Chapters Princess Luna looked down from her throne room at the top of the highest tower and surveyed the destruction. Across all of Equestria, everything was
burning. Black smoke bleached the sky, broken only by the flames. As her eyes took in the devastation, she smiled. She was the princess of the night, strong enough to defeat her
sister, trapping Celestia in the sun, and bring the whole of Equestria under her rule. She'd kept it that way for over fifty years; did they honestly think they could change it? A handful
of so called rebels, equipped with weaponry that couldn't even hope to stand up to her magic.
And so this was their punishment. Their homes destroyed, their families wiped out. But it wasn't enough. They deserved to suffer even more, to be reminded forever of the
consequences of their rebellion. An idea forming, Princess Luna magically summoned her scribe and began to dictate her orders…
It was the year of the 52nd Equestria Hunger Games, and six friends were spending their last night together before the reaping. Tomorrow, they would face the drawing of the names,
without even each other for comfort. As much as they tried, their laughter and smiles were forced, a sense of fear and dread lingering in the atmosphere. They watched films, baked,
played games; subconsciously putting off having to say their goodbyes.
The time finally came, none of them being able to delay any longer, knowing their families would need them this night more than any other. They all hugged, holding each other a little
tighter and longer than usual, knowing the next time they saw each other, the tributes would have been chosen. Though they all knew any one of their names could be pulled out, the
thought went unspoken, as if by not acknowledging the possibility they could prevent it. As the friends went their separate ways, the stars shone down sympathetically. No sleep
would come to Equestria tonight.
The sun shone fiercely the next morning, bathing Equestria in a golden light. Every house was empty, the occupants making their way to their assigned reaping stations; the Earth
Ponies to the Ponyville town hall, the Pegasi to the Wonderbolt's training compound in Cloudsdale, and the Unicorns to the square in Manehattan. The three locations were far apart,
yet they were strikingly similar. Those old enough to have their names entered were crammed at the front, silent except for the shuffling of feet and the occasional nervous sob and muttered words of comfort. Behind them, friends, family, strangers. All holding each other, all feuds and arguments forgotten, all united in this moment through the potential loss of
their loved ones.
Twelve names would be chosen this day. Twelve ponies would be taken away from all they know and loved. And only one would survive.
The Wonderbolt's training compound was full. Every pegasus from every town that had taken part in the rebellion all those years ago, Ponyville, Manehattan, Appleloosa, Hoofington, Fillydelphia, Los Pegasus, Trottingham, Baltimare, added to the many already living in Cloudsdale, had gather in the one place. Even with the Peacekeepers magically enlarging the compound, there wasn't room for everyone. Priority was given to those old enough to have their name in one of the two large glass bowls that dominated the front stage, with their family and friends pressing in behind the roped off area. Those arriving late were forced to spill out into the streets, watching on huge screens fixed to the outside of nearby buildings. The atmosphere was claustrophobic, with a cloying sense of fear filling the air. Some ponies were crying, others trying to appear brave, others stood in an overwhelming sense of desperation. Everypony hoping it wouldn't be somepony they love.
Opinions on the games were varied among the pegasi. Due to being in charge of the weather and favoured by the Princess as guards, the pegasi were certainly better off than the unicorns and earth ponies. Most of the flight schools that had been allowed to stay open trained their students to become Night Guards, as each year ten pegasi were chosen. Those
trained usually enjoyed the games, sometimes volunteering to try and prove themselves. However, these were the minority. To everypony else, the games were dreaded above all else.
Near the back of the roped off area, the place especially for those with their name entered, a yellow pegasus with a pale pink mane collapsed on the floor, trembling. Fluttershy was
one of the oldest in the reaping, and due to this year's winter being harsher than any before, she had been forced to sign up for tesserae to feed her woodland friends, the result being that her name was in that glass bowl more times than she would have wished. Once was bad enough, but this year the odds definitely weren't in her favor. And every year,
the memories would flood back. One memory in particular.Fluttershy clung to her mommy's foreleg, trying to avoid being trampled by the crowd. She didn't fully understand what was happening, she just knew her mommy and all the other
pegasi the same age had to stand at the front, while her grandparents were somewhere at the back. Her mommy had tried to get Fluttershy to go with them, but she refused to leave her mommy's side.
