The Pony Games

Chapter One

Twilight Sparkle slowly opened her eyes. Sunlight was trying to travel through her thick hoof stitched Curtains.  She began to get up, feeling like there was no point in having a lie-in, because it was not the day to feel relaxed. Today was the day of the Reaping. Twilight’s muscles tensed up. No. There was no need to worry. The Pony Games had been going on for 50 years. She was not going to be picked.

How Twilight is still alive and young to tell the tale about how The Pony Games began is unknown to everypony. Everypony except for her and the Elements of Harmony. After war had broken out in Equestria, with her last dying spark of magic, Princess Celestia had cast a spell over Twilight and her five friends. The spell made it so that if they kept on harnessing their element of harmony, they would essentially live forever. The only way they could die Was by murder. If only Princess Celestia knew what she was doing... If the princess knew what Twilight and her friends would have to live through Celestia would have just let them die. Twilight's heart dropped as she remembered the last tears of her beloved princess falling to the ground; With one final breath the princess had died. Then, The Pony Games were born, to mark the defeat of the princess, and the start of the Capitol.

The Pony Games are simple. One mare and one stallion from each district is picked by lottery to be entered into the Pony Games. The games are a competition where these twenty four ponies fight to the death. Magic and flying are allowed, but trying to fly, or teleport, out of the boundaries of the game results in a summary execution.  Only two ponies had ever won The Pony Games from Twilight's District. No pony had ever heard or seen of them since. You would think that Ponies from a magic district would win easily,  but it's the Pegasus ponies who win almost every year. When the gong goes off, the Pegasi shoot up into the sky, sleeping on clouds and only coming down to scavenge for food. When the last few ponies begin to clash, already bloodied and fatigued, the Pegasi swoop down from the clouds. Better rested, and unwounded, they triumph over the weakened ponies, and win the Pony Games for 'The District of Weather'.

Twilight tried to shut away visions of the many deaths that can only happen in the Pony Games. Impalement, toxins, explosives, mutation.... Just a few of the horrific fates that could await those unfortunate enough to be chosen.

Twilight made her way down the stairs to the library. A cold shudder went through her. She hated it here, in this library. It had too many good, but painful, memories that she wanted to forget. Twilight tried to remind herself that she was lucky to still have her library; after the war most of Ponyville’s original buildings were destroyed so they could make more ‘Capitol’ like buildings. Twilight rolled her eyes.  The Capitol had destroyed the warm, rustic homes, and replaced them with hovels that lacked even the simplest of amenities, like basic plumbing.

Twilight walked over to her kitchen and opened her cupboards. They were all empty. It wasn’t surprising. Food had been hard to buy ever since Equestria was split up into Districts. She had been put into the District of Magic where the most talented Ponies enchanted objects for the Capitol, making the lives of those in the Capitol easier. Twilight wished she lived in the District of Food instead.  It was hard to reap a harvest, when one couldn't even be sown. The earth around the District of Magic was barren.

Twilight sighed as she lifted up her purse with her abilities. She smiled briefly. This was something that put pure joy into her days, even now. Something that kept her alive. Magic. It was the only thing the Capitol could not brutally take away from her.

Flashbacks suddenly appeared in her mind. Flashbacks that made her drop her purse, spilling coins across the library floor. Memories of all her friends being taken away from her flooded through her head. She saw Applejack and Applebloom being torn from each other’s hooves. She remembered Rainbow Dash trying to fly away from all the Harmonykeepers, only to be brought down by nets. Pinkie Pie screaming for Mr and Mrs Cake to keep themselves, Pound Cake, and Pumpkin Cake safe. Fluttershy had tried to protect all of the animals, and put on a brave face, but her body had kept shaking as more ponies had turned up.   Rarity grabbed Sweetie Belle closer to her as Harmonykeepers surrounded her and Twilight. Twilight was screaming for everypony to be calm but then she saw that Spike was being dragged away from her, screaming in terror. Twilight pushed her way through the Harmonykeepers, trying to get to Spike.  As she called his named, Spike turned his head. He started to scream Twilight's name but was silenced by Harmonykeepers pushing him to the ground. The screams of all her friends were ringing in her head.

It took a few minutes for Twilight to realize that the screams were coming from her. She came to her senses, her muscles weak and shaking. Sweat was running down from her mane to her face. Twilight shook herself. No more memories. This was her life now. She will never see them again. And nothing can change that…

Twilight began to collect all of the fallen coins, and placed them into the purse. When she was done she put her purse into her Saddle bag, put the saddle bag on, and made her way to the front door of the library. She took one last look behind her. No more thinking about her friends. It was time to put the past behind her and look to the future… If she actually had one.