Set during season 2.

“Sis?” asked Apple Bloom, standing next to her sister at their apple cart, which today was positioned at town square.

“Yeah, Apple Bloom?” the orange farmer asked, looking down at her little sister as she bagged up some apples for Twilight as the unicorn headed back to her library. Applejack was in rather good spirits, given sales for the day were quite profitable so far.

“Look at that!” the little filly exclaimed, pointing to a poster being put up on a nearby board.

The older Apple raised an eyebrow, trotting over to take a closer look. “'Looking for multiple volunteers to perform friendly exhibition fights for charity at the upcoming fair. Combat capability a necessity, but no specific doctrine or practice required,'” she read, a smile forming on her face. “Winning competitors will get to choose a charity for a portion of the proceeds to go to!' Oh boy, Ah bet the town reconstruction fund would love tah get that! A scrap just for fun and helpin' the town! Sign me up!”

The mare recalled how she'd failed to bring back the money she'd promised for the town hall at the rodeo...sure, running away had been wrong, but this might be her chance. It certainly didn't hurt that the fair would be using Sweet Apple Acres' land this year.

Apple Bloom looked up at the paper closer. “It says 'first come first serve.'”

Applejack's eyes went wide. “Apple Bloom! Watch the shop please!”

“What?!” asked the little filly as her sister ran off. “Dang it..Wait...Sis trusted me with the store! Ah'm in charge!”

“Surprised Rainbow didn't beat meh here...” muttered Applejack as she finished signing up on the sheet at town hall. “She's normally the first one there fer this stuff.” She cracked her neck as she stepped through the doors. “Wonder who's gonna be the pony Ah'll be fightin'...” she stated with a confident look and smirk.

“There, all done...” said a familiar voice from behind her.

The mare she turned to see was not who Applejack was expecting. “Rarity?”

“Oh, hello, darling!” the fashionista called with a friendly wave. “Was just signing up for a little charity event.”

Applejack cocked her head. “The exhibition fights at the fair?”

“The same...I admit, it is decidedly not my normal cup of tea...but charity is,” Rarity replied, giving a small smile. “You see, I would like to donate the portion of the proceeds to the Equestrian Foundation for the Arts. Theater was where I started and earned my Cutie Mark, and fashion is part of art, is it not?”

Applejack slowly nodded. She didn't understand fashion all that much, but could respect wanting to give back to where you came from.”Gotcha...but Rare, yah know yah've gotta win yer match tah pick that, right?”

“Oh yes, darling,” Rarity replied, flipping her mane. “I intend to win my match.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Well good luck with that.”

The fashionista gave a slightly annoyed look. “And what do you mean by that?”

“Ah mean yer a bit too prissy for fightin',” the farmer replied in her normally blunt way. She meant no malicious intent, she was simply speaking what was on her mind...and unfortunately not quite thinking how that might be taken.

Rarity turned her nose up in insult. “Hmph! Well we'll just see come the fair, won't we, darling?”

Applejack gave a genuinely concerned look. “Just be careful, this ain't a salt store brawl, but it ain't a slap fight neither.”

“I can take care of myself, darling.”

The next day came, and with it the time to find out what the matches would be, so Applejack headed over to the barn. As fate would have it, that had been where Granny Smith had agreed to let the exhibition fights take place...or that had been what she'd thought upon first hearing. Turned out it'd actually been Apple Bloom while she'd left her in charge of their shop in town and misinterpreted how much authority she actually had (Granny hadn't minded later though). On the bright side, the little filly also somehow talked the fair runners into selling a boat load of Apple Family apple fritters during the festivities. Better than last time when she got in charge of it while Princess Luna was in town, somehow it ended up on fire on the moon rebuilt into a dog house...even she didn't know how that happened.

“Hey AJ!”

The orange furred farmer turned and waved as a familiar rainbow streak landed in front of her. “Howdy Rainbow, figured yah'd sign up. This kinda thing is right up yer alley!”

“You know it!” Rainbow Dash added, hoof bumping her rival. “Here's hoping we end up set up together!”

Applejack exchanged a competitive look with the cyan pegasus. “Ah'd definitely be lookin' forward tah that...So, what charity are yah tusslin' for?”

“Junior Speedsters, what else?” the cyan pegasus replied. “You?”

“Town reconstruction fund...” Applejack answered as they finally arrived at the barn. “Still a bit bummed Ah didn't get tah give 'em the money Ah wanted before.”

