“Hello my dear Sweetie Belle, please come in so you can tell.” Zecora let the filly into her hut, pouring them both a drink of something Sweetie didn’t recognize. Giving it a sip, it tasted wonderful, she closed her eyes to enjoy the taste.
“Zecora, I was wondering if you might be able to help me learn how to defend myself. Only for emergencies, but I’d like to be able to rely on more than just my magic.” Sweetie waited as Zecora considered it, wondering if she would need to try and convince the zebra she was looping.
“What you ask is quite a task, but if you desire I can teach you what you require.” Zecora stood up and walked over to Sweetie Belle, and waited.
“Yes please, anything you can teach me would be great.” Sweetie smiled warmly, and Zecora opened the door, leading the filly outside. After a short walk down a crack in the forest, Sweetie emerged into a clearing with a pool of water.
“Some tasks will be above your skill, but I can teach you about the power of will.” Zecora sat down, instructing Sweetie to do the same. Sweetie did as instructed, wondering what this ‘power of will’ was.
“A clear mind in any fight, will help you discover what is right. Patience and wit are what you need, for that we need to let go of greed. Close your eyes and be still as a rock, do not worry about thoughts that flock. Find a way to clear your mind, enough that thoughts leave you well behind.” Zecora closed her eyes, folding her legs as she turned as still as a statue.
Sweetie tried to copy the position, but found her legs didn’t bend that way. Sitting normally, Sweetie got comfortable and closed her eyes. So she wanted to be still, and not think. Sounded simple enough, all she had to do was stop thinking. Right, that’s still thinking, Sweetie shook her head rapidly, clearing her thoughts as she tried to clear her mind.
After five minutes, she opened her eyes and cried out in annoyance.
“I’m sorry Zecora, but I can’t do this. Thank you for the help anyway.” Sweetie stood up, watching as Zecora slowly opened her eyes, and stood up. Bowing her head, she smiled warmly.
“Do not fear the results of today, I did not expect it to immediately hold you sway. Practice often and soon you’ll find, it comes as easy as breathing to clear your mind.” Zecora escorted Sweetie Belle back to her hut, and bid the filly farewell. Sweetie began heading back toward Ponyville. So she had a way to increase her endurance, agility, and magic.
“So if I practice running, then Zecora’s thing, then my magic I shouldn’t be too tired. But I still don’t feel like that’s enough. But it’s not like anyone here knows Karate or anything” Sweetie grumbled loudly as she stopped once arriving in Ponyville. The question was, how much of each should she do each day?
“Did you say Karate?” A blue blur landed in front of Sweetie, and she blinked as it cleared into a familiar pony. Rainbow Dash tilted her head, and Sweetie nodded.
“I could probably teach you a few things if you want, though I don’t know why you didn’t just ask your sister.” Rainbow Dash motioned in the direction of the boutique.
“Why would I ask my sister?” Sweetie tilted her head. This was great! Something she could use to fight!
“Well, duh, she’s an even higher belt than I am. I’m only a Songham-er camo belt-er…” Rainbow Dash paused, tapping her chin as she thought of the best way to describe it.
“Well let’s just say it’s the belt between yellow and green. Essentially it means I’m pretty awesome at it, but I still have a long way to go. My form’s too freeform, it keeps getting me disqualified during sparring matches.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. It didn’t overly matter, they all agreed she was awesome, even when disqualified.
“What belt is my sister?” Sweetie tilted her head, this was the first time hearing that her sister knew Karate. This was great! Sweetie could get lessons from someone even better than Rainbow Dash.
“Brown, close to getting the next belt from what I heard one time at the s-” Rainbow Dash cut herself off and smiled sheepishly. Sweetie rolled her eyes, as if she didn’t know Dash liked the spa.
“That’s great, I’ll go ask her for help then, see you later Rainbow Dash.” Sweetie waved goodbye, and quickly trotted in the direction of her home. By luck, Rarity was home. Sweetie stepped in and smiled warmly at her sister.
“Teach me Karate!” Sweetie saw her sister jolt, and slowly turn toward her.
“Come again?” Rarity put her drink down as she regarded her sister. Was she serious?
“Rainbow Dash told me you’re a brown belt, whatever that is, in Karate. Please teach me!” Sweetie waited as Rarity digested this, and sighed.
“Very well, but It isn’t going to be easy. It requires constant diligence. And I’m a little bit rusty.” Rarity stood up and began to clear the main room of the boutique out. Rarity knew it would be best to get Sweetie a proper teacher, but the filly might not want more than one lesson. Rarity supposed she could at least help her sister get off a white belt.
“Alright, let’s begin.”
Sweetie slumped on her bed, and sighed. Karate was a lot different to what she expected. It wasn’t tiring like Applejack, nor boring like Zecora’s. It was like a routine. Sweetie closed her eyes and smiled.
‘It is going to be a long time before I can actually be strong enough for what I want, but I can make it. If my magic is growing with each loop, it should mean I can grow my strength in other areas too. Either way, it will only help in the long run.’ Sweetie yawned and settled into bed. Sure, she wanted to do more pranks, but she felt antsy. Her desire to find a way out of the loop was hindering her pranks.
