Applejack: Undefeated

by CamWeck

Chapter 2

Sunlight streamed through the curtains and crawled across the floor and over the small practical bed. The beam inches its way down the pillows until it fell over the face of a peacefully sleeping orange pony.

Applejack felt the heat on her eyes and forehead and slowly began to wake, scrunching her face up in resistance before taking a few tentative blinks.

She gave a long, deep yawn and rolled over, putting the sun to her back, and considered simply curling back up and going back to sleep.

But no, now that she was awake, sleep would not come back for her, and her eyes stubbornly refused to remain closed.

After a few more minutes of enjoying the warm sheets, Applejack gave a deep sigh and pushed herself out of bed. She walked slowly over to her vanity set against the wall. Like all of the things she owned, it was solid and practical, with thick oak drawers and a plain mirror set into a simple oval.

She sat down in front of the old furniture and put her hoof into the loop of a brush before beginning her gentle morning ritual.

It took a long time to brush such a lengthy mane, and Applejack had always found the slow steady rhythm of it quite relaxing. It was a good way to wake up and begin her daily routine, with the smooth gentle act of grooming herself.

She paused and looked at herself in the mirror, sensing that something was different today. She stood on her hind legs and leaned in closer to inspected her own reflection. Her eyes were still their usual emerald green, her coat still orange, with three white freckles appearing on either side of her muzzle, and her hair was straight, if a bit frizzled from bed.

What was it she had seen that seemed strange? What had been so different that... Ah..

Now Applejack realized what it was, what had changed so dramatically from yesterday. Her lips were parted in a small, happy smile.

When was the last she had brushed her hair and seen herself smiling in this mirror? It must have been a long time ago, she thought to herself. Thinking back she simply could not remember. All she could recall were hundreds of mornings where she had sat here, with a blank stare and simply gone through the motions.

Her smile slowly split into a large grin as she stood there, staring at herself in the mirror and, for the first time in a long time, she felt happy with what she saw.

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Downstairs, Applejack found her breakfast, an omelette with some apple-pancakes and a small bowl of yogurt, had been left on the table. It had gone a bit cold but was still nice and filling.

As she ate an elderly green mare walked in from the next room holding a small bucket and washcloth in her mouth. Granny Smith smiled upon seeing Applejack sitting at the table. She set the bucket down on the floor and looked up with a playful grin on her face.

"Well good Mornin' Sleepyhead! You came back so late last night I figer'd you could use a few extra hours ah nap time, but I didn't think you'd stay up there and play Rip Vanner'winkle!" Applejack blinked at her granny's playful admonishment and looked up at the clock on the wall. It was almost noon, an abnormally late start for her indeed. She was so used to waking up with the Roosters, she felt as though she had slept away half the day already.

"Aw Horseapples, I'm sorry Granny! I got this new job last night and, well... It's a lot of hard work, but it's honest, and it pays really good. I guess I just got so plum tuckered out.." Granny waved a hoof at her granddaughter and shook her head.

"It's alright dearie! With the harvest ruined there ain't nearly so many chores to be doin' anyhow! Big Mac said he'd take care of yours and he got 'em and his own done so lickity split he's already off takin' a long lunch down by that field ah daisies growin' in the back thirty."

Applejack visibly relaxed upon hearing this. There was more free time than usual around the farm, but she still didn't like slacking off on her chores. She hated work that wasn't done or wasn't being done.

"So what's this about a new ocky-pation that ya'all is takin' up?"

The elderly mare had sat down across from Applejack and looked at her with interest. The stare was polite and curious, but Applejack could also see a glint of hope in it. The farm wasn't in any real danger, but things would be tight without a new source of income, and clearly Granny was desperate to hear some good news.

"That's right. Down by the warehouses on the other side ah Ponyville. It's uh.. a lot of physical work, and it's kinda on the hush, hush. Er.. Government stuff, you know how it is."

Applejack grinned crookedly but Granny didn't seem to notice her lies and instead nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Well that's great to hear! Always glad to see muh family doin' its patriotic duty!" Granny smiled a bit shyly this time and looked around conspiratorially.

