It was a pleasant morning, the sun was shining, the birds were singing. But there was one terrible thing today.
The Reaping
Rainbow Dash awoke with sun coming in through her window, her eyes were red. She got up and remembered.
"Today is the reaping!" She said worryingly, she rushed outside and saw that the town square had a stage prepared.
"Oh no..." "I hope my friends or worse me get picked." She said quietly. She flew down to the ground and walked to Applejack's.
"Howdy partner!" Said Applejack. "Hey Applejack, we gotta go." Rainbow Dash said. "Why?" Applejack asked.
"The reaping is today...." Rainbow Dash said.
Applejack had a grim look in her eyes. She walked over to RD and put her hoof on her shoulder.
"Good luck." She said.
They walked to Sugarcube corner to see Pinkie pie.
Sugarcube corner didn't look the same, it no longer had its festive look but instead it had a dark grim look.
Black streamers flowed from the doors and windows, and Pinkie Pie sat on a small mahogany stool on her porch.
Pinkie Pie had her hair combed down and was silently sobbing into a tissue.
"Whats wrong Pinkie?" Said Rainbow Dash.
"Today is the reaping, I might lose one of you." Pinkie said quietly.
"Don't be worried. We each only have our name in 4 times." Said Rainbow Dash
They walked over to the town square where a lot of mares ponies and colts had arrived.
Looking through the crowd Rainbow Dash spotted the rest of the gang.
"Come on, I see them." Said Rainbow Dash.
"Hi...." Fluttershy said quietly.
"Howdy sugarcube!" Said Applejack.
Rainbow Dash thought for a moment.
If Fluttershy or Rarity gets picked I have to volunteer! They can't win!
"Hope that we don't get picked!" Said Rarity.
The Peacekeepers started rounding off ponies into pens according to age, their outfits were similar to that of the old royal
guard uniforms, but now it was sleek shiny white.
Fleur De Lis walked onto the stage.
"Figures she would be from the capitol..." Muttered Rarity.
"Welcome ladies and colts! This is the 74th annual Hunger Manes!" Fleur De Lis said excitedly.
"We will begin reaping as usual, ladies first!" She said reaching into a glass ball filled with tiny papers.
Everyone anticipated this moment as she pulled out a paper.
"Rainbow Dash"
Her heart dropped, Rainbow Dash felt terrible.
"Well, don't be shy!" Fleur said. "Get up here!"
Rainbow Dash nervously walked through the crowd onto the stage.
"Ladies and colts, your female tribute!" Fleur said raising Rainbow Dash's hoof into the air.
"Now for the colts." Fleur said with a smile.
Rainbow Dash was worried, whoever's name came out, she would have to kill to live!
"Big Macintosh"
Big Macintosh slowly walked up onto the stage, while Applejack was sobbing.
"Your male tribute!" Fleur said while raising up Big Mac's hoof.
"May the odds be ever in your favor!"
Rainbow Dash and Big Macintosh were hurried into the mayor's house to say final goodbyes.
There has been only 1 victor from Ponyville, Silver Midnight.
He would have to teach them how to survive in the arena, but for now back to the goodbyes.
The pony gang, (Excluding Spike and Applejack) had gathered around Rainbow Dash to say farewell.
Fluttershy walked up to Rainbow Dash and handed her a pin.
"Take this....it will remind you of us." Fluttershy said.
Rainbow Dash looked at it, it was a small golden rabbit hopping through a bush.
A single tear ran down Rainbow Dash's face and fell onto the pin.
"Thank you...." Rainbow Dash said sobbing.
"I hope you won't be the one to have to kill Big Macintosh, Applejack would be furious!" Said Twilight.
"I won't even try." Said Rainbow Dash.
"I'll make sure to watch everyday!" Said Pinkie Pie.
"Don't become a monster like the rest, stay elegant." Said Rarity.
"Times up." Said a peacekeeper with a brown mane and a orange body, as he ushered the ponies out.
"See ya later...." Said Rainbow Dash quietly.
Two more peacekeepers came and took Rainbow Dash to the train station.
Cameras were everywhere and Rainbow Dash was right beside Big Macintosh.
"Sorry It had to be this way." Said Rainbow Dash.
"Eeyup." Said Big Macintosh.
The train they were boarding was beautiful! It had silver cars with gold inlaid on the roof and windows.
Fleur De Lis walked with them and got on the train.
"Better enjoy the sweet life while you can, you're heading to your immediate death!" Said Fleur with a smirk.
They started to explore the train.
"Here we have the dining room." Fleur said. It was beautiful!
The table stretched across the whole cart, it was oak and had a gorgeous velvet table cloth.
"Soft." Said Rainbow Dash while feeling the clothe.
"Yes, this is how life is in the capitol, elegance and beauty." Said Fleur.
"Ya'll done live in trains?" Asked Big Macintosh.
"No." Said Fleur with a tone that most likely meant she was annoyed by his question.
"Well you better meet your mentor! He's in the next cart."
Rainbow Dash and Big Macintosh opened the door into the next cart and saw him.
Silver Midnight. He was, like his name silver. But his eyes were black and had a burning passion.
He was on the floor, in a pool of his own throw up with an empty bottle of vodka in his hoof.
"Seriously? This guy is more likely to get us killed!" Said Rainbow Dash.
"Huh, what?" Said Silver Midnight waking up.
"GET UP!" Yelled Rainbow Dash.
