//------------------------------//
// XIII - Scale 
// Story: The 34th Equestrian Hunger Games 
// by Sketch-Pad 
//------------------------------//

The five of us had made our way towards the mountains, trying to separate ourselves from the rest of the ponies. For the most part, we knew where everypony was, other than Scale. Other than my first encounter with him, I hadn't seen his face at all. Part of me worried a little about him, not sure if he was doing fine or struggling. Even though he and I had an argument, that didn't mean that I didn't at least worry for him. 
We passed the cave where I had found Code Red and Aerospace, though neither of us said anything. I didn't know how far we were planning on going up the mountain. Though now that we were on it, it wasn't as big of a mountain I thought it was. It was kind of just like a slightly-larger-than-normal hill. Real mountains were definitely much bigger than this. 
I eventually fell next to Jockey, and he and I were walking side by side. Code Red and Cherry Cloud were in front of us, talking about some old cloud city, an all of these things that only pegasai would know. Every now and then one of them would make a joke and they would laugh about it. I was glad to see that the two of them were getting along pretty well, especially Code Red. He probably needed someone to make him laugh. Actually, I think we all did. 
Silver Streak was walking behind us, his head held low. I didn't know why he looked upset, but I could guess. I thought that it might have to do something with the fact that he was the only earth pony in our group. I didn't have a problem with earth ponies, but there were some earth ponies that had problems with unicorns and pegasai. I didn't know if he was one of those ponies, but I didn't want to make it worse by bringing it up. It could also have something to do with the fact that he didn't have another friend to talk to. It made me want to find one for him, though it might be just a little too late for that. 
I decided to make conversation with Jockey, trying to get my mind off of Silver. 
"So, what was with you and that ear of yours?" I asked teasingly.
Jockey scrunched up his muzzle and blushed, his eyes widening. It was a cute expression. 
He chuckled, "Um yeah, about that..." 
I smiled. "It's okay I do it to my brother sometimes if I have to wake him up. Though I have to admit I think your reaction was better." 
My comment clearly didn't help his blushing, but his face wasn't as scrunched up as much. "When I was younger my mom used to wake me up like that. Poking me or anything never worked for some reason, nor did bright lights. So she would play with my ear and it would always wake me up." I nodded. "Though I would usually wake up laughing, and then she would tickle me..." He sighed. "And for a moment last night, I was back at home, having my mother waking me up again." 
I looked at the grass below me as we walked, as it was slowly filled with more rocks and pebbles. 
"I really do miss her, but then again I'm sure you miss your family too," He added. 
"As much I love my family, it's hard to think about them in times like this, I know. It's very easy to think that we might not see them again. But at the same time, I think that it's those thoughts that keep us going. It's what keeps us fighting; knowing that we have a family at home and that we will have a family to come home to if we win. And because of that reason, I think it makes us want to win just a little bit more." 
He smiled. His smile was kind of cheesy, but it was one of those faces that couldn't help but raise your spirits. He certainly had the face of a radio host, even though their faces aren't really shown all that much. 
"What was your family like?" He asked, kind of out of the blue. 
I blinked. "Well, my mother works as a designer. She makes sure all the machines and everything look nice and she works with a team when they have to design something new. She married my dad and had my eldest brother, Trax. He makes tires and wheels. Then they had me and my younger brother, Flashlight. Shortly after he was born, my dad started seeing a peacekeeper. He broke off from our family and told us that he went to go and live in district two with his new marefriend." I rolled my eyes. "Anyways, we are pretty close and we all play our part in doing things to keep our family together. We don't have much but it's enough to live by." He smiled as I concluded my explanation. 
"It sounds like a good family," he said in a genuine tone. 
I nodded. "Yeah, it was." 
We walked for a while longer in silence, only hearing chattering from the two pegasai in front of us and the rolling of stones beneath our hooves. My legs had grown tired, though thankfully there wasn't much of the mountain left.
All of a sudden, there was a very loud BOOM that filled our ears and made us stop in our tracks. I bit my lip, cutting the exact same spot in my mouth that was already injured from my chipped tooth. 
