Internal Flow

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Have you kept up with the Ponyville paper recently?"

"No."

"Supposedly, an official statement was leaked to the press claiming two young children fought off a kidnapper; an adult male kidnapper."

"You can't be serious!"

"Oh? You don't believe me?"

Celestia levitated a rolled up newspaper between them. She unraveled it, revealing the headline.

"No way! This can't be real!"

"Is it really so hard to believe? You were a magical prodigy at their ages. Is it so difficult to believe there are prodigies in other fields of study?"

"But that would mean...You're afraid of children!?"

Celestia gave Twilight a confused look.

"No? I've done my best to rule justly and fairly. Just because I don't actively seek out battles does not mean I have anything to fear. It means I have common sense."

It was Twilight's turn to be confused.

"You're thinking too concretely, my student. Luna and I respect our subjects, just as they respect us. In fact, respect for one's allies and opponents alike is at the center of every martial art."

"Really?"

"Truly and honestly. They are highly honorable, noble disciplines."

"I'm supposed to find this family and learn from them, right?"

"Yes."

"Where are they?"

"Allow me," a familiar voice called out.

A dark alicorn of Celestia's same build landed next to her sister.

"Princess Luna?"

"They live at they very edge of Ponyville. It is quite peaceful - free of distraction."

"I see. Thank you."

"Your gratitude is unnecessary, though it is appreciated."

"I guess I should take my leave. Spike's probably worried sick at this point."

"Fare thee well. May your undertaking prove fruitful."

"Twilight!? Where have you been!?"

"I had some personal business to take care of. I have to go out again in a minute. I'll be back by dusk."

"Wait!"

Twilight placed a hoof on Spike's head and smiled.

"I'm okay. Just trust me this once. Can you do that?"

Spike stared at her before nodding.

"I'll cook dinner for us tonight," he said.

"Sounds good."

Twilight flew in the direction Luna directed her towards, arriving at a small, two-story house. The night princess was indeed correct about the environment. The structure was tucked away, separated from the rest of the town. Twilight knocked on the door. A black earth stallion and white Pegasus mare answered.

"Hello. I'm Twilight Sparkle. I'm here on behalf of Princess Celestia to receive instruction in the martial arts."

"You're the princess of friendship, aren't you," the Pegasus asked.

"I am."

"I'm Harmonic," the black stallion replied, "This is my wife, Atmospheric. You said you were sent to learn martial arts?"

"Yes. I was informed there were two children living here who could teach me."

"You must have read the article."

"Just this morning."

"Our daughter is sleeping right now. Our son is playing in the back yard if you want to see him."

"Please."

Twilight followed the couple behind their home. A young colt resembling Atmospheric was practicing his technique using a large tree.

"Is he...Training?"

"When I said he was playing, it was kind of a figure of speech. Practicing is how he spends most of his time."

"What style is he using?"

"Wing Chun. It's an eastern style emphasizing close-quarters combat and energy conservation."

"I had no idea martial arts were so technical."

"Wanna' watch for a minute."

"Sure."

The group examined the boy from a distance. He wasn't even mildly winded yet.

"His technique is flawless," Twilight commented, "What does his sister do?"

"Krav maga. It's a self-defense system specifically designed to neutralize any deadly threat."

"No wonder they survived."

"It's our job as parents to protect them. We taught them the basics, and they improved on their own. Both of them far outclass us now."

"Wow..."

"Are you ready for your first lesson?"

"I think so."

Harmonic and Atmospheric took Twilight to Hard Core.

"Hey, buddy. This nice lady wants to learn the same stuff as you. Wanna' help her out?"

"..."

"He's a little shy."

Twilight knelt down in an attempt to make him more comfortable.

"The princesses sent me here. I could really use your help."

Hard Core nodded.

"Okay..."

Stepping away from the tree, Harmonic instructed Twilight and his son to sit.

"Close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths. What do you see?"

"I can't see anything," Twilight responded, "It's just a black, vacant space."

"Concentrate, but don't force it. Let your mind wander. Focus on what it's telling you."

"I can see...dark clouds. They're much darker than they should be. It looks like night time in the middle of the day."

"What else?"

"I can see...Myself...Standing in an open field. I'm not moving at all."

"What's the weather like?"

"Windy...Like a storm's approaching."

"What that tells me so far is your progress is being halted by a powerful force - possibly one of an abnormal nature."

"What should I do?"

"That's up to you. How would you handle it?"

"I could cast an illumination spell."

"What about non-magical solutions?"

"Look for shelter?"

