The First Equestrian Games.

by S. K. RyDer

Rating: teen
Tags: Fluttershy, Adventure, Crossover, Doctor Whooves, Princess Luna, Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 18129

Six males. Six females. Six cities. One victor.

Published 2012-05-29 05:54:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-10 02:54:08 UTC

Prolouge: Pitches

“All rise!” The white clergy looked around, “Princess Celestia of the Sun, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of Love, and Prince FoxTrot of the Shadows residing.”

The doors enveloped in two different auras as the two guards swung them inward, revealing three tall figures.

One was pure white with gold adornments and a billowing mane ranging from cotton-candy violet to bright teal. Her violet eyes allayed compassion and truth to all present. Her gait was slow and deliberate, as if she had something weighing on her shoulders. She gave a weak, almost strained smile as she struggled to keep up with her niece.

The next one, about a head-and-a-half shorter, had a bright pink coat, darker violet mane with pink and yellow that, though lacking the flowing quality of her aunts’, had almost the same kind of magic to it, being in a state that moved as she trotted to the front. She trotted in with a small bounce to her gait, allowing herself to smile around at the multi-colored ponies that took up around the area.

The final one, Prince FoxTrot, having just been inaugurated after seventeen years in Ponyville, was slightly taller than Cadance, but shorter than Celestia. His coat was black as night with bits of dark blue, as if he was the embodiment of a cloudy night sky. His dark blue mane, cropped to his shoulders, hung over the patch on his right eye. His chrome black adornments, inlaid with darker silver, clicked against each other as he trotted.

FoxTrot’s eyes wandered to the podium where the royalty sat during meetings and pitches. There were two cup-like seats above all else. That’s where the royal members sat.

There were two smaller ones diagonally down from the higher two. That’s where the secondary members sat.

Then there was the larger cup in the very middle of the four others. That’s where the Captain of the Royal Guard sat. In case things got to rowdy.

As Celestia took her position at the top, FoxTrot and Cadance took their respective positions underneath her. Her voice rang clear and strong through the courtroom as she spoke.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts of the jury! This pitch meeting is now in order!”

FoxTrot’s smirk turned into a genuine grin, showing whitish-yellow teeth in his black mouth. “If I may, dear sister?” he leaned across to Cadance, “But where is Luna?”

Cadance shrugged, “Probably taking her time getting here. It DOES involve her, your plan.

“Permission granted.” Princess Celestia nodded, “As long as FoxTrot and Cadance allow it.”

The two started, “Yeah.” FoxTrot gave a half-way believable smile, “Yeah, go ahead.”

“Seconded.” Cadance blushed, her pink cheeks taking on a characteristic scarlet.

“Very well.” Celestia looked back towards the violet-blue stallion in the center of the floor, “You may have access to the Circular Gardens from ten to five in the afternoon, on your prescribed evenings.”

After an hour and a half of ponies pitching different needs and ideas, interrupted only by Luna’s sudden arrival, FoxTrot’s heart quickened with anticipation.

“Very well.” Celestia looked around, “If that is all with you fair folk, we will now allow Royal Members’ pitches.”

FoxTrot stood, “If I may, Dear Sisters, I would like to pitch the ideas of an Equestria-wide set of games.”

Luna looked down at her brother, teal eyes searching away, “And what are the rules and synopses of these games?”

FoxTrot’s smile broke into a grin, “Simple; six ponies from six different cities will be thrown into a pseudo-realistic arena, where they try to find a victor.”

“Six random, or do you have an idea?”

“There will be three Mares, three Stallions. Two Earthen, two Pegasi, two Unicorns, from six Canterlot, Cloudsdale, Ponyville, Baltimare, Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and Appleloosa.”

“You’re Highness.” A white Pegasus stood up, “Appleloosa has no Pegasi, much like Clouds--”

“Appleloosa will fill in Earthen and Unicorns for Cloudsdale’s Pegasi.” FoxTrot looked around, “Each city will hold a mandatory raffle where the names of the tributes will be drawn.”

“How will the games go down?” A dark green Earth Pony stood, “What are the points of them?”

FoxTrot smiled, “After drawn, each of the tributes will be transported here where they will be trained. The point of the game?

"Throw them all in the arena, and watch them kill each other.”

A shocked murmur flooded the place. Killing?

FoxTrot looked around, “To make it fair, Royalty will count towards--”

“No!” Luna glared at Skorpeon, “Forgive us, Dear Brother, we do not like the idea of killing, even if we have to do it.”

FoxTrot’s smile vanished, “I know, sister, Rest assured, if your name is drawn, I will protect you.”

“Not if we vote against it.” She said, “Anypony against this pitch?”

A handful of ponies, mainly Earthen, raised their hands. One or two Pegasi slowly did, as if they would be attacked.

Not a single Unicorn raised their hoof.

“Alright.” Princess Celestia looked at her royal entourage, “Royal members?”

Cadance smiled, “Of course. That actually sounds like fun!” Her hoof rose with FoxTrot’s.

Luna sighed, “Please don’t, dear--” Her eyes widened at Celestia’s white hoof above her head.

“You all suck.”

Chapter 1: Obligatory Preliminaries

“Citizens of Equestria:” Twilight read aloud to the circle of ponies gathered at the bridge, “Canterlot Royalty informs you that there will be a mandatory raffle for tributes for the first Equestrian Games.

“Reporting is mandatory. There will be three females taken from your cities, as well as three males. Two Earth Ponies, two Unicorns, two Pegasi

“Good luck, and may the odds be in your favor.”

She leapt from the edge, landing near her five friends.

“Can you believe it?!” Pinkie Pie was jumping around, “Equestrian Games! What do you think they’ll be like?”

“Celestia’s letter wasn’t clear.” Twilight lifted her young assistant onto her back, “It just said that there would be a name-mandatory raffle in two weeks.”

“I think they’d be rather dreamy.” Rarity sighed, “Who knows, there could be a fashion portion in them.”

“Buuuurp!”

“Ow!”

“Heh, sorry Rarity.”

Twilight picked up the letter that escaped from Spike’s usual letter-eruption. “Huh, it’s actually for you Rarity.”

“Por Moi?” A teal aura took the scroll from a lavender one,

Dearest Rarity,

Your assistance is needed for the first Equestrian Games. More specifically, the making of the tributes’ uniforms.

We would like, in three days preferably, you to make three dozen jumpsuits. A dozen of those need to be for Pegasi.
Eighteen of them need smaller waists than the other eighteen, for our female tributes.

They need to be fitted for any size, so we would like jumpsuits that stretch, and then conform to the body size and shape of the tribute wearing them, with a zipper going from above the crotch to the middle of the throat.

Twelve need to be black with a dark red stripe going up the right hind fetlock, around the back, then up to the throat.

Twelve need to be dark grey with a dark blue stripe from the fetlock to the throat

The last twelve need to be chrome black with a dark lavender stripe with the same requirements above.

Boots are to be laced around the middle of the fetlock. All dark grey.

Thank you for your generosity. A Royal Guard will be at your boutique at noon in three days to pick them up.

May you have all the luck in the world.

Prince FoxTrot.

Rarity felt a little woozy. “Thirty-six uniforms? In THREE days? FOR THE EQUESTRIAN GAMES?!”

“Pinkiecatcher!” The pink pony got to the white unicorn in the nick of time, preventing Rarity to hit the ground in a painful manner.

Spike set the scroll down, “These games are going to be the death of ponies!”

What they didn’t know is that he was right.

FoxTrot looked at the assortment of volunteer mentors. “Each of you will be issued a tribute.” He paced in front of the line, “They will be your source of pay. The longer they are in The Games, the more money you will get. Whoever’s tribute wins will get a bonus.”

The solitary green eye wandered over the assortment. “Iron Will!”

“Your Highness?” The Minotaur bent low in a respective bow.

“You will be assigned to the tributes from Ponyville. Brig!”

A baby-violet Unicorn started, “Yes?”

He turned to her, “You will be assigned to the city of Manehattan.”

She nodded, “My brother will help train. If that is alright with you.” She added hastily.

“Go ahead, we need all the help we can get. Hay Pitch!”

A straw-colored Pegasus raised his head, “You will get the tributes from around here.”

He nodded, “I understand my Prince.”

FoxTrot shuddered, “Evergreen and Gilda. You two will collaborate with the contestants from Cloudsdale and
Appleloosa. Faust, you’ll take Fillydelphia.”

A dark green Unicorn, a Gryphon and a white Unicorn snapped to attention at their names, and then nodded at their designated cities.

“Which will leave Meadow Lark with Baltimare.” A tiny Pegasus nodded her grey coat and matching eyes shaking with excitement.

“You will teach them how to defend themselves. Teach them to survive. The other tributes will want to kill them. So will the elements of nature.”

He looked at the six mentors. “You are all dismissed. The raffle will begin tomorrow at one.”

Chapter 2: Choosing of the Tributes A: Canterlot and Ponyville

In the thriving city of Canterlot, the five Royal Members, the Minotaur, and a whole mess of citizens were gathered around six massive glass bowls.

“Alright!” Haypitch’s dark brown fur waved in the wind, “The names I am about to draw out are the names going into the Equestrian Games. If you feel the name not drawn is adequate, you are more than welcome to volunteer in their place. One volunteer per sex and race please.

“First off, in the Males.” He dug around the bowl marked with a Unicorn horn etched into it “We have,” He unfolded the small scrap of paper, “Shining Armor!”

The Captain of the Royal Guard gave a quick kiss to his wife before he trotted to the point where the Minotaur was pointing. “Congratulations, My Liege.”

Shining armor nodded, head snapping forward.

“Earthen Ponies!” He reached into the bowl, stirring around for about a minute before, “Mandarin Orange!”

An orange stallion stood, his silver monocle slipping from his face. He shook his head, and then trotted next to Shining Armor.

“For Pegasi.” The dark brown hand dug around the white specks of paper, “It’s going to be.” His eyes scrunched as he tried to read the hoof writing. “Prince FoxTrot!”

The prince’s black face paled for a moment as he trotted to the front of the podium, taking place next to his brother.

“Now, female.” Haypitch tipped the bowl, trying to mix them up, “Fleur-de-lis!”

A white Unicorn who almost looked like another Royal Member in proportion and grace trotted to the front of the crowd.

Haypitch welcomed her, “Now the Earthen.” He dug around, unfolding the paper that read, “Minuette!”

A Maya-blue Earth Pony trotted to the front, standing next to the four others that had their names drawn.

“And finally.” The dark brown hand reached into the final bowl. “Female Pegasi.” He stirred, everypony’s breath catching in their throats.

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!”

“NO!” Luna leapt from her stand, “No! We refuse to let Cadance into that arena!”

“Her name’s been drawn Moony.” Foxtrot looked at her, “It’s the rules.”

“Then we’ll take her place.” Her violet eyes glowed at her brother, “No sister of ours will go into any games like these!”

Haypitch shrugged, “Then Princess Luna is our female Pegasus tribute.”

Luna glared at FoxTrot, “We will never forgive you for this, FoxTrot.”

The Prince of Shadows hung his head.

“ Alright!” A silver Minotaur was perched on a similar stage, “Everypony will remain quiet until I call out the last tribute’s name! When I call your name, stand up here!”

Iron Will reached into the bowl with a horn,

“Male Earth Pony: Doctor Whooves!”

“Yeah!”

“Female Earth Pony: Bon Bon!”

“Alright!”

“Male Unicorn: Noteworthy!”

“Whoo!”

“Female Unicorn: Octavia!”

“Yes!”

“Male Pegasus: Bumble Bee!”

“Yeeeaaahh!”

“Female Pegasus: Fluttershy!”

“Oh no.”

As the six tributes trotted to the podium, they flashed their appearance off.

A chestnut stallion with an hourglass adorning his flank, a blue-and-pink maned mare with pale yellow with three candies, a navy blue stallion with two notes, a grey mare with a g-clef, a white Pegasus with a dumbbell, and a yellow Pegasus with three butterflies, hiding behind her own mane.

“Let’s hear it for our contestants!”

Chapter 2: Choosing of the Tributes C: Las Pegasus and Fillydelphia

Las Pegasus’ atrium was packed with mares, stallions, and fillies of every race. A few Gryphons peppered the stands, all eager to see who would be chosen.

A pale yellow mare was sitting in a wheelchair at the center, “Thank you, Las Pegasus, for being here tonight. As I call you names, anypony can volunteer in place of the pony drawn. One volunteer per pony.

“First off: Soothsayer!”

“Yeah, go Gruel!” A buffed out stallion trotted to the front, his red eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Wild Fire!”

A beige mare flew to the front, her dark brown mane flowing in the breeze of her fluttering. A huge grin plastered hers, as well as her counterpart’s, face.

“Forrest and Scarlet Worker!” She shrugged, tossing the double name off.

The two made their way through the crowd, their identical red coats flashing about.

