The Equestrian Hunger Games - Act I: Reigning Darkness

Sparkler lay in her own room, rewatching the videos of the other reapings. She had already identified the would-be dangers. Five of them, to be exact.  She also noticed some of them who surely caught her attention, the you filly from Eleven and the mare from Five who ended by standing on two legs and cheered, screaming that she would miss all of them and she’ll see them in Heaven. Yeah, maybe that Lyra mare was just crazy.

Still, she noticed some other ponies that the others might not really take into account without further inspection, being a huntress had made her keen to these small things.

First was a mare from Four, who had a mysterious cutie mark. It was a hammer with sparks of electricity. According to the video, her name was Mjolna. Just what in the world did that make her talent?

There was also a stallion from Six, probably sixteen judging by his five o’ clock shadow. He was a pegasus wearing a black cap who goes by the name of Boxxy Brown. She didn’t know why, but this stallion seemed powerful.

That was it, she guessed. These two ponies also entered her mental list of ponies to look out for. She still had a few more minutes before she had to go out for lunch, which she didn’t have the stomach for. The train trip was going to last for an entire day since Twelve was so far away from Canterlot, but that didn’t matter. Sparkler knew she was going to wish the ride was longer when she reaches Canterlot.

To spend time, Sparkler tried to practice her magic, knowing her weakness towards that certain aspect. Her strongest spell had always been levitation, which all foals already know how to do. Still, that sudden burst of magic that allowed her to teleport earlier was still pretty cool, and she wished she knew how to control it.

She looked at her Cutie Mark, three diamonds. Most ponies questioned what it meant, since Rarity had the same one and her special talent was fashion. Sparkler was anything but fashion. In fact, most ponies didn’t even know how she got her Cutie Mark. Nopony asked her to tell them, though, fearing their health. The only pony who knew was Braeburn, and that was because he was there.

Knock knock

Well, there goes her resting time.

Sparkler trotted to the door and opened it up with her magic, seeing a smiling Caramel standing there. He had long taken off his reaping clothes, and had let his mane go back to its original, uncombed state.

‘Well, he does look better this way’  thought Sparkler before coming to a realisation ‘What the buck did I just think?!’

“Hey, wanna go eat lunch?” Caramel said before getting punched in the face by Sparkler

“We’re supposed to go, dumbass” Sparkler said as she trotted away “And wipe that damn smile off your face! We’re going to a massacre!”

“Well, at least it’s better than going on a suicide mission” Caramel said, hoping to lighten up the atmosphere

“Knowing District Twelve’s losing streak, we ARE going on a suicide mission” replied Sparkler, opening the door that led to the dining carriage

That was when she stopped dead in her tracks. Caramel himself bumped into her, apologising before finally looking at the dining carriage. The sight made him stare wide eyed as well. The carriage was covered by all kinds of beautiful and elegant furniture and was carpeted. The tables were made of the finest of wood and a chandelier hung from the ceiling. Food of every shapes and sizes littered on the tables, just itching to be eaten.

“All this fancy-shmancy stuff, and Nightmare Moon couldn’t even bother to feed the poorer districts” Caramel said with a sigh “What do you think, Spa-”

He stopped talking when he saw his fellow tribute stuffing her mouth with food. She has been eating meat most of her life, so this much fruits and vegetables had easily made her fall for her gluttony. She finally sat down on a chair, a tray full of food in front of her. Beside her sat Berry Punch, holding a bottle of wine and hiccupping madly. Somewhere close by, a few more bottles must be hidden, Caramel knew it. After all, he had to go and interview the mare once during a school project, one that he wished he would have chosen another pony as his subject.

Trixie sat further off, reading pieces of paper as she used her magic (obviously, showcasing her “great magical prowess” by making it as bright and lively as possible) to feed herself some cakes. She had her typical smug grin on her face, but didn’t seem to be in the mood. She had a sort of distant expression, and was probably thinking of something. Caramel didn’t want to disturb her, so he just went to the table and picked his food. Sadly, he too was consumed by his hunger and picked up an entire tray full of food.

Before long, he was seated next to Sparkler and was digging in, making the two look like a pair of hungry pigs. Berry, probably still drunk, sneered at the thought and fell onto the floor, earning no sense of worry from the other ponies in the carriage. She then stood up and trotted over to the trash can, throwing away the bottle before picking up a cupcake and trot back to the two tributes’ table. Their trays were already empty, and Sparkler was taking even more food. Caramel was too full to move.

Berry Punch sighed at the two ponies’ antics and threw the cupcake at Caramel, making him jump. He looked at the mare questioningly before Berry Punch asked how the food tasted.

“They were delicious!” stated the stallion “I’ve never had anything like it!”

“Same” chimed in Sparkler

“Well, you guys better get ready to puke it all out” Berry Punch said, earning confused looks from the two younger ponies “You know, when we reach Canterlot. You’ll hate it there if you think back to Ponyville… District Twelve, I mean”

The two ponies looked at each other nervously before looking back at their trainer. It was true; she was quite wise and had a nasty way of telling the truth. However, it didn’t make the two of them any less worried.