"It's gots tah do with them griffons again, ain't it? Them fish eaters was big trouble back in my day, ya'know"

Applejack rolled her eyes. Granny was a fairly forward thinking pony for her generation, but she still had a tendency to judge non-ponies, or ponies who acted a bit too weird. Not that she was completely innocent of that herself mind you. She was terribly embarrassed everytime she thought back to how she used to treat Zecora.

"I can't really say, but I don't rightly think so. Anyway, I left the money from last night over on the console by the front door. Go ahead and add it to the farms coffers."

As Granny Smith went to check the bit pouch, Applejack quickly finished off her breakfast and put the dishes into the sink.

"Holy Moley! There must be close to two hundrid' bits in here!" Granny's voice echoed through the house Applejack slipped out the side door and began making her way to Ponyville.

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Everything seemed brighter. The colors were sharper, the sky more blue, the tree leaves a deeper green. Even the ponys seemed more real than they had in months.

She waved happily to Cloud Kicker as the Pegasus pushed a cloud past. Applejack made her way through town, admiring all the sights as if seeing them for the first time. She stopped and watched Rose tending the flowers that were her namesake, prepping them for the next days sale at the lunch counters.

Had her hair always had that extra streak of pink in it? Applejack wondered if she'd just never noticed it before or had simply forgotten.

It was hardly the only little detail she was noticing with what felt like the first time. She saw the look in Lyra's eye as she glanced at Bonbon, the same look in Noteworthy's eye as he glanced at Lyra. She even noticed the little Muffin shaped buckle on Derpy-doo's saddle bag as she flew past, a bit too low, with the daily mail. It made sense of course, especially after that whole, Muffin incident last spring.

She grinned broadly and closed her eyes so she could focus her hearing on the happy sounds of chatting ponies, or of music playing. Life was so much better today, so much more full than it had been in so long.

"Applejack."

A sharp voice interrupted her revelry and she blinked her eyes open, glancing around a bit before settling her eyes down on a certain Pink Pony.

"Well Howdy Pinkie! Ya'all left in such a hurry last night, I didn't get to thank you for comin' out and supportin' me!"

Pinkie trotted up to Applejack with a deep frown on her face and an unusually serious look in her eye. Applejack was a bit taken aback by this very out of character reaction from Pinkie, and was quite a bit more taken aback when pinkie pressed her muzzle right up in her face.

"You aren't going back," stated the angry pink pony. It hadn't been a question, or a request. It was a statement of fact and one that Applejack was a bit confused by.

"What are ya talking about Pinkie? Go back to where?"

"You know what I mean! Go back to that place, with those bad ponies. You aren't allowed."

Now Applejack felt herself flush with anger. She had no idea what Pinkie was going on about, but she never liked being told what she could or could not do. She took a step back and lowered her head a bit.

"Now hold on here, you ain't got no right in tellin' me what to do! I'll do what I need to, thank ya'all very much."

Pinkie gave a loud, short grunt of frustration and leapt at the orange farm pony.

"YOU DON'T NEED THAT PLACE!" she screamed as she grabbed Applejack and began shaking her.

"You don't and you can't go back! I won't allow it! Promise me!"

Applejacks eyes rolled in her head at the sudden onslaught and she shook herself back to her senses.

"What is wrong with you Pinkiie!? Let go ah' me!"

"No! Not until you Pinkie Promise! I won't allow you to go back and get hurt by those big mean hurty ponys!" She gripped Applejack tightly, squeezing the Orange Earth pony as hard as she could. Applejack was having a hard time breathing and getting more and more angry with her normally bubbly friend. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her front hooves against Pinkies chest before giving one last hard shove.

"I said, LET GO!"

The pressure released and Applejack fell backwards without Pinkie holding onto her. She opened her eyes jsut in time to hear a hard thud come from across the road.

Looking around she saw dozens of other ponies staring at her, with more looking across the street. They had stopped to see what the commotion had been about, what could possibly get Ponyvilles perpetually pleasant and perky party pony so provoked! Applejack scrambled to her hooves and saw Pinkie Pie across the street and half embedded into one of the towns decorative trees, her eyes crossed and rolling in opposite directions.

"Pinkie!" Applejack cried out and galloped over to her stuck friend.

"I'm so sorry Pinkie, I.. I didn't mean to.."

