.
I'm really questioning it. I mean, the guards didn't care about his meals, so they probably didn't care about talking to him or give him books either. How could he have learned such delicate information or for that case any information then?
7483246
You could say its a Quote, one I came up with while reading this... that or one I stole from somewhere but can't remember where so I assume I came up with it