The Equestria Games

I leaned back on the seat, watching as District 2 sped past, watching unconsciously.

"Hey," said a voice behind me. Turning around, I saw it was Page Turner, his eyes sunken down. "You okay?"

"How could anypony be okay with this?"

"Fair point." He said next to me, sighing softly. "So what's your story?"

I looked at him. "Are we really going to go through our life stories just before we die?"

"Yup. I want to make one last friend before I die."

"Friends are irrelevant."

"Oh, and how are you going to make allies with that attitude?"

"I don't want allies."

"Well you're just a little ray of sunshine, aren't you?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm not going to win this, Page Turner. I'm going to die terribly, and in pain. I...I just..."

"Hey, it's okay," Page Turner stroked my shoulder caringly. "You're not the only one who's going to die soon." He sighed.

I turned my head back to the window, watching District 1 go by.

''I'm a teenage pegasus genius who only earns the minimum money I can tutoring fillies who have no chance in the world. I know how to survive out in the wild by using what I know to my advantage. I may be clever but the only way I'm going to kill anypony is tricking them into doing something stupid. I can't use any weapons, I'm useless at hoof-to-hoof combat.

I can only hide out in the clouds until this whole bucking thing blows over."

"Oh," Page Turner sighed. "I'm worse. I'm a depressed eighteen year old unicorn who can't do any magic except for levitating books and stuff like that. Sure, I might be able to find some allies, but I can't even work with plants. I'm basically just a glorified bookworm."

I chuckled, something I hadn't done in ages. "Well, Mr. Glorified Bookworm, you could be my ally any day."

"Really?"

"Yeah." I extended by hoof to him, and he took it excitedly.

"Allies?"

"Allies."

We sat in silence for a couple of minutes, looking out the window when a familiar voice echoed through the train.

"Vy, my tributes! Here is your mentor, Mr. Ash Wither!"

A tall, black pegasus slinked out from behind Photo Finish, looking at me with his orange eyes.

Ash Wither scared me a lot. I remember his Games, the only winner from District 3. He won the 8th Games at the same age as me, but by using nothing except for brute force. He even destroyed a unicorn in the midst of a spell with just an axe.

This colt was the epitome of arrogant as well. How did I know this? Every year on the screens they review his Games, and how well he fought, and interview him.

And every year, he says how amazing he did and how beautiful his victory was, proving his arrogant side (plus, I'm pretty sure he's a rapist).

Ash looked me down, top to bottom, and smiled, showing his teeth. "Well, well, well, well, well, well, well. Look who we have here. Mr. Page Turner and Miss (he whistled through his teeth) Raven Nightwing. How beautiful are you?" He walked over to me, trotting around in circles around me. "Oh, we are going to have a great time."

I showed no emotions. He could not know how scared I felt with him standing over me, how nervous I was to have to spend any more time with him then I had to.

Eventually, he stopped, walking back over to Photo Finish. "We have a fine batch of tributes this year, Miss Finish," he told her.

"Vonderful!" she clapped her hooves and jumped up once. "Ooh! Vee are een ze Capitol! Oh, home at last!" Photo ran over to the window and "ooh"-ed and "ah"-ed as if she hadn't seen the Capitol before.

I sighed and ran off, away to my room.

When I got there, I flung myself on the bed, overcome with exhaustion.

I would die soon. I just hope I go easy.

After a few minutes of contemplating my life choices, I heard a knock at the door.

"Go away, Page Turner. Don't want to talk."

The knocking intensified.

"Page Turner!" I lifted myself off of the bed and opened the door.

"I don't want to talk to-" I stopped, staring at the pony in front of me. "A-Ash Wither," I stammered.

"Raven Nightwing."

"Um...hello."

"We're here, sweetheart."

I looked at him, showing no emotions at all.

"Listen, kid. I know you."

"What?"

"I know you. You tutor my niece."

"Oh."

"I know you have a chance of winning this, Raven. You do."

I shook my head. "I have no chance at winning this."

He sighed, exasperated. "No, Raven. Do you know why Twilight Sparkle died in that arena for the first Games?"

This shook me as weird. Why would he bring up Twilight Sparkle? Wasn't she a rebel of the Capitol, put in the Games on purpose?

"Because she didn't listen. She used brute force instead of her wits, and it led to her downfall."

"But didn't you use brute force in your Games?" I replied, a cocky edge to my voice.

"Yes, but I have been training in hoof-to-hoof combat my entire life. All she was doing was studying, reading books and practicing magic. If she used her greatest asset, her intelligence, she would have one straight on."

"What's the point?"

"The point is, use your best skill. I used mine. You use your skill, you have a shot."

"What about Page Turner? What's his skill?"

"Page Turner?" he laughed. "Not a threat. Maybe if the arena's a library, he has a shot. Other than that? Dies in the first day."

He walked out of my room laughing.

