Prologue

View Online

Brawler's stomach grumbled. He glared at it, then out the window. It looked like it was about noon. Brawler let out a growl.

I swear to Luna if they forgot to feed me again.

He trotted over to his cell door, the chain around his front left leg clanking along the ground.

"Hey! How about some Celestia forsaken food!" he shouted. He stared through the small barred window of the door. All he saw was the dark corridor of the dungeon, illuminated by only the occasional torch. No guard was coming. Growling again in frustration, Brawler started banging on the door with his chain.

"I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday! I know I haven't got a lot of rights but you're not allowed to let me starve!"

Nopony was coming. Brawler gritted his teeth and slammed his hoof into the door. Then gaped in surprise.

His hoof had broken through the door. When Brawler examined the damage he saw that there were several dents in the wood from his banging. When he looked down at the chain he saw that it was rapidly rusting until it looked a few decades old.

What the hay's going on? This place has all kinds of enchantments on it to prevent this kind of thing doesn't it?

Brawler shook his head; he could wonder about that later. He turned back to the door and punched it again. He continued punching the door until it had a hole large enough for him to pass through.

Brawler grinned. It had been a long time since he had really hit something. His cell was large enough for him to exercise and stay in shape, but wing-ups and running in circles just wasn't the same as landing a good punch. Punching a stone wall or the enchanted door wasn't the same as this. They didn't have any give, so hitting them only resulted in bloody hooves without any real satisfaction that he had done anything.

Brawler walked out of the cell, then the chain tightened when it ran out of length. Brawler turned so he was facing the cell and pulled the chain tight. He stared at the shackle on his hoof.

I might be able to break it if I smashed it against a wall

He noticed the rusted coloring of the shackle.

And then get an infected wound.... Alright, second best option.

He bit the chain as close to the shackle as he could then pulled. The chain stretched, then the third link from the shackle snapped. Brawler stumbled backward into the cell door that was behind him. He stood up, then out of curiosity looked into the cell. Inside was a light green unicorn stallion with dark green hair and a gold bit sign for a Cutie Mark. The stallion was laying down on his cot staring at the ceiling. Brawler knocked on the door.

"You do know the enchantments went away right?" he asked. The stallion continued to stare at the ceiling.

"What of it? I certainly can't break out the way you did. And I don't have any spells strong enough to break free. I'm a banker not a brute," said the stallion.

"Out of curiosity how'd you end up in there?" asked Brawler.

"Oh just taking money from a few hundred different ponies' accounts. Never too much, twenty bits here, ten there, but it added up to quite a fortune. Then of course I got caught and I've been here ever since," the stallion turned his head to Brawler, "If you're hoping for a fellow escapee I doubt you'll find one. With the sole exception of you everypony in this place is either a schemer like me or a brute who's too intimidated by the Royal Guard to try anything funny. So I'd just high tail it out of here if I were you."

"Thanks," said Brawler turning for the exit and walking away.

He walked along the corridors where he had seen guards bring him meals. There had to be an exit that way. While he was walking he passed a few more occupied cells. It was just like the stallion said, either the pony inside was too weak to break out on their own or they were scared of getting caught again. A few even warned Brawler to get back in his cell as he passed them.

Brawler shook his head.

Bucking pussies.

Brawler continued to make his way through the dungeon, never encountering a guard once. He wondered where they could possibly be. Usually even if there was a crisis at least one guard remained to keep an eye on the prisoners. He shook his head again, he didn't need to know, he just had to get out of here.

Then again, I wouldn't mind just a little trouble.

It had been eight years since his last fight. Eight years without doing the thing he was born to do. His whole body was practically itching for a fight. Hell, it was hard to keep his wings from twitching as he walked down the corridor. He shook himself.

Focus Brawler, focus.

Eventually he reached a door that was different to the others. It was well maintained and fancier than any jail door he had seen. He passed through and found himself in the Royal Kitchen. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the banquet in front of him. Apparently the cooks had been preparing the Princess' lunch before evacuating. There was fruit, there was pastries, there was all sorts of different food laid in front of him.

He grinned again.

Hope you don't mind Sunshine but this is payback.

He dug in. Anything he could get his hooves on he shoved into his mouth. Prison food was slop with a few hunks of veggies in it; twice a day. And there was more than one occasion that the guards 'forgot' to bring them the morning or evening meal. So a chance to fully fill his stomach with real food was not something Brawler was going to pass up. He ate until he had his fill, then laid on his back and patted his slightly bulged stomach.

"Well I won't be doing that again," he said, standing up, "Don't wanna get outta shape."

He glanced around the room for a napkin or towel. Instead he saw a mirror. He hastily trotted to it and looked in. He barely recognized the face staring back at him. His dark red coat was even dirtier than it usually was and his mane and tail had grown a bit. Most surprising though was his goatee and mustache. He had felt them growing on his face but had never seen how they looked until now. He rubbed it a bit.

I like it. Think I even like the slightly longer mane and tail. I'm keeping this look.

He glanced down and saw a towel on the floor. He picked it up and used it to wash his face off a bit. Then headed out a side exit rather than the main one. The main one almost certainly led to the throne room. And as much as Brawler hated to admit it, the only way he stood a chance in Tartarus against Celestia was if he was in peak condition. He was rusty; he needed to get back into practice before he gave her a piece of his mind. So out the side exit and into the courtyard he went.

When he first stepped outside he had to pause to drink it all in. All the colors, all the smells, all the noises, even the feel of a breeze through his mane, it all said one thing.

'You're finally free.'

I'm never losing this again.

He looked around again, less dreamily less time. That's when he saw them. The guard ponies. All of them looked drained of their color, and the ones that had managed to stand up were either leaning against something or swaying back and forth, ready to collapse at any second. Brawler rushed over and steadied one.

"What the hell happened here?" he asked as he helped the unicorn sit down.

"Tirek." whispered the guard, before coughing.

"Who's Tirek?"

"A monster, he drained me of all my magic. Along with almost all other Equestrians, growing stronger each time. How'd he miss you?"

Brawler bit his lip.

"He hasn't been to the dungeons yet," he said. The guard's eye's widened.

"Prisoner escape! Prisoner escape!"

Brawler sighed and took to the sky. Tuning out the shouting below him and enjoying the feeling of flight again. His wings were a bit stiff, but he could work through it easily enough. Eventually he flew above the castle and looked around.

Now if I were a monster who could absorb a pony's magic where would I be?

He saw a red and orange explosion in the distance. Followed by a purple one.

Probably that way.

He flew as fast as he could in the direction of the explosions. He wasn't the fastest pony in Equestria but it wasn't long before the scenery was whipping past him and he reached the battlefield in a little less than five minutes. He stopped and hovered when the two combatants came fully into view. One was a small purple alicorn and the other was probably Tirek. He was an enormous red and black centaur with horns and a beard. Brawler arrived just in time to see the two of them shoot magic beams at each other which collided in med-air, resulting in a huge explosion. He had to dodge some flying debris and when it all settled down he saw the two of them talking. He was too far away to hear anything but he saw Tirek summon six bubbles with five drained ponies and one drained... thing. Brawler could tell some kind of deal had been made because Tirek released his hostages then started absorbing the alicorn's magic. Tirek grew larger and larger until he looked like he was twice the size that he was before. The alicorn dropped to the ground and the former captives rushed to her side. Brawler face hooved.

They honestly think that horny centaur's gonna let them live?

He flew as fast as he could straight at Tirek, who was already looking down to locate the alicorn. Brawler aimed for the inside of Tirek's ear and slammed his shoulder into it. Tirek stumbled back a few steps in surprise.

"NOT BAD HORNY! BUT I'VE SEEN BETTER," yelled Brawler. He slammed the broken chain against Tirek's ear, the point of the chain was sharp enough to draw black blood. Tirek roared in anger and pain and clapped his hand over his ear. Brawler flew out from between the gap in his fingers and started for Tirek's other ear. Tirek opened his mouth and started sucking in, swinging his head around wildly. Brawler flew erratically to avoid lining up with Tirek's mouth then reached his other ear.

"What's the matter Horny? You need to drain me to beat me?" shouted Brawler before slashing Tirek's ear again and flying away to avoid his hand.

"ARRGH! YOU ARE AN INSIGNIFICANT INSECT! I COULD CRUSH YOU IN AN INSTANT!" yelled Tirek. He started firing a continuous beam of energy from his mouth and swinging it around. Brawler managed to slip past and get right in front of Tirek's eye.

"This bug stings," said Brawler, then he punched Tirek's eye. When Tirek's eyelid shut the resulting air blast caused Brawler to lose control for a brief instant.

That was all Tirek needed. He swatted Brawler out of the sky and into the ground. Brawler managed to get some lift from his wings to slow himself down, but he still landed spread eagle with a great 'THUD'.

Ow.

Brawler stood up slowly and spat out blood. Then he grinned.

I haven't had this much fun since I fought off all those guards.

He turned around and saw Tirek coming for him. Brawler's grin widened and he readied his wings.

Time to go out fighting.

Then a bright light erupted from behind Tirek. Tirek turned and saw it too. It was a great swirling ball of light. Then it slowed and revealed the six ponies from before, only they were, different. Brawler couldn't make out what they and Tirek said to one another but before he knew it Tirek was blasting them with energy. Only his beam couldn't pierce the ball of light. The six ponies responded with a blast of their own and Tirek started to shrink, releasing all the magic back to Equestria, then he vanished.

The six ponies slowly lowered back to the ground, their changes slowly vanishing. Then a weird box flew up from where the ponies had and flew some distance away. The six ponies ran after it with the weird creature following close behind.

Brawler continued to stand there, mouth agape. He shook himself, then followed them at a distance. Something was up with those ponies, he wanted to find out what.

Chapter 1

View Online

Twilight had never been happier in her life. She and her friends had defeated Tirek and she had finally found her purpose as a princess. The Princess of Friendship.

Heh, it might take me a bit to get used to the title.

She, her friends, the Princesses and most of Ponyville were currently celebrating outside her new castle. Pinkie had gone more over the top than she usually did for this blowout. If Twilight didn't know better she might have wondered how Pinkie managed to make a cake of Tirek cowering in fear in less than thirty seconds.

Don't go there Twilight; you know what happened last time you tried to figure Pinkie out.

With little else to do Twilight headed for the crowded dance floor. (Pinkie had also managed to set up an entire dance floor outside. Complete with a stage for the performers). Twilight made her way over to her friends. Pinkie was being her usual self, i.e. tap dancing and talking as fast as she possibly could. Rarity and Applejack were by the punch bowl and Rainbow Dash was hovering beside it, talking to a part of the table cloth that moved. As Twilight came closer she began to make out their conversations.

"Come on Fluttershy, hardly anypony saw you and the ones that did didn't care," said Rainbow Dash.

"P-ponies were st-staring! I shouldn't have danced, I'm dreadful at it," said Fluttershy giving the cloth a little shake.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and flew beneath the table then pushed a stammering Fluttershy out.

"See Fluttershy?" asked Rainbow Dash flying back in front of her, "Nopony's staring."

Fluttershy glanced around nervously.

"O-oh... Um, okay." She stood up and walked back to the snack table, trying to partially conceal herself behind it.

"Applejack darling you need to pour from at least three inches above the glass, that way the punch mixes properly," said Rarity.

"Whatever ya say sugarcube," said Applejack, taking her glass and dipping it directly into the punch bowl. She gulped the drink down while Rarity glared at her.

Twilight smiled at her friend's antics and approached them.

"Hi girls," said Twilight.

"Oh hey Twi, how ya doin'?" asked Applejack.

Before Twilight could answer there was a bright flash of light in the center of the dance floor. The surrounding ponies yelped in surprise and backed away quickly. Twilight rushed closer for a better look and saw a unicorn Royal Guard gasping for breath had teleported there.

Did he teleport from Canterlot?! No wonder he's exhausted.

Twilight and the other Princesses rushed to the guard's side.

"Morning Blaze, what's wrong?" asked Celestia. The guard grimaced.

"Princess, I'm, I'm sorry but we've failed you," said Morning Blaze, gasping again.

"What do you mean?" asked Luna.

"A prisoner, from the dungeons. He, he escaped."

Everypony that was in earshot sucked in a gasp.

"How is that possible?" asked Cadence, "I thought there were enchantments on the cells."

"Apparently Tirek absorbed those along with the magic of the pony who cast them," said Celestia, "Morning Blaze, do you know who it was?"

He shook his head.

"I only heard it from Steel Feathers. He said the prisoner was a pegasus with a dark red coat with a mid-length black mane and tail, along with a goatee."

Celestia's eyes widened.

"Did Steel Feathers see his Cutie Mark?" she asked, trembling slightly.

"No, I'm sorry your majesty."

"It's quite alright Morning Blaze. You did all you could," said Celestia, she turned to Twilight, "Twilight I need you to gather your friends and transform into your harmonious forms.”

"Why? Is this prisoner really that dangerous?" asked Twilight.

"The one I'm thinking of is, pray that it isn't him who escaped," said Celestia.

Twilight gulped, nodded, then ran back over to her friends.

"Darling what's going on?" asked Rarity.

"Does that guard want to party too?!" asked Pinkie bouncing up and down. Twilight shook her head.

"A prisoner escaped from the dungeon. We need to turn into our harmonious forms and go get him," said Twilight.

"What! We just finished with Tirek and now we gotta deal with another evil threat to Equestria?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"I'm afraid so," said Twilight. Rainbow Dash sighed.

"Fine. Let's just blast the loser to stone then get back to the party," she said, flying toward the castle.

"Sounds good," said Applejack, following.

"Agreed," said Rarity, "Come along Fluttershy dear."

"U-um, okay," they followed Applejack.

"OO! Hey Twilight! When we beat the new meanie pants can I throw a party for that too?," Pinkie gasped in realization, "Hey! If we beat him in time we might be able to combine that party with this one! How super awesome frajalistic would that be?"

"That would be great Pinkie but let's focus on finding the prisoner alright?" asked Twilight. They went in after their friends, Twilight walking and Pinkie bouncing.

Brawler poked his head over the side of the cloud he was hiding on; he saw the six mares from earlier walk into the palace. He took cover behind the cloud again.

"Well buck me," he whispered. The most Brawler could do against Tirek was scratch his ear. Those mares had defeated Tirek in one shot.

And now Sunshine has set them on me... Buck.

He peaked over the side of the cloud again, made sure nopony was looking up, then flew away as quietly as he could. As soon as he was out of eye and ear shot of the party he sped up.

Where to I hide? Where do I hide? Ah!

He spotted a creepy looking forest in the distance. He flew lower and hovered at the entrance. Then he examined it more closely.

Dark, creepy,

He heard a growl.

Most likely full of dangerous creatures. Yep, most ponies would probably avoid this place at any cost.

Brawler landed and trotted inside.

Making it a pretty damn good spot to lay low.

The forest got darker and darker as he walked inside. It didn’t really bother him though. The only reason to be afraid of the dark was because of the things hiding in it. Brawler wasn’t afraid of monsters so he strolled in like he owned the place.

After about fifteen minutes of walking he came across an old castle. It looked like it was a few hundred years old, but somepony had recently started restoring it. He noticed some statues of alicorns in its courtyard.

Oh, I bet this is Sunshine’s old castle.

He started walking toward it.

Perfect hiding spot. It’s the last place anypony would think to look for me, in the middle of what anypony would avoid like the plague.

He opened the door and trotted in. The palace was clearly old as some parts of the stone were crumbling, but some restoration work had been done in here as well. The hallway wasn’t very dirty, the carpet was fairly new and the tapestries had been restored.

“Time for a bit of exploring,” he said to himself as he trotted further inside.

Applejack rubbed the back of her head. The transformation into a being of harmony made her a bit embarrassed, not to mention a little silly.

Ah mean, a bigger ponytail with red highlights? Really?

Since the Tree of Harmony still had the old Elements of Harmony the transformation was the only way they had to deal with evil doers. Celestia was acting very on edge and wanted them ready for action at a moments notice. That meant walking around fully transformed. And without the ball of energy swirling around them, ready to defeat any foe, Applejack felt full on ridiculous.

She and her friends were now in their harmony forms standing in front of Celestia and Luna. (Cadence had gone back to the Crystal Empire to make sure this prisoner wasn’t hiding out there.)

“Thank you for being ready for action,” said Celestia, “I know that the transformation must be embarrassing for you.”

“No biggie, I look awesome like this,” said Rainbow Dash, taking off and hovering in place. Applejack rolled her eyes.

If by awesome ya mean lookin’ like you was struck by lightnin’ then yeah, Ah guess ya look awesome.

“It’s really no trouble Princess,” said Rarity, “but may I ask why you are so agitated?”

“I was wondering this as well Sister,” said Luna, “If I didn’t already know what was troubling you I’d have assumed Sombra had escaped from his prison yet again. What is it about this prisoner that you fear?”

“Well I’m not certain if the one I’m thinking of is the one who escaped,” said Celestia.

“Sister, you are preparing us for the worst case scenario, the least you can do is tell us what that scenario actually is,” said Luna.

Celestia sighed.

“I suppose you’re right. The prisoner I’m thinking of is a stallion named Brawler. He fits the guard’s description of dark red coat with a black mane and tail. The only difference is the goatee, but I suppose he grew that while he was imprisoned.”

“How long has been in prison?” asked Twilight.

“Eight years,” said Celestia.

“EIGHT YEARS?!” everypony exclaimed. They could barely believe it. They’d all heard stories about what the dungeons were like, and couldn’t fathom staying there for almost a decade.

Eight years bein’ away from yer family? Eight years eatin’ nothin’ but slop? Eight years without bein’ able ta set hoof outside?

“What the hay did this stallion do ta deserve somethin’ like that?” asked Applejack.

“Usually such punishment is reserved for murderers,” said Luna.

Celestia shook her head.

“He never murdered anypony.”

Luna’s head snapped to her sister.

“WHAT! Tia, you know what spending too long in a cell does to a pony! If they spend too long unable to do their talent they slowly go insane! Only murders and other scum deserve such punishment. What did this pony do?”

“It’s not so much what he did as what he could do,” said Celestia, “In order to understand fully you need to know the full story. Brawler was born in Cloudsdale, though at the time his name was Burning Coal, anyway when he was about ten years old he went to a dojo for a self-defense lesson. Apparently despite having no prior experience he knocked out his sparring partner with one shot. Something about using a counter-uppercut to give his opponent a concussion, I never really read that part of his file thoroughly. Anyway when his opponent hit the ground he earned his Cutie Mark, it represented fighting.”

There was a small collective gasp.

“He was renamed as Brawler the next day. From what we can tell he was generally safe over the next few years. We didn’t know about him at this point, if we did we might have brought him in sooner. But as I was saying from the information we’ve gathered Brawler was fairly functional as a preteen. Although there were instances of bullying where he would retaliate rather harshly. It wasn’t until he was thirteen that he was put in jail.”

“Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me you locked him up when he was only THIRTEEN! What the hell happened to love and tolerate?!?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“If you’d let me continue I’d explain,” said Celestia, “He and his family were on a vacation in Canterlot. While he was there he assaulted twenty guards, putting sixteen in the hospital, one of which needed to be brought to the E.R.. Brawler claimed that one guard was harassing a mare and that things just escalated when he told the guard to back off, but when we interviewed witnesses they said there wasn’t any mare nearby.”

Celestia paused to take a breath.

“Brawler didn’t show any remorse for his actions, in fact, he said several times that he was having fun during the battle and would do it again in a heartbeat. That is why I put him in a cell, he was dangerous to the ponies around him. I didn’t want to risk another incident like the one with the guards.”

There was a brief silence in which everypony thought over the story. Applejack glanced at her own Cutie Mark.

Ah get sorta itchy and agitated when I go too long separated from mah family or without applebuckin’, does this Brawler fella get that way when he goes too long without punchin’ somepony in the face?

She shuddered.

“Um Celestia?” asked Twilight, everypony turned to her for breaking the silence.

“Yes Twilight?”

“How did Brawler defeat the unicorn guards? I mean, all they’d have to do is wrap him in a telekinetic spell and he’d be helpless.”

Celestia nodded.

“Very good Twilight. However, there is a way to resist being held by such a spell. If a pony focuses on their own inner magic and pushes it out into the air it can be used to counter a telekinetic grip. If the pony is good enough and pushes all their magic out a single point it’s possible to break a grip that’s as strong as mine,” said Celestia.

“And Brawler knew this when he was thirteen?” asked Twilight.

“I doubt it. What I suspect happened is a weak telekinesis spell was placed on him, then in a burst of rage he accidentally called his magic forth and broke the spell. Since this trick isn’t very well known other stronger unicorns must have thought he was somehow immune to telekinesis and didn’t even try,” said Celestia.

“And you never taught Twilight this because…?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I was not training her to be a battle mage,” said Celestia, “But back to the point, we don’t even know if it’s Brawler who escaped from the dungeons.”

At that moment there was a flash of bright light beside Celestia and Morning Blaze appeared once again, though not breathing quite as hard this time.

“Report ready for you your Highness,” he said.

“Yes?”

“I’m afraid your fears have been confirmed your Highness, Brawler is the one who escaped. Worse is that the tracker spells placed on him vanished along with the enchantments on his cell. Several search parties have been sent out and are looking for him as we speak. All other prisoners are accounted for,” said Morning Blaze.

Celestia pursed her lips and nodded.

“Thank you Morning Blaze. Return to Canterlot and join the search parties. I want Brawler found as soon as possible.”

Morning Blaze bowed, then vanished with another flash of light.

“OO! Can I help look for him? It’s like a big game of hide and seek!” exclaimed Pinkie, bouncing up and down.

“I’m afraid not Pinkie. If you did locate him and he overpowered you we would be short one element of harmony. I’d rather not have that happen,” said Celestia.

“Uh, Princess? This is Pinkie Pie we’re talking about,” said Rainbow Dash.

“I know, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. The guards should be able to locate Brawler quickly enough without her help,” said Celestia.

“And if all else fails I’ll be able to locate Brawler in his dreams,” said Luna.

“S-so, um, what do we do?” asked Fluttershy.

“Just return to your homes and be ready for when we find him,” said Celestia, “One blast from the six of you should put him in his place. Until then farewell.”

Celestia teleported away.

“Good luck to you all,” said Luna, then she teleported as well.

The mane six just stood there for a moment, wondering what to do next.

“So, um, I guess we’ll see each other when they find Brawler,” said Twilight, “See you girls then.”

They all said their goodbyes then headed for their homes. As Applejack trotted back to Sweet Apple Acres she would feel twinges in her stomach every few steps.

Come on AJ, get it together, ya beat Tirek with this power! Why’re ya scared a one pony?

Her stomach gave another twinge. She glanced at her Cutie Mark again.

Maybe I ain’t scared, but I think this is wrong? But why the hay would ah think that?

She thought back to a time when she had to go two weeks without her family or applebucking for some land tax thing. She remembered how agitated she got, then she remembered that Brawler had gone eight years without doing his talent. She shuddered at the thought of going that long without doing her own.

After another minute of walking she saw Sweet Apple Acres in the distance with Applebloom waving to her infront of the barn door. Applejack shook off her jitters.

Maybe Ah’m jus worried that Sis’ll tease me cause a the new look.

After looking through most of the castle Brawler settled in a partially restored bedroom. The sun was setting as he lay his head on the pillows and he was out like a light. Only now realizing how tired he was and remembering how comfy a real bed could be.

Then for the first time in a long time, Brawler began to dream.

He was sitting at a bar. A tall glass of hard cider in his hoof, half empty. He took a drink, then somepony smashed into his back and his glass went flying. He turned in his chair and saw that a fight had broken out. He grinned, got out of his chair, and tapped the shoulder of the earth pony that had smashed into him.

“You spilled my drink,” he said, then he smashed a right hook into the stallion’s jaw. The colt dropped like a rock. Other stallions turned and saw their friend on the ground. They dropped their scuffles and surrounded Brawler. His grin grew wider and he got into his ready stance. It involved standing on his hind hooves while holding his front hooves up. He wasn’t standing straight up and down though, he was hunched over so that his elbows were about a foot and a half above the ground.

“Well come on, I haven’t got all day,” he taunted. A gray earth pony shuffled forward hesitantly then threw a jab at Brawler’s face. He ducked beneath it then slammed an uppercut into the colt’s chin. The colt stumbled back then dropped to the ground.

Before Brawler could celebrate, a yellow pegasus flew at him and punched him in the nose as he shot past. Brawler’s grin didn’t falter and he watched the pegasus come back for another flyby. When the pegasus had pulled his hoof back Brawler shot forward and rammed his hoof into the pegasus’ own nose. Then before the pegasus’ front hooves hit the ground Brawler punched him in the gut, and the pegasus fell over onto his side.

“BUCK YEAH! COME ON YOU BITCHES! LET’S SEE WHAT YA GOT!” shouted Brawler.

This continued for awhile, one pony or several would challenge him, and then he took them down. But then the Royal guard burst in through door. Brawler smirked as he trotted over to challenge them, but not a single guard moved.

“You guys gonna stare at me until I feel guilty and come quietly? Not gonna happen,” said Brawler.

The guards remained silent and still. Then a unicorn guard trotted up to the front. Then before Brawler could react the guard shot a yellow beam at Brawler’s left hoof. Looking down at it Brawler realized that the shackle was still around his hoof. When the beam of light hit it it seemed to come alive. It began extending and wrapping itself around him. Brawler struggled but the chain was too strong, it continued to wrap itself around him until everything but his head was practically cocooned in the chain. Unable to keep his balance, he fell to the floor. He continued to struggle even as he felt a telekinesis spell wrap around him and lift him into the air. The guards brought him out onto the street and he saw that he was in Canterlot, and they were heading to the castle.

Brawler felt himself pale.

No. No! Not again!

His struggling became more frantic and he shouted curses and insults at the stone faced guards as they brought him to the castle, then down into the dungeon. They tossed him into his old cell and slammed the door as they left. Not bothering to free him from the chain. He heard the door lock with a loud ‘click-clank’

“COME BACK HERE YOU BUCKING COWARDS! I’LL TAKE ON EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU WITH MY WINGS TIED BEHIND MY BACK! COME BACK AND FIGHT ME!... Fight me!.... come back.”

Brawler banged his head against the floor.

"Dammit..., not again," he could feel tears in his eyes. He fought them for a few moments then gave up and let them slide down the side of his face. After a few minutes, the door unlocked. Brawler sniffled and looked up. A dark blue alicorn was standing in the doorway.

“So this is what you fear,” she said. She stomped her hoof and the world swirled around them. When it became still he saw that they were now in a meadow, and that his chains had vanished. He scrambled to his feet.

“Are, are you Princess Luna?” he asked.

“Yes, I suppose due to your imprisonment you don’t know that the elements of harmony freed me from Nightmare Moon,” said Luna.

Brawler bowed. Luna raised her eyebrow.

“You bow to me?” she asked as he stood back up.

“We’re in your domain, it’d be foolish not to,” said Brawler.

“Please speak plainly. I’m still trying to learn to modern way of speaking,” said Luna, “Do you know why I’m here?”

Brawler shrugged.

“To find me I guess, then tell Sunshine and her cronies”

“Correct. But I’d prefer it if you’d treat my sister with more respect. You may be a fugitive of the law but you can still give respect where it’s due.”

Brawler scowled.

“Your sister threw me in a cell because of a mark on my flank. How the hell to I respect the ‘great and just’ Princess of the Sun when she throws teenagers into dungeons for things they can’t control?”

“You assaulted twenty Royal guards, putting fifteen in the hospital-”

“And one in the emergency rom. Yes I know. But as I’ve said over and over again, one guard was harassing a mare, and things just escalated when I told him to back off.”

“Witness claim that there was no such mare.”

“Which witnesses? The ones who’s income largely depends on the guards being their customers? And would most likely go bankrupt if the guards all of a sudden decided to get services elsewhere?”

“You claim that there is corruption among among the Royal guard?” asked Luna, snarling.

“And that one would like to buck every mare he sees and isn’t afraid to say it out loud? Yeah I claim that,” said Brawler.

Luna smirked.

“Well then, you wouldn’t mind if we went back and checked?”

“What?”

Luna stomped her hoof again. The world started to rush past them once more. When it stopped this time they were in Canterlot, behind a colt with a dark red coat and a black mane. When Brawler examined him more closely he realized something.

“But, but that’s me!”

His younger self at least. Brawler was shorter when he was thirteen, and he didn’t have his goatee yet, but the mark of boxing gloves in front of a yellow explosion proved it was definitely him.

“We are in your memories,” said Luna, “On the day you were thrown in jail. Now we shall see what really happened.”

Brawler grinned.

“Good.”

Luna glanced at him with a raised eyebrow but didn’t say anything. They followed Brawler’s younger self down the street until he reached a corner. At which point they heard something rather interesting.

“Come on sweetheart, you know you wanna be bucked by me,” said a unicorn guard to a light blue earth pony mare, “And with that steaming hot bod of yours I’d be happy to oblige.”

The mare was walking as fast as she could and staring at the ground. She shook her head when the guard stopped talking.

“Come on baby, you know you want this,” said the guard.

Luna curled her lip in disgust.

“Told you,” said Brawler, “Now watch this.”

The younger Brawler had stormed up the guard and shoved him back.

“She’s obviously not interested asshole so back off,” he said. The mare gave the young Brawler a quick smile of gratitude then sped walked away.

The guard glared at Brawler.

“You lost me my big night,” he said.

“With a mare who wants nothing to do with you?” asked Brawler. The guard smirked and wrapped Brawler in a weak telekinesis spell.

“I’m a Royal guard, I’m a unicorn, I get what I want,” he said. The young Brawler started struggling against the spell.

“Don’t even bother, you’re a pegasus! Only true warriors like us unicorns can escape spells,” said the guard.

“I’m pretty sure that’s what set me off,” said Brawler.

Indeed the young Brawler seemed to pause for a moment, then practically radiate hatred.

“He inadvertently insulted your talent,” said Luna.

“True warriors like him.’ Teh, it’d be like saying Sunshine did a better job at raising the moon than you ever did.”

Luna glared at Brawler.

“Just giving an example!”

Luna sighed.

“I’ve seen enough,” she said. The young Brawler had broken free and was now beating the guard against a wall. She stomped her hoof and they returned to the meadow.

“This changes nothing,” she said.

“What! Princess, you just saw that I was telling the truth and you still want to lock me back up?”

“You are still a danger to other ponies.”

“For buck's sake you sound like Sunshine. My talent is NOT hurting ponies my talent is FIGHTING! If I have a sparring match now and then I’m fine.”

“I will not ask any of my subjects to become your personal punching bag!” shouted Luna.

“You wouldn’t have to! I’d just ask around,” said Brawler.

“And when nopony agrees? You’ll just assault guards again! You are a danger to Equestria. You belong in a cell.”

Brawler flinched.

“Like how you did?” he asked.

Luna sucked in a breath and let it out shakily.

“That was different,” she whispered.

“Yeah, you were possessed and needed to be sent away. I was just thrown in my own deep dark prison cause a few ponies were afraid of me.”

“Don’t compare me to you.”

“Why not? We were both feared and misunderstood, and because of that we ended up in some form of prison.”

“ENOUGH!” shouted Luna. She panted heavily. There was silence for a few moments.

“Luna, please,” said Brawler, “Don’t send me back to that cell.”

Luna stared at him, then sighed.

“You claim to be pure of heart?” she asked.

“I’m not evil if that’s what you’re asking,” said Brawler.

“Well then the Elements of Harmony shouldn’t have an effect on you. If you allow the bearers to attempt to purify you and you are unaffected I will vouch for you,” said Luna.

Brawler stared at her for a moment.

“You expect me not to put up a fight?”

“Yes.”

Brawler sighed.

“Is there any hard cider in the castle?”

“Hard cider?”

“I’m not surrendering while I’m sober,” deadpanned Brawler.

“Very well, there should be an old barrel in the kitchen. But how do you know what it’s like? You were in prison when you reached the legal age.”

“I don’t, I just want to get drunk,” said Brawler, “Now can you wake me up so I can drink?”

“It’s three in the morning.”

“Just let me go get drunk.”

Luna frowned.

“If you attack the bearers I will not vouch for you under any circumstances.”

“Understood.”

“Very well. Then wake up.”

Brawler’s eyes opened and he found himself back in the bedroom. He got out of bed and shook himself.

“To the kitchen,” he said. He flew up and grabbed a torch, then headed for the kitchen. When we reached it he saw a big barrel labeled Sweet Apple Acre’s Cider. He set his torch down, grabbed a glass and poured himself a tall drink. He took a swig, then coughed it out.

“Ponies like this stuff?” He scrunched up his face, then took a proper drink.

“I’m not gonna screw this up.”

He took the barrel and took it to the front hall. He set it down in the center of the hall and poured himself another drink.

“I’d better not regret this,” he took another swig, grimacing as it went down, “I’m already pissed at one Princess, I don’t need to make another god-like enemy.”

He took another drink and waited for these bearers of harmony. Already having second thoughts.

Chapter 2

View Online

Luna blinked a few times as her mind reentered her body. She was still slightly out of practice because of her long imprisonment. She bit her lip, and forced the memories of her time on the moon to the back of her mind. She may not have been in control of Nightmare Moon, but she saw and felt everything that monster did. That included the feeling of isolation. Which, if Brawler was to be believed, he had felt as well.

Luna sighed and looked in the direction of her sister's room. Celestia would most certainly not approve of the deal she had struck. Indeed, Luna herself was already having second thoughts. While it was true that Brawler hadn't been the monster Celestia made him out to be eight years ago, there was a chance that had changed. It was possible for ponies to become unstable when they go to long without performing their talent. The only reason Luna herself hadn't lost it was because alicorns could resist the urges, and even then when Luna was first freed she was particularly obsessed with the night sky for a few days.

Brawler, at the end of the day, was an ordinary pegasus. It was likely that he was more than a little unstable after eight years of imprisonment. Now he might not wait to be justified before lashing out.

Luna sighed again. She had given him her word, if he held his end of the bargain she would prevent him from going back to the dungeons. She made a few last minute touches to the night sky, then headed to her own bed, thinking about how to tell Celestia about the deal she made.

Luna awoke around nine thirty, yawned, then started her morning routine. Once she was finished preparing herself she left her room and headed for the dining area.

When she reached the door she paused.

Here we go.

Luna pushed open the large marble door and entered. Celestia was at the head of a long table, a finished breakfast in front of her.

"Ah, Luna, I'm glad you're awake, please sit," said Celestia, gesturing to the chair beside her. Luna trotted over and sat down. A cook pony came in through a small side door and approached her.

"I shall only have some apples this morning Egg Beat," said Luna, waving him back. Egg Beat bowed and trotted back into the kitchen.

"Well Luna, did you find him?" asked Celestia, leaning forward slightly.

Luna sighed.

"Must we discuss this before I have even eaten?" she asked.

"Luna, there is a dangerous criminal on the loose! He must be dealt with immediately," said Celestia.

Luna closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Very well. I visited his dreams last night, and by doing so, I know of his location."

"Well where is he?"

"Before I answer that there is something you should know," said Luna.

Celestia blinked, then narrowed her eyes.

"Don't tell me you spoke with him and you are now on his side," she said.

"No, but he did reveal things that change the situation," said Luna.

"Oh? Do tell," said Celestia.

Egg Beat reentered the room holding a platter of apple slices, felt the tense atmosphere, then ducked back into the kitchen.

"His story of the guard harassing the mare is the truth. He told the guard to leave the mare in peace, then the guard grabbed him with telekinesis and insulted his talent. The resulting rage allowed Brawler to break free and he proceeded to beat the guard against a wall," said Luna.

"And how do you know this isn't a lie?" asked Celestia, "Witnesses claimed there was no mare involved."

"I visited his memories, therefore it cannot be false. As for why the witnesses didn't say anything there are two possible reasons. One being that when Brawler caught the guard's attention she left very quickly. The other being that most of the witnesses were business ponies, whose livelihoods rely on guards being their customers. Testifying against them might have meant their downfall," said Luna.

"Is that what Brawler told you?"

"Sister, I was in his memories! Nopony, not even you can deny this as evidence," said Luna.

"Evidence of what? His innocence? Regardless of the circumstances, the fact remains that he assaulted twenty members of the Royal guard and put almost all of them in the hospital! He deserves to be punished," said Celestia.

"He's BEEN punished! Eight years in the dungeon! Murderers usually get ten. He's had more than enough," said Luna.

"His Cutie mark represents fighting! The one thing he wants to do more than anything else in the world is get into fights! He is a danger to Equestria and therefore belongs in that cell," said Celestia.

"By that logic why isn't Twilight Sparkle chained as well?" demanded Luna.

"What?" Celestia snarled.

"Twilight's talent is magic, and because of this her magical ability was extraordinary even when she was an ordinary unicorn. If circumstances had been different she could've been the next Sombra in terms of destructive power," said Luna.

"Which is why I made her my student and guided her along a path of peace," said Celestia.

"Well why can't we show Brawler that path? He claims all he needs is a regular sparring partner and he'll act normally," said Luna, "And this must be true, because during his preteen years he didn't have any other incidents like the one that caught your attention."

"In that one slip-up he hospitalized sixteen ponies," said Celestia.

"Need I remind you of Twilight's mental breakdown when she couldn't find a friendship problem?" asked Luna.

Celestia grimaced.

"Nopony was seriously injured," she said.

"In one moment of weakness your student effectively brainwashed an entire town. Things got so out of hoof that you had to intervene. Sister, you can't deny, Twilight Sparkle is just as dangerous as Brawler, if not more so. Twilight lives a happy life among friends, thanks to you and said friends making sure she doesn't encounter circumstances that make her lose sanity. Why can't we do the same for Brawler?" asked Luna.

Celestia stared hard at Luna.

"How do you know Brawler isn't simply a psychopath who happened to have an excuse to hurt others?" she asked.

"I don't," said Luna, "That's why I made a deal with him. If he allows himself to be blasted by the six representatives of harmony and is unaffected, then I will make sure he doesn't end up back in the dungeons."

Celestia sucked in a deep breath.

"And what will happen if he isn't affected?" she asked.

Luna tensed. She hadn't thought about that yet.

"W-well, um. I suppose Twilight could oversee him," she said.

"Oversee him?"

"And teach him about friendship. It is her duty now after all. This could a good test of her abilities," said Luna.

Celestia rubbed her chin.

"I suppose that's a suitable solution. IF Brawler is unaffected by the harmony blast," she said.

"And he has agreed to surrender to it." said Luna.

Celestia nodded.

"Very well. I'll tell Twilight to honor this deal you made. Now will you tell where Brawler is?" asked Celestia.

"Yes, he's hiding in our old castle."

Celestia scowled.

"Clever bastard," she muttered as she turned to leave. When she closed the door behind her Luna let out a sigh of relief.

Egg Beat came out a moment later and placed her breakfast in front of her.

"Stressful morning your highness?" he asked.

"Quite," said Luna. She picked up an apple with telekinesis and took a bite. Egg Beat bowed and went back into the kitchen.

Well, this whole ordeal is far from over, but I'm glad the argument's done.

Luna sighed and continued eating, trying to prepare herself for the challenges ahead.

Rarity dusted herself off and huffed indignantly. She had been having a peaceful, routine, morning until Pinkie had burst in, spoke to fast to be understood, then dragged her over to Twilight's castle. The others were already there waiting for her.

"Would somepony please tell me what's going on?" asked Rarity.

"I already told you Rarity! Twilight got a letter from Princess Celestia and told me to gather everypony here," said Pinkie.

Rarity pressed her hoof against the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"Pinkie, please take more than three seconds to explain things next time you fetch me," she said.

"Okie, dokie, lokie!" said Pinkie.

"So what's going on Twilight?" asked Rainbow Dash, "Did Luna find this Brawler guy?"

"Well, yes, but, well things have changed," said Twilight.

"What sorta things?" asked Applejack.

"Well Princess Luna found Brawler by visiting his dreams last night. While she was there she went into his memories and saw that his story was true. And after she discovered this she made a deal with Brawler. If he allows himself to be hit by the harmony blast and isn't affected, then he won't go back to the dungeons and I'll teach him the magic of friendship," said Twilight.

Everypony stood in shock for a few moments.

"S-so, um," stammered Fluttershy, "There's a chance that a pony who loves fighting will be moving into Ponyville?!" Her whole body was quivering.

"I wonder what sort of Welcome to Ponyville party that kind of pony would like," Pinkie wondered aloud, "Maybe it should be a food fight party! I've never tried one of those before."

"Don't get ahead of yourself darling, there's still a chance he'll be thrown back in jail," said Rarity.

And hopefully he will be, the last thing I need is for Sweetie Belle to try and get Cutie mark advice from a brute like that.

"Well either way, the sooner we blast him the sooner we can turn back ta normal. Did Luna figure out where he is?" asked Applejack.

"Yes, he's in the old castle in Everfree forest," said Twilight.

"Well what're we waiting for? Let's go!" said Rainbow Dash. She took off and flew toward the forest entrance. The other got up and followed close behind. Every one of them hoping it would be over soon.

The trip through Everfree forest was an uneventful one. They all stuck together, went slow, and stayed on the path so no creature took any interest in them.

When they reached the castle doors however, they hesitated.

"Uh, how do we know this feller ain't gonna attack us?" asked Applejack.

"We don't," said Twilight.

Fluttershy meeped and hid behind Rarity.

"Everypony ready? I'm going to open the doors," said Twilight. They all nodded. Twilight wrapped the doors in telekinesis, and pushed them open. Everypony braced themselves.

"About damn time," came a gruff voice.

Rarity looked up, and was slightly taken aback by the stallion in front of her. He had the dark red coat, black mane and tail, and the goatee that the guard had described, but the guard failed to mention one other prominent feature. Brawler had to be the most solidly built stallion Rarity had ever seen in her life. It looked like there wasn't a single muscle on his body that wasn't well toned or hard as a rock. But unlike Bulk Biceps, Brawler was lean, not freakishly excessive. And something told Rarity that pound for pound, Brawler was the tougher stallion.

He might have been handsome, if it weren't for the dirt or that scowl.

Indeed Brawler was glaring at the six of them with a burning hatred. Though his eyes were slightly glazed over and keep slipping from one of them to another. Rarity noticed the mug in his hoof and the barrel beside him.

"Are, are you drunk?" asked Rarity.

"No shit I'm drunk," said Brawler, he drank from his mug and grimaced as it went down, "It took awhile, I had to swallow ten glasses of this piss before I was even buzzed."

"Um, just to be sure, you are Brawler right?" asked Twilight.

"Let's see," said Brawler, he stood up and turned to the side so they could see his Cutie mark, "My Cutie mark is a pair of boxing gloves in front of an explosion," He turned so he was facing them and lifted his left hoof, rattling the chain on the shackle. "I've clearly recently escaped from a prison." He set his hoof down and sat down. "And I've been expecting you. So yeah, I'd say I'm Brawler."

Twilight's eye twitched.

"There was no need for sarcasm," she said.

"I could always break your nose instead," said Brawler.

That sent a chill down everypony's spine. He sounded completely serious.

"I wonder just how tough you'd be?" Brawler wondered aloud, "I mean I saw you fight that horny centaur. So you've got plenty of power. But from the looks of it, you've lost most of that power."

"H-how? How'd you figure that out?" asked Twilight, shaking slightly.

"You had to strain yourself a bit to push open those doors. If you had the same power as before it would've been no challenge at all," said Brawler.

"What are you saying exactly?" asked Rarity.

"I'm saying taking her on wouldn't be that much of a thrill. Therefore not worth breaking the deal," said Brawler.

"You try anything funny you go through me," snarled Rainbow Dash, getting into her karate stance.

Brawler looked at her, astonished. Then he grinned.

"You're trained in combat," he said, standing up, "Well just how good-... NO!"

He smashed the shackle into his nose, drawing a little blood. Everypony took a step back.

"Um, are you okay sir?" asked Fluttershy.

"Hurry up and blast me!" yelled Brawler, "I don't know if I can stop myself!"

"Um, alright. Girls! Circle up!" called Twilight. They all gathered around her and started to summon their power. Slowly but surely, they began to rise into the air and the swirling ball of light appeared around them. Rarity, like the others, felt the whole world around them. Felt the energy of the grass, the solidity of the castle. And the soul of the stallion before them. Rarity was amazed by what was in his heart.

He, he isn't evil. Bitter maybe, but not evil.

Then she felt something else, there was something that was corrupting him. It was faint but it was there. So without hesitation, she and the other representatives of harmony unleashed their powers and purified him. Brawler was thrown backward by the power of the blast, then there was silence.

The six mares lowered to the ground, reverting back to their usual forms.

"Did we win?" asked Pinkie.

"Ow," groaned Brawler. The blast had knocked him into the far wall. He sat up and rubbed his head. Then when he opened his eyes Rarity noticed that they were no longer glazed over.

"Whatta ya know? I'm not drunk anymore," he said.

"WHAT?!?" exclaimed Twilight, "THAT was the corruption we felt in you? Alcohol?"

"What? Did you expect be to become a blank flank or something?" asked Brawler.

"W-well, no," she stammered.

"Then quit complaining," said Brawler, he stood up and dusted himself off, "Now if you'll excuse me I'll be on my way."

"WHAT? You can't leave yet!" exclaimed Pinkie, she zoomed over and got right in Brawler's face, "I still don't know what do to for your Welcome to Ponyville party! What kind of cake do you like? Chocolate? Well who doesn't like chocolate? Except for the ponies who're allergic to it I suppose, poor souls. You're not allergic to chocolate are you? I hope not cause there's this new strawberry whipped cream chocolate cake I've been working on and your welcome party would be the perfect mmfph-!" Brawler had put one hoof under Pinkie's jaw and his other over her head, then clamped down, forcing her mouth shut. Pinkie continued to try and speak, but only high pitched muffled sounds came out.

"Somepony explain," said Brawler. Pinkie raised her hoof.

"Somepony sane," said Brawler. Everypony turned to Twilight.

"Well, you see. Since you weren't affected by the harmony blast, you'll now move into Ponyville where I will teach you about the magic of friendship," she said.

Brawler glared at her.

"Buck. That," he snarled.

"Hey now, that was the deal ya made," said Applejack.

"No, Luna told me that if that beam didn't affect me I wouldn't go back to jail. She didn't say anything about this," said Brawler.

"Well I doubt Princess Celestia will agree to anything else. If you insist on resisting I'm sure she could fix up your old cell for you," said Rarity.

Brawler turned to glare at Rarity. She swallowed nervously but held her ground.

I will NOT let this arrogant stallion push us around.

"On a few conditions," said Brawler.

"And those would be?" asked Twilight.

"First, when I let this pink mare go, she'll keep quiet," said Brawler. Rarity doubted that would happen, but surprisingly Pinkie nodded. Brawler released her and she backed away, smacking her lips a bit but otherwise staying quiet.

"Second," Brawler turned to face Rainbow Dash, "Rainbow. You, me, here, now."

Rainbow Dash smirked and got back in her karate stance.

"Bring it on Brawly- Whoa!"

Brawler was on her in less than a second, whipping out a right hook at her face. Rainbow Dash managed to hop back at the last second, the punch passing an inch in front of her nose. Rainbow Dash twisted to her left, brought her right knee up, then lashed out, hitting Brawler in the stomach. The blow forced him back a few steps, but he hardly looked fazed. Rainbow Dash was panting slightly as she corrected her stance.

"Stop holding back," said Brawler, getting into his own.

"STOP IT!" yelled a shrill voice. Everypony turned and saw that it was Fluttershy that had shouted. She was trembling and her eyes were slightly watering.

"Stop fighting!" she cried, "Why do you even want to fight? Nothing good comes from it so why?"

Brawler stared at her for a moment, then shrugged.

"It's fun."

Fluttershy gasped.

"Fun? FUN?!? You call hurting other ponies fun? Giving somepony a black eye or some broken bones is what you call fu-"

"Oh, shut up!" interrupted Brawler, raising his voice slightly. He started walking toward her, still balancing on his hind legs.

"You wanna know why I think fighting's fun?" he clapped his hooves together menacingly, "Why don't I show you first hoof?"

"You leave her alone you son of a bitch!" yelled Rainbow Dash. She flew towards him, winding up another punch. Brawler bowed his head slightly. Rarity wasn't sure, but for a moment she thought she saw him grin.

When Rainbow Dash was right on top of him he twisted around and smashed his elbow into her nose. There was a loud CRUNCH as Rainbow Dash's nose broke, but Brawler wasn't done. He pulled his arm back, extending it as he went, then spun around and smashed the side of his hoof into her cheek. Rainbow Dash was thrown backward and she landed on her side. She let out a moan.

"That's more like it," said Brawler. He was openly grinning now.

Rarity snapped out of her shock and wrapped him in telekinesis. Twilight did the same. Brawler's eyes whipped around in panic as he felt the spells wrapping around him, but there was nothing he could do.

"Brawler," Twilight panted, "You're going straight to the Ponyville detention center."

Brawler's eyes focused on Twilight, and he growled. Rarity felt her grip on him shift slightly, but she quickly corrected herself.

"That trick won't work when you've got a unicorn and an alicorn holding you," said Rarity.

Brawler's eyes shifted over to her. He raised one of his eyebrows.

Did, did he not know how to break telekinesis?

She gulped. Brawler's eyes returned to Twilight.

"The deal was: I get blasted, then if I'm unaffected I go free," said Brawler.

"That was before ya broke Rainbow Dash's nose!" said Applejack, "Ah may not be a law pony but that sure sounds like assault ta me."

Brawler rolled his eyes.

"I asked to spar with her and she agreed. How is that breaking the law?"

"Causing physical injury goes beyond the parameters for sparring," said Twilight.

"According to who? You?" asked Brawler, "You may be a princess but you don't make the laws around here."

"Well how do you defer a fight from a spar?" asked Twilight.

"I want her to stand back up, therefore it's a spar," said Brawler.

"What?"

"I want, Rainbow Dash you called her? I want her to stand up, I want her to challenge me. And even if I beat her I'd want her to improve and challenge me again," said Brawler.

Rainbow Dash pushed her elbow into the ground and lifted her head to Brawler. He grinned.

"You know you want to continue Dashie," said Brawler, "Get up, tell them it's a sparring match. Then see if you got what it takes to beat me."

Rainbow Dash stood up and stared hard at Brawler.

"Don't listen to him Rainbow Dash!" said Fluttershy, "He's dangerous! We need to stop him from hurting anypony else. Fighting more won't solve anything."

Rainbow Dash started breathing harder.