“Fortescue!”

A grey balding Unicorn slowly made his way forward. When his glasses fell from his face, he immediately dropped to the ground, groping for them.

“Erm. Okay. Now, Myriad!”

A blue Unicorn smiled, flicking her teal mane away from her face. She trotted past the old Unicorn still fumbling about, and placed a hoof on the stairs.

“Wait!”

Everypony looked to the teenaged Unicorn with the composure of Royalty. “Myriad, if you don’t mind, I would take your place.”

Relief flashed on the first Unicorn’s face as the white one trotted forward at a pace fast enough to cause her brown mane to trail behind her. Again, like royalty.

“Okay. We have our six tributes!” Evergreen took a look at the elderly stallion, finally making it on the stage. Poor guy.

Faust stood over her city, a small smile forming on her lips.

“Happy Equestrian Games!” She said, her bubbly voice carrying over without need of the microphone. “And may the odds EVER be in your favor!
“It is an HONOR, to be here in your fair city and placate six tributes to join us in the first Equestrian games. As I said to Prince FoxTrot when he chose me to become a Mentor to--”

“Get on with it!” Somepony yelled at the Unicorn, impatient to hear who was to play.

“Oh. Okay.” She took a breath, “Well, from the Female Earth Ponies.” A golden aura filled the bowl as she shook it, then the bowl glowed, a single piece of paper flying to the table. She did the same to the others, calling out the sex and race of the bowl.

“Here I have the names of your six tributes!” she said, “Three male, three female. Two Earthen, two--”

“Just read the bucking names!”

“Lightning Rain, Nimbus Flight, Luminosa, Hairspray, Mordrid, and Pot Throw!”

Seven ponies stood, one getting aggressively shoved down by his elder brother. “They say TRIBUTES. Not runts.”

They trotted as one to the front, Star Gazer shooting a look at a crying filly

Chapter 3: Rules are Rules

A white Unicorn trotted to the newly-added room. Her saddlebags bulged thanks to the fact that they were holding far more clothing than they usually did.

She raised a hoof to knock, “Come in Rare.”

Rarity shrugged, pushing the door open. “I have the uniforms Fawkes.”

Skorpeon turned around, “Thank you Rarity.” He took the packages from her, “I appreciate it.”

Rarity smiled, “Always happy to help.”

The fox pulled a uniform from the box marked “Pegasi”, “Spandex-polycarbonate?”

Rarity nodded, “This way, even the buffest stallion or the smallest mare can wear them with comfort and ease.”

Skorpeon set the jumpsuit back in the box. “Did you hear who all was chosen?”

Rarity shook her head, “Just those in Ponyville.”

He sat down, heaving a massive sigh, “Luna and I are to compete. I think even three of the Wonderbolts are in.”

Rarity’s purple mane bobbed, “Fluttershy is Ponyville’s female Pegasus.”

Somepony was knocking at the door, “Your Highness?”

Skorpeon leapt from his chair, landing on all fours. He shook his head, and then tapped something on his wrist.

The door opened, “Princess Luna would like to see you for a moment.”

FoxTrot trotted from the room, “Thank you, Commander.”

Rarity grabbed the boxes in her aura, “Where should I put these?”

FoxTrot turned back to the seamstress, “Put them on the table. Smiles will get them.”

“This is how the games will work!” Princesses Celestia and Cadance stood at the top of the Royal Guard’s armory range, “Thirty-six of you will enter the arena.”

FoxTrot trotted to Fluttershy, “You okay Flutters?”

She nodded, “Yes, I’m okay.”

“You sure? I can see you shaking from the other side of the room.”

“What’s the point of these games?” Fluttershy nuzzled into his shoulder, “I mean, yeah, they’re for deciding who is a victor because of a threat with Grydon, and the victor will lead a force against them, but why us? What are the games going to be?”

FoxTrot nodded to Celestia, “They’ll pitch the plan to us in a moment.”

“… and careful planning, among other things, will decide you fate in The Games. You MUST listen to your mentors. What they say will ensure your survival.”

A slight murmur broke out. Survival?

Cadance looked around, “Yes, you see, the only way we can get through this is if you can survive. Not only will you need to survive the elements, but you also need to survive your fellow tributes.”

More murmuring.

“You see, the Equestrian Games will be a test.” Candace looked at the mass, “to see who can kill without fear, and without being killed himself.”

Fluttershy’s eyes popped from her head. Three Pegasi turned a sickly shade of green. Mares swayed.

“And if we don’t?” A young mare, about a foot to the shoulder, tried to make eye contact with a Royal Member.

“And if you don’t survive? Well, I think that’s called ‘death’.”

“But it’s all for show, right?” A white Pegasus with brown hair spoke out, “I mean, we’re not REALLY going to die, right?”

FoxTrot leapt onto the stage, “Even I have a chance of dying in the arena. No, this will be real killing with real weapons and real blood. If you feel faint, don’t want to kill, or have problems with blood, then too late. You’ve been assigned a position. Take it or take it. Your choice.”

“And if we don’t?” A tan Pegasus with auburn-brown hair, “If we don’t want to take it?”

“What’s your name, ma’am?”

“Wild Fire, your highness.”

“Well, Wild Fire, if you REALLY want to put it that way, you can die in the arena, or you can shame all of Equestria if we don’t kill you now.” He shook his hoof, a silver blade erupting from a device on his foreleg.

All backed up in fear. FoxTrot held his hooves up, “But, hey, if it will make you feel better, I was chosen for this too. You can kill me in the arena, probably easier than you can kill lanky over there.” He gestured to the white Pegasus that spoke out earlier.

“Any way, enough talk.” Celestia opened a door, revealing six people, “Here are your mentors. As I said, you are to listen to everything they have to say. For it may be the last advice that you’ll ever receive.”

Chapter 4: Training and Judging for their deaths

Canterlot’s tributes stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the brown Minotaur.

“Now, Royalty, since you’ve put this together, you know what I’m going to say. The rest of you, listen carefully:

“Thirty-six in the area at the start. There will be provisions and supplies at the start. How they’re positioned, I don’t know. Nopony will until they’re sent out. That is where you want to get as much as you can.

“But, one catch: In three weeks, you are going to be killing machines. As will the others. What I suggest is run. Run, and if there happens to be something you can use in your path, take it. Do not go out of your way to get something you want.

“There will be five tests throughout these weeks:

“Endurance; how long you can last in the arena alone with hardships and pain.

“Skill; how well you can kill, survive, gather resources, or pillage.

“Compassion; or rather, lack thereof. Make allies if you need to, but don’t swear to protect them with their life. It could be the last thing you say.

“Intelligence; if you mess up here, you can try again tomorrow. If you mess up in there, you’ll most likely die.

“And survival. The elements, the tributes, and the creatures will be dead set to kill you. Make them fail.

“The weapons are labeled, marked, and other things so you know what their called and how to use them. You have a week. Use your time wisely.”

FoxTrot and Luna stood side-by side. Shining Armor and Fleur-de-lis were looking around.

“Shall we try fire making?” Fleur turned to the rest of her group, “That’ll be--”

“No. Make a fire, may as well yell ‘we’re over here, come kill us’.” FoxTrot pointed to the armory. “You need to learn to defend yourself if nothing else.” He looked around, “Where are Minuette and Chestnut?”

They looked around, “Don’t tell me.”

FoxTrot sighed, “’Tia, we have two tributes running from the armory.”

Almost instantly, the two missing Earth Ponies fell in a heap at the Prince’s feet.

“You’re in this now, and there’s no getting out of it.” FoxTrot led the group to the far room, “Now come on, one of us has some games to win.”

FoxTrot sighed, flopping next to his teammates. “How did you guys do?”

Luna shook her head, “we tried to show them what magic we are capable of, but the judges didn’t like it. I had to take a sword-based approach.”

“Better than I did.” Fleur-de-lis scoffed, “I tried to show them how flexible I was by taking my jumpsuit off without unzipping it, but they were too busy with their meal to notice. In the end, I threw a knife at them.”

“Did you hit any of them?”

“No, it flew two feet before ricocheting off a wall and hitting me in the hoof.” She held up a bandaged hoof, mildly soaked red with her blood.

FoxTrot jumped to her, “Here, let me heal that.” His hooves glowed, pulsating black and purple. He held a small sphere to the model’s wounded hoof, utilizing the natural energies to knit and fuse the flesh.

“I am not doing it in the arena though.” He warned her.

“I managed to impress them with a spear throw.” Shining Armor shook his growing mane from his eyes, “Hit the dummy in the chest at fifty yards.”

“I find killing a bit too vulgar.” Mandarin scoffed, “So instead, I showed them how to use one of those knives to keep your trousers up.”

FoxTrot and Shining Armor tried to stifle a laugh, “Yeah, because the way to win is to keep your trousers on.”

“We didn’t fare better than Fleur.” Luna leaned into FoxTrot, “We managed to make one arrow hit the target out of fifty.”

FoxTrot placed an arm around his sister. “Don’t worry. If it kills me, I’m going to protect you as much as I can.”

“What about you, Fawkes?” Shining Armor leaned to make eye contact with the Prince of Shadows, “How did you do?”

“I took one of the dummies and showed them there are more than one way to skin a pony.” He grinned, “Cupcakes anyone?”

The rest shuddered. As kind as he was, FoxTrot was… dark at times.

“Hey!” Orange pointed a hoof to the screen after an eternity of silence, “They’re showing the scores!”

All clambered onto the couch, trying to see the screen.

“The collective scores of the tributes in the Equestrian games.” Princess Celestia was levitating a scroll in her yellow
aura, “How the scores work: The lower the number, the better the score. Ten is the worst, one is the best.

“From Cloudsdale and Appleloosa:”

A white Pegasus stallion with a navy blue mane flashed on the screen, “Soarin’: Five”

A brown stallion with a black moustache took Soarin’s place: “Silver Starr: Six“

The next stallion had pitch black hair and a dark grey coat. “Thunder: Six”

A white Pegasus with a white mane, “Rapid Fire: Three”

A light lime mare with white hair, “Lilly: Five”

A dark grey Unicorn with fire-red hair, “Fire Flinger: One”

FoxTrot’s eyes widened, sensing his teammates’ shock, “Nopony mess with her.”

“From Manehattan;”

A purple stallion with a lighter purple mane, “Sympathy: Eight”

A blue stallion with black mane, “Ress: Nine.”

The stallion they met in the training grounds, “Lord Chestnut: Five”

The Wonderbolt Captain, giving her best smile, “Spitfire: Seven.”

A dark blue mare with white hair, “Germaine: Six”

A black mare with a darker red mane, “Midnight Sky: Three”

So it went, with different ponies showing up, getting different scores. The only ponies that stood out were the ones who got eights nines and tens.

“And finally: Canterlot. For Prince FoxTrot:” His own image made the Prince of Shadows bury his face in his hooves.

“I look like a git.” He muttered, muffled by the announcer giving him his score of ten.

“Mandarin Orange: Eight.”

“What did you do?”

“I told you, how to keep their trousers up.”

“Shining Armor: Nine.”

“Nice job Sir!”

“Thank you Fleur.”

“Princess Luna: Seven.”

“Whoof!”

“You did good, dear sister.”

“Minuette, four.”

“I’m doomed!”

“Fleur-de-lis: Seven.”

“Nice show hoss!”

“Thank you, your highness.”

“The Equestrian Games will begin in two days’ time. Viewing is mandatory. This is Living Tombstone, bidding you goodnight.”

The group of six sighed at once, they all passed.

Except for Minuette.

“I guess that means I’m expelled?” She looked at the solemn stallion.

“No. You’ll just be picked off faster.” He sighed, “Come on, we’ve got a big day ahead of us. Let’s get some sleep.”

“You say as if its in the morning, dear brother.”

FoxTrot nodded, “And we’ll all want to get a final bout of training in, right?”

All murmured their agreement, trotting to their different rooms.

Chapter 5: Part 1: The Pegasus Eulogies

“And here’s your host, Smiles!”

A Unicorn smiled at the camera as the lights shot on, his white coat shining silver.

“Thank you Equestria!” He stood from his chair, “Thank you. As you know, tonight we’ve got not one, not even three interviews, but THIRTY-SIX. Tonight’s two hour-long special will be with each and every one of the ponies competing in the First Equestrian Games.

“Also, as you may know,” He looked at his live audience, “There will only be one winner. That winner will go places I’m telling you!”

He sat back down, hitting his arm rest. A second chair rose from the floor. “And first off, fron Canterlot Castle, our very own princess of the Night herself: Luna!”

She trotted from the curtains, giving the audience a smile that was halfway believable. “Thank you, Smiles.”

“No problem sweetie.” He shook her hoof, sitting her in the chair. “So tell me, what’s going through your mid tonight. The games are tomorrow morning, after all.”