"Okay. That's one course of action. What about confronting the storm?"

"Wouldn't it be too dangerous?"

"Only if you waver."

"Wait...I'm turning around!"

"That's it - one step at a time."

"There's a twister! It's coming for me!"

Twilight saw herself be sucked into the tornado. She opened her eyes in a sweat-drenched panic.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I think so."

"That was intense. You have some deeply-rooted issues you need to work out."

"Sorry..."

"Don't apologize. You're making the effort. Let's move on for now."

"Right..."

Twilight and Hard Core faced each other, waiting to hear what the colt's father had to say.

"The first thing you need to know is proper fighting stance. Protecting your face and vital organs is one of the keys to surviving a brutal confrontation."

Harmonic motioned for his son to demonstrate. Hard Core stood on his hind legs while positioning his forelegs between his head and torso. Twilight assumed the same posture.

"Relax your body. If you're too stiff, you'll waste unnecessary energy."

Twilight took a few more deep breaths to calm herself. Her focus dramatically increased as a result.

"Now you're starting to get it."

"What now?"

"Another key to not only surviving, but emerging victorious is where you fight. Never let yourself be taken to the air or ground. Those will leave you more vulnerable to injuries and grapples. You always want to be standing in an upright position."

"I get it! I have to firmly plant myself and not be distracted from defending, right?"

"Bingo. Now we can get to the good stuff - technique training. Hard Core's going to try to grapple you. It's up to you to quickly reverse it without causing damage. Think you're up for it?"

"Bring it."

Hard Core immediately tried to wrap his forelegs around her head for a throw. Sliding to his side, she put the child in a headlock. She could hear Harmonic clapping.

"Bravo! Nicely done!"

"I don't even know how I did that!"

"You took the first opening you could find and went for it without hesitation. That's how a warrior fights."

"I don't feel like that was the best I could've done, though."

"You recognize your limitations. Good. You're right. You haven't developed your speed and reaction time yet."

"Should I try again?"

"You're really getting the hang of this. Let's start from the beginning. This time, try countering as fast as you can."

"You've done really well so far," Harmonic praised, "The last thing we need to cover for basics is striking. One of the defining characteristics of wing chun is its use of swift, rapid attacks against the body's pressure points. How much do you know about anatomy?"

Twilight grinned rather smugly.

"Enough to know where each one is located."

"Let's see if you can counter my kid's attacks fast enough to prove it."

Twilight's grin turned sour. She engaged Hard Core in their next practice battle. The colt completely turned the tables on the princess. Before she knew it, she was flat on her back.

"Ow..."

"You okay," Harmonic asked, trying to suppress a laugh.

"Thank Celestia he's not old enough to seriously hurt somebody yet."

"Trust me, age has nothing to do with it. Ready to go again?"

"I suppose."

The end of Twilight's first day of training brought her a multitude bruises, a black eye, and a broken nose. The fact she was even still conscious amazed her.

"You look burnt out. How 'bout we call it a day?"

"No complaints here," Twilight concurred through strained breaths.

"You gonna' be okay?"

"Yeah. A healing spell should do the trick."

"You can fix damaged body parts?"

"I'm what you might call a studious soul. Advanced magic is basically child's play for me at this point."

"That's cool."

"You think so...?"

"Yeah."

"Don't flirt with the students, honey," Atmospheric chimed in.

"You know you're the only one for me."

A white earth filly appeared from around the corner. Hard Core rushed over to her, placing his forehead against her own.

"Who is that," Twilight questioned.

"That's his girlfriend," Harmonic explained, "Her name's Deep Blue."

"Aw! That's so cute!"

"Take a closer look."

Upon examining Hard Core and Deep Blue further, Twilight noticed they weren't acting like schoolyard crushes.

"Do you see it?"

"Yes."

"It's the real deal."

"How can children feel so deeply? I thought it was impossible."

"The longer you live and the more you observe, the more you understand. Nothing is impossible if you believe. What you're seeing is what he believes in."

"I understand now."

"Understand?"

"Never mind."

"If you say so."

"Can we continue tomorrow?"

"Same time, same place."

Twilight enjoyed a warm meal with Spike and told him about her training before retiring for the evening. The lessons of the day inspired her to further research and memorize each species' bodily structures. After a bit of leisurely reading, she attempted to fall asleep. However, something in her soul commanded her to remain conscious. She couldn't let herself be defeated by her own fears and weaknesses. Keeping her eyes closed, she allowed the scene that terrified her so much earlier that day to re-enter her mind.

"What's beyond the darkness? I have to know..."