"That was rather impressive, wasn't it?" Luna asked slowly as the Council members and Cadence, lead by a very excited Rarity, walked out of their private booth, leaving the two monarchs alone.

"Indeed, it was," Celestia commented as her eyes were fixed on Ponyville's pit, or to be specific, on the tall blonde wearing a brown stetson in Ponyville's pit.

"I always thought the girls exaggerated Jacquelyn's strength to some extent," Luna said as she also fixed her gaze on Applejack. "Looks like I was wrong,"

"Don't feel bad, Luna," Celestia reassured softly. "I still have trouble believing she actually stopped a Gorghon like it was a simple rodeo calf, and I had every proof of the truth right before my eyes at that time."

"I understand your skepticism, Sister." Luna nodded. "I questioned some of Chrysalis' soldiers who surrendered. They all said that they had to use the perfect coordination of two five Titanians strong squads to capture it," she explained slowly.

"Yet, she took care of that beast alone with a rope for sole equipment," Celestia added in an admirative tone.

"You know, I think I didn't hear such admiration in your voice since that day when our attention was drawn on the younger Twilight Sparkle," Luna commented with a chuckle.

"Twilight was a diamond in the rough," Celestia explained, not without joining her sister's chuckle. "Her potential was simply beyond anything we ever witnessed since Uncle Clover,"

"And you think Jacquelyn is a similar case?" Luna asked with curiosity.

"That's what I think," the Sun Princess replied with a nod. "Though, in her case, I think we still didn't grasp the full extent of her potential,"

"What makes you think that?"

"You remember Aunt Smart Cookie's lessons about how Eponian Magic works?" Celestia asked with nostalgy.

"You're the one more in touch with Eponian Magic out the two of us, Tia. You'd got lessons with Uncle Pudding and Aunt Cookie while I had Uncle Hurricane to teach me about Jupitatian Magic," Luna replied in the same nostalgic tone. "That's why you're the "big" sister," she added in a joking tone.

Celestia faced Luna with narrowed eyes. "I don't see why you stressed the word big so much."

"Let's just say that despite what you claim," Luna said with a smirk. "I know that since Pinkamina entered in our life, your royal buttocks took a few centimeters. Making them bigger than they already were before."

"Luna, we're four thousand three hundred sixty-eight y...."

"Sixty-seven!" Luna claimed vigorously.

"Sixty-seven, sorry," Celestia corrected herself in a patient tone. "Don't you think we're past the age for you to be jealous about how my body looks?"

"First of all, I'm not jealous!" Luna affirmed with firmness. "And second, don't think I implied that you look good. I merely pointed out that you are getting fat!"

Celestia cocked an eyebrow at her sister. "Really?"

"Like the young ones would say," Luna cleared her throat. "Your ass is so fat that when you go visit the zoo, people point at you from behind and shout: Wow, check that out. A hippo escaped his paddock!" she said in a deep, rude voice.

"Ooooookaaaay, now you've done it." Celestia stared at her sister angrily. "Your breasts are so small that whenever I want to cut my bread in slices, I lay you down on the table and use your chest as a cutting board!" she said in the same deep and rude voice.

The two sisters held each other's glare for a good minute before they both cracked into a good hearted laughing fit.

"That was so bad, Tia," Luna almost cried from laughing.

"You must admit that yours was far from good," Celestia chuckled before turning her eyes to her lower back. "Is it really getting bigger?" she asked in a soft worried tone.

"Don't worry, Sister! It's still as big as it had been for four thousand years," Luna replied with honesty.

"Thanks.... I guess ...."

"Anyway, what were you about to say about Eponian Magic?" Luna asked with curiosity.

"Well, basically, it's even more connected to the emotions than the other two types of magic," Celestia explained. "Titanians and Jupitarians have to focus their minds to do their magic. It's the very definition of their character that defines what they are good at when they cast spells, what color their magic aura, or wings are."

"Like how, for example, Shining is talented with barriers and shields because he deeply wishes to protect?" Luna asked.

"That's a good example," Celestia agreed.

"What about Eponians, then?" Luna wondered out loud. "What activates their magic if it's not controlled by the mind?"

"It's always active," Celestia replied simply.

"Huh?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "Then how can you say we haven't grasp the full extent of Jacquelyn's potential?"