Pinkie shook her head clear and ignored Applejack pressing her hooves against the tree and with a hard shove she pulled her head out of the wood and gave her head a shake. Once she had regained her senses she glared at Applejack and turned away from her, galloping off and down the street.

"Pinkie!" But it was no use, her friend was gone.

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"So, what exactly are we doin' now, again? And this time with smaller words please?"

Twilight sighed melodramatically, and closed her eyes. Why did other ponies have so much trouble understanding her? She spoke clear Equestrian. She had a considerable and detailed vocabulary. She always spoke with complete accuracy and often described precisely what she meant in great detail. Yet still, clarity seemed to elude her.

"Boxing. We're doing some simple boxing, so you will be able to punch better, okay?" She cringed at her own abuse of Equestrian, but sometimes you had to make sacrifices in the name of communication.

Applejack stood on her hind legs in the basement of Twilight's Library, a pair of cushioned gloves on her front hooves.

"Well, I guess that makes a bit ah sense, but I mean, why? If'n I'm a gonna' try and hit somepony, it'll be with old Bucky McGillycuddy and Kicks McGee. I thought we showed in the first fight these little punches don't mean much."

"Quite to the contrary. You hit several times with your front hooves, and you certainly showed you have the strength to use them. Your problem is Technique, and I calculate that if we can get you to punch right, you'll be over Fifty-Six Percent more efficient at taking your opponents down."

"Oh, yeah. That makes sense."

Twilight had a way of making Applejack feel stupid. She knew it wasn't intentional, and that it probably wasn't even really a fair comparison. Twilight was ludicrously smart and often pointed out obvious things to ponies who should know better. This was just such an example, she had even come to Twilight to take her up on the offer of learning some new fighting moves, and the first thing she does is question her advice.

Applejack chewed this over as she stared at the punching bag in front of her. She had a very similar one back at the farm, with a detachable chain. It kept snapping off when she practiced kicking it, so she'd got one where if that happened she could just re-attach it and not have to buy a whole new chain every time.

She leaned back and pushed her right leg forward hitting the bag as hard as she could, it rocked back a bit bust mostly spun in place from her hit.

"Not like that! Remember, keep your elbow straight and turn a little with the punch! Also, make sure you land it straight in the center of the target, otherwise they don't feel the full force."

"Right, elbow straight, roll with punch, right in the center."

Applejack struck again, harder this time causing the bag to swing away from her. Twilight smiled and clapped her hooves together.

"Perfect! Now do that ten times with your right hoof, than ten with your left, than a hundred times, switching back and forth!"

"Wut?"

Twilight lifted a large book into the air and flipped a few pages. It stopped among a series of illustrations of a pony's arm in different stages of a swing.

"According to Casspian Clays Perfect Primer to Pony Pugilism, a potent punch is produced with practice!"

Twilight had been studying all night to find the best possible way to help Applejack, and she'd found dozens of books describing styles and techniques. Many of them had illustrations and rather exact instructions on the best possible way to prepare for upcoming matches. She'd converted part of the considerably sized basement into a mini Gym just to help her friend. It had been a lot of hard work but she knew it would be worth it.

Seeing Applejack in that ring had been amazing. She'd always known her friend was strong, but she had never even guessed at just how much muscle must be under that fur. It was incredible, she had moved so fast, with so much strength. And that look in her eyes, that utter confidence. Twilight watched Applejacks muscles moving as the farm pony struck at the bag again and again. Slowly building a rhythm to her strikes, causing the bag to move back and forth in time to her punches. Twilight found herself mesmerized by the steady movement of it all the precise timing, the stretch of muscles under skin, the steady thump, thump, thump of..

"Twilight? You okay?"

Twilight blinked, brought back to the real world by Applejacks words. The farm pony had stopped her punching and was now standing in front of the bag sweating. How long had she been caught in her little trance, Twilight wondered.

"Sorry, what? I was uh.. caught up in my book.. Aheh..." She grinned nervously but Applejack just nodded her head and sat down on her haunches taking a few deep breaths. This was hard work, and she liked hard work. It was different though, than what she was used to. She would practice her kicks with drills like this during the winter months, just to keep the old Bucking legs limber, but standing on her hind legs and punching with her front for so long was a total reversal of her usual workout. She felt muscles she rarely used start to ache and stretch.

