Twilight took a deep breath, the dark-skinned woman stepping into the ring. She modestly wore a simple white t-shirt and shorts, a pair of boxing gloves tied around her hands as her white boots moved to get into position. Orthodox Stance: her left foot stood in front of her with a strong guard up. Her entire body felt tense. Her breath felt as though it weighed a ton on her lungs. It was as if the gravity of the Earth was pulling down hard enough on Twilight's body to make he fell to the center.

The giggling of her mentor, however, snapped her back to reality.

"Earth to Twilight." Celestia was on the other side of the ring, her long, flowing hair done up in a Ponytail. Her tanned body was held up in golden tracksuit, her hands covered in a pair of custom yellow gloves with her signature sun-mark on them. "You haven't forgotten that this is just a practice match, have you?"

Twilight swallowed hard as she mumbled a, "s-sorry, Coach." Twilight tried to ease up, but her body still looked stiff as a board.

Celestia gave a sigh as she got into a stance that mirrored Twilight's. "Okay, Twilight, same as before: come at me with your best shot." She moved her gloved hands to emulate a 'come at me' gesture. "All you gotta do is land one blow on me."

"You can do it, Twilight!" Spike cheered from the bench as he added. He was in a plain purple hoodie with his hood hanging down. "You've done this nine times already! Tenth's the charm for sure!" Twilight groaned at Spike's attempts at cheering her on, but the reassuring nod from Celestia told her that she could do it this time.

Then Spike rang the bell and Twilight took off. She was suddenly making a dash for Celestia, the Alicorn rushing back at her. The two met in the center of the ring a Twilight pulled back her fist and made a swing at Celestia. Celestia was nimble, quickly pushing herself back and avoiding the roundhouse.

Twilight chased her down. Each swing wide as her arm could swing and each one easily avoided by Celestia. The older Alicorn swayed and moved, showing no effort as each dodge came sooner and sooner. Celestia couldn't fathom just what Twilight was hoping to accomplish with such wide, sloppy punches. Half a minute went by with no change as Celestia dodged again, but this time, she saw something on Twilight's face.

A smirk.

1 minute.

When she felt the soft leather of the ropes, it all clicked to Celestia! Twilight was trying to corner her! Twilight's entire body seemed to loosen up before her eyes as she pulled her fists in close and threw a hook to Celestia's body. Short and tight, a surefire punch!

Celestia' s feet pushed her to the left to avoid Twilight's right, but Twilight was hot on her heels! Throwing another hook as Celestia hurriedly moved again, her shoulder ramming into the post. Now she was cornered!

With half the time gone, Twilight had Celestia right where she wanted her. The Unicorn reeled her arm back and threw it forward in a cross. Twilight watched in disbelief as she watched her fist collide with Celestia, right in the woman's cheek as she watched her reel back.

She did it! She finally did it!

And yet, it felt off. What was it? Was it hitting her own coach like this? Well, no, though it did feel so weird and surreal to lay a finger on Celestia. No, it was something else. She saw her fist connect, she knows it connected, but she didn't feel any sort of impact. She felt sandbags give more of an impact.

But the bell rang and Twilight had to get off of her train of thought. Celestia chuckled as she rubbed her cheek, "I must say, Twilight, you've improved tremendously from our last session."

"I'll say!" Spike practically jumped into the ring, the green-haired kid's grin going from ear to ear. "You were amazing! You chased Celestia like a hungry wolf or something! It was so cool!"

"G-gee, uh, thanks, Spike." Twilight smiled excitedly, modestly rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, I-I guess I just really wanted it."

Celestia chuckled, "I'll say." Celestia had already taken her gloves off her hands, grabbing the ropes and leaping right out of the ring. "You've wanted to badly to hit me like that, didn't you?" She smirked as she watched Twilight stammer and shake in place. She gave another chuckle, "oh come on, Twilight. You're smart enough to realize you'd have to hit me if you ever wanted this."

She moved over to the wall and grabbed something off of the wall, holding it up in one of her arms. It was a black belt with a golden buckle, reading 'EBL' across the plate: The Equestria Boxing League's Champion Belt. Celestia stood tall with the belt around her arm, 6'5 and with a voluptuous frame. Spike gazed at it with awe, as did Twilight, but the former was practically drooling.

Twilight might not have had her eyes glued on the belt, rather, she was glued onto Celestia holding that belt. She couldn't see it under the track suit, but she knew of firm muscles Celestia wore. She could still see the boxing gloves and the rest of Celestia's boxing gear. The belt was nothing but an accessory to Twilight. What the young woman wanted was the chance to fight her as an equal, right in the ring.

