Pony Tales 2- Buck Wrestling

Chapters

The Wild West
Shrouded Skies
Train Tracks
Wrong Directions
Buck Of The Horse

The Wild West

----The Wild West----

Everypony in Ponyville has almost certainly heard of Applejack, in fact, they all should know her name. They even hold celebrations and parties for her, daily, most of them for her winnings. She's the ten-time champeen at the Equestria, Canterlot Rodeo. Even though recently, she didn't take first place, she still has friends alongside her, who congratulate her nonetheless on her victories. Although, there's a colt that matches up to her capabilities. Maybe even more than she's aware of, and that colt would be her cousin Braeburn. He's had his fair share of rodeo winnings, but there's one sport that he majors in. That would be buck wrestling, stallions from all around Equestria, step into the ring to test each others strength. The arena is no joke, once you step in, the only thing keeping you from winning, is a black eye and a bruised leg. The competition is fierce, and defeating the champion, which happens to be the place-holder for 14 years, is like bucking all the apples in Sweet Apple Acres in 5 hours alone. There's not a single pony with as much muscles as he has, and every colt that dared to step into the ring with him got tossed around like a bowling ball. Braeburn would have a chance, a chance at making it 30 seconds in the ring without being dominated that is. He figures that his own training regimen isn't as pushing, so he decides to switch places.

Applejack had decided to take a trip to Appleloosa to pay Braeburn a visit. The buffalo that promised they wouldn't destroy the town if they received a fair share of their delicious apple pies, are still upholding their promise. The town's future is looking bright, and the mild west dances have gotten two times as mild. Rainbow Dash had finally gotten over the fact that Twilight read the next chapter of Daring Do before she did, and Twilight is seeming to recover from all the energy that she had used up during her ordeal with ''Anonymous.'' Big Macintosh's wounds have settled and he's back to his old self, and he promised not to keep a secret from anypony else. Train rides to Appleloosa normally take about seven hours if you travel by train. A map of Equestria makes you think it's smaller than it really is, but it's larger than it looks by far. Applejack has been on the train for about five hours now, and she's getting closer to Appleloosa. Braeburn has decided that he's going to trade places with her, he believes that his training regimen isn't as pushing as hers is. He needs to get stronger, faster, and better.

There would be a familiar roster of opponents that he would have to face in the arena. Normally it's the everyday colt, with a bright future in his eyes, believing he has a chance against the champion, only to realize that he lost from the start. Half of them don't even make it to the third round without sustaining major injuries, and considering there are only six rounds, endurance is key. How well would a prepared Braeburn fare at this competition, if he's worn out after five gruesome battles, and has to wrestle with the champion who hasn't lost in 14 years? His age is unknown, and nopony knows where he gets this strength from, and the conditions that he trains under must be appalling. A stallion is measured by his strength and determination, not by how many muscles he has, but a stallion like Big Macintosh has natural born strength. He could barely hold up the Mascarpone Meringue Madness, with the help of a Unicorn and two Pegasi. The champion could hold up two of those and almost break into a sweat, if not, then no sweat at all. Could Braeburn hold up an object on his back with the same weight as the Mascarpone Meringue Madness? He'd need to have a build like Big Macintosh, and a strong back. Would Applejack agree to switching places with Braeburn? It would benefit them both, but Braeburn also has another question that he'd like to ask Applejack, that is if she even has enough time to perform the task.

Applejack finally made it to Appleloosa, and a very happy Braeburn appeared before her, and shouted louder than he had ever shouted to her in all of his life. ''WELCOME TO APPLELOO-'', ''BRAEBURN!!!', Applejack interrupted Braeburn. ''What's the matter cousin?'', Braeburn asked. ''Ya' know how early in the morning it is?'', replied Applejack, ''There are hard working ponies that are trying to get some rest, and it's 6:30 in the morning!'' ''Oh, don't worry cousin, we're early folk here in Appleloosa!'', replied Braeburn. She looked around and noticed nopony else walking around, and there weren't any lights turned on in the windows. ''Ah reckon you're the one to wake everypony up by ringing the bell or something along the lines of that Braeburn?'', Applejack asked. ''How did you figure that out cousin?'', asked Braeburn. ''Ugh, look never mind that, you told me that you wanted to meet me for something.'', said Applejack. ''Oh, yeah, that....'', Braeburn replied quietly. ''Here's the thing, I need you and me to switch places.'' She had looked at Braeburn with a look in her eyes that she never wore before. ''Ya' want the both of us to switch places?'', asked Applejack, ''I beg your pardon?'' ''Ya' see, I have this bucking match coming up in Fillydelphia, and I need to get tough fast!'', replied Braeburn. ''I don't think I'm getting enough muscle doing what I'm doing now in old Appleloosa.'' ''So, I figured that me and you could trade places cousin?''

'Ya see, if I don't get any decisive training in before next month, then I'll be destroyed!'', said Braeburn. ''Ugh, okay Braeburn, Ah'll do your silly little favor, just don't go overboard like you always do.'', replied Applejack. ''So this is going to last for a month right, and just a month?'', asked AJ. ''You got that right cousin!'', replied Braeburn, ''One month is all I need to get my body in shape!'' ''You just stay here in APPLELOOSA and get your self settled in.'' ''Let the sheriff know that this was my decision, and don't be afraid to ask questions.'' ''My duties can be a bit of a handful at certain times.'' Applejack didn't really know what she was getting herself into. She had imagined that the days would fly by as she was about to live in Appleloosa. ''Ah can't believe Ah just agreed to that!'', she said to herself angrily in her head. ''Oh well, how bad could living a month in Appleloosa be anyway?'' Braeburn had gotten on the train heading back to Ponyville, their roles were now switched, but Braeburn had something else planned for Applejack. He wouldn't tell her about it until the time was just right. She would bluntly say ''NO'', right in his face at this point.

'Gee, I wonder what living in Ponyville for a month would be like!'', Braeburn thought to himself. ''I haven't visited good old Applejack by the farm in a while, and my duties I have to fulfill back at Appleloosa are pretty time consuming...'' The train conductor knows him pretty well, every now and then, they greet each other walking past. Though, the ponies on the train aren't as inviting. They were all rough and tumble, kind of like the stallions he would have to wrestle with at the arena. He started to notice something was off as well, there were absolutely no mares on the train. There were just stallions of all sizes, and none of them looked happy once he got the chance to look at them. It made him feel slightly uncomfortable, so he stared out at the window, he wouldn't want to provoke any of them. So much as looking an angry colt in the eyes could start a fight. The wild west is a dangerous place to travel unguided, and especially when you're alone. He had wondered how he would fare in a town where the population is the opposite of his. There are certainly more mares in Ponyville, and he'd have to adjust to hanging around them. Hopefully, Applebloom would be excited to see him as well. Naturally, his build is larger and sleeker than Applejack's despite him being a colt. He doesn't have as much experience as Applejack does though. To most ponies, his past is pretty much unknown, but they're both on equal terms, to leave it at that.