"It's always active, but the output isn't constant at all," Celestia explained with a mysterious smile.

"What do you mean by that?" Luna scratched her brow with a puzzled expression.

"Let's just say that if our bodies didn't know instinctually when to reduce the amount of Eponian magic in our limbs, you and I would have crushed to pieces basically everything and everyone we ever touched," Celestia answered with an unhappy chuckle.

"I think I get your point," Luna replied with cold shivers running down her spine at that thought. "That's why you suspect her to be actually a lot more strong than what she already is?" she asked, nodding toward Applejack whom Rarity had just jumped in her arms before kissing her passionately in Ponyville's pit.

Celestia nodded. "I've done some research about her after Cadence's wedding," she said matter-of-factly.

"Anything interesting came out of that?"

"Scholarship pretty below average," Celestia commented casually. "With the exception of a few fights in bars, she is a model citizen. She does a lot for the community. She has won a lot of rodeos and a few local boxing competitions. Nothing really interesting..... Except a small incident nearly seven years ago."

"What incident?"

"A rogue manticore's attack on a teenager in White Tail Wood," Celestia replied.

"How is something like that considered a small incident?" Luna asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"The attacking beast was killed before injuring the teenager too severely."

"That teenager must have been lucky some guards passed close to the attack's place," Luna commented. "But, what does it got to do with Jacquelyn Apple?"

"Well, when the guards arrived in White Tail Wood, they found the attacked girl with one of her friends taking care of her near the lifeless body of the manticore," Celestia explained. "Said friend, a sixteen years old blonde named Jacquelyn Apple, had rescued her friend by killing the beast herself."

Luna's eyes widened in shock. "How did she do that?"

"The Guard's report mentions she did that with her bare hands," Celestia slowly said.

"What?!" Luna nearly shouted in surprise.

"You heard me, Luna," Celestia said softly. "Sure the manticore in question wasn't a young one; It had only one wing left and was apparently deaf.... They did mention another, older incident with the Apple Family and a one winged manticore.....but still, that manticore was still dangerous, and the guards found it with fangs shattered, its tongue almost cut in two, its stinger shoved in a tree, its jaw nearly broken and with a broken neck near an untouched Jacquelyn Apple."

Luna let out a short impressed whistle. "A very interesting incident indeed. If I may say it like that."

"I think you may, Luna," Celestia replied with a nod.

"It's weird that something like that never reached our ears before," Luna remarked.

"What would you have done if it did?" Celestia asked curiously.

"I would have recruited that girl into my Night Guard on the spot!" Luna said firmly.

"Not a bad decision....Though I think she would look quite fetching wearing the Solar Guard's armor, don't you agree?" Celestia asked with a small grin.

"Tiiiiiaaaa!" Luna whined.

"Don't worry," Celestia chuckled. "I don't plan on offering her a place in my Guard before you do... Though, I do have something planned for her first," she added in a conspicuous tone.

"What are you planning to do?" Luna asked, cocking a suspicious eyebrow.

"I plan on measuring the extent of her potential," Celestia explained slowly.

"...... How?"

"I have my little idea," Celestia grinned before rising from her seat. "If someone asks, I had to urgently go back to Canterlot and I'll be back later in the afternoon," she said while her hand was glowing in a bright, golden aura.

"What idea?" Luna asked before Celestia teleported away in a golden flash. "Grraah! I hate when she does that!" she groaned while rubbing her dazzled eyes.

"How long do you think they're gonna keep going?" Allie asked in a whisper, pointing at Applejack and Rarity who were both still locked together in a passionate make out session.

"I don't know," Roseluck whispered back. "Not long I suppose. I mean, they have to stop to breath at some point, right?"

"I'm not sure," Redheart tilted her head in a pensive frown. "I think they're alternatively, mutually giving each other oxygen through their kiss."

"That's actually possible?" Ditzy asked curiously.

"I have no idea," Redheart replied softly.

"I can't believe I'm the one who's going to say that." Cloud rubbed her temple. "But, do you really want to spend the extra lunch hour AJ's badassery gave us by staring like a bunch of horny idiots at her kissing Rarity?"

"Yes!" Roseluck, Allie, Ditzy, Redheart, and Turner replied in unison.

"They're about to break a record, I'm sure of it!" Turner said happily as he was glancing his chronometer.

