Hoof To Hoof

by MrTrieg

Chapter Two: A Partner

Hoof to Hoof
Chapter 2: A Partner

It is early in the morning, well before sunrise. Rainbow Dash awakes and begins her morning routine, wake, brush teeth, groom, all the while her anticipation grows, I don’t know what I’m getting myself into, do I? Sensei said it would be hard, but I’m a world class athlete! How hard could it be? Tapping Tank on the head as she walked out the door, she stepped off her balcony and flew off into the early morning.

Sensei awoke early in the morning, just as the sun was rising, and no sooner was he awake then was Granny Smith all over him, talking his head off about the farm and the surrounding town, where she came from who she was, by the time Sensei made it to the breakfast table he had heard and digested half of the history of Ponyville. Once he was seated, she began to pile plate after plate of apple themed treats before him, “And this is our world famous apple fritters! Our tantalizingly deeelightful apple pies!”

The old stallion simply nodded his head, slowly trying every one of the various treats, he finished his meal maybe a minute later, he ate astoundingly little of the food that had been presented him, nowhere near enough to sustain an adult pony. The moment he had finished eating he was set upon by Applebloom, “Yer beard is weird mister!”

This elicited a smile from Sensei, “This one’s beard has been growing for many years now,”

Applebloom continued unheeded asking question after question of Sensei, only to get cryptic answers in return. Meanwhile Applejack and Big Macintosh, having roused themselves, were standing in a corner of the room discussing their strange new visitor, well Applejack was. “I just don’t like it, we don’t know who he is or where he is from,”

Applejack, speaking quietly so as not to alert their visitor looked up at Big Mac, “I mean he seems nice and he hasn’t done anything to rub me the wrong way, but there’s too many unknowns.”

Big Mac, as direct as always replies, “I think you may be worrying too much, I may have never lived in a city or really been much of a social type, but I don’t read nothin’ wrong with this one, he seems like a kindly old pony,”

“You’re a hundred percent sure ain’t ya,”

“Eyyup”

When Applejack looked away from Big Mac she was surprised to find that Sensei was standing right next to her, with his strange, warm, smile looking her right in the eye, “This one understands your concern, if a better living situation arises this one will take up on it,”

Applejack, startled by Sensei’s sudden appearance barely managed to stammer out an apology, “Ahm sorry mister Sensei it’s jus’ that you haven’t said nothin’ bout who you are or where yer from, and Rainbow kept talkin’ up yer fightin’ skills and I jus’ cain’t help but be a lil’ worried,”

Sensei, his happy expression barely changing, “This one completely understands, however this one believes that your opinion may change,”

As Sensei was walking away Applejack couldn’t help but feel that something was off about the old pony, Strange accent, strange behavior, hardly eats, wheres he from? Sensei walking to the door, bowed his head in Granny Smith and Applebloom’s direction before ducking out of the house.

Sensei found Rainbow Dash pacing back and forth in the field, “Ah you made it, and just before sunrise too,”

Rainbow, looking up over her shoulder to notice that the sun was rising, didn’t let on that out of nervousness she had been there waiting for about a half hour, “Yeah of course I did, I said I would be here right,”

“There is no need to be nervous, this one saw you perform at the royal wedding, physically you are more than capable to do what this one will teach,”

Rainbow Dash, surprised asked a new question of Sensei, “Wow you get around dontcha?”

“This one travels a lot,”

“Wait so you were in Canterlot for the Changeling invasion?”

Sensei’s smile grew wider, apparently reminiscing about the day, “Yes, this one saved a young couple from abduction that day,”

The more he spoke of past events the more mysterious Sensei seemed and while Rainbow Dash reflected on this she also thought of other things she saw in him, wow, every time he opens his mouth he just gets more awesome, he’s seen me perform too? “Follow this one, into the orchard,”

While they walked Rainbow asked him about the places Sensei had been, he remained cryptic but spoke in more detail about the incident in Canterlot, “This one was in Canterlot, trying to make way to Fillydelphia, this one had to stop for supplies in the city, and hadn’t heard of the extra security in the city, but this one was not perceived as a threat to the city, and so was let in. The city was busy, and it was late so this one stopped and found a place to bed, this one awoke to find that the wedding was to begin, having nothing else better to do, this one decided to attend, and upon arriving this one immediately saw the bride, this one couldn’t place a hoof on it, but something was off.”

Sensei stopped and his eyes grew distant, “been many years since this one has seen a Changeling, if this one had seen it sooner, would have tried to help,”

Rainbow Dash thought of how much easier the fight to get the elements would have been with someone like Sensei backing her and her friends up. He continued his story, “This one scattered like the rest once the truth had been revealed, the Princess was captured and this one was running down to the alley where this one had found rest, this emerald and this one’s other belongings were there. As this one made way back to the alley, a young couple was spotted, hiding behind a dumpster, cornered by four changelings, this one saved them, and helped them save their child.”