"What the hell was that?" Silver Streak asked, looking behind him, over the arena.
That was something that was good about being up so high - it gave you the ability to see over the arena. You could see the entire island and the water that surrounded it. I slightly lifted my head as a gentle breeze swept across my face. The sun was completely above the horizon, and about halfway across the sky. My guess, it was probably around noon. I actually felt quite majestic right now. I could get used to the feeling. 
"I don't know, but it didn't sound like a cannon," Cherry Cloud answered. 
After a moment of watching the land, we could begin to see a visible cloud of smoke rising up from the forest, close to the cornucopia, on the far side of the island. A few moments passed, and there was another boom that followed, this one closer to us, though not by much. Another plume of smoke began to rise. Three more explosions continued, gradually moving closer to our mountain, each one creating smoke plumes. There was finally a cannon, and the explosions stopped. 
My heart was pounding in my chest as we waited. Another cannon followed though we could hear the screams of the fight just before the cannon sounded. I looked at Jockey, who was staring intently at the forest. None of us knew what had happened, but we probably had our guesses. 
Somepony had either found explosions or made them, and probably started attacking somepony else. My guess was they had attacked the other group, and the group had followed the attacker. Somepony died. Actually, two ponies did. Shortly after, a ship flew over to retrieve their bodies.
"Come on, who ever they were, they could be headed our way. I don't want to stick around if they have explosives," Code Red said. "You could tell by the explosions that they were hoof made," He added. 
"There wasn't really an explosion though," Cherry replied. 
"Exactly. If they were made professionally and in a factory, they would have made a much larger explosion. Even if they were something small like a grenade," he explained. 
"And how do you know this?" Jockey asked. 
Code Red blinked at him. "I'm from District three. We do make some bombs along with everything else we make." 
Jockey nodded. "Alright."





We had eventually made our way over the mountain, which led us to a steep cliff that dropped almost straight down into the ocean. The only problem was that once we reached that cliff, there was nowhere for us to go, except down, or back. And right now, neither of them seemed like a good idea. 
"Well, it looks like we've reached the end of the island. What do we do now?" Cherry asked. 
"Well, we could always just set up a camp here," Silver Streak answered. 
"Well, yes, but we're kind of in the open if we do. And we if get jumped, I don't want to be the pony who falls off the cliff. As much of a skilled flyer as I am, it's not easy to catch my bearings depending on how I fall," Cherry responded. 
Code Red nodded in agreement. "It also doesn't really give us a place to run, either. I mean, Cherry and I can fly, but you guys can't. We probably aren't strong enough to carry all three of you anyways."
I thought for a moment. I had an Idea, but it might be bending the rules a little too much. But as long as we don't eat them... 
"Terra?" Jockey jumped in. "I can tell you're thinking. What is it?" 
"Well, what if we made a fence of some kind, and come up with a plan to escape if we need to?" I offered. 
"What do you mean by 'a fence'?" Code Red asked. "We could probably build one with the trees, but we would need better cutting tools, nails, shovels, you know, all that stuff we don't have. Not to mention that it would take a long time, too." 
I smiled at them. "Well, you know the rule about us not making edible plants or what ever that rule is?" 
"Yes." They said simultaneously. 
"I'm thinking that as long as we don't eat them or use them as a weapon, I think I could grow us a fence. Out of plants." 
All of their eyes widened, and it kind of shocked me. "Are you sure that you won't get penalized?" Cherry asked. 
"They haven't punished me for levitating Gaelan when he was falling earlier, and they probably would have by now, don't you think?" I answered. 
"Yes, but you were saving his life. It's not like you threw him across the arena or something," said Code Red. 
"If you're willing to take the risk, Terra, then I say it's worth a try," Cherry said, supportively. 
I looked at the other ponies, who were smiling. Silver Streak gave me a nod. 
"Go ahead," Jockey said reassuringly. 