"I think it's so romantic," Roseluck sighed longingly. "And, I'm sucker for romance."

"It reminds me of my younger days with Dinky's father," Ditzy sighed just like Roseluck. "Before he committed the unforgiveable!"

"What did he do?" Twilight asked with compassion.

"He dared say to me that he liked donuts more than my muffins!" Ditzy growled.

"That's ....horrible?" Twilight said hesitantly before Cloud approved her remark with a discrete nod. "I'm sorry it happened,"

"It's ok, Twilight," Ditzy assured. "I'm over it!" she blinked a couple of times. "Curse you, Donut Joe's Franchise! Curse you and your manufactured, family-breaking pastries!!!" she shouted angrily at the ceiling.

"Oooookay," Vinyl said awkwardly before heading out of the pit. "I'm gonna go and see if Big Mac brought Alizée already,"

"I'm coming with you," Octavia said before walking to take Vinyl's arm in hers.

"Oh, it just makes the whole deal a lot more interesting then," Vinyl whispered amorously before softly pecking Octavia's lips. "Thanks for the company, love."

"I'm doing this for Alizée," Octavia replied with a small blush. "She needs all the encouragement one mare might get before a big competition."

"You can't lie to an Apple, honey," Vinyl replied with a chuckle. "Just admit you can't stand being away from me for too long,"

"Why would I admit that?" Octavia asked hesitantly.

"Because that's how I feel, and I know you feel the same," Vinyl whispered in Octavia's ear in a low purr.

"You really need to take care of that silver tongue of yours," Octavia replied slowly, her whole body shivering in excitement.

"Would you do it for me?" Vinyl asked in a soft whimper.

"With pleasure!" Octavia grabbed Vinyl's collar before pulling her into a deep kiss.

"Hum.... Shouldn't you go to your brother to see if he brought Alizée?" Fluttershy chimed in quietly, delicately poking at Vinyl's shoulder.

Evidently, Fluttershy's question was answered by a series of soft moans from Octavia and Vinyl as the former was 'taking care' of the latter's tongue with the most dedicate attention. The group of 'admirers' now had a problem: which couple to observe?

"Hum, I guess that's a no," Fluttershy said softly.

"Don't worry, Sweetie," Cloud chimed in casually, causing Fluttershy to blush a little at the pet name. "I know what to do." Her left hand surrounded itself with a blue-ish fogg as two miniature rain clouds appearred above the kissing couples. "They just need a cold shower." she clacked her fingers.

The two Apples interrupted their kissing activity with their respective partner in a mix of grunts and shrieks as the cold water from the clouds fell on their necks, while the observing group sighed in annoyance and disappointment. The four women, now a bit wet by the short indoor rain, glared angrily at Cloud. Applejack even put Rarity on the ground.

"Twilight, could you please teleport the two of us away in about a second or two?" Cloud asked fearfully.

"Sure! Your place or my suite?" Twilight asked as her right hand glowed in a purple aura.

"Anywhere but here, Twilight!" Cloud urged her as Applejack charged at her a second before Twilight clacked her fingers.

The pair disappeared in a purple flash and a low pop, making Applejack's charge end into the locker in front of which Cloud was standing a second ago in a loud clang.

"Darn it!" Applejack muttered angrily. "Ah missed her."

"You sure didn't miss the locker," Vinyl commented as the locker's door fell loudly on the ground. "Anyway, let's go see if Big Mac has arrived." she took Octavia's hand and headed to the exit. "You want to come, Shy? I'm sure Alizée will be happy to see you?"

"If you and Octavia don't mind, that is," Fluttershy remarked softly.

"It's no problem, Fluttershy," Octavia assured.

"Just a second!" Vinyl levitated a few towels for Octavia and Rarity and herself. "Now, we can go!"

The trio exited the pits to go where Big Mac was hopefully waiting for them with Vinyl's horse.

"Well, now that the show's gone, who's up for a sandwich?" Turner asked to the rest of the group who nodded in response.

The group left the pit after having argued about which stand to go to for the best sandwich in the coliseum, which wasn't much as Redheart remarked but still, leaving Applejack and Rarity alone.

"Why don' you head for the restaurant already, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked. "Ah'm gonna take a quick shower and meet ya there in a jiffy,"

"Don't you want me to join you?" Rarity asked sensually as she passed her arms around her lover's neck. "As a reward for that more than deserved gold medal you now have around your neck." she glanced at the medal in question.