One of the stallions on the train stood up, he looked back and noticed Braeburn. He called him out by his name in an accent that sounded rather familiar to him. ''You, I reckon I've seen someone like you before.'', said Braeburn. ''You bet your scrawny legs you have.'', said the stallion. Everypony else watched as they thought a fight would unfold. Some of the colts hid behind their seats, most fights that occurred on trains get others involved. The stallion that addressed Braeburn turned around and looked him in the eyes. ''Caramel, is that you?'', Braeburn asked. ''Yeah, buddy, it's me, did you think I was somepony else?'', replied Caramel. ''Yeah, I guess so, you sounded like another pony that I met from Fillydelphia.'', said Braeburn. The ponies in the train sighed in relief, but one other colt stood out of his chair. ''I think you're talking about me.'', the colt said. Braeburn turned around in the isle with a confused look on his face. ''Big Macintosh!?'', Braeburn exclaimed, ''You're the colt I fought five years ago??''

Shrouded Skies

-----Shrouded Skies-----

Braeburn has heard of Big Macintosh, but his demeanor and his voice has changed since then. ''You're the pony that I wrestled with five years ago??'', Braeburn exclaimed. ''Yeah, that would be me, in fact, I got on this train to have a talk with you about that.'', replied Macintosh. Caramel was already surprised that he had seen Braeburn on the train, and now he had seen Big Macintosh too? ''You wanted to speak with Braeburn about the buck wrestling match too?'', Caramel asked Bic Mac. ''Eeyup.'', said Macintosh calmly. ''I assume that Applejack is already in Appleloosa?'', asked Macintosh. ''Yeah, she just dropped off at the tracks in town, how did you know about my offer anyway?'', replied Braeburn. ''You know, me and letters have odd ways of meeting with each other.'' ''Twilight knows this especially, hah.'', Macintosh joked. ''What exactly did you want the both of us to talk about anyway?'', he replied. ''We may as well wait until we get off of this train you know, there are some colts that we wouldn't want to mention this around.'', Macintosh said while glaring at the colts in the front car. ''Why?'', Braeburn said, ''Are there some ponies on this train we wouldn't want to be around?'' ''Do I know any of them?'' *Crash*

''Alright tough guy, we've heard enough of your talking!'', said the largest stallion in the train. ''Oh, that must be what you meant Macintosh, I'm such a loudmouth...'', Braeburn said silently. ''Iron Will!'', Macintosh exclaimed. ''You know that guy Macintosh?'', Braeburn asked, ''He's a giant minotaur!'' ''You know what the old saying is Macintosh.'', Iron will said with a smug look on his face. ''When somepony's talking smack, get them to walk back!'' Iron Will lifted up both Macintosh and Braeburn with no problem. ''Hey, you dumb minotaur, get your greasy fingers off me!'', Braeburn shouted. ''What's that Braeburn, are you mad?'', Iron Will replied. ''Now, get off of my train!'' ''WHOA!!'', Braeburn shouted as the minotaur threw the both of them off the train. Caramel stood there, without saying a word, acting as if he never spoke with them. Iron Will looked him in the eyes and asked him a single question. ''You don't know those losers do you?'', he asked. ''Nope, nope, I've seen those losers in all of my life!'', Caramel looked him in the eyes and said this, and his fear was noticeable. ''Good, because I don't want any colt speaking of the match before it's time.'' ''We're turning this train around!'', Iron Will shouted. The conductor heard Iron Will's voice once and quickly headed back to Appleloosa, leaving Braeburn and Macintosh stranded with wounds.

''Well, that wasn't nice at all!'', said Braeburn. ''Nope.'', replied Macintosh. They were stranded near the tracks in between Ponyville and Appleloosa. All they could hope for, was that Iron Will didn't hear about the deal that Braeburn and Applejack made to switch places. ''If that big fella hears any word about what me and Applejack did, then she's gonna be in trouble!'' Today was going to be a good day for everypony, and one little thing came along, and turned that day into crap. ''I wouldn't be so sure, we've dealt with the likes of him before.'', replied Mac. ''He goes around from place to place, acting as a salesman, preferably a bad one, trying to toughen up weak ponies.'' ''I'm surprised that a creature with a torso as huge as his was, was able to fit on such a small train!'', replied Braeburn. ''Yeah, but aren't we forgetting something along the lines of a third member?'', said Macintosh. ''.................................'', the both of them were silent and said nothing, meaning they had both knew what was on each others mind. ''I don't think we're forgetting anything'', said Braeburn. ''We aren't?'', replied Macintosh, ''Oh well, I guess it was just my imagination.'' Caramel sat back in his seat, hoping that somepony would come and save him. At this point in time, he's the damsel in distress, except he's no damsel, he's Caramel. The minotaur maniacally laughed in the front of the car, and the three of them were in pretty bad situations. Macintosh and Braeburn had to decide whether to head on to Ponyville, or return to Appleloosa.

''What should we do now?'', asked Macintosh. ''I can't believe I'm saying this but, we have to head over to Ponyville.'' ''Why would we head back to Ponyville?'', protested Macintosh, ''Don't you think it's a little bit odd as to why Iron Will wanted to go to Appleloosa?'' ''I'm aware of that Macintosh, but we've got to warn somepony.'', replied Braeburn. ''And the only ponies we could warn at this point, are at Ponyville.'' ''In fact, I'd suggest that we hightail it if we want a chance at saving Caramel.'' ''Iron Will had five of the wrestler ponies with him, and Caramel also applied for the competition.'' ''He may be interrogating him for answers right now!'' The two colts picked themselves up and ran across the field, they had a long way to go. Would Applejack be the next victim of Iron Will, or would Caramel become a kidnapped hostage? There have been rumors going out, but they weren't official, so the administrators pushed them aside and told the public they were lies. The champion of the Buck Wrestling Rodeo, was Iron Will, and he was controlling the outcome of the fight before the matches even started!
''I hope what were getting into isn't a big issue Macintosh.'', said Braeburn, ''Because if this is serious, the challenging wrestlers will be cheated out of their victories, and somepony could get hurt!'' Braeburn had ignored the fact that somepony was going to have to get hurt in the process of those matches, except he was talking about somepony getting hurt in an unofficial match. He had hoped with all of his heart, that Iron Will wasn't up to any funny business.