"Well that's fine an' all, I could use a minute. I was just wonderin', what's next? I finished all them punches you wanted."

"Right! Next!" Twilight's horn glowed and she picked up several books, not just on pugilism but on general training for fighting and flipped through them till she reached the pages she had been seeking. She smiled smugly as a list floated through the air toward her and she checked off the first item.

"I have prepared a comprehensive training regime designed to give you the maximum results based on your current skill levels and raw physical abilities! Since you're already one of the best Athletes in Ponyville, I predict that we'll have you well trained in no time!" Twilight was obviously very pleased with herself.

"That's nice and all Twi, and I am rightly thankful to you, but what, exactly, is next?"

"Blocking and dodging!"

Applejack raised an eyebrow at this as Twilight stood up and did a few stretches of her own.

"Blockin' and Dodgin'? And uh.. am I gonna be blocking, your punches?"

She couldn't help smile to herself as she thought of how clumsy and slow Twilight's little punches would be. Heck, she might not even have to dodge them at all. Maybe she'd just stand there and let her little hooves bounce right off. Could be nice, like getting a little massage.

"Nope," Twilight said as Applejack fought hard to keep from snickering. All around the purple Unicorn a series of hard rubber balls rose steadily into the air, held aloft in a purple aura, hundreds of them began to spin around the basement, slowly at first but rapidly gaining momentum.

Applejacks amusement turned to horror as a few of the balls bounced off walls and shelves, often with enough force to create a loud thumping noise, or to send objects flying.

"If you can dodge a ball, you can dodge a punch!"

Applejack fought hard not to scream.

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Total Pagestook deep panting breaths as he stood at the door to Carousel Boutique, he had a saddlebag full of papers that he'd been lugging around all day and was completely exhausted. His trip down to the apple farm had been met only with looks of confusion and an admission that no one knew where Applejack was today. She'd apparently left just before noon without bothering to tell anyone where she had gone.

After that, Pages had run all around town, asking everypony he met if they knew where the farm pony had gone. Hours of searching later, he had finally heard a rumor that she was with her pink friend and had finally made his way to Sugarcube corner.

Unfortunately that crazy pink pony was more interested in abuse than reasonable conversation. She had screamed at him incoherently and chased him from the bakery with a weaponized croissant. Pages had only escaped when the weird little Earth Pony was being held back by a tall yellow stallion and his blue wife who he could swear he knew from someplace.

It was only luck that shortly afterwards, while nursing a few bruises in the park that he had seen a familiar white unicorn make her way down the path and into the sizable shop. At first he had intended just to jump at her and beg her to tell him where he could find Applejack, but he was cautious after the incident at the bakery.

More than that though, he had taken a few minutes to watch this white and purple pony and couldn't help but find himself a bit intimidated. Her shimmering coat, her perfect muzzle and those deep blue eyes. She was a rare beauty indeed. Pages wasn't usually so self conscious, but he had never been very good with mares, and something about this one had reminded him how short and dumpy he was, and how ill fitting and frumpy his tie and saddlebags were.

Still, he thought to himself, this is no time to be self conscious! He had to get back in touch with his meal ticket! Really, as much for her sake as his own.

He reached out and knocked hard on the door, hearing a very cheerful and charming voice respond with a graceful invitation to come inside. Swallowing hard he opened the door. The room was large and circular, clearly set up to be both a gigantic showroom and a practical working space at the same time.

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is.. oh.. it's you."

What had started a friendly, if practiced greeting, ended in a flat, almost haughty tone as the beautiful mare turned to face Pages. She looked down at him with a disdain that was palpable and could probably melt the brass off of a doorknob.

"Hi, look Miss, I'm sorry to bug you, but I really need to get in touch with Applejack. do you know where she is?"

"And why would I tell you something like that? Applejack informed us how you had made it quite clear that you weren't interested in dealing with her at all. Change your mind now that you've seen just how wrong you really where?"

Her tone dripped with sarcasm and Total Pages looked down at his front hooves guiltily. He took a deep breath and looked back up at the beautiful unicorn, staring straight into her eyes.

"Yes. I made a mistake, a stupid one, and I'm willing to pay for that."

