The Equestria Games

The Equestria Games, by Prismatics. Chapter 3Caution, Chapter may contain silly OC names. You have been warned.

"Oh look, this years first carriage has appeared!"

Two announcers are sitting in a booth, elevated high above the main street of the Capitol, where they can get a bird's eye view of the tributes as they are revealed to the crowds for the first, official time.

"My my! They look simply smashing, wouldn't you say, Matrix?" The one called Matrix nods his head furiously.

"They do indeed, Spotlight! What do you say we start introducing the tributes to the readers?"

The other one, known as Spotlight looks confused momentarily, allowing a flash of incomprehension to break through his proffesional mask momentarily. "Readers, GM? Don't you mean viewers?"

Matrix smiles widely. "Nope!" He says, pointing a hoof at the wall behind him. The wall shatters in several large pieces, revealing an odd sight.

A tall creature with a black hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and bright white socks is sitting on a couch in the middle of a large blue room. His shaggy brown hair is continuously being swiped out of his eyes as he scribbles furiously on a small notebook.

As if noticing some change in the atmosphere, the creature looks up, and groans audibly. "Dammit guys! Can't you see I'm trying to write a story here?" The creature gets up, pulls a roll of duct tape out of his pocket, and begins taping the pieces of the broken wall together. "Honestly you guys. Keep this wall intact, please."

Matrix shrugs and returns to watch the parade. "Hey, it's your fault. You're the one who made me break the wall."

The creature snorts before fitting the last patch of the broken wall. Spotlight stands dazed, having not moved from his position for the whole ordeal.

He slowly begins to speak again, with a slight stutter. "C-can you f-fill in for m-me, GM? I n-need to g-go lie d-down n-now..." He slowly walks out of the booth, shivering heavily.

"Allllllrighty then!"

* * *

The first carriage, a dazzling white chariot marked with a glittering 1, contains two occupants. Both are wearing outfits studded with several thousand tiny crystals, reflecting a rainbow across the chariot and it's neighbors. The male is a unicorn, sport a long black mane, heavily contrasting against his white coat. His smile is genuine, one can see from afar, as he catches a rose from a group of giggling mares somewhere in the crowd. He winks in their direction, then eats said rose. The female, a shorter mare with curly rose-coloured mane and a shimmering sky blue coat, is not smiling, but is waving to the crowd with an enthusiasm that makes up for the lack of a grin.

"Here we have Eighth Note and Viola, from District 1! Don't those two look simply fabulous in those sparkling outfits? The crystals... they daze me... Anyways, these ponies are from the luxury district, where they create all the dresses, jewelry and other assorted items that you treasure! Got a necklace you adore? Chances are it came from 1!"

The next carriage is a bright gold, reflecting every light that focuses its beam on it, causing one of its passengers to squint her eyes as the gilded light shines in her eyes. The carriage is marked with a polished stone 2. The pair tributes are outfitted with a luxurious set of glimmering Royal Peacekeeper armour, very similar to plate armour the guards of old used to wear. The mare is waving, absorbing the cheers and cries as if it was a solid substance. Her electric blue-green mane glides through the air as smoothly as her wings, occasionally slapping the other stallion in the face. The stallion is strongly built, his coat a deep green. His armour plating adds several points to his intimidating appearance, and his bright golden goggles he wore at the reaping add to his mysterious aura.

"And from District 2, we have Legend and Zephyr. Don't they look so intimidating in that armour? I wouldn't want to be on the other end of their hooves! For those who don't know, 2 is where they mine the ornate stone for our buildings, and train the Peacekeepers that keep us safe!"

The carriage that follows afterwards is a deep grey steel, with an assortment of wires and lights flashing across it. A plate of steel with several blinking lights in the shape of a 3 mark this chariot. The two ponies are wearing labcoats splattered with some bluish liquid that glows brightly even in the well-lit Capitol street. The male pony, a colt, barely old enough to be selected in the reaping, is curled up into a ball on his seat and making shivering motions, despite the warm temperature of the evening. His dark purple coat leaps out from the white labcoat, as does his shaggy, blood-red hair that nopony was able to groom properly. His stunning green eyes leap back and forth between ponies in the stands around the street. The small colt is easily dwarfed by the large mare, her purple and red mane tied back with a gleaming silver wire, and her brown coat nearly undetectable to the crowd.

"From District 3, Atomic and Cam! I don't know what's wrong with the colt, he appears almost scared of everything. Or would, if it wasn't for that massive creepy smile... Jeez... Well, District 3 is where all of our beloved technology is made in massive, towering factories. TVs, cars, computers, you name it. If it has a wire, it was made in 3. I think."