She sighed, “Well, since we’re royalty, we knew what the games were about from the start. We mean, thirty-six go in, of course, but--”

“SSST!” A hiss erupted behind the curtains, causing Luna’s head to snap around. She made a face, and then turned back to Smiles.

“But not all will win. Only one.” She finished, heaving a depressed sigh.

“And you don’t think you’ll win?” He placed a hoof on her shoulder, “Keep your face up, my dear Princess, and you’ll be the sole survivor!”

She sighed, “That’s the problem we--”

The hiss shot out again. Luna rolled her eyes. “If we win, FoxTrot won’t. How can we do that to him?”

Smiles shrugged, “I know not, your highness.” He sighed, “But you have my vote. You’ll win these.”

A timer went off. Smiles leapt to his hooves. “Princess Luna Everypony!”

Luna’s departure started with a tumult of applause, ending only when her tail vanished from the far curtain.

“Next up, is the Pegasus who flew higher than a kite, both in ambitions and in reality. You’ll be hard pressed not to know her name of Spitfire!”

The crowd screamed as the Wonderbolt trotted next to the show’s host.

“How you doing, Miss Spitfire?”

“I’m doing fine.” She sat down, “Really fine actually.”

“Oh? And what is the call for being ‘really’ fine?”

She giggled, “Well, it might help hat I’m competing in the first set of games throughout Equestria.”

He chuckled, “They do that to a pony. So, tell me; what are you going to do when you get in there. By a creed, the two
of us are not supposed to give any information out pertaining to the nature of the games, but what are you planning?”

“To win.” She smiled, “There’s only one victor, after all…”

“To that you are right.” Smiles set a glass of water down, “But a little bit if a personal question: What’s going through
your head right now?”

Spitfire frowned, “Well, I really want to win, but I really am not that great at some of the things that we’ll be doing in
there. With the other ponies especially.”

Smiles nodded, “And for the ones who you hung around in Manehattan?”

She turned to the camera, “You’ll be in my heart, my family. If I win, you won’t be disappointed.”

The timer went off, signaling her interview’s end.

Smiles stood, shaking Spitfire’s hoof again. “Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts Everypony. Our next one,” He
gestured to the crowd for silence, “Our next pony is another one who flies high and dreams big. Taking second in the last
Wonderbolt Derby, put your hooves together for Rapid Fire!”

The stark white Pegasus trotted forward, her red eyes gleaming like rubies. She shook Smiles’ hoof, then sat.

“So.” Smiles got right to the point, “Two female Wonderbolts in the same competition. What do you think the odds are?”

“Less than zero.” She sighed, “Spitfire is practically my sister. From her eyes, anyway.” Rapid Fire licked her lips,
turning her head away from the camera, “In my eyes, she’s practically my mother.”

The crowd murmured. Smiles frowned, “And why is that. If you don’t mind my asking?”

Rapid Fire’s eyes brimmed with tears, “It’s because of my condition. All my family hates me because I didn’t get the
flashy-flash coats they did. They think it’s my fault I’m an Albino!”

Smiles placed a hoof around the crying Pegasus. “Hey, Rapid. Have you ever wondered why I wear these goggles all
the time?” He gestured to the object covering his eyes, “Do you know?”

She sniffed, “Fashion statement?”

He shook his head, his black mane waving in the wind, “No. Look at this.” He pulled the goggles off, revealing a set of
blood-red eyes that had no iris, pupil or anything. They didn’t even shine.

“I lost my sight after my sister died in an accident.” He explained, “My eyes turned red from lack of use.”

“Funny.” She said, her face twisting into a small smile. “You seem to know where everything is quite fine.”

“That’s because my goggles restore my vision when I’m wearing them.” He said, slipping the device back on, “But I lost all my friends along with my sight. No one wanted to be associated with the ‘red eyed mutation’.”

“Mutation?”

“I have two tails. Don’t believe me?” He added, a look of doubt showing on her face, “Here, feel right there. Don’t worry,
I won’t tell your mother.”

Attentively, Rapid Fire slowly slid her hoof between his tail, gasping when she felt that he was telling the truth.

“And I won’t tell you what else I have two of.” He joked as the timer went off. He gave her a comforting hug. “Rapid Fire
Everypony.” He turned directly to the camera, “Hey, if you’re watching this, Rapid Fire’s family, there is nothing wrong with
being genetically mutated.” He straightened, “Now, the next one up is a simple mare who lives a simple life, tending to
animals and other woodland creatures. Give an Equestrian-breaking ‘yay’ for Fluttershy!”

A black hoof appeared from the curtains, pushing the yellow Pegasus out into the view of the entire country. She gave
a nervous smile.

Smiles galloped over to her, “Come on, Flutters, it’s alright.” He gently sat her down in her chair.

“So, Fluttershy,” he gave her a loving smile, “What do you think of when one says ‘Equestrian Games’?”

Her response came from her mouth so quietly; Smiles leaned in and whispered something in her ear.

“I’m sorry?” He pulled away, “I didn’t catch that.”

“I just said that, um, my friends were quite, um, startled that I was chosen.”

“And who are your friends?” Smiles asked, “Are they in full support of you?”

She nodded, “Yes. All my animal friends were there to see me off, as well as my five friends in Ponyville.”

“Why so few?”

She looked at him, her voice becoming a little bit stronger, “Well, Twilight and they are the only ones who will see who I
am, and not how loud I can be. And Angel, though he’s a little bit pushy at times, cares for me enough.”

Smiles gave a smile that Nopony had ever seen him give before, “And what does Angel do for you?”

She sat up a bit, “Well, when that mean old Gabby Gums mare wrote terrible things about me and my friends, he was
right there to dry my tears and comfort me.”

“And that is what true friends do?”

“And that is what true friends do.” She agreed, giving a final nod of her head.

“Fluttershy, everypony.” Smiles didn’t shake her hoof. Instead, he dipped her down and kissed her right there in front of
every pony in Equestria.

The two of them broke apart after a moment. Smiles turned and announced the next pony.

“She may look small, and she may be rather shy, but you never want to mess with this Pegasus. Born a racer and
raised a mechanic, Give it up for Wild Fire!”

The beige Pegasus ran from off the stage, taking a flying leap and landing right in her chair. “Thank you Smiles.” She
beckoned the startled Unicorn to sit, “Well come on, we haven’t all day.”

“Ah, yes.” He sat down, shaking his head. “So, Wild Flank—I mean, Wild Fire.” He coughed “What exactly makes you
Wild Fire?”

Wild Fire brushed a bit of her brown mane from her eyes, “Well, since you asked.” She turned, flashing her flank off, “I
got this beauty when I won first place in my school’s racing competition.” She wiggled her rump, making the flames look as if
they were dancing on her tire.

He smiled, “So I take it whatever you’re going to do in the arena, you’re going to do it fast?”

She grinned, “I’m going to BLOW the competition out of the water. So watch out boys!” She stood, basking in the
applause.

After she trotted off the stage, Smiles heaved a sigh, “From the far reaches of Fillydelphia, comes the strong and able
Pegasus who, at the age of three, managed to break the sound barrier. Even though the Sonic Rainboom is a feat, this
Pegasus managed to do the equivalent before she was even out of diapers. This mare has been raised eating nails for
breakfast for seventeen years now.” He paused, “WITHOUT milk. Give it up for Nimbus Flight!”

Smiles gestured to the curtains. They remained still.

“Come on Smiles.” The host jumped, landing in the opposing chair, “I understand you’re blind and all, but this is pitiful.”

He gave a nervous chuckle, rubbing his chest. “That’s my chair.”

“Not from where I’m sitting.”

Smiles waited until the crowd silenced, “Anyway. A Sonic Boom. Before you even started using the toilet.”

“Mmm Hmm.” She nodded, “And my parents wonder where I got my speed. They’re both Unicorns.”

“Your parents?”

“Yeah. My dad said he had an uncle that was a Pegasus, but he couldn’t even walk on clouds, let alone fly.”

“Thin Wing Membranes?”

“Yep.” She sighed, “But still, it’s kind of exhilarating, creating clouds with nothing more than your wings.”

“You’re referring to the could formed by the mach cone.”

“Duh.”

“Well,” Smiles clicked his tongue, “Forgive my asking, but what makes you so confident you’re going to win? I mean--”

Nimbus’ grey hoof met Smiles’ white cheek. “This interview’s over.”

“Nimbus Flight.” He said, realigning his goggles. “Ow. From within Canterlot’s own castle’s walls, we have the newest
Royal Member. He may not be a native to Equestria, but he’s kind enough that, through ten years’ hard work, managed to
gain an Elemental Status of the shadows. Give it up for your very own, Prince FoxTrot!”

The Prince trotted from the side, shaking Smiles’ outstretched hoof. “Thank you Smiles.”

“My pleasure your highness. So, ten years ago, you were nothing more than a wanderer, here in Equestria for the sole
purpose of getting an ingredient to save your cities from a flu?”

“That’s right.”

“And look at you now!” He gestured to FoxTrot’s slick black coat, “Prince of the Shadows!”

He nodded, “It’s been hard, but worth it.”

“And I understand that it was your idea to start these?”

“Sad but true.”

“Why sad?”

“Because my sister will win these, not me.” FoxTrot looked at the camera, “I will do anything to help my sister.”

“And I understand that Princess Cadance would have been here, if not for Luna’s intervention?”

“Aye. You see,” FoxTrot leaned in, tapping his right hoof on the table in front of them, “It’s been a year since their
marriage, Caddy’s and Shining Armor’s, and she’s far enough along that their baby is due any day.”

The crowd gasped. Smiles leaned back a bit, “Boy or girl?”

The Prince of the Shadows smiled, his yellowing teeth dull against his black gums, “Using my Element, I can pick up
trace amounts of certain chemicals unique only to mares.”

Smiles grinned, “Then congratulations are in order for Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Prince Shining Armor, and the little
Princess!”

FoxTrot and Smiles shook hooves. “Give them my love. Now!” Smiles turned back to both live and televised audiences,
“He may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but what he lacks in smarts, he MORE than makes up in strength. Give it up
for Bumble Bee!”

“YEEEEAAAHH!” The ripped Pegasus trotted on stage, flexing his massive muscles.

“So Bumble Bee.” Smiles gestured to the chair, but the stallion took no notice.

“Bumble Bee?” Smiles trotted to the stallion, tapping him on the shoulder, “Bumble Bee, you only have three minutes.”

The stallion turned, his red eyes daring Smiles to do something about it.

Smiles back down, “Bumble Bee Everypony!”

“YEEEEAAAHH!” The stallion kept flexing until the timer buzzed, where he allowed himself to be guided off by
Smiles.“Now for another high-flyer, he’s not very good at introductions, so here’s Soarin!”

A pale blue stallion trotted over, his yellow eyes glimmering with a sly sheen. He sat down in the chair next to Smiles.
“Thank you kindly my dear Smiles.”

“The pleasure is mine.” Smiles patted Sorin’s shoulder, “Now, you and your sister are competing, right?”

“Yes. I’ve really been the only one who’s helped her with her… problems.” Sorain sighed, “It’s not her fault she suffers
from albinism. Like you said, it’s in the genetics, and, technically, the parent’s choose what the kids get.”

“Then I’m glad my parents got rid of me.” Smiles gave a melancholy grin, “I was barely two when my parents sent me
into the adoptive shelters. But it’s not about me,” Smiles gave a half-true smile, turning back to Soarin’ “How long have you
been a part of the Wonderbolts?”

“Close to fourteen years now.” Soarin’ held his head high, “And in all those years, I have met only one loyal and
adoring fan.”

“Is there anything you’d like to say to her before we wrap up?”

Soarin’ shook his head, “It’s something I want to say to her in private.”

“Alright, I respect you for that.”

As the timer went off, Soarin’ wiped his eyes, trotting from the stage.

“Captain Soarin’. Now, then next stallion we’ve got the pleasure of hearing from is a native of Las Pegasus. Born in a
Casino run by his grandfather, this kid’s got every odd in his favor. Give it up for Soothsayer!”

The crowd roared at the stallion trotting to the stage, his wings embossed with diamond skulls. He turned to Smiles,
shaking his hoof.

“So, Sooths--”

“I prefer Gruel.”

“Gruel.” Smile was taken aback a bit, “Ahem. Uh, what is it like to have everything in your favor? I mean, you were born
in a casino run by your family ever since Las Pegasus was formed, but is there anything you CAN’T do?”

“I can’t get a mare.” Gruel hung his head, his white mane hiding his eyes.

Smiles grinned, “I was like that once, until four years ago when I met my special somepony. You’ll get yours eventually.
Have faith.”

“You really think so?”

“Yeah, I mean, when these games are over, you’ll have countless mares wanting you!”

“But there’s only one victor.”

“Just because there’s only one dosen’t mean you’ll life will end as you know it right now. You’ll find somepony.”

Gruel smiled as the timer went off. “Thanks Smiles.”

“Soothsayer Everypony.” He cowered a moment, “I mean Gruel.”