Twilight and her friends were unaware of what had been taking place. The amount of time it would take for a train to travel from Appleloosa to Ponyville, would take about 8 to 7 hours. Two stallions dashing their way to Ponyville may take a whole 14 hours. What makes matters worse, is the fact that they had barely left Appleloosa by the time Iron Will confronted them. ''S-So, what are you guys going to do with me?'', asked Caramel. ''Oh, nothing, you're coming with us to Appleloosa though.'', Iron Will replied. ''That doesn't sound so bad..'', Caramel thought. ''We're going to search Appleloosa for the strongest wrestlers we know, then we're bringing them with us to Fillydelphia!'', Iron Will shouted. All of the colts in Iron Will's group cheered and rooted for the plan to work. Caramel was one of the many wimpy stallions in the train cowering in fear. ''Man, I'm such an idiot!'', Caramel thought, ''How would I stand a chance against these guys in the ring anyway?'' ''Even their bucking muscles have muscles, and their torso's are huge!'' ''Not to mention the strongest of them all, is a minotaur that can barely fit in this freight car!'' ''All this just for some stupid buck wrestling, I want to go home!''

Applejack walked her way up to town hall to speak with the sheriff. ''Uh, sheriff, Ah'd like to have a talk with ya'.'', AJ said before entering the room. ''WHO'S THAT, GO AWAY, WE'RE CLOSED RIGHT NOW!!'', Applejack heard the voice of a frightened colt behind the desk. ''Calm down, it's just me Applejack, don't you remember me?'', she reassured the pony that just happened to be the sheriff. ''Why are ya' hiding behind a desk anyway sheriff Silver Star?'' ''Oh, I thought you were one of those burly ponies who came here earlier.'', replied the sheriff. ''What burly ponies are ya' talking about?'', AJ asked. ''There were these large, and tall stallions, they had asked me to show me our best rodeo ponies!'', the sheriff said. This was the sheriff of Appleloosa. One of the toughest sheriff's around, and he was never one to deny a challenge, he certainly isn't afraid of any rogue group of stallions. But this group of stallions were no mere ponies, they were the strongest ponies in all of Fillydelphia, and a minotaur that was stronger than all of them together! ''I received this message from the train passengers, one of them sent me a letter using teleportation.'', said the sheriff. ''Mind if I have a look at it sheriff?'', asked Applejack. The sheriff handed over the letter and she read what had happened on that train.

''Sheriff Silver Star, there were these huge ponies and a tall creature of some kind!'' ''A minotaur of some sort I think, they took Big Macintosh and Braeburn and threw them off of the train!'' ''We're approaching the city by train right now, you all have to evacuate the city and hide!'' Applejack let out a loud gasp and asked the sheriff her last question. ''Well why are you still in the city sheriff?'' ''I don't care how big they are....or how scared I am, I have a town to defend!'' Before their conversation ended, the train stopped in Appleloosa. There was no time left for talking and the both of them hid behind the desk. That was the only place they could hide at this point. The next thing Applejack and the sheriff heard was, ''HELLO, ANYPONY HERE?'' Sheriff Silver Star foolishly rushed outside to protect his town. ''No, come back sheriff!'', Applejack insisted. ''Look here fellers, if you think you can just march up to my town and demand our strongest men, then you better get back in that train and leave!'' The sheriff charged at the shortest colt with a pie in his mouth, with hopes of scaring them off. He prepared himself to throw it at the pony. The colt simply raised his hind legs and bucked the sheriff's hat right off. ''Agghh, darn it, I've been beaten.'' ''Now, show us your best stallions, or we're going to have a problem!'', shouted Iron Will. The sheriff's ears were ringing and there was only one idea he had left. ''Take me, I'll go with you to Fillydelphia.'', the sheriff replied. ''Oof!'', Iron Will had struck the sheriff in the side of the face and fell flat over. ''Don't make jokes sheriff, it'll ruin your credibility!'', the minotaur teased. Applejack stormed out of town hall and shouted, ''Leave the sheriff alone, I'll go with ya' to Fillydelphia!''

Train Tracks

----Train Tracks----

Braeburn and Big Macintosh were only 4 hours away from their destination. The both of them were exhausted at this point, and neither of them were up for a conversation. The number one thing they needed now, was time and some luck. Applejack wasn't faring any better, she was kidnapped and brought aboard the same train that was heading for Ponyville. ''Look, we aren't getting anywhere fast, I say we lay some traps on the rails!'', said Braeburn. ''Traps on the rails you say, what kind of traps and why?'', asked Macintosh. ''As far as I can tell, they won't walk back to Fillydelphia, they're going to have to come back here by train. We can save Caramel and any other ponies who got brought into this!'', replied Braeburn. ''So what if they don't consider using the train to travel without trouble? What if they simply catch up to us, and beat us to a pulp?'', replied Macintosh. ''I'm sure that you're aware of how easily that minotaur handled us before Braeburn.'' ''Iron Will alone is enough to take both of us, and him and his group can stand their own, and one of them are shorter than I am!'' Braeburn stopped and so did Big Macintosh, ''Look, we don't have much time either way, if what you say is true, then let's just keep running to Ponyville!'' ''Well, alright, you're the boss I guess.'', responded Macintosh. They continued running along the path of the tracks heading for Ponyville.

Iron Will and his gang had to make it to Fillydelphia before Macintosh and Braeburn did. Sadly, the rules say that anypony who tries to interrupt the coming matches would have to arrive there before it started. Braeburn wouldn't get a choice to be able to train for a month or not. By the looks of things, it seems the matches are going to happen early this year. ''Ah reckon you have no idea what's going on either Caramel?'', asked Applejack on the train. ''Actually I do know, but I don't think I can tell you, at least not right now.'', he replied. ''Forget those idiots, come sit by me and whisper in my ear.'', responded Applejack. ''Hold it you two, who do you think you're calling an idiot!'', said the burly stallion sitting beside Iron Will. ''I was just talking to my legs, Bucky and Kicks McGee!'', replied Applejack. The dark red colt simply shrugged and turned back around in his seat. ''I'm sorry Applejack, but could you try and keep it down a notch?'', asked Caramel. ''OKAY, I've had enough of this tomfoolery!'', shouted AJ. Iron Will stood out of his seat and kindly asked, ''Would you care to take a seat little filly?'' ''Who in tarnation are you callin' a filly?'' ''Don't make me buck you up and out of this here train!'' The two glared each other in the eyes for what lasted like a minute. ''You know what little filly, I like the cut of your jib!'', said Iron Will. ''I'll spare you the personal beating from me, and instead you'll be fighting Roid Rage here in the arena!'' ''YEAH!!'', Roid Rage shouted with enflamed muscles and eyes. He was one of the strongest of the three of the colts, and he had the heart of a fighter, he was in it just to show his stuff and shout, ''YEAH!!''.

