Stone Mane discovered that morning in the Everfree Forest why Applebloom needed to perform her stretches every morning in Equestria dreamscape.
Shik-ka-lam practice was just as demanding as any hoofball workout the colt had ever done. Zecora was a courteous, but demanding instructor who watched her pupil with an almost hawk-like intensity. Stone Mane’s hoofball coach Blue Mane might not have understood what exactly was going on, but he would’ve understood the zebra’s desire to push her student to be more than what they thought they could be.
Although Applebloom was a healthy, active, hardy farm filly who’d been taking these lessons now for several months she still found herself quickly breathing heavy and sweating profusely.
However today things were going much better for her. Remembering a recent practice session of her own back at Sweet Apple Acres the filly found herself more easily comprehending what Zecora was saying to her. Listening to her inner voice she discovered she suddenly no longer had to dwell on how she needed move her body. Instead she could think about and consider what her next step and movement should be.
This discovery by Applebloom didn’t go unnoticed by her teacher. Zecora said nothing but as the lesson progressed she decided to introduce some new elements. The filly struggled with some of these new instructions, but relatively quickly she started picking them up. The zebra made note of this in her mind. Something unusual was going on.

Stone Mane was unaware of this unusual development, but several thoughts did slowly dawned in his mind:
First was as he watched Applebloom spin, jump, roll, and kick it dawned on colt that this filly was much more dexterous than he’d imagined.
Second as the colt watched he realized that if she wanted to Applebloom could be an awesome hoofball player. As he observed her going through her drills and exercises he started imagining where she would fit into a team roster and what positions she could play. As he did a smile slowly spread across his face.
Finally was the dawning realization that what he was watching was Applebloom learning deliberate martial skills. He found that too be a bit awe inspiring and terrifying at the same time. Sure Stone Mane had been in playground scuffles, and hoofball games could be rough and tumble affairs, but this was different. This filly was a deliberately studying the art of inflicting quick, painful, devastating damage on other beings.
Stone Mane didn’t know it, but as he had these realizations another filly far away was also thinking about Applebloom and other things.

To be continued.