Celestia put the belt down as she smiled, "well, Twilight. I think it's about time."

Twilight snapped back to reality as she asked, "time? Wait, time for what?"

"For you to become a boxer, of course!" Twilight's jaw nearly dropped to the floor as Celestia continued, "in these last five years, Twilight, you've blossomed from a meek little girl to a promising prize fighter."

"Oh my Goodness, thank you, Celestia!" Twilight beamed excitedly, hopping within the ring giddily, "with you as my coach, I know I'll do great!" Twilight's eagerness, however, was killed off when she heard Celestia give a hearty laugh. "C-Coach? C-Celestia, wh-what's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, Twilight, honestly." Celestia gave a sigh to catch her breath, "but I'm not gonna be your coach. Or did you forget I'm till the Champion and have my own career?"

Twilight's face fell into a slump, "b-but...well, I mean, I jut thought..."

Celestia gave a sigh, "my dearest student, these last few years, training you and watching you grow has given me nothing but joy. I love having you around." She walked back over to the ring, walking back into it so she could look Twilight in the eye. "But if you keep hovering around me, you'll never come into your own, and you won't grow into much of a Boxer." Celestia smirked at her protege, "even if you did manage to get a title match with me, if you did it while hanging in my castle, then you wouldn't be much of a match for me."

Those word had cut into Twilight, carving into her like a turkey. She had to admit that they made sense, even if she didn't like it. Spike was untying her gloves as Twilight asked, "well, where should I go then?"

"I'm happy you asked." Celestia walked over to a nearby table, picking up an envelop and tossing it through the air. Twilight tossed her gloves to the side, fumbling with the envelop before she managed to catch it. "These are Train Tickets to Ponyville. I've already arranged for a new gym to take you in, the Duke Panther gym."

"Duke Panther?" Twilight took the envelop from her the Princess, "I've never heard of it."

"It's an old gym. One of the oldest in Ponyville." Celestia giggled, "actually, it was me and my sister's stomping ground back in the day."

"You trained there?!" Twilight's jaw had dropped, "you were training in Ponyville?!"

"Whoa, that's so cool!" Spike gasped.

Celestia giggled, "I'm familiar with the new owner of the place and she agreed to take you in."

"Al...alright." Twilight nodded, trying to give her, now former-coach, a reassuring smile of confidence.

Celestia, however, saw through it immediately. She put a hand on the young woman's shoulder, "I know it'll feel awkward when you're not working with me as your coach. In a town you don't know, surrounded by strangers. But trust me, my student. I know that you're strong and strong enough to handle it."

"D...do you really think that?" Twilight asked as she looked up at her teacher.

"Think that? I know that." Celestia nodded, "I wouldn't be sending you away if I had a single doubt that you couldn't handle it." She grinned widely, "so you'd better hurry up and go pack. Your ship leaves tomorrow."

"Right, Coach-er, Celestia!" Twilight nodded as she hurried out of the gym. "Come on, Spike! Help me pack my books!"

"Right behind ya, Twilight!" The young teen chased after her as Celestia smiled.

Celestia gave a content sigh as the two left the room. "There's nothing more satisfying then watching eager young youths." A small smirk curled onto her face as she said, "I wonder what you have to teach her, sister."

Twilight took a deep breath as she stepped off of the train. She was dress in a pair of blue pants with a purple, six-pointed star on both of her hips, a purple sweater vest over a white, short-sleeved shirt. With a backpack over her shoulder and a briefcase in her right hand, she anxiously looked around the station of her new home.

Ponyville was a rather rustic town. It looked like a small town from what Twilight could tell, carriages pulled by horseback taking people up and down, save for the kids who ran, biked, and skated about. It was welcoming, but Twilight still felt a sense of unease.

"You okay, Twilight?" Spike walked out after her, the tanned young man carrying his own backpack as he walked next to her.

"Y-yeah, I'm...I'm okay." Twilight nodded, leading him off the train and starting to lead her into town. "I guess I'm just feeling a little nervous. I mean, this is a whole new town and we don't really know anybody. I don't even know where this gym even is!"

"Why don't we just ask for-WHOA!" Both of them stopped in their tracks as a horse-drawn cart nearly ran the two of them over. The driver managed to bring the horse to a stop as a sigh came from the parties.