"Well? Should I go to jail for assault or should we spar?" asked Brawler.

Rainbow Dash clamped her teeth together and narrowed her eyes.

"Let him go," she said. Brawler nodded and everypony else's jaw dropped.

"Ya can't be serious Rainbow! He broke your nose!" said Applejack.

"I plan on breaking his jaw," said Rainbow Dash. Brawler laughed.

"That's the stuff. Buck yeah this is gonna be fun. Well princess, let me go!"

Pinkie's ears perked up when she heard 'fun'. She started glancing between Brawler and Rainbow Dash, as if trying to figure out how fun the activity would be.

Twilight and Rarity hesitated.

"Rainbow Dash, are you sure?" asked Twilight.

"There's no need to get yourself hurt darling," said Rarity.

"In any court they'll say this was assault," said Twilight, "There a limitations on what a spar is and he went beyond all of them."

"His talent's fighting," said Rainbow Dash, "Of course his definition of a spar is more intense than other ponies. Now let him go, I didn't get a black belt in karate because I liked the color."

She got into her karate stance, then glanced over to Fluttershy. Who was shaking like a leaf.

"AJ? Do me a favor and cover Fluttershy's ears. And Fluttershy? Don't look," said Rainbow Dash. Applejack nodded, then trotted over and covered Fluttershy's ears. Fluttershy whimpered slightly and squeezed her eyes shut.

Rainbow Dash focused back on Brawler.

"Let him go," she said again.

"Rainbow-"

"Twilight his talent is fighting! If you're gonna teach him about friendship you're gonna have to let him fight so he can vent," said Rainbow Dash.

Twilight opened her mouth, then sighed, and released her grip. Rarity however, continued to hesitate.

"Are you sure this is a good idea darling?" she asked.

"Nope," said Rainbow Dash.

Rarity looked between her and Brawler then sighed.

I'd better not regret this.

She released him.

Brawler shook himself a little, then got back in his stance.

"Bring it on Dashie," he said.

They started circling each other, both looking for an opening. Then Rainbow Dash charged with every bit of speed she had. Brawler lifted his hooves up defensively. When Rainbow Dash was right in front of him she changed direction, sidestepping so she was facing his left side. Then before Brawler could react her left hoof shot out and slammed into his jaw. He stumbled backward, trying to recover, Rainbow Dash didn't let up though. She chased after him, throwing quick punches and kicks in his direction. Brawler continued to move backward, blocking and dodging the blows.

For a moment Rarity thought Rainbow Dash had the upper hoof, she was attacking so quickly that Rarity thought Brawler had no chance to counter-attack.

Then Rainbow Dash's hoof whipped out again, and Brawler ducked beneath it. He pushed forward and punched Rainbow Dash in the stomach. She doubled over in pain, and met Brawler's hoof coming up into her face. The uppercut sent Rainbow Dash stumbling backward, reeling from the blow. Brawler dashed after her, but when he was in range Rainbow Dash spun around and smashed her hoof into his face.

Brawler stumbled back a few steps then corrected himself. Blood was dripping down his nose. He brushed it away, then looked over to Rainbow Dash and grinned.

"You're quick," he said.

He darted toward her again. Rainbow Dash tried to hit him with another spin kick, but he stopped just outside of her range. Then he grabbed Rainbow Dash's extended hoof, pulled her towards him, and smashed his hoof into her face. Rainbow Dash's feet flew out from under her and she landed on her back with a 'thud'. She groaned.

"You're also predictable," said Brawler.

Rainbow Dash groaned again.

"I'm done," she said. Brawler chuckled.

"My turn!" exclaimed Pinkie. Everypony turned in surprise. Pinkie had pulled out her cannon and was aiming it at Brawler.

"What the bu-" Brawler was interrupted when a present was fired from the cannon and smacked him in the face. Brawler shook himself as the present fell to the floor, and when he looked up he saw several more coming straight for him. He bobbed and weaved around them, occasionally punching one in midair if it got to close.

Rarity wasn't looking at that though, she was looking at Pinkie; who was her usual cheerful self even as her cannon make a clicking noise, signaling she was out of ammo.

Welp, Pinkie's lost what little sanity she had left.

Pinkie jumped into her cannon and it aimed itself at Brawler then fired. Pinkie shot out much faster than her presents did and while she was in midair she pulled a frying pan out of her hair. Brawler was able to dodge Pinkie, but not the frying pan. There was a loud CLANG as it connected to his face and Brawler was thrown off his hooves and landed on his back. Pinkie landed a short distance away, stopping all her momentum when her hooves touched the ground. She then out into a mock karate stance and waved her hooves around in circles.

Brawler grunted in annoyance as he got up, then he charged her. When he was in range he swung a right hook at her face, but she performed the splits and the hook sailed above her. Not losing momentum, Brawler brought up his knee into Pinkie's chin. The blow sent her flying into the air. When she was eye level with Brawler she curled into a ball, then extended, kicking her hind legs into Brawler's face

Brawler stumbled back a few steps while Pinkie landed on her back, hard. When she stood up she was wobbling slightly, but smiling.

"Whattaya know? This really is fun!" said Pinkie. She pulled out two boxing gloves from out of nowhere then charged Brawler, throwing a left jab at his face. Brawler simply sidestepped then smashed a right hook into Pinkie's jaw. The blow sent her spinning, once, twice, then she fell on her back, snoring contently.

Brawler looked at her, then Rainbow Dash. (Who was only now struggling to stand up.) Then he laughed, not sneering at his downed opponents, but laughing like he had just had the time of his life.

"Ya know," he said, wiping a tear from his eye, "Maybe this won't be so bad after all."

At that moment Rarity was pretty sure all her friends were thinking the same as her.

What in the name of Tartarus have we gotten ourselves into?

Chapter 3

View Online

Rainbow Dash stood up and held her head.

Ow, it feels like I was hit by a train.

"Heh, never taken a hit before Dashie?"

Rainbow Dash turned. Brawler had lifted Pinkie onto his back, using his wings to make sure she didn't slide off. He was still grinning.

"I've took them before, just never from a fight. And if you keep calling me Dashie I'll call you Brawly-boy," she said. Brawler chuckled.

"I think we'll get along just fine Dashie," he said, "Just be ready for tomorrow."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened.

Tomorrow! He expects me to do this again tomorrow?

"If you think you can handle it that is," said Brawler.

"If I can handle it? Hah! Tomorrow I'll beat you in ten seconds flat!" proclaimed Rainbow Dash. Brawler's grin widened; Rainbow Dash mentally face hooved.

Just had to open my mouth.

"Looking forward to it Dashie," Brawler readjusted Pinkie, "So what now?"

"W-well, now I suppose we head back to Ponyville. Unless of course, you want everypony to introduce themselves first," said Twilight. Brawler's grin faded and he sighed.

"Alright then, what're your names?" he asked, turning toward the others.

"There's no need to be rude about it," huffed Rarity.

"And no need to be polite," said Brawler, "I never really saw the point in acting like I gave a damn about manners."

"The point, good sir," Rarity growled, "Is to show that you're above acting like a ruffian."

Brawler rolled his eyes.

"You put up with that bitch?" he asked, turning his head to look at Rainbow Dash.

Everypony froze. Rarity's eye twitched.

"What, did you call me?" asked Rarity.

"Bitch," said Brawler, still not facing her. Rarity's eye twitched again.

"Well you are an unwashed, dimwitted, vulgar brute!" she shouted. Brawler finally turned his head to face her.

Ah buck. Rainbow Dash sped forward and got between Brawler and Rarity, getting into her ready stance as she did. Brawler's eyes widened slightly when he first saw Rainbow Dash appear in front of him, but then he grunted.

"What? You think I'll attack her over that lame insult? Come on, I'm not that desperate," he said. Rarity's face turned red and a vein bulged, she started to open her mouth but Twilight beat her to it.

"Okay everypony let's all just, calm down," she said, "Take a few deep breaths, and we'll work through this calmly."

Rarity grit her teeth, then sucked in a breath through her nose then out her mouth. Rainbow Dash got back on all fours and stepped back, not taking her eyes off Brawler.

What's with this guy? He can't even meet new ponies without starting a fight.

"Right, now that everypony's calm, Brawler, please apologize to her," said Twilight.

"Only if she proves that she isn't one," said Brawler.

"An' just how do ya expect her ta do that?" asked Applejack.

"I don't know, and, don't really care," said Brawler, "Once I know she isn't a bitch I'll apologize, simple as that."

"She is not a," Twilight scrunched up her face, "bitch."

"And I should trust you because?"

"I'm an alicorn princess!"

Brawler rolled his eyes.

"And you alicorns aren't capable of ever being wrong," said Brawler, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Twilight's eye started to twitch.

But before anypony else could do anything Rainbow Dash was in Brawler's face again.

"Look Brawly-boy," she said, jabbing a hoof into his chest, "These ponies are my friends. You wanna spar with Pinkie and me again? Then you'd better get used to them," she lowered her hoof, "I'm not asking you to get all buddy buddy with them, but just TRY not to insult them when all they want is to meet you."

Brawler narrowed his eyes.

"Alright," he said, "But no promises after they're done."

Rainbow Dash sighed and stepped back.

That's probably the best we're gonna get.

"Very well," said Rarity, she trotted to Brawler and offered him her hoof, "My name is Rarity, I run a boutique in Ponyville, and I do hope that I can change your initial impression of me."

Brawler stared at her, then smirked.

"This is why I hate being polite," he said, taking her hoof, "I was never very good at lying."

Rarity pursed her lips, but didn't say anything. They shook hooves, then Rarity stepped back. Applejack blew some air out the side of her mouth, then stepped forward to offer her hoof.

"Name's Applejack, Ah work down on Sweet Apple Acres," she said. Brawler nodded and shook her hoof without saying a word.

"And uh," Applejack scratched the back of her head, "If you were wonderin', the mare on yer back is Pinkie Pie."

Brawler glanced back at Pinkie, grinned, then looked back at Applejack.

"Thanks," he said. Applejack nodded and stepped back. Twilight stepped forward and offered her hoof.

"Twilight Sparkle, princess of friendship, pleased to make your acquaintance," she said. Brawler sighed, then shook her hoof. As Twilight stepped back Rainbow Dash noticed something.

Where'd Fluttershy go?

She took of and hovered about half way up to the ceiling.

"Fluttershy! Where'd you go?" she called. Now noticing their friend's absence the rest of the mane six started looking as well.

"Fluttershy?"

"Fluttershy, darling where are you?!"

After about thirty seconds Rainbow Dash found her, she was hiding behind one of the columns in the hallway. Rainbow Dash flew over and saw that she was still slightly shaking.

"Come on Fluttershy you need to introduce yourself," said Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy shook her head and mouthed no.

"He's going to be living in Ponyville for awhile. You need to get used to him," said Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy shook her head again.

"Look Fluttershy if this is about the fight you don't need to worry. I've had sparring matches before and I've taken some bad hits from crashes so I'm used to it. Plus if you think you can't be friends with somepony who likes fighting, well, you're friends with me aren't you? I enjoy a match now and then and we've been friends since we were fillies," said Rainbow Dash, "I know he's intimidating but you don't have a reason to be terrified of him."

"Yes I do," whispered Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash thought for a moment, then it hit her.

"You wanna know why I think fighting's fun?" Brawler clapped his hooves together menacingly, "Why don't I show you first hoof?"

Oh, yeah, that.

"This is about the threat, isn't it?" came Brawler's voice. Rainbow Dash turned and saw him standing behind her. Fluttershy meeped and started trying to back through the wall. Brawler looked at her, then closed his eyes and sighed.

"Look miss, Fluttershy was it?" Brawler opened his eyes but didn't look up, "I love a good fight, there's nothing better in the world. I do NOT enjoy hurting ponies who can't fight back. The only reason I threatened you was to try and make Rainbow Dash fight harder. You have given me no reason to hurt you and I doubt that you will," he looked up and offered Fluttershy his hoof, "So can we put this little incident behind us?"

Fluttershy stopped trying to pass through the wall behind her but she was still pressing herself hard against it. She didn't move other than that. Brawler sighed again and lowered his hoof, then he turned around and walked to the center of the hallway.

"Teh, a snob, a princess, a coward, and a cowgirl," he shook his head, "If it weren't for the two fighters I'd be outta here."

"Ya got somethin' against cowgirls?" asked Applejack, her eyes narrowed.

"Not really. I mean the accent's kind of annoying but I got nothing against them," said Brawler. Applejack grunted.

"So, to Ponyville?" asked Brawler, turning back to Rainbow Dash. She glanced at Pinkie, who was still snoring on his back.

"Do you wanna wake her up first?" she asked.

Brawler glanced back.

"I hit her pretty hard, you think you can?" he asked. Rainbow Dash smirked.

"Hey Pinkie, we're about to head back to Ponyville, you'd better get Brawly-boy's party ready," she called.

Pinkie's eyes snapped open and she jumped ten feet in the air, then zoomed away. Brawler's eyes widened.

"Is she always like that?" he asked.

"Yes," answered everypony. Brawler chuckled.

"Well what're we waiting for? Let's get going!" he trotted for the exit. Everypony else glanced at each other then followed.

Pinkie said she wanted to try a food fight party for him. Rainbow Dash sighed, I might not get to wait until tomorrow to fight him again.

As Brawler lead the ponies back along the path he couldn't help but think about them.

Dashie and Pinks are fighters so no problems with them. Hell, Pinks looks like she could do a few matches a day. Makes her A-okay in my book. Their friends though...

Brawler glanced back at them, they were all walking close together and occasionally whispering.

I mean, AJ seems alright. But do they seriously expect me to play nice with a bitch and an alicorn?

Brawler shook his head, then the image of the last pony appeared in his mind. Brawler grit his teeth and growled.

Don't think about it, plan some strategies for your next fight.

He did just that, planning ways to keep Rainbow Dash on the ground and ways to close distance with Pinkie quickly. He would have done this for the remainder of the walk to Ponyville but:

"Excuse me Brawler?"

He looked to his left and saw that Twilight was now trotting beside him.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want me to remove the shackle?"

Brawler's eyes widened.

"Yes!" he held out his hoof for her. Twilight was surprised at his sudden response, but then caused the shackle to grow until it was loose. Brawler quickly shook it off, then kicked it into the forest with all his strength. He let out a few heavy breaths.

"Thanks," he said. Twilight's eyes had widened slightly during his outburst.

"What was that about?" she asked, gesturing in the direction the shackle had flown.

"Heh, spend some time in prison, then you'd understand," said Brawler, "But why'd you do that?"

"If you had walked into Ponyville with the shackle on your leg you might be mistaken for a fugitive and cause a panic," said Twilight, "Plus, I want to help you learn about friendship, the easiest way for me to do that is to be your friend."

"Heh, it'll take more than that Sparky," said Brawler. Twilight's eyebrow twitched but she didn't otherwise react to her new nickname.

"Well I have to start somewhere," she said.

"Says who? Sunshine? For buck's sake, am I the only pony with the guts to say no to that bitch?" asked Brawler.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't insult my mentor," snarled Twilight.

Brawler froze.

"Are, are you alright?" asked Twilight.

You can't take Celestia right now, so send a message. You're coming for her.

Brawler growled. Twilight took a small step back.

"Brawler?"

Go on, do it! If you move fast enough you can take her by surprise and finish before the other unicorn can grab you.

Brawler growled again, then glared at Twilight.

"Get out of range," he snarled.

"W-what?"

Brawler shot forward and lashed his hoof out. It grazed Twilight's left ear and sent a few strands of hair flying; he was now face to face with her, breathing heavily.

"Unless you back off the next one shatters your jaw, got it?" he snarled. There was a flash of light as she teleported away. With his target gone he lunged forward with a roar of frustration. He felt his hoof strike something solid, not caring what it was he hit it again, and again, and again.

One moment he was hitting Twilight, the next blow, Celestia, then that stupid guard, then his bastard Father, then that damn mark on his flank.

Twilight, Celestia, guard, Father, mark.

After about two minutes he was out of rage. He looked up and saw a tree, it had a large dent in it with bark missing, there were also a few drops of blood. He looked at his hooves and saw that his right one had a small splinter in it's side. He puled it out with his teeth and spat it out.

He didn't bother looking at the mares, he knew how they were looking at him. With a grunt he continued along the path, trying to get as far away from them as he could.

Twilight had teleported back to her friends, she was at the head of the group so she had had a full view of Brawler's rage.

It terrified her.

She had faced powerful foes before but they weren't like this. Brawler's anger was what made him scary; villains like Tirek or Sombra may have gotten angry, but it was their power that made them intimidating, not rage.

Just how much hatred does that stallion have?

Nopony moved for ten seconds.

"What the hell was THAT about?" asked Rainbow Dash, her eyes still wide.

"I-I don't know! One moment we were just talking and the next he's threatening to break my jaw!" said Twilight. What little color that remained in Fluttershy's faced drained when she heard Brawler's threat.

"H-how c-can a pony g-get that mad because of something somepony said?" she asked.

"Well," Rarity rubbed her chin, "What exactly did you say to him Twilight?"

"I told him not to insult Princess Celestia."

"What were your exact words?"

"Um. I would appreciate it if you didn't insult my mentor. But why would that make him angry?"

Rarity sighed.

"Twilight, darling, Brawler likely HATES Celestia. A part of him was planning on hurting you in order to hurt her," she explained, "You're lucky he gave you a warning."

"Well I'm glad he did but why would anypony hate Celestia?"

"Sugarcube, Ah'd probably hold a mean grudge against her too if she tossed me in a cell fer eight years," said Applejack.

"Oh." Twilight felt like an idiot. She considered herself to be an expert on friendship, but there were some parts of pony interaction that she failed to comprehend. Holding grudges for an extended period of time was near the top of that list. She started thinking over how she could learn about it when a realization hit her.

"Sweet Celestia, he's still headed for Ponyville!" she exclaimed.

They all gasped. Picturing just how much damage Brawler could do to the quiet town when he was angry. Rainbow Dash sped off after him with the rest of them sprinting close behind.

Please let it not be too late, please let it not be too late, Please- oh no!

Rainbow Dash had stopped at the forest entrance, frozen in place.

"Rainbow Dash what are you doing!? Where's Brawler?!" asked Twilight.

Rainbow Dash gestured forward. Twilight saw that between Ponyville and the Everfree forest a banquet of sweets had been set up. Pies, cakes, cupcakes, every throwable pastry you could think lined that table. About thirty ponies had gathered near the table, some were hiding behind nearby rocks or bushes for cover. At first Twilight wondered what it was all about, then she saw the banner over the table.

'Welcome to Ponyville, Brawler!'

But where IS he-.. Oh.

She spotted him. He was about halfway from where they were to the table, standing perfectly still. A blueberry pie stuck to his face.

If she hadn't known about his temper she would have found the scene comical. Instead, she had to stop herself from flinching when Brawler finally moved. He reached up, and slid the pie off his face. His face was still blue from the berries. He wiped it off his eyes, then licked his lips. Twilight didn't know for sure, but something told her he was grinning again.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Bring it on!" he shouted. At that moment total pandemonium broke out. All of the ponies that had gathered had apparently grabbed something before Brawler had arrived, and once they heard his challenge they started throwing said things at each other. Baked goods flew through the air, hitting everything in sight, pony or not.

Yet somehow Brawler managed to slip through without taking anymore hits. He reached the table, grabbed a pie, then lunged at a nearby orange colt and slapped it into his face.

He's attacking ponies! Twilight's horn lit up and she prepared to catch Brawler in telekinesis once again. But before she could focus on him something slapped into her face, something bright red.

Wh-wha? Cherry pie?!? Twilight removed the pie with magic and looked for the pony who had thrown it at her.

"PINKIE?!?"

Pinkie was hanging upside down in front of her, her left hind leg attached to a bungie cord tied to the tree above them.

"Twilight! Using telekinesis directly on a pony is against the rules! If you wanna play too then use magic to throw food, that's it," said Pinkie.

"Pinkie! Brawler is one of the most dangerous ponies in all Equestria and you tell him to go and fight ponies!?" exclaimed Twilight.

"No, I invited him to a food fight," said Pinkie, "Everypony knows not to hurt others in a food fight."

"Wh-what about th-that orange colt?" asked Fluttershy.

"Fanta Fizz? He's fine, look!"

The colt had indeed recovered from Brawler's attack and was now lobbing cupcakes up at dive bombing pegasi. Brawler was among that group, although rather than dive bomb the ponies below, he had grabbed a punch bowl and was splashing the pegasi, forcing them to land and dry off.

*SPLASH!*

"Haha! Better luck next time slow- GAK!" Brawler's taunt was interrupted when a brown unicorn hit him with a telekinetically lifted cake. Brawler crashed to the ground, covered in frosting. He jumped right back on his hooves, bunched some cake debris into a ball then threw it back at the unicorn.

"So you girls gonna join in?" Pinkie's voice snapped Twilight out of her dazed observations. Pinkie had dropped from the bungie cord and was now holding a weird cylinder with the label 'cupcake cannon' over her shoulder.

"Pinkie, look, normally I'd say yes but in the forest we saw Brawler go bucking berserk. I'm not sure if-" Rainbow Dash began.

"What's the matter Dashie? Chicken?" shouted Brawler, he had spotted them on the edge of the battlefield and was evidently wondering why Rainbow Dash hadn't joined in.

"Oh you're gonna get it now Brawly-boy!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she leapt into the fray.

The rest of mane six gave each other a look.

Really Rainbow Dash? ONE insult is all it took?

Applejack cleared her throat.

"Look Pinkie, the party looks mighty fun an' all, but Ah ain't sure if fightin' with-"

"HEY SIS!" a young filly shouted. Applejack looked over on the right side of the battlefield and saw Applebloom running towards her.

"Applebloom! What the hay are ya doin' out here?!" asked Applejack. Applebloom skidded to a halt in front of her, Twilight only now noticed the remains of a banana cream pie on the young filly's side.

"I'm enjoyin' the party a'course whataya think?" asked Applebloom, "Anyway, Sis could ya help us out? Big Mac an' I teamed up but we could use yer kickin' power ta launch pies up at 'em pegasi."

"Applebloom, I ain't sure that's a great idea."

"Pllleeeaaase Sis?" Applebloom made puppy dog eyes.

"Agh, alright," said Applejack.

"Yes! Come on! Big Mac's waitin'." Applebloom sped away. Applejack smiled, shook her head, then followed close behind.

"U-um, Pinkie?" whispered Fluttershy, "I'm not really comfortable doing this. Can I go somewhere else? If that's okay with you?"

"Sure Fluttershy! Just over that hill is another party table for ponies who don't want play food fight," said Pinkie, she inserted a cupcake into one end of her cannon, took aim, then the cupcake shot out.

H-how? There isn't any means of propulsion in that tube how did-

"Twilight darling," said Rarity, "You're getting that look in your eye again."

"O-oh, ah, heh-heh," Twilight rubbed the back of her head.

"Anyway Pinkie would you mind if I went as well? I don't want to get my mane-" a stray fudge pie flew threw the air and connected to Rarity's face. It slowly slid off with a squelching sound, leaving her face and mane covered in fudge.

"IT. IS. ON!" she shouted before leaping into the fray as well.

"Um, I think I'll just go to the quiet part of the party now," said Fluttershy as she trotted away.

"I think I'll join you," said Twilight, following.

"Suit yourselves, hope you still have fun!" said Pinkie, she fired another cupcake into the crowd, "Oh shot! That was my favorite cupcake! Could you send it back? Or just, don't lose it! I'm coming over!" Pinkie leapt into the fight as well.

Twilight chuckled. Typical Pinkie.

She turned to follow Fluttershy again when:

"Hey everypony!" Twilight turned back to the battlefield and saw that Brawler had flown to the center, "Target the unicorns! Their horns give them an advantage!"

Instantly the battle changed. When it had started it had been total anarchy, now there were clearly two sides. Unicorns on one and Earth ponies and Pegasi on the other. The fight was even despite the Unicorn's disadvantage of numbers. They still had their magic, so the skilled users of telekinesis focused on slowing down the barrage of pastries to give their allies a chance to attack. It wasn't perfect, due to the sheer number of projectiles coming their way it was impossible to stop them all, but they weren't giving up anytime soon.

Twilight looked on the scene in horror.

Did, did he just make everypony turn on unicorns with one sentence?!?

She was so occupied with the disturbing information that she didn't notice the shadow forming around her.

"Hey Sparky!"

Twilight looked up and saw Brawler hovering above her, holding a cake.

"Catch!" He threw it toward her with all his strength. Twilight barely managed to catch it with her magic, it had been going so fast that it was now only an inch above her head. Brawler wasn't done though. While Twilight was distracted with the cake he had dropped down and grabbed a discarded pie, then he lunged forward and slammed it into her face.

Twilight stumbled back. The blow was too soft to do any real damage, but it was still very surprising. Though, not quite as surprising as the now unsupported cake falling down on the top of her head.

"Heh, you wanna be my friend Sparky? Then work on your reaction time." She heard him fly away after he made that remark. She groaned as she cleaned herself off.

I'm covered in dessert and I'm starting to hate the pony I'm supposed to be FRIENDS with.... Augh, this is NOT how I envisioned today to be going.

The food fight lasted for another hour. At that point they ran out of pastries to throw at each other. Brawler was the least scathed out of all the participants and he had been hit with three different kinds of pies and three cakes. He was still covered in frosting and berries when he walked up to Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

"Hey Dashie, hey AJ. Where are the others?" he asked.

Rainbow Dash wiped some whipping cream and strawberries out of her mane before answering.

"Well Fluttershy went home at about the halfway mark. Twilight and Rarity went to the Spa to get fully cleaned off. And... I actually don't know where Pinkie went."

At that moment Pinkie jumped out of a nearby half-empty punch bowl.

"Hey Brawly! Did you enjoy the party?" she asked. Pinkie had apparently already cleaned herself off, there wasn't a speck of food on her. Except for a little dab of frosting on her front nose. When she noticed that they were staring at it she licked it up with her tongue.

"Uh, wha? How did-? In the bowl? Did, she lick?" stammered Brawler.

"It's Pinkie Pie sugarcube, don't question it," said Applejack, wiping chocolate sauce off her hat. Brawler grunted and shook himself.

"It was awesome Pinks, thanks," he said with a smile, "Where'd you disappear to anyway?"

"Oh! I had to go back to Sugarcube corner. I borrowed a lot more cakes and pies than I usually do for parties and I had to make up for it," Pinkie explained, "In fact, I need to be getting back right about now. Glad you liked the party Brawly!" She dove into a nearby bush, it shook for a moment, then was still.

"She's somehow back at that Sugarcube corner place right?" asked Brawler.

"Yep," answered both mares. Brawler chuckled.

"That is one crazy mare," he said.

"Yeah," Applejack sighed, "Look sugarcube we need ta talk."

Brawler's smile faded.

"Look, what happened in the forest won't happen again, alright?"

"How do we know we can trust you?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"I kept my cool during the food fight didn't I?"

Discounting my attack on Sparky.

Both mares stared at him hard.

"Fair point," said Applejack, "But we'll be watchin' ya."

"If that's it can I go now?" asked Brawler.

"Not quite yet," said Rainbow Dash, "We figured you wouldn't want a full tour of Ponyville so we thought we'd just show you two places you'd definitely want to know about."

"And those places would be?" asked Brawler.

"The town's dojo and Sweet Apple Acres," said Rainbow Dash.

"The dojo definitely, but why would I wanna know about a place called Sweet Apple Acres?" asked Brawler.

"It's mah family's farm," said Applejack, "We could always use an extra pair of hooves fer apple buckin' and uh, after seein' ya in there Ah figured it'd be perfect job for ya."

Brawler thought a moment.

"Sure, as long as I get paid," he said.

Applejack's eye twitched.

"Ah'da never asked ya ta help out if I couldn't pay ya back in some way," she said.

"Okay, okay. Just checking," said Brawler, "So when do we go?"

"Soon as you're ready," said Rainbow Dash.

"Okay then, just let me clean up," said Brawler, he walked over to a bush and used the leafy branches to brush himself off. He then returned to the two mares.

"Alright, let's go."

First Applejack and Rainbow Dash showed him to the dojo. Rainbow Dash took the lead as Applejack didn't know exactly where it was, and when they got there she wasn't exactly impressed. The one story building had clearly seen better days. It wasn't collapsing in on itself or anything like that, but it was pretty obvious that it had been awhile since anypony did a maintenance check on the place. Some parts of the walls were slightly crumbling and a few windows were cracked.

Sheesh, she expects 'im ta train here?

Brawler also looked doubtful.

"Look, I know the outside's not pretty, and a few rooms look like they haven't been used in years but the main rooms are in good condition," said Rainbow Dash, "It has a big training room with weights and punching bags, and it also has a sparring hall we can use for tomorrow. There's even a few books on Karate in there."

"Wait you learned from books?" Brawler scoffed, "No wonder you're so predictable."

"Hey! I earned my black belt in a tournament!" protested Rainbow Dash.

"By fighting other ponies who learned from books," said Brawler, "Don't worry about it too much Dashie, after a few spars with me you'll start to do your own thing and last longer."

Rainbow Dash grunted. The three of them stared at the building for a few moments.

"So uh, are ya goin' in?" asked Applejack.

"Only if I can't earn some bits on the farm today," said Brawler.

"Never took ya fer a money grubber," said Applejack.

"I'm not! I'd just like to have some bits is all. It'd make me feel less like a bum," said Brawler. Applejack nodded.

Okay, that's a fair point.

"Ah suppose we could go down an' Ah could show ya the ropes," said Applejack, "We ain't doin' a full harvest today but you'd earn a few bits."

"Sounds good. Let's go," said Brawler.

"Uh, actually I gotta get back on weather patrol. I'm supposed to clear the clouds before noon," said Rainbow Dash.

"Okay then, see ya Dashie," said Brawler.

"Later Rainbow," said Applejack.

"'Kay, see ya!" said Rainbow Dash as she took off.

Brawler's and Applejack's eyes followed the rainbow streak she left behind for a moment then looked back at each other.

"Right then, follow me," said Applejack. She turned and headed for the farm with Brawler following.

As they were walking a single worry passed through Applejack's mind.

Ah sure hope Applebloom doesn't try ta ask fer Cutie Mark advice from this guy.

Chapter 4

View Online

Applebloom shook herself as she walked downstairs. She had just taken a bath to clean off all the food from the food fight. She grinned as she remembered the battle.

That was more fun than teasin' Sis!... But, why was she makin' sure to avoid that Brawler guy?

Applebloom had heard Pinkie go on about the stallion while she was setting things up. She seemed to think that Brawler was a really fun guy, and Applebloom didn't get why Applejack was dead set on avoiding him during the food fight.

Ah mean, sure, he was really good at fightin', but Applejack seemed almost afraid of 'im. Why the hay's that?

Applebloom shrugged it off, it wasn't that important. She trotted through the kitchen then out the front door, she and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders still had the rest of the day to go crusading and they weren't going to waste it. As she walked up the path she saw Applejack and Brawler walking towards her. She sped up to meet them.

"Well howdy Applebloom, how ya doin'?" asked Applejack as they met up.

"I'm doin' good. Me an' the other CMC are gonna have a picnic in our treehouse then we're goin' crusadin'," said Applebloom.

Applejack chuckled.

"Don't do anythin' TOO dangerous now, ya hear?" she said.

"I got it, I got it." Applebloom turned to Brawler, "Hey, yer that Brawler guy right?"

Brawler blinked.

"How do you know my name?"

"Didn't ya see the banner? The party was fer you! I figured since you was the only pony I didn't recognize you musta been Brawler," said Applebloom.

"Hmph, well you're right, I'm Brawler. Why do you ask?"

"Well, ya see, I was wonderin' how ya took down Comet Streak," said Applebloom.

"Who?"

"Ya gotta remember Applebloom, he's new in town. He don't know anypony other than you, me an' mah friends," said Applejack, "Anyway Comet Streak is a blue unicorn stallion with a white mane that sparkles a bit. He used to be a Royal guard but decided to retire early."

"I saw ya standin' over him without a scratch on ya, an' he was on the ground covered in pie! How'd ya do it?" asked Applebloom.

Brawler chuckled.

"Oh yeah, him. Well I charged him with a pie in each hoof, smashed one up into his chest, then the other over the top of his head. Knocked him flat and convinced him to stay down for awhile," said Brawler, grinning.

"Who taught ya how ta do that?" asked Applebloom.

"Nopony, I taught myself."

Applejack raised her eyebrow.

"Ah heard you was part of a dojo in Cloudsdale," she said.

Brawler's grin vanished, and Applebloom could've sworn she heard his teeth grinding.

"My dad didn't want to pay for lessons," he started walking towards the farm, "I'll be at the barn when you need me AJ."

Applebloom watched him walk away for a moment, but when she turned back to Applejack she was surprised at her expression.

That's the look she gets when she thinks somepony's lyin'.

Applebloom glanced back at Brawler.

But why would he lie 'bout somethin' like that?

"Well Applebloom have fun with yer friends," said Applejack. Applebloom turned to face her.

"Alright, see ya later Sis!" Applebloom trotted past Applejack.

"Hold on a sec Applebloom."

Applebloom turned.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful around Brawler, alright?"

"Careful? Why?"

"He's," Applejack rubbed the back of her head, "He's had a rough life, an' as a result he's a bit angrier than other ponies. So just be careful round him 'kay?"

"O-okay," Applebloom started for the clubhouse again, and she could hear Applejack trot towards the barn. As she was walking though, Applebloom's brow was furrowed.

What's goin' on with Brawler? First he hides stuff about his past, then Sis is doin' the same! Why the hay would they do that?

These thoughts continued to pester her as she made her way to the clubhouse.

Applejack sighed as she walked down to the barn. She liked to think of herself as a pony who gave everypony a fair chance, but every time Brawler started grinning a dozen alarm bells would sound off in her head.

An' then there was his freak out in the forest; Ah know Celestia was the one who put 'im in a cell an' all, but how can anypony hate that much?

She looked up and saw Brawler sitting in front of the barn, she picked up her pace slightly.

An' now he's hidin' somethin'. But why lie 'bout how he learned ta fight?

As she drew nearer she saw that he was still scowling. She gulped.

Well, whatever it is, now's probably not the best time ta ask.

Applejack stopped when she was in front of him, he ignored her.

"Uh, Ah don't suppose ya want somethin' ta eat?" asked Applejack.

Brawler blinked, then looked at her with his brow furrowed. Then he looked up into the sky.

"It's not even noon," he said.

"It's only jus' before, an' there's no harm in an early lunch," said Applejack.

Brawler looked back to her, then his eyebrows shot up in realization.

"Oh yeah! Lunch, heh, sorry," he stood up, "In prison I usually only got two meals a day. I haven't had lunch in eight years," he chuckled, "Never thought I'd actually forget about it."

"Wait, usually, two meals a day?" asked Applejack.

Brawler grunted.

"Guards would sometimes 'forget' to bring breakfast or dinner," he said.

Applejack gasped.

"They- they can't go an' do somethin' like that! You gotta tell Princess Cel-"

Brawler shot her a glare.

"Uh, right."

"Just forget about it," said Brawler, "And a snack would be nice I guess."

"Alright, come on in an' Ah'll whip somethin' up," said Applejack. They trotted to the house and headed inside. Applejack directed Brawler to the dining room then went to the kitchen. She opened a pantry and took out a plate and mug, then went over to the fridge and took out some apples and cider.

Hope he doesn't mind that it ain't alcohol yet.

She poured some cider into the mug and put three apples on the plate. Then, balancing the plate on top of the mug, she brought it to the dining room. Brawler was sitting at the table, having a staring contest with Big Mac. When she saw them Applejack paused.

"Uh, there a problem here?" she asked.

"Nope," said Big Mac. He trotted out the door on the far side of the room, after a few moments they heard the back door open and close. After another moment, Applejack brought Brawler his food.

"What the hay was that about?" she asked.

"No idea. He just came in and started staring," Brawler picked up the mug and took a drink, "Kinda creepy to be honest."

"That's strange, Big Mac's quiet sure but he'd never do anythin' ta make a guest feel uncomfortable."

"He family?"

"He's mah brother"

"Oh, your parents in the orchard right now or something?" asked Brawler, gesturing out the window. Applejack sighed, and looked down.

"No, they ain't out there anymore."

Brawler's gaze shifted to her, then his eyebrows went up in realization.

"Oh... Sorry."

"S'alright," Applejack looked back up, "Ya didn't know. Jus' don't bring it up again alright?"

"Okay." Brawler picked up an apple and took a bite.

"You gonna have anything?" he asked.

"Ah'm gonna eat when Granny Smith wakes up from her nap," said Applejack. Brawler nodded and continued eating. After about a minute Applejack realized something.

"Say, yer folks probably don't know yer outta jail yet. Ya wanna send a letter?"

Evidently that was the wrong thing to say. Brawler grit his teeth and let out a low growl.

"No."

Applejack's eyes widened.

"But why wouldn't ya-"

"You don't want to talk about your parents, I don't want to talk about mine. Okay?" interrupted Brawler, he resumed eating. Applejack narrowed her eyes.

Jus' how many secrets does this stallion plan ta keep?

"You might wanna check on your brother," said Brawler. Applejack blinked.

"Wha-, why?"

"He looked like he didn't trust me. Can't really blame him but if I'm gonna work here you might want to let him know."

"Uh, alright. Come on out when yer finished," said Applejack.

Brawler nodded and she turned to head outside. When she stepped out she saw that Big Mac was watching the doorway. Strangely, his eyes were narrowed.

"Okay Big Mac, what's the problem?" asked Applejack.

"What's a stallion like that doin' on the farm?" asked Big Mac, his voice slightly tense.

"Now since when did ya start judgin' ponies before ya even knew their names?"

"His Cutie Mark is a pair a boxin' gloves an' he looks meaner than a manticore. 'Scuse me if Ah don't want a stallion like that round Applebloom."

Applejack sighed.

Hard ta argue with that.

"Look Mac, Twilight was assigned ta teach 'im 'bout the magic of friendship. Me an' mah other friends are helpin' out. Ah figured he needed a way ta earn bits so Ah offered 'im a job. We could always use an extra pair of hooves," she said.

Big Mac looked unconvinced.

"Ah already told Applebloom ta be careful round 'im," continued Applejack, "Plus if he does anythin' outta line then Twi can send 'im straight to a dungeon no problem."

"Alright. But the second he steps outta line is the second he goes ta jail," said Big Mac.

"Teh, no pressure right?" came Brawler's voice.

Applejack turned and saw him standing in the doorway. She gulped. Brawler was glaring at Big Mac.

"Look pal, I just got out of a shit ton of trouble, I'm not planning on getting in more, alright?" he asked.

Big Mac glared back.

"Alright, jus' keep the cussin' to a minimum while yer here," he turned to Applejack, "Ah still got some plowin' ta do. Can ya teach 'im on yer own?"

"Yeah Ah got it," said Applejack. Big Mac nodded and trotted away. When he was out of earshot Brawler turned to Applejack.

"He always that pleasant?"

"He's usually quiet and content. Ah've never seen 'im agitated like that," said Applejack. Brawler made a noise that was between a grunt and a sigh.

"Figures. Well whatever, what is it you want me to do here exactly?" he asked.

"Well yer main job's probably gonna be helping me with apple buckin'," said Applejack. Brawler raised an eyebrow.

"You're, into that sort of thing?" he asked, leaning away from her slightly.

"Agh, not THAT kind of buckin'," said Applejack. Brawler chuckled.

"I know, just bucking with ya," he said, grinning.

Applejack groaned.

This is gonna be a long day isn't it?

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had finished their lunch and were now brainstorming ideas.

"How about cake decorating?" suggested Sweetie Belle.

"We ain't allowed in the Sugar Cube Corner kitchen. Remember what happened when we tried fer bakin' Cutie Marks?" said Applebloom.

"I still say they overreacted," said Scootaloo.

"We blew up the oven we were workin' on!" said Applebloom.

"Only a little bit," said Scootaloo.

"How do you blow something up only a little bit?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"The explosion wasn't that big and nopony got hurt," said Scootaloo.

"That doesn't change the fact that it EXPLODED!"

Applebloom sighed as her two friends bickered.

This is gettin' us nowhere. Maybe we need ta try somethin' different.

She thought for a moment then an idea hit her.

"Say, why don't we try askin' somepony fer advice?" she asked. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo turned to her.

"We've already tried that. Every adult we talk to just says to be patient, and every kid who already has their Cutie Mark just tells us how they got it," said Sweetie Belle.

"Wait, what about that new stallion in town? What was his name, um, Brawler!" said Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle scowled.

"You mean the guy who convinced you to turn on me even though I can't use magic?"

"I already said I was sorry! I was just caught up in the moment is all!" protested Scootaloo, "But that's the point. Think about it, would an ordinary stallion do something like that? Heck no! He's different, so maybe he'll actually give us some advice!"

Sweetie Belle's expression turned thoughtful; Applebloom, however, was starting to regret her suggestion.

"I don't know. Applejack told me ta be careful around 'im, an' she seemed a bit on edge while she said it," said Applebloom.

"So we'll ask for advice nicely, come on Applebloom! Pinkie threw him a Welcome to Ponyville party, he can't be that bad," said Scootaloo.

"Hmph."

"It was your suggestion Applebloom," said Sweetie Belle.

"Alright, alright! I suppose it couldn't hurt," said Applebloom, "I saw him with Applejack headin' down ta the farm. He's probably helpin' out there right now."

"Well what're we waiting for? Let's go!" said Scootaloo. She shot to the exit and climbed down the ladder with Sweetie Bell and Applebloom following close behind. As the three of them raced to Sweet Apple Acres, only a single doubt crossed Applebloom's mind.

I sure hope he don't mind us askin', he seems like the kinda stallion I'd rather not make mad.

Scootaloo was the first one to make it to Sweet Apple Acres, with the other two CMC right on her heels.

"So where is he?" asked Scootaloo.

"I don't know. I just saw him headin' this way with Appleack," said Applebloom.

"Maybe he's here for work?" suggested Sweetie Belle, "He looked strong enough for it."

"Good idea! Let's go to the orchard," said Scootaloo, she started for it but felt something tug her tail. She turned and saw Applebloom and grabbed it with her mouth.

"Hey, leggo!"

Applebloom spit the tail out.

"I think I should lead Scoot, ya got lost last time ya wondered in there."

"And you were practically panicking when ponies found you," said Sweetie Belle.

"I was not!" protested Scootaloo.

"Sis said you was ramblin' about timberwolves and vamponies," deadpanned Applebloom.

Scootaloo blushed .

I need to cut down on the horror stories. Rainbow Dash said Flutterbat wasn't that bad yet I was picturing her sucking all my blood.

She shook herself.

"Fine Ms. Navigator, You lead," she said, trying to regain some of her dignity. Applebloom rolled her eyes as she lead them into the orchard. It took them a few minutes of wandering before they found them. Applejack was apparently showing Brawler how to buck for apples, she was going through the motions of the kick slowly and explaining while she did it. Applebloom stopped when she saw them.

"Let's wait a minute," she said.

"Why? He can learn how to go applebucking anytime," said Scootaloo.

"Mah Sis said ta be careful so we're gonna be careful," said Applebloom, "We can wait 'till after his lesson's done."

Sweetie Belle nodded and Scootaloo scoffed.

Why the hay do we need to be so freaking careful?! Yeah, he can fight but I bet Rainbow Dash could take him out in ten seconds flat.

Brawler grunted and started looking around. The CMC gasped quietly and hid behind a tree.

"Somethin' wrong partner?" asked Applejack.

"... Thought I heard something. Guess it was just my imagination," said Brawler. The CMC let out a collective sigh and came out to watch.

"Alright then, give it a shot," said Applejack. Brawler trotted to the tree beside hers, turned, then lashed out with his hind legs. There was a 'whack', the tree shook slightly and about a third of the apples tumbled down.

Scootaloo suppressed a snicker.

Why'd we have to be careful around this guy again?

Brawler turned and saw how ineffective his kick had been. He growled.

"Don't feel too bad partner, that's actually pretty good fer a pegasus," said Applejack.

Brawler grunted. Then lunged at the tree, punching it with everything he had. The tree gave a visible shake and the rest of the apples tumbled down.

Brawler grinned and everypony else's jaw dropped. Scootaloo gulped.

I take it back.

Brawler clapped his hooves together then lunged at the tree to his right, punching that one as well. Two thirds of the apples fell down.

"Dammit," Brawler turned, kicked the tree, and the rest of the apples fell down.

"Well, I think I got it down. How many more should I do?" he asked.

"Uh," Applejack shook herself, "Well like Ah said, we ain't doin' a full harvest today so that should be enough."

"Alright. How many bits did I earn?"

"Well since ya need bits right now how 'bout I give ya thirty?"

"Thats nice but how many did I earn?"

"Yer new, ya need bits right now fer a place ta stay an' such. But if ya feel that strongly about it Ah'll take fifteen off yer next payment."

"Sounds fair. I'll gather up the apples," Brawler started rolling the apples into a pile.

"An' Ah'll go get a cart," Applejack turned to leave but turned back, "Ya know Brawler Ah reckon you'll be a great help here. An' who knows? Maybe you'll even become a friend."

"Don't get ahead of yourself AJ, the accent's still annoying," said Brawler, not looking up. Applejack offered a small laugh, but she looked like she couldn't tell whether or not he was joking. Then she started back for the barn.

Scootaloo and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at each other, then huddled up.

"Are we sure this is still a good idea?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Well technically I was never sure if it was a good idea," said Applebloom.

"We've come this far, we might as well go through with it," protested Scootaloo.

"Okay then, you ask him," challenged Sweetie Belle.

"Fine!" Scootaloo stepped out from behind the tree and started walking toward Brawler. She stopped when she was a few feet behind him.

"Uh, hey mister?" she called.

Brawler turned and looked her over.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked.

"Well, uh, I'm Scootaloo and I'm part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders."

"The what?"

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Scootaloo turned and gestured for her friends to join her, "Come on guys! He's not that bad."

Reluctantly, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle stepped out and stood beside Scootaloo. Brawler looked them over as well.

"Applebloom I know, but who are you?" he asked, pointing at Sweetie Belle.

"I'm Sweetie Belle, Rarity's little sister."

"Hmph," Brawler lowered his hoof, "Well what do you three want?"

"Well, we haven't got our Cutie Marks yet and we were wondering if you could give us some advice," said Scootaloo. Brawler stared at her incredulously.

"What?"

"We were hoping you could give us Cutie Mark advice," said Sweetie Belle, "It's not that difficult of a request."

"So you're asking ME for Cutie Mark advice?!"

"Yeah, ya got any?" asked Applebloom.

Brawler stared at them, then the ground, then he started chuckling and shaking his head.

"Hey! What's so funny?!" fumed Scootaloo. Brawler looked up.

"Heh heh heh. Believe me girls, I am the last stallion you'd EVER want to ask for Cutie Mark advice," he said.

"Why? Ya got a Cutie Mark don'tcha?" asked Applebloom.

"Yeah, and because of it, I got thrown in the dungeon."

"What!" exclaimed the CMC

"Sunshine was planning on keeping me locked up forever. Thankfully Luna thought different."

"But what kind of talent could get you arrested?" asked Sweetie Belle. Brawler turned sideways so they could properly see his Cutie Mark.

"Take a guess, and it sure as hell isn't something like knitting," he said.

The CMC examined his Cutie Mark.

Two weird looking gloves in front of a yellow explosion. What the hay is that supposed to mean?

"Are you three gonna stare at my flank all day?" Brawler's voice shook them out of their concentration.

"Well, any guesses?" he asked. The CMC looked at each other, but then Sweetie Belle looked at the trees Brawler had hit.

"It has something to do with fighting right?" she asked.

"Very good. Hoof to hoof combat to be specific," said Brawler.

"Really? Cool!" said Scootaloo. Brawler stared at her.

"I mean, not as cool as Rainbow Dash's Cutie Mark but still cool," she continued.

"Because of this mark I ended up assaulting twenty members of the Royal Guard, putting sixteen in the hospital. Then I got thrown in jail," snarled Brawler.

"Wow!" said Sweetie Belle. Brawler turned to stare at her.

"I mean, not the part where you ended up in prison, but twenty Royal Guards?! How did you do it?" she asked.

"Want a demonstration?" Brawler practically growled.

Applebloom stepped in front of the other CMC.

"Ya threatenin' mah friends?" she asked, staring into his eyes defiantly.

Brawler's eyes widened, then he shook his head.

"No," his voice returning to normal, "I just meant that tomorrow at the town dojo I'm gonna be sparring with Dashie and Pinks around noon. You three are welcome to watch."

Applebloom relaxed and stepped back.

"Awesome! We'll be there!" said Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom nodded.

"Anyway come on guys! We still gotta full afternoon for crusading," said Scootaloo. She raced off back the way they had came. The other Cutie Mark Crusaders following close behind.

"Wait up Scoot! Ya don't wanna get lost again!" called Applebloom. Scootaloo wasn't listening.

I can't WAIT for tomorrow. The fight between him and Rainbow Dash is gonna be EPIC!

Brawler watched the retreating fillies through narrowed eyes.

There's no way, is there?

"Hey Brawler! You okay?" called Applejack as she pulled up the cart.

"Uh, yeah," said Brawler, turning to face her, "Your sister and two other fillies were just asking me a few questions."

"Ah, the Cutie Mark Crusaders," Applejack suddenly took a sharp intake of breath, "Ya didn't give 'em Cutie Mark advice did ya?"

"I figured you and Rarity wouldn't like that," said Brawler.

Applejack sighed.

"Ah'm sorry Brawler, it's just-"

"You don't want your little sister to turn out like me. I get it, hell I don't want that either."

"Ya don't?"

"I'm a lot of things AJ but I would never give Sunshine an excuse to toss me AND a few fillies in prison," said Brawler.

"Celestia wouldn't do that," protested Applejack.

"She threw me in a cell when I was thirteen, and had no intention of ever letting me out," said Brawler, "If I trained your sister to be a fighter who knows how Sunshine would take it?"

"Well don't," said Applejack.

"Okay," said Brawler, raising his hooves,"I won't, now can we finish the job?"

Applejack took a breath, then nodded.

"Yeah, just toss 'em in."

Brawler grabbed some of the fallen apples with his wings then tossed them into the cart. He repeated the process until there wasn't anymore apples left.

"Alright, Ah'll pay ya back at the barn," said Applejack. She started pulling the cart back along the path, Brawler followed her. They walked for a few minutes in silence when all of a sudden Brawler had a question.