“Back to work next loop,” she sighed, knowing she couldn’t faff around any longer.
You churn these out with frightening frequency.
...
...
Not that I'm complaining.
Nice change in the cover picture!
Sweetie Belle knows karate...
Oh no...
... but those are taekwondo belts ...
Actually, from what I saw in the show, Rarity knows a form of Kung Fu rather than Karate. Kung Fu is more creative and flowing while Karate is more focused on repetition and quite rigid. Also, RD, according to the show, is a blackbelt.
Just thought I'd point these out, but keep writing your way. I'm enjoying the story so far ^_^
5367210 I always thought Rarity was a boxer from how she holds herself in Dragon quest, part of my headcannon for her is that their father wanted a son to teach football and boxing etc. but was happily disappointed to have two daughters. So he taught Rarity how to defend herself.
Though this does match with my headcannon that Rarity would be a legitimate challenge to Rainbow in a fight.
Dem marshal arts tho.
Thank you for the reception.
So it seems Sweetie is expecting something to be surmounted. She has become quite crafty these past eleven loops.
To be still in the darkness,
searching silently for the fleeting light.
The cage may grow tighter,
can you tell?
Warmth may drain from each regain
of the love blossoming through the hearts
of the ponies left dynamic,
presently unchanging.
The creature of darkness plays their own game,
by which rules do they play,
do you suppose?
That in this nightmare a hope remains undying;
is it welcome in this land of darkness?
Awaiting further releases.
filly
__________
Just now I'm thinking of the time when Discorded when Rarity beat up Apple Jack for getting to close to Tom.
5367322
Fixed
5367204 Just gunna say, different martial arts can have the same belt colours. And you're wrong, Tae Kwon Do doesn't have a brown belt. It does have a yellow one with a green tag/stripe, but I think he meant yellow/green colour for the whole thing.
I would know, I'm a Black Belt. Totally didn't add this line to brag, nopenopenope.
5367169 Next time DT calls her a blank flank, she is getting drop-kicked!
5368915
The page linked in the author's note explicitly refers to Taekwondo.
5368915 Tae Kwon Do does have a brown belt. I'm also a black belt, as are both my brothers. http://www.dktaekwondo.com/images/jpgs/beltsystem.jpg is a link to a picture of all the belts.
Sorry but RD is a black belt.
0.0
I really want to know how karate could exist in equestria to begin with. Sereously, what is the back story to this??? I know Karate is intended to be used only for self-defense, but considering that they live in a world that places so much emphasis on friendship and togetherness, I'd think something like Karate would really go against that.
>Patience and wit are what you need, for that we need to let go of greed
I think 'must' sounds better than 'need to'
>Very well, but It isn’t going to be easy
*it
5395199
Ponies aren't nearly as pacifistic as some fans assume. Sure, they think friendship is nice, but then so do we. That doesn't mean they aren't perfectly willing to fight for what they believe in. Not only are there plenty of pony soldiers, and hints that their culture equates heroism with a certain degree of martial might (for example superhero comic books, or Spike daydreaming about being a brave knight) but even the Mane Six will resort to violence when they think it's justified (see: the Changeling invasion) and they never seem to feel particularly bad about it.
If anything, violence seems slightly more acceptable in Equestria. Which kinda makes sense since ponies are on average more idealistic than us. (You actually have to be kinda cynical to see violence as something inherently evil.)
Yep. She has reached the 'insane' level.
5417836
Is your account picture what I think it is? (I think it's the evil guy from the show 'Wakfu')
RD is a camo belt eh? And seeing as how she said Songham I'm guessing she practices that style. Now my only question is: is Rarity a brown recommended or decided? (Also, Songham is a style of taekwondo, I should know, I teach it for a living.)
5531642 The reason for Dash saying she has a camo belt in "karate" is because karate has become the word for any martial art, not just what masters consider actual karate, if there even is a martial art just called karate.
5588990
Karate basically means open/empty hand, so any martial art that doesn't utilize weapons could be considered karate. I took lessons in Ishinryu when I was really young, don't really remember much of it at all.
5373148 Just roll with it, dude. His story.
Wait... They are stopping her from ranking up because she uses too much 'freestyle' in sparring? That doesn't sound like a legitimate dojo. In all the martial arts places I've ever trained, freeform is expected, even encouraged to an extent , while sparring is uncommon due to the ability to gain bad habits from it. Then again, this is horse world. They may not actually use martial arts for self defence as much due to all the peacefulness and such.
Also, just a fun fact, black belt is just the point at which one begins to learn the more complicated, obscure, and more difficult aspects of martial arts, even continuing onwards to higher black belt ranks.
5459960 Nope. Unless he changed it to what it is now, that is the antagonist from undertale, Asriel.
7879778 Excuse you! That's *God of Hyperdeath Asriel.*
He will be very angry with you if you don't respect him!