Rainbow Dash gave a nod and approached the board with the posted match layout. She moved her hoof from column to column until she found her own name. The mare gave an annoyed sigh. “Dang it, got paired against Thunderlane.”

The event wasn't a tournament, rather a series of individual matches, so fighting later in the night wasn't an option, much to the pegasus' chagin.

“Eh, sure the big guy can throw a punch. Hope so anyway, considering his little bro's probably gonna be watching. Course I can't let down Scoots either,” the cyan pegasus stated proudly.

Applejack nodded. “Good luck...” she replied, mimicking her friend's gesture to find her name. “Alright, there Ah am...and Ah'll be goin' up against...Crud...”

“What's wrong, get paired up against Derpy?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Word of warning: watch out for her flank.”

“No!...She's against Caramel,” the farmer replied, looking at the list to double check. “Ah'm up against Rarity!”

The Wonderbolts hopeful raised an eyebrow. “So?”

“So Ah don't wanna hurt her!” Applejack answered, looking a bit panicked. “Yah know Rarity, she's a fashionista, not a fighter! Ah am! And Ah'm strong even fer an Earth Pony!”

“Uh, Applejack, she kicked a Mantacore in the face...” Rainbow Dash replied flatly. “And last time we underestimated her, it was the Diamond Dogs we were rescuing from her.”

“That was by whinin' 'em inta wantin' her gone, and as badflank as that was it ain't the same thing as kicking their tails. And Rainbow, yah kicked a dragon in the face, that ended up real well, didn't it?”

“One, I'm a black belt, just because kicking the dragon in the face didn't work out doesn't mean I'm not a fighter,” Rainbow Dash replied, giving an insulted look at that. “And second, Rarity seemed pretty calm about the Diamond Dogs not being a threat, and that mare tends to go all drama queen when it's something she doesn't feel like she can handle.”

“She knew we were gonna come rescue her if her plan didn't work...dang it, this just got a lot less fun...”

Rarity sat at her table in her kitchen, merely humming contently as she sipped a cup of tea.

Applejack watched from the window nearby, trying not to look suspicious as she confirmed her notion by seeing how Rarity was 'preparing' for the match. “Ugh...Ah don't wanna hurt her...but Ah can't just quit neither, Apple Bloom will be watchin'...”

The only time she'd really ever seen Rarity do anything she'd call fighting was when they'd both been Discorded and 'Greedity' had kicked her in the face. But they were all the opposites of themselves at the time...

“...Ah'll try not tah hurt her, but Ah'll have tah fight...”

The next night, the fair was in full spin. Foals cheering as they enjoyed the rides. Ponies winning (or not) stuffed animals at the many games scattered about.

“There! Is that fine?” asked one of the fair workers, changing how the goldfish for one of the games were stored and carried for their health and well-being.

“Oh yes, thank you...” Fluttershy said with a smile, Maternity finally letting her son Button play knowing he wouldn't lose his fish through a fault of the fair.

But the main event was currently the matches being held at the barn, earning a fairly large amount of money for the charities of choice.

Sassaflash sat next to Caramel, giving the stallion with a black eye some disappointed looks. He gave a sigh. “I have no idea what happened...” he muttered in confusion as Dinky, Derby, and Amethyst Star cheered for their mother (and the donation to the Letter Carrier Foundation).

“Alright, next up is...uh...” said Granny Smith, looking at the list while seated in her rocking chair. “Rainbow Dash vs Thunderlane!”

“Alright, Thunderlane, better give me a good fight, your little bro is watching...” said Rainbow Dash, cracking her neck as she entered the simple ring painted out on the barn floor and padded with straw.

“Believe me, I don't intend to,” Thunderlane replied, both giving a competitive look as he joined her.

Applejack, as the fights before hers were going on, practiced with a punching bag, her sister helping her out.

“Golly, Ah didn't know Derpy could fight like that...” Apple Bloom said as her sister kicked the bag again. “...Then again, Ah don't think she does either...Worked out fer her though...”

“Yep...Derpy sure is surprisin'...” the elder Apple replied, her tone a bit distracted.

“Yah okay, sis?”

Applejack looked a little nervous, as she sometimes did when trapped between not wanting to embarrass Rarity by saying out loud what she was thinking.

“Applejack darling!” called a familiar voice.