“Now.” The Unicorn clapped his hooves together, “From the large city of Manehattan comes a simple pony who wants
nothing more than to love and to be love and be loved. I’ve yet to meet a kinder pony than him, so let’s hear it for
Sympathy!”

Sympathy trotted from the curtains, his hair done up in a tie-dye band. He looked at the audience, gave an
encouraging smile, and caught a rose that seemed to appear from thin air.

“So, Sympathy.” Smiles gestured to the other seat, “I understand that you’ve actually been trying to start a little group
with other ponies like you?”

“Yeah man.” He spoke slowly, moving his hooves as he spoke, “It’s all got to do with love. You know man? Anytime I see
a pony getting harassed, it just makes my blood run cold man.”

“Like how?”

“Well, you ever been out in a blizzard with nothing on but your goggle thingies? That’s what it feels like man. Cold. A
blizzard of hate. No, I don’t want that in equestrian. I want to see every pony, young, old, male, or female, bonded together
under one category: Loving.”

“And this event you’re organizing is going to help?”

“Yeah man. A solid week of music man. I want EVERYPONY that can to come down to this event in the Manehattan
Park. I want it to be PACKED to the MAX man.”

Sympathy’s eyes fluttered a moment, “You know man, and every little thing you can do to help is another little change in
the world.”

“So you’re steadfast in this?”

“Yeah man. It’s all in the chemistry of a Pony. Love, man. Love is more powerful than anything man.”

“So, when did you exactly start this ‘outlook’ on love?”

“All my life man. It’s as much a part of me as any Pegasus’s wings or Unicorn’s horn.”

“Thank you. Symp--”

“I mean, where would we be without love? We’d still be in Equestrian Conflict, that’s where. You know man?”

“Yes. Sy--”

“Because if there was no love in this world, we’d be in one massive fu--”

“Sympathy, your time is up.”

“Oh. My apologies man.” He stood, gave one look at the crowd, and then trotted from the stage.

“Now, for our last male Pegasus interview, we have none other than the one who founded the ‘Lightning Complex’ in the
Rainbow Factory, where the sick or flightless Pegasi go to be taken care of. Give a huge round for Lightning Rain!”

The grey Pegasus trotted from the side of the curtains, giving a massively warm smile to Equestria. He bowed, tossing
something into the audience.

“Bribing people already?” Smiles chuckled, “Guess that’ll get you sponsors quicker. How are you, Lightning?”

“Pretty good.” The Pegasus looked at the host, “Hey, you know how hot the water is here? Very. I’m used to showering
with all natural rainwater. And the soap? Comes out WITH the water.” He turned, smelling his shoulder, “Do I smell like
roses?”

“Do you--”

“Yeah. Here, take a whiff. Do I smell like roses?”

Smiles leaned in, smelling the Pegasus, “Not really. More of Lilacs though.”

“Huh, you smell like cinnamon.”

Smiles chuckled, “Well, I did have a couple candies before we started.” He admitted, “I’ve got a bronchial problem that
makes my breath smell like a cadaver.”

“Want to smell my breath?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“No, I’m pretty sure that it’s better than you’re artificial garbage.”

“I’m good, Lightning.”

“No really, smell my breath.”

“I don’t want to smell your-”

“Hhhhhhhhhhh!”

“Ugh, Luna!” Smiles gagged, “Cripes that’s awful!”

Lightning gave a victorious grin, and then trotted off, leaving Smiles heaving fresh air.

“We’ll… be back… after these mess-- messages. MEDIC!”

Chapter 5: Part 2: The Unicorn Eulogies

QUICK NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
Due to unmanageable complications with my computer, I'll be going away for a bit. Just until I can get new computer parts.
Basically my Motherboard, the key component to a computer's running time, is going out, and my memory isn't the best. Both inside and outside the computer.

So expect large gaps like this one.

tldr: Computer broken, expect delays.

“We’re back, and we’re getting ready to start with the Unicorns. Now, this pony uses anything to her advantage, going from anything to downright tactful, to mildly dominant. Here’s Fleur-de-lis!”

The white mare trotted forward, sitting right down in the chair, “Thank Smiles.”

“Thank you Fleur.” Smiles shook her hoof, “Nice to have you back on the show.”

“I don’t know if I would call this nice,” she gestured to the entire concept of The Games, “What with all what we’re supposed to do and all.”

“Well, Royalty thinks it’s a good idea.” Smiles shrugged, “And we really have no choice but to go along.”

“I understand, but still.” Fleur shook her head, “If I may say so, when FoxTrot was being evaluated, he told us that he showed the judges three different ways to dissect a pony.” She shuddered, “Whilst alive.”

Smiles’ goggles glowed green, “Yeah, about that. Did he ask about Cupcakes?”

“Yes, how did--”

“Halloween twelve years ago. For an event, he told a story of just that; dissecting ponies while they were alive. Called Cupcakes.”

“And he got away with it?”

“Well,” Smiles shrugged, “This was before Princess Candace became a Royal Member, but he still had Princess Celestia to answer to.”

“And what did she do?”

“Nothing. Literally.” Smiles grinned, “Except the fact that he got a good chewing out when Luna told her.”

Fleur-de-lis stood as the timer went off, “Thank you Smiles, for giving us this bit of FoxTrot.”

“Hey,” Smiles’ face fell, “No matter what his past was, or what he did before he came here, he’s Prince FoxTrot of the Shadows, sword to protect the ponies of Equestria.

“Fleur-de-lis everypony.”

She trotted off, a small smirk playing on her lips. There was a moment’s pause before, “Octavia.”

A grey pony trotted forward, her fear of audiences long dead. She gave an enthralling smile, waved, and sat down.

“So I take it you’re not at all perturbed by the crowd?” Smiles chuckled, “You’re almost a first.”

“Well,” She rubbed a hoof on the back of her neck, “I am a performer. I play the cello.”

“The Cello?” Smiles was impressed, “Do you have it with you?”

Octavia gave a sly grin, “Funny you should ask. I just so happen to have it with me.” She trotted off, brining a fully prepared Cello out. “Would you like to hear something?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0zuU2yYt3Y

The crowd roared as she pulled her hoof across the strings, resounding the tink tink tink that started her song.

Suddenly, she drug the bow across, starting the melody of the song, still retaining the tink tink tink of the beginning.

The notes flowed from one end of the spectrum to the other, the melody causing the crowd’s eyes to flow.

Reluctantly, the song ended. An eternity later, the crowd erupted in applause.

“Octavia everypony.” Smiles wiped his eyes, “Thank you for the beautiful piece.”

“You’re very welcome Smiles.” She smiled, trotting off in a melancholy gait.

“Next up,” Smiles wiped his eyes and sniffed, “Next is the Pegasus famous for her works: Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls. Each figure hoof made and sold from her own home. Give it up for Fyre Flye!”

The red-haired Pegasus trotted forward, her grey eyes sparkling.

“So, Fyre Flye.” Smiles grinned, “What do you expect to do?”

“Well,” she gave a nice smile, “I’ve been training hard and long. I’ve gone to both extremes, hot and cold. I’ve managed to complete the training arena with flying colors, and I’ve been giving myself some emotional training to deal with the alone factor.”

“Huh.” Smiles nodded, “So you’re prepared.”

“More than prepared.” She giggled, “In fact, I think I’m going to win.”

“Well, you do seem confident, and confidence is key.” Smiles took her hoof, “Fyre Flye everypony!”

“Now the next one on the list is the pony best known for her works with the Zebras and the Minotaurs. Survivalist, and she can make a meal from ANYTHING. Give it up for Midnight Sky!”

The dark blue Unicorn trotted forward. She gave a bold nod to the crowd and leapt into her chair.

“Survival expert,” Smiles nodded to her saddlebags, “ready for anything?”

“Mmm hmm.” Midnight nodded, “I was actually planning a camping trip soon, but being in the arena shattered my entire schedule.”

Smiles laughed, “And no chance of getting back on track?”

“Depends” She tapped her hoof, “I can use a fair amount of my skills there, as well as some other skills I’ve been trained with.”

“Like what?”

Her eyes sparkled, “Karate, Larate and Jarate.”

“I’ve heard of Karate, but what are--”

“Larate is pretty much Karate, but a lot more robust and clean. And Jarate? Well…” She pulled a jar from her saddlebags. In it was a yellow-amber liquid, “Takes me, on a good day, two hours make one of these babies.”

Smiles gestured, “What is it?”

She grinned, “It’s a Nayson, four ounces, filled with my own urine.”

The crowd reacted appropriately, but Smiles unperturbed, “And I think that will help you get places.”

She put the jar back in her bag. “Yeah. It will keep ponies off me for a bit. Especially if I can break the jar on them.”

Smiles nodded, “Have you ever heard of a man named Mundy?”

“Aye. He’s where I got the training from.” She stood, “And I thank him for his rigorous and trying training.”

“Alright.” Smiles stood, “Midnight Sky Everypony.”

The crowd applauded out of politeness, her Jarate too disgusting otherwise.

“And next we have—uh.” Smiles tapped his goggles, “Hang on, got some interference.”

He stood there a moment trying to get the script back, then, “Hairspray Everypony.”

She trotted forward, her bubblegum pink coat glittering. She flopped into the chair, her pink mane hidden under a brown hat. She grinned, “Thank yeh kindly Smalls.”

“No problem.” He tapped his goggles one last time, then sat down. “So,what’s life like back in Appleloosa.”

“Ah’m over here.”

“Oh. Sorry. Life in Appleloosa.”

“Whay-yell.” She sighed, “The last naght ah was there, ah managed to get a nice grove of pears goin’.”

Smile frowned, “Pears? With a name like Hairspray--”

“Ya’ll listen now.” She leaned forward, placing a hoof on Smiles’ vest, “If yeh find that yer mane’s just a little dull, rub some pear juice on it. It’ll shine right up like Sherriff Silver Starr’s personal spittoon on a hot summer’s naght!”

Smiles gave a comprehensive nod, “Ah. So, you cultivate things?”

“Jus’ pears.” Hairspray shrugged, “Couple o’ chickens, few cows. Ah have a handful of herbs and flowers even.”

He grinned, “What are the cows for?”

“Well, lemme put it this a-way.” She leaned back, “You’ve jus’ returned from the fields, an’ it bein’ Appleloosa, it’s hot as a red-bellied dragon’s throat after a meal of chilli peppers an’ jahl-e-peen-ohs.”

“HAL-e-pen-yos.” Smiles corrected.

“Wha’ ever. Anyways, you come into ol’ Hairspray’s saloon an’ salon, an’ ah’ll treat you to a drank and haircut for the price of three bits. Uh.” She squirmed as the timer went off, “Smalls, ah thank ah’m stuck”

“Nice.” Smiles stood, helping the salon mare from her chair. “Up you get. Hairspray Everypony.”

“Next up,” Smiles rubbed his hoof, “Is none other than the Captain of the Royal Guard. Here’s Shining Armor!”

The stallion burst from the curtains, executing a perfect roll, from where he leapt right onto the back of the chair. He did a front flip and landed nicely, even as far as having his fetlocks crossed.

“Thank you kindly Smiles.”

“Thank YOU, your highness.” Smiles shook the Captain’s hoof, “So, you--”

“What is that?” he gestured to the bowl on the table, “What’s in it?”

“Jelly Beans.” Smiles shrugged, “I’ve had them there for the duration of the show.”

“Wow.” Shining Armor’s magenta aura appeared in the bowl, “That’s insane.”

“Yeah, I was hoping they would be gone by the Pegasus Stallions. Anyway, Shine--” Smiles eyes widened as the Captain’s aura vanished, leaving a nice set of sunglasses in the style of Smiles’ goggles perched on his face.

“You, Smiles, are awesome.” Shining armor turned to the audience. “I have never been on a talk show that gave out sunglasses.”

Smiles shook his head, “Of all the guests I have had on the show.” He held back a laugh, “and NOT ONE of them digs to the bottom of the jelly beans.”

“So you planted these here?”

“No, I had no idea they were even in there!”

All ponies present roared with laughter at the scenario, taking a good minute off Shining Armor’s time.

“Anyways,” Smiles took a breath, “For the duration of the planning process, you have been—“

“And they fit exactly!” He looked around, “What are the odds?”

“What are the odds.” Smiles chuckled, “But knowing what you’ve been doing in--”

Shining Armor brought his hoof behind his ear, quickly raising and lowering the glasses from his face.

Smiles bit back a laugh, “What you’ve done while helping the others. I mean--”

“They’re dancing glasses.” Shining Armor tapped the arms on the table, “See?”

“That’s nice.” Smiles shook his head, “So, people have noticed that in--”

Shining Armor stuck his face into Smiles’, sunglasses perched on the edge of his nose.“WOW! You look great!”

“I’m sure. Shining Armor, I heard reports of your helping--”

“Hey, did you know that with sunglasses, the sun will be kept out of your eyes?”