''Why do you suppose that the conductor hasn't done anything about this?'', asked Applejack. ''He's probably scared out of his mind right now, I know I am.'', Caramel replied. ''Do you see all of those muscles on their legs?'' ''Trust me Caramel, there's no way in Equestria that we can't handle these guys.'', said AJ. ''Ah think we can take em', just you and me, let's do it!'' ''What are you crazy Applejack?'', ''That minotaur threw Braeburn and Macintosh out of this train without breaking a sweat!'', replied Caramel. ''Come to think of it, I don't even know why I wanted to be a bucking wrestler in the first place!'' ''Just look at my overall build, I'm so scrawny Applejack!'' ''Yeah, yeah, Ah know how skinny, weak, and frail you are, but Ah need you to distract them.'' Applejack began to devise a plan, Caramel on the other hand had no idea what was about to unfold. ''Look, Applejack, before we do this, do you even know if Braeburn is coming back to save us, or if he's going to Ponyville?'', asked Caramel. ''Ah have no idea, but we're not going to let these guys drag us all the way to Fillydelphia with them.'', replied Applejack. ''Ah told Braeburn that we were switching places, but Ah'm not going into a ring with some crazy stallions!'' ''Ah'd rather buck the smiles off their arrogant little faces right now!'' ''Applejack, could you lower your voice a bit, you're attracting some unwanted attention!'', said Caramel. ''You wouldn't want any of those strong colts to come over here and start a fight would you?'' ''Ah don't care what some dumb thug says, Ah'll beat em' all up, in fact, let's make as much noise as we can Caramel!'', Applejack shouted

''That's the fourth time you ponies have been making noise, no more talking on this train, I need the two of you to be silent.'', said the buff guard stallion. ''It's bad enough that we don't trust you completely, you're very blessed to have Iron Will find some sort of favor in you.'' ''Ah doubt being liked by some arrogant minotaur is a blessing!'', shouted Applejack. ''Now you've started it Applejack, we're dead meat now!'' The train wobbled on the side of the tracks from accelerating at dangerous speeds, to be specific, the conductor ran out of coal. Braeburn and Macintosh were 20 minutes away from Ponyville, and since the conductor had used up a week's worth of coal, they were right behind them. ''Do you hear somethin' Macintosh?'', Braeburn asked. ''By somethin', would you happen to mean the train coming up behind us?'', replied Macintosh. ''Yeah, unfortunately, that's exactly what I meant.....'', said Braeburn before the loud crash. All of the ponies laid there on the floor, almost unconscious, except for a certain arrogant minotaur. ''HAH, you thought your little game would work?'', Iron Will picked up Braeburn and yelled in his face. ''When somepony tries to block, SHOW THEM THAT YOU ROCK!!'', he said as he threw Braeburn into the side of the wrecked train. ''Come on boys, get up, we may have overdone the train hi-jacking, but Ponyville is still close.'' ''We'll walk around the hills to avoid being seen, and then catch our next train to Fillydelphia. ''Also, why don't you tie up our little friends here, we could use some more wrestlers in our matches.''

''Try and touch em' if you dare!'', Said sheriff Silver Star and his two companions. ''We've got some hot and steaming apple pies fer' ya', why don't you have a taste! The pies flew, and the Iron Will's lackeys were dodging every single pie that they threw apparently. ''You can't dodge our pies forever!'', shouted the sheriff. ''Oh please, you're kidding me right?'', said Iron Will. ''I assume that you were on the back of the freight car.'' ''Ya' got that right ya' glutton!'', said the sheriff. ''What's going on men, keep throwing pies, let them have it!'' ''Uh, sheriff, we're out of pies as of now....'', replied the colt. The conductor was knocked out cold, still inside the wrecked train. Applejack was knocked out cold, and Braeburn is unable to stand. ''Let's see here, according to my wristwatch, the time appears to be 7:53!'', said Iron Will. ''I think we've had enough of wasting time here. ''Uh, men, I think I have a good idea right about now.'', said the sheriff. ''What would that be Silver Star?'', asked the colt. ''Run for your LIIIIIIIIIIVES!!'', the sheriff yelled. Iron Will's lackey's were getting ready to chase the sheriff and the two colts with their tails in between their legs. ''Leave them alone boys, we already have enough wrestlers to enjoy ourselves with!'', said Iron Will.

''You idiot!'', shouted Braeburn nearly fainting. ''You let them get away, now they're running off to Canterlot to tell the authorities!'' ''Who said that I allowed them to get away?'', asked Iron Will. Sheriff Silver Star and the two stallions fell into a 10 foot deep hole. ''OH, COME ON!'', the sheriff shouted out loud. ''You planted traps?'', said Braeburn. ''Now you're certainly going to get it, bringing us to Fillydelphia will dig your own grave!'' ''You know what, speaking of graves, how about you spend some time in one?'', Iron Will said mockingly. ''Here, let me pick you up and escort you to yours!'', he said as he walked over to the hole. ''Let me down ya' big dummy!!'', Braeburn shouted. ''You should save your breath, you wouldn't want to waste it shouting at a minotaur that a whole town of ponies are scared to death of.'', Iron Will teased. ''Oh, and don't worry about your little cousin here, we'll take nice, good care of her while you're gone!'' Braeburn kicked at his chest and chin, in an effort to fight him. ''Don't you call my cousin little!'', he shouted. ''Enough of your cheesy talk, it's just a buck wrestling match, if your sister is strong enough, we may let her join us!'', he replied. ''At least that way, she won't to fight any of us!'', he said as he tossed Braeburn into the pit with the sheriff. We'll let you know when the match is over, in two days that is!'', shouted Iron Will. The last thing Braeburn heard before they walked off with Applejack and Macintosh, was Iron Will's maniacal laughter, and his own shouting. All Caramel could do was stay quiet, though Macintosh and Applejack were there and tied up, he was the only pony who had a say in whether the match went on.

Wrong Directions

-----Wrong Directions-----

''Oh that's just wonderful, I'm the only good guy here, and I can't do anything!'', Caramel said in his head. ''I can't make a run for it, there's no doubt there are more traps, if not, I'd get caught anyway...'' ''Applejack's friends should be immensely busy today, most of everypony is today. ''There's one thing that bothers me though, if these guys are so proud of their stupid plan, why would they sneak around Ponyville just to reach the train?'', Caramel thought. ''Fillydelphia is located at the far east of Equestria, so why wouldn't they walk through the forest?'' Not to mention, the way we're going is through Ghastly Gorge..'' ''So, where is the buck wrestling competition gonna take place at?'', asked Caramel. ''The location will be a little well known stadium in Vanhoover.'', replied Iron Will. ''Vanhoover?'', Caramel said confused. ''Don't you mean Fillydelphia, I mean that's where it's been held for the past 10 years y'know?'', asked Caramel. ''Oh, you must be thinking of the wrong buck wrestling tournament, hah.'', Iron Will teased. Caramel was now aware that there was even less of a chance for him now. ''You mean to say that this is an illegal competition?!'', he shouted out. ''I wouldn't say illegal is the right word, try, an unofficial wrestling match, that's being held at my own personal stadium.'', replied Iron Will. ''Every year I roam Equestria in search of the strongest colts and stallions to compete in my own stadium!'' ''So, your competitions, are more like street fights basically?'', asked Caramel. ''Exactly, you know, I like the cut of your jib!'', he replied. ''Haven't I heard this somewhere before...?'', Caramel thought.

