The Canterlot Games

Twilight opened her eyes. She sighed; not wanting to get up because she knew what today was. There were bad days but today was a day of reaping. That's how today got its name. The Reaping Day.

It had been exactly twenty-four years since Celestia officially brought totalitarianism into Equestria. Twilight still always wondered what pushed Celestia into her current stage. She used to be so peaceful Twilight thought.

She reluctantly got up and woke Spike up. "Spike! Come on! Wake up! Today is Reaping Day and you got to get ready!"

Spike mumbled. "Ehhh, who cares? I mean what are the chances of us getting picked?"

"I care! If you can't remember, we have to be there or we're dead!" Twilight became impatient. "I'm disappointed in your remark. Even if the chances of us getting picked is slim, we still have to wish the other town our sympathy." Twilight's horn began to glow.

Magically Spike's basket rose up and flipped. Spike fell to the floor. He grumbled.

"Now get ready." Twilight ordered. Spike shook his head as he pulled himself to the bathroom.

Twilight looked out of her bedroom window. She could see Town Hall in the distance and the preparations being mad. A large television screen was being placed above the podium of the building. Ponies were already beginning to gather around in the square.

Twilight and Spike strolled down the main street of Ponyville. Many ponies were walking in their direction, looking like a march. Twilight turned to look at Sugarcube Corner and saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake walk out without Pinkie Pie. Twilight grew curious.

"Hold on Spike, I'm gonna check out Pinkie." She alerted him.

Spike shrugged. "Alright I'll see you there then." He continued walking.

Twilight entered the store and heard Pinkie in the kitchen. "Pinkie?"

Pinkie's head popped out. "Yeah? Oh hey Twilight!"

"What are you still doing here?" Twilight asked. "You're gonna be late."

"Oh! I know! I'm just trying to finish baking this cake!" Pinkie explained. "I just wanna host a party after the Reaping so I can make everypony feel better."

"But what if we get chosen?"

"Oh come on Twi! Do you really think that we're gonna be so unlucky to get chosen? There's hundreds, and I mean hundreds, maybe even thousands of villages in Equestria, so how can we be chosen out of all of them?!" Pinkie used her run-on voice as usual, making Twilight try to catch up.

"Well alright then." Twilight said, still not convinced. "I just have a bad feeling this morning."

"Well, my Pinkie senses haven't acted up yet!"

"But your sense are only for things that we wouldn't even think of happening."

"Oh silly Twitwi!" Pinkie shook her head.

"Twitwi?" Twilight looked unimpressed.

"Just better hope that Rainbow and Applejack have enough time convincing Fluttershy to come out."

She was right Twilight thought. Every year Rainbow Dash and Applejack have to convince Fluttershy to go to the Reaping because she was so afraid every year. "Well I'll see you at Town Hall then, Pinkie."

"Okey dokey lokey!" Pinkie cheerfully said as she headed back to the kitchen.

Twilight exited Sugarcube Corner and glanced around for Spike. "Spike! Spike?!" Twilight grumbled. "Not again!" She rushed to Town Hall.

There ponies gathered in front of the podium. Twilight pushed her way through the crowd. "Spike! Spike, where are you?!" Her eyes widen and she saw a purple tail with green scales. "Aha!" She moved up next to him. "Spike! I told you to wait for me back there! You had me worrying sick!"

Spike nodded. He looked down. "Sorry, today is just not my day."

"I understand that Spike, but you still shouldn't be rude." Twilight said sternly. She scanned the ground and saw Rainbow and Applejack pushing a crying Fluttershy to the crowd. She also saw Pinkie Pie jumping into the back of the crowd. At the other side of the crowd she saw Rarity still combing Sweetie Belle's mane.

Suddenly the television screen burst on. It displayed the new Equestrian Seal, which instead of having Celestia and Luna around the sun and moon, it was Celestia with her winds spread open around the sun and moon. The national anthem was playing with it, every verse beginning with "The Solar Empire. Towards a brighter future..."

When the anthem finished playing, the famous and beautiful Fleur de Lis tapped the microphone on the podium. She cleared her voice. "Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Happy Canterlot Games! Today is the day we have the lottery on which village will become the next participant in the Canterlot Games! Now our great Princess Celestia has chosen Ponyville as our destination to host the lottery this year! So I'm sure you must all be so excited!"