"Hey AJ?"

"Yeah?"

"What day is it?"

Applejack paused.

"Ya don't know?"

"I didn't have a calendar in prison."

"Oh, uh, it's Saturday. We usually do other farm work on the weekends and do harvestin' on the weekdays," said Applejack, trotting forward again.

"Thanks," said Brawler, trotting alongside her.

A few more moments of silence passed.

"How'd ya stand it?" asked Applejack suddenly.

"What?"

"How'd ya stand not bein' able ta do your talent fer eight years? Ah got itchy an' agitated when I ta leave farm life fer two weeks."

He was lunging forward, roaring at the top his lungs, his target turned, a stunned expression on their face.

"You really don't want to know," said Brawler.

"Friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other. An' before ya say that ya don't want ta be friends, makin' 'em is what's gonna keep ya outta prison," said Applejack.

"Hmph."

She's smarter than she looks.

"Alright, I'd fantasize about knocking all of Sunshine's teeth out," said Brawler.

Applejack's eye's widened.

"I told you you didn't want to know," said Brawler, "And before you start judging me if some lawyer made you do paperwork in an office in Manehattan for over a year how would YOU react when you saw him next?"

Applejack paused again, then looked down and sighed.

"Ah'd probably buck 'im in the face," she admitted. Brawler chuckled.

"It's amazing how violent ponies can get when they can't do their talent. And I'm already violent, you saw how I could get."

"Ya'd really call yerself violent?" asked Applejack, starting forward again.

"You would. And I need to get in fights daily to stay sane. So yeah, I'd also say I'm violent."

They had exited the orchard and headed inside the barn.

"Well hopefully that ain't everythin' to yer personality," said Applejack as she detached herself from the cart, "That'd make it kinda difficult ta justify keepin' ya gotta prison."

"Well I guess we'll find out. Now can I have my bits please?" asked Brawler.

"Sure thing, just follow me," said Applejack. She led him out the barn and to her front door. There was an old pair of saddle bags on the front steps. She picked them up with her teeth and tossed them to Brawler.

"There's thirty bits in there as promised. An' Ah've been meanin' ta get rid of those bags fer awhile now so you can take them too," said Applejack.

Brawler put the bags on.

"Thanks, and I should come back on Monday right?"

"It'd be better if Ah came an' got you. We start early in the mornin' ya see. Where do ya think you'll be staying?" asked Applejack.

"I think I'll just buy a couch and sleep in the dojo," said Brawler.

"Ya sure that's the best idea sugarcube?" asked Applejack.

"AJ, I've been sleeping on a wooden bench for the past eight years. A couch is gonna feel like heaven. Besides do you think anypony would want to take a guy like me in?"

Applejack thought for a moment.

"Well Rainbow Dash might. She's gotta a cloud house so there should be plenty a room."

Brawler shook his head.

"My Ma once told me that the quickest way to lose a friend was to live with them. I don't want to risk it," he said.

Applejack nodded.

"That's good advice. Yer Ma sounds smart, is she nice too?"

Brawler grunted.

"Yeah, she was."

Applejack's brow furrowed, then her eyes widened.

"Oh! Sorry sugarcube, Ah forgot ya didn't wanna talk about it," she said, "Uh, is she gone too?"

"No, as far as I know she's fine. I just don't like talking about her is all. Don't worry about it, I'll see you Monday," said Brawler, he turned to leave.

"Alright, see ya then. An' hey, if ya need a helpin' hoof with the couch just let me know," called Applejack.

Brawler grunted and waved a wing as an thanks. His mind however, was elsewhere.

Those three kids, they can't be. They just don't know what it's like right? Well I'll find out tomorrow.

Chapter 5

View Online

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."

Chapter 6

View Online

Brawler wasn't sure what he was expecting when he asked Twilight for magic resistance training, but it definitely didn't involve wearing a helmet with blinking lights that was wired to a machine with more blinking lights while Twilight quadruple checked her foot long checklist.

"For the last time Sparky, NO, the helmet isn't causing me any sort of pain. But if you recheck that list again I'm going to hang myself on these wires," he said.

"Well excuse me for being cautious! If the helmet was placed on you incorrectly your would brain would be continuously electrocuted during experimentation. Now you wouldn't die from it since you're a Pegasus but you would likely pass out from the pain within thirty seconds. Equally disastrous things could happen if any other piece of equipment isn't functioning at 100% capacity so please be quiet and let me finish!" said Twilight.

Brawler decided to shut up. While Twilight finished up her final check he looked around. They were in the basement of Twilight's castle and apparently she had repurposed it as a laboratory. There were big machines with blinking lights all around them and a few tables were covered in test tubes filled with various bubbling chemicals.

Really hoping she doesn't turn out to be the mad scientist type while I'm hooked up to this thing.

"Okay, everything seems to be in working order. Are you ready to begin?" asked Twilight.

"Just pull the bucking switch already," said Brawler.

"Taking control measurement in 3.. 2.. 1.. Begin."

The lights on the helmet started blinking faster and the machine began beeping rapidly. Brawler felt a small tingling sensation going through his skull that seemed to grow as more time passed. Then right as it was starting to become painful the machine make a loud 'DING!' and everything returned to normal.

Brawler blinked a few times.

"Can you remind me why I'm hooked up to this thing?" he asked.

Twilight was examining the lights and screens on the machine the helmet was wired to.

"This machine takes measurements of a pony's inner magic. How strong it is, where it gathers in the subject's body, etc. Your inner magic gathers most in and around your wings, and is slightly weaker than average," she said while writing notes on a clipboard.

"Because I'm a Pegasus who hasn't done weather manipulation for awhile?"

Twilight looked up, surprised.

"Uh, yes, most likely. To be honest I thought your magic would be weaker because you can't have done a lot of flying in that cell."

"I had enough room to hover and to do wing-ups."

"Ah."

Both ponies stayed quiet while Twilight finished her notes. When she finished she trotted to a nearby table, set down the clipboard and picked up another one. She trotted back over to him.

"Um, we'll have to do this two more times," she said.

"Once with you holding me with magic and then once with me resisting it?" asked Brawler.

"U-um, yes! How'd you know?"

"Sparky, I'm not a dumbass."

"I didn't mean that! It's just, I haven't met a whole lot of ponies who know about the scientific method. How do you know about it?"

"Ugh, my Father liked to experiment with the weather. Just stupid shit like 'how does a rainbow react to being hit with a force zero tornado?'. He'd lecture about it at dinner and occasionally drag me along to watch. Then later he would quiz me about variables," Brawler sighed, "It was boring, but at least back then he cared."

"Back then? You mean he doesn't now?" asked Twilight.

Brawler scowled.

"Forget it."

"But-"

"I said forget it!" said Brawler, raising his voice slightly.

Twilight narrowed her eyes, but nodded. They stared at each other for a few moments.

"Can I sit down for the next two tests?" asked Brawler.

Twilight blinked, then shook herself.

"Of course. That doesn't cause any magic interference so go ahead."

Brawler sat and Twilight prepped the machine for the next measurement.

"Now this test requires you not to resist, are you okay with that?" asked Twilight.

No.

"I'll live," said Brawler.

Twilight nodded and slowly wrapped him in a low powered telekinesis spell. Brawler grit his teeth, but kept his temper under control.

"Beginning measurement in 3.. 2.. 1.. Begin!"

Once again the lights blinked and the machine beeped and once again Brawler felt his brain tingle. It was easier to ignore this time since he knew what to expect, so he focused more on keeping his anger under control. After about two minutes the machine dinged and Twilight released him. Brawler let out a sigh of relief while Twilight took notes on the machine.

Neither of them talked this time. Twilight simply finished her notes then went to get her third clipboard.

"Alright for this last test I'll attempt to hold you with the same strength telekinesis as before. You put up as strong a resistance as you can, it won't matter whether or not you break free," said Twilight as she trotted back.

"Maybe to you it won't," muttered Brawler.

Twilight didn't hear the comment.

"Now I know that while you resist you tend to get angry, if you do so here please direct your rage on something other than me. I quite like my teeth."

Brawler chuckled.

"You've been brainstorming my kind of jokes to get on my good side haven't you? Anyway I quite like life outside of prison so you're safe."

"Alright, please don't start resisting until after the measurement has begun," said Twilight as she wrapped him in telekinesis, "Beginning final measurement in 3.. 2.. 1.. Begin!"

Brawler immediately started growling. It wasn't just that he tended to get angry when he resisted, anger was the only way he knew how to resist. He let all his angry thoughts out.

She's taking away your freedom! She's Sunshine's student! She's gonna try and 'convert' you to be a bucking pussy in the name of peace unless you break out right now!

Despite all these angry thoughts, Brawler couldn't bring himself to hate Twilight. He didn't consider her a friend, but every time he tried to convince himself to hate her the image of her defending him popped into his mind.

Okay, can't hate Sparky, I'll hate somepony else.

He pictured that bastard of a guard standing in front of him. That stupid smug grin and 'higher than thou' attitude, then he pictured the bastard's horn glowing.

"GRRAAAH!"

Something exploded inside Brawler, he felt the spell shatter off of him and he lunged at his imaginary opponent. He was slightly shocked when he felt his hoof punch nothing but air. Then he remembered what he was doing and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. When he turned back to Twilight he saw that she had fallen on her haunches and was rubbing her forehead in pain.

"Shit, Sparky are you alright?" he asked, trotting to her side.

Twilight groaned.

"Migraine. Uggh, alright, I think it's passed."

Brawler helped her up.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yes, it's just a mild headache now," Twilight rubbed her forehead once more then gave Brawler a weak smile, "I suppose I should've expected having my magic being blown apart to be a bit painful."

"Heh, well, did you at least get the data you needed?" asked Brawler.

"Let me check," Twilight walked over the the machine and examined it, "Yes I did. I'll copy it all down and I tell you my conclusions as soon as I finish examining it. You might want to head upstairs, it'll take me about ten minutes. You can grab a snack from the kitchen while you wait."

"Alright, thanks," Brawler turned and headed for the stairs. As he trotted out of the basement he heard Twilight talking to herself.

"Showed genuine concern for me when I was injured, that's progress at least."

Brawler shook his head.

Sheesh, does she keep notes on EVERYTHING she does?

Brawler wasn't hungry so he headed back to the castle's library, sat at a table and waited.

Ten minutes later Twilight arrived at the table with a folder full of notes.

"Well, I managed to figure out just exactly what you're doing to resist telekinesis, and a way for you to make it more efficient," she said.

"Great, let's hear it," said Brawler, leaning forward.

Twilight sat down and pulled a few diagrams out of the folder. The first one was the silhouette of Brawler surrounded by a thin, squiggly, purple, line. The second was almost exactly the same, but now there was a red squiggly line between the silhouette and the purple line. The last diagram showed the red line pushing out away from the silhouette and the purple line shattering.

"The first diagram is me holding you without you resisting, the second is me holding you while you resist, and the third is you breaking free," said Twilight, "The lines represent magic and are color coded to our fur color."

"So, I'm basically just pushing magic out?" asked Brawler.

"That's the basic explanation, yes. Now you're pushing magic out from everywhere, in order to break free you only need to disrupt a small area of the spell."

"So I'm being really inefficient."

"Yes, I calculated the strength of the push and found that if you were a Unicorn lifting something you'd only manage to move something like a rather large book. I was holding you with the strength needed to lift a clipboard so you broke free."

Brawler sighed.

I gotta long way to go.

"All you need to do to improve efficiency is condense your magic into a smaller area and then push it out. I would recommend one of your wings since that's where your magic gathers naturally," said Twilight.

"Slow down Sparky, I barely know how to just push magic out. All I do is get really pissed then it just happens. How am I supposed to condense magic into one spot if I can't control it?" asked Brawler.

Twilight rubbed her chin.

"Hmm. Well if a Unicorn is overcome with powerful emotions they'll involuntarily cast a weak spell. I suppose that's your current method of escaping but I don't know how to teach you about basic magic control. It'd be like Spike trying to explain how he uses his thumbs," she said.

"I thought Unicorns went to school to learn magic," said Brawler.

"Manipulating magic to one's horn is easy, the mental steps required to shape magic inside the horn are difficult," explained Twilight.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Easy as breathing for you, almost impossible for me," said Brawler.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. Once you locate the magic inside yourself manipulating it should be a breeze. It's just how do you find it? Hmm," Twilight tapped her hoof on the table while she thought.

Brawler tried to come up with ideas but he had absolutely no idea what to do. After about a minute, Twilight's eyes lit up.

"I got it! Meditation!" she exclaimed.

"Meditation?"

"Clearing one's mind and listening to their body. I sometimes do it to calm down or to locate all the magic inside me if I'm about to perform a spell that will drain my reserves," she explained.

"So if I, 'clear my mind', I'll be able to feel my magic and learn to move it around inside me?" asked Brawler.

"In theory at least, hold on," Twilight vanished with a flash of light, then reappeared with a book five seconds later.

"Here, this should help," she said, floating the book over to him.

"Magic 101?" he asked, leafing through a few pages.

"Chapter four is all about meditation. Various techniques, what you'll feel when doing it right, stuff like that. It should help a lot," said Twilight.

Brawler closed the book.

"Well thanks for everything Sparky but I think I've had enough magic for one day," he stood up, "Can I borrow the book?"

"Of course, this is still a library. Do you need anything else?" asked Twilight.

"Actually yeah," said Brawler, "Can you tell me where to find Dashie and Pinks? I wanna set up sparring matches with them for tomorrow."

"Oh, um," Twilight shifted uncomfortably, "Right, well Rainbow Dash lives in the biggest cloud house in Ponyville so you can't miss it. And Pinkie lives and works at Sugarcube Corner, which is shaped like a large gingerbread house so you should be able to see it from Rainbow Dash's house."

"Thanks," Brawler put the book under his wing (he had left his saddle bags at the dojo) and turned to leave, but then he turned back.

"Don't be too worried about your friends Sparky, they're the closest thing to friends I got and I don't want to lose them."

"You don't think you're fully friends yet?" asked Twilight.

"We've barely known each other for a day and I really don't want to jinx it," Brawler turned again and trotted for the exit, "See ya later Sparky."

"Bye Brawler."'

He exited the castle and headed back to the dojo. It took him ten minutes to get there and he saw the sun was now hanging low in the sky.

Huh, spent longer at Sparky's than I thought.

He put the book on a shelf in the library then walked back out and looked up. It only took him about a minute to find Rainbow Dash's cloud house and then another minute to fly over to it. He knocked on the door and waited. A few moments later Rainbow Dash opened it.

"Oh hey Brawler," she suppressed a yawn, "Need something?"

"Just making sure you're still up for the sparring match tomorrow," said Brawler.

Rainbow Dash smirked.

"When and where shall I kick your flank Brawly-boy?" she asked.

They chuckled.

"At the dojo around noon. Oh, and a few fillies who call themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders are going to watch, you okay with that?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged.

"Sure, why not? But, squirt might hate you a bit after we're done."

"Who?"

"Scootaloo. She's like my little sister, and she's not gonna like you kicking my flank tomorrow," said Rainbow Dash.

"I thought you were gonna kick mine," said Brawler.

"Come on Brawly-boy we both know that's not gonna happen for awhile," said Rainbow Dash.

"Well step one is confidence, Dashie. And if you're looking for advice try some aerial attacks, you might be a bit of a fighter but anypony can tell you're a flyer before anything else."

"Only a bit of a fighter?"

"I beat you in less than two minutes last time."

"Oh buck you... But thanks, I'll keep that in mind tomorrow. See ya then," said Rainbow Dash.

"See ya."

Rainbow Dash closed the door then Brawler looked over the edge of the cloud. After a few moments of searching he saw the giant gingerbread house and flew down to it. He saw that the place was still open so he trotted inside. A yellow Earth pony stallion was behind the front desk and he looked up when he heard the door.

"Hello sir, welcome to Sugarcube Corner! How may I help you today?" the stallion asked.

"I'm looking for Pinks, she around?" asked Brawler.

"You mean Pinkie? She's in the kitchen right now but she should be done in a few minutes. In the mean time can I get you anything?" the stallion gestured to the many pastries around the room.

Brawler's mouth watered.

"I left my bits at home," he said.

"Oh, Pinkie always insists on giving a free sample to new ponies. Take your pick."

Brawler tried not to stare at all the delicious looking deserts around him, he failed miserably.

They're nothing but sugar and bread. You start eating them too often you'll lose all your muscle.

He had already eaten more deserts than he was usually comfortable with when he had escaped from the dungeon. Apparently Celestia had one hell of a sweet tooth, there had been three different cakes in that lunch.

Work it all off, then come back. Work it all off, then come back.

After chanting the sentence in his head a few times he opened his mouth, then caught a whiff of peanut butter. He caved.

"You got any peanut butter bars?" he asked.

"Plain or with chocolate?"

"With chocolate."

"Coming right up." The stallion walked from the desk to behind the counter, ducked beneath it, then came up holding a plate with a chocolate peanut butter bar. The stallion placed it on top of the counter.

"Here ya go."

Brawler trotted over and grabbed the plate.

"Thanks." he said. Then he walked over to a booth and sat down. He stared at the treat for awhile, then shoved it into his mouth. He tried to savor it, he really did.

But it's so bucking good!

He swallowed it after a few quick bites, and immediately wanted another one.

NO! I've already had enough desert for the next month. I don't need anymore. That bar was still pretty damn tasty though.

"I like it when you smile." Pinkie's voice shook Brawler out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw her sitting in front of him... after appearing out of nowhere.

I'm gonna have to get used to that.

"Well I like it when anypony smiles but you don't smile that often so it's extra special," she continued.

"What do you mean? You've seen me smile plenty of times," said Brawler.

"No silly, I've seen you GRIN plenty of times, there's a difference," said Pinkie.

Brawler decided to follow Applejack's advice and not question Pinkie's logic.

"So why'd you smile when you ate the bar?" asked Pinkie.

"Uh, it was just really good I guess," said Brawler.

"No backstory connected reason?" asked Pinkie.

"What?"

"Did the taste of the bar make you all nostalgic for a time before the story started?"

It's Pinkie, don't question it.

"No, it was just really good."

"Not really yummy?"

"Pinks, can you picture a guy like me saying the word yummy?"

"Sure I can, you just did!"

Brawler sighed.

"Never mind. I came here to ask if you were free for a sparring match tomorrow," he said.

"I thought you were sparring with Dashie," said Pinkie.

"Yeah, but the more the merrier right?" said Brawler.

"Okay! I should have enough free time for a few fights. Where are we gonna do it?"

"At the dojo around noon. Oh, and some kids calling themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders are gonna watch."

"Okay! I'll bring some snacks."

Brawler chuckled.

"Alright Pinks," He stood up, "I'll see you then."

"Later Brawly!"

Pinkie bounced back to the kitchen and Brawler trotted out the door. He paused when he stepped outside.

Do I have anything else to do today?

He tapped his foot, then nodded.

Right, buy some real food.

He flew back to the dojo to grab his bag, then flew to the market. He wandered through the booths and eventually bought a bag of carrots from an orange mare for five bits. He put the carrots in his saddle bag then flew back to the dojo. Once he was inside he decided to move the sofa to the empty storage room, after he did that he sat down and munched on one of the carrots.

Note to self: Return the cart to the store tomorrow.

Once he had finished a few carrots he decided to take a closer look at the dojo. He had only really spent time in the library and storage room, it was time to check out the sparring hall and workout room. The storage room was next to the weight room and library so he headed to the workout room first.

The room, like the others, was the size of a large living room. It had a bench with a set of barbells, a large collection of dumbbells, a chin-up bar, and, much to Brawler's delight, several punching bags. The bags had hooks on the top of them and when Brawler looked up he saw that there were also hooks on the low ceiling. Brawler grabbed a bag and flew up to attach it to the ceiling. Once it was attached he landed and hit the bag with a few quick jabs, then he looked around the room. It was spacious enough for one pony to be using each piece of equipment and for one more to do planks or push ups/wing ups on the floor.

Not that that many ponies would be in here at once, but still nice.

He then moved to the sparring hall, which was also the entrance room. Brawler briefly wondered why he didn't remember much about the hall since he walked through it every time he came back to the dojo, then he looked around and saw why. The sparring hall was very bare bones. All it was was a wood panel floor with black tape outlining a square that was sixteen square feet. There was a bit of carpeting on the wall to the left of the entrance for spectators but other than that the room was plain. Brawler paced back and forth across the square a few times. A few of the boards creaked but thankfully none were loose.

Well it's better than nothing I guess. Still, a real ring would be nice. Wonder how long it would take to save up for one?

Brawler shook his head. With his current employment it would probably take a few years. A big part of him doubted Sunshine would let him stay free for that long.

She already tried guards, it's only a matter of time before she tries something else.

He looked out the window and saw that the sun was about to set. He turned and trotted back to the storage room.

Moping about it won't do any good. Enjoy freedom now, worry about Sunshine later.

He reached the sofa and laid down on it. As he was getting comfortable he glanced at the library. The book Magic 101 was on a shelf in there.

"Eehh," Brawler rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, "I'll read it tomorrow."

He fell into a dreamless sleep in five minutes.

Up in the clouds, a different Pegasus decided to stay awake for a few hours. Something that she definitely wasn't used to.

Rainbow Dash let out a long yawn, then slapped herself.

Come on, you're almost finished.

She was sculpting the model of a pony in clouds. The clouds she was using were building class 2, so they were solid but had some give to them. (About as much give as a sandbag, as a matter of fact.) She finished scraping some fluff off the top of the model's head, then tossed the cloud chisel away and looked her work over. The body was roughly the shape of Brawler's but it didn't have wings. She also hadn't bothered sculpting any hair or a tail so it only really looked like Brawler if she squinted.

Not that it matters.

She got into her karate stance and started throwing quick jabs at the training dummy. As she hoped, the clouds were solid enough to retain their shape, but not so solid that it was like hitting concrete. She started throwing in the occasional spin kick, or side step. She wanted her form to be perfect for tomorrow's match.

Rainbow Dash didn't think she'd win tomorrow by any means, but she wanted to put up a good fight. For one thing, Scootaloo would be watching, and Rainbow Dash knew her little sis would be heartbroken if Brawler beat her as easily as their first match. But the other thing was that Rainbow Dash wanted Brawler's respect. Yeah, part of her was still scared of him, but she couldn't deny that he was really good at fighting. An activity that was second only to flying in her book.

Both of these things made her really want to last longer than a lousy two minutes.

Rainbow Dash stopped throwing punches and started hopping from back hoof to back hoof in front of the dummy, keeping her front hooves up.

Brawler's advice came back to her.

Try some aerial attacks.

Rainbow Dash took off and dive bombed the dummy three times. Once punching the front of the head, the next kicking the side of the body, then finally slamming the top of her back hooves onto the dummy's back from above. She jumped off the dummy and frowned as it reformed.

He'll be expecting that. They're all really obvious and he probably already has a plan to keep me on the ground.

Rainbow Dash tapped her hoof and grit her teeth.

I need to attack him and take off at the same time, how the buck do I do that?

She ran through the list of moves she knew and tried to picture herself taking off while doing them. For awhile, nothing clicked, then she remembered Brawler's uppercut. That was upward motion if she ever saw it, and Karate had a few similar punches.

Rainbow Dash rubbed her chin.

That punch hurt like hell.

She glanced at her wings and flapped them a few times.

With a little wing power, I bet even Brawler's gonna be reeling.

She crouched down, her right hoof beneath the dummy's chin, readied her wings, then shot upward. Her hoof smashed into the dummy's chin and her wing beats pushed her up a few inches above the dummy's head. Rainbow Dash looked down and saw that she was now facing sideways to the dummy.

Mmph, no good. I can't immediately follow up with a dive bomb now.

She glanced at her left hoof.

Maybe both at once?

She landed, walked back in front of the dummy, crouched down, readied both her hooves and her wings, then shot upward. Both her hooves connected to the dummy's chin and she felt herself take off. But this time the punch made her lean backward, so much so that she had to backflip to correct herself.

Once she had her bearings she looked down and saw that the dummy's attachments to the 'ground' cloud had stretched a bit.

"Hmm."

Rainbow Dash flew down, grabbed her cloud chisel, then detached the dummy from the ground. She tossed the chisel away and crouched down, readying the punch. Then once more she shot upward, hit the dummy it's chin, then quickly used her momentum to backflip. She looked for the dummy.

It was airborne.

Rainbow Dash grinned.

She sped forward, grabbed the dummy's chest in mid air, then slammed it into the ground. She picked her front half up then punched the dummy's face.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Rainbow Dash started panting and got off the dummy. She shook her head. It took her a few moments to regain control of her breathing. Once she did she broke down the dummy (planning to make a better one later), grabbed her cloud chisel and headed inside. She set the chisel on a table then trotted upstairs to her room.

When she got there she collapsed onto the bed, and stared up at the ceiling. It felt like a lot was going to happen tomorrow, yet her fight with Brawler wouldn't even take ten minutes.

Heh, well I guess a hell of a lot's going to happen in those few minutes.

She rolled onto her side, and started thinking about Scootaloo. Unless Rainbow Dash had a little heart to heart with the kid tomorrow she was gonna be disappointed. And even if she understood that her idol wasn't gonna win, she'd be more than disappointed if Brawler won easily.

I might not beat you tomorrow Brawly-boy but you're gonna have to bucking EARN your victory.

Chapter 7

View Online

Scootaloo woke up with a yawn. She sat up, stretched, then hopped out of bed. She was used to waking up on her own; her foster parents were almost always on some business trip so she'd learned how to take care of herself. To an extent at least, despite constant reminders from her foster mother that brushing teeth in the morning was necessary Scootaloo could never seem to get around to it when she was on her own.

I don't snack at night so my teeth aren't dirty in the morning, what's the point?

Scootaloo trotted downstairs to the kitchen and opened the fridge. The first thing she saw was a plate of sliced apples and carrots with a folded note on top. She grabbed the plate in her mouth then walked to the dining room, placed the plate on the table and sat on a chair. She unfolded the note.

How's it going Scoot?
Sorry I can't be there to talk to you. I got back to the house around midnight and my train to Manehattan leaves at five in the morning. Don't worry though, I'm only going there for a few days and I'll drag Qualified Quill back with me if I have to. (Don't think I will, she needs a break and does miss you but, well, you know how she can be.) We should be back sometime on Wednesday and we'll definitely stick around until the weekend. That should give us plenty of time to catch up and maybe go do something together. I'm sure you and your friends have had some adventures since we've been gone and I can't wait to hear all about them.

Your friend,
Ace Contract

Scootaloo smiled. Ace was an awesome guy, she'd probably be comfortable with calling him Dad if he ever stayed home for more than a week at a time. But hey, she couldn't tell him what to do, and he hardly ever told her what to do, so it was cool. She ate her breakfast, put the plate back in the kitchen and started for the door. When she was about half way there somepony knocked. Scootaloo tilted her head, and sped up a bit to answer it.

Her eyes widened when she opened the door.

"Hey squirt, how's it goin'?"

"Rainbow Dash! Hey, uh, it's going great," said Scootaloo, "What're you doing here?"

"What I can't visit to my little sis's house?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"What? No! I didn't-"

"Relax squirt, I'm just teasing," said Rainbow Dash, "Anyway, I wanna talk to you, is it okay if I come in?"

"Sure!"

Scootaloo led Rainbow Dash to the living room and they sat next to each other on a couch.

"What do you wanna talk about?" asked Scootaloo.

"Well, you're coming to see the match between me and Brawler right?"

"Heck yeah! I can't wait to see you kick his flank!"

Rainbow Dash sighed.

"Huh? What's wrong?" asked Scootaloo.

"I'm not gonna lie to you squirt, he's the one who's probably gonna kick my flank," said Rainbow Dash.

"What! But you have a black belt in Karate!" protested Scootaloo.

"Yeah, and he beat up twenty Royal guards when he was thirteen. Now, I know guards aren't that tough but a single colt against twenty fully grown and armored stallions? Heh, I know I couldn't do something like that."

"Bu-but you're Rainbow Dash! You're the coolest pony in Equestria! You can't lose."

Rainbow Dash chuckled.

"You think I've never had a wipe out before? I've crashed plenty of times, especially when trying out a new stunt. I'm pretty awesome but," Rainbow Dash grimaced, then looked down "I've, failed before, and I'm going to fail at things in the future. There'll be success and victory, but there's gonna be plenty of failing too."

Scootaloo stared at Rainbow Dash with her mouth hanging open.

Th-that can't be right.

Rainbow Dash looked back up.

"Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm a daredevil! This is what we do. We bite off more than we can chew, then chew it anyway. Sometimes we choke and spit it out, then we try again later," she explained.

"Eew!" cried Scootaloo.

"Heh, yeah that sounded a lot better in my head," said Rainbow Dash.

They chuckled for a bit, then were silent for a moment.

"I get what you're saying about daredevils and all, but have you really failed before?" asked Scootaloo.

Rainbow Dash sighed.

"Yeah, I have," she pointed at Scootaloo's chest, "You can't tell anypony about this, but for a long time I couldn't do the Sonic Rainboom. I did it when I earned my Cutie Mark, but then for a long time every time I tried to do it again the air would launch me backward and I'd crash. I only recently got it down."

"At the Young Fliers Competition right?" asked Scootaloo.

"Yep. But before then I just couldn't do it. I tried and I tried and I tried, it failed, but it got a little better each time. Then, one day, I did it. I have a feeling fighting Brawler is gonna be similar. He's gonna kick my flank for a long time, but one day-," Rainbow Dash jabbed her hoof out and stopped right in front of Scootaloo's face. "I'm gonna knock his lights out."

Rainbow Dash lowered her hoof and Scootaloo stared at her in awe.

She is SO, COOL!

"Wow, so, why are you telling me this?" asked Scootaloo.

"I figured it'd be easier to have this talk while I wasn't shaking off a concussion," said Rainbow Dash. They both laughed.

"But I also wanted to make sure you weren't, like, mad at Brawler for beating me. He's a cool guy, I think he's gonna be an awesome friend. It'd be a bit of a downer if my little sis didn't like him," said Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo nodded.

"Okay. I'll try not to be THAT mad at him."

"That's all I wanted to hear squirt. Now we got a lot of time to kill before the match, you wanna show me what you can do on that scooter?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Heck yeah!" Scootaloo jumped up from the couch, rushed to the door, grabbed her scooter from the closet, then jumped outside with Rainbow Dash on her heels.

Today's gonna be AWESOME!

Across town, another pony woke up with a yawn. Brawler rolled off his couch and stretched his wings. He looked down at the bag of carrots near his bed. He grabbed a couple and sighed.

I'm gonna need some meat soon.

He bit off the end of one carrot and started munching on it.

Hell, I need carbs, nuts, and some fruits too, buck.

He swallowed and took another bite.

Well I got five more bits. That should be enough to buy me some bread and maybe some nuts. But I don't earn anymore bits until tomorrow. And I doubt anypony in this town sells meat, let alone lean meat.

Brawler sighed, then took another bite of his carrot.

I need to get into contact with Garry. Hopefully he'll still give me a discount. Until then I guess a bag of nuts will have to do. They haven't got as much protein as meat but it's better than nothing.

His first carrot was now finished. He tossed away the stem but as he reached for the second one he froze.

Aw crap. How the buck am I gonna tell them that I eat meat?

A pony eating meat wasn't unheard of, the taste of it usually took a bit to get used to but their bodies could handle it fine. The problem was most ponies preferred to befriend animals, not cook them.

Even the one pony that tried to stick with me after I got my mark got scared off when I started eating meat.

Brawler sighed again and grabbed the carrot.

Well, I'm probably not gonna be able to get any meat for awhile, so I guess I can keep it a secret for now.

He took a bite.

Focus on the problems you can handle, then worry about the others.

He finished the carrot then stood up and stretched. While he was stretching he glanced at the cart.

Okay, first order of business: Return the cart.

He grabbed his saddle bags from next to the couch, then walked over the the cart and grabbed it with his teeth. He wheeled it around then headed out the door.

Which way was that Quills and Sofas place again? Oh right.

Brawler walked down the street on his left and got to the store in about five minutes. It was closed. Brawler shrugged his shoulders and left the cart at the door. With that done he took off and flew over to the market. After wandering around for a bit he bought a loaf of bread for three bits and a bag of nuts for his last two bits.

Welp, I'm broke again.

He opened the bag and munched on a few nuts, then took off and flew back to the dojo. He walked back to the storage room, took out his food, took off his saddle bags, then sat down. He looked at his food, then sighed.

Well, it'll definitely last until tomorrow.

He tore off a small chunk of bread and tossed it in his mouth.

But it's not enough if I want to have a serious workout.

Brawler sighed and laid down on the couch.

"What to do, what to do," he whispered. He glanced at the library.

"Eh," he stood up, "Might as well."

He trotted into the library and pulled out Magic 101. Then he took a few steps back, sat down, and placed the book on the ground in front of him. He opened it and flipped to chapter 4.

Chapter 4
Meditation

Meditation is an approach to training the mind, similar to the way fitness is an approach to training the body. A skilled mage needs to have a well trained mind in order to have full control of their magic. Many different meditation techniques exist but we'll begin with the basics.

In general, the easiest way to begin meditating is to focus on a single point, like breathing or the flame of a candle. This is called Concentration Meditation. A beginner will have difficulty focusing the mind at first so they should start with short sessions and work up to longer durations. As a general rule it usually takes at least a full minute of meditation before a pony starts to feel their inner magic.

Brawler tapped his hoof.

A full minute of focusing on nothing but breathing? Ugh, that's gonna take awhile.

He closed his eyes, leaned back, and started taking long breaths, trying to focus.

This is stupid.

Shut up I'm trying to focus.

On breathing, really? You think breathing will help you break out of telekinesis?

Got any better ideas jackass?

You could be training.

I haven't got enough food for that. Now shut the buck up and let me focus!

We're the same pony dumbass. And do you really want to stop thinking? It's the only thing holding the memories back.

Brawler's eyes snapped open. He held his head in his hoof and groaned.

"Luna almighty I hate my head."

Pinkie Pie was having a funerific day. She had spent her whole morning baking cupcakes. Some to sell in the store, some for her emergency stashes and some for snacks later today. Cupcakes were her favorite thing to bake, you could bake them plain, you could bake them with strawberry jelly filling, you could bake them with mini whipped cream bombs.

And no matter what they bring a smile to somepony's face!

All of a sudden one of the whipped cream bomb cupcakes started beeping.

"Oops!" Pinkie rushed over and stuffed the cupcake in her mouth. She chewed it for a few seconds then her cheeks explosively inflated to the size of basketballs.

Guess that one had a teensy weeny glitch.

Pinkie swallowed the delicious whipped cream, then closely scrutinized the other bomb cupcakes.

"Does anycake else want to explode?"

She gave each cupcake a shake to be sure. When none of them started beeping she smiled.

"Good! Because if more of you started going off I'd have to eat... you... all... up."

Realization dawned on Pinkie's face.

"Actually are you sure you don't want to blow up? The last guy who did made it look fun!"

The cupcakes remained silent.

"Oh come on, pllleeeaassseee? Just one more?"

The cupcakes ignored Pinkie's puppy dog eyes. Her mane drooped a bit.

"Party poopers."

The oven gave a 'DING', and Pinkie's mane reinflated. She bounced over to the oven, grabbed her oven mitts from her mane, opened the oven and grabbed the new and improved peanut butter chocolate cupcakes. Pinkie breathed in their delicious aroma.

"Ahh. Brawly's gonna love these!"

She set the cupcakes down to cool and looked at the clock. It was eleven thirty, she had just enough time to gather up the perfect selection of cupcakes then head over to the dojo for her match with Brawler.

Ooo, I can't wait! Who knew fighting could be so much fun?

Pinkie had technically fought others before; her status as the Element of Laughter meant that she had to face monsters and other threats to Equestria from time to time. But there was always something on the line then, not quite as much time for fun. It was occasionally fun, but not as fun as her fight with Brawler.

When she fought, or 'sparred' with Brawler there wasn't anything at stake. Without a sense of urgency weighing on her she could focus on just how exciting it was. Ducking beneath Brawler's right hook was a hell of a thrill, topped only by double kicking him in the face. Yeah, she lost and it hurt a bit, but Brawler wasn't some cackling evil doer so it didn't matter who won.

And today I get to have that same fun again and help a pony smile at the same time! What could be better?

Pinkie turned back to the cupcakes and examined them closely.

Now what's the perfect cupcake to enjoy while watching two ponies beat each other silly? Hmm.

Pinkie arrived at the dojo at exactly twelve o'clock. She was balancing a tray with six cupcakes on her back, one for each of them. The door was open so she bounced inside.

"Hellloooo? Anypony home?" she called. She heard some shuffling in a nearby room.

"Pinks? Is that you?" called Brawler. He walked in from a door on the left.

"Shit, is it noon already?" he asked.

"Yep!" Pinkie bounced her tray from her back to her right hoof, "I brought cupcakes! The peanut butter chocolate one is for you!"

Brawler's eyebrows shot up in surprise, then he sighed. Pinkie cocked her head.

"What's wrong?"

"Well," Brawler rubbed the back of his head, "It looks delicious but I can't eat it."

"Why not? You love chocolate and peanut butter don't you?" asked Pinkie.

"Yes, but I've already had more than enough sweets for the next month."

Pinkie's eyes bulged.

"WHAT!?!"

"Look Pinks, I need to eat a certain way to stay in fighting shape. It was hard enough to stay in shape when all I got to eat was prison slop, if I start eating sweets all the time I'd lose my muscle," said Brawler.

"Oh. When's the next time you can have a cupcake?" asked Pinkie.

"Uh, well, lemme think. Sunshine's lunch, the stuff at the food fight, and that peanut butter bar. I try to only eat dessert once every fifteen days, so, not for two months if I stick to the schedule," said Brawler, he rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, "But that's a pretty big if."

"Oh, okay," said Pinkie. She pulled her special cupcake safe out of her hair and placed Brawler's cupcake in it, then she put the safe back in her hair, "I'll hold onto it for you until you want it."

Brawler stared at her hair for a moment, then shook himself.

"You're not, mad or upset or anything?"

"Nah, I have plenty of friends who diet a lot. Rarity's always trying to lose a few pounds for some reason."

Brawler rolled his eyes.

"Teh, of course. Anyway do you know when Dashie and the CMC are gonna show up?"

"Already here Brawly-boy," called Rainbow Dash as she trotted in. Scootaloo followed close behind on her scooter. She got off and looked around.

"Is this it?" she asked.

"It's not much but it's better than nothing," said Brawler, "Are your friends almost here?"

"Yeah, we passed them on the way here. They should be here pretty soon," said Scootaloo.

"Alright, there's some carpeting on that side of the room which should be a little more comfortable to sit on, and Pinks made everypony cupcakes," said Brawler.

"Awesome! Can I have mine now?" asked Scootaloo.

"Go ahead squirt," said Rainbow Dash.

"One double chocolate cupcake coming up!" said Pinkie, she tossed the treat to Scootaloo, who jumped up and caught it.

"Yes! Thanks Pinkie!" she said as she walked over to the sitting area.

"Do you want your whipped cream bomb cupcake Rainbow Dash?" asked Pinkie.

"I think I'll wait till after the fight," said Rainbow Dash.

"Okie dokie lokie! I'll just have my strawberry cupcake while we wait!" Pinkie tossed the treat in the air and caught it in her mouth. Rainbow Dash and Brawler chuckled.

"Hey do we get cupcakes too?"

Everypony turned and saw Sweetie Belle and Applebloom at the entrance.

"Yeporuni! I have a caramel apple cupcake for Applebloom and a chocolate chip cupcake for Sweetie Belle."

The fillies took their cupcakes from Pinkie then joined Scootaloo at the sitting area. Brawler looked back and forth between Pinkie and Rainbow Dash.

"Alright, who's first?"

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie looked at each other, then Rainbow Dash walked into the sparring area and took a ready stance in the nearest corner.

"You okay with that Pinks?" asked Brawler.

"Yep! She looks like she really wants to kick your flank," said Pinkie. She turned and bounced over to the sitting area.

"Alright then," said Brawler, he trotted over to the corner opposite Rainbow Dash and got in his boxing stance.

"Ready for this Dashie?" he asked.

"You have no idea Brawly-boy," said Rainbow Dash.

They stared at each other for a moment, then took a few steps forward, paused, then started circling each other.

Without warning Rainbow Dash sped forward and threw a left jab at Brawler's face. Brawler raised his hooves and blocked it, then lashed out his right hoof. Rainbow Dash back stepped, Brawler lunged. With a powerful flap of her wings Rainbow Dash jumped over him and she landed with her back to his. They quickly turned to face each other but Rainbow Dash was slightly faster.

Spinning quickly, Rainbow Dash raised her right hind leg and slammed a roundhouse kick into Brawler's gut. Brawler started to double over but Rainbow Dash lashed out her left hoof and hit his head. Brawler stumbled back and was only just able to raise his guard in time to block another jab.

"WOO HOO! Go Rainbow Dash!" cheered Scootaloo.

Rainbow Dash threw a few more jabs, but Brawler forced her to back up when he threw an uppercut. They stared each other down, Brawler staying still, Rainbow Dash hoping from hoof to hoof. Both of them were breathing slightly harder than before.

Pinkie took a slurp of her soda through her crazy straw.

Well Rainbow Dash is doing a lot better than last time. Should I throw a party for her?

Before Pinkie could decide Brawler lunged forward and threw a wicked left hook at Rainbow Dash's face. She ducked beneath it, extended her hooves to either side of her and spread her wings.

Then Brawler's right hoof smashed into her face.

Rainbow Dash stumbled backward, hooves still by her side. Brawler lunged. His left hook to her head knocked her farther back, his right jab to her stomach doubled her over, and his right uppercut to her jaw knocked her down.

Rainbow Dash landed on her back with a loud 'THUD'. All the members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders gasped. Scootaloo shook herself.

"Come on Rainbow Dash, get up!" she cried.

Rainbow Dash rolled onto her stomach and groaned.

"Come on Dashie, is that all you got?" taunted Brawler.

Rainbow Dash snarled and slammed her right hoof on the floor then leapt back to her hooves. She quick got in her stance then lunged at Brawler. He quickly raised his guard and blocked her punch, but before he could counter she threw another jab, then a left hook into the side of his foreleg. Rainbow Dash's hooves became a blur as she peppered Brawler's guard with jabs and hooks. Then without warning she threw an uppercut right between Brawler's forelegs, and knocked them aside.

He was now wide open.

Before he could recover she ducked down, extended her hooves to either side of her and spread her wings. Then she shot upward and smashed her hooves up into his jaw. Brawler became airborne but Rainbow Dash wasn't done with him yet.

She quickly backflipped to correct herself, then tackled Brawler in mid-air and slammed him into the ground. Laying on top of him, Rainbow Dash raised her hoof then smashed it into Brawler's face. She raised it again and brought it down, but Brawler moved his head and she missed.

Before she could try again Brawler slammed his hoof into her side. Rainbow Dash cried out, Brawler slammed his hoof into her side again, and again, and again.

The fifth punch knocked her off and she rolled onto her back with a groan. Brawler stood up, panting.

"Had... enough?" he asked.

Rainbow Dash groaned again.

"Yeah... I think I'm done," she said.

Brawler chuckled and offered her his hoof. She took it and he pulled her to her hooves. She held her side.

"Those really hurt," she said.

"So did your double uppercut takeoff," said Brawler, rubbing his chin and grinning, "You come up with that yourself?"

"You told me to mix in some flying," said Rainbow Dash, starting to grin as well.

"I was thinking dive bombs, not uppercuts. Heh, heh. Damn Dashie, you keep this up and you just might beat me some day."

They chuckled, but before they could say anything else Pinkie sped over to them.

"That was AMAZING guys! You were all like 'Grr', and then Rainbow was like 'Whoosh', then Brawly was all like 'RAAR', and then- Hey what's wrong Brawly?"

Brawler was staring past Pinkie with narrowed eyes. Pinkie turned and saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders staring at them wide eyed.

Why's he mad at that?

"Nothing," grunted Brawler. Pinkie turned back to him with her head cocked. Brawler gave her a half hearted attempt at a chuckle.

"Well Pinks," he clapped his hooves, "Your turn."

He turned at started walking to the far corner.

"Wha-? Already? You don't want to rest?" asked Pinkie.

"Not while I can still stand," said Brawler, he reached the far corner, turned around and got into his stance, "Better get out of the ring Dashie, it's gonna get pretty hectic."

"Yeah, yeah, gimme a minute," said Rainbow Dash. She started walking over to the sitting area, still clutching her side.

"Your cupcake's on the tray Rainbow," said Pinkie.

"Thanks."

Still wondering what made Brawler mad, Pinkie walked over to the corner opposite Brawler.

Maybe he was mad they didn't cheer? No, that's not really his thing.

Her eyes widened.

Maybe he's mad they got to eat cupcakes and he didn't!

She reached the corner and turned to face him.

But he said he had a dessert schedule.

It's a cupcake! Who wouldn't be a sourpuss if somepony got one and they didn't.

Okay so what do we do?

Maybe use cupcakes in the fight? That way he can have one if he really wants it.

"Great idea brain!" said Pinkie. Everypony stared at her. She put a hoof over her mouth and giggled.

"Oops. Heh, heh, thinking out loud again."

"Heh. Don't worry Pinks I sometimes do it too," said Brawler, "Anyway since you're a long range fighter I'll let you pull out one weapon before we start. But as soon as it's out, I'm coming for you."

"Thanks Brawly!" Pinkie stood up then reached into her mane and started sorting through her options.

Hmm, Cupcake cannon? Nah, save it. Party cannon? Nah, he's already seen it. Hmm. Ahh! Here we go.

Pinkie whipped out a high-powered two slotted toaster and strapped it to her right hoof. Brawler started charging forward and Pinkie tossed bread into the slots.

"FLAMING TOAST CANNON!"

Brawler stopped dead and started waving his forelegs.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Pinks this is a wood building!" he shouted.

"Oops," Pinkie adjusted the toaster's heat, "Sorry, forgot. BURNT TOAST CANNON!"

Two black pieces of toast shot out of the toaster and straight for Brawler. He raised his guard and they shattered against his forelegs.

"Gaaah! That bucking stings!"

He started walking forward. Pinkie reloaded and shot again Brawler dodged to the left but before both his back hooves were even on the ground Pinkie fired again. The toast smashed against his chest and he stumbled back.

"Okay then," he mumbled.

Brawler sped to Pinkie's left, when she fired he dodged right then sped that way. He repeated the process several times, occasionally not changing direction after a dodge to throw Pinkie off.

Not good, he's getting pretty close!

One more dodge and he would be right on top of her. She needed to think of something and fast.

Come on, come on.... Got it!

Pinkie fired her toast cannon, Brawler ducked to the left then lunged forward. Pinkie quickly pulled her Party cannon out, jumped on top of it, then fired a shot into Brawler's face.

Unfortunately she had forgotten to reload the presents, so the only thing that came out was confetti. Brawler barely even slowed down.

He jumped up, smashed his hoof into Pinkie's face and she flew off the cannon. Brawler landed on his hooves, Pinkie landed on her back. Brawler took a deep breath.

"No offense Pinks but I think you rely a little too much on weapons," he said.

Pinkie sat up.

"Like this one?"

She pulled out her Cupcake cannon, loaded three cupcakes in it, and rapidly shot them into Brawler's face. While he was wiping it off she pulled out her frying pan.

Wah-cong time!

She leapt forward and smashed the pan down on Brawler's head.

'CONG'

Brawler's head was forced down and he started stumbling back. Right when he was standing up Pinkie hit him again.

'CONG'

Brawler stumbled further back and tripped against the Party cannon. He tried to wipe his eyes off but Pinkie swung at the left side of his face.

'CONG'

Brawler fell down to the right but managed to land on all fours. He snarled and wiped the frosting from his eyes. Pinkie was coming at him again with her frying pan raised. Brawler stood up and got in his stance. Pinkie swung at his left side, Brawler raised his left foreleg over the frying pan then pinned it to his side. Then before Pinkie could let go he slammed his hoof into her stomach, then up into her head.

Pinkie let go of her frying pan and fell to the ground. Brawler stood panting, then he let the frying pan fall to the floor with a 'clang'.

"Oww," he held his head with his right foreleg, "We done Pinks?"

Pinkie sat up, her eyes were spinning.

"Ooo, Brawly! When did you become triplets?" she asked. Brawler laughed, got back on all fours, and trotted over to her. He tapped the side of her head a few times and her eyes corrected themselves.

"Yeah, I think we're done," he said as he helped her up.

"Oh, okay. But that was a lot of fun Brawly!" said Pinkie.

Brawler smiled.

"Sure was Pinks."

Pinkie smiled back at him.

I really, really, really like it when he smiles. He's not scary at all when he does it.

"That was AWESOME!" yelled Scootaloo.

Pinkie turned and saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders rush over to Brawler. They started bouncing up and down in front of him, asking excited questions.

"How the hay are ya still standin' after takin' a beatin' like that?" asked Applebloom.

"How did you dodge Rainbow Dash's punch?" asked Scootaloo.

"How did you catch that frying pan so easily?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Brawler started glancing between them and trying to push them away but they were persistent.

"How much did that toast shooter thingamajig hurt?" asked Applebloom.

"Does it hurt your hoof when you punch something?" asked Scootaloo.

"Can you teach me to fight like that?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Brawler froze.

Pinkie's back started itching.

Wah? Danger? But what could be-?

"Get out," growled Brawler.

"Huh?" asked Scootaloo.

"Get out... Get out! GET OUT!!" Brawler shoved the fillies away, "GET THE BUCK OUT OF HERE!"

"Wha- but all I asked was-" Sweetie Belle stopped protesting when Brawler raised his hoof. Applebloom quickly shoved her friends behind her.

"I said GET OUT!" yelled Brawler.

Rainbow Dash sped forward and shoved herself between Brawler and the fillies.

"Brawler calm down," she said shakily, she turned to the kids, "Look, just leave, okay? You're not in trouble but just go, okay?"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders stared at her, then at Brawler, then each other. After a moments hesitation they trotted out of the dojo.

Rainbow Dash let out a sigh of relief then turned on Brawler.

"What the BUCK was that about? They were just asking questions!" she said. Brawler sucked in a few deep breaths, then lowered his hoof.

"That's the bucking problem," he said. He walked over to the wall of the sitting area and started beating his head against it.

'THUMP' "Damnit." 'THUMP' "Damnit." 'THUMP' "Damnit."

