Fight Night in Las Pegasus: Round 9

"For having no bouts under their belts, these two have put out some serious fireworks, haven't they, partner?" Gold Mike asked as the two boxers met dead center.

"You gotta remember, though, that AJ's a proven athlete, while Twily was trained by one"

"Both rooted in Cus d'Amare school of the sweet science yet boxing as differently as night and day." Twilight shot out a straight. She weaved under Applejack's, and slammed her stomach with an upper.

"The way I see it, Twily's plan has always been to use that difference to set up something big, something that, based on how much air AJ's gulping down, we might see soon." Twilight heard Applejack's breaths grow sharper with each body blow she absorbed, her head snapping more violently than before. Every punch Twilight dodged instilled more confidence in her technique and convinced her to go bigger, as her trainers told her she needed to at each training session. She turned with Applejack's jab and threw a hook at the side of her head. She batted her upper aside and buried a straight into her side. She shoulder charged into her chest and planted an overhead into her forehead.

From their corner, Dash saw her pupil's evasion grow more rhythmic, recognizing the 8-shaped path her head was following and asking herself, "No way, she can't be going for that, she doesn't have that kind of speed...does she?" Twilight weaved under Applejack's hook and replied with her own. Just as Apple Bloom said would happen, Applejack felt those weaves flow into hook after hook after hook, turning with each one until a strategy Fluttershy demonstrated struck her. She slipped under the next one and rose up into a powerful right hook as she thought, It's been fun, Twi, but your time is up. Her fist pulsed with the blow's power as it grew closer to Twilight's chin, only to find her own met with a stunning underhand hook.

For an instant, Twilight caught a glazed over look in Applejack's eyes, and built up the speed of her weaves, pounding away at her opponent's gut with what seemed to be endless Bingo hooks. Dash's jaw dropped as she witnessed Applejack hunch further over with each punch in the onslaught, all but losing her mind when a Bingo hook smacked the side of Applejack's face, and chucked her to the canvas. Quickly, did Dash turn to Pinkie and ask, "What was that!?" Pinkie flashed a grin as Twilight went to a neutral corner.

"Something we worked out after you taught her the Rainbow 8. She drew up every potential weakness she could find in the technique, and wanted something on hand in case Applejack ever figured any out, eventually leading to us making what you just saw: the Atomic Rainbow Party. Pretty neat, right, Dash?" Applejack's lungs were working triple time to bring some air into them. The 10 count rang loud in her ears, and every aching muscle worked to lift her off of the floor. Right before the ref got to finish, Applejack got herself into her stance, the ref then asking "Do you want to continue?"

The instant she saw the Apple clan on their feet chanting her name, she nodded and waited for Twilight to get within range. As soon as it happened, she threw out a hook. Twilight weaved into her own. Applejack, inspired by one of Twilight's tactics, barged into her shoulder first and unleashed a hook square into her solar plexus. The grand gasp for air brought a smile to Applejack's face as Twilight crumpled to her hands and knees a second before the bell rung, the ref now counting her down to 10. Hearing the crowd erupt with cheers for Applejack made her shake with rage, driving her to lift herself inch by pain filled inch into her feet as her trainers urged her on. By the time she got herself upright, she was showered with boos, barely hearing the ref ask if she wanted to continue. She nodded at her, then dragged herself to her stool, slumping into it, while feeling like the millions watching her on TV wanted nothing more than to see her face down, unable to accomplish what she held in her heart all this time.

***

"You have to admit that for most of that round, you were looking rather shabby out there." Said Rarity, offering the spit bucket. "If you can repeat what you did before it ended, though, you have this match well in hand" Fluttershy iced her fighter's tender midsection.

"I know your body is tired, but so is her's. You have more enough to burn her out, so burn out every bit of fight she has left and finish her. Everyone thinks your cardio is superior, now it's time to prove it"

***

Dash poured water into her fighter's mouth "For most of that round, you were amazing. Now you gotta be amazing one more time, alright? Break out the formula you used to keep her off balance, and I know you can take this" Pinkie tended to the bruise, getting right in Twilight's face.

"Listen, Twi, you've spent 3 months transforming your body for this moment, you just proved you can go the distance, and Applejack knows without a doubt how strong you are. Now show her you can finish this fight!" From the corner of her eye, she saw that her mom was on her feet and yelling something at her, hearing her say, "C'mon, Twilight, I know you're stronger than this! You were a top student for a reason, right? For goodness sake, you stared down the Ursa Minor! Get up there, and whoop her flank!" Twilight rose up the more her section chanted "Whoop her flank," nodding at her trainers, and staring dead ahead at Applejack as the bell kicked off the final round

Author's Note

And now we approach the conclusion of this journey, both of them seeking to make the people cheering them on proud. Who will land the deciding blow? What do they left in the tank? How will they find the strength to reach the end? Time in next time, and find out!