They were approaching the bridge at Ghastly Gorge, where the waterfall connects to the forest. Applejack and Big Macintosh were both firmly tied up, and being carried by Iron Will's lackeys. There wasn't anytime to enjoy the beauty of the flowing water, but there was a way to change the fates of his friends. ''So, if competitions like these are only for colts, why is Applejack going to be a part of this?'', asked Caramel. ''We have to keep somethings interesting y'know, we wouldn't want to recycle the same things over and over again like they do in Fillydelphia.'', Iron Will replied. ''In fact, we've been recruiting confident country mares as well, they came along with no questions asked.'' ''I doubt they were in their right minds when they made that decision....'', Caramel thought. ''So if that's the case, you came to Appleloosa because most of the mares in your area aren't......as confident?'', asked Caramel. ''They're all a bunch of wimps who turned the offer down, but this has only happened three times.'', said Iron Will. ''We really try and do this in the nicest way possible, but I guess we scare everypony more than we intend to.'' ''It really is a shame about what happened back at Appleloosa, we weren't in the mood for resorting to violence.'', Caramel's eyes darted at him as he said this. ''Is something the matter, buddy?'', asked Iron Will.
''Oh, no it's nothing.'', he responded. ''But if you needed some colts for your competition, why not take Braeburn?''

''Ya' see, there was this accident that Braeburn had gotten involved with.'', Iron Will said bluntly. Caramel never really understood why of all the buck wrestling stadiums to choose, Braeburn had chose the one in Fillydelphia. ''What exactly caused this accident you're talking about?'' Caramel started asking Iron Will questions, he didn't seem like much of an arrogant minotaur that dived head-first into trouble when you had a conversation with him. He's pretty calm when he's not intimidating ponies into doing something or shouting. ''It actually happened in my stadium, it was his second time there, he was a returning challenger, he lost to our best buck wrestler below me.'', Iron Will said. ''He had to attend the stadium's in Fillydelphia, because he chickened out from mine.'' ''Our buck wrestles were to ''real'' for him he said, he couldn't stand seeing colts being beaten down by our men, especially by me.'' ''So basically, he's been attending Fillydelphia after he had told me, he never wanted to join the team.'' ''It's a sad thing that he turned down my offer, we could've struck some kind of deal, and turned it down a notch.'' ''You know me, being the spokesperson and salesman of my get tough quick sessions, there's always a chance to strike a deal.'' ''He went to the buck wrestling stadium in Fillydelphia because yours was too much to handle?'', Caramel replied. ''Now I understand why you decided to leave him in the hole, but he'll be okay in there right?'' ''Sure, if he keeps his principles in mind, hopefully he hasn't been going easy on his body.'', Iron Will replied. ''Being a casual worker like him, maybe if those four stallions work together, they'll be alright.'' ''Whether it be by digging or climbing, they're not total amateurs when it comes to sheer strength, so it's not like they're going to be stuck in that hole.'' ''Not to mention the fact, that trains normally pass between Ponyville and Appleloosa for shipping related causes.''

''I sure hope that Braeburn gets out of that hole, if he doesn't, then who in Equestria is going to come and save me!?'', Caramel shouted in his head. ''We're passing around Ponyville now, so I hope somepony notices Applebloom and Macintosh tied up.'' ''If only Rainbow Dash or some Pegasus would hover over our heads right now!'' ''I doubt I'll be saved by Applejack or Macintosh, the train wreck messed them up pretty bad.'' ''The time is around 7:49, the sunset's light is beaming on us, and it's not very often I get to see all of Ponyville over this hill.'' ''You never really notice how beautiful a place is, until you zoom out I guess.'' ''Why am I thinking so calmly right now?'' ''I should be shouting to attract somepony over here!'' ''A--AA-CHOOO!!!'', Caramel let out the loudest fake sneeze he could. But even that couldn't reach Ponyville, the air is too thick as of now, and a scream would echo louder than a sneeze in a windy field. ''That's a pretty bad sneeze you got there, here, have a napkin!'', Iron Will said. ''No, no, it's fine, it's just a sneeze, nothing bad.'', Caramel replied. ''I'm not going to get anywhere like this making tiny sneezes and asking questions, isn't there something I can do", he thought in his head. ''AH-HAH, I THINK I FEEL A BRILLIANT IDEA COMING ON!'', he thought. ''Uh, Mr. Iron Will, I have to take a little tinkle....'', he said sheepishly. ''Yo-you're kidding me right boy?'', he replied. ''Boys, make sure he doesn't go running off to some forest, we have a lot of hiking to get done here.'', he ordered his lackeys. ''Oh, crap, well that didn't work out like I had hoped..'', Caramel said. ''How am I supposed to make a run for it, when I have five muscle-ridden colts with orders to keep me close?'' ''I guess he doesn't trust me as much as I would like him to..'' ''Maybe there's one last effort I could make to escape these guys.'' ''I'm going to get the apples bucked out of me...'', Caramel told himself as he shivered. ''Hey, you dummies, why don't you take a crack at me?'', Caramel boasted. ''If you guys think you're good enough for Iron Will's buck wrestling matches, then why not?'' ''What's this now, does the crybaby colt have some guts?'', the red stallion said mockingly. ''You'll be the one crying by the time I'm done with you!'', Caramel said in the stallion's face. ''What, you think those little zit sized muscles of yours can be compared to mine?'', he continued to boast. ''Alright, you asked for it ya' little punk!'', the stallion said angrily. ''Yeah, that's it, come at me so I can mess you up!''