Sensei stopped and looked around, they were surrounded by the apple trees. The little vale they were standing in was wide, and had plenty of space, but somehow at the same time it felt close and private, like standing in a large room that lacked a roof. Sensei looked over to Rainbow Dash and removed his saddle bag and straw hat, revealing a white topknot manecut. Lastly he removed the green tiger’s eye emerald necklace from around his neck. Without any of his accessories the stallion’s wiry frame showed through, his light brown coat appeared to drape over thin and very athletic muscle, he appeared at once ancient and strong. He looked over at Rainbow Dash, who had allowed herself to stare for an uncomfortable amount of time, Holy cow! This guy is something else! He set his gaze on Rainbow Dash, his eyes in full view for the first time since Dash had met him. Dash shrank under the weight of these eyes, which despite Sensei’s advanced age appeared clear and unobstructed; his voice, when he spoke next, seemed to make the very trees around them stand still, “This one needs you to promise, and this is of utmost importance, to always use these skills either in self-defense or to protect others, outside of training this one hopes that what is taught never sees use,”

Rainbow, taken aback by how deathly serious Sensei’s voice had become, replied, “I promise,”

Sensei’s eyes and voice resumed their usual pitch and timbre, “Thank you, Rainbow Dash, this one has taught before and had bad outcomes to those that did not take that promise seriously, and this one can see that you will never use my techniques abusively or offensively,”

With this Sensei turned around and spoke to the trees, “Now Applejack, can you make the same promise,”

Rainbow watched as Applejack stepped out from behind the tree and walked over to the middle of the vale, surprised that she had followed them, She must really be worried about him, she never does stuff like this. Applejack when she got close enough to speak without yelling, frustratingly spoke out “Confound it, how’dja see me?”

“Very old technique, now this one would like you to answer the question, can you make the same promise?”

Applejack, confused, asked, “Why me? I mean thanks all told, ahm honored you’d ask me, but why ya want to train someone who jus’ followed ya through the woods,”

Sensei smiled, “Of the stories rainbow has told this one, you and her are the most physical, she needs a partner, and it is not hard for this one to see that you do not have a good outlet, you are tense. When this one looks at you this one sees nothing but tension and confusion, martial arts’ training is one of the best physical, spiritual and emotional outlets one can get.”

Applejack thought it over, Well he is right, there hant been a disaster ‘round here since the wedding, ahm gettin’ complacent and the work in the field ain’t been getting mah mind of mah problems, if what Rainbow said about this guy is true, his trainin’ may come in handy too. While she thought it over, Rainbow had a different thought, Why is Sensei offering training to Applejack of all ponies? I mean, he’s seen me perform, why would he need another student, that settles it, if she trains with him, I’m just going to need to train harder, I’ll just have to beat her in this in every way possible.

Applejack looked up, determined, “I promise not to misuse yer teachin’s, and I will train with ya.”

Sensei smiled even more, “Good, now to begin this one will explain the basics of the training, we will begin every session with mental training, which is half of what we will do, to do this we will meditate, join this one, and sit, empty your mind to emotion and thought, only then will you achieve balance. Once you two are balanced we begin the physical training, the techniques I teach at first will be basic and will grow from there, you will learn to react and to act decisively with force,”
With this the old stallion sat, crossed his hind legs and placed his front in his lap, he beckoned for Rainbow and Applejack to sit with him, “Sit, join me, we will meditate.”

The two friends sat on both sides of him, when he provided a final instruction, “while not necessary, closing one’s eyes makes it easier to focus on emptying the mind,”

With this they began to meditate.

Around twenty minutes after they had begun meditating Rainbow began to get annoyed, This isn’t what I thought it would be, this is boring! I can’t take staying still for so long, I wonder if Applejack has stayed still too. Rainbow opened her right eye slightly, and looked out over to Applejack, and was surprised to find that AJ had done the same, it was at this point that they both looked at Sensei, who was floating maybe a foot off the ground. The two of them jumped back, startled, “Gah! What are you doing? How are you doing? Your flying!” Rainbow yelled out as she jumped back

Applejack was struck speechless, as Sensei lowered himself to the ground and stood, “A mind free of negative emotion, and from thought is as light as the air beneath ones wings, a truly free state of mind allows one to tap into the magic around them, this is what true mental balance is, to be free from worry, do not expect to be able to do this for some time, if ever, the turmoil of life is hard to get away from if you are young, as an old pony, this one can simply tune it out, such is the benefit of age.”

