The Pony Games

Twilight felt the breath hitch in her throat as Apple Bloom's name rang across the square, loud and clear. The rumble of voices erupted around her as she forced her hooves to move, pulling her out of the section along with Applejack's little sister.

She didn't think about herself. All she could see was Applejack, the strong workpony, broken and grieving over the tiny body of little Apple Bloom...

"No!" she said forcefully, blocking the extremely frightened filly from the stage. "You will not take her. I, Twilight Sparkle, volunteer as tribute!"

Silence fell as everypony stared at her. Shrugging, the Harmonybalancers let go of Apple Bloom and swarmed around Twilight and led her towards the stage.

"Congratulations, dear," Rosella said, nodding her head. "Your volunteer is very much appreciated."

Twilight could not speak. The shock of her decision was overwhelming, crippling, and immensely painful, but it was worth it.

"Twilight!" an uncharacteristically-high-pitched voice screamed. The little purple dragon darted out from under Cheerilee and ran for his 'sister,' only to be brought back, kicking and screaming, by a tearful Big Mac. "Twilight! TWILIGHT!"

Rosella turned back, emotionless, moving to the second bowl and pulling out another name before trotting up to the microphone once more.

"Lucky Clover!" she announced with enthusiasm.

A grey stallion whipped his head around, trying to prove that it wasn't him.

"Lucky Clover?" he said weakly.

"Lucky, dearie, could you please come up to the stage?" Rosella requested, her smile becoming more forced and stiff by the moment.

The stallion slowly migrated through the crowd, mounting the roughly-constructed stage with unwilling legs.

"Congrats to our tributes from the District of New Ponyville, Lucky Clover and Twilight Sparkle! Give them a round of applause!" Rosella called.

The silence was deafening. None of the many eyes of the inhabitants of Ponyville rested upon Lucky, but were instead focused on Twilight.

Twilight gazed at Lucky with tearful eyes. She knew she would have to kill this poor earth pony, but there was nothing she could do about it. It was done.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"All hail the princess," he responded almost as quietly, bowing his head.

Slowly, Cheerilee, standing in the back with those ineligible for the games, bent her knees forward and rested her forehead on the ground in a sign of deep respect. Slowly, the rest of the crowd followed suit, saluting the former Princess and her sacrifice.

***

"My liege," the commander muttered, "Twilight Sparkle has volunteered to take the young Apple Bloom's place in The Pony Games."

The white queen slowly crossed the floor, in deep contemplation. "This is important information. Leave me; I must have time to process this."

The guardpony bobbed and left the room, shutting the heavy oak doors behind him with a bang.

She had seemed quite calm to the guard, but her pupils widened to the size of plates as she collapsed on her bed and dug her hooves into her mane.

"What have you done!" she shrieked, throwing her crown across the room. It clanged against the wall and clattered to the floor. "What have you done!"

There was something remarkably different between the princess and the queen. The princess had humility and kindness; love and charity. Above all, she loved her family and her student. Only once had the real Celestia shown herself like this, and it was when Cadence had fallen through the trapdoor of the gallows to her death.

Her scream of grief and agony rang through the soundproof room, never escaping, and she tore at her mane, the rainbow gossamer falling to the ground in wisps and dissolving on impact.

Twilight... Twilight... Twilight.

"Get out out of my head!" she suddenly shrieked, pawing at her temples and letting gold droplets of blood fall to the ground as she tried to claw out an unknown being. "Get out!"

Slowly, her irises changed from deep violet to a light, glowing lavender, and she stopped scratching at her head, her hooves falling to the bed sheets.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Careful now, dear. You must have control of yourself," she said calmly. "Let the Games begin, Twilight Sparkle."

***

Rosella nudged the two ponies into the town hall, and the Harmonybalancers shut the door behind them.

"You have ten minutes for each goodbye," Rosella said grimly, her mane dulling and flattening. She shoved each into a different room. and two Harmonybalancers positioned themselves in front of each door.

Twilight collapsed on the sofa in the corner and dug her hooves into her mane, shaking her head.

"What have I done?" she muttered, tears leaking out of her eyes. "It was surely the right thing to do, to save Apple Bloom, but... Spike!"

The little purple dragon had come streaking in, sobbing his head off.

"No, Twilight!" he cried. "You can't leave! Ponyville needs you!"

"I-I know they do," she whispered, kneeling next to Spike and nuzzling him. "That's why I promise I will come back, okay?"

"You have to," he cried, sobbing into her mane. "For us. For all of Equestria. Old Equestria needs its princess, Twilight!"

Twilight said nothing, only hugging him closer to her side.

"For you," he said suddenly, slipping something hard around her neck. Looking down, she couldn't believe her eyes. Her element crown had been destroyed when Celestia had thrown her out, but miraculously, the magical pink star was embedded in the thin gold chain now around her neck.

"Spike," she said in awe, "How did you get it?"

"I've been hiding the gemstone for ages," he said sheepishly, the tears pouring down his face. "The magical stone fell towards me when Celestia smashed the crown, and I kept it for you. It was really hard to not eat it-" Twilight let out a giggle at this- "but I had it put into the necklace for your token. It may or may not have the elemental magic still contained in it, but at least it will bring you sentiment and luck."

"Thank you, Spikey," Twilight said tearfully as the doors opened. "I love you, my number one assistant."

"Twilight!" he yelled as the Harmonybalancer unicorn yanked him out of the room and slammed the door.

Twilight looked down and stared into the gemstone, watching her face refract over the surface.

She looked up, surprised, when the door opened again, and before her stood the Apple Family, minus their older sister, who had been taken to the District of New Appleoosa.

"Twilight!" cried the little filly who she had saved. "Twilight, you saved mah life!"

Big Mac shook his head, bowing his head to the unicorn.

"Eeyup," he agreed. "Twilight, you saved mah sister at what may be the cost of your own life, and we are mighty grateful. If Granny was still here with us, she would surely thank you with all of her heart."

Little Apple Bloom wouldn't let go of Twilght when it was time to go, and the extremely sad unicorn had to pry the little filly off her legs with magic and send her screaming out of the room.

"Take care of her, Big Mac!" Twilight called. "For Applejack."