“Oh...hey Rare...” Applejack replied, turning to see Rarity dressed in a beautifully designed Neighponese Kimono, her hair done up, out of the way but still beautiful. Sweetie Belle tailed along after her big sister. “...Uh...Rare, this is a fighting exhibition, not a fashion show.”

“Who says one can't be both fashionable and combat capable at the same time?” the mare asked, moving her hind legs to show she was quite capable of moving in the kimono. She'd managed to design Rainbow Dash's dress with movement in mind after all. “I felt this was rather fitting all things considered. This way even if I lose, I might drum up some business for my shop I could use to donate on my own. Win win.”

Applejack sighed. “Rarity, are yah sure yah wanna do this? Yah ain't inta fightin'.”

“And I wasn't into mud or races, but I did so for my sister. I appreciate the concern, Applejack, but I want to do this for charity,” was the fashionista's reply. “And I am more than capable of handling myself, darling.”

The farmer grumbled. “Fine, don't say Ah didn't warn yah if yah get hurt...”

The two heard the bell for the round ding.

“And the winner is Rainbow Dash!” called Granny Smith from the barn proper. “Fightin' for the Junior Speedsters!”

The two Bearers looked to one another, then silently headed out.

Sweetie Belle looked to Apple Bloom. “...I bet my sister wins.”

Apple Bloom blinked, then got a confident smirk. “...You're on...”

Rainbow Dash helped Thunderlane up. “Good match dude,” she said, giving him a hoof bump as they both took their seats.

“That was so awesome!” Scootaloo exclaimed, running up and hugging her.

“Yeah it was,” Rainbow Dash replied with a smirk, ruffling the filly's mane before turning to her friends. “So AJ and Rarity are going next...” she said, looking to her friends...then blinking. “Pinkie Pie?”

“Yes?”

“Aren't you going to be an announcer with Spike?”

“Well I was...but then I realized they have funnel cake!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, picking up an entire plate of it and eating it down. Next to her Spike did much the same with some burnt funnel cake no pony else but him had found palatable.

“...Okay then...”

“Alright, next is Applejack vs Rarity!” Granny Smith announced, getting a smile. “Go A-”

Big Mac put a hoof on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear.

“What do yah mean Ah have tah be unbias?!”

Applejack got into the ring and cracked her neck. “Rare, Ah'm serious, Ah don't want yah tah get hurt.”

Rarity simply took a simple, but practiced martial arts pose. “Applejack?”

“Yeah?”

“As my friend, I know you mean no offense. But I decidedly do not like being seen as a delicate flower just because I am a lady,” the fashionista replied. “So please do not hold back. Because I have no intent of doing so out of respect for you.”

Applejack sighed. “Whatever...”

Big Mac hit a bell and the match started.

The farmer decided to just get it over with and charged, aiming to grab Rarity and just wrestle her out of the ring. Rarity did a side step and nearly caused her opponent to ring herself out. Applejack shook her head as she just barely caught herself. 'Just being lucky...' she thought. She then then charged, throwing several punches. With skill and grace, Rarity blocked the attacks in a mixture of redirecting them and straight blocking, but not as in overpowering Applejack's strength. Rather blocking in such a way as to cancel out the incoming force in a 'soft way.' From what Applejack could tell was she was stepping to the side even when she blocked. The unicorn did this once more and threw a chop, which Applejack blocked...leaving her with her front legs crossed over her chest and thus wide open to a punch to the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. The fashionista then stepped forwards, grabbed her head and leg tripped her, throwing her to the ground.

Applejack quickly rolled out of the way and panted, catching her breath. Rarity didn't look cocky, more like she was focused. 'Okay, so she's got some moves...'

The Earth Pony charged and went for her patented buck, only for Rarity to use her foreleg to bat it aside and counter with several punches to the ribs. The farmer twisted around and tried several more blows, but received much the same result, ending with Rarity redirecting her leg and bringing an elbow down on it, driving her face first into the ground. Applejack rolled out of the way of a punch in return, but even upon getting back to her hooves, she found there was very little she could do to get past Rarity's defenses while Rarity was doing a pretty good job of getting past hers and hammering her chest or stomach. Earth Pony durability helped, but hit anything hard enough enough times and it'd feel it.

So she decided to simply charge and headbutt Rarity with all she could...only for the fashionista to move to the side and retaliate with a side thrust kick in one fluid motion, knocking AJ on her side.