Rarity blinked and raised her eyebrows, she looked more surprised than annoyed now and raised a hoof beckoning the other unicorn to continue. Pages shuffled a bit nervously but managed to go on.

"She still needs me. She needs a sponsor, someone to schedule fights and deal with the officials down at the arena. I may not have the best set up, but it's better than her complete lack of one."

"And why shouldn't she get a better sponsor than? Or even just do it herself. Ponys have successfully run themselves before, you know."

"Yeah, but that's really rare. Only three ponys I know of have pulled that off, and all of them are so good they could afford to take the time and do it themselves. Applejack is good, and going to be great, but she isn't there yet. As for why she shouldn't swap me for another, well, I learned my lesson. Any other promoter you find is going to think she's too green, even with all her strength. But me, I stood there and saw it with my own eyes. Not just her muscle but..."

"Her Spirit" they both said at the same time. Pages blinked, a bit startled that the designer had spoken the same words as him. He recovered quickly and nodded his head.

Without a word the white pony had turned around and grabbed a small saddlebag. She walked over to Pages and with her magic pulled a changing screen around them. He cried out a bit as he felt his bags ripped off by her magic and then something happened to his mane and he suddenly felt quite a bit warmer.

"There we are!" she tittered happily as she admired her work. A mirror floated over and a rather surprised Pages saw that his mane had been elegantly combed, and that he was wearing a brand new three piece suit with a matching hoof stitched and monogrammed set of saddle bags. A quick look found that even all of his paperwork had been moved transferred to the new bags. And, apparently, Alphabetized. Did they used to have those little filing tabs on them?

"Come along now, you need to dress properly if you're going to apologize, and if I'm going to be helping her convince her to take you back i demand you look like a proper gentlepony."

Pages had to admit he looked pretty slick in this new getup. Mostly though he was impressed with his mane, which had always been a bit thin and had started to get even worse over the past few years. Somehow this pony had made it hardly noticeable in less than a few seconds.

"Wow this is great! I Don't know how I can ever repay you Miss.. uh...er.."

"Rarity," she said, with a light bit of mirth in her voice.

"And don't worry about how you can repay me. I already put the bill in your too do folder."

Pages paled at this and wondered just how much this new suit was costing him. Was this undershirt silk? Because it felt like silk, and he didn't really need quite so expensive a material. And what exactly were these cuff-links made of too? He prayed quickly to Celestia that they weren't real gold. as he followed the Fashionista outside.

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In the main room of the Library, four ponies, three unicorns and a rather battered looking earth pony, all sat around a table and discussed important things.

Mostly it was percentages, insurance rates, potential marketing deals, and the names of a few potential opponents who could be interested in taking on the new challenger.

None of this is as important was what was going on downstairs, in the basement.

There is a window, near the roof of the basement, that rattled a bit and suddenly squeaked open by just a few inches.

Something tiny and white began to push its way through the opening, it squeezed in and immediately fell to the floor below, landing with a quiet thump and bouncing once or twice. Anyone who looked at it would easily mistake it as a tiny Miss Smarty Pants doll. It had similar enough proportions, and had the classic over sized stitches and patchwork holding it together.

But this thing was not made of cloth at all. It blinked two large oversized eyes and slowly sat upright. Looking around the room it fixated on a brush in the corner, focusing intently on it. It quickly scranbled to its hooves, and then began to fly. It was not graceful.

Rather it tumbled through the air, in a herky-jerky motion, always turning its head, often at impossible angles to stare at the brush. It's legs flailed wildly and in sharp motions that should have been too long to be so fast. Finally it landed with a small thud next to the brush and inspected it closely.

"No no, this won't do at all!" cried a voice inside it's head.

"Look at it! That hair is purple! No, this just won't do."

The tiny patchwork pony didn't think, not in any real way as we know it, but it did understand. Slowly it began to rise into the air, making a sort of hiccuping noise as it went, it's legs flailing strangely, and it shot straight back to the window, squeezing its way outside and disappearing into the sky.

Comments

[CamWeck]

Well, second chapter is up.

Mostly establishing some stuff, so kind of a dull chapter, but i tried to make it humorous.

I promise chapter three will be more exciting.

[Biker_Dash]

Weaponized croissant... I lolled!
And what of the animated Smarty-Pants type thing at the end?