“Yeah, that’s the point.” Smiles shook his head, “But you’ve helped almost--”

“Kinda makes me wonder if Celestia’s going to send them to the moon or not.”

“Doubtful. You’ve helped--”

“Well, if they were sent to the moon, they’d block it out, making Luna a little irate.”

“Who cares?” Smiles shook his head again, “You’ve helped your fellow tributes more than you’ve--”

“And don’t get me started on welding goggles.” Shining Armor held his hoof out, “They block ALL light out.”

Smiles shook his head again, “Shining Armor: focus. Please.”

The Captain shook his head, “Wow. That hurt. And you’ve done it four times now.”

“I’m getting just a little mad.” Smiles shook his head again.

“Five!”

Shake.

“Six!”

“GET OFF MY STAGE!” Smiles pointed to the far curtain, “There’s the curtain, you may bleeding use it!”

Shining Armor stared, then raced off, leaving Smiles heaving for calmness. “Okay. Now that hes out of the way. Our next guest is the pony behind favorite techno songs like ‘ghosts n stuff’ and ‘need a ladder.’ Give it up for Noteworthy!”

The navy blue stallion trotted forward, his face ashen with an uncharacteristic scowl.

“So, Noteworthy.”

“Shut up Smiles.”

“But--”

“NO.” Noteworthy scowled, his face contorting into a face of sheer anger. Without breaking stride, he trotted right off stage, leaving an entire country confused to his actions.

“Well.” Smiles clicked his tongue. “That was unexpected. Up next, I guess, is the once-known sculptor. Famous for his ‘Lunar de Marelow’, he began his career, cut off with his rheumatism/arthritis combination. Give it up for Fortescue!”

“NO!”

“Okay.” He shrugged, “Next up is the stallion responsible for the latest fashion trend in Canterlot, Cloudsdale, Cashmere Hollow, and anywhere else starting with ‘C’. Here’s Lord Chest nut!”

“Not happening.”

Smiles grimaced, “Thunder?”

No reply.

Smiles’ voice broke with hysteria, “Star Gazer?”

“Only if you want your neck broken.”

“Aaand we’ll be back after these messages!” He turned. But just before the cameras cut off, “What the hay is wrong with these stallion?!”

Chapter 5: Part 3: The Earth Pony Eulogies

“And we’re back with Mister Mandarin Orange.” Smiles grinned, his face still slightly green, “So, Orange, what exactly is going--”

“I want to go home. Back to my wife and daughter.”

Smiles’ face fell, “I’m sorry.”

“I never signed up for this. I was forced at horn point by a guard to enter my name eighteen times.”

“Yeah, about that.”

“And further still, when I started, I thought it was going to be a great honor to participate. But then I found the true
intentions behind these. They’re--”

“I am sorry Mandarin Orange, but it appears we are out of time.” He set the timer back down, “Mandarin Orange.”

The stallion started, galloping right off stage.

“Now, next up is the stallion that specializes in time and time-based accessories. Things aren’t as they seem with this
guy. Give it up for Doctor Whooves!”

The crowd went wild as the Time Lord made his way onstage, his nappy brown mane ruffled in the breeze.

“Evening Doctor.” Smiles shook the stallion’s hoof.

“Evening.” Doctor Whooves sat, his blue eyes sparkling in the evening air.

“So, you share something in common with Prince FoxTrot, am I right?”

“And what do you mean by that?” The Tile Lord leaned in, eyeing the white Unicorn next to him.

“Well, neither of you were born in Equestria, right?”

Tennant sighed, “Well, maybe on that account, yes.”

Smiles gave a characteristic grin. “Well, my dear doctor; if I recall correctly, you were born in a small city called
Neighbridge, right?”

“Yes.”

“And, unless I am mistaken, FoxTrot was born in Treyville. A stone’s throw from Neighbridge’s city limits.”

The doctor’s eyes widened, “I never knew that.”

“Anyway,” Smiles snapped into a sitting position, “What kind of tactics are you planning in the arena?”

“I’m going to find a nice tree, hide in it, and wait until it’s down to me and the final contestant.” Doctor Whooves snorted,
“Thirty-five ponies? Come on! I can’t wrap my head around all them, and I have three different degrees in math and
science!”

“I hear you, my friend.” Smiles stood, shaking the doctor’s hoof one last time, “Doctor Whooves Everypony.”

“I’ll be back soon my love!” Doctor turned away from the camera as Smiles chuckled.

“That’s two. So, the next one up is the sturdy lumberjack from Las Pegasus. He’s been raised in the fine arts of logging, and

I think he’ll be of use in the arena. Here’s Forrest Worker!”

The stallion trotted forward, a scarlet pony at his side. They both smiled, standing on either side of the interview chair.

“You two do everything together?” Smiles turned, gesturing to somepony off camera, “Your drawing was syndicated
too.”

“Well, we’re twins.” Scarlet nodded, “Even though he’s been logging since he got his cutie mark, and I’ve taken crafts
elsewhere,” she gestured to the necklace adorning her rump, “We’ve never been apart.”

“That’s why when we were filling our slips out, we took half of them and attached them. We figured ‘if one goes in, why
shouldn’t the other?’”

Their host shook his head, “You two are lucky that it’s FoxTrot behind these and not Celestia or Cadance.”

“That’s why we did it.” Scarlet grinned, “Because that suck-up of a prince is too kind to turn us down.”

Smiles took a step back, “Well, Forrest and Scarlet Worker everypony.”

The two bowed, trotting off stage in perfect sync.

“This filly,” Smiles coughed, “Um. I can’t read his hoofwriting.”

“My name is Ress.” The young pony trotted out, “And the introductions aren’t important. It’s the actual interview.”

“Well, Ress, how old are you?”

“I’ll be five this October.”

“Hmm. Well, what do you do on a normal day?” Smile’s face fell.

“Well,” the filly’s face screwed up in concentration, “I usually wake up and have breakfast, going right off to pre-school
where Miss Cherry Pie teaches us the colors and alphabet and stuff like that.

“Then I come home and play with my dog for a bit, have lunch, then work with my mommy in the Music Shop.”

“Your mom’s in music? What’s the store?” Smiles whipped a notepad out, ready to write a name down.

“Vinyl Scratch’s DJ Rental and records.”

Smile’s aura vanished, his pen falling to the floor. “You’re mother is Vinyl Scratch? As in Dee Jay Pon-Three Vinyl
Scratch?”

“Yeah.” Ress looked up, “Gimme your address and I’ll have my mommy send you an autographed album.”

Smiles grinned; “Here” He scribbled something on the pad, handing it to the filly, “Ress Scratch Everypony.”

The young filly blushed as a cacophony of cheers saw him off the stage.

Smiles rubbed his ears, “Now, from Fillydelphia comes the Iron Pony champion for three years running! Weighing in at
50 pounds and benching 500, here’s Mordrid!”

A stallion trotted forward, looking no more powerful than any other stallion. But that air of strength still emanated from
him nonetheless.

“So, Mordrid, what with all the championships you’ve been wining, this’ll be a snap.”

“Yah.” He nodded, “Ah’m realle egg-cited to be a part of zeez games this yeah.”

Smiles gave a pseudo-encouraging smile, “And how far do you expect to go in them?”

“I hope, not egg-spect, to be ze vinnuh in zem.” He rested his head on his hoof, “But I vill not be disappoint in the act of
mah fayl-yer.”

Trying to work his way through the accent, Smiles still nodded, “And of all the things of which you want to do if you do win?”

“Ah vant to propose to zat bee-yew-tee-full mare I see across ze street from ze gym-naz-ee-yum.”

“The gymnasuim?”

“Yah. She’s so pretty vith her red mane blowing in ze wind. Her sapphire eyes make me hart stop cold, and her lips are
always cherry red. Mah favorite colah.”

“I see.” Smiles lied, “And what are you going to try in the arena?”

“I VANT TO VIN!” he roared, “I VILL NOT LET ZIZ BEE-YEW-TEE-FULL CREATURE SLIP FROM MAH HOOVES!”

“Mordrid everypony!” Smiles frantically, gesturing the heaving strong-pony. “Mordrid!”

The stallion bowed, and then trotted off as Smiles wiped his brow.

“Whoof. Well.” He took a deep breath, “Next up is the only stallion in Appleloosa that is capable of taking a full-grown
buffalo head on with nothing more than a freshly baked apple pie. Let’s hear it for Sherriff Silver Starr!”

The stallion trotted forward, his grin massive under his handlebar mustache.

“Thank yeh kindly Smalls.”

“My pleasure, Sherriff. Full grown Buffalo? Really?”

“Yah, yeh see now, when I managed to take the buffalo, bigger than y’all, ah was brave and courageous. None of that
namby-pamby shaking in mah boots like mah deputy was. That buffalo charged me from what musta been fifty yards away.
He snorted and singled me out right then and there. Ah took mah barrel of apples, aimed, and letter roll lahk there was no
tomorrow.

“Tha’ didn’t work, so ah turns to mah deputy and sez, ‘what we do now’, an’ he sez, ‘flee sherrif?’ an’ I sez, ‘fleein’ a’int
an option. Do you know what is?’ an’ he sez, ‘what?’ an’ I sez, ‘fightin’ I sez ‘fightin’s always an option.’ An’ by then, the
buffalo’s mighty close, so I snatch up his half-eaten pie, and I toss that thing as if t’were nothing more than a stone. An’
WHACK! Got that buffalo right between the eyes.”

“Ever since then, buffalo’s came to respect the badge of Silver Starr, lest they receive the same treatment that--”

“Sherriff Silver Starr everypony.” Smiles started, helping the stallion up, “Thank you for the story Sherriff. Mighty
interesting.”

“Mah pleasure young’n.”

Smiles wiped his eyes and yawned, “Now, here’s the lovely and unique pony who knows more than any other pony
knows about anything fictional. Here’s Minuette!”

The mint blue pony trotted from the curtains at a slow gallop, excitement flooding her face.

“Minuette.” Smiles shook her hoof, “How are you doing?”

“I’m pretty good, considering.” She waved a hoof, “Same ol’ same ol’ otherwise.”

“Considering what, if I may ask?”

“My sister’s pregnant and I’m the only female in her life. And I haven’t had a single filly, so I have to do all this research
to make sure that the filly will grow okay.”

“You too?”

“Me too what?”

“You’ve got a pregnancy in your life? Small world. My mother-in-law, sister, and wife all are due within three days of
each other.”

“What days?”

“The eight, eleventh, and fourteenth of May.”

“No way! I’m doe the fifteenth!”

“Wow.” Smiles chuckled, “What a week that will be for the Canterlot Hospital.”

“Who are they anyway?”

“Oh, you probably have heard of them.” Smiles waved a hoof, “Just Twilight Sparkle, Trixie Lulamoon and Fluttershy
respectively.”

Minuette’s face fell, “You’re married to Fluttershy?”

“That I am Minnie.” Smiles face fell too, “that I am.”

The two sat in silence, the crowd not knowing why they were suddenly quiet.

The timer rang especially loud, all ponies hitting the roof.

“Minuette everypony!” Smiles gestured, whispering something to the mare.

“And now we’ve got a sweet pony. Both in personality and profession. She’s happily married, has a mare, and manages
to make ends meet plus some. Here’s Bon Bon!”

The mare trotted forward, her face red in a blush. She gave an embarrassed grin, then took her seat.

“So, Bon bon--”

“Call me Bonnie. That’s what I’m called by my friends.”

“And you consider me your friend?”

“Of course. This is the only time I’ll be on country television. So why not consider you on my friends list? It’s what I do.”

He mirrored her smile, “Well, I have to say, you ponies in Ponyville tend to be kinder than anybody else I knew. So, if I
may ask, who’s the one you call love?”

“Promise not to laugh?” Bon Bon’s cheeks flushed again, “Please?”

“I promise.”

She sighed, “Her name is Lyra Heartstrings.”

“’Her?’”

She buried her face in her hooves, “Yes, I am married to a mare. So what? You’re married to your sweetheart, why
can’t I?”

“I never said that was a bad thing.”

“But then there’s Celestia and Twilight. Who knows what goes on between them.”

“Um, as I said, Twilight’s my mother-in-law.”

“Yeah. And you’re Princess Celestia’s son, right?”

“No. I’ve been adopted by FoxTrot. My sister Trixie is also adopted.”

“Oh. So you probably think I’m estranged?”

“I have my father’s view on relationships.” He cleared his throat, imitating FoxTrot’s voice accurately, “’I could care less
whether you marry a male or female. The only thing that matters is that you find the one right for you.’”

Bon Bon smiled, “Well, you’re a first.”

“I’m just kind like that. Like my father. Bon Bon Heartstrings everypony.”

Bon Bon blushed again, trotting off the stage.

“Please welcome Germaine!”

The young dark blue mare trotted out, her white mane betraying her shaking emotions.