Applejack got back to her hooves, only for Rarity to suddenly be in front of her with her hoof stopped an inch from her chest. Rarity snapped her hoof forwards with lightning quick force, slamming into AJ's chest hard enough to send her flying back and landing outside the ring.

“...Uh...well...the winner is Rarity...For the...Equestrian Foundation for the Arts...” Granny Smith announced, looking shocked.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stared in shock for a few moments before the yellow filly hoofed her friend some of her allowance without either changing expression.

Applejack wheezed, her chest definitely feeling that one. “Okay...maybe...Ah didn't know Rare as well as Ah though Ah did...”

Applejack groaned and rubbing her bruised chest with a hoof, sitting off to the side as the rest of the matches inside continued.

“Applejack?”

The farmer looked back, seeing Rarity standing and offering her an ice pack. She took it and put it to her chest.

“Did I hurt you too badly, darling?” Rarity asked with genuine concern in her tone, sitting down next to her friend.

“More mah pride than mah body,” Applejack replied, the two sitting there for a few moments. “Look...sorry bout underestimatin' yah...just yah hate fightin' and love bein' all prim and proper. Yah don't seem like somepony who knows how tah fight, so Ah was scared of hurtin' yah.”

The fashionista gave a small chuckle. “I can understand why...but I don't like that stigma, darling...the idea that you either have to be a fragile flower or an amarezon...No offense, darling. The amarezon look works wonders for you, makes you look quite lovely when you bother to try.”

Applejack actually blushed a tiny bit. “Say what now?!”

“When you clean up, you can be quite beautiful, dear,” Rarity complimented. “In all honesty, I'm certain you had a few ponies with eyes on you at the Gala.”

The mare just gave a shrug. “Not interested in any of 'em. Too uptight for mah tastes.”

“Indeed...and the one I attempted courting was too uptight for my tastes.”

The two gave a shared chuckle, then quieted down.

“...So...that why you learned to fight like that?” asked Applejack, looking up at her. “Tah break the mold?”

“Oh, no...well, not exactly,” replied the fashionista, thinking about it. “...Growing up as a fashion loving filly in a more rough and tumble area was just inviting bullies...And not of the sort dear Sweetie Belle has to deal with. You know the sort, big boys who think picking on the little 'girly' filly is fun. Hair pulling, pushing, stealing my books, all the normal brutish antics their type enjoy.”

The Earth Pony noted the mare's somewhat more bitter way of speaking about it and guessed it got rather bad. “Ah see... Sounds awful...”

Rarity nodded. “It was...And my father got tired of it. After talking to their parents failed on several occasions, father decided it was time I became able to take care of myself. As fate would have it, he happened to have a friend who was a master of Wing Chun.”

Applejack lifted her eyebrow. “...Is that some pegasus thing?”

The fashionista gave a small giggle. “No, though I thought so when I first heard it too. It's a Chineighian martial art. I'm now a master of it, by the way. Not wanting to just be a fragile flower is why I maintained training even after I learned enough to protect myself...You know, it's ironic...I often resented father for his attempts to raise me the way he saw fit...”

“...Like what?”

“...Father wanted a colt...and he still wanted a colt.”

The farmer processed what she'd just been told...then it hit her. “Oh...”

Rarity gave a chuckle. “But I don't resent him for this...I can be a lady of grace and elegance, but not fragility...So he let me be the pony I want to be after all...”

“Ah see...Ma...she used tah say that no matter how mad we get at our folks, no matter how much we don't get along...they always leave us somethin' tah be proud of. Even if it's just the color of our mane or coat...Only thing she ever really said about her folks that Ah can remember...”

The fashionista had to give her friend a hug after that. “...Well, she was right, darling...Anyway, darling...there's some of your family's hard crafted apple confections over there, and unlike certain Princes, I am not above a little 'carnival fair'...shall we? My treat. Then afterward I can donate any profits this kimono I wore netted me to your charity as I planned to do with mine if I had lost. Only fair.”

Applejack gave a chuckle and grateful. “Yeah, that sounds real nice...And Rarity?”

“Yes, darling?”

“...Yah ain't delicate, yer tough. Kinda like Zap Apples: look pretty when in full bloom, but don't mess with 'em or they'll kick yer flank...or zap yer flank in their case.”

The two shared a smile. “Thanks darling...and even if I won this match, I do know I'm nowhere near the athlete you are...that's more my father's forte...Maybe I'll introduce you next time he's in town.”

“That's be mighty nice, Rare. Now come on, Ah'm starvin'!”

The End.