"Ya know that Ah can't right now," Applejack said with a sly grin. "If ya get me started here, Ah won't stop for the next three hours at least." she gave her lover a quick peck on the lips. "How about we keep that for tonight?" she asked softly.

"All right," Rarity replied in a slightly disappointed tone. "Come to my hotel room later in the evening, I'll send Sweetie to Pinke for the night," she demanded eagerly.

"Ah wouldn't miss it for all the bits in the world," Applejack said amorously.

"In that case." Rarity gave her lover a last peck on the lips before breaking her embrace on the blonde farmer. "See you in a few at the restaurant, Sugarcube," she said with a wink.

"Seeya very soon, Darlin'," Applejack winked back before Rarity went out of the pit and she went for the lockers room.

Applejack walked straight to her locker, opening up and grabbed a thin, rectangular, burgundy box before throwing without ceremony her newly earned medal in it. She hooked her hat on her locker's handle, then headed for the sink. As soon as she was in front of the mirror, Applejack opened her box to pull a thin, silver chain with an apple-shaped, silver medallion with a purple diamond encrusted in. She passed at around her neck, and sighed with a warm smile as she saw the medallion hanging on her chest.

Applejack couldn't help but to feel naked without that medallion around her neck. It was as important as her hat, which meant a lot as her hat had been given to her by her dying father eleven years ago. Both items were token of the two most important promises she ever made. Her hat for the promise she made her father to always watch over her two younger sisters and her older brother, and the medallion for her unconditioned love for Rarity.

"Beautiful necklace," a warm motherly voice commented from behind her.

"Gyaaah!" Applejack let out in surprise before turning to see who had sneaked up on her, only to be even more surprised than before. "P-Prin-Princess Celestia?" she stammered as the Sun Princess was sitting casually on of the room's benches.

"Hello, Jacquelyn," Celestia said warmly. "Or maybe you'd prefer that I call you Applejack?"

"Ya can call however ya want, yer Highness," Applejack nervously replied as she bowed to her monarch.

"Then, I'll go for Applejack," Celestia said with a soft smile that relaxed Applejack a bit. "From what I heard the crowd chanting earlier, it's obvious that you go more by your nickname than by your first name."

"Ah guess." Applejack scratched the back of her head. "Pardon me for pryin', yer Highness but..."

"Please, call me Celestia," Celestia demanded softly. "We are just the two of us, no need for so much decorum," she explained with her good-natured smile.

"Huh... Ok, Princ... Ah mean Celestia." The princess' smile grew larger. "As Ah was sayin' why are ya here?"

"Are you asking that because my presence bothers you, Applejack?" Celestia asked worriedly.

"Not really a bother, more a surprise than anythin' else," Applejack replied honestly. "An' Ah'm simply curious about why yer here, that's all."

"Rarity and the girls weren't exaggerating when they said that you always speaks your mind," Celestia remarked casually. "Though they did add you're rather blunt when you do," she added in a chuckle.

"That's a very accurate description," Applejack embarrassedly chuckled. "But ya still didn't answer ma question, Celestia."

"Do I need a reason to visit one of my protégées' lover?" Celestia asked casually.

"Not really, but Ah doubt that ya sneakin' up on me when Ah'm all alone counts as a casual visit," Applejack retorted.

The Princess stared at the farmer in silence for a few seconds. "Blunt personality, but a rather sharp mind.... An original combination," she commented in amusement. "Well, no need to beat around the bush then. I want to discuss about something with you. Something that I think is better left as a private matter." she invited Applejack to sit by pointing at the bench across her.

"Discuss about what exactly?" Applejack asked as she took a seat on the designated bench.

"You," Celestia answered.

"Huh?" Applejack tilted her head in confusion.

"I want to talk to you about you," Celestia explained with a chuckle.

"Why?"

"Let's just say that my sister and I are rather curious about you," Celestia noticed Applejack's still interrogative frown. "Your abilities, to be specific."

"Ma abilities?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "What's so special about them?" she asked after Celestia nodded.

"Hmmmm," The Sun Princess scratched her chin pensively. "You must understand that you stand out a bit too much."

"So, what's the problem in that?"