“So, got any tips in the arena?” Caramel finally said “You know, for survival”

Berry Punch pondered this question for a while. It was obvious that she knew what to say, she has been helping other tributes for eight years, this being her ninth.  She then placed a knowing hoof on Caramel’s hoof, making the stallion blush slightly. That was when Berry’s signature drunk grin reappeared on her face and she stabbed a fork at Caramel’s hoof, or where it used to be since he managed to pull it back in time.

“Be sharp” she said “Don’t get distracted, kid”

She then threw a knife at Sparkler, which she dodged as fast as she could, but still managed to get her mane.

“Be quick and follow your reflexes, Hawkeye” Berry Punch continued on

“Hawkeye?” Sparkler asked, never hearing that nickname before

“Well, you’re good with that bow, right?” said Berry matter-of-factly “Everypony in Ponyville… District Twelve knows that”

“Whatever, freak”

She was then met by another knife to the mane which barely grazed her ear.

“Sharp and quick, Hawkeye!”

“HEY!” yelled Trixie from the other side of the carriage “Nopony from the Capitol said you could destroy their property!”

“And when did you ever like them?” said Berry Punch as she trotted drunkly to the mare in question “You hate them just as much as I do, ever since your first day working nine years ago!”

Not wanting to be involved in another one of their fights, the two tributes quickly got up and bolted for the door. They almost closed the door when Trixie came flying through it, crashing into the two ponies. The unicorn got back up and fixed her hat, walked through the door and slammed it loudly. Now Sparkler was even more worried about her trainer AND Canterlot representative.

“We should leave them be, wait till they calm down” Caramel said “They should calm down by dinner tonight”

“We’ll be at Canterlot tomorrow, you scared?” Sparkler asked with a sly smirk

“Terrified” admitted Caramel “especially since Bon-Bon’s rooting on you for winning”

“Wait, she what?”

“She said that you’re a fighter, and you had a great chance of winning this year’s Hunger Games. Although, she never really said it like that. It’s more like she-”

“Covered it up by saying something kind and motherly, hoping to keep your feelings in check and not hurt them”

“You know her all too well”

“I lived with her for a few years myself”

“So I’m told. I came when I was about nine. Lost my parents in that mine explosion…”

Sparkler wanted to tell Caramel about Bon-Bon’s visit to her, but thought better of it. Instead, she just said she needed to go back to her room and waved goodbye to her fellow tribute. Caramel was the fifth pony she could talk to without much hesitation and worry. She was just sorry she had to kill him soon. Oh well, that’s how the circle of life goes, right?

The other events of the day went by like a blur, probably because nothing much really happened besides Berry Punch’s drunk singing during dinner that made both tributes laugh hysterically but only managed to make Trixie pissed off. She then left quite early, skipping desert. Caramel couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in the mare’s mind, especially since she always seemed to be so distant as if she was thinking of something important. Maybe a past memory, or something depressing. It wasn’t like Trixie at all to look like this, and Caramel has seen all of the Games which involved Trixie being Canterlot representative, and she was as loud and obnoxious as ever.

The next day, Sparkler woke up for breakfast to find Caramel having a heated conversation with Berry Punch. Berry kept asking him on survival tactics which Caramel answered back with great precision, only for it to be pulled down by a counter-strategy by Berry. Trixie sat nearby, drinking a milkshake as she tried to block out the two ponies’ ramblings with her magic.

“What I miss?” Sparkler asked

“She said somepony could sneak up on me when I have a trap set up in front of a cave at night, but that’s impossible since the cave’s freakin’ trapped!” Caramel yelled

“And I say the trap could be disabled especially if the other pony was a skilled one” Berry said lazily

“Pfft, I would have slept in the corner with a camouflage, with a trap to boot” Sparkler piped up

“What if it’s a unicorn with a sensing spell, Hawkeye?” asked Berry

“Stop calling me that!”

Caramel was going to say something else but stopped when the train passed through a tunnel, blocking the light outside and making the carriage considerably darker. When the train had left the tunnel, the two tributes shared another moment of awed amazement. They had just reached Canterlot, and it was much more beautiful than on the screens back home.

“Seriously, why couldn’t anypony end world hunger with all this money?!” Caramel yelled but was met with no response

They then passed through a train station, seeing hundreds, maybe thousands of ponies in bright colourful clothing waving to them. Caramel waved back happily but Sparkler only ducked her head down. She was slightly scared already.

“What’s up?” Berry Punch asked

“Hate crowds…” Sparkler said silently

Berry Punch handed her a knife and trotted away. She said that she should use that to gain the Canterlot ponies’ attentions and get some sponsors, seeing her terrible personality when speaking with others. Sparkler, enraged by Berry Punch’s cynical remark, threw the knife with all her might. It stuck to the wall a few inches away from Berry.

“That’s the spirit!” Berry said “Now go out there and fight!”