Everypony fell quite as a purple pegasus took to the stage. Fluttershy was fascinated by her hair, it was piled up on top of her head in an elaborate style, and there was so much of it! The purple pegasus talked for a long time, but Fluttershy was too little to understand what was being said. She entertained herself playing with her mommy's mane and drawing
pictures in the dust on the floor. Suddenly the purple pegasus called out her mommy's name. Whatever it was, her mommy had won! Fluttershy looked up, and was surprised to see her mommy crying. Her mommy bent down and hugged Fluttershy harder than ever before, whispering in her ears. Fluttershy knew something was wrong, she clung to her mommy, crying, begging her not to go, but it was no use.
A brown pegasus Fluttershy didn't know was holding her back, trying to comfort her but she didn't hear him. Her grandparents came for her, her Grandpapa muttering something
about the dangers of having a foal so young and her Grandmare complaining about her good-for-nothing of a father running off, and Fluttershy cried and screamed, pausing just long
enough to hear her mommy shouting that she'd come back, she'd win, for Fluttershy.
Fluttershy never saw her mommy again.
Next to her, Rainbow Dash, sensing her friend's anxiety, attempted to mutter words of comfort, unaware her words weren't even being heard. "…seriously, look at the number of Pegasi here, and some of them have their names in waaaay more times than you, you've practically nochance of being chosen…."
The two friends were still stood this way, Rainbow's words as much for herself as her friend by now, when the clock struck two and Cloudsdale's Mayor took to the stage and began to read. The deep blue pegasus told of the history of Equestria; how it came about and how Princess Luna defeated her evil sister and brought peace to Equestria. Of the Dark Days,
when the towns rebelled against Canterlot. Of how the towns were defeated, and the Equestria Hunger Games invented. How each year, four Pegasi, four Unicorns and four Earth Ponies are forced to fight to the death as a reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated. He then read the list of previous Pegasi winners. Pegasi usually perform quite well, especially due to some flight schools training their pupils for the games, so the list is fairly long. Training is technically against the rules, but trained ponies, or 'Careers' usually put on a good show, so nopony really cares. The Career ponies are obvious, they're the ones looking excited, eyeing up the competition, bigging themselves up. Once the list ends, the Mayor introduces the Pegasi escort, Silver Trinket.
Silver Trinket bounces onto the stage, the only pegasus who looks happy to be here.
"Happy Hunger Games!" She exclaims, "And may the odds be ever in your favor!" As she talks about what an honour it is to be here, she strategically stretches her wings, showing off what must be the latest Canterlot fashion craze; hundreds of small jewels imbedded between the feathers. Her introductory speech is soon over and it's time for the drawing. There is complete silence as Silver Trinket walks over to the bowl on the left, everypony hardly daring to breathe. With her traditional "Ladies first!", she puts her hoof into the bowl, digs deep, and pulls out a piece of paper. Unfolding it, she reads out the name.
"Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy felt her heart stop as every eye turned to stare at her, all showing the same mixture of pity and relief. Pity that her name had been chosen. Relief that it wasn't them. Fluttershy couldn't take it in. Was this how her mother had felt? Unbelieving, terrified, desperate. Had it been worse for her, leaving behind a daughter barely old enough to understand? Fluttershy was leaving behind no family; she never knew her father and her grandparents had passed away long ago, but there were the many animals in her care who relied on her in the harsh winters, and her close friends. Their faces flashed through her mind, that of Rainbow Dash, her oldest friend, lingering the longest. She closed her eyes as her knees gave way and she collapsed, wishing desperately that when she opened them it would all be a dream, she'd be safe at home…
"Fluttershy?"