The next carriage is a glassy blue colour, as if it was created out of solidified water. A silvery green cross is marked with an ornate 4. The tributes of this District are clothed in a outfits made of a metallic blue fabric, slightly lighter then the carriage itself. The fabric shimmers with every move the two make, imitating the look of flowing water. The stallion, with his blue outfit and his coat combining to create an amazing spray of blue, accompanied by a dual shade mane of black and white, isn't reacting to the crowd, but to the buildings around the crowd. He is simply entranced by the architecture. The mare, on the other hoof, is overjoyed by the attentions of the crowds, much like the tributes of 1. She has a sky blue coat, similar to her partner, with her mane a whirlwind of silver. She is soaking all of the crowds cheers in, and occasionally shouting cheerfully for more.

"And from District 4, Papercraft and Swift Gale! My goodness, she looks like she's enjoying it all! But what is he staring at? Anyways, District 4 is where we get our seafood from! The delicious, salty goodness of a dried stick of seaweed, am I right? District 4 collects all of that and ships it out to us!"

The carriage that comes next is a generic, brownish copper look. Like 3, it has wires running along, but these wires are made of steel, and spark with every movement the chariot makes. A brass 5 adorns the sides of the chariot. The two passengers are wearing what looks to be a bright red engineering jumpsuit, with a shining yellow hardhat and a sturdy brown toolbelt to complete the outfit. The leaf green stallion is just lying still with his deep green mane blowing in the wind, looking straight ahead, his eyes boring into the back of the pegasus mare in the chariot ahead of him, despising her joyfulness. The mare is sitting back slyly, watching the crowd with emotionless eyes. Her brown and electric yellow mane lying limp despite the wind, and her orange coat drawing many an eye away from her partner, not that there were many eyes on him to begin with.

"Cloud Nova and Electra Static from District 5. What is with these ponies and staring at things? Haven't they seen the Capitol before? It's not that amazing. District 5, however, is pretty cool. 5 is where all of our power comes from. They have a very important job there; controlling those nuclear power plants is a big responsibility. But don't worry, those plants are safe. I hope."

Them next chariot to follow them looks the very image of a steampunk machine. The gears placed on the sides, the unworking steam jets, the grand, dark colour scheme it sports. A thick gear is marked with a 6, letting the ponies know which District this amazing design of a carriage it belongs to. The two passengers are wearing a luxurious design of a train engineer, complete with a marble whistle that hangs around their necks. The male, barely bigger than a colt, is simply enjoying the ride, occasionally waving or smiling at the crowd. For the most part, the brown tribute with the messy blue mane forgets the existence of the entire crowd, and his partner beside him. His partner, a dark blue pegasus with a vivid lime green mane, is content to ignore her partner, concentrating instead on the tributes ahead and behind her. Judging. Measuring. Assessing strengths and weaknesses. Targeting the strongest and the weakest.

"And from District 6, we have Scribble Page and Dusk Moon. My my, doesn't their chariot look amazing? Those gears... ohhh... I don't even understand why the carts are like that. District 6 is the transportation District. Most of you know that the Districts supply us with stuff, but do you know how it gets to us? From 6, of course!"

The following carriage is unique in design. While the others were made of mostly lightweight metals, this one is made of a dark brown grain of wood. A perfect number 7 is carved into the ornate brown wood of the chariot. The tributes of this District are wearing heavy woolen clothes reminiscent of a old-style lumberjack. The stallion, a large white unicorn with a long shaggy mane of light pink and green, and a build almost the size of the stallion in 2. He stares at the crowd and tributes with a shifty looking gaze. The mare, a completely blue pegasus, is easily dwarfed by her companion, but she intimidates nonetheless. Her eyes have a hypnotic value towards them, and her cutie mark of a poison joke flower is enough to frighten a few on its own.

"From 7, we have Strawberry Fields and Jilly Joke. I don't know why, but I got a gut feeling that Jilly is going to get a good score in training. Something about the way she carries herself. Anyways, District 7 is the lumber District, where we get all different kinds of wood for our marvelous buildings, and on occasion, arenas. So a big thanks to 7 for that wonderful hand crafted table!

After the last chariot comes a plain, light grey chariot, with no unusual decorations at all. A patch of fabric with an 8 crudely drawn on it is taped to the carriage. The two passengers are outfitted with clothes seemingly made of random, mismatched patterns of fabric loosely sewn together to form a dress and tuxedo for the tributes of 8. The male, a shining blue unicorn with a wavy mane that glides like water as the wind flies through it. He's smiling, a rare occurrence for most tributes above 7, as a victor amongst them is an uncommon event. The female stands tall and straight, her lime and blue mane in a jagged mess across her face. Her face masks any emotion whatsoever, as she refuses to acknowledge even her District partner, despite their apparent friendship earlier.