I don't like Ash Wither.

~~~~~~

Photo Finish led us out into the Capitol, a crowd forming around us of brightly colored ponies with weird outfits and weird hairstyles. Page Turner followed me, waving to the crowds, with Ash Wither behind him, wearing a snaky smile.

Soon, we were heading through the living quarters of the tributes, passing a few of them. Photo Finish checked the clock hanging on the wall.

"Socialize here until I come back. I must attend to something before ve go een the quarters."

She nodded and scattered off, disappearing in a matter of seconds.

"Well, go ahead, make allies, you two," Ash Wither told us, walking away to go talk to some older-looking ponies.

"Well?" Page asked me, pointing to a group of ponies chatting and laughing.

I nodded to Page Turner, and he followed me to the group. "Hey, guys, um, my name is-"

"Raven Nightwing and Page Turner, District 3. Yes, I know," a light blue colt said. "Yes, I have already decided I want you two as allies, so welcome aboard."

"E-excuse me?" Page Turner inquired.

"My name is Papercraft, from District 7. I'm good at finding who to trust or not."

"Oh...okay, then."

He turned to me. "Raven Nightwing, do we have a deal?"

"S...sure," I told him.

"Great! My second allies!"

"Second?"

A dark green colt with a cowboy hat walked over behind Papercraft, extending a hoof. "'Ello, mates. Mah name is Outback, and it appears 'ere we're allies now."

"Oh...hi, Outback."

"So," I said, breaking the awkward silence. "Who don't we trust, Papercraft?"

He turned around, looking awkwardly at the other ponies. "These ponies over there have created a sort of group. Don't trust them, they have banded against us." he pointed to the loud group a ways off. "There's Bioshock. She's the leader, it appears. Very aggressive, lies a lot. Stay clear from her.

Then there's Medley. Pretty loud, but very agile and a very good killer, prone to killing you in a very...creative way. She loves pranking ponies.

Mousha. She is very good at martial arts and...well, killing ponies.

Spring Charm. Basically just tagging along, because they need him to check out which plants are good or not. Not a big threat.

Eighth Note. Cunning, smart, and amazing with knives. Stay clear of him.

Moon Breeze. Amazing at shooting stuff with a bow and arrow.

And Tuna. Only there to catch fish for them, basically just a stupid servant."

"What about the others?"

"Coldblood: staying in solitude. Big threat. That guy is brutal. But if the arena isn't a pine forest, he'll be uncomfortable.

Camerashy: staying alone too. No threat. That mare is going to be hiding half the time.

Now. Here comes the most dangerous pony out there. Starstorm. That mare has so many different skills, so she's basically a star killer. Stay away from her, but she'll be working alone, which is an advantage to us.

Jockey's working with the mare in his district: Polaris. She's a nice pony, but not a big threat.

Night Mist, well, she's small, and can hide really well. Other than that, not a threat.

Glass Mirror. Only 12, and doesn't even have his cutie mark yet. I say he dies in the first five seconds.

Now, Cherrycloud, I want her to be our allies too. She seems trustable, and she's great with weapons and very crafty. That's all I know about right now."

"That's amazing."

"I know, right? Now, let's go find Cherrycloud."

Cherrycloud, as it was, was standing over by an edge of the big palace-like room, fiddling with some string. She recognized Papercraft right away.

"Hi!" She said, excitedly.

"Hi," I replied. "We were wondering, if, um, you would want to be our ally."

"You want me? Why?"

"Because Papercraft told us you were great and a must-have ally," Page Turner cut in, smiling at her.

"Oh, really? Okay!"

"Welcome aboard, mate," Outback told her, the cowboy hat on his head tipping a bit.

"We need a fighter," I told Papercraft. "Another fighter."

Papercraft scrunched up his face. "Well, she's not an amazing fighter, but she will do."

He waved over to a pegasus who flew over here at a unique speed. "Hey guys!" she said cheerfully.

"Hi, Nightshade!" Papercraft greeted. "So, um, we were wondering if you would like to be part of our ally group, if you'd like."

Nightshade stepped back, thinking. After a minute or so, she stood up tall, and said, "I accept."

I smiled. "Great!"

"Need another fighter?" Papercraft asked me, as if I was leading the group.

"Nope," I replied. "We're fine."

"Yeah," Outback replied. "All these so-called "fighters" are mares, mate. Mares can't fight."

"Excuse me?" I asked, putting my face close to his, staring him straight in the eye. "You do not know who you're talking to, mate."

"Whoa, whoa, there, girl, I didn't mean it that way. I've fought plenty 'a mares before, but non-of-'em were as good as a nice colt."

"Watch your mouth, Aussie," I warned him, then, following Page Turner, walked over to Photo Finish, who was waving to us from the elevator.

~~~~~~

"So," Ash Wither started while we sat down at the dinner table, being fed to the brim with delicious, amazing foods. "Made any allies, you two?"

"Yes," I replied in a monotone. "Three. Papercraft from District 7, Outback from District 10, Nightshade from District 10, and Cherrycloud from District 2."

Ash Wither laughed. "Silly me, I thought you guys were in the Career group."

"What's a Career?" Page Turner asked.

"A Career is a mentally unstable, psycho killing machine. They're cunning, smart, and wickedly good with weapons. Trained killers, basically," Ash told him, his voice sounding snarky, as if he was amused about our deaths.

"So you mean yourself?" I told him, my voice getting louder.

He looked at me. "Sweetie, I was working alone. I didn't trust any of those Careers in my Games, and look where it brought me. You should do the same." He straightened, looking at Page Turner. "Do you know who are the Careers so far?"

He gulped. "Bioshock, the leader. Medley, Mousha, Spring Charm, Eighth Note, Moon Breeze."

"Buck," Ash Wither said, getting stern looks from Photo Finish. "You guys have no chance against them. They are amazing at killing. I saw their Reapings. Half of them volunteered, guys. Literally." He sighed again.

I stood up. "Thank you for the meal, but I have to go now."

Pushing in my chair behind me, I extended my wings and flew over to my room, plopping down on the bed.

~~~~~~

"Raven!" Ash Wither called, shaking me. "Wake up, Raven!"

I moaned. Had I fallen asleep? "What do you want?" I asked him, suddenly aware that he was in my bedroom. I shot straight up, my head banging against the headboards.

"Relax, woman. I'm just here to tell you that Photo Finish wants you up to go get ready for the chariot rides."

"Oh."