“Germaine.” Smiles lifted the young mare into her chair, “Are you okay?”

“I want my mommy.”

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing that can be done.”

“I want my mommy!”

Smiles gave a warm smile, “Your mom can see you right now. Did you know that?”

She shook her head, “I want to see her.”

“Why don’t you say something to her? She can hear you.”

“I don’t want her to see mee!” she stomped her hoof, “I want to see HER!”

Smiles picked the crying Pegasus up, “I’m sorry Germaine.” He held her close where she felt oddly comforted.

There was a small pause, “Hey, want to hear something?”

Germaine sniffed, wiping her nose with her hoof. She nodded.

“When I was young, I lost my mommy at a store. She left me there for TWO WHOLE DAYS. Two days!”

“Two days?” Germaine’s yellow eyes widened, “That’s a long time!”

“A very long time. I thought she abandoned me. But when she came back, she cried almost as much as I did. I know
how you feel.”

He pulled her close, whispering something in her ear. She grinned, jumping from his lap. Smiles nodded at her, then
stood. “Germaine everypony”

“Now, from Fillydelphia comes Miss Pot Throw!”

The mare trotted forward, her blue eyes sparkling with a mixture of fear and excitement. She smiled, leaning into Smiles
as he shook his head.

“So, Pot Throw.” He sat down in his chair, “What exactly do you do?”

She blushed, “What does it seem like? I make pots form clay. I’m a potter.”

“Ah. So, what do you plan to do in the arena?”

“Utilize my knowledge of the earth and try to stay at the top.”

“And if that fails?”

“Then I’ll use it to hide. Simple as that.” She gave a swift nod, “Like a badger? Nopony can find any of their dens or
burrows.”

“So you’re going to hide if you can’t do anything else?” He placed his right hoof on her chair.

“If you can’t beat them, show weakness.” She smiled, “Then they’ll feel to guilty to attack or tease you.”

“Sound advice.” Smiles rolled his eyes, “Pot Throw everypony.”

“And finally, we have a pony who does everything in her power to cultivate life and culture both, taking a role of a teacher in Manehattan, which is no easy feat. Please welcome Lilly”

The young pale blue mare trotted out, her spectacles perched on the tip of her nose.

“So, I take it you’re used to the title ‘Miss Lilly?’”

“That I am.” Her nasally voice made Smiles’ ears twitch, “I’ve been teaching for almost ten years now. And I still love
each and every filly that comes in my door to learn.”

“And how many is that?”

“Well,” she tapped her hoof on the floor, “I’ve had an average of fifteen fillies in each class, with two classes a year for
nine and a quarter years. Which is--”

“Two hundred and seventy young fillies.” Smiles ticked out, “Two-seventy.”

Germaine blinked, “Well, that was quick.”

“My dad said I was a prodigy. I was only nine when I lost my vision, and I made my first pair of goggles shortly
thereafter. But I was building and tinkering massive weapons beforehand.”

“Wow. I’ve never heard of a Pony Prodigy before.”

“They exist. So, due to your being a teacher, I assume you’re using your advanced-grade smarts to try to come out on
top?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, her gasses falling from her face, “Yeah, I hope so.”

“Miss Lilly everpony.” She winked at Smiles.

“Now, the games will air first thing tomorrow morning. Viewing is mandatory. And remember, what you will see is happening. Live. No special effects, no last minute editing. None of that. If it happens, you WILL see it.

“Good Night everypony, and sweet dreams!”

Chapter 6: Day Zero

FoxTrot sighed. He was standing on his hind hooves, propping himself on the sink of his bathroom. He tapped a small device on his fetlock. There was a flash of light, revealing a fox. He stood on the balls of his feet, making him appear slightly taller than he really was. His eyes were mismatched; one was silvery-grey and the other a blood red. His dark blue hair hung to his shoulders, tied back with a rainbow colored headband. He wore a dark grey jerkin with black shoulder pads. Two dark grey chains were laced through the belt loops of his pants, tracing into his pockets. His belt was pure black with a chrome black angel adorning the buckle.

The fox sighed again, unclipping the dark blue device on his wrist.

“What have you gotten yourself into, RyDer?” He muttered at his reflection. The headband fell to the sink next to his device.

The jerkin fell from his shoulders, revealing his sand blue chest. He turned to the shower, kicking it on with his toe.

“And now look at what YOU made.” He sighed for the umpteenth time, “Ponies killing ponies. That you’ve sworn to
protect.” He undid his belt, sliding it from his waist, “And you’re supporting it.”

Skorpeon let his pants fall to the floor. Stepping in the shower, he turned the water as hot as it would go. He sighed again.

The Fox sat down in the tub, allowing the water to rain onto him. He sat there in a melancholy state, allowing his mind to wander.

A quiet note escaped his lips,

No one can hear me, or my own agony.

Nor can they hear my screams.

Torment and pain is all I gain.

Relief is all in vain.

I think of my life, the one I cannot take.

How loud does my heart break?

I try to wake, it’s not to late.

This nightmare keeps me here.

I open my eyes and the pain still persists.

It’s eating me alive!

I want to die, but my ear will thrive.

The fear that torments me.

He sighed.

After a while, he stood, rubbing his dry eyes. He blinked, then turned the water off. He grabbed his towel, slinging it over his shoulders.

“Ooh ooh. You there, can’t you hear my screams? / Ah ah. Listen closely. Maybe you’ll hear my screams.”

Skorpeon sighed.

He slipped his clothing on, flopped onto his bed, wrapped the blankets around him securely, then turned the lights of,
entering a dreamless sleep.

Skorpeon started, feeling a presence enter near his sleeping form. He looked around, “You alright Lularuse?”

The Queen of the Night sighed, “We think we would have been better off allowing somepony else take our sisters’
place.” She flopped at the foot of the Fox’s bed, “But a part of us is afraid, Skor.” Her violet eyes glimmered with tears,
“We’re going to die, aren’t we?”

Skorpeon embraced her, “If you do, it will be for the better of Equestria. If you survive and are made the victor--”

“You and thirty-four others will be dead.”

“Equestria survived eons without me. It can survive eons more.”

“What of Twilight? Or Draggen?”

Skorpeon sighed, “I know not, mine sister.”

She sobbed, burying her face in his chest, “Is this what a condemned pony feels like? On his way to the slaughter?”

He rubbed her shoulders, “Be brave, Luna. You’ve got a fair chance of surviving these.”

She sighed, “But what of our night? Who will take care of it?”

The fox brushed his lips against her hair, “Rest easy, sister. If you die, and I live, I will take your responsibilities. If I die
and you live, you continue them as you always have.”

“If we both die?” Luna hiccupped, “What then?”

Skorpeon shook his head, “Caddy or Tia will see her through.”

“But it’s not us.”

“I know, but your night survived Tia’s rule for a millennium.”

“Must you deal in absolutes? Things are or aren’t?”

“It’s how the dimensions run. It’s all binary. There is no no-man’s-land in anything but war.”

Luna sniffed, “We just want to curl up and wish it all away.”

“There’s more than ample room here.” Skorpeon slid against the wall, “Sleep with me tonight, it will ease your conscious of tomorrow’s events.”

Luna lay down, her face inches from Skorpeon’s, “Will fair Twilight mind?”

“What she doesn’t know won’t kill her.”

“But it will us.”

Skorpeon sighed, absently stroking Luna’s hair.

Eventually, The Queen of the Night, his own ex-wife, fell asleep next to the Prince of Shadows.

Chapter 7: Day One

“Fetlock please.” A Unicorn levitated a massive syringe, yanking the black-and-blue hoof into the blade.

“Ow! Easy comrade!”

“My apologies, your highness.” The Unicorn’s horn glowed, and the gaping hole was healed. A faint red and green light system glowed from under his flesh.

His eyes scanned the room, catching Luna as the intercom boomed for the tributes to go to their assigned positions.

Stick with me he mouthed to her.

She nodded, trotting to her labeled door. FoxTrot stepped inside his, hearing the door lock closed behind him.

He sighed, “Let the games begin.” He shrugged, the collar of his jumpsuit resting at the middle of his neck.

The platform slowly moved up, “… sake and fairness, the tributes are not to leave their designated platforms until after the count-down of sixty-seven seconds.”

The bright light temporarily blinded FoxTrot, his eye turning a shade of gold. He wore an ornate device strapped to the right side of his face, allowing him to have decent vision in his missing eye.

“Minuette no!” Shining Armor’s cry escaped his lips too late. The mint blue Unicorn landed on the dirt, gave one look of relived annoyance, and then vanished in a cloud of dust.

BOOM!

FoxTrot shied his face away from the gore that once was his city tribute.

You got the easy way out. he thought, brushing a patch of blood from his jumpsuit, I envy you, my friend.

“Three.” FoxTrot snapped out of his silent reverie, finally taking into consideration his surroundings.

“Two.” Five, maybe six feet away lay a saddlebag. Dark grey and white with a clasp of gold.

“One.” He licked his lips, spitting when he tasted the tell-tale sign of pony blood.

“Begin.” He dove from his podium, galloping for all his worth to the bag. He snatched it up, looking towards his sister.

“Aaaaargh!” His head snapped around as he saw the dark blue stallion Sympathy fall to the ground, his chest cleaved right open. The Captain of the Wonderbolts stood over him, her face contorted into a victorious grin.

He shook his head, narrowly missing a blade. He cursed, bucking out into the offender’s chest.

“Fawkes!” He galloped to the voice, falling right in step with Luna. Together the two of them put enough distance between the blood fest in the center that the sounds of the dead and dying seemed more of a babbling river.

“Rest here.” FoxTrot panted, throwing the bags to the ground. He opened one side with his back aura, pulling out some supplies.

“Rope. That’ll be good. Tinder. Don’t need that.” He commented on all the stuff he pulled out, tossing the useless or unsafe in a small pile. He repacked the rest, looking at his sister, “We’ll leave that stuff for others.” He helped her up, looking at the tears forming in her eyes again.

“We’ll survive,” he assured her, “I promise.”

Luna heaved a sigh, “That’s what the two of us said when we made our vows.”

The Prince sighed, “Vel eïnradhin iet ai RyDer”

“What?”

“Upon my word as a RyDer.” He sighed, “Come on, we need to get somewhere not so exposed.” They broke into a gallop again, finally heaving to a complete stop beneath a massive oak tree.

Thud

“What was that?” Luna started, looking around for an attacker.

Thud

“Death cannons.” He said, lacing a hoof around her shaking body.

Thud

Thud

Thud

Thud

Thud

Thud

“Eight dead.” FoxTrot scanned the area, “And that was just the initial bloodbath.”

There was a rustling of bushes. FoxTrot and Luna quickly scaled the tree, hiding in the branches ad two ponies trotted
to where they were moments before.

“Congratulations, my lord. ” A sliver Pegasus sneered at her companion, “You just made a complete circle.”

“Well,” the stallion huffed, “If you want to navigate though these treacherous paths, be my guest.”

The Pegasus snarled, kicking the stallion in the face hard enough to make an oddly satisfying crack, but soft enough to
allow him to continue on with nothing but ringing ears.

The two landed on the soft ground. “That was too close, dear brother.”

He sighed, “At least they’re too stupid or ignorant to look in ALL directions.” Almost as if on cue, a yellow Pegasus fell
from another tree with a loud squeal.

“Hold.” FoxTrot trotted to the fallen form of Fluttershy, “You okay Flutters?”

She stood, “Yes, I’m fine, thank you Fawkes.” She embraced him, “But I don’t know how long it will last.”

“Not too much longer, by my wager.” He pulled her away from him, “Thank Celestia you got out of the center so fast.
Miles is probably heaving relief.”

Fluttershy giggled, “He’d better.”

The three trotted off, creating an unspoken alliance that would take separate deaths to break apart.

“I could have gone to a star. I could have gone to the see the Face of Boe one last time. I could have even screwed up Satellite Five again.. But instead, my inner Brony tells me to go to Equestria, where I take part in a game where young fillies are raped then slaughtered by stallions ten times their size.”

The Time Lord sighed, twirling a knife in his hoof, “And the only weapon I can procure is this fan dangled mess.” He
spun the knife, dropping it when it closed on his hoof. He sucked the cut, “I mean, what pray tell is a knife’s use if it fails to
say closed?”

“YAAAAH!” A white Pegasus swung a massive knife at Doctor Whooves, of which his neck narrowly missed. His cheek,
however, took a good portion of it.

He spat, bringing the knife back. His cheek stung and he tasted his own metallic blood dripping into the corner of his
mouth. When his opponent swung again, the stallion ducked, rolling neatly against a tree. He spread himself out, hugging
the tree with his back.

The Pegasus grinned, “I have you now, doctor.” She gave a mirthless laugh, “You’re mine!”

A flash of silver. Metal hitting organic material. A scream.