"Here from District 8, we have Hydra Wolf and Cherrycloud. Sorry about the chariot, folks, but it was sort of... destroyed in an accident involving a very large smoke grenade. But nice choice of outfits, I must say. District 8 is where all the textiles are produced. For those of you who are unaware if what textile means, it is essentially cloth and various wool-like materials. At least I think thats what it means. Whatever, next carriage."

The one to follow is a large brown carriage, with various metal trimmings along the side. A generic 9 is stamped on the chariot in a bright red colour. The two occupants are wearing basic farmers outfits, with a few added luxuries. Straw hats, coveralls, and a small pitchfork held limply at their sides. The male, a stiff built unicorn with a full green body, is studying the crowds around him, tracking every movement any of the crowd members make. His smooth, deep green mane is unaffected by the wind, and stays in exact place as the chariot rolls down the street. The mare, a deep blue unicorn with stunning blue eyes is doing a similar thing to her partner, but is focusing on her tributes, much like the mare from 6. She avoids looking at the crowd, ignoring the gazing eyes of the public as she determines who will be her priorities during the Games.

"And from 9, we have Cloverleaf and Nous. Seriously, does anypony smile and wave at the crowd? What in Tartarus are they staring at? Seriously! Geez, anyways, District 9 is where they farm all of the grain in massive fields, some larger than one of our hoofball arenas. Wheat from 9 makes some of our best cakes. Have you ever tried one of the cinnamon rolls from that donut shop down the street. AMAZING! Alright then, on to the next District!

The next chariot is a dark red colour and generic in design. The only outstanding difference from a normal carriage is the logo painted on the sides, a chicken egg with two crossed cleavers behind it. A gold circle is marked with a silvery 10. The tribute are dressed in gold trimmed cowpony outfits, complete with fully ornate Stetsons and black leather boots. The plaid jackets are made from the most delicate of materials, unsuitable for any real work in the profession. The male, a dark grey stallion with a jet black mane with a curious red stripe, strangely has the appearence of electricity coursing through his fur. He waves, nervously at first, then grows in confidence throughout the ride. The female is similar in colour to Dusk Moon from 6, albeit with a lighter blue coat and a shorter mane. She is waving cheerfully at the audience, elated to the point of snapping as she takes in the attention of the Capitol audience.

"Here from 10, we have Ultrastrike and Ocean Wave. Ultrastrike? What an odd name. And an odd name matches an odd appearance it seems, is that electricity on his coat? Uhh... right. Anyways, District 10 is the livestock District, where they gather eggs from their industrial sized chicken coops. Reminds me of the omelet I had this morning... mmm, so cheesy. Ahhh... well. On to the next carriage, we're almost done here!"

The following carriage is a dark green colour, with various splashes of paint in several colours splattered alongside the length of the chariot. A orange diamond is marked with a number 11. The two occupants are wearing plantation uniforms, with a much classier look then what is usually used in 11. Their uniforms are normally tattered and sprayed with some sort of wet goo, but these are brand new, embroidered with silver thread, and inlaid with multiple jewels. The male, a large brown stallion with a straw coloured mane, is sitting back, a look of defeat and sorrow in his eyes, despite instructions from his mentor to look his best for the parade. The mare, who has a green mane the exact same as the chariot itself, is waving to the crowd, but holds her other hoof in the stallions. She keeps looking over at him, forcing a weak smile for him every time she glances.

"From District 11, we have Catch Release and Heartfelt. Those plantation outfits look totally amazing on them! I almost would have never guessed what they were compared to the uniforms from the previous year. Well, interesting. District 11 is where they have the massive fruit farms and orchards. The apples and oranges and other fruits that are a staple of your breakfest comes from the wonderful outlying District of 11!"

The last chariot to arrive is dark black, with even darker black gemstones inlaid alongside the sides of the carriage, reflecting a dark shadow on the area around them. A dark steel-coloured circle surrounds a 12 in bright white lettering. The two tributes are wearing an odd choice of clothes, bright red outfits that reflect the lights trained on them, giving them both the unusual appearance of having a glowing red aura surrounding them. The crowd applauds at the unique choice of dressing, before returning their attention to the other tributes as a whole. The male is a light cyan coloured unicorn, with an icy white mane and grey eyes that cut like daggers. He glares at the Capitol audience for the duration of the ride, cursing their joy at watching his death. The mare is watching him in between waving at the audience, staring at him with an amused grin. Her teal coloured mane blows in the wind, unable to be kept down. Somewhere, Rarity is quietly sobbing.

"And last, but certainly not least, we have Snowy Mountain and Azure, from District 12. My, those outfits are stunning. Wouldn't you say Spotlight? Spot? Oh ya... Anyways, District 12 is where they mine all the coal for our fireplaces and stoves. They work very hard, so take a moment to appreciate the effort gone into producing the coal so we can snuggle up with our special someponies and enjoy a nice, warm crackling fire."

"And that's it folks, we'll be right back with our speech from President Discord in just a moment!"