"There is no problem at all..... Unless you count the fact that five of my castle guards who have three hours of combat practice everyday didn't stand a chance against you," Celestia said knowingly. "That ten infiltrated, supposed elite soldiers, armed and ready to kill, we're wiped out by you, an unarmed farm girl, in less than a minute. That you defeated the Changeling Captain and broke more than forty soldiers' fighting spirit with a single kick. That you subdued a seven meter tall minotaur alone with, for only equipment a good rope, when it took ten Titanians to capture it in the first place. That you just won the hand to hand fighting tournament in the Equestria Games in less than four minutes of actual fighting. That you broke a manticore's neck like it was a dry branch when you were sixteen years old."

Applejack blinked at that last sentence. "How do ya know that?"

"I was curious about you and your sister since Cadence's wedding," Celestia explained softly. "I did some researches. Now, do you understand what the "problem" is?" Applejack slowly shook her head. "To make it simple, you're strong, Applejack. Ridiculously strong, I might add. Eponians are supposed to be physically stronger than the other two 'races'," Celestia said that last word with a sour expression. She hated speaking in term of races. "But, you stand at another, higher level, surely you must have realized that."

Applejack looked at the princess with a blank expression before sighing in defeat. "The idea went through Vinyl's mind, and she doesn't hesitate to share her theories with me," she explained.

"That doesn't surprise me a lot given your sister's intelligence," Celestia commented with a smile. "A shame she didn't accept that seat in the Council. She could have changed many things."

"She's an Apple," Applejack said with a chuckle. "We don't grow indoors, we need open space to for our labors to bear fruits."

"Nice metaphor, my dear." Celestia softly chuckled back. "Now, your sister made her decision, and I have no choice but to respect it. But, there's still you I'm curious about...." she trailed off with avidly curious eyes.

"Curious about what exactly?" Applejack asked with a hint of worry.

"I want to know how much strength is still hidden inside you," Celestia replied honestly. "I want to know if what people have already witnessed is, to quote your metaphor, a fully grown apple tree, or still a sapling which waits to grow into something bigger. I want to know what is supposed grow from the 'seed' the Nature Mare 'planted' inside you when you were born: a large tree, or a gigantic orchard!" Celestia locked her gaze on Applejack's. "What are you destined to be? That is what I want to know, Jacquelyn Applejack Apple."

The blonde turned her gaze away from the monarch's before standing up to get her hat from her locker, and to sit back in front of a puzzled Celestia.

"Ya want to know what Ah'm destined to be?" Applejack asked slowly. When Celestia nodded she pointed at her hat and her necklace. "Those two objects symbolize ma destiny! Ah'm destined to be a farmer! Ah'm destined to look after ma brother and ma sisters! Ah'm destined to love Rarity with all of ma heart!" she said so firmly that even Celestia leaned away from her a bit. "That's the destiny Ah chose! Not the one that puts me as some sort of freak of nature! People joke already that Ah'm a monster for what Ah can already do! What will happen if Ah'm capable of a lot more?" She asked in a slightly shaken voice.

"Ah'm already a bit above others as ya said it! Ah don' wanna know if Ah'm supposed to be higher than Ah already am!" Applejack shouted angrily as she stood up. "Because Ah know that the higher Ah'll stand, the lonelier Ah'll get. Ya and yer sister are the perfect example!" she added while pointing her finger at her ruler.

For the first time in many generations, Princess Celestia was totally caught by surprise by what someone told her.

"What?" Celestia asked with wide, shocked eyes.

"Ya and Princess Luna stand above every darn thin' that has ever lived so far!" Applejack explained angrily. "Y'all can hide in that fancy castle with an army of servants and occasionally connect with a few individuals from each generation of the Council of Harmony, it won't change the fact that the only one who could really connect with you on a deeper level is yer own kin. Even if ya and Luna probably love each other as much as sisters could, it doesn't change the fact ya have no one other than her! And Ah think that after four thousand years, it must hurt to have only one person who can fully understand ya. To not be able to fully open yerself to others because it'll only hurt like hell after because ya'll outlive them all. All because yer above everything else!"

Applejack's angry rant was met with the deepest silence she ever encountered in her whole life. The Sun Princess stared at the farmer with blank stare until she blinked once. Applejack wasn't sure about it, as it only last the time the Princess blinked, but she thought having seen a tiny tear in the monarch's cerise right eye.

