The Pony Games

The Harmonybalancers ushered Twilight and Lucky out of the building and into a carriage, locking the doors shut as Rosella joined them.

Rosella was one of the Canterlotians who didn't spend herself on garish clothing. Her naturally red and green mane hung loose around her shoulders, her dress was simple for Canterlot standards, and she wore no makeup, due to the natural sheen of her mint green crystal coat. She sullenly stared forward, not speaking to either pony until they had reached the train station.

"I hope you do well, ponies," she said finally. "I have faith in New Ponyville this year. Follow me; I wish to share something with you."

Her happy, bubbly, carefree façade had vanished. In its place, a serious, brooding, and intelligent mare had taken her place.

Lucky and Twilight exchanged a glance before following the sparkling pony, Harmonybalancers at their backs.

The bullet train was nothing at all like the now-normal two-day train to Canterlot. Reserved only for Tributes, it was meant to make the trip fast and efficient, cutting travel time by half. It was an overnight trip, due to weaving in and out of the barriers put up around the country to prevent unauthorized District travel.

The doors slid open, and Rosella led the ponies into a beautiful waiting room, reminiscent to the style of the Royal Palace. Twilight was sucked into old memories, frozen where she stood, as Lucky oohed and ahhed over the decorations.

"Is it always like this?" he asked Rosella, who had grabbed a crystalline bottle from the bar in the back and poured herself a glass of red wine.

"The furnishings? Yes, dear, Canterlot looks entirely like this. It has a certain charm, wouldn't you agree?" she asked quietly.

"Certainly," Lucky answered in awe. "Twilight, you have to see this!"

Twilight snapped out of her visions and gave a confused look to Lucky. Why was he being so kind to her? They were just going to end up killing each other, but he was being as friendly to her as if they were just going on a nice vacation, during the Era of Old Equestria.

The mare trotted over to Lucky's position at the window, and she stared outside. The world was passing around her in a blur, but it was a beautiful myriad of colors, like a paintbrush streaking pigment across a blank canvas. Conifers and brush swept past them at remarkable speeds, and Twilight realized that they must be going extremely fast.

"How does it move?" she found herself asking.

"It's magnetic. The train is floating, really, and there are heavy magnets that are pushing it along the track," Rosella answered. "Magnificent, isn't it?"

Twilight glanced around the room, searching for something in particular. A little of the comfort of home.

"Does this train have any books?" she asked nervously, itching for the feel of parchment floating above her eyes.

Rosella chuckled.

"In due time, my little pony," she answered. "I want a word with you two first."

Lucky and Twilight slid into the two armchairs sitting opposite the crystal pony and waited for her to speak.

"As well as being your escort, I am your mentor," Rosella said carefully, sipping at her glass. "Do you know what that means?"

"You're our trainer, then, right?" Lucky asked.

"Quite correct. I learned to fight myself a very long time ago, and I have plenty of advice to give you if you pay attention," she said, looking pointedly at Twilight, who had been caught in a daydream.

"Sorry," the unicorn apologized, blushing. "I'm just not sure I need the help, Rosella. My books have given me a lot of information, and I'm quite handy with spells."

"There are restrictions, Twilight, to what you can do in the arena," Rosella said, frowning. "They put a magical barrier on unicorns and pegasi so the unicorns can use only non-fatal spells and cannot use healing spells, and pegasi can fly only to ten feet. It's to make it fair to the earth ponies, like myself and Lucky."

At this, Lucky frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but Rosella shot him a glare.

"Don't try and contradict me. I know much about these games, Lucky Clover. Twilight, have you ever been in a situation where your life is in danger simply because of the elements?"

"Well," Twilight started, "no, but-"

"Exactly," Rosella interrupted. "That is my point exactly. I'm here to help you in any way I can, but I do need you to be tolerant. You may have heard of the rumors surrounding myself?"

Lucky and Twilight nodded.

"Many of them are true. I have... a problem, or two, really. I have what is known as multiple personality disorder, and yes, I'm being quite forward about it so that I may help you to the best of my abilities. I've named them Rose and Rosie. What you currently see is a Rosie on the verge of turning to Rose. You saw the bubbly, happy me at the Reaping?"

Twilight nodded again.

"I can pull it out like a mask. That is my natural state, carefree, flirty, happy. Rose comes with pessimism, alcoholism, and sharpness. Do be tolerant with me if this happens; it will pass, and I will be able to teach you all I know as best as I can as either one."

Twilight and Lucky sat in quiet silence, absorbing this new bit of information.

"You may go," Rosella said, waving a hoof. "I want you both to watch all the Reapings from each District to see who your opponents are. We shall speak again in the morning."

Twilight stood, beckoning to the grey stallion in a gesture of friendliness. If he could be civil to her, she would return the favor. They departed the lounge car, trotting off to a room with a very large magical screen. The technology had been introduced with the games, and Celestial Equestria had become suddenly much more tech-forward.

Twilight's horn glowed, and the screen flickered to life, starting to showcase the Reapings in a selective order. Twilight picked one at random, Los Pegasus, and leaned back in the sofa with Lucky.

"McCallum Lily!" announced the extremely overdone mare at the microphone. A beautiful blue unicorn with a smirk on her face mounted the stage, flashing her teeth at the crowd of excited ponies.

Twilight suddenly had a rush of clarity. She had met the mare before, but only one time. Calla had been a student at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but the two of them had been great rivals at the time. Calla had amazing magical talents, sometimes greater than those of Twilight herself, but she was always resentful of the fact that she was one year younger than Twilight, and as a result, had been too late to be examined by the Princess as a personal prodigy.

Twilight was now doubting whether she would escape the games alive after all as Calla flashed a confident grin at the camera.

The only other notable tributes were those from Dodge City, a tough pair of pegasi who looked like they had been weight-lifting for years.

As Lucky poked the screen to flip to the Reaping from Cloudsdale, to which Rainbow Dash had been banished, the screen suddenly flickered and died. As hard as they tried, Twilight and Lucky could only get to the screens that showed the tributes from Dodge City, Los Pegasus, Baltimare, Vanhoover, San Palomino, and Tall Tale. Cloudsdale, Trottingham, Appleoosa, Manehatten, and Fillydephia could not be accessed.

"I wonder why?" Lucky asked.

"I guess it's nothing," Twilight answered, shaking it off. "we'll find out when we reach Canterlot, I guess."

Lucky bid Twilight goodnight and disappeared into his room, but the unicorn stayed on the couch, dreading for the time when she would have to re-enter the castle and face Celestia once more.