''I sure showed that crybaby colt didn't I, Iron Will?'' ''Yeah, I think he won't be running his mouth off like that anymore.'' Caramel had attempted to run away from the red stallion, only to get tackled from behind. He had withstood six blows via hoof to his face, before promptly passing out on the grass with a black-eye. ''I guess I shouldn't have ran my mouth so bad, maybe I should've just taken my chances and ran without all the showboating....'', he thought to himself. ''What, what's going on here?!'', a certain orange mare questioned. ''Oh, I see that you're awake little girl, your friend here got into a fight with one of my boys, and he taught him a little lesson.'', Iron Will said. ''What did you do to Braeburn you monster!?'', Applejack frantically shouted. ''He's okay, just with the exception of being in a hole miles away from us.'', Iron Will replied. ''Ah thought you said you weren't going to resort to violence, what a load of pony feathers!'', AJ replied. ''Actually, Ah think ya' can't do anything but resort to violence, it's bad enough that your buck wrestling matches are illegal!'' ''Shut your trap little girl, we won't mind knocking you out a second time if we have to.'', said the work pony. ''You wouldn't want to end up like your cocky buddy here.'' ''Ugh, what did you do Caramel, could you at least shut your trap when you're being kidnapped?'', AJ thought. ''Ah think it's pretty obvious that he won't make it far in the wrestling matches.'', Iron Will said. ''But we could use a practice dummy down at the stadium, we're on the path of Unicorn Range, so Vanhoover is only three hours away!'' ''Vanhoover, don't you mean Fillydelphia?'', AJ asked. ''Oh, boy, do I have a wonderful story to tell you little girl.'', Iron Will replied.

After hearing the news about what happened with Braeburn, Applejack was just as frustrated as she was before. ''Well that's a good thing, Ah don't want my cousin gettin' in trouble with a bunch of dummies like y'all!'', she shouted. ''Why don't you calm down a bit?'', said Iron Will. He was never fond of calling ponies by their names if he hasn't heard it enough. ''Oh, yeah, Ah'll calm down, after you tell me where my hat is!'', Applejack shouted. ''You mean the stetson?'', Iron Will replied. ''It's over where your friend here got his lights knocked out!'' ''Considering the fact that we've been on a few trains since he went out for a spin, I'd imagine that it floated off somewhere, now that you mention it, the wind carried it over to Ponyville.'' ''Don't worry about that old stetson of yours, if anything, somepony will find it and know it's yours.'' This calmed Applejack down, at least for a bit, she had hoped it wasn't in the hole where Braeburn was in. Unicorn Range had some of the most beautiful mountains in all of Equestria, surrounded by a forest and a clear grassy field. The sunset had disappeared, and the moon had risen in the sky. All of the shining stars were enough to give Applejack some sense of security, they were the only things that seemed to shine in her situation. She had learned a very important lesson out of this. Don't trade lives with your friends, spend your time with them the way you would, and certainly don't do anything involving the Wild West. Caramel and Big Macintosh were still knocked out cold, there was a chance for something to happen, but things have turned out to be in Iron Will's favor. ''Ah can't explain it, but somewhere, somewhere, somepony is gonna get bucked, HARD.''

Buck Of The Horse

-----Buck Of The Horse-----

The day of the buck wrestling matches were to begin today. The time when Caramel had his lights knocked out to the time when Applejack had awoken was an entire day. Iron Will had granted them ''some'' time to rest, but the accommodations weren't exactly the best he had to offer. He threw Macintosh, the only colt still unconscious, and Applejack into the same cell. These underground cells were where Iron Will's lackeys would rest. For some of them, it was a test to see if they would last the night, and for others, it was an opportunity to get some strength in their legs. Preferably some late-night weight lifting would be an ideal way to gain muscle. He didn't exactly let Applejack and the others go hungry, he fed them, but it wasn't the food of their choices. It was soup, hot steaming soup, that he bragged on and on about, saying that his father used to give him this soup whenever he was feeling down. Applejack thought it was the dumbest life story she had ever heard, but she wasn't one to judge, because the soup was actually delicious. She didn't like eating it at first, since her bowl was handed to her by Iron Will's men, but once she had a taste of it she dug right in. Macintosh didn't wake up until late at night, he noticed there was no way to get out of the cell they were locked in. Kicking at the cell bars, would wake up the others, and earn him a beating, and they were stronger than they looked. Macintosh isn't a fighter, he's a lover, but he definitely isn't weak, but the stallions Iron Will had chosen to come with him were better accustomed to brawling. They're all trouble makers, and half of them he found in a bar somewhere in Vanhoover, they had been with on his search for a month. It made sense when they were used to him and his demeanor, they were actually fond of him at first, they respected a guy who wasn't weak. Caramel was in his own cell, crying himself to sleep was all he could do, because he couldn't go to sleep without crying at all. They had much time to rest, since the matches would start at 1:00 in the daytime, and the time they had all slept was 7:19 on a Saturday night. The only pony who didn't get as much rest was Caramel, because he cried on the floor in a fetal position until 10:52. There wasn't a single beam of hope in those cells, some trains in Equestria, like the ones that link Ponyville to Vanhoover, don't have anypony operating them at night, so there was nopony fast enough to reach them. Appleloosa to Vanhoover is about a 40 hours on hooves, for a Pegasus, it would take 35 hours at most, and the only ponies who are excited about this, are the buck wrestlers and the spectators. The results of their ''training'' would now unfold.

''WELCOME EVERYPONY, TO THE SEMI-ANNUAL BUCK WRESTLING STADIUM, RUN BY YOUR FAVORITE MINOTAUR, IRON WILL, ARE YOU PONIES READY TO SEE SOME BUCKING!?'', he said as all the ponies in the bleachers cheered. ''WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF MATCHES LINED UP FOR YOU FOLKS, SO WHAT DO YOU SAY WE GET THESE FIGHTS STARTED?!'' The crowd let out screams so loud, it made Caramel's ear's ring. The attraction itself lasts 90 minutes, and there are challengers coming in from every side of Equestria. ''Wait, did Iron Will just say on the microphone, that this happens twice a year?'', said Caramel. ''Ah reckon he did, and if this is the first time it's ever happened this year, he's gonna go around ransacking towns in search of tough guys two months from now. ''Why would he make it two months from now?'', Caramel asked. ''There are placeholders for the champion, but he's never been beaten, and he obviously doesn't want to keep losing challengers waiting, so he hosts matches two months apart. ''IN THIS CORNER WE HAVE, ROAD BURN, THE TWO YEAR VETERAN, AND HERE COMES THE CHALLENGER!'' ''AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE CHALLENGER CAN BARELY STAND, HIS LEGS ARE SHAKING!'' ''LET'S PUT THIS WEAKLING OUT OF HIS MISERY, AND BEGIN THE MATCH!'' ''YEEAAHH!!!'', the crowd shouted again, and nearly deafened Caramel. ''Sit back and watch you three, you're going to be the challengers.'', Iron Will said. ''Why are we the challengers?'', Applejack asked. ''You didn't agree the first time I asked you, I won't force you to be on our side, but we wanted to take a crack at you three anyways!'', he replied. ''HOUGH!!'', the challenger let out a painful grunt and landed on his side. ''ONE, TWO, THREE, HE'S OUT!!'', Iron Will announced. The spectators were the ones to drag the losers out of the stadium. ''IT LOOKS LIKE HE DIDN'T LAST LONG, ONE TACKLE AND THREE KICKS, AND IT WAS OVER!!'' ''IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE WITH THE MATCHES!'' ''Are these guys serious!?'', shouted Caramel. ''This isn't how you buck wrestle, he didn't even get a chance to pick himself up!'' ''I think you should save your complaints for your match little guy, because you're up next!'', Iron Will replied. He gulped and breathed in and out, eventually he choked on his own breath while walking into the arena. ''LET'S BEGIN THE NEXT MATCH, ARE YOU READY EVERYPONY?'' ''IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE THE CHALLENGER, THE CRYBABY COLT!!'' ''CAN THE CRYBABY COLT TAKE DOWN ROAD BURN?'' ''LET THE WRESTLING BEGIN!''