As she heard her name called again, she knew no amount of wishing would make this any less real. Having no other choice, she forced her trembling self to stand and slowly took a small step forward. And another. And another. Every step she took led her back, back to that day when her mother had taken these exact steps. She couldn't do it, couldn't go into
that place, the place her mother lost her life. Her steps faltered…
"I volunteer!"
Every eye in the room, and those watching on the screens on the streets outside, turned to the blue pegasus with the rainbow mane hovering defiantly above Fluttershy.
"I volunteer!" Rainbow Dash repeated. The whole compound was in shock. Mutterings rose up from the previously silent hall, nopony quite believing or understanding what was happening. Volunteering for another tribute was allowed, but it was almost unheard of, except the occasional Career pony. It hadn't happened in so long, nopony could quite remember how the volunteering system was supposed to work. At the front, Silver Trinket was involved in a rushed, whispered conversation with the mayor, trying to remember what she was meant to do.
"R-Rainbow?"
Rainbow Dash turned and smiled down at Fluttershy.
"It's okay, Shy." She whispered and flew up to join Silver Trinket on the stage. Fluttershy knew she should do something, fly up there, stop Rainbow, but all she could do was stand,
frozen, as Silver Trinket, quickly recovering her sickly sweet smile and hushing the crowd, got Rainbow to introduce herself, and asked why she volunteered. Rainbow Dash looked her
right in the eye, somehow managing to ignore the crowd and speak directly to them at the same time.
"Fluttershy is my friend." Rainbow said simply, though in truth there was more to it than that. She had known Fluttershy since they started flight school and, for some inexplicable reason, had always viewed the shy pegasus as a sort of younger sister, despite Fluttershy being the older one. Rainbow had stuck up for her and beaten up those who bullied her,
coming out the first few times considerably worse off. Fluttershy had always been there for her, seeing her at her lowest moments and yet never judging, always knowing exactly what to do and say. Rainbow alone knew of what had
happened to Fluttershy's mother, and knowing that this would make the arena twice as hard for her friend was what had sparked her spontaneous volunteering. As she said those few words, she knew that ponies would whisper and rumour that there was something more to it all, especially with Rainbow being such a tomboy, but Fluttershy knew the truth and that
was all that mattered.
"Well then, it seems you're a very good friend indeed!" Silver Trinket gives Rainbow a huge smile before turning back to the audience. "Let's give a huge round of applause to this
brave pegasus!"
The compound erupted into applause, everypony clapping, cheering and whistling. Every pony except Fluttershy. Despite Rainbow's puffed out chest, proud stance and defiant smile,
Fluttershy, who had known Rainbow longer than anypony else, could tell that her friend is completely and utterly terrified.
The rest of the reaping passed quickly.
Rainbow Dash was joined onstage by the second female pegasus tribute, Indigo Rain, a pale purple pegasus with a pure white mane who was practically still a filly. As she joined them on the stage, crying, her large family weeping and being held back by the peacekeepers, Rainbow wanted nothing more than to put her arms round the young foal. But she forced herself to stay stationary. Once in the arena, every other tribute would be her enemy and getting close to them now wouldn't make it any easier.
Even though Indigo Rain had such a large family, nopony volunteered for her.
The two male tributes Rainbow would have no problem keeping distant from. Dumb-bell and Hoops, two of the pegasi that had bullied Rainbow during flight school, both Careers.
"Should be fun, huh, Rainbow Crash!" Hoops sneered as he stepped up on stage. Rainbow would have made a witty reply, but she was too busy stopping herself shaking and keeping herself from crying. She had to appear strong, especially for Fluttershy.
The anthem played, the four tributes were led away, the rest of the pegasi go home, either to celebrate or weep. By the time Fluttershy remembered how to move, the hall was
empty and her friend had gone