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie stared at each other, then at Brawler.

"Um, what's wrong with them asking questions?" asked Pinkie.

"Think about it. How would the average school filly react to those fights?" asked Brawler.

"W-well, um," stammered Rainbow Dash.

"They'd be scared," said Brawler, "They might want to see the fight, but if I approached them afterwards they would scream and piss themselves."

Brawler turned to face them.

"Only one kind of pony would ever even approach me after matches like that. A fighter."

Chapter 8

View Online

Brawler glared at Rainbow Dash and Pinkie. They glanced at each other, then back at him.

They don't get it do they?

"U-um, why is that bad?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"You want your little sister to be like me?" asked Brawler.

"Wha-? She wouldn't-"

"She'd have a different fighting style, and some personality differences but she'd be like me," interrupted Brawler, "As in she'd have a need to get into fights daily to stay sane."

"Well you're a fighter too aren't you? You could fight with them and all four of you could be happy," said Pinkie.

Brawler laughed. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie gulped.

"You really think Sunshine would let me get away with something like that? Turning three innocent little fillies into the embodiment of everything she's against? Heh, she'd lock me in some deep dark hole and throw away the key."

"Celestia would never do anything like that!" protested Rainbow Dash.

"She already tried, and you know she wants me back in that cell," said Brawler, "And even if you ignore all that, do you really want to be afraid of your little sister?"

"What?"

"You're scared of me Dashie, don't deny it. I train Scootaloo to be like me, you'll be scared of her too."

"Scootaloo's my little sister! Families don't do that kind of thing!" yelled Rainbow Dash.

"That's what I thought, then my dad pushed me off Cloudsdale." said Brawler.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie's eyes widened.

"What?" whispered Pinkie.

"It was a few months after I got my mark," Brawler grit his teeth, "I hadn't learned how to fly yet. The bastard took me to the edge of the clouds, then pushed me off," Brawler stared at the floor, "I fell, flapping and screaming, all that bucker did was fly home," Brawler looked up, "The only reason I'm alive is because of a griffon named Garry. He's a traveling salesman and he caught me when I was about halfway down. He flew me back up to Cloudsdale, I told him what happened but he couldn't do anything about it."

"WHAT! He saw you get pushed off Cloudsdale, rescued you, then just leaves!" yelled Rainbow Dash.

"No, he saw me falling off Cloudsdale. He barely believed me about my dad. And even after I convinced him; what the hell was he supposed to do? Take it to court? Nopony would believe a griffon, and a 'dangerous' colt in a million years. Take me under his wing? He was struggling financially and he has a family of four in the griffon kingdom. He had already helped me as best as he could. So I walked home, gave my dad the middle feather, and never trusted the son of a bitch again," said Brawler.

"What about your mom?" asked Pinkie.

Brawler sighed.

"She tried sticking by me for awhile, but even she got scared when I started eating meat," he said.

Rainbow Dash gasped and Pinkie took a step back.

Way to go Brawler, that'll scare them off.

Angry tears started to well up in Brawler's eye's but he blinked them back.

"Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I eat meat! I'm just a big scary monster aren't I?" He raised his voice until he was yelling, "Everypony run! Hide! Brawler's coming! He's a violent psychopath who eats animal flesh! Run for your lives! He'll kill you! And don't listen to a word he says, he'll trick you into thinking he's an actual pony. But don't you dare listen, he's a HEARTLESS DEMO-"

Pinkie threw herself forward and latched onto him before he could finish. Brawler thought she was attacking him and struggled, but Pinkie held on and didn't move. Then it hit Brawler, she was hugging him. He stopped struggling.

"Pinks, wha-?"

"You need it," said Pinkie.

Brawler didn't fight against the hug, but he was a little too shocked to return it. Rainbow Dash shifted from side to side, wondering what to do.

Eventually Brawler broke the silence.

"Thanks Pinks but I just-, I just need some time alone right now."

"Okay," whispered Pinkie, she gave him a quick squeeze, then let go.

Brawler gave her and Rainbow Dash a nod, then quickly trotted over to the storage room and sat on the couch. He heard the mares leave, then sighed. He leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, wondering just what the hell he should think.

Rainbow Dash led Pinkie out of the dojo, and they found the Cutie Mark Crusaders with their ears pressed against one of the windows. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. The fillies whipped around and started making excuses but Rainbow Dash held up her hoof.

"It's alright, none of you are in trouble," she said. The fillies let out a sigh of relief.

"What was going on in there?" asked Sweetie Belle, "We didn't really hear anything until he started shouting."

"We'll tell you soon," said Rainbow Dash.

"We will?" asked Pinkie.

"Rarity and Applejack need to know about this, and so do Twilight and Fluttershy if they want to be his friend," said Rainbow Dash.

"Know about what?" asked Applebloom.

Rainbow Dash sighed.

"Just go get your sister's and meet us at Twilight's. Scootaloo you go with Pinkie and let Twilight know we're coming. I'll go get Fluttershy. Once everypony's there we'll explain," she said.

The fillies looked at each other, then nodded to Rainbow Dash and started to walk away.

"Are you sure about this Rainbow Dash?" asked Pinkie, "I'm not sure Brawly would like us telling everypony about that."

"They NEED to know. Plus if he's right about the CMC's Cutie Marks then Rarity and AJ REALLY need to know."

"Isn't this talking about him behind his back?" asked Pinkie.

"Yes... no, gah!" Rainbow Dash held her head, "I don't know. I just don't know what else to do! I mean, my foalhood wasn't easy but buck, he's been through hell. I don't know how to deal with it, maybe one of our friends will."

Pinkie thought about it, nodded, then bounced after Scootaloo.

Rainbow Dash sighed again. Then took off and flew to Fluttershy's cottage. She landed at the door and knocked. Fluttershy opened the door a few moments later.

"Oh hi Rainbow Dash. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm alright Shy, but we need to get over to Twilight's. Pinkie and I need to tell you and the others something," said Rainbow Dash.

"Oh! Um, okay. Let's go," said Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash took off and hovered a few feet off the ground, then flew slowly towards Twilight's with Fluttershy trotting behind her.

"Um, so what are you and Pinkie going to tell us about? I mean, if you don't mind me asking," said Fluttershy.

"It's about Brawler," said Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy let out a small 'Eep', then went quiet. Rainbow Dash inwardly sighed.

"He's not a bad pony Fluttershy, he's just been through a lot," she said.

If Fluttershy responded it was too quiet to hear. They went the rest of the way in silence.

After a few minutes of walking, they reached Twilight's castle and headed inside, both the other members of the Mane six and the CMC were waiting for them in the throne room.

"Ah, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, you're here," said Twilight.

"Oh! Are we late?" asked Fluttershy worriedly.

"No, no darling of course not! I only arrived a few moments ago," said Rarity.

"Same here," said Applejack, "But what's this about anyhow? Applebloom said it had somethin' ta do with Brawler?"

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash sighed, "You might want to sit down, this is going to take awhile."

In actuality it only took a little more than five minutes for her and Pinkie to tell the others what Brawler had told them. By the time they were done however, nopony looked comfortable.

Twilight had her head in her hoof and was staring at the floor. Rarity's eyes flickered around the room and was rapidly tapping her hoof. Applejack had gone wide-eyed and was shaking her head. Fluttershy was trembling. The Cutie Mark Crusaders' gazes shifted between each other, their flanks, and their sisters.

For awhile nopony spoke.

"So." Everypony turned to Sweetie Belle, she hesitated for an instant, then continued.

"So we're fighters?" she asked.

"W-well let's not be too hasty Sweetie Belle. Just because Brawler thinks you are doesn't mean it's true," said Rarity.

"Well, yes and no," said Twilight.

"What do you mean? It's impossible to tell what a pony's Cutie Mark will be before they earn it," said Rarity.

"Well the exact Cutie Mark is impossible to predict, but it's possible to be correct with a general prediction. Brawler knows how a fighter will act better than anypony and his line of reasoning is fairly sound, so the Cutie Mark Crusaders being fighters is a distinct possibility," said Twilight.

"Okay, so what do we do?" asked Scootaloo.

For a moment, nopony answered.

"What if Brawly trained them?" suggested Pinkie.

The effect was instant.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

"I really must protest daring."

"Hold yer horses there Sugarcube."

"Well if there are more fighters around won't ponies get used to them?" asked Pinkie.

Everypony was stunned.

"That's, actually a pretty good point," said Twilight, "Plus since a lot of ponies here know the Cutie Mark Crusaders and know they aren't dangerous. If it was revealed that they were fighters ponies might be more open to it than being introduced to a complete stranger who was a fighter."

"So... Us bein' trained by Brawler would be a good thing?" asked Applebloom.

"Well, uh, don't be to hasty there Sugarcube," said Applejack.

"Twilight said it was good! Well, kind of anyway but I want to him to train me," said Scootaloo.

"You sure about it squirt? After everything we just told you?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Sure I'm sure! You and my friends would never let me down like that so having a fighter Cutie Mark sounds AWESOME!"

Rainbow Dash smiled, and a tear welled up in her eye. She wiped it away before anypony noticed.

Thanks for trusting me that much Sis.

"Alright, if it's what you want to do, go for it," said Rainbow Dash.

"YES!" Scootaloo punched the air. Applebloom turned to Applejack. Applejack sighed.

"Do ya really want ta do it Applebloom?" she asked.

"I really wanna get mah Cutie Mark, an' I'd be lyin' if I said havin' a fighter mark doesn't sound pretty cool," said Applebloom.

Applejack sighed again.

"Alright, go fer it," she said. Applebloom smiled and pumped her hoof.

Sweetie Belle turned to Rarity.

"You can't be serious," said Rarity.

"Rarity, Brawler thinks that I'm a fighter and Twilight thinks he's probably right. I just don't have my Cutie Mark to confirm it yet. Do you wanna keep me from getting my Cutie Mark?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"What?! NO! I want you to get your Cutie Mark Sweetie Belle and I'll stay with you no matter what it is. It's just... Forgive me if I'm a tad hesitant to let a stallion like Brawler be your role model," said Rarity.

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to turn into a miniature him. He's far too smelly to be a proper role model," she said.

Rarity laughed. Rainbow Dash smirked when she noticed Sweetie Belle winking to the other CMC.

"Ah, very well, as you wish," said Rarity.

Sweetie Belle smiled and nodded.

"Alright! Let's go tell Brawly-boy he's got some ponies to train!" said Rainbow Dash.

Rarity followed behind Rainbow Dash and Applejack towards the dojo. Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie still wanted to talk about Brawler so they had stayed at the castle. At first Rarity had tried to make the Cutie Mark Crusaders stay as well, but they wanted to start training as soon as possible so they tagged along. She glanced back at the three fillies, they were talking to one another excitedly as they followed.

No doubt discussing what they think their fighting styles and Cutie Marks will be.

Rarity sighed, then looked forward

I really hope this is the right thing to do.

To say that she and Brawler had gotten off on the wrong hoof was like saying Brawler could be a tad intimidating at times. Brawler had made it clear that he didn't want her friendship. The fact that he constantly called her Bitch made it difficult for Rarity to want his. And even if she ignored his profane attitude there was still the fact that Brawler was, and probably always will be, scary. Rarity had noticed more than a few bruises on Rainbow Dash and Pinkie when they told everypony about Brawler's past, and those two were the closest thing he had to friends. Rarity shuddered to think how Brawler treated ponies he didn't like.

Yet at the same time, she had never met a pony in more desperate need of a friend. Rarity and her parents sometimes had difficulty seeing eye to eye, but they still cared about each other very much. Brawler's Father had tried to kill him and his Mother was afraid of him. Rarity had gotten along with her peers in school. If his rant was anything to go by, everypony in Cloudsdale thought Brawler was a monster.

I want to help him. I really do. But is letting Sweetie Belle hang out with him really a good way to do it?

The dojo came into sight.

No backing out now Rarity, you already agreed to let her.

When they reached the dojo's door, Rainbow Dash knocked.

"Hey Brawly-boy, can we come in?" she called.

Brawler didn't answer. Rainbow Dash pounded on the door a few more times and Brawler still didn't respond. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and opened the door.

"Brawly-boy, we're coming in!" she called, then she trotted inside. Applejack and Rarity followed with the CMC right behind them. Rarity looked around the dusty sparring hall in mild disgust.

The wallpaper's drab and the floorboards look like they haven't been polished in a decade! How does anypony live like this?

She turned up her nose, then noticed something else.

Does this building not have any lights?

Before she could voice her question she heard a strange thumping sound. She lowered her nose and looked around, the noise seemed to come from the door on the right. The others had heard it as well and they started for the door with Rainbow Dash once again in the lead. When they entered the room they saw the source of the noise. Brawler was striking a punching bag in the center of what appeared to be the workout room. He had his back to them and was completely focused on the bag in front of him.

Jab, jab. Hook, duck left, counter right.

It was strangely hypnotic to watch. Every punch he threw was brutal, but every movement was, dare she say it, graceful. After watching him for a few moments Rarity began to understand why someponies liked watching martial arts so much. But they weren't here to watch Brawler practice.

Rarity cleared her throat. Brawler paused.

"What part of 'I need time alone' did you not get?" He turned, then did a double take when he saw Rarity.

"What the buck are YOU doing here?" he demanded.

Rarity's eyebrow twitched.

"My humblest apologies good sir Brawler, I wasn't aware entering your fine estate was a crime," she said, giving him a curtsey.

Brawler wasn't nearly as courteous.

"Buck off, Bitch."

"Hey!" cried Sweetie Belle, "Don't talk to my sister like that!"

"Come over here and st-" Brawler paused when he saw the CMC, he sighed, then turned his attention to Rainbow Dash. "What the hell's going on?"

"Ya know how you think our sisters are fighters? Well we want you to train them," said Rainbow Dash.

Brawler blinked. Then his eyes narrowed.

"Are you BUCKING insane?!?" he demanded, "After EVERYTHING I tell you, you want me to make your sisters fighters? Do I need to repeat myself? AFTER I BECAME A FIGHTER MY OWN BUCKING FAMILY GOT SCARED OF ME! You want to be afraid of your own little sis?"

"That ain't gonna happen Brawler," said Applejack. She gulped when Brawler's glare shifted to her but held her ground.

"Since we know what's gonna happen we can, ya know, prepare for it so it won't be as big of a shock," she said.

"Assuming that works, and that's a pretty damn big assumption, my parents weren't the only ponies who were afraid of me. Ever hear a school filly scream just because you wandered too close to her? Then getting detention for it? Not a lot of fun," said Brawler.

"Ponyville's a lot smaller than Cloudsdale," said Rainbow Dash.

"What's that got to do with anything?" asked Brawler.

"It means schools and classes here are a lot smaller too. So most kids in school know each other at least a little bit and are usually pretty friendly to each other. Right squirt?" called Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo looked up.

"Uh, yeah! I mean I haven't really seen much of them since it's summer but when we run into a kid from our class we usually say hi," she said.

Applebloom mumbled something that Rarity couldn't quite make out, but she saw Sweetie Belle scowl and nod.

Brawler opened his mouth but Rainbow Dash beat him to it.

"And there's none of that 'this is how popular kids act so I should act that way too' bullshit," she said.

"Rainbow Dash! Language!" said Rarity.

"What? You didn't say anything when Brawly-boy swore!" protested Rainbow Dash.

"Telling him to stop swearing would be like telling Pinkie to calm down and keep quiet," said Rarity, "It happens rarely and only when they want to."

"Get to the bucking point," said Brawler.

"Isn't it obvious darling? Since the fillies and colts at school are more acquainted with our sisters and know they aren't dangerous they'll be more accepting towards them if they get fighter Cutie Marks," said Rarity.

Brawler stomped his right foreleg and growled.

"Even if you're right, and again that's a big bucking if, what about Sunshine? She'd never let me get away with it," he said, "Hell, she might even arrest your sisters while she's at it."

"Ah'm sure Twi can help ya out with that. What with her bein' a princess too an' all," said Applejack.

"Until I get solid proof that Sunshine won't lock us up for it, there's no way in hell I'm training them," said Brawler.

"Oh so we just get that and you'll do it?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Wha-? No! Even if you had that, and even if I wanted to train them I haven't got everything I need," said Brawler.

"Your talking about electricity and plumbing, yes?" asked Rarity.

"What?"

"You have no lights and you obviously haven't showered; you need electricity and plumbing right?" asked Rarity.

Brawler grunted.

"I guess, but I was talking about meat," he said.

That sent a chill down everypony else's spine. Brawler rolled his eyes.

"You want those three to be fighters? Then they'll have to start eating meat every day."

"Why?" asked Applebloom.

"You need the extra protein if you want to build some real muscle. If you don't eat meat I won't train you," said Brawler, "And since I don't have any meat, or bits to buy some, I guess I won't train you."

"Out of curiosity do you cook with a stove or a grill?" asked Rarity.

Brawler raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, grill, why?"

"So, if I'm correct you need an electric system, plumbing, a grill, meat, and perhaps a fridge to store the meat in?" asked Rarity.

"I guess, but I haven't got a single bit to pay for any of that stuff," said Brawler.

"You misunderstand darling, I'll buy it all for you," said Rarity.

"WHAT!? That's like five hundred bits!" exclaimed Brawler.

"Actually it's more like seven hundred seventy five, and that's without the price of meat as I don't know the prices," said Rarity.

"Don't do me any favors," snarled Brawler.

"How exactly do plan to stop me from giving you numerous household luxuries?" asked Rarity, "Snarl at a few workers?"

Brawler's eye twitched and he growled.

"Fine," he spat, "I'll pay you back."

"No, no, darling, I won't accept it. I'm doing you a favor, not giving a loan," said Rarity, "If you feel so strongly about it simply do me a favor later."

"I'll do you a favor and pay half the money back," said Brawler.

"Very well. You can return the favor by training our sisters," said Rarity.

"That's three favors," said Brawler.

"Uh, Brawler sir?" asked Sweetie Belle.

He turned and glared at her. She didn't bat an eye.

"Why are you so against having three ponies dedicate their lives to combat training and constantly seek a challenging opponent?" she asked.

Brawler stared at her. Then he sighed and shook his head, but he was grinning.

"You are one manipulative little bu-"

Rarity cleared her throat.

"Bugger, ya know that?" said Brawler, catching himself at the last second. Sweetie Belle smiled innocently.

"Alright, if you're so dead set on giving your family nightmares, I'll train you," he said, "AFTER I get a guarantee that Sunshine won't lock me up AND you start eating meat. Got it?"

The fillies looked at each other.

"Do we really gotta start eatin' meat?" asked Applebloom.

"Only if you wanna be a fighter," said Brawler, "And nopony said you had to-"

"We're not gonna back down Brawly-boy so stop trying to scare us," said Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement. Applebloom hesitated, then nodded as well.

Brawler grunted.

"When shit hits the fan, don't say I didn't warn you," he turned to Rarity, "If you're buying the meat as well, chicken's the cheapest. Three of them should be enough to feed the four of us for the next month. Normally that's about two hundred twenty bits but I know a guy who gives me a permanent 50% discount."

"Why in the world would he do that?" asked Rarity.

"I assume Dashie and Pinks told you about Garry?" he asked.

Rainbow Dash grimaced.

"I'm sorry for telling them all that stuff Brawler. I, I just-"

"Don't sweat it Dash. If I had really wanted to keep it all a secret I would've kept my mouth shut," said Brawler, "Anyway about a year after he rescued me he came back to Cloudsdale. Partly for business and partly to check up on me. Anyway his money problems had sorted themselves out and he felt sorry for me so he offered me a permanent 50% off on all his stuff. One of the things he sells is meat. I didn't want to try it at first but he told me about how boxers ate it all the time so I bought some, and I've been buying from him ever since."

"Well that's nice an' all, but how are ya gonna find 'im? Didn't ya say he was a traveling salesman?" asked Applejack.

"He has a permanent room in, what was it? The Altocumulus Inn. Just send the order there and they'll forward it to wherever on Equis he is," said Brawler, "Just send a letter ordering three chickens along with a hundred and ten bits, they'll get it to him. But be sure to mention that the stuff's for me or you won't get the discount."

"Very well darling, I'll start the letter now," said Rarity, turning for the door.

"Not so fast," said Brawler, "How many bits do I owe you?"

"You're not going to allow me to just help you?"

"I don't like charity. I pay you half the bits back and do you a favor, that was the deal."

"Alright, let's see. The chickens are a hundred ten bits, a grill costs a hundred bits, a mini fridge is about a hundred fifty bits, installing electricity is about two hundred fifteen bits and plumbing with a shower and toilet should cost about five hundred bits for a grand total of: One thousand seventy five bits," calculated Rarity.

"So I owe you five hundred thirty eight, right?" asked Brawler.

"If you insist, yes," said Rarity.

Though it would soften the blow. I can afford to do it all but it's still a thousand bits

"Wait, if you haven't got a toilet, where have you been-?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"The forest, it's not that long a walk, where else?" asked Brawler.

Everypony's eyes bulged.

"You've been doin' yer business in the Everfree forest?" asked Applejack.

"Home to some of the scariest monsters in Equestria?!" asked Rainbow Dash.

Brawler smirked.

"They're smart enough not to bother me while I'm taking a shit," he said, "Besides it's not like I go that far in."

"Uh, right, well," Rarity cleared her throat, "I believe my business here is concluded. I'll go order everything for you, hopefully it will all arrive by tomorrow. Come along Sweetie Belle."

"But-"

"Kid, none of you are getting any training until I get proof Sunshine won't lock me up for it," said Brawler.

"Oh, okay," sighed Sweetie Belle.

Rarity started for the door with her sister trailing behind her. Then something unexpected happened.

"Hey Rares," called Brawler.

Rarity paused, and turned.

Rares?

"Sorry for calling you a bitch," he said.

Rarity's eyes bulged briefly but she quickly composed herself.

"All the times you called me a bitch?" she asked.

Brawler rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'm sorry for all the times I called you a bitch."

Rarity smiled.

"Apology accepted. Farewell."

She turned back to the exit and trotted away.

Brawler watched Rarity and Sweetie Belle leave.

Never thought I'd say that. But no bitch would ever offer to just pay for everything I need.

He looked back to Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"You'll let Sparky know about this right?" he asked.

"Well she already knows you're gonna train them, but I'll tell her to make sure Celestia won't come after you," said Rainbow Dash.

"Thanks Dashie."

"No prob, race ya to the Egghead palace squirt!"

"One sec," Scootaloo turned to Brawler, "Thanks for saying you'll do it, I'm sure it's gonna be AWESOME!"

She jumped on her scooter and sped away before Brawler could respond, Rainbow Dash speeding right behind her.

Brawler looked after them, shook his head, and sighed. Applejack raised an eyebrow.

"Applebloom," she said, " Ah wanna talk with Brawler fer a few more minutes. You can start headin' back ta the farm if ya want."

"Why? What're ya gonna be talkin' 'bout?" asked Applebloom.

"Nothin' important, and Ah'm sure Granny Smith'd like some help with the apple pies fer tonight," said Applejack.

Applebloom cocked her head, then shrugged.

"Alright," she made for the door, but paused next to Brawler, "I'm really lookin' forward ta trainin' Brawler. I'm sure with yer help we'll get our Cutie Marks lickity split."

Brawler grunted, then Applebloom trotted out the door.

"You wanted to talk?" he asked.

"Why'd ya agree ta train 'em? Seems like ya still don't wanna do it," said Applejack.

"It's cause of what Sweetie Belle said," said Brawler, "On the one hoof, being a fighter can be hell, and I don't wanna put a few kids through that. On the other, three fighters to train and spar with?"

He chuckled and grinned.

"That's like Dashie getting a shot at racing Spitfire. I couldn't resist," his grin faded, "Really hope this somehow works out."

"Ah'm not gonna let Applebloom down," said Applejack.

Brawler snorted.

"Funny. That's what my Ma told me," He looked Applejack in the eye, "I made up my mind, and I'll train them. Maybe it'll work out the way you seem to think it will and everypony'll be happy. But again, if shit hits the fan, don't say I didn't warn you."

Applejack took a deep breath.

"Alright, Ah understand," she said, "Now before I go ya know tomorrow's Monday right? Well if ya still wanna work on the farm I'll have ta wake ya at five, that okay?"

"Alright, see ya then."

"See ya Brawler."

Applejack trotted out the door.

Brawler turned back to the punching bag but he didn't feel like training anymore. He sat down, looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Chapter 9

View Online

Fluttershy stood in the palace throne room, seemingly frozen in place. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and their sisters had left a few minutes ago and Twilight and Pinkie were apparently arguing about something. Fluttershy took a deep breath and tuned back into the conversation.

"Pinkie, you heard from him first hoof, about all he went through as a child, combine that with his eight year imprisonment and it's MORE than likely he's been traumatized in some way. He NEEDS to see a therapist," said Twilight.

"Twilight, I'm pretty sure Brawly wouldn't like being forced in a room with an old smarty-pants and have them tell him how to solve all his problems," said Pinkie with an unusually serious expression on her face, "What he needs is friends who aren't scared of him and who'll accept him for who he is. That way he'll start smiling more often!" Her signature smile returned and she bounced up and down excitedly.

Fluttershy looked down.

Friends who aren't scared of him.

Fluttershy's mind went back to when Brawler had approached her. He had offered her his hoof and she had attempted to pass through the wall behind her. She remembered the defeated look in his eyes when he lowered his hoof.

She couldn't stop herself, she sobbed. Twilight and Pinkie stopped arguing and turned to her.

"What's wrong Fluttershy?" asked Twilight, trotting over next to her.

"I, I hurt him," mumbled Fluttershy, looking at the floor.

"I, I'm sorry Fluttershy I didn't quite catch that," said Twilight, leaning a bit closer.

Fluttershy sniffled then looked up.

"I hurt him," she said, still mumbling a little, "When he came close I got scared, and that hurt him."

"Fluttershy, how could something like that hurt him?" asked Twilight, "He's a scary pony, he knows that."

"That doesn't change the fact that it hurts," said Pinkie, her mane had deflated a bit, "When Rainbow Dash and I backed away from him when he said he ate meat he started crying."

Fluttershy cringed, then sobbed again. She couldn't even hear about the stallion without getting scared.

"What am I supposed to do?!" she cried, "I need to say I'm sorry, I want to tell him he's not alone anymore, but," she gulped, "He's just so scary, how am I supposed to help a pony that I'm scared of?"

The three of them stood in silence for a moment.

"What if you tried giving him a pet?" asked Twilight.

"Huh? Why?" asked Fluttershy.

"Well if you had common ground he would be easier to talk to, and therefore less scary," said Twilight.

Fluttershy's face lit up, but then fell again.

"But, most of the animals I take care of would probably be scared of him because he eats meat." she said.

"So give a carnivore, a dog or cat should do the trick," said Twilight.

"Plus, it should probably be a bit on the wild side," said Pinkie, smiling and doing jazz hooves, "He'd probably find a tame pet boring."

A carnivore who hasn't been tamed yet.

She thought for a moment, then it hit her.

"I think have just the pet."

Scar was bored.

This in itself wasn't anything new, for the past few weeks she had been forced to do nothing but sit on her ass and drink milk. She glanced back at her right hind leg, it was wrapped in bandages and had a stick along each end to keep her leg straight. Scar hissed, it was starting to itch again. But NOOO, she wasn't allowed to scratch it because that would slow her recovery by about five seconds. And that butterscotch pussy always had one of her little snitches watching her.

Angel Bunny (*snerk) turned and glared at her, seemingly reading her thoughts. Scar glared right back. That bunny liked to pretend he was the Alpha when his pussy of a master went out, but Scar knew better. An Alpha was supposed to be tough enough to handle threats to the pack, and that little bunny didn't have the balls to hop within two feet of her, let alone take her on.

That made him a failure of an Alpha, because anyone could tell that Scar was a threat to this sickeningly sheltered pack. She had already tried to snatch up a few mice that had come her way. They thought she wasn't dangerous because she was injured. HAH! Those little bastards learned their lesson when she caught one's tail with her paw. But before she could enjoy the fat little morsel he had started squeaking his damn head off. Not that this bothered Scar, but that stupid Pegasus came soaring into the room and demanded that Scar let her prey go. Scar had reluctantly complied, but only because her leg was still broken and, loathe as she was to admit it, she needed help recovering.

The yellow Pegasus (What was her name again? Oh yeah, Fluttershy.) then tried to lecture her about how that sort of behavior wasn't allowed in her house. Scar told her not to worry, the second her leg was fixed she was getting outta here. Fluttershy had then tried to convince Scar to stay and drink milk for the rest of her life. Scar laughed in her face, staying in this sheltered little community made her sick to her stomach, and drink milk for the rest of her life? That was kit food, and Scar sure as hell wasn't a kit, she was a hunter and she was damn proud of it. Fluttershy then practically begged Scar not to leave and be a hunter again because then she might eat one of Fluttershy's little friends. Scar told her that she was a predator and predators ate prey, that's how the world works, no matter how badly someone tried to believe otherwise. Fluttershy had gotten a little teary eyed after her speech and several animals started glaring at Scar, but they all backed down when Scar started hissing. Even the freaking bear backed off and his claws were longer than Scar's head!

I don't care how much she's doing for me, there's no way in hell I'll let her tame me if it means becoming that much of a coward.

Scar sighed.

But I do owe her.

A few weeks ago, Scar had gotten chased into a tree by a Timberwolf pup. She stayed high up in the tree until the pup lost interest, then she started making her way down. Around the halfway mark, her paw had slipped on some moss and she had tumbled down to the ground, breaking her right hind leg with a loud snap. She had nearly given up when she heard that sound and felt the pain. A broken leg meant she couldn't walk properly, let alone hunt, she was sure she would starve.

But then Fluttershy came, took her to a safe place, treated her wounds, fed her, and never asked for anything in return. Scar had to obey Fluttershy's rules while she was being taken care of, but Fluttershy never asked for anything else.

Well, I guess she still wants me to come up with a better name for myself.

Scar turned her head to her left side. Her light gray fur covered it up a bit, but a long claw mark was still visible from her left leg to her stomach. Scar had gotten it two Summers ago when a badger had jumped her. They tussled for a bit, then both limped away with new scars.

Despite the injury, Scar was immensely proud of that day. Badgers were one of the few non-magical creatures cats try to steer clear of, and she had fought one and lived to tell the tale. And since that scar represented so much to her she figured why not name herself after it?

Fluttershy didn't like the name though, something about it being too scary. She had suggested Scar call herself something like Misty, or Dusty, Scar refused. Those were pet names, Scar was not a pet.

But getting back to the point, Fluttershy had done a lot for Scar, and she wanted to repay her somehow. But she didn't know what to do. Fluttershy would probably be happy if Scar decided to stay, but Scar valued her self-reliance, and staying with Fluttershy would mean giving that up. But what else could she do? The only thing Scar was good at was hunting, and she was pretty sure Fluttershy wouldn't appreciate a dead mouse as a thank you.

What to do? What to do?

Scar's tail swished back and forth thoughtfully. After several minutes of thinking, the only thing she came up with was the fact that she was now frustrated instead of bored. She wasn't sure which she preferred.

Before she could decide she heard the door open. Animals from all over the room rushed over to greet Fluttershy. Scar just rolled her eyes, Fluttershy had only been gone for an hour and they were talking like they'd hadn't seen her in years. She heard Fluttershy greet each animal by name and give them all a nice pat on the head, fairly normal for this house, but then Fluttershy said something unexpected.

"Okay everyone, I'm, um, sorry but, I have to get through, I need to talk to Scar."

Scar blinked in surprise, along with several other animals, but they shrugged and let their caretaker through. Fluttershy trotted over beside Scar's cushion and laid down next to her.

"Hello Scar, how are you today?"

Scar cocked her head.

"<Fine I guess. Bored as hell but that's nothing new,>" she meowed.

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Fluttershy, "How's your leg doing?"

"<It itches worse than fleas>"

"Oh, um, sorry, but don't worry! You'll be healthy enough for me to take it off this evening."

"<About damn time,>"

"<HEY! Watch your mouth savage,>" yelled Angel Bunny.

"Angel! She's our guest! Don't talk to her like that, don't talk to anyone like that," scolded Fluttershy.

Angel Bunny mumbled a fake apology, then hopped over to Fluttershy, but made sure to keep out of Scar's range.

"<Don't worry about it Fluttershy, it'll take a lot more than that to piss me off. But what do you really want to talk about? You usually spent at least ten minutes with animals who actually want to be here before coming over to me,>" said Scar.

"Well, um," Fluttershy looked away and tapped her hoof, "There's a new pony in town and I think he'd like a pet."

Scar glared at her.

"<If this is going where I think it's going the answer is no. I'm nopony's pet.>"

"Scar, please hear me-"

"<NO, I am NOT a pet. I'm a predator, not some weakling who needs to be spoon fed.>"

Angel Bunny was about to retort but a glare from Scar shut him up.

"<Find someone else,>"said Scar, rolling to her other side.

"Scar, please. This pony, he, he needs friends and, well," Fluttershy started to get choked up, "He scares me."

Scar rolled back toward her.

"<What's so scary about him, and why do you want to help him?>" she asked.

"Well, he, he eats meat."

That set all the animals into a near panic, they scattered around the room and hid behind anything they could find. Except for Angel Bunny and Scar. Angel Bunny had turned toward the door and stood stock still, as if expecting this meat eating pony to come crashing in at any second.

Scar just purred in amusement.

"<He eats meat? Okay, you have my attention. But why do you want to help him>?" Scar asked again. Fluttershy's eyes started to well up with tears.

"He's just been through so much. More pain than anypony should have to go through in life. I want to help him, to be his friend, but he's scary," Fluttershy sniffled and blinked the tears back, "Somepony suggested giving him a pet and having us bond together over him or her. And another pony pointed out that he probably want a pet who's still a little wild, because, well, he's a bit wild too."

Scar nodded, then stretched out her front legs.

"<Okay then, I'll go and see him, but no promises on becoming a pet,>" she stood on her three good legs and hopped off the pillow, making sure to keep her injured leg off the ground," <Let's go.>"

"Um, are you sure you don't want me to carry you?" asked Fluttershy.

"<Never gonna happen,>" said Scar as she half walked, half hopped toward the door.

"Um okay, just let me say goodbye to everyone alright?"

Scar reached the door and sat down while Fluttershy coaxed all her little friends from their hiding spots. Scar swished her tail back and forth thoughtfully.

Well, befriending this 'wild' pony might be a good way to repay her, but I really hope he doesn't make me a pet.

Fluttershy finished her goodbyes then trotted over, opened the door, and led Scar towards the town dojo.

Brawler was trying to meditate again. He was sitting in a pose recommended by the book: eyes closed, hind legs crossed and forelegs pressing together in front of his chest. He took deep, long breaths through his nose, then let them out his mouth.

Relax.

Don't think.

Clear your mind.

...

"Hey! Sobflake! You're back in town!"

Brawler's forelegs pushed together slightly harder.

"Leave me alone Cloud Watch," said a white Pegasus filly as she tried to push past the gray colt.

"Aw come on Sob, I haven't seen you in a month!" said the colt, blocking her path, "Where were you?"

"Vacation, and my name is Snowflake, not Sob-" The colt pressed his hoof into her chest before she could continue.

"What was that Sobflake? You disagreeing with me?" he asked. The filly started trembling.

He'd seen enough. He got off the cloud bench, marched over to the colt, and tapped his shoulder. The colt turned.

Brawler smashed his hoof into the bucker's jaw. The colt stumbled back, then fell over.

Despite knowing what happened next, Brawler couldn't help but smirk.

He stomped over to the colt, who was now blubbering nonsense, probably begging Brawler not to hurt him. Brawler shut him up by throwing another punch and stopping just short of the colt's face.

"I ever catch you doing that shit again, I'll rearrange your ugly mug so much your own mother won't recognize you. Got it?

The colt nodded.

"Then buck off."

The colt didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled up onto his hooves then sprinted away as fast as he could. Brawler chuckled, then turned to the filly.

"You okay?" he started towards her.

The filly screamed.

Brawler's eye's snapped open and he took a few shaky breaths. Once he regained control of himself he stood up.

For buck's sake, that was nine years ago. Get over it.

That attempt had been his third today. Despite his unpleasant memories interrupting his concentration, he was getting a bit better. He could ignore his memories for a bit longer each time he tried and he was starting to feel something. He wasn't sure what it was but in the moment before his memories surfaced he would feel some kind of energy in his chest.

I'll get it eventually, I mean, I gotta run out of bad memories sooner or later right?

Before he could ponder further there was a knock at the door. Brawler sighed, then trotted out of the storage room, through the library and sparring hall then opened the door.

"Um, h-hi Brawler," said Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"W-well um, two things," she mumbled. She began shifting from hoof to hoof uncomfortably, then mumbled something else out.

Brawler sighed.

"Look Fluttershy, I'm sorry but you need to speak up," he said.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Fluttershy it's not that big a deal."

"N-not the mumbling, but I-I guess I'm sorry about that too. But what I'm really sorry about is hurting you."

Brawler blinked.

"Wha-?"

"You hate it when ponies are afraid of you right? It hurts you," said Fluttershy.

The white filly's scream echoed in Brawler's head.

"You have every right to be afraid of me," he said with a shrug, "I'm a scary guy."

"B-but you're not a bad pony! You deserve to have friends, and when you approached me I froze. I was just so scared that I didn't realize you needed help."

Brawler sighed.

"Like I said, I'm a scary guy, you don't need to apologize."

"I do though, I want to be your friend Brawler, this is what friends do," said Fluttershy.

"Shy, I can see you trembling. How can we be friends when you're scared of me? And you're afraid for good reasons."

"Well, um, that's the other thing. Would be okay if you had a pet?" asked Fluttershy.

"A pet?"

"It would be a lot easier for me to trust you if I knew you liked animals," said Fluttershy.

"Well, um, I guess I wouldn't mind having one," said Brawler, "But won't they still be scared of me because I eat meat?"

Fluttershy smiled, just a little.

"I know someone who doesn't care," she turned around, "Scar! Can you come out now?"

A gray cat with piercing blue eyes emerged from behind a rock. It didn't take long for Brawler to see how the cat got it's name.

Sheesh, how'd that happen? It get into a fight with a bear?

The cat started hobbling over to them, Brawler leaned to one side and saw the cat's right hind leg in a cast.

"What happened to... um, is it a him or a her?" asked Brawler.

"Scar's a queen, or, female cat. Anyway she broke her leg when she fell down a tree. A Timberwolf pup chased her up into one and when it lost interest Scar slipped on some moss and fell down," said Fluttershy.

Scar reached the two of them and meowed at Brawler. Brawler looked at her blankly.

"Um, Scar, I'm the only pony who understands you," she said. Scar seemed to shrug her shoulders, then she turned and meowed at Fluttershy.

"Wait, you can understand animals?" asked Brawler.

"Well taking care of them is my special talent, I guess spending so much time with them just allowed to to start understanding them," she said.

Scar meowed again.

"What's she saying?" asked Brawler.

Fluttershy bit her lip.

"She wants me to tell you that she got her scar when she fought off a badger," she said, "She also wants to say that the badger walked away with a few new scars of his own."

Brawler chuckled.

"So she's a fighter too huh?" He reached out his hoof. Rather than rub against it like Brawler expected her to, Scar examined his foreleg closely. She meowed again.

"She says you look a lot tougher than all the other ponies she's seen, but she's still not sure if she wants to be a pet," said Fluttershy.

Brawler shrugged.

"Just as well, I'm not sure I could afford to take care of a pet anyway. I've already spent all my bits on food for myself, not sure I could handle another mouth to feed."

Scar meowed somewhat irritably.

"S-she says she can h-hunt food for herself after I take off the bandages this evening. As long as you don't mind her eating in the dojo," said Fluttershy, "She can even do her business in the forest if you want."

"Sounds fine to me, but what will I be doing to take care of her?" he asked.

Scar meowed again.

"She says all she needs is a place to stay at night, or when she wants to relax. She really likes her independence so she wants to come and go as she pleases, is that alright?" asked Fluttershy.

"Fine by me," he stood to the side of the door, "You can check the place out if you want."

Scar meowed, hobbled through the door, and began exploring.

"Are you sure you're okay with doing this?" asked Fluttershy, "I mean, I don't want to force you."

"Shy, it's fine. A little company should do me some good, so thanks," said Brawler, offering a small smile.

Fluttershy smiled back.

"Your welcome. Um," her wings twitched nervously, "I have to go and take care of the rest of my animal friends, b-but I'll be back this evening to take Scar's bandages off."

"Heh, take it easy Shy, we don't need a heart to heart within the first few moments of being acquaintances," said Brawler, "I'll see you then."

"Oh, um, okay. Goodbye Brawler," said Fluttershy, turning to leave.

"See ya Shy," said Brawler, trotting back into the dojo.

He wandered back to the storage room and saw Scar lounging on his couch.

"Hey now, that's where I sleep," said Brawler. Scar just glanced at him and yawned.

Brawler chuckled, then reached out a hoof and rubbed her head. Scar huffed a little, but didn't resist. Brawler was about to sit down beside her when there was another knock at the door.

He sighed, then trotted back toward the door.

Sheesh, who isn't visiting me today?

He opened the door and was somewhat surprised at the visitor.

"Hey Sparky, what brings you here?" he asked.

Twilight shifted uncomfortably.

"Rainbow Dash told me you agreed to train the Cutie Mark Crusaders as soon as you had Celestia's permission," she said.

Brawler nodded.

"Well, um, I wanted to let you know that I'm setting up a meeting with her and, while I have some misgivings about this, I'll get you permission as soon as I can."

Brawler nodded again.

"Alright, anything else?" he asked.

Twilight rubbed the back of her head.

"Um, can I borrow one of your books? I'm sorry it's just, all that information and history from so long ago. I, I need to read a few."

"Go ahead," said Brawler, he gestured for her to come in, "They're not even mine."

"Well maybe not officially but, pretty close," said Twilight as she trotted inside. Brawler followed her to the library and they gazed up at the wall of old books. Twilight flew up and began examining them.

"Hmm, which one should I take?" she wondered aloud.

"Just one?" asked Brawler.

"I'm currently trying to set up a meeting with the Princess of the Sun," said Twilight, she selected a book grabbed it with her telekinesis, then landed, "I don't want to get too distracted."

"Fair point. Well, enjoy the book," said Brawler.

"Thanks. Oh, how's meditation going?" asked Twilight.

"Getting better, but it'll be awhile before I'm ready," he said.

"Great, you can come to me if you have any questions."

"Thanks Sparky, see ya later."

"Sure thing, and thanks for the book." Twilight turned and trotted out of the room. Brawler walked back to the storage room. Scar was now sleeping on the couch. Brawler sat down next to her.

"You've got the right idea Scar," he said as he leaned back and closed his eyes.

Twilight trotted back to her castle with the book War on Changelings under her wing and a smile on her face. She had studied the Changeling War on a few different occasions and knew almost everything there was to know about it from an academic viewpoint. The war had broken out in the beginning of the year 537 A.N.(After Nightmare) and had lasted until mid 540 A.N.. That was a decently long war by Equestrian standards but the casualties had been surprisingly low thanks to a mare named Laughing Light. She was an unbelievably skilled defense mage who had protected both entire cities and individual troops with her incredible magic shields. She was an inspiration for many Unicorns in the Royal Guard, especially for Shining Armor. He had aspired to be like Laughing Light from the moment he had heard about her and loved it when ponies told him he was as good as she was. Twilight had tried on several occasions to find a book about the mage for her brother, but most of the facts about Laughing Light’s personality and life outside the war had become lost over the centuries.

One of the reasons Twilight was so excited to read War on Changelings was because it wasn’t a textbook, it was a memoir of one of the soldiers in the war. There was a possibility that the author had met Laughing Light and learned about her personality. It was a relatively small chance yes, but if there was any new information about Laughing Light in the book Twilight would immediately sent it to Shining Armor.

With all that in mind Twilight entered her castle and started making her way to the library to read. On her way over, she passed the kitchen. Spike was inside the room, preparing dinner.

“Hi Spike, I’m back,” said Twilight, pausing for a moment.

“Hey Twilight,” said Spike, he turned from the stove to face her, “New book?” he asked, pointing to the memoir under her wing.

“Yes indeed,” said Twilight, smiling, “From the dojo’s library too. Ooh, I can’t wait to start reading it!”

Spike rolled his eyes.

“Just remember to eat and sleep at some point,” he said, turning back to the stove.

Twilight giggled a bit sheepishly.

“Okay, okay, I will.” She started for the library again. Just as she started to turn a corner she heard Spike mutter.

“Why the hay am I cooking on a night when she’s not going to touch it?”

“You have permission to poke me to get my attention,” called Twilight.

“Okay!” answered Spike.

Twilight trotted over to the library, sat at a table, levitated the book in front of her and opened it. The first few pages were the standard publication information and author’s note; Twilight flipped past these. She wanted to read as much of the book as she could tonight and she could always check the information later. She flipped pages until she reached Chapter 1. On the right page, the story started, and on the left was a picture of a pale yellow Earth pony mare with a dark yellow mane, the mare was facing the camera so her Cutie mark wasn’t visible. The caption below the picture read: Honey Blossom, Year 535

I assume that’s the author.

Twilight turned to the other page and began reading.

Part 1: Basic
Chapter 1

If you haven’t figured it out yet my name is Honey Blossom. I was born in Fillydelphia in 511 A.N. and lived a fairly normal life as an only child then a fairly normal life as a beekeeper after I moved out of my parent’s house at age 19. It was a decent life, taking care of the bees and harvesting their honey. The only problem? You guessed it, I was bored out of my skull. Yes I loved taking care of beehives, I still do, but it’s not an all day everyday job, and I just didn’t have anything else to do.

So when a few different Changeling Queens joined together declared war on Equestria I signed up for the army on day one.

Biggest motherbucking mistake of my life.

Twilight did a double take when she read that line. She had read books with swearing before but never on that level. And signing up to protect your family, friends and country was supposed to be a good thing, how could be a mistake?

Twilight took a deep breath, and continued to read.

As expected Part 1 was all about basic training. Everything from sword maintenance to talent withdrawal endurance. Twilight took a few notes about the latter topic. She knew Brawler would always need to fight somepony again at some point but the information could give both him, and everypony else a break if they needed it.

Read about it, write about it, and do the closest thing you can to it. Not the most instructive but it’s better than nothing.

Thus far there were parts of the story that Twilight really enjoyed. Honey Blossom managed to make a few friends during basic and, while they swore a little more than necessary, reading their dialogue was usually entertaining.

What she definitely didn’t enjoy reading about were the drill exercises. Honey Blossom was very descriptive about how each of her limbs screamed in agony during the exercises, and the Drill Sergeant constantly yelling insults and brutally punishing slackers only made it worse.

“Move your ass Blossom! Watching you run is like watching my great grandma try to buck! It’s so bucking pathetic, it’s bucking PAINFUL you piece of shit!”

Twilight cringed. Shining Armor had told her that basic training was tough but he had never described anything like this. He had always said the drilling was the hardest part in the day, but Twilight was fairly certain his Sergeant had never tricked him into overeating then made him run until he threw up.

For Celestia’s sake! I’m not even at part about the war yet and some things are making me sick to my stomach.

Something sharp jabbed her shoulder.

“Ah!” Her concentration broke and the book started falling, but she managed to catch it in her magic again and keep her page.

“Spike! I said poke, not stab!” said Twilight, turning to face the little drake. Spike rolled his eyes, he was holding a platter with a plate of spaghetti with tomatoes.

“That’s what I was doing for the past minute,” he said. He stepped onto a chair and set the platter in front of Twilight.

“Oh, heh, heh, sorry Spike. This book’s just really absorbing,” said Twilight. She marked her page, set the book down, picked up a tomato slice, and tossed it into her mouth.

“Mm hmm,” said Spike, “Well, unless you need anything else I’m going to bed.”

“I’m fine Spike, you go ahead,” said Twilight.

Spike nodded, hopped of the chair and left the room. Twilight took a few bites of the spaghetti but she couldn’t resist the book for long. Soon all her attention had returned to the book and her meal sat on the table, half-eaten and forgotten.

The sun was hanging low in the sky when she finished part 1, but Twilight needed to read more. Honey Blossom had just been assigned to a squad and was being shipped to the warzone, there was no way she could stop reading now!

But she would probably need some light soon. Reluctantly, she marked her spot and set the book down. She looked up at the chandelier, focused for a moment, then lit its light crystals. With the room now properly illuminated she continued reading.

Part 2, From Private to Sergeant
Chapter 1

Ya know, they try really hard to prepare you for war in basic training. But nothing, repeat, nothing, can prepare a pony for the first time they hit a living being with a sword. There’s a meaty ‘THUNK’ and a little bit of squelching. I both love and hate the fact that I never got used to it.

Twilight covered her mouth and her stomach started tying itself in knots, but she couldn’t put the book down. The next few chapters were all about Honey Blossom’s exploits as a Private, then after six months Private First Class, then another six months later she lead a team to destroy a miniature hive and as a result was promoted to Corporal, then another year went by and she was promoted to Sergeant. Along the way, several ponies died. Both members of Honey Blossom’s squad, and some of her friends from basic. Twilight honestly wasn’t sure which one was worse to read about. When a squadmate died it was either so gory that Twilight had to put down the book to focus on forcing rising bile back down her throat, or so fast that Twilight barely caught the fact that they had died in the chaos of battle. When a friend died, well, it was a friend dying, miles away, and Honey Blossom had no way to attend her friends’ funerals. Twilight was usually crying alongside Honey Blossom each time she heard about one of her friends dying.

Yet despite all the tragedies, Twilight couldn’t pry herself away from the book for more than a minute at a time. She had to know if any of Honey Blossom’s friends made it, she had to know.

Part 3, Final Assault
Chapter 1

The end was finally in sight. After three years in hell, the end was finally in sight. We had pushed all the Changelings out of Equestria and into the Badlands. Now we were mounting one final push to make sure they never came back.

Twilight shifted uncomfortably. She'd known that Equestria had gone on the offensive in the final months of the war but it was still uncomfortable to read about. She knew it had been necessary, the Changelings were still refusing negotiations at the time and they would've mounted a counter attack if Equestria didn't continue pushing. But it was still Equestria, her home, invading another land.

With a sigh, Twilight returned to the book.

I had been briefed on the plan of attack and I had sat my squad down to tell them about it.

"Alright, great news, shitty news and good news," I said, "The great news is that, yes, the rumors are true, if we win this battle, whether or not it wins the war, we go home."

The squad started cheering but I cut them off quick.