"Ah'm awfully sorry 'bout that! Ah don't know what came over ol' Barrel Roll here." The woman had a thick accent, freckled skin and blonde hair kept under a cowboy hat. She was in a pair of blue jeans, light brown gloves over her hands and matching boots, with an orange, rolled up shirt. The most noticeable detail was that she was 6'0, much taller than Twilight's 5'5 and Spike's 5'4

"O-oh, it's alright. We should've been more careful on where we were going." Twilight replied, "actually, we're new in town and we're looking for a gym called Duke Panther. Have you heard of it?"

"Duke Panther, eh?" The farm woman mused before she said, "oh, it's just down that road." She pointed Twilight down the right direction. "That gym was closed for as long as I've been born. It was only just recently being reopened."

"O-oh?" Twilight gave a slow nod, "well, thanks again for the directions. I'm Twilight Sparkle."

"Applejack." The two gave a handshake as Applejack snickered. Twilight looked confused at Applejack as she said, "sorry, I didn't think I'd feel such callused hands. Ya look like da book worm type."

Twilight blushed faintly as she said, "well, I guess I am." She added, "I'm going to that gym to, well, do my training."

"Twilight here i gonna be a boxer!" Spike gushed, "she's so cool, you should see her when she starts fighting!"

"Spike!"

Applejack grinned, "oh, yer a Boxer, eh?"

Twilight stammered, "w-well, I'm gonna try to be." Twilight watched as Applejack's eyes seemed to light up, with a new sense of excitement.

Applejack got back onto her wagon and grabbed the horse's reins. "Well, I live all the way on the other side of town. If ya want a sparin' match, come askin' for Applejack of the Apple Family." She gave a motion of the reins as the horse took off, Twilight and Spike getting a good look of the multiple barrel that she was escorting.

"Well, she was nice." Twilight beamed as she and Spike took off down Applejack's directions.

"Nice?! She was huge!" Spike gushed, "and she wants to spar with ya! Maybe you've got yourself a rival already~"

"D-don't say stuff like that, Spike!" Twilight yelped, "sh-she looked like she'd turn me into powder!"

"Come on, Twilight! You were training with the Champ! You could take her!" Spike assured. Twilight didn't share his enthusiasm as the two made their way to the gym. It stood out from the rest of the area by the obvious panther-looking mascot that was drawn onto the face of the building.

"Well, this must be Duke Panther." Twilight reached over to the door and tried to open it up, but when she tried to open the door, she felt that it was locked. "Locked?"

"Maybe the owner isn't around yet?" Spike asked aloud.

"I guess, but, well, now what will we do?" Twilight mused aloud before a familiar voice hit her ears.

"My apologies, Twilight! I'm still getting into the groove of running a gym!"

Twilight and Spike froze up before turning around and squawking, "Luna?!"

Lune, in stark contrast to Celestia, was much paler and more lithe then Celestia was, being a modest 5'6. She was dressed in a short sleeved black shirt and sweat pants. The older woman gave Twilight a smile as she took out a key.

"It's been a little while, hasn't it?" Luna started to unlock the door as she said, "I guess this explains why you haven't seen me in Canterlot for quite a few months."

"Y-you've been rebuilding this old gym?" Twilight blinked as the doors flew open. The gym was more modest then the gym at her and Celestia's mansion. "But, uh, why?"

"Well, for one, you need a place to train that's not under Celestia, don't you?" Luna chuckled as Twilight felt the words were snatched out of her mouth. "and besides, I may not be a Boxer anymore, but I still feel I have a lot of knowledge to pass on to the new, young talent of Equestria. And there's no place better then at the small, humble home of Ponyville." Luna chuckled, "at least, that's what I see."

"That's..." Spike looked so amazed by Luna's words, but it was Twilight that was gushing.

"THAT'S SO COOL!" Twilight gushed, "this is incredible! I've trained with Celestia and now I'm going to be coached by Luna! This is incredible! I can't believe it, this is so amazing!" Her gushing was then interrupted by a loud laugh that came from Luna, something Twilight was starting to think was a hereditary trait of theirs by now."

"Oh, Twilight, things will be very different from your time with Celestia." Luna smirked, the woman starting to put on a pair of gloves. They were different from boxing gloves, looking more like punching mits. "Celestia taught you how to fight. I'm going to teach you to win. Now go get changed!"

"W-wait, what?!"

"Your new training starts now! Now change!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

"That's coach now!"

"Yes Coach Luna!"

Luna chuckled as she started to get into the gym ring. "This is going to be quite a ride."

Author's Note

This story is going to get very shonen, very fast.