Caramel's face and body was sweaty, he had Braeburn's hat on his head, he decided he would fight to avenge Braeburn. He had a strange way of buck wrestling, you aren't limited to just bucking with hind legs, fore hooves are an option as well, but no biting, magic, or flying. He swooped in on Road Burn and gave him two quick jabs to the cheek. His neck shifted to the left and he simply turned it right back. ''Is that all you got crybaby colt?'', Road Burn said mockingly. ''No wonder my brother knocked you out so easily!!'', he returned the pain with a two punches. Caramel leaned his body to the side, to stop himself from falling over. ''You know, your brother only had me beaten because I ran away!'', he bucked him dead in the face and sent him reeling back. He ran back at Braeburn and they smashed their heads together. ''You're an okay fighter, but you're too freakin' gullible!'' ''Who you callin'-UGH!!'', he interrupted Braeburn with an uppercut. He knocked the spit and his own words out of his mouth. Caramel tried his best to stand back up on his hooves. ''Come on, is that all?'', said Road Burn. ''Don't go fainting on me now rookie!'' *THUD* A single hoof to the gut ended the match. *GASP* Caramel was the pony standing victorious, except he was leaning over. ''The name is Caramel, you better get it right next time mister!''

''Ah can't believe he pulled it off, clumsy Caramel actually pulled it off!'', Applejack said in excitement. ''He's not that weak sis', besides, he's been walking around more than we have, maybe he got some kinda training in?'', said Macintosh. ''WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT, THE CRYBABY COLT ACTUALLY SURVIVED.'' ''LETS GIVE HIM A HAND!!'' The crowd stomped and clapped their hooves together as loud as they could, and Caramel felt like he was living the dream. ''AND WITH NO DELAY, LET'S MOVE ONTO OUR NEXT MATCH!'' ''Wait, what are you talking about?'', Caramel said with butterflies in his stomach. ''This is tournament styled you know, you gotta beat the rest to get to me!'', Iron Will said. ''Oh horse apples......'', Caramel said. ''IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE THE BROTHER OF ROAD BURN!'' ''WILL THE CRYBABY COLT WITHSTAND ANOTHER BEATING FROM THE OLDER BROTHER?'' ''LET THEIR REMATCH BEGIN!'' Caramel knew he was going to lose this match, so he thought of a plan to try and weaken him for the next challenger. ''You think you're gonna beat me like you did last time don't you?'', Braeburn said. ''Uh, yeah, and I'm gonna ruin your day CRYBABY COLT!!'' ''THE NAME IS CARAMEL YOU DUMMY!!'', Caramel shouted at the top of his lungs. Despite Caramel's injuries, his kicks were faster. ''Hah, how are ya' gonna win when you can't even hit me?'', shouted Caramel. ''You know, you shouldn't invest in speed, and no strength!'', he replied. ''How did he know I wasn't trying to hit him at all?'', he asked himself. ''I can dodge all of your baby punches and talk at the same time, don't you try and get me tired!'', he shouted. ''Now, fight like a real colt or get outta this place!'', he stomped on his left hoof, and finished him off with a right hook. He was ultimately down for the count and there was no strength left in him to get back up. ''I guess they were right about me being a crybaby...'', he said as he fell down hard. ''WELL EVERYPONY, IT LOOKS LIKE CARAMEL HAS WON YET ANOTHER MATCH!'' ''HOW DOES HE HAVE THE STRENGTH TO DO IT!?'' ''Ugh......apple bucking horse feathers.....'', Caramel uttered before he fell hard and flat on his face. ''At least I served my purpose here.......'', he said before he over dramatically passed out, *Gasp* The crowd was even more surprised and hooked on the action, they had never seen such a decisive match. Both Road Burn, and his older brother were now unconscious, but it was pure luck, if they had taken the match serious, Caramel would have been K.O'd a long time ago.

''WELL EVERYPONY, IT LOOKS LIKE THE CRYBABY COLT PUT UP A GOOD FIGHT, BUT IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT MATCH!'', Iron Will yelled into the microphone. ''Hey you, yeah, the red stallion with the orange mane, get in there, you're up next!'' Applejack had known Macintosh was a far better than Caramel, but she wouldn't be able to stand the sight of her brother being beaten. ''CAN THE BIG BAD MACINTOSH TAKE DOWN THE STRENUOUS STREXON?'' ''The strenuous strexon?'', Macintosh questioned. ''Strexon is the name, and they call me strenuous because I'm fierce!'' ''Look up the definition sometime why don't ya', in fact, I think I'll show you why they call me THE STRENUOUS STREXON!!'', he said as he lunged at Macintosh. Big Macintosh's plan was to end the match with one fierce blow to the body. ''HUUGH!!'', Macintosh blurted out. ''You see, the definition of strenuous means requiring or using great exertion, and great exertion is what I'm going to use on you!!'', he said as he drop kicked Macintosh on his left cheek. ''You know, for a guy who's as strenuous as you claim to be, you sure to talk a big game.'', he said with a raspy voice. Strexon's blows were too fast for Macintosh to follow, if he could back up, he could land a blow himself. ''Kick, punch, punch, kick, low kick, drop kick, retaliation, is this all he can do?'', Macintosh memorized his fighting patterns. ''HE'S PRACTICALLY LANDING BLOWS WHILE SPINNING IN CIRCLES FOLKS, CAN THE BIG BAD MACINTOSH ESCAPE HIS FURY?'' ''Alright, I think it's time I showed him how me and Applejack do things on the farm!'', shouted Macintosh. ''And I think it's time I stopped fooling around!'', he replied. He galloped towards Macintosh at speeds that he couldn't match, so he picked himself off the floor and raised his hind legs. ''You're going for the old classic buck?'', Strexon teased. ''How cliche could you get buddy?'' ''As cliche as you're brawling tactics, buddy!'', Macintosh shouted. The Big Bad Macintosh landed a firm blow in his gut, while he had Strexon's fore hoof clobber his face in. Strexon flew back and hit his back on the wall, that buck was all he could take, and it was the only hit that Macintosh landed on him. The red stallion had never been so injured from a simple jab to the face. ''I'm okay Applejack, I promise I am!'', he shouted at his little sister. ''You promise you are, what are ya' talkin about?'', asked Applejack.