"Calm down, the shitty news is why. The plan of attack is mounting a big assault on the front of the hive as a distraction. This will allow a Stealth squad to infiltrate the hive unnoticed and assassinate the Queen. Hopefully, that'll send a message to the other Queens that if they don't surrender, we'll wipe 'em out."

Twilight cringed.

"Why's this shitty news? You guessed it, we're on the front lines of the distraction."

That hit them hard. I had just dashed their previous hopes. When a squad went on the front line, at least one of it's members died, that was a plain fact in this war. And we were assaulting a hive, they probably thought we were all dead.

Not true in the least.

"But getting back to the good news, we're gonna be a certain war hero's back up."

The squad's eyes widened.

"You mean THE war hero?" asked Dew Drop.

"Yep, the one who defended Fillydelphia all by herself," I said.

Twilight's eyes widened. Laughing Light, it had to be, her defense of Fillydelphia was legendary. True, other defensive mages could generate city wide shields, but Laughing Light had done it for an entire day, WHILE Chanelings constantly attacked it. For the first time since opening the book, Twilight smiled, she could finally learn more about her brother's hero.

"H-holy shit," chuckled Lucky Dice, "We're actually gonna get through this. I'm gonna be able to see my kids again, and I'll be able to tell 'em that I fought alongside the one and only Cackling Lightning."

Twilight blinked.

Cackling Lightning?

That couldn't be right. No history book had ever mentioned a pony named Cackling Lightning. And again, Laughing Light was the one who defended Fillydelphia, it was what she was most famous for.

Maybe Dice just got the name wrong.

Twilight continued reading, but nopony corrected Dice. Instead Honey Blossom told her squad to prep for the attack, which would take place in two days, then she promised them all a drink when they got back home.

The next chapter was all about preparing for the attack, near the end though, a pony approached Honey Blossom.

I felt somepony tap my shoulder. I turned and saw a light gray Unicorn mare with a bright white mane and tail. Cackling Lightning.

Twilight's eye's widened. That was the description all the history books gave for Laughing Light.

B-but how? The only way a discontinuity like that could occur is if...

Twilight froze. She remembered how Brawler believed Celestia had banned this book, and all the others in the dojo library, and how, according to him, she was trying to purge all violence from Equestria.

She wouldn't, she couldn't have rewritten history. Could she?

Twilight shook herself, then continued reading.

I snapped to attention and saluted.

"Drop the army crap Sergeant, I'm not an officer," said Cackling Lightning, she was holding a flask in her telekinesis and she took a drink, "You are Sergeant Honey Blossom right?"

"Yes Sir."

"I said drop the crap."

"It was beaten into me in training Sir, and if anypony in the army deserves respect it's you Sir."

Cackling Lightning rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, at least stop saluting."

I let my hoof drop but I stayed at attention.

"Better. Now you and your squad are my backup right?"

"Yes Sir."

"Well STAY behind me, I don't need anypony getting in my way. You're just there to pick off stragglers, clear?"

"As crystal Sir."

"Teh, after the battle you'll drop the sir, just wait." She turned, took another drink, and left before I could reply.

At the time, I wondered what she meant by that. After the battle I wished I had never found out

Chapter 3

We stood behind one of the many dust hills in the Badlands. The small mountain of a hive was just on the other side. Thirty feet tall, black, slimy, filled with holes, and literally buzzing with activity.

My squad and I were psyching ourselves up. Taking deep breaths and giving last minute adjustments to our armor. Not Cackling Lightning though, she was glancing between the hive, my squad, and her lightning bolt Cutie Mark.

Twilight's eye's narrowed, another inconsistency with history, but she kept reading.

The war hero wasn't scared, she was impatient.

Before I could ponder why, the General shot a flare into the sky, signaling for the attack.

Cackling Lightning grinned. She launched herself up to the top of the hill, then summoned a massive lightning bolt to her horn and launched it at the hive. The bolt hit the hive with an earth shaking 'BOOM' and part of the outer wall crumbled away.

Twilight's eyes had nearly bulged out of her head and she felt numb, but she kept reading.

Hundreds of Changelings started spilling out of the hole and charging our position. I am not ashamed to say I might have pissed myself a little at the sight of it. Cackling Lightning though? She just well, cackled.

She stood on her hind legs and her horn glowed white. She created two twenty foot long lightning whips, wrapped the ends around each of her forelegs and charged. My squad and I hesitated for a moment, then we followed.

I could hear the war cries from the other front-liners, but the majority of my attention was on Cackling Lightning. Every time she swung one of those whips at least ten Changelings would drop, usually more, and she was swinging at least once every two seconds! And she was STILL cackling her damn head off.

But just because we were so close to the famous killing machine didn't mean we could relax. Changelings were constantly trying to get around or over her to try and attack from behind. That's where my squad and I came in. We protected her back so she could focus on killing everything in her line of sight.

I'm told the battle lasted for two and a half hours, and I honestly wouldn't know if that's right or not. When I try to remember the battle itself it's just a blur of shouting, lightning cracks, thunks, green blood and that damn cackle.

What I do know for sure is, after a long ass time, every Changeling's eyes suddenly went wide and they scattered into the air. Buzzing away as fast as their wings could carry them. At first we were confused, then we realized that the Stealth squad must've been successful and killed the Queen. We started smiling like idiots and cheering.

We'd won! The war was over! We finally got to go home!

A crackle of lightning interrupted out cheering. Cackling Lightning had turned her whips into spears and was throwing them at the retreating Changelings. One or two went down with every throw.

I rushed over and grabbed her foreleg.

"That's enough!" I shouted.

She pushed me off and dropped to all fours.

"Who asked you?"

"Their Queen's dead, they're retreating, it's over."

The war hero laughed.

"You don't get it do you? It'll never be over for me," she said.

"What?"

"These Changelings have killed everypony I ever cared about," she said, still grinning, "Avenging them is the only time I feel alive."

She chuckled.

"Agh, who am I kidding? Maybe at first it was like that but now? Heh, Now I'm just addicted to killing these motherbuckers. Cause as soon as I stop killing, I have to stop and see what I am."

She chuckled again.

"I guess these Changelings really have taken everything from me. My friends, my family, and my soul."

She sighed, and pulled out her flask from one of her pouches.

"When this war's over, I'm slitting my throat."

We all gasped.

"Don't act so surprised, like I said, as soon as the killing stops I have to see what a monster I am," she took a drink.

"Enjoy the victory feast, I'm gonna go get hammered." And with that she teleported away.

Needless to say, my squad and I were a bit shaken up after her speech. But after a few hours we were able to push it to the back of our minds and enjoy ourselves.

We got sent home. We were awarded medals and we lived the rest of our lives in peace.

I'm a grandma now, and I've lived a long happy life with my husband. But I will never forget that war, and I will never forget that cackle.

The End

Twilight sat staring at the page for what felt like a long time.

"Twilight?" came Spike's voice, "Were you up all night again?"

Twilight looked up and saw that it was indeed morning. She took a deep breath, and closed the book.

"Twilight? Are you okay?"

"Spike, take a letter. I need to see Princess Celestia NOW."

Chapter 10 (Revised)

View Online

Scar was pissed.

Covered in slobber, and pissed.

It had been a great day yesterday. Fluttershy had removed her cast, and Scar had finally gotten some real food in her stomach. She had gone hunting the second Fluttershy had taken the cast off and had caught a fat mouse on the edge of Everfree within ten minutes. She'd brought it back to the dojo and eaten it, and Brawler didn't complain or even look that uncomfortable. She'd gone to sleep on the arm of his couch, her belly full, and her mind content.

That is, until a certain brown and white bitch thought it'd be a good idea to wake her up by slobbering all over her before the damn sun had even risen.

"<Wake up! Wake up! Sleeping's boring and Master Applejack says it's time to wake up!>" barked the small bitch.

A small part of Scar's brain registered that there was an orange pony behind the dog, and that Brawler was stirring beside her, but she was more focused on tensing her muscles and unsheathing her claws.

"<You're DEAD!>" hissed Scar and she leapt from the couch. The dog yipped in surprise and jumped back, Scar's claws barely missing her nose, she turned and ran. Scar gave chase, hissing and spitting insults the whole time. She heard the ponies shouting and chasing after them, but she didn't care. She was gonna teach that dog a lesson.

At least, she was, but then she felt a hoof wrap itself beneath her stomach and lift her into the air. Brawler had grabbed her and flown up to the ceiling. He turned her body so she was looking straight into his eyes, then he growled something. Scar couldn't fully understand anypony other than Fluttershy, but she could get the basic of what they were trying to say. Brawler seemed to be saying:

"The dog, and any other pets, are off limits."

He had said a little more than that, reasoning or threats maybe, but Scar couldn't understand it. When he finished talking she nodded, (a gesture she had learned from Fluttershy) and he let her down. She glanced around and saw the dog being comforted by her master. Scar rolled her eyes and started for the door, she needed a good hunt, for food and stress relief.

Brawler walked over to Applejack as soon as Scar left.

"Sorry about that, Scar's not exactly tame," he said.

"Ah noticed," said Applejack, looking up to Brawler but still petting her dog's head. "Where'd ya get 'im?"

"Her. Fluttershy gave her to me. Something about how if she knew I could care about an animal she'd be able to trust me more," explained Brawler.

"Makes sense," said Applejack, she scratched her dog's ears, then stood up. "An' Ah'm guessin' Scar was the only animal that weren't afraid of you?"

"Fluttershy brought her directly to me, so I'm not sure, but probably," said Brawler, shrugging. "Sorry she scared your dog."

"No biggie, Winona's fine, but Ah think Ah won't be bringin' her over from now on," said Applejack.

"Good plan. Anyway, should we get goin'?" asked Brawler.

"Yep, we're burnin' daylight," said Applejack. She lead Brawler and Winona out the dojo and toward the farm. Brawler looked up at the gray sky.

"What daylight? The sun's not even up yet," he said with a yawn.

Applejack chuckled.

"City boys."

"Hey, you're the one who asked me for help," said Brawler.

"No, Ah offered ya a job outta the goodness of mah heart. We could manage without ya if ya wanted ta quit," said Applejack.

Brawler sighed.

"Fine, you got me, I'm not a morning pony. Anyway, about how long am I gonna be working?"

"We usually buck till round eight then go in ta have breakfast."

Brawler snickered. Applejack rolled her eyes.

"Ya KNOW what Ah mean," she said, unamused, "Anyway, Ah can offer ya ten bits an hour an' some breakfast if ya need it. Sound good?"

"I can get food on my own," said Brawler.

"Ah'm sure ya can, but Granny Smith's probably gonna insist on ya eating with us today. Welcoming ya ta the farm life an' such," said Applejack.

"Fine. But just this once," said Brawler. They trotted down the path in silence for a bit when a thought occurred to Brawler.

"What's Big Mac think of all this?" asked Brawler.

"Ya mean you workin' on the farm or the fact that yer gonna train Applebloom?" asked Applejack.

"Both."

Applejack sighed.

"Well, Ah already sorted out the fact that yer gonna work for us, but he ain't happy about you trainin' Applebloom. Granny Smith seemed fine with it though, so he was outvoted," said Applejack.

"Wait, your grandma is okay with me training her granddaughter to be a fighter?" asked Brawler.

"Yep. Apparently when she was a filly, fighters were a lot more common. So ta her a fighting Cutie Mark is just another Cutie Mark," said Applejack.

"Huh, how old is she?"

"She turns seventy-six this fall," said Applejack.

Brawler's eye's widened.

That's old enough to have seen Marehammed's career.

"Did she ever go to a boxing match?" asked Brawler.

Applejack shook her head.

"Ah doubt it. She spent most a her life working here in Ponyville, an' while she hasn't got a problem with fightin' Ah'm pretty sure it ain't her thing."

"Well, does she, I don't know, collect old newspapers?"

Applejack looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you wanna know somethin' like that?" she asked.

"Professional boxing was outlawed twenty years ago. The only records left of matches are old newspapers. I read a bunch of them about Spike Tyton back when I lived in Cloudsdale, but the library didn't have any about Marehammed Ali."

"An' ya think if mah Granny collected newspapers there'd be an article 'bout this Ali boxer," deduced Applejack. "Why do ya wanna know about her? She famous or somethin'?"

"She was Queen of the Ring," said Brawler. "Arguably the best boxer of all time and definitely the most famous. Won the Grand Championship five times and she won almost every one of her fights by knockout. The only boxer to come close to her record was Spike Tyton, and his career was cut short when boxing became illegal."

"She yer hero?"

Brawler shrugged.

"I guess you could say that."

"Well I don' know if Granny Smith ever collected newspaper like that, but you can ask once we're done with apple buckin'," said Applejack.

"Alright."

They walked the rest of the way in silence. As they approached Sweet Apple Acres, Brawler saw Big Mac waiting for them on the doorstep. He didn't say anything to them as they came closer, but he was glaring at Brawler the whole time.

Brawler chuckled. Big Mac's eye's narrowed even further.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You're trying to be intimidating," chuckled Brawler, "What could be funnier?"

Big Mac stomped toward Brawler but Applejack stepped between them.

"That's enough, both a you," she said. "Brawler, if yer gonna work here then ya can't pick fights with mah brother. An' Mac, we already talked about this. Brawler's gonna be workin' here, an' he's gonna train Applebloom. She, Granny Smith, an' me are all okay with it, an' if Bloom don't like it she can quit anytime. Right Brawler?"

From the look in her eye, it wasn't a question.

"She can walk away anytime she wants, I won't stop her," said Brawler. "But if she's a fighter, you wouldn't be able to drag her away."

Applejack gave a small gulp, then nodded.

"Uh, right. Anyway, we'll work on the north end of the orchard today. Mac an' Ah'll start on one end, you an' Applebloom'll start on the other, sound good?"

"Now wait just a minute," said Big Mac.

"If Applebloom's gonna be spendin' more time with Brawler from now on she might as well git to know 'im now," said Applejack. "Plus, apparently Ah still need ta talk ta ya."

Big Mac frowned, but nodded.

"Alright, where is Applebloom?" asked Brawler.

"Over here!"

Brawler looked past Big Mac and saw the little filly running up to them.

"I was jus' helpin' Granny Smith down the stairs, she needs it now an' then," Applebloom explained. "We gonna start bucking soon?"

Brawler tried not to chuckle, he failed miserably. Applebloom cocked her head at him.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Uhh-, Nothing Applebloom, jus' a grown up joke!" said Applejack quickly, "Anyway yeah, we're gonna start APPLEbucking right about now. Yer with Brawler on one end a the north field an' Ah'm with Mac on the other, sound good?"

"Okay! Come on Brawler!" said Applebloom as she raced toward the orchard.

Brawler smiled, shook his head, then took off and flew after her. They reached the orchard in just a minute. Brawler saw that some baskets were already in stacks at the end of a row of trees. Applebloom went over to the base of one of the stacks and tried to get the top one down, but it was out of her reach. Brawler flew over and took the top basket, then Applebloom was able to reach the next one.

"Thankth," said Applebloom, the basket in her mouth, she trotted over to a tree and placed it at the base. Brawler placed his next to hers.

"How many baskets per tree?" he asked.

"Two should be fine," said Applebloom, she turned so her hind legs were facing the tree, "HIYAH!" Her hind legs lashed out and she kicked the tree with all her might.

About a third of the apples tumbled down.

"Aww," said Applebloom when she saw how ineffective her kick had been.

"Don't sweat it kid, I'm just as bad," said Brawler. He took a breath, then lunged forward and slammed a right hook into the tree. The rest of the apples tumbled down.

"At kicking at least," he started gathering up the apples that hadn't fallen into the baskets.

"Yeah, I saw ya when Applejack was teachin' ya how ta buck. How'd ya get so strong anyway?" asked Applebloom, trotting beside him to help.

"Daily push-ups and eating meat," said Brawler.

Applebloom paused and sighed.

"Do I really gotta start eatin' meat?" she asked.

"You need the extra protein to build some real muscle. Tofu just doesn't cut it and magically modified food's too expensive," explained Brawler. "But again, I'm not forcing you to be a fighter."

"I wanna try!" said Applebloom, "When I saw ya fight Rainbow Dash an' Pinkie I just... I jus' had ta learn how ta do that, ya know?"

Brawler nodded.

"Yeah, I know. When I was ten my parents brought me to this play where the main character was a martial artist. After watching him beat up a few goons I just, I had to learn," he said.

Applebloom nodded

"Yeah," she rubbed the back of her head. "It's just, with the meat eating thing. Well, we've gotta herd a cattle here on the farm, an' I'm friends with a lot of 'em."

"Oh that's why you're worried. Heh, don't worry kid, as long as you eat some kind of meat I won't force you to eat beef. Hell, if you feel that strong about it I'll never even order some."

"Really!"

"You'll still have to eat some kind of meat. Like chicken or pork, think you can handle that?" asked Brawler.

Applebloom hesitated for a second, then nodded.

"Yeah, I think I can."

"Good, now let's get back to work, I'm pretty sure AJ's not paying me to talk," said Brawler.

They started placing apples in the basket again. When they were done they picked them up and started walking back to the pile of baskets.

"Hey Brawler?" asked Applebloom

"Yeah?"

"Jus' a quick question: Why do ya keep gigglin' every time a pony says buck?"

Brawler chuckled.

This is gonna be a good day.

Luna sipped her coffee as she read over Twilight Sparkle's letter a second time.

Dear Celestia,

I have recently come across some disturbing information and I must discuss it with you immediately. I insist that you clear your schedule as this is a matter I feel must be discussed in private, and I am unsure how long it will take to handle it. I will arrive at 9:30 sharp, and I do not care what I interrupt, this must be dealt with immediately.

Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle
Princess of Friendship

Luna glanced at the clock, 9:26, the young Alicorn would be arriving soon. Luna looked at the letter again. Celestia had shown it to her during breakfast and was apparently slightly disturbed by it. Luna didn't blame her. Until recently Twilight had continued to treat Celestia as her mentor, despite now being equals. Now she had written this letter, DEMANDING that Celestia clear her schedule in order to hear her out. Celestia also told Luna that Twilight had also demanded that the Royal Guard not be stationed in Ponyville. A decision that Luna wholeheartedly agreed with, but Twilight had never made these sort of demands before.

Mayhaps the presence of Brawler forced her to 'grow a backbone' as they say.

Before she had turned into Nightmare Moon, Luna had dealt with Fighter Ponies in court. Not enough to judge them as a whole, but occasionally. They were always aggressive and almost never respected her for her title alone. Some had even used it as an insult. In order to deal with them, one had to be aggressive and forceful right back.

If Brawler hath taught Twilight that being forceful in domestic disputes is sometimes necessary then that is the second service he hath done for the good of Equestria.

She, like everypony else in the castle, had heard about Brawler's battle with Tirek. Sergeant Steel Feathers had mentioned it in his report, then the whole of the Royal Guard, Solar and Lunar, had dragged the details out of him. Some, like Celestia, didn't believe it, but after gazing into Brawler's mind, Luna wasn't too surprised at the news.

I believe I shall ask Brawler to train a few of my guards, Gods know, they need it.

Luna placed the letter down and glanced at her sister. They were both sitting in the throne room, Celestia sipping tea, and Luna drinking coffee. To anypony else, Celestia would appear perfectly calm, but Luna could see the slightest tenses in her muscles as she moved.

"Are you alright Sister?" asked Luna.

"I'm fine Lulu, just a little anxious to find out what information Twilight has uncovered. We only just finished dealing with Tirek, a brief break would've been nice," said Celestia.

"True, but what can one do? Tell the world's villains that you need a week off?" asked Luna.

Celestia smiled.

"That would be nice," she glanced at the clock, "She should be arriving any second now."

Sure enough, a bright flash of light erupted the center of the throne room and Twilight appeared a moment later. Wearing saddlebags for some reason.

"Ah, Twilight, it's good to see you," said Celestia, smiling warmly.

Twilight glared at her.

"Celestia, Luna," she said, giving a curt nod to each of them.

Celestia's smile faded.

"I see you believe that there's no time for pleasantries. Very well then, what have you discovered?" she asked.

"Cackling Lightning," said Twilight.

It was as if somepony had punched Celestia in the stomach. Her eyes bulged and her breathing staggered for a moment.

Luna raised an eyebrow.

What sort of adversary could provoke such a reaction in our sister at the mere mention of their name? And why hast Celestia not told me of them?

"H-how do you know that name?" asked Celestia, trembling slightly.

Twilight levitated a book from her saddlebags, covered it in a pink bubble shield, then levitated it closer for them to see.

"War on Changelings: a Memoir," read Luna. "Odd. I've never heard of this book, and I've been researching the events that occurred in Equestria during my banishment."

"That's because Celestia BANNED this book," said Twilight, levitating the book back to herself.

"WHAT!" exclaimed Luna. "Sister, is this true?"

Celestia nodded grimly.

"That book glorifies violence and war. We cannot allow ponies to be exposed to such things," she said.

"Glorifies!?!" cried Twilight. "On the very first page Honey Blossom says that joining the military was, and I quote: 'The biggest motherbucking mistake of her life.' She also describes war and violence as HELL on Equis. How is that glorification?"

"And when has it been our duty to dictate what our subjects can and cannot read?" demanded Luna.

"It is our responsibility to ensure peace and harmony among everypony. Stories like Honey Blossom's can inspire others to act in a similar fashion," said Celestia.

"Honey Blossom spent every moment of that war PRAYING it would end so she could go back to having an ordinary life. She said so several times," said Twilight.

"Some ponies would gloss over that and simply fantasize about the battle scenes," said Celestia.

"You mean the ones where she watched her squadmates' throats get torn out?"

"They would imagine themselves to be better than Honey Blossom. To be able to save everypony by killing every Changeling," said Celestia. "And I will not allow anypony to have the notion that KILLING is a legitimate way to solve a problem."

"It was a WAR! Ponies fight, kill, and die in wars, that's simply how they work!" shouted Luna, jumping to her hooves. "If this book depicts war as hell then I say everypony should read it to solidify that lesson."

"I will not allow anypony to be exposed to that sort of violence in any form!" shouted Celestia, standing up as well. "We need to forget that ponykind is capable of that sort of violence to ensure we never resort to it again!"

"So you rewrite history to fit your delusional perfect world!?" demanded Twilight.

Luna's jaw dropped.

"What?" she gasped.

"Cackling Lightning, the mare I mentioned earlier, was the true hero of that war. Celestia replaced her with Laughing Light, a glowing happy facade to cover up the real truth," said Twilight.

"Cackling Lightning was a drunk, psychopathic MONSTER, who enjoyed slaughtering thousands of lives at a time. Ponies like your brother look up to Laughing Light and are inspired to work for peaceful means to resolve conflict. If Ponies knew about Cackling Lightning they would be inspired to be murderers!" shouted Celestia.

"Cackling Lightning sacrificed EVERYTHING for this kingdom. Including her soul. And you want to pretend she never existed?!" shouted Twilight.

"If that's what it takes to maintain harmony in Equestria, then yes," said Celestia.

Luna's eye twitched.

"Thou truly believes thou art upholding the virtues of harmony?" she asked, calmly. She closed her eyes, her mane flickered, then darkened.

Celestia and Twilight looked at her, and gulped.

"Thou truly believes thou hast been Honest with our subjects? Not even allowing the memory of a hero you disliked to survive? Perhaps even BURNING books that so much as mention them? What of Kindness? Denying a subject ever existed, that is Kindness? And this is Loyalty? A pony giving their life, their SOUL, to the protect our precious subjects, and thou betrays them in favor of a delusional lie? And thou hast been spreading Laughter by imprisoning anypony that didn't fit into thy perfect society? We doubt Brawler was the only one. And is stealing the hard earned history away from our subjects thy concept of Generosity?" Luna opened her eyes and glared at Celestia.

"We must congratulate you sister, thou hast achieved thy vision for a perfect world. BY BETRAYING EVERYTHING WE EVER STOOD FOR!" Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice boomed through the throne room, but the force of it was directed toward Celestia.

The force of the wind blew her mane back, but Celestia herself didn’t move. She glared at Luna.

“I stand for the happiness and safety of our subjects. Fighters like Brawler are a direct threat to them and I will do whatever is necessary to protect my little ponies,” she turned her glare to Twilight. “How dare you come in here and tell me how to rule my kingdom. I have lived for thousands of years and made countless sacrifices for the good of everypony in it. You come in here, waving around FILTH, and call me unfit to rule?”

Twilight gulped

“I-I never-” she stammered.

“You have never known the weight of responsibility that comes with ruling a nation. You have not seen the world unfold and grow around you. You do not have the RIGHT to accuse me of anything!” yelled Celestia.

“WE do. And what thou hast done is wrong!” shouted Luna, “Fighters have every right to live in Equestria.”

“SAVAGES have no place in a land of peace.”

“What the devil happened to ‘love and tolerate’ while we were gone? Did thou just decide to do away with it?”

“How can one love and tolerate someone who ENJOYS hurting others? You haven’t seen the Fighters I’ve been forced to witness over the centuries, you haven’t seen their joy in brutality! You haven’t seen them convince Equestria that two ponies beating each other senseless is ENTERTAINMENT! I did, and it was horrible and disgusting. Ponies were so invested in their savage tournaments that every time I tried to outlaw them, practically the whole of Equestria demand I bring them back. So they could be entertained by senseless violence!”

“So thou manipulates thy subjects to thy whims?”

“Is it manipulation if I TELL them what I want to do? All I ever did was speak out against Martial Arts tournaments and over the centuries ponies saw that they were nothing but pointless savagery. Then when almost nopony cared for a tournament, I would ban it, and nopony would complain.”

“But BANNING books? Pray tell dear Sister, how is that not manipulation?”

“After the Changeling war, soldiers ASKED me to ban books that glorified violence. A number of authors had started glorifying the war in disrespectful novels and soldiers were outraged. THEY, came to ME, and told me to ban the books.”

“We DOUBT, they demanded for thou to erase their hard earned history. Honey Blossom’s memoir sounds like an attempt to tell the true story of that terrible war and thou bans it as well? Along with the very memory of Cackling Lightning?”

“MONSTERS, do not deserve to be heroes. They cannot be allowed to inspire more monsters who’ll create more bloodshed.”

“Cackling Lightning EARNED her place in history when she gave her soul to Equestria. And what if the Changelings hadn’t attacked? Would thou hath locked Cackling Lightning away simply for her Cutie Mark?”

“I NEVER locked a pony away for their Cutie Mark alone.” said Celestia.

“But thou handed down life sentences for crimes barely warranting five years!”

“The Fighters I locked away were a danger to Equestria. Take Fire Cracker as an example: She started a bar fight because she didn’t want to pay for her drinks, then she said that she couldn’t wait to get out of jail so she could start another fight! She had to be locked away. Or maybe Rorschach will convince you. He was a stallion who thought he could take the law into his own hooves, how you ask? By TORTURING random ponies on the street for information, then beating the criminal he was looking for until they couldn’t move. He was a public menace who deserved his life sentence.”

“Thou cannot judge an entire type of pony with just two examples! Even if thou adds Brawler’s crime and Cackling Lightning’s insanity, that isn’t enough to judge Fighters as a whole. And it certainly isn’t enough to warrant attempting to wipe Fighters out from the face of Equis!”

“I have witnessed a Fighter’s brutality first hoof, you haven’t,” said Celestia.

“We know the brutality of combat, and we know it’s thrill. If thou art truly committed to the extermination of Fighters, then we shall be committed to their survival and prosperity.”

“Luna,” snarled Celestia.

Luna ignored her and turned to Twilight.

“Is there anything Brawler is currently struggling with?” she asked.

Twilight jumped, surprised that she was part of the conversation again.

“W-well, um, r-right now he believes that three fillies have the potential to be Fighters and he wants permission to train them,” she said.

“Denied. I will not allow him to-” Celestia began.

“Granted,” said Luna, “Tell him to begin as soon as he can.”

“Luna, you know when we’re divided on something that it goes to Parliament,” said Celestia.

“Not if it’s over an issue you have no control over,” said Luna.

“WHAT!?!”

“As of this moment, I declare Brawler to be a Specialist Trainer for the Lunar Royal Guard. He will train both members of the Royal Guard, and anypony he thinks has the potential to become one.”

“He can’t just train whoever he wants! The minimum age for entering the Royal Guard is twenty one!” protested Celestia.

“For the SOLAR Royal Guard. Many Thestrals have difficulty finding employment outside of guard duty so I never placed an age minimum for the start of their training. They have to pass a test to become a true member of the guard but that is not Brawler’s concern. He will train anypony he sees fit, and since he is doing it under my authority there is NOTHING you can do about it!”

Celestia stared hard at Luna.

“Are you sure you want to do this Luna? I don’t want to become enemies again,” she said.

Luna glared right back.

“There isn’t a single doubt in my mind.” She turned to Twilight. “Come Twilight, I need to inform Brawler of his new position.”

“Uh, yes, of course.”

As they prepared to teleport away, Luna looked at Celestia one more time.

Something tells us things are going to get worse before they get better.

And with that, she and Twilight vanished in a flash of light.

Bonus: Fire Cracker and Rorschach

Fire Cracker pounded the bar table. The bartender slid her another shot of whiskey. She gulped it down with a smirk. She had no intention of paying for it, or the other two she'd already had. It was a Friday evening and the place was packed, she could sneak off without paying. She'd done it plenty of times before.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror behind the bar. Her messy yellow mane was cut shorter than it usually was, and her tan coat was cleaner. For reason being, until six hours ago she had been employed as a janitor for North Manehattan Highschool. She had been fired when she had set fire to a colt's backpack. The son of a bitch thought it was a good idea to dump her bucket of used mop water all over the lunchroom floor. While he had been laughing his stupid little laugh, Fire Cracker set his backpack on fire, then guffawed as he screamed like a filly and rolled around in the filthy water. She'd been fired ten minutes after that. The colt's parents had threatened to sue, but a practiced evil grin scared them off.

Ah, who cares? I was probably going to quit soon anyway.

She could never hold a job for more than a few months at a time. Either she got fired for some form of arson or she just got bored and left. She'd held that janitorial job for a good four months, a new record for her. The reason she stayed so long likely had something to do with the fact that scaring the shit out of highschool students was the most fun she had had in a long time.

Fire Cracker chuckled.

The look on that Freshmare's face when I snarled at her. Hah HAH! I think she was a second away from pissing herself.

Fire Cracker lifted her hoof to pound the table again, but stopped when she noticed her hoof shaking a little.

Already? Sheesh, guess I've been gone for longer than I thought.

She lowered her hoof and waited. After about five minutes, a large group of noisy college mares walked up to the bar and Fire Cracker was able to slip away while the bartender was distracted. She trotted for the exit but when she reached the door she felt a hoof grab her shoulder. She turned around and saw the bouncer, a large green earth pony stallion, glaring at her.

"You forgot to pay for your drinks," he growled.

Fire Cracker smirked.

"I didn't forget, I just decided not to."

The stallion snarled.

"You're PAYING for those drinks, one way or another. Don't make me get rough."

Fire Cracker chuckled.

"Oh yeah, a dumbass EARTH PONY is going to stop me."

The stallion threw a right hook at her head. She ducked beneath it and her horn glowed orange. The ground around the bouncer's feet grew hotter and hotter until it was if a circle of coals had sprung into existence under his hooves. The stallion howled in pain and started hopping from hoof to hoof, trying to minimize contact with the ground.

Fire Cracker laughed.

"Dance, bucker, dance!" she shouted. The stallion, sill howling in pain, sprinted back into the bar, shouting for ice between his screams. Fire Cracker ceased the enchantment and the floor returned to normal. By now the bar had gone completely silent. Most ponies were either hiding beneath tables, or frozen in fear. A few though, were glancing at each other.

I guess the mud pony had friends.

"Who's next?" she called. A blue Pegasus mare with a purple mane charged forward.

Fire Cracker grinned.

When the pegasus was three feet away from her she created a five foot wall of fire in front of herself. The pegasus reared up and flapped her wings to slow down. Fire Cracker jumped through the fire and punched the pegasus in the stomach. When she had doubled over Fire Cracker stood on her hind legs, grabbed the pegasus' head, then slammed it into her back knee. There was a loud "CRUNCH' as the Pegasus' nose broke and she fell to the ground, moaning.

The bar was now in a full on panic. Ponies were screaming, running into each other, and jumping out windows. If she had had the time, Fire Cracker would've laughed, but now was not the time.

Two stallions charged next. A black earth pony stallion coming from the left and a white unicorn stallion with a brown mane coming from the right. Fire Cracker held her right foreleg in the wall of fire, condensed it into a basketball sized fireball, then launched it at the earth pony. He dropped to the ground but his Unicorn friend was still coming. Fire Cracker twisted around and slammed the side of her foreleg into the unicorn's face. He fell onto his side and groaned.

"That all you got? That's bucking path- GAK!!" A levitated whiskey bottle smashed itself against Fire Cracker's head and broke into a thousand tiny pieces. And it felt like a couple hundred had buried themselves into her skin. Her vision went blurry and blood and whiskey trickled down her face. In the haze of her vision she could just make out a black blur charging towards her.

No, no NO! I need time, I need time!

Then an idea struck Fire Cracker and she grinned.

She lit the whiskey on fire. The right side of her face went up in flames and so did a lot of her left foreleg. She knew a spell that prevented the fire from burning her and focused on maintaining it while she recovered.

The black stallion had jumped back when he saw her face go up in flames, but from the look in his eye he was building his courage back up fairly quickly.

Fire Cracker couldn't let that happen, so with practiced ease, she tilted her head back and cackled with far more glee than she actually felt.

The bar had been panicking before but now it was full on pandemonium. Anypony that hadn't hid behind the bar was now fighting for their turn to jump out a window. And from the look on the black stallion's face, he wanted to join them.

When her vision returned to normal, Fire Cracker lowered her head and charged the black stallion. He was so shaken up that he didn't even try to dodge her left hook. And before he could stumble out of range Fire Cracker kicked him in the chest. He was thrown backward onto a table, then collapsed onto the floor.

Before Fire Cracker could celebrate a load of water was dumped onto her head, putting the fire out. She looked up and saw that the Pegasus had recovered and was holding an upturned bucket in her hooves. With blood from her broken broken nose splattered across her snarling face, she looked quite intimidating to the average pony.

Fire Cracker just rolled her eyes, grabbed the bucket with her telekinesis, and smashed it into the pegasus' face. She fell to the floor with a thud, unconscious.

"Those are my friends you bitch!" yelled the unicorn as he charged her from behind. He swung a right hook at the back of her head but she teleported behind him, and slammed her elbow into the back of his head. He dropped like a rock.

Fire Cracker looked down at him and smirked.

"You've got some pretty shitty friends," she said. She trotted over to the bar, ignored the cowering ponies behind it, and grabbed another bottle of whiskey with her telekinesis. She opened the bottle, turned for the exit, and took a drink while she walked.

When she got outside, she saw the place was surrounded by the Royal Guard. Fire Cracker sighed.

And tonight was going so well.

She took another swig of the bottle. A large unicorn guard stepped forward.

"Place down the bottle and come with us quietly," he commanded.

Fire Cracker waved her hoof dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah. One sec." She began chugging the bottle. The guard was perplexed for a moment but recovered quickly.

"Ma'am, I insist you put the bottle down and come with us," he said.

Fire Cracker ignored him.

"Ma'am, if you don't put the bottle down -" The guard was cut off when a pony-sized dragon head made of fire burst into existence above Fire Cracker's head. It looked down on the guard and snarled. The guard tripped backward and scrambled back to his fellow guards. All of which were now shaking in their armor.

Fire Cracker finished the bottle and belched. The dragon head disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"Right," said Fire Cracker, shaking herself. "I surrender."

The guards blinked.

"What?" asked the large unicorn guard.

"I'm tired, injured, and drunk," said Fire Cracker, her voice slurring just a bit. "A fight's fun, even if you lose. But a one-sided beatdown is never fun. So I surrender." She tossed the bottle away and held up her forelegs.

The guards hesitated, then quickly moved forward, put her in chains and started leading her away.

Well, on the bright side, at least the food in prison is free.

The next day was Fire Cracker's trial. A lawyer had been offered to defend her but she brushed him off. She was going to jail, dragging out the trial wouldn't do anything so why bother?

She had a magic inhibitor placed on her horn and her forelegs were shackled. She also had two guards escort her to the courtroom. When she was brought to the courtroom she was surprised to see Princess Celestia herself sitting in the judge's chair.

"Heh, heh heh! Am I THAT important Princess, or were you just bored of sitting your fat ass on the throne?" asked Fire Cracker.

"You will speak to the Princess with respect!" shouted the guard on her left.

"Yeah? Make me you pussy."

Celestia banged her gavel on the bench* with her telekinesis.

"Enough, Fire Cracker, take your seat."

The guards brought Fire Cracker to the defense side of the room and she sat down.

"You have no lawyer?" asked Celestia.

"I'm going to jail, why bother dragging this out?" asked Fire Cracker.

"Then you wish to plead guilty?" asked the prosecutor. A maroon red Unicorn with a short, well trimmed mane.

"Yep," said Fire Cracker. "Spend three, five, years in jail, then get out and wait for this to happen again."

"You expect this to happen again?" asked Celestia.

Fire Cracker chuckled and stood up. She turned and showed her Cutie Mark to Celestia.

"Look at my Cutie Mark," she said.

Celestia examined it for a moment.

"You are a fireworks operator?" she asked. A reasonable guess, Fire Cracker's Cutie Mark did look like a red and yellow firework.

"Errnnt, wrong! I'm a Fighter, specifically, a Pyrokineticist. Or a battle mage who specializes in fire. You feel good when you raise the sun, I feel good when I launch a fireball at a pony," Fire Cracker sat down. "So I plead guilty, spend a few years in jail getting free food, then back on the streets where it's only a matter of time before I get into another fight. And I'm gonna bucking love it."

Celestia's eyes narrowed.

"You plead guilty on the charges of arson, property damage, and four charges of assault?" she asked.

"Yep," said Fire Cracker with a shrug.

"I sentence you to life in the Canterlot maximum security prison," said Celestia, she banged the gavel to signal the end of the trial.

The courtroom was dead silent. Fire Cracker heard her heart beat, once. Twice.

"WHAT!?!? YOU CAN"T DO THAT!" she yelled.

"Yes I can," said Celestia, coldly. "Anypony who admits to have a love for violence and plans on committing future attacks on my subjects has no place in Equestria. Guards, take her away."

"YOU CAN'T BUCKING DO THIS YOU BITCH!" Fire Cracker continued to yell even as the guards dragged her away. "I'M NOT A KILLER, YOU CAN'T GIVE A LIFE SENTENCE TO A PONY WHO ISN'T A KILLER!"

Celestia didn't even look at her as the guards dragged her out of the courtroom and toward the prison.

For three months, she hoped. For three months, she thought there most have been some mistake. For three months, she thought a pony would come and inform her of her true sentence.

For three months, her cellmate laughed at her.

In the fourth month, she gave up. She was going to spend the rest of her life in this cold, gray prison.

And nopony would care.

Nopony would ever know just how much she'd been wronged.

Fire Cracker knew she deserved jail time, but a life surrounded by cold stone, slowly going insane from talent withdrawal? She didn't deserve that, NOpony deserved that.

Nopony will remember what happened to me, but everypony who stays in this cell, will know my name.

Fire Cracker placed her front right hoof on the wall, and focused. Soon, it felt like the inhibitor on her horn was drilling a six inch hole in her skull, but she didn't care. Her hoof glowed bright red, and she burned her name into the concrete wall. It was a special kind of burn, the kind that could never be washed or chipped away. It would be on that stone until the end of time.

Fire Cracker smiled at her handiwork. Then passed out from the pain.

Rorschach touched the mark on the wall. He always touched it when he went back to his cell, and he always read it aloud.

"Fire Cracker."

The name was burned into the concrete, enchanted with some spell that prevented it from ever being removed. According to the rumors it had been there for over a hundred years.

Rorschach let his hoof drop and he walked back to his bunk. He sat down, and stared at the name. It was strange, despite six months of living in this cell, he could not shake the feeling that he was connected to the name somehow.

A small part of him was irritated by this. The name was a distraction. It pushed itself to the front of his mind when he least wanted it to. He had a war against evil to fight, and there was plenty of evil all around him. He had to break them, it was his duty. The name distracted him from planning his move against the evil festering in these ponies' souls.

But the larger part of him was glad. He had always been disconnected from the ponies around him. He was too disillusioned to join the innocents in their blissful ignorance. But he'd sworn an oath to defend them against the darkness of the world. He belonged to neither light nor darkness, and therefore connected with nopony. Yet here was a name. The name of a pony, long dead, that he felt connected to. He somehow KNEW, that if this pony was alive, they'd be able to truly understand him.

This knowledge came from the fact that making this mark on the cell would've been unbelievably difficult, and painful. He'd seen Unicorns try to cast magic with inhibitors on. Simply holding a small object in telekinesis for too long could leave them groaning on the floor. Making a mark like this on the wall would've been beyond agony. Yet they did it anyway. Whoever they were, they had been determined to leave their mark on the world, even if nopony appreciated it. Rorschach had the same determination.

The fool of a Princess thought throwing a criminal in jail was enough to 'fix' them. Rorschach knew better. Criminals couldn't be fixed, they could only be broken. And they only stayed in line if they feared being broken again. He had learned this when he earned his Cutie Mark.

He had been eight when he earned it. He was walking back to his whore of a Mother's apartment with a load of groceries when two street thugs stopped him. It hadn't been the first time, they always hounded him, no matter what route he took, and they always destroyed his groceries. Never eating them, just stomping them into the sidewalk, then pushing his face into the mush. They were occasionally caught, some adults would drag the punks away, and if he was lucky, re-buy the groceries for him. But the punks always came back the next week. They didn't care about detentions, or having possessions taken away, they just wanted to hurt him. One day, Rorschach just snapped.

He didn't care that they were a head taller than him. He didn't care that one was a Unicorn. He didn't care that the other one was always bragging about his Father's money. He just wanted to break them.

So he did.

He snapped off the Unicorn's horn and buried it into the other's shoulder. They ran away, screaming.

And for the first time since he was a baby, Rorschach had grinned.

He saw a light coming from his flank and he dashed over to a window to see his newfound Cutie Mark. In the foggy glass of a store window, he could just barely make out his white coat with black splotches and his brown mane. He turned sideways to the mirror, trying to see his Cutie Mark.

It was more black splotches. Two upside down L's and a dot of the far side of each.

At first, he was disappointed. As time went on though, he understood it.

In this world, there is good, and there is evil. Evil will always be present, always be on the move. Shifting like black splotches through the white innocence of society.

It had to be punished. There was no compromise in this. Those punks, who he'd broken, never bothered him again. Out of fear of being broken once more. It was the same for all criminal trash. Break them, and they'll be too scared to ever hurt an innocent again.

Rorschach was going to leave his own mark on the world, by breaking as much of the darkness as he could.

The Princess did not understand his mission, and had thrown him in here. But in truth, a small part of Rorschach was glad. There was so much darkness in here for him to break. So many criminals to scare into behaving. All he had to do, was wait for the right moment.

The second he finished that thought his cellmate burst into the cell and hid beneath his bunk. Rorschach quirked an eyebrow, then got off the bunk and squatted down.

"Dusk. What happened?" he grunted.

The brown Unicorn just babbled nonsense. Rorschach sighed irritably, dragged him out and slapped him.

"What. Happened?" Rorschach asked again.

"O-oh Gods, Rorschach. They started a riot! It's total chaos out there and the guards can't do anything about it! O-oh they're going to reach here soon and we're locked in! We're locked in with them," said Dusk, trembling.

"No," Rorschach walked toward the cell door and opened it. Now was the moment he had been waiting for. He was going to break every single criminal in this building and there was nothing anypony could do about it.

Wish me luck Fire Cracker, I'm about to make my own mark.

"I'm not locked in with them," he stepped out of the cell. "They're locked in here with ME."

Chapter 11 (Revised)

View Online

Thus far Brawler's prediction was proving correct. It was a good day.

He explained to Applebloom that 'buck' was also a swear word and if he told her what it meant, Applejack would kill him. Applebloom's eyes had widened at the revelation, then she started giggling. Apparently Applejack was really strict about bad language, so the idea that she was technically swearing everyday of the harvest was pretty funny for Applebloom.

After they were done laughing they had gotten back to work. Two baskets beneath a tree, a kick from Applebloom, a punch from Brawler, gather up the loose apples. The two of them continued this pattern for a few hours then Applejack came and told them that it was time for breakfast.

"Ah sent Big Mac ahead of us ta tell Granny Smith," said Applejack as they trotted back toward the house.

"What're we having?" asked Brawler.

"Flapjacks, apple bread, apple cider, and a course apples," said Applejack.

Brawler rolled his eyes.

"Shoulda guessed," he said.

The three of them made small talk as they walked and eventually they reached the house. They trotted inside and into the dining room. A big table full of food was waiting for them. An light green elderly mare sat at the head of the table and she looked up when they came in.

"Oh, Ah suppose yer the new stallion mah granddaughter hired?" she asked, looking at Brawler.

"Uh, yeah. And I'm guessing you're Mrs. Smith?" he asked.

"No need fer that sonny. We're casual folk round here. Call me Granny," she said, smiling.

Before Brawler could respond, Big Mac came in from the kitchen with a bottle of syrup. He glared at Brawler as he placed it on the table and sat down.

Brawler just smirked.

"Brawler, Ah told ya not ta pick fights with mah brother," said Applejack.

"Believe me AJ, if I was looking for a fight I'd do a lot more than just smirk," said Brawler. He sat down at the table, as far away from Big Mac as he could. He wasn't scared, he just wanted to enjoy the meal. Applejack sat next to Big Mac and Applebloom sat next to Brawler, then they dug in.

Dang, this stuff's pretty good.

Brawler wasn't the biggest apple fan, but he had to admit, the Apple family knew how to cook. He was reaching for a second helping when Granny Smith interrupted him.

"So, yer a Fighter eh?" she asked. Everypony stopped eating. Brawler sat back down.

"Yeah."

"What kind?"

"If boxing was still legal I would've signed up the second I turned seventeen," said Brawler. He leaned forward. "Listen uh, Granny. I don't suppose you ever collected old newspapers did you?"

Granny Smith blinked.

"A couple, here an' there. Why'd ya ask?"

"Well the only records left of old boxing matches are old newspapers. I was wondering if you had any that talked about a boxer named Marehammad Ali."

Granny Smith sat back and tapped her chin.

"Marehammad Ali, Marehammad Ali," she sighed. "The name rings a bell, but Ah'm afraid Ah never kept a newspaper 'bout her."

Big Mac scoffed.

"An' why would ya? She weren't nothin' but a dirty boxer," he said.

Brawler growled. Applejack gulped.

"Watch your mouth, punk. Ali was one of the greatest," said Brawler.

"Yeah, at beatin' up ponies fer money. Equestria'd be better off without any Fighter if ya asked me," said Big Mac.

Brawler leapt to his hooves, but before he could lunge at Big Mac a voice interrupted him.

"MACINTOSH! You take that back this INSTANT!" yelled Granny Smith. Everypony froze.

"Gr-Granny?" stammered Big Mac.

"Besides jus' how rude yer bein' ta our guest, if it weren't fer a certain Fighter Ah doubt we'd have a roof over our heads," said Granny Smith.

Everypony's jaw dropped.

"Wh-What? Who?" asked Applejack.

"A stallion by the name a Green Machine. Or as his friends called him, Big Mac."

If Big Mac's jaw lowered any farther, it would have dislocated. Granny Smith sighed.

"Ah suppose Ah shoulda told y'all this story sooner. Sit down Brawler, Ah figure you should hear it too," she said.

Brawler sat down, his eyes never leaving Granny Smith. Everypony else was focused on her as well. Granny Smith rubbed her chin.

"Now, where the hay do Ah start?" she mused, "Well, Ah first met Green Machine at the Annual Apple Family Reunion. An' not just any reunion, this was the first one Ah hosted as the owner of Sweet Apple Acres. Ah was twenty-six an' felt nineteen. As in, Ah felt like Ah had ta put on the biggest darn blowout anypony'd ever seen. So as well as invitin' everypony in the Apple family, Ah told 'em all ta bring a few friends. Cousin Baldwin was the one who brought along Green Machine. An' lemme tell ya." Granny Smith chuckled. "Ah could see why they called 'im Big Mac. He was a few inches taller than you Macintosh, an' even more muscular if ya can believe it."

Brawler grunted and glanced at Big Macintosh. The stallion in front of him was already the biggest he'd ever seen.

Hard to imagine anypony other than an Alicorn could get any bigger.

"Green Machine was a real intimidatin' fella. What with bein' at least a head taller than everypony an' easily the strongest. He also didn't speak very much, usually jus' gruntin' unless he really had ta talk. At first we thought he was bein' antisocial but then we figured out he was jus' shy. He weren't used ta bein' around so many ponies an' it actually scared 'im a bit. Once we got 'im ta open up we saw that we was a real nice guy," said Granny Smith.

"What was his Cutie Mark?" asked Applebloom.

"Applebloom! Don' interrupt," said Applejack.

"S'alright Applejack. Ah probably shoulda mentioned it earlier anyway," said Granny Smith. "His Cutie Mark was a full set a armor. Not the decorative stuff Guards wear today. A full body set of iron armor." She scratched her head. "Ah could never figure out exactly what it meant."

All eyes turned to Brawler. He shrugged.

"If he was a Fighter it probably meant he could take quite a few hits," he said. "But what makes you so sure he was a Fighter?"

"Ah'm gettin' ta that. On the last day of the reunion a few lawyers cam in. Wearin' their fancy shmancy suits and wavin' around documents from their briefcases. Ah don' speak legal gibber-jabber so Ah could barely tell what the hay was goin' on. As far as Ah could figure, my own folks screwed somethin' up in the paperwork when they gave me the farm. An' now because a some obscure law, if Ah didn't pay fifty thousand bits, they'd kick me an' mah family out," said Granny Smith.

"Fifty thousand!" exclaimed Applejack, "How the hay did they do that?"