She received the most dull and quiet response. On the television screen were three parallel shots of different villages and its residences gathered up together. The shots changed to different villages at times. Fleur de Lis kept her smile. "Anyway the time has come to select the village that will be competing in the Games, so all you ponies out there in Equestria, I give you this message! May the odds be ever in your favor!"

Twilight and Spike exchanged stares.

Fleur de Lis headed over to a large bowl with hundreds, maybe thousands, of paper slips. Her horn began to glow as the slips of paper inside moved around. She shuffles around for a few seconds until she levitates a single slip from the bowl. "Here, we have a town waiting to be transformed." Fleur explained, excited. She walked back up to the podium to face the crowd. "A'hem." Fleur opened the slip of paper and read. "Ponyville!"

Twilight's heart stopped. Spike's mouth was agape.

Twilight began breathing much faster, she turned to look at Rainbow, Applejack, and Fluttershy. She could see Fluttershy in shock, shivering. Rainbow and Applejack give each other plain expressions.

"Wow! This is the first time we hosted a lottery in a village, and had that same village compete!" Fleur exclaimed. She tried to keep her smile, but all she received was silence.

On the television screen it showed other ponies in other villages raising a single hoof up in an acute angle towards the screen. Ponies around Equestria were always using this gesture as a sign of sympathy and empathy.

Everypony in Ponyville raised their hooves back.

Fleur glanced at the other Canterlot ponies behind her, who shook their heads. Fleur became nervous. "Well now! I believe it is time for us to move on, shall we?" Her voice was more shaky. "We can have everypony proceed to the distribution center now, the peace guards will escort each group of ponies to their respected locations now.

Twilight began to drag Spike along. "Come on, I want to be in the same group as Rainbow and the others!"

"What's the point?! We're all going to die anyway!" Spike yelled, he began to tear up.

"Spike, don't talk like that. Even if its true, don't you wanna spend your days with your friends?" Twilight tried to convince.

Spike sighed. He wiped his tears off. "Fine..."

Twilight and Spike ran to join Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rarity, the CMC, and a few other ponies. Each group gathered up in squared shapes. There were ten groups in total. Each group consisted of at least twenty-four ponies.

Two huge trains rested at Ponyville Station. One was shining white, the other was a beautiful shade of blue.

The head Peaceguard stop in front of the ten groups. "Alright!" He yelled in a demanding voice. "I want five groups distributed to Train One, that is the white train! The other five groups will be in Train Two, the blue train! Got that?! I wanna see haste!"

The groups of ponies orderly entered the trains in an organized fashion.

Twilight and her group entered the white train. Inside everypony gasped. Luxury was at its finest, from gourmet food to comfy seating, the interior of the train was much like a paradise.

Once everypony was inside, the trains began to move. The tracks led to seperate directions. Twilight could see the distance between them and the blue train grow.

"Well now!" Twilight turned to see Fleur approaching them as she spoke. "Your group will be recognized as Group Red. This train car is your threshold, but in under no circumstances are you allowed to enter the other groups' car, is that understood?"

Everypony nods. Fleur smiles kindly. "Now since the serious part is done, why don't we all have a moment to relax and enjoy this special treat that Canterlot has given you?" Everypony looks around the magnificent scenery. "I know, that you see these upcoming days as your last, but I always say, even if that is true, I believe that you all at least have a time to enjoy this beauty."

Everypony was still quiet. Not even Rarity spoke a single word, and luxury was her middle name. Fleur sighed. "Okay then, why don't we all proceed to our sleeping quarters then?"

Twilight entered an empty room, without talking to nopony. Spike followed. "Oh! I must add," Spike and Twilight turned to Fleur who spoke, "only one pony per room."

"Well he's not a pony as you can see." Twilight said in a rude tone. She let Spike in and shut the door.

"Spike get some rest." Twilight ordered.

"But it's still day.."

"Just do as I say!" Twilight screamed.

Spike was taken aback. Twilight sighed. "Sorry, Spike... I don't know what got into me..."

Spike ran up to hug her. "I'm scared too." He admitted.

A tear ran down Twilight's cheek as she looked out the window, seeing the outline of Ponyville become smaller and smaller as they head on to Canterlot.