Thud

“I never liked your shows.” Doctor Whooves pulled the knife from his dead opponent’s back, her hoof still strapped to
the knife embedded in the tree. He pulled it out.

“Now this is what I’m talking about!” Behind him, a group of ponies materialized long enough to pick up the dead pony,
toss it into a small crate, and then took off again.

“I must be going mad.” He turned back from the site he had just missed, “I could have sworn I heard pneumatics!”

FoxTrot’s ears pricked. For the sake of fairness in the Games, he wasn’t going to use his Shadow-based prowess. But that didn’t stop him from turning his augmented hearing nearly to full blast.

He turned to the source. Having no weapon, he had pulled a dead branch from a tree. Using it as a makeshift staff, he
levitated it to where the pony would enter.

“…and of course, Martha’s not going to believe this. I can’t even get to the Tardis now!”

“Hello Doctor.” FoxTrot held the staff at the ready, expecting the Time Lord to attack with the massive knife now
strapped to his hoof.

Doctor Whooves turned, “Ah, FoxTrot!” He trotted to the prince, “I was hoping I’d find you! What say the two of us team up and try to conquer with our combined forces?”

“As long as you don’t mind teaming up with Luna or Fluttershy.”

“Nay, I’d rather enjoy it.”

The two sat alert, waiting for something to jump from the trees.

“Nice knife.”

“Thanks. I got it from a white Pegasus that tried to attack me.”

“What did she look like?”

“Pale white with a matching mane. Her blue eyes glowed like the watery depths of the seven seas.”

A tune started playing through the night, causing FoxTrot’s ears to flatten against his head.

Up in the sky, nine images formed one after the other, showing the name and order the fallen had encountered.

“Minuette.” FoxTrot’s habit of reading aloud bested him, “Lilly. Sympathy. Pot Throw. Ress. Noteworthy. Hairspray.
Rapid Fire.”

“That was her name.” Doctor Whooves set the knife beside him, “She’s the one who traded her life for the knife.”

FoxTrot snickered, silently picking up the discarded knife.

The black-silver blade positioned itself near the Doctor’s throat.

“What are you DOING?!”

“Never.” FoxTrot growled in the other stallion’s ear, “EVER. Leave your weapons lying around. Not only will they get
tarnished and weaken, but an opponent can easily pick it up and use it against you.”

The blade turned silver once more, falling into Doctor Whooves’ lap. FoxTrot stood, trotting to a certain tree, “If you’re
not going to use the butterfly knife, may I have it?”

Doctor Whooves nodded, tossing the tiny unfolding knife at the prince.

“You have my thanks.” FoxTrot strapped it to his hoof, opening it with expert precision. “Good night, doctor.”

“Good night, Your Highness.”

“Damn.” FoxTrot held a hoof to his tongue, restraining the urge to utilize his element to heal the cut.

He had opened the knife to see the already congealed blood. Not wanting to waste the water that was stowed in his
saddlebags, he licked the blade to clean the blood off.

He wiped the blade on the rough bark of the tree. It scratched the blade as well as the blood, but it was now a slight
pinkish tint rather than an entire crimson mess.

“That’s better” he muttered, closing it with a few flicks of his wrist. He wished he had Kursed’s old weapon; an intricate
blade deviously hidden in a wrist brace hidden under his sleeve, or disguised as his favorite piece of technology, his trusty
Pip-Buck, depending on whether he was wearing his jacket or vest.

Luna stirred in her sleep, catching FoxTrot’s eye. In the saddlebag was a sleeping bag. He had tied it around the
branch he thought would hold the most weight, being big enough for two large ponies and all. Fluttershy, before she ran
from the center, had managed to nick a sleeping bag, much to the Prince’s surprise.

He sighed, settling against the sleeping form of Luna. He wasn’t going to survive these, so why shouldn’t he be with at
least one mare he loved?

“Fawkes?”

“Hmm?” FoxTrot flicked his eyes towards the frightened Pegasus.

“What am I going to do about Smiles?” She looked at the prince, “He’s the only stallion I love. I had to leave him and
Dewdrop to take part in these. Games.” She slammed her hooves on the branch, putting hateful emphasis on her final word.

FoxTrot smiled comfortingly, pulling her close. His hoof started stroking her mane, “If, by the slightest chance, you die, Smiles will forgive you. He’ll understand that it was an honorable death.” He sighed.

Fluttershy squeaked, “Who’s idea was it? I don’t like somepony with this logic.”

FoxTrot’s face contorted, “That doesn’t matter. All that does is tipping this war in our favor.” He hated lying. He was so
good at it.

Thud

The group jerked awake at the sound of another death cannon. FoxTrot slid out of the sleeping bag, slipping his saddlebags on.

“Come on, let’s see if there’s anything useful in the center.” The Time Lord leapt from the tree, landing on the tips of his fetlock.

FoxTrot landed neatly beside him. “Not a good idea. Let’s wait a day or two.”

“So they can, no doubt, be pilfered?”

“No.” FoxTrot levitated an empty water bottle, “Hydration and food. We need to find some soon. Doesn’t matter if we’re going to the center, or staying here until the end of time.”

“But.” The Doctor pointed at the Prince, “Typical Equines get dehydrated beyond comfotability within THREE WEEKS. We’re going to be fine.”

“False.” FoxTrot shook his head, “There are hydration-dampeners in place, as well as hunger. We’re going to be dying of thirst in four hours.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened, “Then let’s get going. Oy!” He looked over FoxTrot’s shoulder, “Look sharp there, my little ponies! Allons-y!” He grinned, “I should say that more often.”

Capter 7: Day Two

The small armada trotted through the trees.

“Fawkes? I’m thirsty.”

“Hang on.” FoxTrot knelt low, “I think I can hear a stream.”

Faintly, he heard bubbling through the dirt. “But there’s somepony ahead.” He straightened out, “Whooves, with me.”

The two trotted forward, weapons leveled.

“Ferget abou’ dit!” A gruff voice. Metal and flesh.

Thud

Thump

“Lave her.” Whooves was struggling to keep FoxTrot out of site. “There’s nothing to do.”

“But kill.” The Prince growled, grabbed the beige stallion around the neck and threw him.

“You’re DEAD!” Fortescue turned to quickly. FoxTrot found an arrow lodged in his knee.

The Prince screamed and dropped the knife. Dimly he was aware of the whizzing of another arrow to hit him in the shoulder.

“NO!” FoxTrot screamed, clambering forward.

Another arrow.

FoxTrot pulled the one from his knee, now close enough to Fortescue to see the individual veins in his grey eyes.

“You are DEAD!” FoxTrot jammed the arrow into the pale white orb by his face.

Thud.

“What do they do with the bodies?”

FoxTrot tied the bandage on his knee, “What do you mean?”

Fluttershy gestured towards the area he just came, bleeding and bloodied not a minute before. “They take the bodies away. What do they do with them? Why do they take them?”

“To make sure no harm comes to them.”

“How can any harm come to them?” Luna rubbed her head, “They’re dead.”

“I read a case about some ponies on such a brink of madness; they killed their friend and ate him.”

“The Apple Party.” Luna recalled, “Trying to get through the Bear mountains…”

“Wrong time, wrong season.” FoxTrot looked at Doctor Whooves, “Anyways, Doctor, we’ve work to do.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

FoxTrot pointed, “Over there there’s an armoury. If we can get there, we can turn the tides to our favor.”

The stallion looked at him, “How do you know it’s there.”

“She came gave me the message.” He blurted out, and then buried his face in his hooves.

“Who’s ‘she’?”

FoxTrot chuckled, “Shelob.” He unzipped his jumpsuit to his stomach. There was a gaping hole in his flesh, revealing a black pit with grey tendrils.

“Um…” Fluttershy felt a wave of nausea, “What… is…”

“Being a Shadow User, I have abilities to enter what is called The Swarm. Simply put is that one falls apart into a whole mess of insects (in my case, over-sized black widows) and travel unnoticed. I used it against Twilight one day.” He zipped his jumpsuit back up, “Two parts of it are a mess of small ones, or a few big ones. I sent one out earlier and it’s told me where the cache is.” The Prince stood back up, motioning for Whooves, “We’ll be back. Keep hidden, and we’ll return with ample weapons.”

Luna put a comforting wing around Fluttershy, “It doesn’t kill him, you know.”

“But still.” She shuddered, “It… it…”

“What you saw wasn’t the inside of his body. It merely is his Element.”

“It was still a gaping hole!” Fluttershy shrieked, “Do you have ANY idea HOW DISGUSTING THAT IS?”

Luna placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s mouth. “There are ponies out there that are waiting for ANY inclination to kill.”

Fluttershy took another deep breath. “Sorry Luna. I’m just…”

“We understand.” The Princess of the Night placed a hoof around the shaking Pegasus. “We understand.”

“I just want to go home.” Fluttershy whimpered, “I want to see Miles.”

Luna embraced the sobbing Pegasus, stroking her mane consolingly. “It’s going to be okay, Fair Fluttershy. We promise.”

FoxTrot kicked the door open, “Smashing! Look at all these!”

Whooves trotted in half a step behind the Prince, “How did you know of all these?”

“Oh, Hello.” The Prince merely cackled as he pulled a bow from the wall, “My son designed the arena, so, in the event his name was drawn, he had a way to protect himself.”

“Then what was that about your spider?”

“I just said that because we were being watched. No surveillance here.
“Isn’t that cheating?”

FoxTrot looked Whooves in the face, “When there are only three eligible contestants, and someone THAT close to you is one…”

“So he did it to protect you?”

“Him and me, assuming Shining Armour wasn’t chosen.”

FoxTrot slung a quiver on his shoulder. “Choose what you want.”

“I don’t use guns.”

FoxTrot snarled, “Doc, there are ponies set to--”

“Set to kill, I know.” Whooves cut the prince off, eyes glowing red, “That is still no excuse to take a life!”

“Doctor.” FoxTrot’s horn started to glow, “It’s kill or be killed here. I am NOT going to protect you.”

“But you’ll protect Luna and Fluttershy.”

“No. Luna’s getting this.” FoxTrot waved a revolver under Whooves’ nose. “High-power revolver.”

“And Fluttershy?”

“Long range, high accuracy pistol.” The Prince tossed a wooden item at Whooves, “Here, if you’re not using a gun, at least use this.”

“This is a baseball bat.”

“Use it anyway. I did in a Zombie Apocalypse.”

“You do get around.” The Doctor followed the retreating form of FoxTrot, slinging the bat on his back.

“Damn straight. I’ve been more places that a tapeworm in Africa.”

“I heard something.” Three ponies crashed into the clearing.

“Those are the Wonderbolts.” Fluttershy whispered.

“And Army.” Luna couldn’t mistake that blue mane, “Why’s he with the Wonderbolts?”

Two more voices made their way into the clearing.

“There.” Shining Armour pointed at FoxTrot and Doctor Whooves, laden with weapons.

Fluttershy and Luna jumped from the tree, keeping to the safe seclusion of the bushes below.

“Hold.” FoxTrot trotted forward, levitating his rifle vertically, “Peace?”

Shining Armour trotted forward, knife downwards, “Peace.”

The two stallions sheathed their weapons. “Good to see you Fawkes.”

“You two Armour.” FoxTrot embraced the stallion, “Who are they?”

“The Wonderbolts, duh.”

“Haven’t seen them out of Uniform too much. Don’t judge me.”

“Luna’s card never came up.”

“Nor Fluttershy’s. They’re in that bush over there.”

FoxTrot pointed right towards the bush Luna and Fluttershy were hiding in. “Come on, they’re safe.”

The two mares pulled themselves from the bushes.
“Fantastic.” Both Shining Armour and Luna dove into each other’s embrace.

Suddenly, Luna gasped, eyes widening.

Fluttershy screamed, “He’s trying to kill her!”

FoxTrot notched an arrow, “Peace Treaty failed!”

Thud.

The two Wonderbolts darted forward, weapons drawn.

“Flutters!” FoxTrot tossed the revolver to the yellow Pegasus, “Defense!”

Fluttershy squealed, “But--”

“Butts are for latrines!” FoxTrot shoved his bow against the stallion’s face, “DEFENSE!”

Fluttershy whimpered, aimed, and then closed her eyes, “I’m sorry.”

Thud.

Fluttershy squealed again. FoxTrot turned.

“Easy you’re Highness.” Spitfire bared her teeth in a creepy grin, “Don’t do anything to rash now.”

FoxTrot notched an arrow, “Let her go.”

Spitfire giggled, “Do you not see what I have?”

“You have her pistol, but you don’t know how to use it.” FoxTrot grinned as Spitfire rolled her eyes.

“I know how to use it.”

“Prove it.” FoxTrot gave her his usual single-eye glare, “Kill her.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she heard a hammer click.

“With pleasure.”

Bang.

Thud.

“Well done.” FoxTrot grinned, “You okay?”