"Ta this day, Ah still don' know. They mighta been bluffin' fer all Ah know. But Ah didn't trust anypony in a suit, so goin' to a different lawyer ta sort it out never crossed mah mind," Granny Smith sighed. "Ah had just spent a good chunk of our money on the reunion, so Ah couldn't pay it by myself. An' even when everypony on the farm chipped in as much as they could, we were still about five thousand short." She smiled. "Then right when Ah was ready ta give up, Green Machine marches over ta the lawyers, an' says he can get the money ta them by Saturday, along with an extra two thousand five hundred. They agreed. Green Machine took a train out ta Fillydelphia Thursday, an' came back Saturday with a broken nose, a black eye, a missin' tooth, an' a sack full a bits. The lawyers took the money an' left. Everypony else wanted ta know just how the hay Green Machine had gotten the money. More than one askin' if he'd stolen it. He jus' laughed us off an' told us 'bout how he was a boxer, an' that he'd won the money fair an' square."

"Boxers got paid that much?!" asked Applebloom.

"The Champions did. Either that or he bet on himself," said Brawler.

"He wasn't a Champ, so it was probably the second," said Granny Smith. "Anyway Ah asked him what Ah could do ta repay 'im. He looked me straight in the eye, an' told me ta never forget that Fighters like him had a place in Equestria. An' ta pass that message on ta mah kids an' grandkids." She chuckled. "When Ah told mah little Melrose 'bout Green Machine she fell in love with that story. Said right then an' there that she wanted ta name one a her kids after 'im or his nickname at least. An' here we are." She gestured to Big Mac.

The big stallion opened and closed his mouth a few times, then found his voice.

"Why didn't ya tell me?" he asked.

"Ah wanted ta tell all three a you at once, an' wait until Applebloom was a little older. Didn't want her ta get confused about whether or not illegal things can be good sometimes ya know?" said Granny Smith.

"Why wait? Why not tell us one by one?" asked Applebloom.

"Ah don' know," sighed Granny Smith. "Guess Ah jus' wanted ta impress all three a you at once with this story. Seein' as Ah can't do much else these days."

"Granny, ya don' have ta do that," said Applejack, "You impress us enough as is."

"Jus' wait 'till yer mah age Applejack, then ya should understand," said Granny Smith, smiling.

Brawler coughed.

"Hate to interrupt, but did you keep a paper about him?" he asked.

"As a matter a fact Ah did. There was an article about 'im when he retired. When Ah saw it Ah knew Ah had ta keep it."

"Can I see it?"

"Sure thing. Jus' gimme a minute ta grab it," she stood from her chair and trotted out of the room. The rest of them sat in silence.

Brawler glanced at Big Mac. Big Mac glanced at him. Both pretended not to notice.

Granny Smith came back with the paper in her mouth. She sat down at the table and laid it out. At the top of the page was a black and white photo of Green Machine wearing black boxing gloves and shorts. His mane was also black and his coat was dark.

"I assume his coat was dark green?" asked Brawler, skimming through the article.

Granny Smith nodded. Brawler's gaze traveled to the bottom of the page, the scores of Green Machine's matches were listed with a very brief description of each match.

"19:23," said Brawler.

"What's that?" asked Applebloom.

"Win loss record. This guy lost more than he won," he explained.

"Wha? But-"

"Just because a pony's a Fighter doesn't automatically make them a champion," said Brawler. "Besides, it's not a bad record. And from the looks of it, he was one tough opponent."

"How do ya know?" asked Applejack.

Brawler gestured to the scores.

"He went the distance in every fight he lost."

"He what?"

"Went the distance. Boxing matches have a set number of rounds. If neither boxer was knocked out by the end the winner would be who scored the most points. Points were based on the number of punches thrown and the number that landed," explained Brawler, "Every time this guy lost it was always by points and from the looks of it, his opponent landed four or five punches for every one of his. Heh, the guy was a tank."

"Was he a good Fighter?" asked Applebloom.

"No way of knowing without actually seeing him fight. But, I think I can guess," said Brawler.

"How?" asked Granny Smith.

"Well, based on the scores he didn't land hits very often, even in the fights he won. That means he was probably a Slugger."

"A what?" asked Applebloom.

"If you oversimplify things, there are three basic types of boxers. Four if you count the all-around type. In-Fighters, like me, don't think or strategize much beyond how to get inside our opponent's guard, and how to avoid counter attacks. Once we're inside, keep punching until the opponent goes down, or escapes with a counter punch or clever dodge. Out-Fighters are the ones who need to think the most. Always strategizing about how to wear the enemy down without taking damage, or getting worn out. Since they had to do the most thinking, a lot of ponies thought Out-Fighters represented everything quote on quote 'noble' about boxing." Brawler chuckled. "Sluggers on the other hoof, represented everything brutal about the sport. Most didn't think or strategize much, if they did it at all. While an Out-Fighter wears their opponent down before delivering the final blow, every punch a Slugger throws is meant to end the fight then and there. Good punchers, but not good boxers."

Applebloom looked downcast.

"So he was jus'... the big strong tough guy with no brain?" she asked.

"I didn't say that," said Brawler. Applebloom furrowed her brow.

"But you jus' said Sluggers don't think."

"I said MOST don't think. I'm pretty sure Green Machine was one of the few that did."

"How?"

Brawler tapped a score at the bottom of the page.

"A thirty five year old geezer doesn't go the distance with a twenty year old Marehammad Ali without some serious skill," he said.

"Now since when was thirty five old?" huffed Granny Smith.

"It was a pro sport Granny, most drop out before they turn thirty. And any Martial Art is more punishing to the body than other sports because your opponent's goal is to hurt you, not get past you. A stallion holding together that well when he was thirty five is pretty damn impressive."

"But, how would he fight then?" asked Applejack.

"Well again, there's no way to be sure. But my guess is he was a Counter-Slugger."

"So, he threw a lot of counter punches?" asked Applebloom.

"Exactly. Fighting anypony that specializes in counter attacks is a fricking nightmare. Every punch you throw is a chance for them to hit you back twice as hard. A Slugger, specializing in counter attacks, is downright deadly. Imagine there being a chance of a wrecking ball slamming into you every time you attack your opponent."

Applebloom's eyes sparkled. Everypony else gulped.

"Course, he was probably a lot slower than most of his opponents so that's why he didn't land as many hits. Leading to him losing matches when he ran out of time. If he had more time he'd probably win a lot more matches."

"Ya really think so?" asked Applebloom.

Brawler shrugged.

"It's my best guess."

"Awesome! Hey Granny, can I show this to my friends?" asked Applebloom.

Granny Smith smiled and nodded.

"Sure thing, jus' bring it back."

"Yes! Can I be excused?"

"Go ahead, Ah'll clear for ya."

Applebloom pumped her fore hoof, grabbed the paper in her mouth, and ran out the door.

"Don' do anythin' dangerous now, ya hear?" Applejack called after her.

Applebloom's reply was muffled by the paper in her mouth. Brawler smiled after her, but it faded when he glanced over to Big Mac. The stallion stared back at him, expressionless, then picked up his plate and trotted to the kitchen.

"He's probably gotta lot ta think about," said Granny Smith. "Ah'll see if Ah can help 'im sort it all out."

She picked up bother her and Applebloom's plate, then followed after Big Mac.

Applejack and Brawler were silent for a bit, but not long.

"Well, that's one way ta end breakfast," said Applejack.

They both chuckled.

"An' Ah suppose ya wanna get paid now," she said.

Brawler nodded, then his eyes widened.

"Shit! I forgot my saddle bags."

"Don' worry. Since ya insisted on not bein' fully paid today yer only gettin' another fifteen bits. So Ah can fit 'em inna small bag you can carry."

"Thanks."

They brought they're plates to the kitchen, then Brawler headed for the door while Applejack headed to the living room. Brawler waited outside for about a minute, then Applejack came out and tossed him the bag.

"Thanks AJ," said Brawler, placing the bag under his wing. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Yep, an' Ah'll come by myself next time," she said.

"Teh, oh yeah. See ya."

"Later Brawler."

Brawler trotted over to the market. He bought another loaf of bread, then started back for the dojo. As soon as he could see the building properly though, he stopped. A dozen ponies were moving around the dojo. Some were construction ponies and others were delivery ponies.

Jeez, guess Rares doesn't screw around when she wants something done.

His musings were interrupted by slick sounding voice from behind him.

"Well, well, well, return of the playground cop. Beat up any ten year old bullies lately?"

Brawler grinned. He'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Not for almost a decade. How 'bout you Garry? Scam a filly out of her lunch money today?" He turned around, and looked at his old friend. Garry was short for a griffon, just a few inches taller than the average pony. His feathers and coat were almost completely black, except for the feathers around his face which faded into a light gray. The cat part of him was panther, and the bird part was sooty owl. Brawler knew this because Garry like to brag about it, and how it set him apart from other griffons.

Not that I'd complain too much if he bragged about it today.

They walked over to each other and shook claw and hoof.

"Been way too long B-boy. I didn't even get to see you grow that beard," said Garry.

"Huh, the old coot's gone sentimental."

"Yeah." The two of them lowered their fore legs. "Wife and kids beat it into me. Now they got me telling the truth sixty percent of the time."

Brawler scoffed.

"Yeah right."

"Okay, seventy-five percent."

"Now I know you're shitting me."

"I swear on the soul of my dear departed mother, that's the truth."

Brawler narrowed his eyes, then quirked his eyebrow.

"Wow, really?"

Garry nodded solemnly.

"Huh, wow."

Garry snickered. Brawler sighed exasperatedly.

"Ha, Ha! You've gotten rusty B-boy. You can usually see through my bullshit," laughed Garry.

"Yeah well, shit happens," said Brawler.

Garry's smile faded.

"I'm sorry Brawler. They had you in solitary, only family can visit ponies in there."

"I know. Don't worry about it," he gestured over to the dojo. "Besides, things are looking up."

Garry glanced over Brawler's shoulder.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that. How the hell did you afford all that stuff?"

Brawler sighed, and looked away. Garry's eyes widened.

"Lord almighty. You accepted a favor didn't you?"

"I'm paying her back," said Brawler.

"In full?" asked Garry, smirking.

Brawler grimaced.

"Half. Plus I owe her a favor back," he grumbled.

Garry laughed.

"You kidding? After all the times I offered you free shit from my stall some random pony is able to force you into accepting a favor? Ha!"

"First off, most of your shit is just that, shit. And second, the mare in question pointed out that I couldn't exactly stop her from helping me without breaking the law again."

"Heh, clever bitch."

"She ain't a bitch. Comes off like one, but would a bitch offer to pay for all this stuff?"

"Well if she was your bitch-"

"Oh for the love of Luna don't start that shit again. I met her a two days ago and we only recently started tolerating each other."

"Alright, alright sorry. But you better hurry. You're almost out of time to act young and crazy."

"I prefer life outside a cell thank you very much. So I'll just return to my routine in a new town."

"About that," said Garry, his face turning serious, "Why'd you order three full chickens? You know everything but the breasts are full of fat right?"

"Yeah but it's not my money paying for it. And you charge extra for specific pieces."

Garry gave him a look.

"Ya know, for most everyone else that would be an excuse to spend more, not less."

"Well I'm not everyone else."

"Okay, but then why order so many? You don't usually order in bulk."

Brawler sighed.

"I've been roped into being a teacher," he said.

Garry's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Three fillies without Cutie Marks have the potential to be Fighters, and convinced me to train them."

Garry stared at Brawler slack-jawed, for what seemed like an eternity. Then he started chuckling.

"What?" asked Brawler, indignantly.

"I'm sorry. It's just, heh, I can't imagine any scenario where three kids and you hang out together to end very well."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, dickhead."

"Anytime. Oh, and you'll be pleased to hear I'm having a sale right now."

Brawler gave Garry a look.

"Oh really?" he asked.

"Yes indeed," said Garry, slipping into his salesman mode. "For a limited time if you order eight* of the same parts of a chicken it'll cost the same as a full chicken! Plus if you order three sets I'll throw in some Demon's Spit BBQ sauce, free of charge. Better hurry! Offer ends in ten seconds!"

Brawler sighed.

Well, chicken breasts are big enough to be cut in half and still be a full serving. So they'll last a lot longer. Plus, I'd realllly like some hot BBQ to go along with it.

"You give me shit about accepting another favor, and I'll switch to no." he said.

Garry smiled.

"Excellent choice, sir."

"You know how annoying that act is right?"

"Get's ponies' attention."

"You're an annoying prick."

"And you're an asshole."

"If I may interrupt?" came a voice from behind.

Brawler's eyes widened. He and Garry turned around and saw Princess Twilight, Luna, and a Lunar Royal Guard.

"Princess Luna!" Brawler dropped to his knees. Garry wasn't far behind.

"A thousand pardons Your Majesties, if we had known you were present we would not have used such foul language."

Luna chuckled.

"Rise, there is no need for apologies. The two of you were clearly enjoying each other's company."

Brawler stood up.

"Well, one can only enjoy the company of a snake oil salesman so much," he said.

"Hey, that's only HALF of my job," said Garry, standing up and dusting himself off.

"What happened to telling the truth sixty percent of the time?" asked Brawler.

"Oh now who's the annoying prick?" asked Garry.

"You two are friends?" asked Twilight.

"Sure we are. And as his friend it's my job to point out his flaws. Like how he's a dirty liar," said Brawler.

"And it's my job to tell him to grow a pair and get laid," said Garry.

Twilight's eyes widened, Luna laughed.

"Such scandalous talk in front of two of your Princesses! Have you no shame?" she was smirking.

"Oh please, you're enjoying it," said Brawler.

Luna chuckled.

"Indeed, it has been many years since a pony dared speak that way in my presence. The change of pace is quite nice."

"Sure. Now can I ask why exactly you're here? I'm pretty sure it wasn't so you could watch Garry and I swear at each other," said Brawler.

Luna's smile faded and she sighed.

"Correct. I'm here to inform you that if my sister had her way, you'd be locked away again for training three fillies to be Fighters."

"What do you mean, if she had her way?" asked Brawler.

"Well, Celestia has no control over the members of the Lunar Royal Guard," said Luna.

Brawler's eyes widened.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Princess. You want ME, to be a member of the Royal Guard? You know we don't exactly have a good history," said Brawler.

"You don't have a good history with the Solar Royal Guard. The Lunar Royal Guard has only heard stories about you," Luna chuckled again. "Or perhaps more appropriately, legends."

"Wait, WHAT!?" exclaimed Twilight and Brawler.

"I don't think I heard you properly Your Highness," said Garry, cleaning out his right ear. "I thought you said that there are now legends about B-boy."

"Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration," said Luna, still smiling. "But you faced Tirek, head on, by yourself, with nothing but a broken shackle. If that's not the stuff of legend I don't know what is."

"He swatted me out of the sky like a bug, and would've killed me if Twilight and her friends didn't do the whole 'purification' thing," said Brawler.

"You stood against a demon with the power of almost everypony in Equestria and held your own. The entirety of the Royal Guard couldn't stand against him when he barely had half of everypony's magic," said the Lunar Guard. "Like it or not Sir, you're a legend."

Brawler looked at him, shocked.

"B-but, I'm, I'm not-"

"Regardless of what you yourself believe Brawler, there are now several members of both Solar and Lunar Guards who look up to you. Sergeant Shadow Dust here, is one of them. If you accept the position of Specialist Trainer for the Royal Guard, then you will train him, and anypony you see fit, and Celestia will not be able to touch you. I will also be able to supply you with whatever you need to train your students to their full potential," said Luna

Brawler stared at her, slack jawed, then he started chuckling.

"Ha haw, man. This is gonna piss off Sunshine so bucking much," he said.

Luna looked down and sighed, Brawler didn't notice.

"Alright, I'm in. Is there any like, ceremony I need to go through?" he asked.

"I figured you would want to skip it," said Luna, looking back up, "All you have to do is sign here." Her horn glowed and a contract and quill appeared in a flash. "Then tell me some of the supplies you need and what you believe would be an acceptable salary."

"Wait, I set my own salary?"

"I made up the position of Specialist Trainer about ten minutes ago. I'm not sure what would be appropriate, but be reasonable," said Luna.

Brawler chuckled, then grabbed the pen in his teeth and signed the contract.

"Okay, the usual salary for a boxing instructor is about forty thousand bits annually. That's, pfft, a little more than three thousand a month?"

"Three thousand three hundred thirty three a month and eight hundred thirty three weekly," chirped Twilight.

Brawler stared at her.

"Okaaay then, that. As for supplies, well, Rares kinda took care of that already," he said, gesturing to the dojo.

"I can see that," said Luna, "Is there anything else you need?"

"Well, ideally we'll be eating meat twice a day. I just got thirty chicken breasts from Garry here, but between five ponies they're only going to last five days."

"I can supply the necessary bits if Garry can supply the necessary merchandise," said Luna.

Garry rubbed his chin.

"Well, it'll be cutting close, but what kind of merchant would turn down business with Royalty?" he said.

"If you need any equipment I can supply you with that as well," said Luna. "Is there anything else?"

"Just one," said Brawler, he turned to Shadow Dust. "Are you going to be staying in town?"

Shadow Dust nodded.

"I'll find a hotel."

"Okay then," Brawler turned back toward the center of Ponyville. "Hey Pinks! New pony in town!" he shouted.

A high pitched gasp came from the center of town and a pink blur streaked toward them. Shadow Dust's eyes widened.

"Uhh..."

"Just go with it," said Brawler, smiling.

Things were certainly looking up.

Chapter 12

View Online

Shadow Dust took a deep breath.

"What in the name of Luna just happened?"

"Did you forget already Dusty? After Brawly told me you were new in town I gasped, zoomed over, interviewed you on your party preferences (I still need to know what your favorite color streamer is), gave you a tour of Ponyville, introduced you to a bunch of my friends, then brought you here to Sugar Cube Corner for your 'Welcome to Ponyville' party!" said Pinkie.

Shadow Dust's eye twitched.

"In less than a minute!?" he demanded.

"It's actually been about three minutes," said Twilight as she, Princess Luna and Brawler trotted into the crowded bakery.

Shadow Dust sputtered.

"That's still, h-how-?."

Brawler chuckled.

"Lesson number one, Dust: It's Pinkie Pie, don't question it."

Shadow Dust sighed, and rubbed his temples. His day thus far hadn't been bad, far from it, getting personal training from the stallion who'd faced Tirek was a dream come true.

That's the problem I guess.

That morning he had barely finished his morning routine when Princess Luna had teleported into the Lunar Guard's training grounds. Luna had announced that Brawler was going to be a Specialist Trainer for the Lunar Guard, then asked Captain Starry Skies to select the first pony to be trained by him. By some miracle, he, Shadow Dust, had been selected. Once he had gotten over his initial shock he'd packed a few of his things then Luna teleported the both of them to Princess Twilight's castle. Luna explained to Twilight that she thought Brawler should have a Guard to train to make his position more official, and then they were off to meet the legend.

They found him swearing at a Griffon who was apparently both a friend and a fraud.

Shadow Dust did his best not to judge; as a Thestral, he knew what it was like to give a bad first impression.

Yeah, but with me it's looks, he's friends with someone who casually admits that half of their business is based on lies.

Shadow Dust shook his head. He didn't know everything, he shouldn't judge.

But back to the point. All of this combined into a single morning made Shadow Dust question if he was awake or inside some bizarre dream.

The enigma that was Pinkie Pie, did not help clarify this question. (In this moment for instance, she was asking various ponies what they're favorite cupcake was, and then pulling said cupcake out of her hair. Nopony looked particularly surprised.)

"Hellllooo? Dusty? Are you done with your inner monologue yet?" asked Pinkie, waving a hoof in front of his face.

Shadow Dust blinked. "What?!"

"You have been staring into space for awhile now," said Luna, smiling.

Shadow Dust grimaced.

"Uh, sorry. How long-?"

"Oh not long at all. But now I need to know what's your favorite cupcake!" said Pinkie. "If you're not sure I have two thousand two hundred twenty two you can try!"

Shadow Dust blinked again.

"Um, chocolate would be fine ma'am," he said.

Pinkie cocked her head.

"I didn't ask for what would be fine, I asked for your favorite!" she said.

"No offense ma'am, but I doubt you'd have it," said Shadow Dust.

Pinkie's smile vanished and her eyes narrowed.

"Try me."

Shadow Dust gulped.

"You really don't have to-"

"Dust, tell her your favorite cupcake," said Brawler.

Shadow Dust sighed. Brawler was his superior officer now, and he wasn't one to refuse an order.

"Alright. Crunchy Cricket Supreme," he said.

Pinkie's eyes lit up.

"OO! I've been wanting to try that recipe!" and she vanished in a pink blur.

Once again, Shadow Dust blinked.

"She knows Thestral recipes?" he asked.

"I doubt there's a single cupcake on Equis that she doesn't know how to cook," said Twilight, levitating a vanilla cupcake over to herself.

Shadow Dust cleared his throat.

"Well, um, as fascinating as this experience has been, is it really necessary?" he asked.

"When the Element of Laughter throws a party, there is not much one can do to stop it," said Luna.

"Yep, besides, its a good chance for me to look for your fellow students," said Brawler. "Enjoy your party, and when it's done we'll meet you at the dojo."

Shadow Dust was about to say 'yes sir', but at that moment Pinkie reappeared and shoved a cupcake into his mouth.

"How's it taste? Is it good? I personally think bugs taste yucky but I'm not a Thestral so I can't really judge, but do you like it?" she asked.

Shadow Dust nodded, numbly.

"Great! See ya!" and with that the hyperactive mare zoomed away.

Shadow Dust chewed his cupcake. It was actually quite good, not as crunchy as he'd like, but it was still tasty.

"Do try to enjoy yourself Sergeant," said Luna. "Brawler is not a military stallion. The usual cold efficiency displayed by most soldiers would probably just annoy him."

"I will try Your Highness," said Shadow Dust.

"Very good. Now I'm afraid I must return to my duties. Farewell," with that, Luna teleported away.

Shadow Dust looked back into the crowed bakery, shrugged, and took off his helmet.

Might as well, Princess' orders after all.

He wandered into the crowd, and got to know a few of his new neighbors.

Scootaloo was PUMPED.

During the party Brawler had come to her and her friends and told them he got permission to train them! Not only that, but as soon as the party was over, they were gonna have their first lesson, with a Lunar Royal Guard too!

The only thing that had her worried was that Brawler said not to eat too much. At first this had confused her, but then Sweetie Belle said it was probably because he wanted them to eat meat for lunch. Scootaloo wouldn't admit it, but the thought of eating another animal made her a bit queasy. She still wanted to become a Fighter, and was determined not to be scared off, but it still felt wrong.

Scootaloo pushed that thought to the back of her mind as Brawler lead her, her friends, and the guard to the dojo.

"Um, excuse me Sir?" asked the guard.

"Drop the army crap Sergeant, I'm not an officer," said Brawler.

"Uh, technically you are," said the guard.

Scootaloo and her friends giggled.

Brawler sighed.

"Whatever, just don't like, snap to attention whenever you see me alright? It's just weird."

"I'll try Sir."

"And drop the Sir!"

"My Captain, Starry Skies, wouldn't approve."

Brawler sighed again.

"Alright. You had a question?"

"Yes... Um, are you certain you want to train these three fillies?" asked the guard.

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes. But before she could snap at the guard, Brawler turned around.

"I got my Cutie Mark when I knocked a junior Karate instructor on his flank with a single uppercut. I was eleven. If I'm right, then these three have the same potential I had back then. They'll be fine," he said.

The guard nodded.

"Understood Sir."

"Good, we'll do proper introductions when we reach the dojo, then it's lunch time," said Brawler, he turned and started for the dojo again.

Scootaloo hesitated for a moment, then trotted up beside him.

"So what are we gonna be learning today?" she asked. She hopped unto her hind legs and threw a few jabs. "You gonna show us how to do that awesome uppercut?"

"Not today kid. Today's just assessment. Exercises to see what you can do, that kind of thing. If you're up to it, tomorrow we'll get into some real fighting," said Brawler.

"There's no way I won't be up to it," said Scootaloo, grinning.

Brawler chuckled.

"We'll see."

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

When they reached the dojo it was immediately apparent that the construction ponies weren't quite done. Noises were coming from the inside of the building and a few of the workers in white uniforms were looking over some plans in the yard. Brawler walked up and tapped one of them on the shoulder. The worker turned.

"Ah, are you Mr," he pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket. "Brawler?"

"Just Brawler's fine. Look, I don't want to mess with your work, but I'll have to grab a few things from the work out room pretty soon. That alright?"

"That shouldn't be a problem, we've done most of the heavy duty stuff. We just need a few more hours to patch the walls up."

"Alright, did my grill come yet?"

"It's just around the back. And, uh, a black griffon dropped off a large white bag with a note saying it was for you. We asked if we should put it anywhere but he just got this sly grin, told us not to open it, and walked away."

Brawler rolled his eyes.

"That bucker. He wanted one of you to open it."

"Well I told my guys not to touch your stuff, so I'm pretty sure nopony did. Anyway the griffon dropped the bag by the grill, do you need anything else?"

"Nope, thanks."

Brawler started for the back, his new students followed him.

"Why would that griffon want them to open the bag?" asked the guard.

Brawler sighed.

"Gary enjoys scaring and messing with ponies. How do ya think these guys'd handle it if they opened the bag to see a bunch of greasy chopped up meat?"

Scootaloo swallowed at the description. Sweetie Belle scrunched up her face and Applebloom coughed.

Brawler glanced at them.

"You've probably already figured out that we're gonna be eating meat for lunch."

Out of the corner of her eye, Scootaloo saw Sweetie Belle nod.

"Just remember, nopony's forcing you to do this. If you can't do it just walk away, nopony'll judge you."

They reached the back of the dojo. In front of them was a small circular black grill and a mid size bag. Brawler walked up to the grill and examined it. He rolled his eyes.

"Magic, of course it's magic powered," he grumbled. He took the grill's cover off with his teeth, then pressed a button on the side of the grill. The air above the grill became wobbly. Brawler ignored it and turned to the bag. He opened it, pulled out a jar of barbecue sauce, then picked up a chicken breast with his forelegs.

He opened his mouth, then blinked.

"Crap, forgot plates," he turned to the guard. "Hey Dust, could you fly back to Sugarcube Corner and see if they have any left over plates?"

"On it Sir," said the guard as he took off.

Brawler turned back to the chicken breast, opened his mouth, then bit its skin and pulled it off.

"EWW!" cried the CMC.

Brawler spat the skin out.

"The skin's full of fat," he said as he tossed the chicken onto the grill. "And we don't want fat, we want protein."

He grabbed another chicken breast and repeated the process.

Scootaloo scrunched up her face, but didn't look away.

You're not scaring me away Brawler, no matter what you do.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had the same idea, but Sweetie Belle turned away after the second, and Applebloom turned away at the fourth.

Brawler tossed the last chicken breast onto the grill and turned to Scootaloo.

"You're not scoring bonus points kid, it's a gross process. You're allowed to be grossed out."

Scootaloo glared at him.

"Well I'm not!"

"Sure." Brawler turned away and put the lid back on the grill.

Scootaloo growled.

That JERK! I'm fine!

The guard return with five paper plates.

"Thanks Dust, set 'em by the grill," said Brawler.

The guard did as he was told then trotted next to Applebloom and sat down. Brawler sat down in front of the grill.

"Right, now time for some proper introductions," said Brawler. "Girls, this is Sergeant Shadow Dust from the Lunar Royal Guard. He's here because in order to keep Sunshine from throwing me (and possibly you three) in a dungeon, Luna made me an official trainer for the Lunar Guard, and it looks more official if an actual member of the Guard is here for me to train."

"Nice ta meetcha Sergeant," said Applebloom, extending her hoof. Shadow Dust took it and gave it a shake.

"Likewise, and just Shadow Dust will do fine."

"Alright, and Shadow Dust, the filly you're shaking hooves with is Applebloom. The pegasus is Scootaloo, and the unicorn is Sweetie Belle. They're here because they have the potential to become Fighters, and apparently they're pretty desperate for Cutie Marks."

"Hey!" exclaimed Scootaloo.

"Don't give me that, after everything I told you, all the risks you're taking? You're desperate for your mark, don't deny it," said Brawler.

Scootaloo growled.

"Yeah, I want my Cutie Mark, the three of us have been waiting for years to get them. But I'm not doing this because I'm desperate, I'm doing this because I want to be a Fighter, and I'm not gonna let a jerk like you scare me off," she snapped.

Brawler stared at her, and Scootaloo felt her friends and the guard staring at her as well. Then Brawler sighed through a smile.

"You're definitely a Fighter," he said. Scootaloo blinked.

"You just haven't got your mark yet," Brawler stood up. "Moving on. Like I said earlier, today's all about assessment. According to the writing on this grill, it'll only be about five minutes before the chicken's ready. That should be just enough time to see just how skilled our resident Lunar Guard is."

He walked away from the grill and got into his stance.

"We're sparring Sir?" asked Shadow Dust, his voice shaking just a little.

"Damn right we are. Get over here and into your stance."

Shadow Dust nodded, stood up, then trotted away from the fillies and a few paces away from Brawler. He got into a stance that was similar to Brawler's, but with more weight on his back hind leg and his forelegs closer to his body.

Brawler examined the stance, then dropped to all fours and face hooved. He groaned.

"I gotta lot of work to do."

"Sir? Is something wrong?" Shadow Dust started to lower his hooves.

With a powerful flap of his wings Brawler lunged forward. Before Shadow Dust could raise his guard Brawler slammed a right hook into his face. Shadow Dust was knocked down onto his back, he groaned.

"Yeah something's wrong. Grow a backbone! Right now, I'm not a legend, and I'm not your teacher. I'm your opponent! My goal is to hurt you through any means necessary. Including tricking you. Now stand up and get in your stance, there was nothing wrong with it, and even if there was, a shitty guard's better than no guard," said Brawler.

Shadow Dust stood up, and slowly got back into his stance.

"And have some bucking confidence. The second you doubt yourself is the second you lose," said Brawler as he got into his own stance.

Shadow Dust closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened his eyes and nodded.

Brawler lunged forward with another right. Shadow Dust blocked, then spread his wings and took off, driving his knee into Brawler's chest.

"Oomf!" Brawler stumbled back. Shadow Dust landed into his stance, ready to go. Brawler regained his balance and raised his forelegs. Then he lowered them.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded.

Scootaloo growled.

Oh now he's mad when Dust does something right?

"He landed a hit on you, that's what he's supposed ta do," said Applebloom, clearly upset as well. Sweetie Belle just narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, he's also supposed to follow up on that attack if I'm wide open. That was a golden opportunity to knock me down when I was stumbling, why didn't you take it?" demanded Brawler.

Shadow Dust hesitated.

"Sir, this stance was built for defense."

"Yeah well there are times when you need to attack. Now come on, this time you're making the first move," said Brawler as he raised his forelegs.

Shadow Dust took another deep breath, then began to shuffle forward. When he was in range he pulled back his left shoulder then swung a left hook. Brawler ducked beneath it, slammed two punches into Shadow Dust's stomach, then an uppercut into his chin.

Shadow Dust was once again on his back and groaning.

"Could you telegraph your attacks a little more please! I think a blind mountain goat didn't know exactly what you were gonna do!" shouted Brawler.

"Rragh!" Shadow Dust leapt to his hooves and snarled. Brawler grinned.

"That's right, get mad! I'm not a legend, I'm not your teacher. I'm a shit eating jackass who likes to make you eat dirt! And you're gonna wipe this smug grin off my face!"

Shadow Dust growled, then lunged toward Brawler. Brawler side stepped and Shadow Dust flew past him.

"Gotta do better than that!" said Brawler.

Shadow Dust landed on his forelegs, then keeping his hind legs in the air, he turned them to where he heard Brawler's voice.

"Wha-?"

Shadow Dust pushed off the ground with all his might. Sending him flying back toward Brawler.

"Whoa!" Brawler twisted to the right to avoid the kick. Shadow Dust landed on his hind legs then quickly threw a left jab into Brawler's face. Brawler's head snapped back but he didn't give any ground. His right hoof lashed out and hit Shadow Dust's chest, then he twisted left and smashed a left hook into Shadow Dust's face.

Shadow Dust stumbled back but quickly got back into his stance. Brawler dropped to all fours.

"Good. Now unless you want the chicken to burn, we're done."

Shadow Dust stared at him, panting. Then he chuckled and dropped to all fours as well.

"Well, that was certainly, different," he said.

"Well, it's my first time teaching. Bear with me," said Brawler.

Shadow Dust nodded and trotted back over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Brawler went back to the grill.

Scootaloo turned to Shadow Dust.

"That was awesome!" she said.

"Where'd ya learn that flyin' back kick?" asked Applebloom.

"It's an advanced recovery move that they teach us in Guard training," said Shadow Dust. "Usually we're only supposed to use it if we get knocked down, but it's also my most powerful attack. And like Brawler said, I wanted to wipe that grin off his face."

Brawler chuckled. He was holding the grill's spatula in his teeth and put the chicken onto the plates.

"Come and get it," said Brawler, placing the plates in the ground and taking one for himself.

Shadow Dust trotted over and grabbed a plate, the girls hesitated, then did so as well. Brawler undid the cap on the barbecue sauce and poured some onto his plate.

"Want any?" he asked holding out the bottle. Shadow Dust shook his head. "Then dig in."

Brawler dipped his chicken into the sauce and took a bite. He smiled as he chewed and swallowed, then he took another bite without talking. Shadow Dust bit into his chicken as well, but his expression remained neutral as he ate. The girls just stared at their own chicken.

Brawler noticed them hesitating.

"If it's any consolation, these chickens were raised happy, and when they died, it was a clean quick death right before they would've felt pain from aging."

Scootaloo nudged her plate.

"What's it taste like?" she heard Sweetie Belle ask.

"Only way to find out is to take a bite," said Brawler.

Scootaloo picked up the chicken with her forelegs, hesitated, then narrowed her eyes and took a bite.

It was certainly, different. She hadn't ever eaten anything that tasted or felt like it before, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

"It's not, bad," she said, after she'd swallowed.

"You'll get used to it. Hell, one day you might even like it," said Brawler.

Scootaloo doubted that, but she gestured to her friends to try. After some hesitation, they took their first bites.

"It's a little weird," said Sweetie Belle.

"It actually ain't half bad," said Applebloom.

"Well no matter how you feel about it, finish up. I still gotta test the three of you," said Brawler.

They nodded and didn't talk for the rest of the meal.

When they finished Brawler stood up.

"Right, be right back," said Brawler, he stood up and trotted into the dojo. He came out a few minutes later wearing a pair of very weighed down saddle bags.

"Okay, is there a hoofball field anywhere in Ponyville?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah, over by the school," said Sweetie Belle.

"Are we gonna play?" asked Applebloom.

"Nope, we're doing something different. Would we be allowed on the field?" asked Brawler.

Scootaloo shrugged.

"I think so."

"Alright then. Applebloom and Scootaloo, go home, grab a backpack and meet us at the field. And I mean a real backpack, not saddle bags. Sweetie Belle, you show me the way to the field, and Dust, you can either watch or go to your hotel. We're not doing anything else today."

"I think I'll come along," said Shadow Dust, standing up.

"Okay, and you two," said Brawler, turning to Applebloom and Scootaloo, "Be quick, but don't run, you're gonna need all of your energy for this."

"What're we doin'?" asked Applebloom, standing up.

"It's a surprise," said Brawler. "Meet us at the hoofball field."

With that, the group separated, Sweetie Belle leading Brawler and Shadow Dust to the field, and Applebloom and Scootaloo returning home to grab their backpacks.

As she was walking, Scootaloo couldn't help but think about her new teacher.

I didn't expect him to be such a jerk! I mean, I guess he did a good job teaching Dust, but did he really have to be such a freaking jerk about it?

Conflicting thoughts about her new teacher continued to plague her as she arrived home, got her backpack, and trotted towards the hoofball field. Along the way she met up with Applebloom, they speculated about how Brawler was going to teach them as they walked.

When they reached the field they saw Sweetie Belle sitting in a weird pose with her eyes closed. Brawler was standing in front of her and Shadow Dust watching from the sidelines. Brawler's saddle bags were open on the ground next to Sweetie Belle, several small dumbbells were spilling out of it. As they got closer they could hear Brawler instructing Sweetie Belle.

"In through your nose, out through your mouth. In, and out. Clear your mind, and feel," he said. Sweetie Belle breathed as instructed.

Scootaloo and Applebloom glanced at each other, then approached.

"Um, what's going on?" whispered Scootaloo.

Brawler turned to them.

"I, Brawler, a pegasus, am teaching Sweetie Belle, a unicorn, how to use magic. Laugh about it later, right now she needs to focus," he said.

Sweetie Belle gasped.

Brawler turned his attention back to her.

"You feel it?" he asked.

Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Okay, now direct the magic to your horn, and pick up the five pound weight."

Sweetie Belle took a deep breath, and scrunched up her face. A light green aura formed around a small dumbbell next to her, and it slowly lifted into the air. Sweetie Belle cracked an eyelid open for a peak, and the weight drifted in front of her face.

"Yes!" she cried, jumping to her hooves with joy. "Yes, yes, yes! I did it!"

"Good," said Brawler. "Now stand on your hind legs and walk to the ten yard line."

Sweetie Belle paused.

"What?"

"According to a book I've read, once you've located your magic it'll be easier for you to bring it out from then on. So right now, I'm not worried about the strength of your magic. I'm more concerned about you keeping focus while balancing on your hind legs. Why? Because almost all fighting stances require standing on your hind legs. You need to be able to cast magic while in a fighting stance, and this is a good way to practice. Now start walking, you drop the weight, or onto all fours, go back to the beginning and start again," said Brawler.

"Okay," said Sweetie Belle. She licked her lips, and slowly raised her forelegs off the ground. She wobbled a bit, but corrected herself, then the aura around the weight wavered. Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes and the aura stopped wavering, but lost her balance and dropped to all fours in the process.

"Keep trying, you'll get it," said Brawler.

Sweetie Belle nodded and started raising her forelegs off the ground again. Brawler turned to Applebloom.

"You're gonna be doing something similar, come on," Brawler gestured her closer. Applebloom trotted over beside him, on the end line of the field.

"Stand on your hind legs," said Brawler.

Applebloom stood up slowly, wobbling the whole time.

Scootaloo cocked her head.

Why's it so hard for her? Balancing on your hind legs isn't that difficult.

Applebloom eventually managed to balance herself. Sweetie Belle had taken a few wobbly steps forward, still holding onto the weight with her magic.

"Alright, now, I'm gonna put two weights into your backpack. Stay balanced, lean forward if you have to. Unlike your friends' tests, this isn't an exercise you're going to do regularly. This is just to see if you can handle strength and balance at the same time," said Brawler.

He grabbed a ten pound weight in his mouth, and slowly lowered it into Applebloom's backpack. She wobbled a bit, but regained her balance quickly. Brawler then grabbed a fifteen pound weight and lowered it into her bag as well. Applebloom grunted, and leaned forward a little to keep her balance.

"Okay, now walk to the ten yard line. You drop to all fours, come back and try again," said Brawler.

Applebloom nodded and took a step forward, she paused to make sure she kept her balance, then stepped forward again. Sweetie Belle was now paused at the halfway point, trying to regain her balance.

Brawler gestured Scootaloo over to him. She trotted over and sat down.

"Now, you're probably wondering why your friends are having so much trouble, right?" asked Brawler.

Scootaloo nodded.

"Well we pegasi have lighter bones and are usually more flexible than earth ponies and unicorns. So standing on our hind legs isn't that much of a challenge," explained Brawler. "So instead of testing your balance, I'm gonna be testing your wing power."

Scootaloo gulped, thankfully Brawler didn't notice.

"You've seen how useful wings can be for attacking. Dashie with her uppercut and Dust with his knee. They can also be used to help you dodge or lunge faster. Hell, I've even read a few stories where pegasi used their wings to stun their opponents. The point is, your wings are a fantastic asset, and unlike a unicorn's magic or an earth pony's strength, I actually know what I'm talking about when I tell you how to use them in a fight," said Brawler.

Scootaloo snickered.

"Laugh while you can, kid. You're gonna be doing something called the death hover," said Brawler. "Don't worry, you won't actually die. What happens is I put ten pounds in your backpack, then you fly to the ten yard line. You don't need to go higher than a single inch off the ground, and you can do it in short bursts. Just as long as the only time you're moving forward is when you're flying. You got all that?"

Scootaloo took a deep breath, then nodded.

I can do this, I can do this. I don't need to fly very high, and I've been doing my exercises so I'm a lot stronger now. I can do this.

Brawler picked up the ten pound weight and slipped it into her backpack. Scootaloo shifted the weight around, getting comfortable, then grit her teeth and began flapping her wings. She felt her hooves slowly leave the ground. She flapped faster, then slowly moved forward. After a few feet she dropped for a quick breath, then grit her teeth and took off again.

She repeated this process until she made it to the ten yard line. When she got there she dropped her backpack as quickly as she could and panted. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had already finished their tests, and were breathing heavily right beside her.

"Heh, why are you tired Sweetie Belle? You didn't have to lift anything," panted Scootaloo.

"Cut me some slack Scootaloo. I was doing two complicated things I had never done before at once! It's pretty mentally demanding," said Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah, well carryin' thirty-five pounds on yer back while balancin' on yer hind legs ain't no cake walk," panted Applebloom.

"Heh, you think you two had it rough? I'm the one with weak wings," said Scootaloo.

"What'd you say?!"

The fillies jumped, Brawler had walked up to them without being noticed and he was now glaring at Scootaloo. She gulped.

"U-um, I have weak wings. I was born that way, but the doctors say that if I do the right exercises I'll be able to fly someday," she added quickly. "Once they get strong."

Brawler's eyes narrowed even further.

"Get back to the end line," he said. He grabbed Scootaloo's backpack in his teeth and trotted away before she could respond. Scootaloo followed after him.

"What? Am I in trouble for something I was born with?" demanded Scootaloo.

"Not yet," said Brawler. They reached the end line. Brawler set the backpack down and turned to Scootaloo.

"I want to see you do the death hover again, but this time I want to see your absolute best."

Scootaloo looked out onto the field, then back to Brawler.

"So, what, you want me to go to the twenty?" she asked.

"Twenty? I think you can make it halfway across the field."

"You mean the fifty!! I couldn't make that even without the extra weight!"

"I think you can make it with the weight. In fact," Brawler turned and slipped another dumbbell into Scootaloo's backpack. "I think you can make it with another five pounds."

Scootaloo opened her mouth to protest.

"I don't care wether you think you can or not, I just want to see your absolute best. Can you do that?" asked Brawler.

Scootaloo stared at her hooves.

"I guess."

"Look at me, and say you're gonna do your best," said Brawler.

Scootaloo looked up.

"I'm gonna do my best."

"Good, one other thing: Applebloom, get over here," called Brawler.

Applebloom jumped, then swiftly trotted over to them.

"Yeah?"

"I need to borrow your bow."

"What, why?"

"I just have to borrow it for a few minutes, and it doesn't have to leave your line of sight, okay?" asked Brawler.

Applebloom hesitated, then undid the knot and gave the bow to him.

"Be careful with it now, ya hear?"

Brawler nodded and turned to Scootaloo.

"I want you to do it blindfolded," said Brawler, he slid the ribbon over Scootaloo's eyes and tied it.

"What! Why?" asked Scootaloo.

"Because I said so. Don't worry about wandering, I'll guide you."

Scootaloo heard Brawler walk away then return.

"Forelegs out," he said.

Scootaloo did as she was told. Brawler slipped her backpack onto her. Scootaloo dropped back to all fours with a grunt.

This is nuts! I'll be lucky if I make it to the ten.

"Alright, let's go," instructed Brawler.

Scootaloo squeezed her eyes shut, and took off.

She flew forward for about three steps, landed, breathed, then took off again.

"Alright good start," said Brawler.

Scootaloo did her best to ignore the weight pressing on her back, landed, then took off again.

"Good, you're wandering a little to the right."

Scootaloo changed course in midair, landed, and took off.

"Good, great start Scoot."

She flew for another three steps then landed.

"Am I at the ten yet?" she asked.

"Forget the ten, let's go! Don't stop till you have nothing left."

Scootaloo shook her head as she flew, landed, and took off again.

That probably means I'm even farther than the ten.

Her wings were starting to ache. She landed and took a few deep breaths.

"Don't you bucking dare stop Scoot! You got more in you than that," said Brawler, raising his voice.

"I'm not done, just a quick rest," she panted.

"You gotta keep moving let's go!" said Brawler, his voice just below a shout.

Scootaloo grit her teeth and took off.

"Don't stop tell you've got nothing left Scoot."

Scootaloo inched along another two steps in the air.

"I want everything you got Scootaloo!"

Why am I listening to this jerk? It hurts!

"It hurts!" Scootaloo landed and took off.

"Don't quit on me! Keep going!"

Scootaloo's wings protested, but she landed and took off again.

"Keep going! I want everything you got!"

Ragh! It bucking hurts! Isn't this enough?

"It's heavy!"

"I know it's heavy but you need to keep going," Brawler had lowered his head and was speaking right next to Scootaloo's head.

Scootaloo flew another two steps.

"You're doing good! Keep going!"

Another two steps.

"That's it, keep going! I want everything you got!"

A step and a half.

"It hurts! I'm running outta strength!"

"Then find more! You're going good Scootaloo keep going!"

A step and a half.

Another step.

It felt like nails were driving themselves into Scootaloo's wings.

"It hurts! It BUCKING hurts!"

"I know it hurts you keep going!" shouted Brawler. "It's all hurt from here! Thirty more steps Scootaloo, you got this!"

She flew another step, then another.

Her wings were on fire.

"It burns!"

"Then let it burn!"

"MY WINGS ARE BURNING!"

"It's all hurt Scoot, it's all hurt but you keep going!" Brawler was shouting at the top of his lungs.

Another step passed below her, and another.

I can't do it.

"Twenty more steps Scootaloo! Come on! You promised me your best, your BEST!"

Another step, and another.

Her wings were on fire before, now they were melting in acid.

"I CAN'T DO IT!!"

"YOU CAN!! YOU CAN!!! Come on Scootaloo you don't quit on me!"

I can't ma-

"COME ON SCOOT! DON"T QUIT, DON'T QUIT! SCOOTALOO, YOU DON'T QUIT ON ME! I WON'T BUCKING LET YOU!"

Each step that passed below her felt like a mile.

"RRAGH!!"

"TEN MORE STEPS SCOOT! TEN MORE!" Brawler pounded the ground. "TEN MORE! TEN MORE!"

"AAGH!"

Another step inched by below her.

"IT'S TOO HARD!"

"IT'S NOT TO HARD YOU KEEP GOING! YOU KEEP GOING! SCOOTALOO YOU DON'T QUIT ON ME! YOU KEEP GOING! YOU KEEP GOING!"

Another step.

"YOU PROMISED ME YOUR BEST! YOUR VERY BEST SCOOTALOO! TWO MORE STEPS! COME ON!"

The step crawled by below her.

"ONE MORE!"

Scootaloo took off, her hooves scraping the ground as she made her last step.

"Agh!"

She collapsed. Brawler quickly pulled off her backpack. Her whole body was in agony, tears started rolling down her face.

"It's gotta be the fifty," she sobbed. "It just has to be the fifty, I don't HAVE anymore."

She heard Brawler kneel down in front of her. He pulled off the blindfold.

"Look up Scoot, you're in the endzone."

Scootaloo gasped and looked around. She was on the other end of the field. Her body's weakness caught up to her and she lowered her head.

"Scootaloo, look at me," said Brawler.

It felt like she was dragging her head through thick syrup, but she lifted her head anyway.

"Don't EVER, let anypony call you weak. Especially not yourself. There are areas you can improve in, but you are NOT weak. And if anypony ever says you have weak wings, remember, you just carried yourself, and an extra fifteen pounds across this whole field on nothing, but your wings. Do you understand what I'm saying?" asked Brawler.

Scootaloo sniffled, then nodded.

"Yes."

"B-Brawler?" called Sweetie Belle. She, Applebloom and Shadow Dust had followed behind them.

"What?"

"You put two tens in her backpack."

Brawler stared at her, then back down at Scootaloo. He smiled, and patted Scootaloo's head.

"When you're ready, walk home, and get some rest. We're done for the day." Brawler stood up, and trotted away, Shadow Dust followed.

Scootaloo set her head back down, and smiled.

Shadow Dust trotted up behind Brawler.

"A little intense for the first day," he commented.

"No student of mine is calling themself weak," said Brawler, not turning around.

Shadow Dust stopped, gave Brawler's retreating form a salute, then started back for his hotel.

Chapter 13

View Online

Twilight stared at the letter in front of her.

Dear BBBFF,

Sorry I don't write more often, royal duties can be a real pain sometimes. I hope you and Cadence are managing well in the Crystal Empire. I myself am finally starting to get used to the idea that I'm a princess, and I finished mapping out all the rooms in my castle. It would be great if you and Cadence could visit, with all the secret passageways and slides we could have a big game of hide-and-seek tag like we did when we were kids.

Unfortunately, inviting you over isn't the only reason I'm writing this letter. I also have some bad news. Nothing bad happened to me or my friends, but I uncovered a lie in history. A lie about Laughing Light. The truth is, she never existed. She was created to cover up the real war hero of the Changeling War: Cackling Lightning.

Cackling Lightning was not a shield mage, she was a highly skilled Electromancer. At some point in the war changelings killed everypony she cared about, and she was consumed with a lust for revenge. She went on numerous killing sprees against the changelings (usually with some military backup) and that's why there were so few pony casualties. Eventually she openly admitted that she was simply addicted to killing changelings because the second she stopped killing was the second she'd have to acknowledge what she'd become. She apparently committed suicide shortly after the war.

Despite her bloodlust Cackling Lightning was still considered the war hero who was the reason so many soldiers got to come home. It was thought that she would inspire ponies to develop similar methods of resolving conflict, i.e. killing. Laughing Light was created to inspire ponies to work towards peaceful means of resolving conflict. Something I believe you do exceedingly well.

I'm telling you all of this because I'm planning on publishing the information I've found about Cackling Lightning. I can't allow a historical lie of this scale to continue existing in good conscience. I thought I could break it to you a little easier than if you'd just read about it in the news.

I'm sorry about your hero Shining Armor, but I do believe that you've become a great stallion by being inspired by her.

I'm here in Ponyville if you need to talk.

With love and apologies,

Twilight

It was her fourth draft, and it was no better than her first. She'd left out the fact that Celestia was the one lying about it, the lie itself was already causing enough drama. But that didn't change the fact that telling her brother that his hero was a lie was going to hurt him, and a lot of other ponies once she published War on Changelings.

Twilight sighed, and looked out a window. The sun was setting.

The letter's not going to get any better no matter how many times you rewrite it, you've stalled for long enough.