"A personality blunt as a boulder, but a mind sharp as a blade," Celestia whispered to herself, before standing up, slightly confronting Applejack.

The two women's maintained each other's gaze for a few seconds, Celestia looking down on Applejack as she was half a foot taller than her.

"You answered with your heart," Celestia said sincerely. "It's a good answer..."

"Thank ya."

"...It doesn't satisfy me though," She said in a sad, apologetic tone. "I still want to know what you're really capable off, and there's only one way to know that!" her hand shined in a golden aura before she clacked her fingers.

Before Applejack could think about voicing a protest, the two tall women vanished from Ponyville's lockers room in a bright flash of golden light.

Like Rarity and Applejack had planned right before lunch, Sweetie had gone to Pinkie's room for the night. Though it wasn't because Rarity wanted to have her suite available to have some quality time with her lover. It was because Sweetie was tired of her angry sister's pacing around their hotel room during the end of the afternoon and the whole evening.

Rarity had waited at the table she had booked for her and Applejack alone until the trials of the afternoon began. She passed by the bleachers only to see her lover was absent in her team's pit. She didn't stay to see Vinyl compete in the dressage qualification trials, and went straight for her hotel room.

She had spent the afternoon wondering about where Applejack was, only getting angrier for being stood up by her lover. She had gone from angrily shouting at a pillow thinking it was Applejack to softly sobbing while hugging the same pillow afterwards. Rarity had always had an incredible imagination, and right now, she couldn't stop it from imagining her Applejack spending 'quality time' with another woman, or worse, another man..... Or maybe both!

She kept telling herself that Applejack would never do something like that, but her hurt mind kept reminding her that Applejack was also the type to never stand her up for a date, like she did earlier that day.

It was nearly close to midnight when Rarity heard someone knocking at her door. Rarity looked herself in the mirror before opening the door, seeing her bloodshot eyes from crying, her hair in a mess and her make up completely ruined. She cleaned her make up before grabbing a large bath robe with a hood on her dresser. She put the robe on, and brought the hood up and opened the door, letting Applejack wearing her team's uniform come into view.

"Howdy, Rarity," Applejack sheepishly said in a very tired voice.

Rarity's reply was to slam the door in her face.

"Not really a surprise," Applejack commented with a wince before knocking again with her left hand. "Ah should have said somethin other than 'howdy, Rarity'... So stupid!" she whispered as she heard Rarity locking her door. "Rarity, Ah'm sorry for not being there with ya for lunch, and for not contactin' ya during the rest of day. Ya have every right to be mad at me, but please let me talk to ya!" Applejack pleaded softly as leaned her forehead on the door. "Please...."

There was short silence before she heard the lock of door opening itself.

"That's way better than your 'Howdy, Rarity'. Brush your feet before coming in! Your shoes... You're dirty!" Rarity said coldly as she noticed Applejack's uniform was covered in dust before letting her in. "Where were you this afternoon?" she asked angrily before closing the door.

"Ah.... Ah... Ah can't tell you, Sugarcube," Applejack replied hesitantly.

"Where were you this afternoon?" Rarity repeated as she brought her face close to Applejack, lifting the hood of her head.

"Sug..."

"Don't you Sugarcube me, Jacquelyn Apple!" Rarity growled angrily. "Tell me where you were! I waited for you like a complete idiot for two hours at that restaurant and spent the entire afternoon worrying sick about your whereabouts. You owe me that answer!"

"Ah know," Applejack admitted slowly. "Ah just can't... Ah'm not sure how ya will react to that..."

"Did you sleep with another woman?" Rarity asked abruptedly.

"What!?" Applejack shouted in offense. "NO!"

"A man then?"

"NO!"

"Did Cloud somehow finally convince you for a threesome with Vinyl during lunch?"

"Okay, first of all, that falls under yer first question. Second, ewww!" Applejack said with cold, disgusted shivers. "Ah did not sleep with someone else! Yer the only one Ah ever kissed and slept with, and Ah plan on keeping it like that until Ah die, okay?" Applejack shouted firmly in honesty.

Rarity's angry frown broke for a short smile. "That's good to hear," Rarity whispered softly, before deciding to bring out the big guns. "But, if you ever want it to happen anytime soon, you will tell me where you were!"