Fluttershy pulled herself from her flinch, “Fawkes?”

“She was holding the gun backwards. I swear I meant you no harm.” The prince knelt at Luna’s side, “Grab the pistol. I think I can bandage Luna up.”

FoxTrot opened his saddlebags, pulling the first aid kit from within. “You still with me Lularuse?”

“Yes.” The Princess whispered faintly, “Took your time.”

“Spitfire has Flutters at gunpoint.”

“We figured.” Luna winced as FoxTrot poured some medicine on her wound, “Ow. That stings.”

“He took a good chunk out, but thankfully he didn’t know the correct procedure of an embrace-stab.”

“Thankfully?”

“Yeah, he was nowhere near your spine. That’s the lethality of backstabs is the spine.”

The Prince tied the bandage in place, “You’ll be fine as long as no infection sets in.”

Luna wobbled to her feet, “We are hoping.”

“Come on you two.” FoxTrot called to the others, “Let’s go.”

Thud.

“And another one down” The Doctor called, “Fawkes?”

“I’m not deaf.” FoxTrot called back, “In fact, I’ve augmented hearing.”

“I know that.” Whooves huffed, “I was only meaning--”

“Shut up.” FoxTrot sighed, “Each one of those thuds means another pony is dead. I was sworn to protect them.”

“But weren’t these games your idea?” Luna couldn’t catch herself.

“What.” The beige stallion stopped, “What did she say?”

“She’s delirious.” FoxTrot tried to cover, “Remember what I said about infection? She’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Fawkes, tell me you didn’t organize this.”

“Okay, you didn’t organize this.”

“You positive?”

“Absolutely.” The Prince shook his head, “Why would I do something like this?”

“But in the event--”

“LANDMINE!” The Prince leapt back, shoving Whooves to the ground.

FoxTrot snickered, “But these are standard-issue low-radius mines.”

“Tell that to Colgate.”

“Those were revamped.” FoxTrot said, “All we need to do is dig this baby up, and we’ve got a bit more protection at night.”

He knelt, pulling his bow out. Carefully, he dug the silver-grey orb from the shallow surface of the arena.

“And we have this.” The Prince wrapped it up in the sleeping bag, and then tied it to The Doctor’s back.

“Why?”

“You’re doing nothing else.” FoxTrot sighed, “May as well make yourself useful. We’ll bed here.”

“FoxTrot?” Whooves grabbed a silver capsule, “What’s this?”

“What? Oh, it’s a Sponsor capsule.” The Prince levitated it, “Simply crack the seal, pull the rope, and Voila.”

Two packages fell out, as well as a silver-black wristband.
“Nice going Miles.” FoxTrot said, pulling the device on. “Good ol’ kid he his.”
”What is it?”
“Hidden blade. Belonged to my Ex-wife.”

“Which one?”

“Shut up Moony.”

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

“Three down.”

“I know Doc, I’m not deaf!”

“That was Fluttershy”

“Sorry Flutters.”

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

“We are missing something here.”

“Hang on.” FoxTrot climbed to the top of the tree, “I can see the names!” He called each name back to the small group, “Silver Star, Mordrid, Octavia, Scarlet, Bon Bon, and Lightning.”

“That means,” Luna ticked the names off her hooves, “Besides us, there’s Fyre-Flye, Thunder, Midnight, Germaine, Fire Flinger, Chestnut, Gruel, Nimbus and Forrest.”

“Germaine’s made it this far?” FoxTrot smiled, “Good girl.”

Thud.

“Nevermind.” FoxTrot sighed.

“And that means there’s going to be another bloodbath soon.” Whooves rolled his eyes, “And I don’t see how we can get out of it.”

“We’ll worry about that when the time comes.” Luna rested her head against FoxTrot, “Let us sleep for now.”

Author's Note:
Happy New year!

Chapter 8: Day Three

FoxTrot stretched, “I’ll be back. I’m going to get some water.”

The Prince slung his bow onto his back, zipping the quiver into his jumpsuit. He leapt from the safety of the tree, canteens in tow.

“Right,” FoxTrot muttered under his breath, “Water.” He trotted westward, keeping his best under the shadows.

“There you are.” FoxTrot knelt by the stream, hooking all four canteens on a low hanging branch. Casting a wary look, he bent low, pretending to drink.

“Sterilize. Cauterize. Formulize.”

He stood, pulling his bow from his back. Faintly he heard voices, too far off to be a problem.

One two three four. One two three four. One two three four.

“If I were a rich man.
Ei-dell day-dell dee-dell day dell dumb.
If I were a, ei-dell day-dell dumb. If I were a wealthy man.
I’d never have to work hard.
Ei-dell day-dell dee-dell day dell dumb
If I were a, ei-dell day-dell dee-dell ei-dell—“
“Prince FoxTrot!”
Twang
Scream
“Sorry!” FoxTrot dove over the stream, “Sorry sorry sorry.”
Fyre-Flye grimaced, “its okay, you only got my knee.”

“I am SO sorry Fyre. I thought you were--”

The Pegasus wrenched FoxTrot close, “Thunder, Midnight and Forrest have found a weapons stash. They’re coming for you and--”

BANG
Thud
FoxTrot pulled the arrow out of Fyre-Flye, “Wong time to kill, Midnight.”
Twang
Thud.
FoxTrot snatched the canteens up, darting back into his comforting shadows.

“Drink up, quick. They know where we are.” FoxTrot passed the canteens out, “We need to move now.”

“How?” Luna took her canteen, “We are secluded.”

“They found the ammo dump as well, so they’re armed to the teeth.” FoxTrot explained, “So my guess is a third-party source. I sure as hay didn’t tell them.”

“Or maybe they saw us leaving.” Whooves swallowed a mouthful of water, “We weren’t exactly sneaky you know.”

“Or maybe those sponsor-things game them weapons.” Fluttershy muttered, “They can do that, can’t they?”

“Fyre-Flye said they found the cache.” FoxTrot finished stuffing the saddlebag, “SO we need to move before we’ve got campers.”

FoxTrot leapt out of the tree, bow already primed. Whooves helped the mares out before the four took off north ways.

“We’ll head to the atrium. There should be some shelter there now we can commandeer.”

“You sure it’s safe?” Fluttershy set her hoof down, “You said that was the worst place to be.”

“In the first few minutes.” FoxTrot grinned, “That’ll be the last place they’ll expect us to be; out in the open like that.”

“You sure?”

“Yep.” FoxTrot grinned, “Sure as the shot of my bow.”

The four trotted into the clearing, FoxTrot immediately taking in their surroundings.

“And I’m still learning.” He sighed.

“Ah, if it isn’t FoxTrot, and his gang of misfits.” Gruel snickered, “We were just talking about you.”

“How did you get in the weapon cache.” FoxTrot snarled, “Those were for emergency purposes only.”

“You barged in and armed yourself.” Forrest waved a hoof to his small legion, “That was an emergency in itself.”

“There is nothing wrong with protecting.” Luna levitated her revolver.

“Peace, Luna.” FoxTrot placed a hoof on her shoulder, “Let him speak a moment.”

“Wrong move.” Gruel chuckled, levitating his own weapon, “Peace ends now.”

“Not on my watch!” Fire Flinger bucked Gruel in the chest, “Yol TOOR--”

BANG

Thud.

“Attack!” Forrest cocked his rifle, “Everypone for himself!”

“Flutters! DEFENSE!” FoxTrot notched an arrow, loosing it true to Chestnut’s eyes.

Thud.

FoxTrot snapped around, loosing another arrow into Gruel’s stomach.

“Thanks for the weapon!” the bulky Pegasus cackled, pulling it from his own stomach.

Whooves screamed as it entered his chest with brute force.

“Wrong move!” FoxTrot loosed another one, missing Gruel entirely.

Forrest yelped as Luna’s hooves belted his stomach. She smirked, darting to FoxTrot’s side.

“Flutters!” FoxTrot’s arrow found its target in Nimbus’ heart.

Thud.
FoxTrot cast a look towards Gruel.
The Pegasus grinned, pointing behind the Prince.
FoxTrot turned too late. Luna’s head folded in on itself.
Thud.
FoxTrot wiped blood from his eye, “Wrong day to die.” He whispered, “I’m sorry, love.”
An arrow lodged itself in between Gruels eyes with enough force to cleave his head in two.
Thud.
Whooves staggered to his hooves, “Fawkes.”
“Don’t worry about it.” The Prince of Shadows sighed, “She’s safe now.”

Thud.

FoxTrot looked up, “Nice going Flutters.”

“I don’t think that was Fluttershy.” Whooves tapped the Princes’ shoulder, “You best not turn around.”

FoxTrot turned anyway, catching the red eyes of Forrest, hulking over the limp form of Fluttershy.

“Wrong move.” FoxTrot’s eye turned black, “Entirely wrong move Forrest.”

“You killed my sister.” The lumberjack growled, “You killed Scarlet. Do you have any idea what that’s like?”

“I know exactly what that’s like.” FoxTrot snarled, “My entire family BURNED before my eyes, and there was nothing I could do.”

“She died in my arms.” Forrest bared a knife, “she died in my arms. Her last words were not of love. They were of accusations.”

“I am sorry.” FoxTrot flicked his knife open, “Truly, I am sorry your sister died.”

“You killed her!”

“No.” FoxTrot moved over to his left, “Soarin’ killed her. Didn’t you read the cards?”

“She said you did.”

“I killed Soarin’, so if anything, I avenged your sister.”

Thud.

FoxTrot shook his hoof again, “I swear I didn’t kill Scarlet. I only wanted Luna’s safety in these games.”

“And now she’s dead.” Forrest snarled, “She and the rest of your crew.”

“And maybe it was meant to be that way.” The Prince pulled his bow out, “Maybe I’m meant to be the victor and take her nights over. This can be my victory.”

“Last chance.” Forrest pulled his own bow out. “Last chance to be the victor. It’s just you and me.”

“You and me.” FoxTrot repeated, “You and me only.”

“Bow to bow.”

“Bow to bow.”

“Stallion to Stallion.”

“Emissarius ad emissarius.”

“What?”

“You just said it.” FoxTrot shot an arrow at Forrest’s hooves, “One arrow. One arrow to end this all. One arrow to bind us.”

Forrest notched the arrow, “And I hope this victory will be perfect.”

“Same here, Forrest.”

Twang

Twang

BOOM

Thud.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts!” Celestia’s voice boomed through the arena, “We have our victor!”

The victor sighed, casting one last look to his fallen foe.

“Enemies only in the end.” He said, laying the bow on his chest. “I’m sorry.”

Author's Note:
I've come across one last blip for this, so it will be just a LITTLE but longer before the final chapter is written.
Sorry.
But hey, I've redone the interviews, fixing some mistakes and adding a bit more material. So there's that.

Chapter 2: Choosing of the Tributes B: Cloudsdale/Appleloosa, and Manehattan

The Gryphon stepped a pace from her partner. “Anypony else? Good. Let’s get this started.” She slipped her clawed talon around the bowl, mixing the names around. “From the Earthen Stallions: Silver Starr!”

The stallion chuckled to himself, his moustache twitching.

“Earthen mares: Lilly!”

A yellow pony trotted to next to her city’s sheriff.

“Pegasus Stallion: Soarin’!”

“WHOO!” The Wonderbolt flew right to the front, hovering above the cheering crowd.

“Pegasus mare: Rapid Fire!”

Another burst of air, and an identical Pegasus hovered next to her brother.

“Unicorn Stallion: Thunder!”

“BOO YEAH!” As if his voice was a tribute to his name, a black stallion loped to the front, his massive muscles twitching.

“Unicorn Mare: Fire Flinger!”

A burst of flame, and a fire-orange mare materialized at the front. All stepped back.

“Let’s hear it for your tributes, Cloudsdale and Appleloosa!”

The Twins were perched on the stand, next to the now-familiar crowd.

“How ya doin’ Manehattan!?”

A deafening roar answered their conjoined greeting. They smiled.

“Brig, would you be as kind as to draw the female names?”

The baby-lavender head nodded, retreating from her brother. “Come up as we call your names.

“Sympathy!”

“Whoo yeah!” The Pegasus started to the front, his golden mane refracting the spotlights.

“Ress!”

“Yehaw!” The crowed allowed the small filly to trot to the front, his chest puffed as far as he could get it.

“Lord Chestnut.”

“Ha hah! In your FACE!” A light brown stallion laughed at the stallion next to him, who had a look of great annoyance.

“Sister?” The stallion looked towards his partner.

“Thanks. Spitfire!”

The crowd gave another deafening roar as the Wonderbolt flew to the front of the stage. Her face was covered with a massive grin, her eyes streaming tears.

“Germaine!”

Another filly started forward, her small white mane billowing in the wind.

“And lastly: Midnight Sky!”

A flash of white, and the Unicorn appeared at the front next to the other five tributes. Her face gave confidence, but her posture said otherwise.