Twilight took a deep breath, then placed the letter in an envelop and brought it to her mailbox.

Please be alright Shining

She placed the letter in the mailbox then trotted inside to prepare for bed.

Celestia was sitting in her room, not reading the novel she had open in front of her. It was rather frustrating, she needed to get her mind off things after the awful day she had. Twilight and Luna pledging their support to Brawler was just the tip of the iceberg. After Luna returned she'd avoided Celestia all day, only appearing at dinner because of tradition. Even then, all of Celestia's attempts to make conversation were either met with curt, conversation ending answers, or silence. The last time Luna acted like this was in the weeks before she had given into Nightmare Moon. Celestia was confident that her sister wouldn't fall into darkness again, but Luna's behavior dredged up a lot of painful memories and Celestia couldn't help but feel that she was losing her all over again.

Celestia grit her teeth.

Gods damn you, Brawler.

He was endangering her precious subjects, corrupting her former student and her friends, robbing away her sister, and worst of all, dragging three innocent fillies into darkness. This was EXACTLY why Celestia locked Fighters away in the first place, to prevent them from turning her kingdom into a land pointless violence.

Gods damn every Fighter who had the gall to live here, and claim that they had a place in a kingdom of peace.

Celestia set her book down, her mind was too occupied for reading, and walked to her balcony. She looked up at the night sky, Luna had once again done a beautiful job. The stars twinkled like diamonds and the moon glowed with a silver hue. During Nightmare Moon's banishment Celestia had had to take charge of the night sky, and she could never come close to Luna's work. She gazed at her sister's beautiful moon, and the accusation rang through her head once more.

BY BETRAYING EVERYTHING WE EVER STOOD FOR!

Celestia shuddered. Had she truly fallen away from the virtues of harmony? Her treatment of Fighters was more than harsh after all.

They forced my hoof. Threats to my subjects must be dealt with. If it is possible to show adversaries the way of harmony then every effort should be made to do so. I have tried to guide Fighters to harmony but they brush me off and continue their barbaric ways. Hurting the ponies around them in the process.

These self-reassurances calmed the doubts in her mind, but did not expel them. Celestia sighed, and trotted back to her bed. She still had a kingdom to run, and sleep deprivation wouldn't help her quell the nagging doubts in her mind. So with a sigh, Celestia laid down on her bed, and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Scootaloo felt something shaking her awake.

"Go away," she mumbled as she rolled away.

"Ah come on Scoot, I come back a day early and thats the thanks I get?"

"Ace?" Scootaloo rolled back toward the voice and cracked her eyes open. Sure enough, her foster father, Ace Contract, was standing beside her bed. Ace was a tan earth pony with a dark blue mane and tail. His Cutie Mark was a piece of parchment with squiggles and a miniaturized official wax seal at the bottom. He currently didn't have any cloths on, which meant he was planning to stay for at least a few days.

Scootaloo sat up, then groaned in pain.

"Scoot? What's wrong?" asked Ace.

"Nothing," Scootaloo grunted, she reached back and rubbed the base of her wings. "Just sore. Did a lot of wing exercise yesterday."

Ace furrowed his brow.

"Look Scoot, don't push yourself too hard, okay? I know you must be frustrated that you can't fly yet but, don't hurt yourself."

"Or the foster care center'll sue you?" joked Scootaloo.

Ace smiled.

"No, because I do care about you. Besides, you really think they'd stand a chance against Quill?" he asked.

"Nope." Scootaloo got out of bed and stretched, trying to sooth her sore muscles. Then she gave Ace a hug.

"I missed you Ace."

Ace returned the hug.

"Missed you too kid."

They separated.

"Now go brush those teeth before Quill can chew you out," said Ace.

"Alright, alright."

They exited Scootaloo's room. Ace went downstairs to help prepare breakfast, and Scootaloo went to brush her teeth. When she finished she trotted downstairs as well. When she got to the kitchen she saw Qualified Quill standing in the entrance, waiting for her. Qualified Quill was a light purple unicorn with a dark green mane and tail. Her Cutie Mark was a black quill with an official looking document behind it. She always wore her business glasses despite having perfect vision, but she was wearing nothing else so she was apparently planning to stay for awhile too.

Scootaloo reach the bottom of the stairs and gave her a hug.

"Good to see you Quill."

Quill hesitated, then returned the hug.

"It's good to see you as well Scootaloo."

They separated. Quill's hoof was tapping, it always did that when she was nervous.

"Quill, what's wrong?" asked Scootaloo.

"Scootaloo dear, why are there chicken breasts in the fridge?"

Scootaloo's eyes widened. Brawler had put them there yesterday, and taught her how to cook them. He instructed her to have one every evening with her normal supper. She would eat one during lunch with her friends while he trained them during the day.

But how was she supposed to tell her foster parents that she was training to be a Fighter?

Today's not off to a good start.

Applebloom also woke up sore, but not nearly as bad as Scootaloo had. She had done push ups before she'd gone to bed, Brawler may have said that they were done after he finished testing them, but Applebloom wanted to get stronger as soon as she could. It was a strange feeling, she'd always wanted to get stronger, but before it was so she could help out on the farm more. Now, after seeing Brawler's fights, she wanted to beat him. She couldn't exactly pin down why, but she wanted to be the strongest Fighter in the world. She knew it would be years before she even came close to beating Brawler, but the desire was still there. But again, for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.

I'll ask Brawler 'bout it this afternoon.

He had given them the morning off so they could recover. Scootaloo was the only one who really needed it, but after watching her stunt yesterday Applebloom didn't blame her. She grabbed her ribbon from her bedside tale, tied it into her hair bow, then trotted out her room and down the stairs.

She saw Big Mac getting himself a snack in the kitchen.

"Mornin' Mac," she said.

He turned, and swallowed whatever he'd been chewing.

"Mornin' Applebloom."

"How come nopony woke me up this mornin'?"

"AJ thought ya outta get used ta yer new routine with Brawler before ya add yer chores ta the mix."

"Oh, okay, but I'm still helpin' out when I get the chance."

"Sounds good ta me."

Applebloom trotted over to the fridge, opened it, and started looking for breakfast. On the bottom shelf there were the chicken breasts Brawler had given her to eat at home. Applebloom stared at them for awhile. Despite her initial apprehension for eating meat, once she tried it she thought it tasted quite good. Not as good as any apple recipes, but still pretty good. Her eyes wandered to the second half of the chicken she'd eaten last night.

Brawler said I had to eat meat twice a day.

She reached in and grabbed the half of a chicken breast.

He didn't say I couldn't have one for breakfast.

She held the meat in her mouth and closed the fridge door. Still biting the cold chicken, she got a frying pan cooking oil, salt and pepper. She poured the oil into the pan, added a little salt and pepper, then tossed in the chicken breast. She turned on the fryer to low heat, then sat down to wait.

"Why the hay are ya doin' this?" asked Big Mac.

Applebloom turned.

"I'm jus' makin' mahself breakfast."

"Not that! Well, Ah guess that's part of it. You're eatin' meat fer breakfast, an' this afternoon you're gonna hang out with an ex-prisoner so he can teach ya the skills he used ta get locked up in the first place. Why?"

Applebloom sighed, she'd thought they were past this.

"Why are ya so against Fighters? Ma apparently thought they were great enough ta name you after one," she pointed out.

Big Mac sighed.

"That ain't the main issue. The whole fightin' thing," he shook his head. "Ah still dunno how ta feel about it. Mah problem is Brawler, he got himself arrested when he was jus' a few years older than ya. 'Scuse me if Ah find it concernin' when ya start pickin' up his habits," he said, gesturing to the chicken.

"Sis said she an' her friends blasted 'im with the Harmony Beam or whatever they call it, an' the only thing it did was sober him up," said Applebloom.

"Preparin' ta meet Equestria's greatest heroes by gettin' drunk, that don't exactly say anythin' positive 'bout his character," said Big Mac.

"That ain't the point, the point is that the elements a harmony couldn't find any evil in 'im ta purify. What more do ya want? A Princess's seal of approval? Oh wait, Twilight was the one who had ta get permission fer Brawler ta teach us, and Luna made him an official member of the Royal Guard, so we got two."

Big Mac stared at her, then shook his head and trotted away.

Applebloom sighed and turned back to the stove.

That could've gone better.

Sweetie Belle woke up with a headache, or more accurately, a hornache. She had spent the previous evening practicing her newfound magic. Rarity had been busy with an order, and she hadn't thought to go to Twilight to borrow any spellbooks, so she had just practiced her levitation. Now levitation may have been a simple spell, but using any spell at all expanded a unicorn's magic reserves, and as a unicorn filly learning how to be a Fighter, Sweetie Belle needed every ounce of magic she could get.

Still,

She rubbed her forehead.

Levitating five things at once and holding them until my reserves depleted might have been a bit too much.

She climbed out of bed, brushed her mane and tail until Rarity would deem them as 'acceptable', then trotted downstairs. She was staying with Rarity while their parents were on a long vacation (again). Sweetie Belle didn't mind, she'd stayed with Rarity in her boutique pretty much every time their parents went away, and it happened so often that it felt like Carousel Boutique was a second home to her.

Besides, I only live a few blocks away when Mom and Dad are home, so it's pretty hard to get homesick.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and trotted into the kitchen.

"Good morning Sweetie Belle," said Rarity. The alabaster unicorn was at the stove, preparing herself some french toast. She levitated a piece up for Sweetie Belle to see.

"Do you want some or would you prefer something else?" she asked.

"Do we have whipped cream?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"And some strawberries as well, dear," said Rarity.

Sweetie Belle's mouth watered.

"I'll have all three of those please!" she said.

"Very well, it'll be ready in a few minutes," with that Rarity returned her attention to the stove.

Sweetie Belle trotted to the dining room and took a seat. Silverware was already on the table, in front of two chairs.

Oh right, I can actually use silverware now.

While technically a pegasus or earth pony could pick up a fork or a knife, the small size of the utensils made them hard to hold, so it was more trouble than it was worth. Most ponies either ate with their hooves or plunging their head directly into the food. Unicorns and alicorns, with their telekinesis, were the exception.

Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes, and focused on her fork. A light green aura surrounded it almost instantly and she lifted it to eye-level.

It's a lot easier to control than that weight.

She twirled it around, then lifted her fork as well.

But that weight was five pounds, after that these feel like nothing.

Right when she was about to put them down, Rarity trotted in levitating their breakfast.

"Very impressive Sweetie," she said, placing Sweetie Belle's french toast, whipped cream and strawberries in front of her.

"When I started using magic I could only hold one utensil at a time." Rarity's french toast was covered with a healthy serving of syrup and a few banana slices. She placed it beside Sweetie Belle's plate then sat down next to her.

"Wouldn't that make using them really hard?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Indeed, it took almost a whole day of practicing to get it right, and by then my magic was strong enough to hold two things at once," said Rarity.

They chuckled.

"Well go on, dig in," said Rarity.

Sweetie Belle was more than happy to comply. She used her utensils to eat, and while doing so was slower than just diving right in, it was cleaner.

Plus I can use my fork to make sure I get a slice of strawberry with every bite.

She cut another piece, lifted it to her mouth, began chewing, then paused.

She quickly swallowed then turned to Rarity.

"Hey sis? Not that I'm complaining, but why'd you make french toast this morning? Doesn't it take like, an hour?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Just over half an hour darling," corrected Rarity.

"That's still a long time to for breakfast," said Sweetie Belle.

"It's not that much trouble Sweetie Belle, just a little celebration for learning magic so quickly," said Rarity, she blew some air out of her mouth and tapped her hoof. "Who would've thought Brawler'd be the one to teach you magic?"

"He didn't believe it either," said Sweetie Belle. "When I told him I couldn't do magic yet he facehooved and groaned. Then he walked me through meditation."

"Meditation?"

"He said a pony needed to meditate to feel the magic inside them. After that manipulating it was easy."

"Hmm, I wish I'd known that when I was a filly. I mostly learned through trial and error. Though I suppose I did occasionally need to take some calming breaths before I could get my magic working. Ah, never mind, this morning is supposed to be about you, not me."

"It's fine," said Sweetie Belle, taking another bite of french toast. "I'm never sure what to talk about on 'mornings that are about me' anyway."

"Well," Rarity looked down, then sighed and looked back up. "Would you mind if I asked why you want to become a Fighter? It's more than just you trying for a different Cutie Mark, correct?" she asked.

Sweetie Belle set her silverware down and tapped her hoof. She wasn't entirely sure she could explain it.

"Well, I'm not sure where to start. When I saw Brawler and Rainbow Dash's fight something just, drew me in. It was like watching some kind of brutal dance, with two ponies working against each other rather than with each other. Rainbow Dash sticking with over the top speed and finesse, and Brawler switching between defensive calculating and quick brutality. I could tell Brawler had the edge but I knew Rainbow Dash would give him trouble. And during the fight there was this feeling in my chest, a kind of primal thrill, and I could tell everypony could feel it, with Rainbow Dash and Brawler being the source of it. That thrill," Sweetie Belle shuddered. "It was scary, but really exciting at the same time. I want to know what it's like to be in the center of that thrill, and I want to know what it feels like to win."

Sweetie Belle looked at Rarity. Her eyes had widened a bit. Sweetie Belle rubbed the back of her head.

"Aheh, sorry."

"No, no! Don't apologize," said Rarity. "You're clearly very passionate about this, that's not something to be ashamed of."

"Even I'm passionate about fighting?"

Rarity sighed.

"I won't pretend that that doesn't trouble me just a bit, but you're my sister. What kind of big sister would I be if I kept you from following your dreams?" she asked.

Sweetie Belle smiled.

"Thanks Rarity."

"Of course Sweetie Belle."

They returned to their breakfast, occasionally making conversation but not nearly as meaningful as the first one. When they finished Sweetie Belle helped Rarity put the dishes away.

This is going to be a good day.

Just before noon, Scootaloo began leading Ace and Quill to the dojo. Quill gave Scootaloo a close look, she still looked nervous. Quill sighed, she and Ace weren't mad that Scootaloo had started eating meat. They weren't even mad about her training to be a Fighter. The two of them had taken many business trips to the Griffon and Minotaur Kingdoms, and as a result they had been exposed to more aggressive cultures. They had eaten meat during business meetings, and attended a Martial Arts Tournaments when business partners offered tickets as gifts. It had taken some getting used to, but now she and Ace had very few problems with Fighters.

What's concerning is that this, Brawler, is an ex-con. I know since he's a Fighter he might have been treated unfairly, but better safe than sorry.

As they made their way to the dojo they met up with Scootaloo's friends. They greeted each other, then continued to the dojo. As they approached the one story building they could hear strange noises coming from inside.

Thud. CONG! Smack. Trombone solo. Ting. Thud.

"What in the world?" asked Quill.

"I think he's sparring with Pinkie again," said Sweetie Belle.

"How'd ya figure that?" asked Applebloom.

"Who else would play a trombone solo in the middle of a fight?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Before anypony could answer an explosion of noise came from the dojo. A red stallion was launched out of the door and landed on his back, right in front of them.

He chuckled, then stood up.

"Gonna take more than that Pinks!" he shouted. He spread his wings and launched himself back into the building.

Quill blinked.

"So, I take it that was Brawler?" asked Ace.

"Oh, yeah," said Scootaloo.

"We should probably wait until they finish before we go in," said Sweetie Belle. "The only way to get to the seating area would be through the two of them."

"We'll wait out here," said Quill, sitting down.

After a few minutes, the various wacky noises (varying from a pie slap, to what sounded like an accordion being smashed over the top of somepony's head) and thuds stopped. The five of them waited for a few moments to see if they'd start up again, then trotted inside.

Brawler was helping a pink mare Quill recognized as Pinkie back onto her hooves.

"Not to shabby Pinks," he said. "You better step up your game Dashie, or Pinks'll beat me before you even get close."

Quill looked past Bralwer and Pinkie and saw Rainbow Dash sitting against the far wall. The cyan pegasus scoffed.

"Yeah right Brawly-boy, let's not forget I managed to knock you on your ass in both our dojo fights so far," she said.

"But I managed to knock him out of the building!" said Pinkie.

"With a cannon! Anypony can knock a pony back with a freaking cannon!" protested Rainbow Dash, she looked like she wanted to say more, but at that moment she glanced up and spotted all the ponies at the door.

"Oh hey, Brawler, you're students are here" she said. "Along with Squirt's foster parents."

"Squirt's foster parents? I thought Scoot was your sister," said Brawler.

"She is, just not by blood," said Rainbow Dash.

Brawler shrugged then turned to the door. He looked Ace and Quill over, Quill examined him right back.

Well he certainly looks like an ex-con, but Rainbow Dash seems to be friends with him.

Before Quill could ponder further Ace stepped forward and extended his hoof.

"Name's Ace Contract, pleasure to meet you," he said.

Quill sighed.

Always rushing in without a second thought.

Brawler walked up to Ace and shook his hoof.

"Mine's Brawler, but I'm pretty sure Scoot already told you that," he said.

Scootaloo gulped. Brawler let go of Ace's hoof and rolled his eyes.

"Scootaloo, why the hell would I be mad at you for telling your foster parents about me? You probably had to explain a few things when they found chicken breasts in the fridge," he said.

"Indeed she did," said Quill, she stepped forward and offered her hoof. "Qualified Quill, pleased to make your acquaintance."

Brawler raised an eyebrow, then shook her hoof.

"You practice that line in the mirror?" he asked as they set their hooves down.

Quill's eyes narrowed and Ace chuckled.

"She used to, but she's so good at it these days that it's second nature to her," he said.

"Please understand Brawler, we have no qualms with Scootaloo training to be a Fighter," said Quill. "But given your history you'll have to forgive me for being a bit cautious."

"You mean how he's been in prison?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Well he also fought Tirek while me and my friends were down."

"How'd you know about that?" asked Brawler.

"Ran into your Lunar Guard this morning, he told me all about it," she explained.

"Wait, wait, wait, you fought Tirek!?!" exclaimed Quill.

"The being that sucked out all the magic in Equestria? Including all four Princesses?!" asked Ace.

Brawler rolled his eyes.

"Yes, and he knocked me out of the sky like a bug after a minute," he said.

"Giving us enough time to unlock our Harmony Forms and send that meanie-pants back to Tartarus! Without you we would've been defeated! So like it or not Brawly, you're a hero too!" said Pinkie.

She pulled a cord that Quill swore wasn't there a second ago, and confetti fell from the ceiling, along with a banner that said 'Hooray for Brawler the Hero!'. Brawler sighed, then chuckled.

"You said it, not me," he said.

"Well, um, I suppose thanks are in order," said Quill.

"Don't bother, I've had enough of that," said Brawler. "But back up a second, you two are okay with me training Scootaloo?"

"So we aren't going to address the fact that you fought what was basically a god and survived?" asked Ace.

Brawler groaned.

"I fought Tirek, I got my ass handed to me, can we move on?"

"Sorry, it's just," Ace shook his head. "Wow."

"Well, if you really want to move on, we're here to make sure we would be alright with Scootaloo hanging out with you," said Quill. She had slipped into her business mode, address the facts, and the problem, let Ace handle the emotions.

"As stated before, we have no problem with Scootaloo becoming a Fighter. We have done business in the Griffon and Minotaur Kingdoms and as a result we have been exposed to more violence than the average Equestrian citizen. While I personally don't exactly approve of Scootaloo learning to fight I know that someone being a Fighter doesn't make them a bad person."

"Person?" asked Brawler.

"Term used when more than one species may be referred to," explained Quill.

"Ah," Brawler paused. "You really don't have a problem with this?" he asked.

"It was a bit surprising when we found out what Scoot was doing, but yeah we got nothin' against it," said Ace. "One time while we were on a trip in the Griffon Kingdom we met with a Fighter. He was the son of one of the guys we were making a deal with, and he dropped in for a visit at this sweet restaurant in-."

"Tangent," said Quill.

"Sorry, anyway he was a nice guy. A bit of a ladies bird, but not too bad," said Ace.

"So you're just worried about my other influence on Scoot?" asked Brawler.

"No offense intended but you are an ex-con, and you pushed Scootaloo too hard yesterday," said Quill.

"I told you I'm fine!" protested Scootaloo.

"You were in PAIN this morning Scoot," said Ace. "I know training can't be easy, but when you push her until she's in pain just getting out of bed? You've gone too far."

"It shouldn't happen again," said Brawler. "She had to prove to herself that she wasn't weak."

"She told us about the death hover, and how it affected her. Now, we're grateful that you've given her more confidence, but if she comes home in pain everyday we will put a stop to this," said Quill.

"There will be days where she's hurting, but I would never make her do something just to hurt her," said Brawler.

"Good," said Quill.

"Anything else?"

"Eh, just a few questions. What style are you gonna teach her?" asked Ace.

Brawler shrugged.

"Not sure, I'm a boxer, but not every Fighter has the same style. So I'm gonna teach them how to fight and do my best to find a style that suits them," said Brawler.

Ace nodded.

"Okay, okay. Boxing huh? Ever see a match?" he asked.

"I was born a year before it was banned, so no," Brawler sighed. "Damn shame, I'd have given my wings to see a match."

Rainbow Dash shuddered.

"Brawly-boy, do me a favor and don't say stuff like that. I know it's just an expression but it gives me the willies every time I hear it."

"Sorry Dashie. Now uh, if we're done I kinda wanna get training started," said Brawler.

"We gonna learn how ta throw some punches today?" asked Applebloom.

"Maybe, maybe not, we'll see. But first," Brawler looked at Quill and Ace. Quill nodded.

"I think all of our concerns have been addressed. Thank you for your time," she said.

Ace chuckled.

"He's not a CEO Quill, you can drop the act. But yeah we're done, have fun Scoot," said Ace as he turned for the door.

"Thanks, see you guys later!" said Scootaloo.

"I better get going too," said Rainbow Dash. "There's a shower over Sweet Apple Acres scheduled in about ten minutes. Later!" With that she flew out the door.

"I gotta get going too, my break's just about over," said Pinkie. She gave Brawler a quick hug, then bounced out of the room.

"See ya!" she called.

Brawler blinked, then chuckled.

Quill smiled, said goodbye to Scootaloo, then followed Ace out of the dojo. They walked for a few minutes then Ace paused.

"Hey Quill?" he asked. "Didn't Post Haste say something about some agent saying her client was some retired boxer looking to travel around Equestria?"

"I think I heard something along those lines, something about needing destination ideas," said Quill.

They looked at each other, then smiled.

"How soon can we get a letter to the agent?" asked Ace, speed walking back toward home.

"We're talking about Post Haste dear, it's in his name," said Quill, following close behind.

They shared a chuckle, and Quill's smile didn't falter the whole way back to their home.

I know I don't always show how much I care Scootaloo, but I think this'll be a good present.

Chapter 14

View Online

Brawler looked down at Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. They looked back up at him, their eyes sparkling. He blew air out the side of his mouth and shook his head.

Holy shit, I'm actually going through with this.

He gave his head another shake and refocused.

"Okay, we'll go out back and have lunch while we wait for Dust to get here. After that I'll go over ground rules and our weekly routine. Then we'll spent some time in the gym's library while our stomachs settle down," said Brawler.

"I thought this place was a dojo," said Applebloom, cocking her head.

"Well I'm in charge of it now and since I'm a boxer, this place is a gym," said Brawler.

"Who cares this place is called! I came here to learn to be a Fighter, not read books!" cried Scootaloo.

Brawler grunted, Scootaloo closed her mouth.

"First off, reading books is a good way to get inspiration. How do I know? Reading old newspapers, is how I got into boxing. By the time I was a year old boxing was already illegal. I only learned about it a few days after I'd gotten my Mark. The Cloudsdale dojo kicked me out so I went looking for anything that could teach me to be a better Fighter. Old newspapers with blow for blow accounts of old boxing matches were the best I had," he said.

He leaned over Scootaloo and looked her straight in the eye.

"Yes, flipping through old, dusty, and occasionally crumpling pages helped me become the Fighter I am today. I can deal with it, you can deal with it. Clear?"

Scootaloo nodded.

"Good." Brawler backed off and returned his attention to all three of the fillies.

"Second. Any athlete could tell you that exercising right after a meal, even a light one, isn't a good idea. I don't know exactly how long we should wait, but forty-five minutes to an hour should be enough, since it is just a light meal.” He took a second to calm down, before turning to face the other pegasus in the room, “And Scoot, if reading for that long is really that much torture, you can talk strategy with me or your friends, okay?"

"Okay, sorry," said Scootaloo, rubbing the back of her head.

"Don't sweat it, let's have lunch," said Brawler. "You three head out back, I'll be with you in a sec."

The fillies walked back out the door and Brawler headed further into the gym. Along the way he couldn't help but admire the work the construction ponies had done on the place. Every room now had a few ceiling lights, and a light switch by every exit. The floorboards in the sparring room no longer creaked. The library had new shelves and a carpet. Best of all, his living space had been transformed from cold concrete storage room to a miniature apartment. There was a fridge on the left wall, a bathroom with a curtain on the right, his couch in the middle and they'd even thrown in a rug.

A rug that Scar was currently eating a dead rat on.

Brawler groaned. He had already tried to move Scar's bloody meal off the new rug, while Scar was getting ready to eat it. Several very unpleasant scratches later, and Scar had effectively reminded Brawler that, while she lived under his roof, he was NOT her master.

Good thing they were only scratches, and my fur's good at hiding small cuts.

Pushing his latest unpleasant memory to the back of his mind, Brawler trotted over to the fridge and opened it. He took five halves of chicken breasts and put them on a platter on the bottom shelf of the fridge. He carried out the platter with his mouth, paused, then grabbed his barbecue sauce from the fridge door and tossed it onto the platter. Satisfied that he had everything, Brawler trotted back out of the gym and to the back.

All his students were sitting by the grill, waiting for him, including Shadow Dust. Surprisingly, the Lunar Guard wasn't wearing any of his armor, and Brawler saw that his mane and tail were light purple. When Brawler had still been in prison, Lunar Guards had of course patrolled at night. Brawler had seen through his cell window that all of them had dark blue tails with lighter blue highlights.

I guess the armor's enchanted. He still has the light gray fur, I wonder if that's common among thestrals.

Shadow Dust saw him approaching and snapped to attention. Brawler rolled his eyes, the fillies snickered. Shadow Dust blinked, then his shoulders slumped.

"Sorry, Sir," he sat back down. "Force of habit."

Brawler trotted next to the grill and placed the platter on the ground.

"Not a big deal. Just work on it, okay?" he asked.

"I'll try, Sir," said Shadow Dust. Brawler nodded, turned on the grill, took off its lid, then tossed the chicken onto it.

"Okay, five minutes," said Brawler, he put the lid back on the grill then turned back to his students.

"Now, I don't know if the girls have told you, but after we eat we'll spend an hour in the library before we start training," he said.

Shadow Dust nodded.

"As for the actual training itself, I'd like to start with a traditional boxing workout schedule and modify it as you discover your own personal styles, but that's not entirely possible at the moment. First of all it's a Wednesday, and for newbies this would normally be one of your two break days," Brawler informed the four.

"Do we really gotta start with the light workout?" asked Applebloom. "I mean, we ain't exactly athletes but we ain't slouches either."

"The full workout includes several exercises designed to be as punishing as yesterday's death hover," said Brawler.

All the girls' eyes widened. After a moment, Sweetie Belle shook her head.

"Yeah, we're not ready for that, yet," she said.

"You'll get there eventually. Anyway, the second issue is that we don't have all the equipment we need," said Brawler.

"Sir? I thought you told Princess Luna that Rarity supplied everything you needed," said Shadow Dust.

"Rares gave me all the things I needed to make the gym a livable place. As for equipment, well excuse me for not having a list of everything I would need for a job I thought I would never do. Especially when two Princesses and a Royal Guard decide to drop in on my conversation with my friend," said Brawler.

Shadow Dust started tapping his hoof and avoiding Brawler's gaze. Brawler rolled his eyes.

"Dust, would you please relax? If I was mad at you I would've punched you by now," he said.

To his credit, Shadow Dust did seem to relax a little.

"Not entirely comforting, but noted," he said.

"What stuff are we missing?" asked Scootaloo.

"We need jumping rope and speed bags, and an actual boxing ring would be nice," said Brawler.

"We're gonna play jump rope?" asked Scootaloo, raising an eyebrow.

Brawler glared at her.

"I'm pretty sure his version of jump rope is a lot tougher than ours," said Sweetie Belle. "But what's a speed bag?"

"A speed bag is a small air-filled bag that's suspended in front of a Fighter's head, when you hit it it rocks back and forth quickly. They come in different sizes for training different things. Smaller bags are for improving fore hoof speed, timing and coordination. Larger bags are for building strength and endurance," said Brawler.

The three fillies blinked. Shadow Dust just nodded.

"They do sound helpful. Should I send a request to the Princess?" he asked.

"No need, I'll do it after lunch," said Brawler. "Now, since it's clear most of you want to get to actually throwing punches today, this will be our schedule: Wednesdays, we'll shadow box, use the heavy punching bags, and do a little sparring. On Thursdays we'll do weight training. Friday will be one of our rest days. On Saturday we'll do jump rope, use the speed bag, and finish with sparring. Sunday will be another weight training day. Monday will be our second rest day. And finally on Tuesdays we'll do running, and maybe something of your choice afterwards if you feel up to it."

Shadow Dust nodded again, the three fillies' eyes had widened.

"I thought ya said ya hadn't thought about doin' this job," said Applebloom with a hint of confusion.

"I haven't, that's just a beginners’ boxing workout I read about with the days out of order," said Brawler. "And five minutes are up... Now."

Brawler trotted back to the grill, took off the cover, grabbed the grill spatula in his teeth, then tossed the chicken back onto the platter. He brought the platter back over to his students and set it down. He went back to the grill, grabbed his barbecue sauce then returned to the platter of food. His students had gathered around it, waiting for the meat to cool. He sat down between Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. Sweetie Belle turned to him.

"Hey Brawler? How do you always know when five minutes have passed?" she asked.

Brawler grit his teeth.

"My Dad," he said.

"Oh." Sweetie Belle became fixated on the chicken in front of her, so did Applebloom and Scootaloo. Shadow Dust glanced at them, then looked at Brawler.

"I take it you have a difficult relationship with your father?" he asked.

"He tried to kill me when I was eleven."

"Oh." Shadow Dust became fixated with his chicken as well.

Brawler glanced around the circle.

Great job Brawler, what a bucking great way to start training.

"My old stallion was a bit of a weirdo," he said. Everypony looked at him, surprised.

"When he wasn't working at the weather station he was doing weird experiments nopony else would even think of. Like trying to make a rainbow hail storm," Brawler chuckled. "He had to use golfball-sized hail on order to see the colors, and as it turns out, the rainbow coloring made it harder for the clouds to hold the hail. So while he's under his rainbow hail cloud, it all of a sudden dumps cart load of hail on his head!"

Brawler laughed. Shadow Dust, Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle chuckled a little.

"I still remember my ma holding an icepack on his head and asking him what the hay he was thinking. He just looked like his hoof had been caught in the cookie jar, and says that it seemed like a good idea at the time."

Everypony chuckled.

"One thing he was never good with was watches. He didn't like wearing any clothes, ever, so hoof and pocket watches were out, and he couldn't exactly haul a wall clock around on Cloudsdale for his experiments, so what does he do? Get a buddy to carry carry the watch for him? Do his experiments near a public clock? NOPE! He trains his inner clock to be accurate to the minute. And since it was such an amazing party trick, I made him teach me. Took me a few months to get it right, but now my inner clock's accurate to within a few minutes."

"Heh, cool," said Scootaloo.

"Yeah, now let's eat before the food gets any cooler," said Brawler.

They all dug in, the previous tension all but gone.

Sweetie Belle wasn't sure where to start when they'd entered the library. The wall was full of various books on different Fighters. Scootaloo had grabbed A Thousand Tales from Karate Masters before anypony else could get close. Applebloom and Shadow Dust were sharing a book about actual Crusaders called Silver Virtue's Crusade for the Moon. But Sweetie Belle wasn't sure where to start. Did she want to read about the exploits of a particular Fighter, how a certain type of Fighter fought, or did she want to read something fictional?

She felt a pony tap her shoulder. She turned and saw Brawler, holding a book in front of her.

"If you're having trouble, try this," he said.

Sweetie Belle levitated the book in front of her.

"Equestrian Psychos: A History of Violence and Insanity," she read aloud.

She bit her lip.

"Um, I don't know. I want to be a Fighter but, a psychopath? I-I don't want to be that, that's not me," she said.

"How do you think the guards looked at me when they dragged me to my cell?" asked Brawler.

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened.

"I-I didn't-"

"I know you weren't implying anything," said Brawler, calming the filly down. He sat down and looked her in the eye. "Here's the thing Sweetie Belle. Most ponies in Equestria have bought into Sunshine's bullshit philosophy, i.e., if a pony enjoys violence, they're a monster. Not all ponies believe this, but a lot do. Your sister thinks that when Ponyville finds out you're a Fighter everything will be fine. I'm not so sure, and even if she is right, a lot of ponies will still call you a psychopath. I want you, Applebloom and Scoot to be prepared for that. This book paints Fighters to be as bad as they can be, a few really are bad, but a lot are just Fighters who didn't hide who they were. You read this, and you'll get a glimpse of how the peace-obsessed ponies look at Fighters."

Sweetie Belle looked at Brawler, then back at the book.

And eventually, how they'll look at me.

Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Okay."

"One final warning," said Brawler. "That book does not gloss over any gory details, and there several throughout, can you handle that?"

Sweetie Belle gulped, then nodded.

"Alright, I'm gonna go send a letter to Luna to order the stuff we need. You can come to me if you want my perspective on anything." With that Brawler trotted out the door.

Sweetie Belle walked over to a wall, sat against it, and opened the book to the table of contents.

Let's see. Burning Might... Deadly Blitz... Cackling Lightning... Fire Cracker... who do I read about?

She ran a hoof up and down the list of names, closed her eyes, and stopped her hoof. She opened her eyes and saw that she had landed on a pony named Smoking Bow. Sweetie Belle flipped to the chapter, on the left page there was a portrait of Smoking Bow. He had been a gray unicorn stallion with a dark grey mane that had small red streaks. Sweetie Belle turned to the right page and began reading.

Smoking Bow

Smoking Bow was born in Dodge Junction in 734 A.N.. His exact birthdate is unknown, as he was left on the doorstep of the town's orphanage when he was just a few months old. The caretaker of the orphanage gave him the name Little Ember, but for the sake of consistency we'll continue to call him Smoking Bow. Records from this orphanage tell us that Smoking Bow had been getting into fights when he was as young as five years old. Though perhaps 'fight' is the wrong word. Bow was a coward for his entire life, in his orphanage days he demonstrated this by ambushing his target before they had a chance to defend themselves.

Sweetie Belle frowned. While she didn't exactly like the idea of ambushing an opponent, she knew that it didn't make a pony a coward. One could argue that Brawler's first attack against Shadow Dust had been an ambush. He had concealed that fact that he was still in attack mode before attacking, but Brawler was anything but a coward.

She continued reading. Apparently Smoking Bow would ambush several colts at a time, and attack single targets from a distance. The author was quick to label this as more cowardice, but Sweetie Belle could understand wanting to turn the odds in your favor before a fight against multiple opponents, and fighting at a distance was fighting at a distance, not running and hiding. The fact that Smoking Bow had been fighting in an orphanage didn't really bother her. Scootaloo had told her that, while things like fighting or even pushing never happened, excessive teasing was pretty common, and the adults couldn't always comfort whichever pony was hurt. When Diamond Tiara first started making fun of her, Sweetie Belle had shoved her away and stormed off. Both of her parents were swift to tell her that that sort of behavior was unacceptable, and then they'd comforted her as best they could, and done their best to put a stop to the bullying. (It hadn't worked, but Sweetie Belle was still grateful.) Smoking Bow didn't have a pony like that, if bullies making fun of him made him mad enough to attack, there wasn't anypony to convince him it was wrong. The caretaker would tell him it was wrong, but they wouldn't be able to make him feel guilty about it.

It was of course possible that Smoking Bow really had been attacking randomly, the author didn't give enough information either way. But the author's excessive labeling of cowardice irritated Sweetie Belle, and she found herself siding with Smoking Bow more and more as the story went on.

If Bow's such a freaking coward why does he repeatedly get into fights with two to three ponies at a time? Yeah, he ambushes them, but he sticks around to finish the fight!

Sweetie Belle shook her head and went back to reading.

Smoking Bow was twelve when he earned his Cutie Mark. The orphanage had taken a trip into the desert for their annual vacation. While they were traveling they ran into a wandering herd of bison. The chief of the herd was kind enough to teach them about bison culture, and eventually the topic of bows came up. Due to their size and strength, bison rarely use bows, but occasionally they have conflict with other herds. These conflicts can sometimes become desperate enough for the chief to employ calves in the fight. Since calves would most likely be killed in a stampede, they are trained with bows in order to keep their distance. When the children of the orphanage heard about how a bow could allow a child to participate in combat, they were understandably disgusted,—

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.

—but respectfully stayed quiet because bows were clearly important to bison culture. Smoking Bow on the other hoof, stood up and asked to try a bow himself. The caretaker was swift to admonish him, but the chief just chuckled and gave him the weapon. Smoking Bow grabbed the weapon with telekinesis and ran as fast as he could from the caretaker. As he ran, he continually shot arrows at various objects, including flying birds. He never missed. He shot the arrows so quickly that by the time he ran out, his horn was smoking from the effort. He had also earned his Cutie Mark, a drawn bow, with the arrow smoking at the tip.

Everypony was in shock, but the chief laughed, and declared that this pony would be known to his herd as Smoking Bow, the warrior. The caretaker was understandably terrified and demanded that Smoking Bow return the bow and come back to the orphanage. Smoking Bow refused, and became a member of the bison tribe. A cow from the herd offered to adopt the colt, to avoid any legal trouble, and Smoking Bow disappeared from pony contact for a decade.

When he was next seen, he had returned to the orphanage of Dodge Junction. He was in full herd garb: war paint, eagle weathers, etc., and carrying his bow and arrows on his back. He gave the caretaker a pile of bits, saying it was his tribe's philosophy to return all favors, and that the orphanage had done him one by raising him, even if he hadn't enjoyed it.

When the caretaker asked where he had gotten all the bits. Smoking Bow had laughed, and said, quote:

"For all you ponies cry foul at hunting, you sure pay a ton for good pelts."

Then he left, only occasionally returning to town to sell animal pelts so he could go to the local tavern and drink. (More than once participating in and starting bar fights.)

This is one of the few psychopaths who I hate a little less. He was just as violent as any other psycho in this book, but at least he had the decency to leave us in peace.

Sweetie Belle grit her teeth. Nothing the author had wrote about Smoking Bow had convinced her he was a psychopath. There wasn't enough information one way or the other about his orphanage days, but becoming a hunter wasn't a sign of being evil, it just meant he ate meat and sold what he didn't eat to ponies who actually wanted it. And since Rarity had more than a couple fur coats, Sweetie Belle knew there were plenty of ponies who wanted pelts.

"It piss you off?"

Sweetie Belle looked up and saw Brawler standing in front of her. She nodded.

"Yeah. There's not enough information to label him as good or bad, but the author just keeps going on about what a psychopath this guy was," she said, then she sighed.

"Will some ponies really label me like this?" she asked.

Brawler nodded.

"My father tried to kill me, my mother's afraid of me, and Sunshine gave me a life sentence when I was thirteen," he said. "Even if Ponyville accepts you, there will be some ponies who will always see you as a monster."

Sweetie Belle looked back at the book.

"How did you stand it?" she asked.

She heard Brawler take a large sigh.

"You've got two friends who are going through the same thing you are, lean on them when you need it, and let them lean on you when they need it." Brawler stood up, and started to move away.

"But how did you stand it?" asked Sweetie Belle, looking up from the book. "I know you must have been short on friends back in Cloudsdale, so how-"

"Stop," said Brawler, he was facing away from her, and she wasn't sure she wanted to see his expression. "My past is my business, not yours. If you want to know that badly, earn it."

He walked away before Sweetie Belle could say anything. She leaned back against the wall and sighed.

I'm your student, Brawler. I need to know what I could face out there. If I need to earn your trust first, so be it.

Applebloom was having an amazing afternoon. Reading about Silver Virtue with Shadow Dust had been a lot more informative than she'd thought it'd be. Silver Virtue had been a Lunar Guard, and was twenty years old when Nightmare Moon was banished. He had spent the rest of his life trying to bring the true Princess of the moon back. It was a quest doomed for failure, Silver had known that from the start, but he had sworn an oath to the Lunar Guard. He would fulfill his duty, or die trying. He didn't want an award, he had barely even seen Princess Luna's face. By the time he became a member of the Guard, she was already largely withdrawn from the world, but it didn't matter. The Lunar Guard had taken him in when he had nowhere else to go, and he would carry out their duty until his last breath.

The story consisted of Silver Virtue journeying throughout Equis, pursuing any lead he could find to free Luna from her prison and the demon possessing her. Often times, the leads led him nowhere, or if he was unlucky, a powerful mage. Invariably, they would send him on a near impossible quest in exchange for simply attempting to free Luna. All, of course, failed.

As depressing as the book was, Applebloom still enjoyed hearing about Silver Virtue. He was seemingly unbreakable. He never let any failure crush his spirit, and he always moved forward. Shadow Dust also greatly admired the knight, and hoped that he would fulfill his duty with just as much unshakable courage if his time ever came.

A call from Brawler signaled that their hour was up, and Shadow Dust closed the book.

"We'll read more tomorrow, right?" asked Applebloom.

Shadow Dust stood up and reshelved the book.

"Of course," he said.

Applebloom smiled, then they both trotted into the workout area of the gym, where Brawler was calling them. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were already there, and two punching bags were hanging from the ceiling.

"Right, Scoot, and Dust wait here. I'm going to teach Applebloom and Sweetie Belle how to shadow box," he said.

Scootaloo and Shadow Dust nodded, then Brawler led Applebloom and Sweetie Belle to the sparring room, and positioned them in front of a wall where their shadows were.

"Now the idea behind shadow boxing is fairly straight forward," said Brawler. He got into his stance and faced his shadow. "My shadow is my opponent, I attack," his hoof shot toward his shadow's head. "And he'll do the exact same thing. So for every attack I throw," he threw a few more punches, this time moving around as he did. "I need to dodge as well. This'll help you train yourselves to always be prepared to move, even if you're attacking. Got it?"

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Alright, step up then."

The two of them moved up until they were facing their shadows against the wall. They stood up and raised their fore legs.

Brawler nodded.

"Good, now I'm going to have you take a standard boxing stance for now, but we'll change it as you discover your own styles," he said. "Move your hind hooves shoulder width apart, then step forward with your left hind leg so that your legs are about at a forty-five degree angle."

Applebloom moved her hind legs as instructed. It felt natural to her, despite her slight imbalance from standing on her hind legs.

"Now keep your weight on the front part of your hoof, not the edge, but just behind it. Bend your knees, and make sure your weight is equally distributed to both hooves."

Applebloom again, shifted as instructed. It felt like she was slipping on a sock, thus far it fit perfectly.

"Okay, tuck your elbows at your sides, place your fore hooves at about cheek level, place your chin down while looking up, and roll your shoulders forward."

Now it wasn't so perfect. Applebloom couldn't help but feel that her fore hooves were in the wrong place.

"I know it might feel a little off. You can experiment with changing the stance if you want, but fall back on this if it doesn't work, okay?" asked Brawler.

"Okay."

"Gotcha."

Applebloom moved her fore hooves in front of her chin and her elbows in front of her stomach. It felt better, not by much, but enough to notice.

"Okay, the four punches I want you to throw are jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts. Jabs are quick punches thrown with the lead hoof, turn your hips and waist slightly then follow with a straight punch. Crosses are punches thrown with the back hoof, basically the same movement but keep the lead hoof tucked against your jaw for protection. Hooks are half circle punches that can be thrown from either hoof, aim for your opponent's head, and keep your other hoof tucked against your jaw. Finally, uppercuts are vertical punches aimed at your opponent's chin, again, they can be thrown from either hoof. You got all that?" asked Brawler.

Applebloom took a deep breath.

Jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts. I can do this.

"Got it," she said.

"Yeah, no problem," said Sweetie Belle.

"Alright, I'll check on you in a few minutes. GO!" shouted Brawler.

Applebloom launched an uppercut at her shadow's chin. The shadow mirrored her movements, had it been a real opponent, Applebloom would've been reeling. She grit her teeth, and threw a left jab. This time, she moved her head out of the way. Gaining confidence she threw another uppercut, but she didn't move her head out of the way in time.

This might be a little harder than I thought.

After about ten minutes, Brawler switched them to the heavy punching bags. He gave them the same instructions as before, but said to go at the bag harder than they went at their shadow. Applebloom complied, pounding the bag with everything she had, then immediately regretting it. Punching a solid object stung, a lot. She wasn't prepared for it and cried out when she felt the pain.

"You'll get used to it." Was the only advice Brawler offered.

After shaking off the pain, Applebloom returned to the bag. Starting a little more cautiously, but building up power as time went on. By the end of the session, she had already begun to build a slight tolerance for the pain in her hooves.

After he called them off Brawler led them back to the sparring room. He told Scootaloo and Shadow Dust to stop shadow boxing, then he dropped a bomb.

"Rest up for a few minutes. Get water from the sink in my room if you need it. After that we're sparring. First up is Applebloom against Scootaloo.

The two fillies looked at each other in shock.

Hoo, boy.

Chapter 15

View Online

Dead silence.

Everypony stared at Brawler in shock.

Scootaloo glanced over to Applebloom.

Fight Applebloom? Does he mean like the way he fights Rainbow Dash and Pinkie? I... I can't do that! I mean, yeah, if I'm going to be a Fighter I need to fight. But Applebloom's my friend.

From the look on her face, Applebloom was having a similar thought process.

Shadow Dust shook himself, then cleared his throat.

"Sir, I really must protest," he started, pointing to the group of young ponies. "These two fillies clearly have a history of friendship, it would be cruel for them to face each other for their first fight."

Brawler glanced at Shadow Dust, then looked back to Scootaloo and Applebloom.

"They want to be Fighters, and since Fighters are so rare in Equestria, sooner or later they'll end up fighting each other. I'd rather it happen sooner so they can work out any issues they have with fighting while maintaining their friendship," he said.

Shadow Dust nodded.

"I agree that they should learn to be friends while also regularly sparring each other, but this is their first real fight. It could be the first time they experience the visceral joy of combat. It would be better if they associated that with fighting rather than hurting each other," he said.

Brawler scratched his chin. He looked at Applebloom, then Scootaloo.

"Good point. The girls won't spar with each other until later," he said.

Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle let out long sighs of relief.

"Don't relax too much. You will still have to fight each other eventually." Brawler smirked. "And since you won't be fighting each other, I guess you'll have to fight me today."

Scootaloo's eyes widened, then she remembered Rainbow Dash's words.

Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it anyway.

She narrowed her eyes.

"Bring it on B-boy," she said.

Brawler chuckled.

"Scootaloo, there isn't a single doubt in my mind that you are a Fighter. But you're kinda trying a little too hard," he said. "I know you've probably heard this a hundred times, but be patient. When you find your fighting style, you'll get your mark. That said, you did volunteer to go first, go get a drink of water, then come back and we'll spar."

"I'm ready to go now!" protested Scootaloo.

"Good for you. Go get a drink," said Brawler.

Scootaloo grunted, then got ready to sprint to the back room.

"Walk," said Brawler. "Like it or not Scootaloo, today's workout took a lot out of all of you."

It was true, Scootaloo and her friends had only just caught their breaths. They weren't exhausted, but anypony could see their fur glistening with sweat.

"Walk to the sink, drink some water, and discuss strategy with your friends," said Brawler. "I'll be waiting here in the ring when you get back."

"How long do we have and are you going to use your full strength against us?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"As long as you need, and no, I'll only react to your attacks and never chase you down," said Brawler.

"How are we supposed to learn if you don't go full force against us?" demanded Scootaloo, stomping a hoof in frustration.

"Scoot, none ‘a us wanna admit it, but we don't stand a chance if he gives it all he's got," said Applebloom.

"That, and the fact that getting the shit kicked out of you won't teach you how to fight. Toughen you up, maybe, but you wouldn't be learning. You'd be my punching bag, and your parents made it clear they wouldn't allow something like that to happen," said Brawler.

Scootaloo sighed.

"Alright." She turned around and trotted out of the room. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom followed her. They walked through the workout room and entered Brawler's room.

The three of them looked around, it was the first time they'd been in their new teacher's room.

"I didn't know Brawler had a cat," said Applebloom.

A gray cat was indeed sleeping on the couch in the middle of the room. Applebloom approached it.

"Uh, Applebloom? I wouldn't do that," said Sweetie Belle. "I live with the Opal, and something tells me this cat is a lot worse."

"Worse than Opal? Is that even possible?" asked Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle pointed to a red stain on the carpet.

"Oh," Applebloom backed away from the cat.

"Okay then! Let's get that drink," Scootaloo shouted in an attempt to break the growing awkward tension.

The fillies swiftly trotted to the sink, and drank straight from the faucet. When they finished Sweetie Belle suggested moving to the library to discuss strategy. Applebloom and Scootaloo agreed, and swiftly trotted out of the room.

Just as Scootaloo reached the door, she could've sworn she heard the cat purring in amusement. She ignored it, and sat down in the center of the library. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom sat beside her, forming a small circle.

"Alright, so do you have any sort of plan?" Sweetie Belle asked Scootaloo.

Scootaloo blinked.

"Uhh... Charge before he can react?" she improvised and nodded, knowing that her plan would work without fail.

"And then?"

"Um..." Scootaloo shrugged.

Sweetie Belle sighed.

"Scootaloo, Brawler is stronger, more experienced, and no offense, but probably faster than you. He's more skilled than all of us, we all need our own attack plan," she said.

"Now hold on Sweetie Belle. I get that we can't charge in blind, but we can't exactly plan fer what he's gonna do," said Applebloom.

"We know that, for this match at least, he'll never attack first. We can plan our opening attack, and then list the ways he might react and how to counteract them," said Sweetie Belle.

"That'd take forever!" exclaimed Scootaloo. "I want to fight him now, not next week."

"Besides, that way ‘a thinkin' ain't gonna help when we start sparring for real," said Applebloom.

"Okay, so a blow for blow plan is a bad idea, but we need a strategy. A really good one, if we want to stand a chance," said Sweetie Belle.