Applejack blinked in a surprised shock. "Yer blackmailin' me with sex, ain't ya?" Rarity nodded. "Didn't see that one comin'," she commented awkwardly.

"So, you will tell me?" Rarity asked in a low purr as she leaned closer to Applejack.

"huh...." Applejack took a few steps back, blushing fiercely while leaning on Rarity's vanity.

"Please tell me," Rarity whispered sensually. "I brought that toy I spoke to you about the other night..."

"Oh, Nelly!"

"Come on, Jacquelyn Apple, your baroness commands you to tell the truth so that she can give your reward for your gold medal!" Rarity demanded in her bossy tone that made Applejack's lust climb up the walls, her lips dangerously close from Applejack's right ear.

"Ah....Ah...." Rarity licked her earlobe. "Ah can't!" Applejack shouted as she bolted away from a stunned Rarity.

"WHAT!?" Rarity shouted, offended that Applejack resisted her charms. "Don't you dare walk awa..." she grabbed Applejack's right forearm.

Applejack yelled in pain as soon as Rarity touched her arm.

Rarity, startled by her lover's yell, immediately let go of Applejack's arm. While her lover was rubbing her sore right arm, Rarity stared at her in shock and disbelief. Applejack had yelled in anger very often during her life. Occasionally in pleasure, basically since Rarity and her became a couple. But never in pain.

"Show me your arm, Darling," Rarity demanded with worry.

"No!" Applejack grunted stubbornly. "Ah'm fine!"

"Darling, with that yell, you simply can't be fine," Rarity replied sternly.

"Ah'm fine!"

"You're a bad liar, Applejack!" Rarity said as she enveloped Applejack's jacket in her royal blue aura.

"Rarity! Don't!"

Rarity's magic torn the jacket apart revealing the remains of the crimson tank top her lover was still wearing, now leaving a lot of skin in plain sight. Rarity gasped in horror at the state of her lover's body, her hands quickly covering her mouth.

Applejack's upper body was covered with large bruises: her stomach, her left hip, her lower rib cage, the left side of her neck. Her right arm was slightly swollen and bright red. Now that Rarity paid more attention to it, Applejack's knuckles were scratched, and covered with dried blood as if she had punched a brick wall repeatedly. She could see it, even in the half-light of her hotel room. A faint golden halo seemed to slowly pulse from every bruise and her swollen right arm.

"What happened to you?" Rarity asked in a tiny voice filled with worry, her eyes full of tears.

"Ah had ma right arm broken, few bones of ma torso cracked...even a couple of broken ribs....Ah think that all the bones in ma right foot were on verge of shattering at some point....." Applejack told her physical condition in a defeated sigh, while looking at the ground. "Ah was out of commission until that healing spell did enough of its work for me to walk," She added as pointed to one of the golden halos on her wounds.

Rarity softly grabbed Applejack's head and pulled it up for their eyes to meet. When she saw the worry and concern in her lover's beautiful, blue eyes, Applejack resolved to tell her what she had hope she could remain one of the only to know.

"Who did this to you, Applejack?" Rarity asked in a pleading tone.

"Ah...Ah'll tell ya, Rare," Applejack said softly, resting her forehead on Rarity's. "Ah don' wanna, but Ah will."

"Why don't you want to tell me?" Rarity asked as she caressed her lover's cheeks with her thumbs.

"Ah think ya'll freak out when Ah do," Applejack replied in a tired whisper.

"Whatever you tell me, I won't freak out," Rarity gave her a soft, chaste kiss on the lips.

"Ya promise?"

"I promise, my love."

Applejack leaned in for a longer but still chaste kiss.

"Ah need ya to promise me another thing, Rarity."

"Just ask, Darling," Rarity softly replied.

"What Ah'm about to tell ya must remain a secret!" Applejack firmly demanded. "No one must know! Ma family, our friends, ma teammates... No one!" Rarity slowly nodded. Applejack gulped before resigning herself to tell her lover everything. "Ah....Ah had a fight with Princess Celestia..." she began hesitantly her story as Rarity's eyes widened in shock at her first sentence.

The Royal Sisters had rented a small mansion in Ponyville's suburbs for themselves and a few of their servants. At this advanced hour of the night, everyone was probably sleeping inside the mansion. No soul was moving, except Princess Celestia who had discreetly just come home and was making way to her bedroom.