Motioning for the two of them to stand, Sensei made a stance, his front left hoof placed at ninety degrees at the knee, placing his front right at an angle going out and away from him, his back two standing strong, speaking to Applejack, “Assume this stance,”

Applejack, shrugging, made a move to imitate the stance, when Rainbow went to imitate it as well Sensei motioned for her to stop, “You are Pegasus, and as such have extra appendages to work with, your individual training will be different, different styles are necessary and will complement your different personalities, Applejack you will learn the standing bull, and will learn to shrug off an enemy’s’ offenses as if they are rain crashing onto the roof of a sturdy building. Rainbow Dash, you will learn screaming griffon, and such will learn to overwhelm and subset an enemy’s defense with rapid strikes and daring acrobatics.”

This pleased Rainbow Dash, I was worried that he wouldn’t have anything for wings! And that sounds so awesome! At this point Sensei had moved to Applejack’s side. He took his hoof and gingerly poked her in the side, she toppled over legs sticking out stiff as a board. Rainbow immediately snickered at this, Sensei turning his attention to Rainbow makes his first request of her, “Can you do a backflip?”

Rainbow, smirking, proudly affirmed, “Of course I can! You’ve seen me perform, of course I can!”

With this Rainbow using her wings launched herself into the air, going into a graceful backflip and landing with a quiet thump. Sensei, still smiling looks to her and asks again, “Try to do it without the assistance of your wings.”

Rainbow’s smirk quickly disappeared from her face, “I can’t do it without my wings, I don’t know anypony who can.”

“The flip is done with your legs, allowing you to focus the power of your wings into the kick that goes along with it, doing this properly one can render all but the most thick of skulls unconscious,”

Rainbow, grumbling, says “Fine, I’ll try it.”

Rainbow Dash, readied herself, took a few steps back and launched herself into the air on her legs, landing flat onto her back, Applejack still focusing on her balance and trying her best to work the stance Sensei had taught her almost fell over laughing.

Sensei looked to the both of them, “Now this one wants the two of you to try again, there is a lot of training ahead of you.”

They worked well into the evening.

Grumbles and Lefty were wandering through Ponyville, Lefty was sniffing the air, doing his best to find the scent of the pony that had beaten them up the night before. Grumbles was impatient, unable to think of anything other than the pony and his beautiful gem! He wanted that thing, bad, terribly bad, so when they had made their way to Berry Punch’s inn and stopped outside the door, Lefty looked up to Grumbles, and spoke, “Scent stops here, maybe he stay night in inn!”

“Or maybe Lefty lose scent, we need check here anyway, pony not from here, mean no home, mean he stay at inn!”

With this grumbles went up to the door, he checked the door and when he found it to be locked, he knocked. No sooner than he was done knocking did a loud and annoyed voice come out from behind it, “BY CELESTIA! WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR A PONY TO GET SOME PEACE AND QUIET!”

At that the door fell off its hinges, Lefty and Grumbles, his fist still raised to pound on the door again looked to each other and then to the door on the ground, “Something not right here,” Grumbles muttered to himself.

Berry Punch was leaning on the counter; her eyes were bloodshot and swollen. The dogs looked around, noting that one of the inns windows had been blown in, and that the tables and the chairs in the café were overturned, it also seemed that someone had taken and thrown all of the food that was on the tables up onto the walls. When Lefty and Grumbles made their way to her she looked up and said, “Oh, dogs! That’s great, I’m sorry boys but the Inn is closed,” motioning around she added, “for a while.”

Lefty looked up at Grumbles, an incredulous and curious look on his face that spoke what was going through his mind loud and clear, This pony is hung over, and it looks like a tornado came through here. Grumbles nodded, and then asked Berry Punch, “U’hh we looking for old pony, went off with rainbow pony, late afternoon, yesterday?”

Berry Punch looked up at them and scratched her hoof on her unkempt mane, “I won’t lie to you I drank a lot last night, and I don’t remember much, between the drink and the ruckus that Twilight and Fluttershy caused this morning, but I do remember some old guy sitting, oh I don’t know over there,” as she pointed over to the almost demolished café, “with Rainbow Dash, when they said something about Applejack or her farm or something,”

Grumbles and Lefty, looking to each other again, turned on a heel and left the Inn. When they got outside Lefty spoke, “I know farm, it name Sweet Apple…. something….”

“Acres, it name Sweet Apple Acres, these same ponies that swindle dogs out of gems with awful whining,”

Lefty, shuddering at the memory, asked Grumbles, “What next move?”

Grumbles, an evil grin forming on his face, “First we get pack, then we burn farm!”