"How is 'charge him before he can do anything', not a good strategy?" asked Scootaloo, getting more impatient.

Sweetie Belle sighed.

"Well one, it's too short. Two, Brawler's fought with Rainbow Dash at least twice now, and he hasn't lost. Rainbow Dash's specialty is speed, and it wasn't enough to beat Brawler," said Sweetie Belle. "Plus, no offense Scootaloo, but don't you need your scooter to go fast?"

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, so? Who says I can't use it?" she demanded.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle blinked. Then Scootaloo did as well. She'd said that more to argue than to plan, but now than she thought about it, Brawler never said they couldn't use weapons. Using one would help a lot, in the book A Thousand Tales From Karate Masters a well trained opponent with a weapon always gave the master a hard time. All that, and Brawler definitely wouldn't expect it.

"Well, it would give you extra reach and an unorthodox method of attack," said Sweetie Belle.

"Ortho-what now?" asked Scootaloo with a tilt of her head.

"Weird and unexpected," said Applebloom.

"Oh."

"But didn't you leave your scooter at home?" asked Sweetie Belle, ignoring the interruption.

"Oh yeah," Scootaloo scratched the back of her head. "You think I could go grab it?"

"Brawler sounded like he didn't want ya ta use any more energy than ya already have," said Applebloom.

"Yes, but how else is she supposed to get it? It's not like it's gonna fall out of the sky," said Sweetie Belle.

A weirdly shaped object wrapped in brown paper landed in the middle of the three of them. The fillies looked up, but the only thing there was the ceiling.

"Who?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Somepony named Deus Ex, 'pparently," said Applebloom, pointing to a note on the package.

Scootaloo tore open the paper wrapping, a pink spray of confetti shot into the air.

The fillies looked at each other.

"Pinkie."

Scootaloo looked back to the package. Sure enough, it was her scooter. She picked it up with her right fore hoof, just below the handlebars. The she stood on her hind legs, and spun the board in a circle.

She grinned.

"Yeah, this works."

Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Okay, what are you gonna do Applebloom?" she asked.

Applebloom scrunched up her face.

"Hmm, I don' really know," she said. "I mean, I wanna try counter punches like Green Machine, but that ain't gonna work if we're the ones always makin' the first move."

"Maybe you could ask him to make the first attack in a specific way? Like a left jab or a right hook? You could try to counter it, then Brawler could fight back," said Sweetie Belle.

Applebloom nodded.

"Alright, good idea. But what're you gonna do?" she asked.

Sweetie Belle rubbed her chin.

"Well, I'm gonna try all kinds of things. Attacks, feints, counters, maybe even throw in a little magic."

Applebloom shuddered.

"If yer gonna try telekinesis then don't do it directly on Brawler. AJ said that makes 'im real mad real fast," she said.

"Noted," said Sweetie Belle. "Then I guess I'll see if there's anything around that I can fling at the back of his head."

"You really think he'd fall for something like that?" asked Scootaloo.

"I don't know! I'm just trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. For me and for against Brawler. Afterall the goal today is to learn, not to win."

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes.

"We learn by giving it our all, and doing our best to win," she said.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't give it our all," said Sweetie Belle. "I'm just saying we need to be realistic. This is our first time fighting, we don't stand a chance against somepony like Brawler."

"If we go in there expecting to lose then the fight's over before it starts," said Scootaloo. "Yeah, Brawler's probably gonna win, but if we don't fight to win, then we won't learn."

"Not true," said Sweetie Belle. "There's plenty we can learn by studying Brawler's reactions to various attacks."

"This isn't a science project Sweetie Belle! Taking notes isn't gonna beat Brawler, going in there and giving it our all will," said Scootaloo, she had walked over to Sweetie Belle and was right in front of her face.

Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes and stood up.

"Oh, so fighting smart's not as good as just running in screaming and waving a fancy stick around?" she demanded.

"At least I'm actually trying!"

"At least I'm not an idiot!"

"That's enough!" shouted Applebloom. She shoved herself between her two friends and separated them. Keeping them at the end of her forelegs, Applebloom turned to Scootaloo.

"We can't run in without a plan," she turned to Sweetie Belle. "And we need to always give it our all. Okay?"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright," Applebloom dropped onto all fours.

Scootaloo took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Sorry Sweetie Belle. It's just, I can FEEL that learning to fight is gonna earn me my Cutie Mark. The idea of holding back in order to learn exactly how Brawler'll react to things just rubs me the wrong way," she said.

Sweetie Belle had also taken a few breaths.

"It's okay, I'm sorry I called you an idiot. I forgot that a lot of ponies learn by doing rather than planning," she said.

"We cool?" asked Scootaloo, extending a hoof and offering a smile.

"We're cool," said Sweetie Belle, bumping the offered hoof and giving her own smile in return.

"Then let's do this," said Scootaloo. She grabbed her scooter with her teeth, stood up and led her friends back into the sparring room. Brawler was sitting in the sparring area, meditating. He looked up when the fillies walked back in.

"I heard the three of you shouting at each other, everything alright?" he asked.

Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Yeah, just a small disagreement on how to fight you is all," she said.

Brawler stood up.

"I hope you're not all going to try the same thing," he said.

Scootaloo stood on her hind legs, grabbed her scooter's handle with her right foreleg, and spun the board vertically to the ground.

"What do you think B-boy?" she asked, grinning.

Brawler grinned right back.

"Well, this'll be interesting at least. Let your friends go to the seating area with Dust, then let's have some fun."

Scootaloo's grin widened, and she stepped into the ring. Part of her brain registered that Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were trotting over next to Shadow Dust in the seating area, but nearly all her attention was focused on Brawler.

You're going DOWN B-boy!

Applebloom sat down next to Shadow Dust, he gave her a nod, but remained silent. Applebloom nodded back, and didn't say anything either.

There was something in the air that demanded silence. It wasn't tension, exactly. The only thing on the line in this fight was pride, and even then there wasn't that much of it. No, the correct term would be anticipation. On one end of the ring there was a stallion who loved fighting, on the other was a filly who couldn't wait to try, no matter the consequences.

This wasn't going to be a pretty fight. Everypony knew that but nopony could look away.

Without warning Scootaloo charged forward, yelling at the top of her lungs, and still spinning her scooter's board. She swung it at Brawler, the board spinning horizontally towards his left side. He blocked it with his foreleg, grimaced, then punched Scootaloo in the chest. The blow knocked her off her hooves and she landed on her back, she grunted, then stood up.

"Gotta do better than that," said Brawler, settling into his stance.

Scootaloo charged again, spinning her board so fast it was a blur. She swung it vertically toward Brawler's stomach. He brought both his forelegs down and blocked the board before it could hit him. Not slowing down, Scootaloo pumped her wings and jumped up toward Brawler's face. Her left hoof lashed out, but Brawler jumped back.

Her balance ruined by the missed punch, Scootaloo tumbled to the ground. She jumped back to her hooves almost instantly and charged again. She swung the board horizontally at his face, he ducked and lashed out his right hoof. Scootaloo brought down her scooter and the handlebars slammed into his hoof, knocking them aside. The board kept spinning, at least until it slammed into the side of Brawler's head.

"Gah!" He stumbled to his left, but Scootaloo didn't let him go. She rammed the front wheel of her scooter into his chest, then used her left hoof to get her board spinning again. She charged Brawler and swung horizontally into his side. Brawler raised his left foreleg, let the board hit him, then pinned it to his side. His right hoof slammed into Scootaloo's face, and she fell to the ground, without her scooter.

Brawler's breathing was slightly labored. Scootaloo was panting, psyching herself up or worn out, Applebloom couldn't tell.

"You done?" asked Brawler.

Scootaloo stood up, then got on her hind legs.

"I'm not that easy to put down B-boy," she said.

Brawler chuckled.

"Good, but I'm afraid I'll need some energy to face Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Can we pick up where we left off later?" he asked.

Scootaloo sighed.

"Do we have to? We barely just started," she said.

"Yeah, well you left me with a sore head and sore hooves," said Brawler. "I want to see what all three of you have got as soon as possible, and if I kept fighting you I wouldn't be on my A game for your friends."

Scootaloo smirked.

"You afraid I'm gonna beat you?" she asked.

"Teh, don't get cocky Scoot. Your weapon leaves your opponent hurting, even if they block it. You would lose, but I'd be feeling it for awhile. And since I've never fought anypony with a weapon like that, you're gonna hit me sooner or later and I'm gonna feel it," said Brawler.

Scootaloo's smirk stretched into a smile. Applebloom could guess why. It was Scootaloo's first fight and Brawler was already praising her.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jus' a little jealous.

Brawler's smile faded.

"That said, you've got some things to work on. You're good with your scooter as a weapon but you shouldn't be too reliant on it. That's why in our next fight we're gonna start where we left off with this one. Meaning I'll be the one holding your scooter at the beginning of the fight," he said. "Aside from that your general problem is inexperience. But that'll go away fairly quickly since you're going to spar somepony twice a week."

Scootaloo nodded.

"Can I have my scooter back?" she asked. Brawler tossed it over to her.

"Awesome job, Scoot," he praised.

Scootaloo beamed, then trotted over to the seating area.

"That was amazin' Scootaloo!" said Applebloom.

"Nice use of your scooter," complemented Sweetie Belle.

"Excellent job," said Shadow Dust.

Scootaloo continued beaming as she accepted the praise and sat down.

Brawler cleared his throat, everypony turned back to him.

Applebloom took a deep breath, and stood up. She glanced at Sweetie Belle, who nodded to encourage her. Applebloom looked back at Brawler, then walked into the ring.

Sweetie Belle rubbed her chin as Applebloom walked into the makeshift ring. Her mind was working in overdrive, trying to come up with a strategy. Scootaloo's fight hadn't been very enlightening. Granted, she learned just how vulnerable a pony was when an attack missed, but other than that she didn't really learn anything she could use.

This was by no means because Scootaloo had done poorly. Far from it, her scooter had been a much better weapon than Sweetie Belle had thought it would be. But seeing Brawler's reactions to an unconventional weapon didn't tell her how he would react to her attacks. True, she had seen Brawler's fights with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie, but she couldn't apply Brawler's reactions to them when planning for her attacks. For one thing, they were both full grown mares. Secondly, Rainbow Dash was faster than Sweetie Belle could ever hope to be, and Pinkie was well, Pinkie.

Hopefully, I'll be able to learn a few things from Applebloom's fight.

When Applebloom showed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo the article about Green Machine and told them about what he did for her family, she said that she wanted to try his fighting style of counter-slugging. The idea was intriguing to Sweetie Belle. She personally wanted to specialize in magical attacks, but she knew that sooner or later, no matter her fighting style, she'd have to get up close and personal with her opponents. Counter attacks seemed like an excellent route to take. They could do a substantial amount of damage, didn't require overwhelming strength, and were a way to avoid attacks.

If my opponent got close enough for hoof-to-hoof, I could use a counterattack to stun them, then fall back and use ranged magic attacks. Of course, at the moment I don't have any magical abilities besides levitation and lighting up my horn. My fight today will be all about finding a close quarters combat style that works for me. Counterattacks sound ideal, but if they don't work I'll still need something to fall back on if an opponent gets too close.

As Sweetie Belle wrapped up her thoughts, Brawler and Applebloom settled into their stances. Sweetie Belle leaned forward, determined not to miss a single detail. Applebloom practiced her defense by raising her forelegs to cover her face, then she slowly walked toward Brawler. When she was just out of range, she stopped, lowering her forelegs down to her chin.

"Brawler? Can ya attack me with a right cross?" she asked.

Brawler raised an eyebrow.

"I could," he said. "But why should I?"

"I wanna learn how ta counterattack," said Applebloom. "I figured it'd be easier ta learn if I knew how ya were gonna attack."

"So I say how I'm going to attack, then you try to counter it?" asked Brawler.

Applebloom nodded.

"It's a nice idea, but that sounds like a drill to me, not a fight," said Brawler. "We can work it into a workout schedule, but not in a sparring match."

"Ain't we already kinda stretchin' exactly what a sparrin' match is right now?" asked Applebloom.

"Yeah, and I'm not happy about it," said Brawler. "I'll attack first, and give you a warning, but nothing else."

Sweetie Belle blew some air out the side of her mouth.

Well, that's fair I guess. And he did agree to teach us counters if we wanted.

Appelbloom seemed to agree. She nodded and raised her forelegs to cover everything below her eyes.

"I'm read-"

"NOW!" Brawler lunged forward and slammed his right hoof into Applebloom's guard.

"Gah!" Applebloom stumbled back but kept her hooves up. Brawler chased after her.

"Now!" A left hook started streaking toward the right side of Applebloom's face. She moved her hoof and blocked the blow, but now her face was exposed.

"Now!" Brawler's left hoof lashed out again and smashed into Applebloom's exposed face. Her head snapped back, and she started to stumble, but she didn't fall.

Just as Brawler was starting to pull his hoof back, Applebloom's right foreleg shot forward and grabbed onto it. She pulled herself forward and threw a punch towards Brawler's stomach. He stepped back, and her punch fell short.

Sweetie Belle closed one eye and sucked in a breath.

This is not gonna be pretty.

Brawler slammed his right hoof into Applebloom's stomach. Applebloom cried out as she was launched backwards off the floor. She landed on her stomach and groaned.

Brawler rolled his shoulders and took a few breaths.

"Not bad, but you're not leaving until you land a good hit."

Applebloom groaned again, but stood up.

She eyed Brawler warily, then got into her stance.

"Do you still want me to call out when I'm gonna attack?" asked Brawler.

Applebloom thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Alri-"

Applebloom dashed forward and slammed an uppercut into Brawler's jaw. He stumbled back, eyes wide with bewilderment. Applebloom dashed forward again, aiming a jab at Brawler's stomach, but he had already recovered. He dodged the punch easily and pinned Applebloom's foreleg to his side. His right hoof shot out, and stopped an inch away from her face.

The two of them held that position for a few moments, then Brawler chuckled.

"Nice one." He let her go and they dropped to all fours.

"In my book, rule number one in combat is never drop your guard. After that fight, I think we both know why," said Brawler.

Applebloom nodded, but then sighed.

"Am I ever gonna be able ta fight ya while yer guard's up?" she asked.

Brawler chuckled again.

"Bloom, this was your first match. You did a damn good job! Pinning my foreleg, getting me when my guard's down, those a good strategies. You just need more experience and once you start lifting weights on a regular basis, that uppercut of yours is gonna knock ME into the air."

Applebloom's eyes widened.

"Ya think so?"

"I think you can, but what matters is if you think you can. So, can you?"

Applebloom grinned.

"Hell yeah."

"Good."

Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes and tried to do some last minute strategizing before Brawler called her over.

Catching him off guard, how can I do that? I can't pull the same trick Applebloom did, he'll be keeping his guard up now. What do I do? What do I do? I'm too inexperienced to perform counterattacks, and I'm not fast or strong like Scootaloo and Applebloom. My only advantage is my magic, and I only know telekinesis. And according to Applebloom using that directly on Brawler would make him angry, something I definitely don't want. What to do, what to do?

...

Got it!

Applebloom had trotted over and sat down. Sweetie Belle and the others gave her their congratulations, then Sweetie Belle stood up. She trotted towards the sparring area with a grin on her face.

Here we go.

For what was probably the tenth time today, Shadow Dust shook his head in disbelief. When he had first seen his fellow students, he had been very skeptical. Three fillies who couldn't be older than eleven, receiving the same training as a Royal Guard? The idea was absurd. Even if they were Fighters, there was no way they'd be able to keep up.

That was what he had thought, until they'd started training. The three fillies may have been unused to a strict training regimen, but they were determined to see it through. They remained focused on the exercises Brawler assigned them, and never complained or demanded breaks.

I've seen full grown ponies lose the will to finish exercises this demanding. And nopony I know would look thrilled if it was their turn to spar immediately afterward.

That was the other thing. While these fillies may have been unprepared to face each other, they showed no such hesitation with Brawler. They trotted into the sparring area grinning ear to ear and itching to get started.

This is the stallion who fought a God-like being, landed some solid hits, and walked out alive. And they get excited when they face him. I mean, buck, I know a good sparring match can be one hell of a thrill, but Brawler's terrifying.

Shadow Dust shook his head again to clear his mind, and returned his attention to the sparring area.

Sweetie Belle had just reached the edge of the area, then she stopped.

"Hey Brawler, before we start, can I grab a few things?" she asked.

Brawler raised an eyebrow.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Just a few books from the library. Some of the bigger, sturdier ones," said Sweetie Belle.

Shadow Dust nodded slowly.

She wants to use magic during this fight. There's no way she can know any offense spells after such a short time of wielding magic, so throwing books at Brawler will have to do.

Brawler nodded as well.

"Alright, but I hope you have a plan."

"Why would I tell you?" asked Sweetie Belle. She dashed out of the room before he could reply. After a few moments she came back levitating eight thick books. She arranged them around the sparring area, two for each side of the square, then she stepped over the tape and faced Brawler.

He glanced at the books.

"You sure those are sturdy enough? I pretty sure Sparky's gonna want to read them at some point."

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened, but she quickly composed herself.

"They're all relatively new, and they've got pretty thick hard covers. So I think we're good," she said. She stood up and took the boxing stance Brawler had taught her.

Brawler also stood and took his stance. They stared each other down for a moment, then Brawler lunged forward with a powerful flap of his wings. Sweetie Belle's eyes widened once again, but then her horn lit up. A book from behind her came streaking towards Brawler's face. He dodged to the left, and Sweetie Belle jumped to his right.

What followed was an odd game of cat and mouse. Brawler would charge, Sweetie Belle would use a book to force him to dodge then move further away from him. However, it was clear Brawler was catching up with Sweetie Belle. Once all the books had been thrown from their original positions Sweetie Belle had to look for them before launching them at Brawler's head. This meant Brawler knew where each attack was coming from, and dodging became much easier for him. Sweetie Belle on the other hoof, was clearly running out of steam. Constant movement and exhausting her magical reserves had nearly drained her completely. The books were flying slower, and she was now shuffling away from Brawler rather than jumping.

Eventually Brawler found an opening. He lunged forward, and smashed a right hook into Sweetie Belle's head. Shadow Dust, Applebloom and Scootaloo all cringed as Sweetie Belle went down.

I hope he doesn't force her to continue. That strategy was impressive for her first attempt, and she's clearly exhausted.

"Come on Sweetie Belle! You got this!" shouted Scootaloo.

"Yeah! Come on, we all know ya can do it!" added Applebloom.

Sweetie Belle groaned, but started to pick herself up.

"Are you sure you want to continue?" asked Brawler.

Sweetie Belle growled, then her head snapped up, her horn glowing bright green. Brawler's eyes widened and he looked around for an incoming book.

But nothing was flying at him.

Sweetie Belle leapt to her hooves, got into her stance, and slammed a right cross into Brawler's face. Brawler stumbled back in surprise. Sweetie Belle grabbed onto another book with her telekinesis and flung it toward Brawler.

It fell out of the air around the halfway mark.

Sweetie Belle panted, then clutched her head.

"Aaagh," she groaned. "I'm done." She dropped down onto her haunches.

Brawler hurried to her side.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Shadow Dust, Applebloom, and Scootaloo also got up and hurried closer to the young unicorn.

"I'll be fine. It's just a hornache," said Sweetie Belle. "If it's anything like the one I had last night it should go away in about ten minutes."

"You had one last night?" asked Brawler.

"It was just a little personal training," said Sweetie Belle.

Brawler sighed.

"Look Belle, I don't know much about unicorn magic, but pushing yourself this far everyday cannot be good for you," said Brawler.

"He's right," said Shadow Dust. "I had to learn about all pony anatomy as part of my training with the Lunar Guard. One of the things they taught us was if a unicorn puts too much continuous strain on their horn it can crack. Leaving them unable to access magic until the horn heals. A process that takes months."

"No more magic until tomorrow's training, got it?" said Brawler.

Sweetie Belle frowned, but nodded.

"Ah, don't be like that Sweetie Belle," said Scootaloo, "You'll be back to training before you know it."

"Yeah, and we can still have fun together even if ya don't have magic," said Applebloom.

Sweetie Belle smiled.

"Thanks guys," she turned to Brawler. "So how'd I do?"

Brawler laughed.

"Buck's sake, you need to ask? Come on Belle, that was the best strategizing I've ever seen! Soon as you get your strength up, you'll be one hell of a Fighter."

Sweetie Belle's smiled widened.

"Thanks."

"Course." Brawler turned to Shadow Dust. "You wanna match?"

Shadow Dust blinked.

"I think I'll pass today," he said. "These matches were more like assessments, and you've already given me one."

"Good, 'cause I need to sit down," said Brawler. "We'll go a little harder tomorrow, so be ready alright?"

After everypony agreed, they all headed out. Brawler went back to his room, the fillies discussed meeting at their clubhouse, and Shadow Dust trotted towards his hotel.

I guess I'll have to pick things up if I don't want to be left behind.

Fighters are some pretty tough customers, but there's no way in hell I'll let them leave me in the dust.

Chapter 16 (Revised)

View Online

Twilight let out a large sigh as she sat on her throne. It had only been a few days since she'd sent the letter about Cackling Lightning to her brother, but it felt like months. For reason being, for the last few days she'd been trying to get War on Changelings published. Her status as a princess allowed her to make publishing the book top priority, but there was still a lot of bureaucracy involved in the process. Most of it was centered around unbanning the book, then making sure no publisher censored it. Something that Twilight had gotten tired of repeating.

"Yes, I want the book republished word for word. No, I don't want you to tune down the gore, etc. etc."

During this process she'd also told Brawler about Cackling Lightning, and asked for his opinion. His answer had not been encouraging.

"What do want me to say? She was a Fighter and the war broke her. I'm not going to bullshit you by saying she was just misunderstood. Sunshine bucked up a lot of Fighters' lives, including my own, but that doesn't mean we're all innocent."

When Twilight protested that Cackling Lightning was innocent, Brawler flatly asked her if she'd want to live in the same neighborhood as a mare who laughed as she murdered hundreds of thinking feeling creatures, even if she had a sympathetic past. Twilight didn't have an answer for that.

She let out another great sigh and leaned her head against her throne.

When did my life become so complicated?

It was true that Twilight never really had a 'normal' life. She had become Princess Celestia's personal student when she was just a filly, she had fought monsters, Gods, and a being of pure Chaos. And to top it all off she had become an alicorn and a Princess of Equestria.

But none of those events had been morally complex. Now she was fighting against her mentor and secondary mother figure, and what was Twilight fighting for? The rights of ponies who enjoyed beating each other senseless. Who had prompted her to fight? A former convict who, regardless of circumstances, put sixteen Royal Guards in the hospital and repeatedly stated he had enjoyed himself while doing it. What had this fight led her to do? Tear apart the image of her big brother's childhood hero, and replace it with an utterly broken, and utterly psychotic mare.

Twilight buried her face in her hooves.

If this is the 'right' thing to do, why do I feel sick to my stomach every time I think about it?

The one thing that kept her going was the fact that the idea of doing nothing made her feel even worse. How could she ignore this? How could she ignore Celestia declaring that if a pony had a certain kind of mark, they were unfit to live in Equestria? How could she ignore Celestia lying about history?

Twilight couldn't ignore any of it. She had to press forward and finish what she started. Fighters were a part of Equestria, and a part of ponykind's history. They weren't the most glamourous or morally upstanding ponies, but they didn't deserve to be wiped out.

Twilight chuckled.

Here I am, fighting for the Fighters. Definitely not what expected to be doing as the Princess of Friendship.

The sound of a door opening interrupted her musing.

"Hey Twilight?" called Spike. "You really need to see this."

Twilight got off her throne and turned to face him. He was holding a piece of the parchment they used for Dragon Mail.

"Did Celestia send me something?" asked Twilight, trotting over to him.

Spike shook his head.

"It's from Cadence. Do you want me to read it or-?"

Twilight answered by plucking the letter out of his claws and levitating it in front of her.

Dear Twilight,

It was really good to hear from you. I'm glad that you're getting used to your new position and castle, and I would love to come over as soon as I get the chance.

Unfortunately I don't think I'll get the chance any time soon, and I have a feeling Shining's visit isn't going to be pleasant.

Twilight blinked.

"Shining's visit?"

"Keep reading," prompted Spike.

He got really upset when he read your claim about Laughing Light being a lie. I tried to calm him down but, well you know how he can get. If it's a professional problem he can keep a cool head through anything from a misbehaving soldier to a demonic invasion, but the second the issue becomes personal he gets frantic and doesn't think things through. As soon as he finished reading your letter he dropped everything then got a ticket for the next train to Ponyville. That's why I sent this through Dragon Mail, it was the only way I could let you know he was coming.

Try not to worry too much. I'm sure he'll calm down on the train ride and you'll be able to explain to him what happened. But in case he's still a bit frantic, try to calm him down before you explain about Cackling Lightning. If his Laughing Light really was a lie he'll be upset, but if you explain it to him while he's calm he shouldn't do anything rash.

Good luck,
Cadence

P.S. Don't worry about me, I can handle court for awhile without him.

Twilight stared at the letter for a few moments.

". . .Horseapples."

Celestia had had a rough few days. It had started when she discovered that Luna had used some of the royal treasury to buy training equipment for Brawler. By the time Celestia had found out the money had already been spent, plus the amount used was negligible, so she couldn't do anything about it. Not that she didn't give Luna hell for what she'd done. The idea of the money meant for the betterment of Equestria being given to a criminal so he could corrupt others made her skin crawl, and she made sure to let Luna know it.

Then she had received a letter from Twilight informing her that she was republishing War on Changelings and listing the reasons why Celestia couldn't stop it. The reasons being that while Celestia was technically the most powerful princess of Equestria (due to her popularity plus the fact that she was the most experienced), she wouldn't be able to just cancel an order supported by two other princesses. If she wanted to fight republication of the book, the legal fight would become public, giving the book more attention and make Equestria's citizens question the unity of the four princesses. Twilight also pointed out that if Celestia battled the republication she was likely to lose, because since Twilight was so close to Cadence it would only take a little persuasion on her part to get her on their side. Leaving Celestia in a very public battle against all three other princesses. Something Celestia definitely didn't want.

So Celestia grit her teeth and allowed Twilight to submit the book for republication. But she made sure to suggest to the publishers that the book should be censored. After all, they wouldn't want their names attached to anything too controversial, would they?

Of course, knowing Twilight, this would do little more than slow the process down. Her former student may not have been a historian, but she was an academic at heart and would never allow a historical lie of this significance to continue existing.

Even if the truth was being kept secret for a reason.

Celestia sucked in a breath through her nose and let out a subtle sigh. She couldn't let such thoughts distract her, and she definitely couldn't let evidence of her troubles appear on her face at the moment. For reason being, she was riding her chariot into Canterlot in order to make a public visit to the new hospital and mental ward.

The reason she was appearing there was that it had been a personal project of hers, and quite a long one at that. The building that was now the hospital used to be Canterlot's maximum security prison. A little less than a century ago, the crime rate in Canterlot dropped to the point where the prison simply wasn't needed anymore. Instead of simply tearing the building down, Celestia wanted to symbolize the progress the city had made. Converting a place of punishment to a place of healing.

And not just any place of healing, oh no. The prison had been the best it could be, therefore the hospital had to be the best it could be. The best equipment, the best treatments, the best doctors, all of these were a must. That insistence of having 'the best', plus the not insignificant task of turning cellblocks into medical rooms that didn't feel claustrophobic, plus her own busy schedule was what kept Celestia in the planning stage of the project for so many years. When Luna had returned and took some of Celestia's workload, she had finally had enough free time to finish planning and get the project started. A couple years later and it was finally done!

Celestia allowed herself to smile as she stepped off her carriage and addressed the staff and the press.

Perhaps Luna and Twilight will understand if I show them this. Because there are less Fighters in the world there is less crime. Allowing us to dedicate ourselves to helping and healing, instead of a war against crime.

She pushed those thoughts aside. This wasn't the time for formulating arguments, this was a time to let her little ponies know how much she cared for them.

Once she and members of the hospital's staff had finished their speeches and answering questions for the press, it was time for a tour. The Chief Physician, Healing Hooves, led Celestia and a couple of reporters through the hospital's halls, explaining the functions of various things as they went.

While they were making their way through the second level of the mental ward's dorms, something strange happened.

"Ah, horseapples!" exclaimed a voice from inside one of the dorms. The tour group paused, and turned towards the dorm the voice had come from.

Celestia noticed Healing Hooves had broken into a cold sweat.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Hooves?"

The pale blue earth pony swallowed.

"It's, not important, Your Majesty," he said.

"Whoever is in there seems to disagree," said Celestia.

Before Healing Hooves could reply a light brown pegasus mare came out of the dorm.

"Oh, Mr. Hooves! Look, I'm sorry but it happened again. No matter how I cover it up it keeps on burning throuuu-" the mare dragged off when she noticed all the ponies following her boss. She sighed, and shook her head. "I am SO fired."

"No, no, it's fine, Amber. You couldn't have known," said Healing Hooves.

"What keeps burning through?" asked a reporter.

"Isn't that a significant safety hazard?" asked another.

"It hasn't ever damaged anything that wasn't covering it," protested Amber. "It just, burns itself into whatever we cover it with."

"What burns itself into this hospital?" asked Celestia.

Healing Hooves sighed.

"A bit of vandalism from one of the prisoners who used to be held here. No matter what we do we can't get rid of it. It burns through paint, it burns through posters. Heck, when we gave up and simply demolished the wall the words were burned into they just reappeared nearby, then moved back to their original position when we rebuilt the wall. We brought in a magic expert to deal with it, but she couldn't remove it either. Something about it 'feeling wrong'." He shook his head. "I'm sorry we didn't inform you, Your Majesty. We were planning on just leaving this room unoccupied so the words wouldn't bother anyone."

"May I see them?" asked Celestia.

"Of course Your Highness," he gestured her toward the door.

Celestia frowned as she trotted into the dorm.

'Felt wrong', some kind of enchantment maybe? Why would a prisoner enchant their vandal-

Her thoughts screeched to a halt when she saw the name burned into the wall. It took every inch of her willpower not to snarl. Emblazoned on the wall, in charred black letters, was a name that represented everything she was fighting against.

FIRE CRACKER

Even from beyond the grave, Fighters continue to tear apart our nation's peace.

"Allow me to remove this," said Celestia, as neutrally as she could manage.

"Y-you really shouldn't bother yourself, Your Highness," said Healing Hooves.

"No, no, I insist," said Celestia. Her horn began to glow yellow as she reached out with her magic and touched the name. Instantly, she knew what the mare meant when she said it 'felt wrong'.

Wha-? Soul Magic? Why in the name of the Sun and Stars would a criminal pour part of her soul into something as mundane as writing her name?

She shook her head. It was likely Fire Cracker simply hadn't known what she was doing, and had utilized part of her soul by mistake in order to keep the name from being erased. Therefore, it was unlikely to have any complicated defenses like most layered Soul Spells did. She pressed forward and chipped away at the letters.

Instantly her head swam and she was buried under a multitude of images, and sounds. Each flickering in and out of existence before she could get the full picture.

She was significantly shorter, only the size of a highschool filly. She had lost her wings and her enormous magic reserves. But she had always been this way, hadn't she?

Whatever, what was important was the shitstain of a mud pony squirming beneath her hoof.

"Aw, quit bitchin' Gravi, you're right where you belong! Under a unicorn's hoof, and eating dirt. That's what you mud ponies deserve isn't it?"

Gravel Grit managed to twist his head sideways, he spat out some dirt.

"Listen you-"

She held her other hoof in front of his face, and summoned her fire. The flames licked Gravel's face and he quickly shut up.

"No, no, keep talking. Please, talk, insult me, fight back, give me an excuse to hurt you. C'mon Gravi, you can do that for little ol' me, can't ya?"

She shook her head, and laughed.

"What am I saying? I don't need an excuse to hurt you."

She cocked her foreleg back, then something smashed into the back of her head and everything went black.

Now she was even smaller. She was sitting at a table with the HUGEST birthday cake she'd ever seen in front of her. It had chocolate frosting and sprinkles and marshmallows and it looked so so so so so yummy, she couldn't WAIT to dig in!

Mommy, Daddy, and her big brother Sun Stone were singing 'Happy Birthday', when they finished, she sucked in a HUGE breath and blew out all four candles. AWESOME! Now she didn't have to be friends with any icky colts! Except Sun Stone of course, he was the bestest brother anypony could have.

Daddy started slicing the cake while Mommy and Sun Stone congratulated her. She bounced up and down in her seat, watching, mesmerized as Daddy floated over her slice. She said a quick thank you then dug in as fast as she could.

EEEE! It was even more yummy than she imagined! This was the best day EVER!

"Hey look guys, it's the little failure."

Oh no, not now. Just let me get to class Gravel.

Too late, one of his goons cut her off.

"What's the matter Shitty? You not happy to see me?"

She gulped and turned to face the large grey earth pony.

"M-my name is S-sunny Sky, G-gravel. You k-know that."

"I k-know that," mocked Gravel Grit. His friends snickered.

"I just think 'Shitty' is a better name for you. I mean, that's what you are right? Just a shitty little failure who STILL hasn't gotten their Cutie Mark in highschool, and doesn't even know levitation magic!"

Gravel and his friends threw their heads back and laughed. She looked down at the floor, tears rolling down her face. She wanted nothing more than to disappear. To get away from Gravel's jeering, and the fact that she still couldn't cast any magic.

"HEY! Leave my sister alone!" shouted Sun Stone. He was marching toward them as fast as he could, his eyes set in steely determination.

Gravel scoffed.

"Ah, screw this. C'mon guys let's go," he shoved past her, making her stumble, but at least he was gone.

Sun Stone's face softened as he walked up to her.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She sniffled, then jumped forward and hugged him. He returned the hug and patted her head.

"It's okay, it's okay," he assured her.

"N-no it's n-not. Th-they're right! I am just a shitty failure who can't cast anythin-"

"Hey, hey," Sun Stone made her look up at him. "You are NOT a failure, alright? Gravel and his stupid friends don't know anything. They're just a bunch of stupid mud ponies."

She tilted her head. "Mud ponies?"

"Ah, a-heh," Sun Stone rubbed the back of his head as he let her go. "It's a really mean insult for earth pony, don't let Mom know I told you alright?"

She giggled, but then a thought hit her.

"But you're an earth pony too."

Sun Stone shrugged.

"That just means I can call ponies that but you can't, because society is weird like that."

She giggled again, and thanked Celestia that her brother always had her back.

She sat in the principal's office with her forearms crossed. The guard who had knocked her out stood at attention beside her, ready to restrain her if she made any sudden moves.

In front of her, the principal continued her rant.

"Broken nose, black eye, a severe concussion, several chipped teeth and third degree burns all over his face that will likely scar him until the day he dies! What in the name of Celestia do you have to say for yourself!?" demanded the white earth pony.

"He deserved it," she growled.

The principal sputtered.

"Wh-WHAT!"

"Ask around the school! Ponies'll be bucking grateful I put that mud pony in his place," she spat.

"Watch your mouth young lady. You're in enough trouble as is, you don't need to give me more excuses to expel you."

She blinked. "Wait, what?"

The principal slammed a form down on her desk.

"You heard me. Unless your parents can figure out SOME way to make me let you stay on my school, you're done. Go and empty your locker, then go home and inform your parents what happened."

The principal gestured for them to leave.

She scoffed, then got up and left.

She was surrounded by Gravel and his friends again. She could hear them taunting her, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Their words felt more like waves, crashing into her from all directions and nearly knocking her down.

Why wouldn't they just go away?

Go away, go away, go away, go away.

"GO AWAY!" she shouted.

A blast of heat radiated from her horn and slammed into the bullies, and knocked them back. They freaked out and ran.

She blinked, then realized just how warm she felt. Like her whole body was wrapped in a hug. She looked down, and yelped.

Her whole body was on fire, but it didn't hurt. It was keeping her safe.

Her surprise broke her focus, and the flames swiftly died. The next few hours were a blur for her. She was escorted to the principal's but once it became clear she had had no intention to hurt anypony she was dismissed. Her parents then picked her and Sun Stone up early. Once they got home they discovered that she'd FINALLY gotten her Cutie Mark! Her parents were a bit put off by the fiery explosion but she loved it.

She played more with her fire. Summoning it to her hooves and making it dance through the air.

"Wow, you're really good at that," said Sun Stone. "You put magic fire crackers to shame."

She paused then balled up the fire in front of her. She then quickly spread her hooves out, making the fire spread thin and give an audible 'CRACK'.

"Fire Cracker, do you think that should be my marked name?" she asked.

Sun Stone shrugged.

"You don't have to change your name if you don't want to, I mean, I didn't. But if you do want to then it fits."

She nodded.

"I want to." She looked make at the fire in her hooves. "Fire Cracker. That's who I am now."

She glared at the back of Gravel's head. He was tormenting a short green pegasus with an orange mane. Ever since she'd gotten the hang of fire magic and levitation, he had moved on to other targets.

That would end once she was done with him.

She looked down at her forehoof. After a moment, it began to glow and radiate its comforting warmth.

She was gonna make that mud pony pay. For everything he'd ever done.

And she was gonna enjoy doing it.

She was walking along the street at night, with no particular destination in mind. She enjoyed walks from time to time, especially when somepony was dumb enough to try and mug her. That was always fun. Though by now, a lot of the crooks knew better than to mess with her. Seeing as those who did usually ended up with the four b's: bruises, burns, and broken bones.

She heard the sound of somepony being mugged in the alley across the street. She looked over, debating whether or not to get involved, then froze. A thestral was mugging an orange earth pony stallion with a blue mane.

Instantly, her body was engulfed in flames. Only it wasn't the usual comforting warmth, no, she was literally BURNING with rage.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" she roared, and charged toward them.

Halfway across the street she launched a fireball at the thestral. It knocked him off and set his mane ablaze, but she wasn't done. Finishing her charge, she smashed the mother of all haymakers into the side of the thestral's face. He was launched backward into the alley, and landed in a burning crumbled heap. The next instant, he was on his hoofs, shrieking in agony and running away to search for water.

She took a few deep breaths, then let her flames die. She turned toward her brother.

"Are you alri-"

He scrabbled back away from her, eyes wide with fear.

She stood there, stunned, then scowled and walked away.

"Oh shit, Fire Cracker! I'm sorry!" exclaimed Sun Stone, jumping to his hooves and running after her.

He's lying, he's scared of her. Just like her parents were when they kicked her out.

"Fire Cracker, I'm sorry! I haven't seen you in three years, you just startled me is all!"

He's lying, she saw his face. He's scared of her, scared of her fire. He wants her to put it away, just like every other pony.

"Fire Cracker-"

"Buck off, mud pony," she spat.

Sun Stone stumbled, stunned, but kept following.

"Listen to me, please-"

"You have more mud in your ears than usual mud pony? I told you to BUCK OFF!"

A wall of fire burst into existence between them, and she stomped away.

She wasn't crying. She wasn't crying.

It was just the heat, it was making her eyes water. Heat did that right?

Whatever, she wasn't crying. That stupid mud pony meant nothing to her right?

Right.

She definitely wasn't crying.

She was in a shitty bar. But it had booze and an excuse to start shit with anypony who looked at her funny. What else could she ask for?

She took another shot. It would be awhile before she was drunk, and she wanted to get there ASAP. It was her birthday goddammit, she deserved to treat herself.

It was cold.

Cold and grey and dark.

The walls were pressing in. It was getting darker.

She needed fire, she needed warmth.

Where was it? Why wasn't it coming when she called?

Had it abandoned her? NO! That was impossible.

Fire was her ally, fire was her friend. Fire was her LIFE.

It would never abandon her. Not like her family, not like the world, not like the sun.

Fire would always be there for her.

So why wouldn't it come?

Celestia snapped back to reality, the name in front of her gone. Not a trace of it left on the cold white wall. Celestia shuddered and did her best to hide her deep breaths.

She could hear the ponies beside her talking, but she ignored them and stared at the now blank wall. Her mind reeling from all the things she’d seen.

Fire Cracker was a moody alcoholic who beat up other ponies for fun. She had also been abandoned by her parents.

Fire Cracker used extreme racism in order to feel better about herself. She had inadvertently learned to do that when her older brother comforted her after she’d been verbally abused by bullies.

Fire Cracker had been violent from the day she earned her Cutie Mark. She had been defending herself, and doing her best to protect others.

Fire Cracker pushed her older brother away when all he’d wanted to do was help her. She didn’t want to be hurt by the fact that he was scared of her.

Fire Cracker was a Fighter. She was also a pony.

These conflicting statements waged war in Celestia’s mind. Fighters didn’t deserve to live in a kingdom of peace, yet Fire Cracker had been a Fighter, and anypony could tell that she had desperately needed help. What had Celestia done? Thrown her in a cell to rot.

All Fighters deserved that.

None of her precious little ponies deserved that.

“Your Majesty?”

“Your Highness, are you alright!?”

The ponies beside her were growing more and more frantic. Celestia squeezed her eyes shut, then pushed her warring thoughts to the back of her mind.

“I am fine,” her voice was shakier than she’d like. She sucked in a breath through her nose, and let it out her mouth.

“The name had been enchanted with Soul Magic.” Her voice was regal once more. “It caught me by surprise, but I was able to deal with it.”

“Soul Magic? Isn’t that an extremely advanced form of magic only Archmages can perform?” asked a unicorn reporter.

“Why would such such powerful magic be used for vandalism?” asked Healing Hooves.

Celestia shook her head.

“It is unlikely Fire Cracker intentionally used it. What probably happened was that she was overcome with emotion while writing her name, and inadvertently began to literally pour her soul into the spell.”

“Why?”

Desperation to be remembered.

“I don’t know. It is unlikely we’d be able to find out, as the markings are at least one hundred years old.” The lie felt bitter on Celestia’s tongue, but it was necessary.

“Even still, there’s probably a hell of a story there. Are there any records left from when this inmate was imprisoned?” asked another reporter. The other members of the press began jotting down notes with great enthusiasm.

“My little ponies, please,” said Celestia. “We are here in order to learn about a place of healing, not to investigate a criminal who’s been dead for hundreds of years. Let the violence of the past STAY in the past. It benefits nopony to bring it up in the present.”

The reporters looked sheepish, and scribbled out their notes.

Celestia felt a spike of guilt stab itself into her heart. Fire Cracker’s final wish had been that she be remembered. The good, the bad, ALL of it. Fire Cracker had been an utter mess of a mare and she’d known it. She didn’t care, she wanted ponies to know her story. She wanted to insure that she didn’t die both alone and forgotten. It was an innocent wish. One that anypony could understand. Almost anypony would do their best to keep Fire Cracker’s story alive after seeing her story.

Celestia knew all this, and here she was, doing her best to bury the memory of Fire Cracker. To make sure it never saw the light of day.

This must be done. It is necessary for peace.

No matter how many times she repeated the thought, her guilt didn’t fade.

Marehammed Ali was old. She knew that. Hell, she felt it. Every damn minute of the day she was reminded of it. Her forehooves ached with every step, and shook like leaves every time she lifted them. She would sometimes walk in a room, then forget which building she was in. And every time she looked in the mirror she swore she got uglier. She had never been much of a looker in the first place, but combine that with wrinkles, scars and a thrice broken nose and you had a face only a mother could love.

Not that she ever regretted her career choice. She had trouble remembering things these days, but she NEVER forgot who she was. She was Marehammed Ali, Queen of the Ring, five time champ of the goddamn world, and winner of over fifty fights. She was damn proud of who she was, and damn sad that boxing had come to an end.

When old Sunbutt made boxing illegal Ali had gone on her first and only bender. It hadn't been fair, not to anypony. Not to the fans, and especially not the boxers. That Tyton kid in particular, he was a bit rough around the edges but he was also on the road to beating all her records. Then his career was just over, right when he was in his prime. Damn shame.

The mailpony dropping off today's letters interrupted her thoughts. She slowly made her way over to the door, retrieved her mail, then trotted back to the living room of the apartment she was staying in. She plopped onto the armchair, retrieved her reading glasses from the side table, and started sifting through her mail.

The only thing interesting was a letter from her agent, Brass Buttons. She opened it, and read it.

Then she reread it.

Then she read it again just to make sure.

But no matter how many times she read it, the message remained the same. In Ponyville there's a young stallion named Brawler who runs a boxing gym despite boxing being illegal. He is currently training three fillies and one Lunar Guard, and he's quite talented.

Marehammed Ali stared at the letter for a few moments, then chuckled.

"I think I know where my next stop is."

Summary

View Online

I'm sorry everyone but I can't finish this story. I have zero interest in the brony fandom these days and thus zero interest to continue writing for it. Plus, looking back, Brawler was basically a self insert Mary Sue. Ya know, me but really cool and super important. I know there are people who don't see him that way, but I do.

All that said, I don't regret this story. Going through the chapters, I can see my improvements over the years. I'm particularly proud of the chapters that focus on Fighters who aren't Brawler, those characters might even appear in my future stories.

Thank you so much for all your support. I may not be proud of this fic, but if you enjoyed it that's awesome. Here's a summary of what would happen if I finished the story:

Shining Armor comes to Ponyville. He and Twilight talk, Twilight tries to dissuade Shining from going to Brawler but Shining goes anyway. When Brawler sees Shining he instantly becomes hostile (Because Shining is royalty and a former guard). He doesn't lunge out immediately, but he does act extremely rude and mocks Shining for being torn up about Cackling Lightning. Eventually Shining snaps and attacks Brawler, they fight, and eventually Shining is forced to hide behind a bubble shield. Brawler beats the shield using his 'anti-magic' training, and breaks through. He begins to beat Shining's face in, but stops when he sees Twilight begging him to let her brother go. Brawler looks down at Shining's bloody swollen face and backs off.

"Go bitch and moan about your problems to somepony that gives a damn, and thank your precious princess that you have a pony who cares."

Brawler storms into his gym, Twilight takes her brother to a hospital. Scar, the CMC, Shadow Dust, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie all take turns convincing Brawler that he does have ponies who care about him. At the hospital, Shining decides not to press charges against Brawler.

In Canterlot, Luna notices that something's bothering Celestia. She confronts her about it, and Celestia tells her about Fire Cracker. Luna persuades Celestia that Fighters are ponies too, and that the best way for Celestia to start to make up for what she's done is to apologise to Brawler.

At this point after a few more fights, Scootaloo got her Cutie Mark for fighting with her scooter when she injured Brawler in a fight, and Sweetie Belle got hers when she successfully countered Shadow Dust and beat him.

Back in Ponyville, Marehammed Ali arrives at Brawler's gym. She goes in while he's having a training session with his students. Brawler can barely form words around his childhood hero, and the CMC laugh at him coming close to fangirling. Later, after Brawler's students have left, Ali asks Brawler why he was so quick to train those kids. Brawler reveals that he still gets nightmares of being locked in a prison cell, and that he chose to train them because they were the sisters of ponies who were very close to Celestia. He gets the fillies to like him, they get their sisters to keep him out of jail. Ali sighs, and says she doesn't blame him, especially since now it's clear that he does care about the kids, and leaves soon after

(Bonus chapter: Marehammed Ali touring the Griffin Kingdom, encounters mugger in an ally, beats him up and relives her memories of her time as a boxer while doing it.)

Celestia comes to Ponyville, gets Twilight to bring Brawler to her castle to apologise. Brawler still hates Celestia, seethes through the entire apology, and asks for a pardon for a future crime against royalty to prove the apology is genuine. Celestia writes it up, Brawler beats her shitless, then walks away. With Twilight's help, Celestia gets back on her hooves, and says that she got off easier than she thought she would.

A few days later Applebloom and Applejack are walking around the edges of their orchard. Applebloom's sad about not getting her Cutie Mark yet, AJ comforts her. Then a timberwolf leaps out of the forest and attacks AJ. Applebloom tackles it to the ground and beats it to within an inch of its life, then tells it to warn its friends that if they come here, they'll get worse. She doesn't notice, but this earns her her Cutie Mark: A round shield with an apple emblem. Applebloom turns to AJ to ask if she's alright, but AJ backs away in fear. Applebloom is stunned, but then remembers Brawler's warning about family becoming scared of her. She runs to Brawler, crying. Brawler does his best to comfort her, then tells her to go hug AJ, who had followed her. The sisters make up, then AJ asks Brawler to teach her to fight to make sure she's never scared of Applebloom again. Brawler agrees, and training begins the next day.

A few training fights, teaching AJ how to fight and seeing how each character fares against one another, and then time for the climax.

The CMC are goofing off in a park when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon come to try and bully them. The CMC brush them off, showing them their new Cutie Marks, and telling them to leave. The bullies are stunned, then Diamond Tiara gets smug, she says that those Marks must've come from Brawler, and that her Daddy was putting together a case against him to throw him back in jail. (Citing the fight between Brawler and Shining as evidence.) Sweetie Belle snaps, and begins to beat up Diamond Tiara.

"Where's your Daddy now, huh!? What good's your bucking money now that I'm beating your face in?!"

Applebloom and Scootaloo drag her off, and Sweetie Belle has to be taken to the police station. Rarity and Cheerilee attempt to scold her, but she only really gets scared when Brawler comes in. He tells her that he was ashamed to hear that she attacked a pony who couldn't fight back, then tells her to face her punishment without complaint because she has it coming. Rarity tells Brawler about how Filthy Rich is the one pressing charges, and Brawler becomes worried the case'll be an excuse to lock all Fighters away for good. He goes to his gym, gets drunk, and Rainbow Dash and Pinkie need to pull him out of it.

In the courtroom (I've planned this part out the least) the case is held. Sweetie Belle is sentenced to 18 months in a juvenile hall, but it's ruled that being a Fighter is not grounds for imprisonment.

Epilogue: After her sentence is over, Sweetie Belle comes back to Ponyville, greets all her friends, goes to Brawler, and challenges him to a fight.

"Hell yeah."

And that's it. If someone wants to adopt this fic they're welcome to do so, just let me know.

Thank you all so much for reading this story, I'm sorry that I don't have it in me to finish.

(Shameless self promotion! If you want to read more of my stuff, my account on fanfiction.net is Tf2sniper326. I have three stories uploaded there but the only one I'm working on is a RWBY fic called A Different Pyrrha. In which instead of being an overly polite champion, Pyrrha is a foul-mouthed street punk who only went to Beacon Academy to escape the mob. Check it out if you want, if not, oh well.)

Not Every Mark is Cute

by tjcullinan326

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10 (Revised)

Chapter 11 (Revised)

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16 (Revised)

Summary