"So your the tributes that i'm teaching so that you can be sent to death this year?" Said Silver Midnight.
"Eeyup." Said Big Macintosh.
"Why should I? You're just going to die anyway." Said Silver Midnight lazily.
"Because it's your job!" Said Rainbow Dash impatiently.
"Fine." Said Silver Midnight.
"But If I'm teaching you, you have to listen to EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING that I say."
"Got it." Said Rainbow Dash.
"Eeyup." Said Big Macintosh.
"One last word of advice." Said Silver Midnight. "Don't die."
"Well duh! I'm not stupid, just because I am a girl doesn't mean I have any less chance of winning!" Rainbow Dash said angrily.
"Just saying!" Silver Midnight said.
"Well, I'm starved!" Exclaimed Big Macintosh.
Rainbow Dash looked at him. That was the first actual sentence she had heard out of him. Ever.
"Well lets get some grub then!" Rainbow Dash said.
They made their way through the cart they were in.
It had two doors on each end and had couches lining the walls, a HD TV hung on the east side of the cart.
The door made a creaking noise when it opened, stepping into another room Rainbow Dash saw Big Mac drooling.
"Don't get too excited, I bet that food is for Fleur." Muttered Rainbow Dash.
There was a table in the middle of the cart lined with extravagant foods. A golden brown turkey and cranberry sauce dominated the middle of the table.
"Help yourself! It's for all of us." Fleur said stepping through a door on the opposite side of the cart.
Big Mac went straight to the turkey and took a big bite out of a stuffing filled leg.
Rainbow Dash went for the other leg, it was the most amazing thing she had ever tasted.
The flavor bursting through her was a mouth watering combination of stuffing and turkey.
"Just the right amount of both!" Said Rainbow Dash.
They ate for another hour completely devouring the rest of the turkey and a bowl of pudding that also lied on the table.
"Man, I'm stuffed! I couldn't take another bite for the life of me." Rainbow Dash said whilst rubbing her belly.
"There's a lot of good stuff to eat at Canterlot, I mean the Capitol. It just gets better from here!." Fleur exclaimed.
"I gotta chow down before I'm killed in the arena, this is the best food I've had for awhile!" Rainbow Dash said anxiously.
"It's not going to last long..." Fleur said.
"Doesn't mean I can't enjoy it while I have it!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly.
"Well, eating time is over you still need to learn more from your mentor." Fleur said.
"That lazy drunk? He hasn't taught us anything! All he does is mumble and yell at us to get him ice!" Rainbow Dash said.
"He said he needed you, so get going!" Fleur said.
Rainbow Dash and Big Mac mumbled as they walked through the carts to get to Silver Midnight's room.
"Hello?" Asked Rainbow Dash while knocking on the door.
They could hear mumbling from the inside.
"What do you want?" Silver Midnight said lazily.
"Fleur said you wanted to see us." Rainbow Dash said.
"Oh yeah, I'll be out in a sec." Silver Midnight replied.
CRASH!
"God dammit! Spilled whiskey on my mane!"
CRASH!
"Ummmm, you okay in there?" Asked Rainbow Dash.
"I'm fine, there's just a fuck ton of bottles in here!" Silver Midnight said angrily.
Finally the door opened to reveal the floor cover with bottles of all shapes and sizes, a part of his mane was blue.
Rainbow Dash failed to repress a giggle as Silver Midnight stepped out of the clutter.
"What are you laughing at!" Silver Midnight yelled, obviously drunk.
"Never mind, we'll come back later." RD said.
"No, we have to d-*hiccup* o this now." He said.
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They were all sitting at a table, Silver finally sobered up after 2 hours.
"Sponsors." Said Silver Midnight.
"What?" Asked RD.
"You know those silver parachutes that drop from the sky?" Asked Silver.
Rainbow Dash watched The Hunger Manes every year. It was required. Occasionally there would be a silver parachute and box that usually contained some sort of weapon or medicine or food.
"That's where they come from?" Asked Rainbow Dash.
"Yeah, and you two will need them." Said Silver Midnight.
"Sure would be nice for some apples while I'm out there." Said Big Mac.
"I'm sure we can do that." Silver said.
"We need to make an appearance for you two." He said. "That way you can get plenty of sponsors."
"Your stylist Cinnamon will help you with that."
"Stylist? You mean I have to dress up all fancy for this? I thought we just killed other ponies!" Rainbow Dash said.
"There's a lot more to The Hunger Manes then that. You need to have class." Silver said.
"You'll meet your preparation team when we get to the capitol." "But for now you just need to bulk up."
"Oh yeah, one last thing. You don't get your wings."
"WHAT?!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"Calm down, you get them back after the arena. If you survive." Silver Midnight said.
"But, I need my wings!" Rainbow Dash said worryingly.
"That's why your going to train without your wings before you go into the arena. When we get to the capitol they'll be gone."
"Man, that's bogus." Rainbow Dash said.
"You'll do fine." Silver said. "Big Mac, you haven't said a word this whole time! Got something on your mind? Silver asked.
"I'm more of a listener." Big Mac said.
"I like that, don't have to listen to a bunch of bickering from you." Silver said.
"Whats that supposed to mean?" Rainbow Dash said angrily.
"It means that you irritate me." Silver said.
"Whatever." Rainbow Dash said, leaving the cart.
"Whats her deal?" Silver asked.
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