"Long day, Tia?" Luna asked curiously as she got out of the shadows of a large statue representing herself and her sister.

"Pretty long indeed, Lulu," Celestia replied casually, unfazed by her sister's sudden apparition.

The immortal sisters walked together toward their quarters.

"Did your little idea satisfied your curiosity concerning Jacquelyn Apple?" Luna asked as the pair walked the stairs to the second floor.

"It did," Celestia replied simply with a nod.

"Care to share what you found out with me?"

"I can't, Luna."

"Why is that?" Luna asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"I promised Applejack that I wouldn't speak to anyone about what we did and what resulted from it," Celestia answered slowly. "She's the one who will decide who has the right to know."

"That promise even excludes me?"

"Even you, Luna." Celestia nodded. "I'm sorry, but I gave her my word."

"In that case," Luna said with a sigh. "I bid you good night, Tia," she added before going to the right at the top of the stairs.

"Good night to you too, Lulu," Celestia said softly as she went to the left before entering her quarters.

Celestia used her magic to lock her door before heading to her large vanity to get ready for the night. She opened the zipper at the back of her pearly white dress. As the white silk gracefully fell on the ground, the monarch's eyes caught a faint golden hue in the vanity's mirror.

"The spell still hasn't healed it much," Celestia commented slowly as she glanced at the reflect of the shoe-shaped, dark blue bruise right in the middle of her chest. "The damage must be way more important than I thought," she added with a wince as she felt her wound with her finger. "Luckily, it's not cleavage season anymore."

She extended her right hand to her hairbrush before groaning in pain as she tried to grab the handle. She took a look at her hand and noticed she couldn't crook her little and ring fingers anymore. She remembered a particular moment of her earlier fight with the young farmer. The moment her fist was blocked by a violent kick from her younger opponent. Celestia chuckled as she cast her healing spell on her broken fingers.

The Princess sat in front of her vanity. Her hair stopped waving at non existing breeze and fell gracefully on her shoulders. As soon as her fingers started to move again, she grabbed her brush and pulled the locks that kept her left eye hidden behind her ear before starting to to brush her hair, leaving in plain sight the nearly healed black eye Applejack had given her earlier with the faint golden halo of her healing spell.

The scene of how she got that black eye played back in her head. She was holding Applejack by the collar a feet above the ground before the farmer agilely and swiftly passed her leg around the princess' right arm to lean on it in order to deliver a powerful blow to the left side of the princess' face with her other leg.

After brushing her hair, the monarch put a nightgown on before pushing her fists on her back to stretch, satisfactorily hearing her spine joints popping one after another while remembering how Applejack had managed to pass beyond her guard to elbow her in the back.

"No combat formations. No history of any trainer beside the physical education teacher in school," Celestia whispered to herself as she laid down her queen size bed. "She only trained on her own or with her brother and sister." The princess put her hands on the back of her head. "Yet she managed to keep up with me for nearly two hours..."

The image of the young farmer repeatedly standing up from the ground after falling from one of her ruler's powerful strikes, her emerald green eyes burning with the undying flame of her desire to win that made the immortal's blood boil in excitement.

"How long has it been since I was that thrilled for an unarmed combat?" Celestia wondered as she remembered all the fights she had delivered during her long existence. "Not since Uncle.... No, it was Master Puddinghead at that time, taught me and Luna how to fight," she shortly smiled in nostalgia. "Applejack reminds me of him and Aunt Cookie.... Both of them enjoyed the simplicity of life, they never seeked power.... They just used it when they had to for the sake of others. The true Eponian way of life, Aunt had called it." Celestia sighed in remembrance before her thoughts went back to Applejack.

"A personality blunt as a boulder, a mind sharp as a blade, a body resilient as a mountain, and a spirit unbreakable as a diamond," Celestia commented with a pinch of admiration. "She may have chosen the path of the farmer, but she and I both know that she was born to fight." she slowly smirked before bringing the covers over her. "Training her would surely be a blast!"

Author's Notes:

There you go
After a rather long wait, have some fancy thing about the sun princess.
I hope I didn't disappoint any of you with that.

Again huge thank you for G3k0771 for his editing job.

Stay tuned for what's next.

Mariacheat-Brony

PS: Woohoo! 200 favs!