What Big Macintosh had said, left Applejack wondering why he said it like he did. Only soon did she realize why he had spoken in the manner he did. Macintosh had taken one last breath and said, ''I promise I'm okay sister, save your strength for Roid Rage, hold out for as long as you can, because Braeburn is coming back, I promise!'', he said as he fell over on his side. Applejack looked down at her opponent, the one she was supposed to fight. Roid Rage was the next pony to fight before Iron Will. ''Ah shouldn't waste the opportunity that Big Macintosh has given me.'', said AJ. ''All Ah have to do is tussle with Roid Rage. There was something odd about Roid Rage, he's almost as strong as Iron Will, and it didn't matter how many muscles that he had. Caramel and Macintosh had held their own against three of Iron Will's wrestlers, but in the midst of the battle, one thing that Applejack noticed, was that the strength of a fighter wasn't measured by how many muscles they had, or how many ponies they intimidated. ''ALRIGHT EVERYPONY, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON THIS FOURTH MATCH.'' ''IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE THE STRONGEST STALLION IN HERE TO DATE, ROID RAGE!!'' ''YEAH!!'', Roid Rage shouted. ''IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE THE APPLE BUCKING FARM GIRL, APPLEJACK! ''Alright, fella, let's get this over with!'', Applejack said quickly.

Roid Rage charged at Applejack flapping his tiny wings, while gritting his teeth and shouting, ''YEAH!!'' Applejack had charged at him as well, and she had a plan that would win her the round. She had ducked under his first blow, and bucked him three times in the face in three seconds. She had ran under Roid Rage and gave him a pony ride. She ran for the steel border and was going to ram the both of them into it. Roid Rage had regained his consciousness and grabbed a hold of her neck. ''What do you think you're doin'?'', Applejack shouted. ''If I'm hitting the wall, then you're hitting it with me!'', he responded. The both of them slammed face first into the steel border and injured each other. ''IT LOOKS LIKE ROID RAGE HAS TURNED APPLEJACK'S SECRET WEAPON AGAINST HER, BUT WHAT'S THIS, SHE CAN BARELY STAND UP, BUT ROID RAGE IS STILL FIGHTING ON!'' *HOOK* *BUCK* *JAB* *HEADBUTT* Roid Rage had been wailing on Applejack in any kind of way he could. ''Is this how Ah'm going to lose?'', AJ thought. ''Is this how Ah'm going to lose my very first illegal buck wrestle?'' ''Actually, scratch that, I'm fine with losing an illegal buck wrestle.....'' *THUD* Roid Rage had delivered the final blow, and he's worn out from dealing so much damage. All those muscles weigh him down when he's low on stamina. ''Roid...Rage...win!!'', he said. He was about to scream his victory chant. ''YE--'', a figure had flown in the arena and bucked Roid in the face so hard, he went down in a single hit! ''B-B-B-B-B-B---BRAEBURN!?'', Iron Will let out a mighty shout on the microphone with his jaw dropped. ''Y'ALL ARE GONNA PAY FOR HURTIN' MY COUSIN YA' HEAR!!''

''It looks like you picked your pitiful self out of that hole I see!'', Iron Will said nervously. ''Ya'll done made me angry, you can forget making your little announcement!'', Braeburn shouted. ''I didn't come here to play by the rules, just like you didn't!'' ''Oh, an unofficial match you say?'', Iron Will replied. ''What makes you so sure that a puny little colt like you will put up a better fight than Caramel did?'' ''ARE YOU HEARING THIS FOLKS?'' ''BRAEBURN HERE THINKS HE CAN FIGHT BETTER THAN THE CRYBABY COLT!'' ''Guys like you just don't learn their lessons the first time do they......'', Braeburn bucked him dead center in his gut. The impact caused Iron Will's microphone to fly out of his fingers. ''You know, I'm not one to mind a little head start, but you can't rush into my stadium, buck me in my stomach, and expect everypony to be fine with it!'', the minotaur yelled. ''Other than your obvious hate for me, what brings you to a place like this anyway?'' ''You really are an arrogant dummy, you started this fight when you threw me in a pit, punched our sheriff in the face, and hurt my sister!'' ''If you're going to have buck wrestling matches, then do it the right way, cus' this certainly isn't the way to do it!!'' ''Enough of your whining little baby, why don't we settle this like men......Braeburn?'', asked Iron Will. This is the first time he has ever addressed him by his name with respect. ''Sure, we can end all of this stupid and senseless violence, and maybe do things by the rules.'' ''Come at me bro!!'', Braeburn screamed. ''Alright little guy, but if that's really what you want...'', said Iron Will.

The large minotaur winced for a moment. He began to take one step back with his left leg. He looked down at his stomach, and noticed the imprint that was left on his gut. he had looked back at his opponent Braeburn with concerned eyes. He limped over to the side for a moment and began to shiver. The crowd said nothing, they didn't know what to make of it, and neither did Braeburn, but he had an idea of what it meant. The minotaur bent over, and picked himself up, he ran towards Braeburn at top speeds. He was going to finish the fight with one last attack. The one last attack that would prove how self-absorbed and selfish he had been towards everypony this whole time. Braeburn did nothing but stand there, because he knew what was going to happen. Iron Will raised his fist, and shouted, ''I REGRET NOTHING!!!!!!''. The volume alone was enough to deafen Braeburn. He lunged in for the final blow. His fist stopped squarely in front of Braeburn's face. He never would've imagined, that even though he spent his time in a hole, he would've trained hard enough to keep up with them, and that he trained hard enough to escape the hole. ''Lemme tell you something else in advance, the sheriff didn't help me out of the hole, we went our separate ways, and I traveled here all by myself.'', Braeburn said. ''I know why you won't finish me off Iron Will.'' ''And I can't blame you for it either.'' ''Yeah.....'', said Iron Will silently. ''I guess you were right all along Braeburn, but there's one thing I want to tell you.'' ''When somepony tries to block, let them know that they rock.....'', he said as he bent on his knees. The next thing the crowd heard, was a loud thud on the ground. Braeburn had won, and everypony did their absolute best. Caramel did better than he could've hoped, he was still the same pretty boy to his girl friend, and he was still a crybaby colt, but he didn't do half bad. His cousin had done as good as he and Macintosh had hoped, she had hung in just in time. It was one of those journeys that he had experienced, similar to Twilight's dilemma with ''Anonymous'', one of those journeys where you get caught up in the mission, and you learn something in the end that's more rewarding than the victory. The crowd let out a mighty roar, and Braeburn had shed a tear. The only question that he could ask himself at this point was, ''Am I gonna keep buck wrestlin' after this?'' ''Actually, yeah, I think I will.''