I turned to face the cliff and stared at the rocky ground. It clearly wasn't the most stable of ground, but I had to take my chance that the ground was tough enough to hold. I took a deep breath, and began my spell. Sweat began to form on my brow as I concentrated, allowing the plants to sprout from the ground and to twist and curve in a fence like a pattern. The wrapped around themselves, tying itself into solid, sturdy knots as the roots in the ground grew longer, clutching on to the cliff with all its strength. The fence grew until about eye-level height, mainly because I didn't know how much longer I could keep it growing. It was over 15 feet long and extended across most of the cliff. 
I finally released my spell, taking in a sharp breath of air and dropping my head a little, trying to call my strength back to me. I've learned that growing spells like that are actually quite draining. Over my years of practice, smaller growing spells don't drain my energy as much, but larger projects, like this fence, do. I glanced up at it, relieved to see it hold.
"Wow," Cherry muttered, walking up to the fence. "I knew you were good with plants, but I didn't know you meant like this!" 
Her compliment made me blush a little. 
Jockey walked up next to me. "Yeah. I heard a lot about you and your skills, but I really didn't know that this is what you meant. Your abilities - I haven't come across or even heard of anypony with skills that even come close. You certainly have a rare gift." 
"It's all about practice, really. And at home, they're put to better use - helping to create some food and other little things like that. I just do and create what's needed, even though I'm not known that much." 
"Well, they'll know you now," Cherry replied. "You're one pony that I'm very glad I met."  
I made a motion with my hoof, beckoning them to stop. "You really don't have to thank me. I was just doing was what necessary." 
"Are we going to set up camp?" Silver Streak asked. "Even though it's like the middle of the day?" 
"Yeah, I suppose we can," Cherry answered. "Though we should probably see if we can find something to eat too," She added, holding her hoof up to her stomach, which I guessed was probably growling. 
"Alright, the three of us, Code Red, Silver Streak and I, can go and see what we can find nearby. It might not be much, but it's better than something. You mares could start setting up a firepit and what ever kind of shelter or something you think we need," Jockey ordered. "We'll be back within the hour," He added, walking back the way we came with the other stallions right behind him.
I looked at Cherry Cloud and smiled. "So, firepit." 





We had just finished building when we heard a soft rolling of stones near us. Only a short amount of time had passed, so I figured that it was just the boys returning. Cherry and I were sitting and waiting for them to return. 
Cherry had turned her head around to look in the direction of the sound. "So, you find anything interesting?" 
Suddenly her ears dropped. I stood, not being able to see the stallion's face. I could see the green hooves moving over the stones, so I just figured that it was Jockey. Turns out I was wrong.
It was Scale. 
"Long time no see, Terra. I see you've gained a friend." He started to walk around us like he was looking for a weak point, or he was trying to intimidate us. "It's a shame that we're not allies, you know? You and I would have been a wonderful team, and make it all the way to the final two." 
"That's your loss then," I countered. "You were the one to ask me to leave, remember? After I saved your life?" 
He chuckled as his face blushed. "Yes, I remember, and it's thanks to you that I took out those ponies from district eleven." Cherry tensed up. "What were their names? I don't remember the stallion's, but I do remember that the tan and white mare was quite a fighter. So surprising too - she always looked like she was half asleep." 
"When did you kill them?" Cherry asked suddenly. 
"Oh, just this morning. They decided it would be best to try to bomb me, but it didn't work. I don't even know where they got those explosives! I chased them and took down that grey and red unicorn. I then proceeded to follow that mare. She put up quite a fight for her comrade, I must say." 
"What do you want, Scale?" I asked, placing my foreleg in front of Cherry, who looked like she was about ready to jump on him.   
"I want to win, just like any pony else!" He shouted, tensing up his back almost like a scared cat.
"But why! Why do you fight Scale, we all have our reasons; surely yours is more than just for the pride and thrill!" I shouted back.
He closed his eyes and dropped his head, his body trembling. I didn't know what he was going to do. it was so hard to read him; I was prepared to defend myself if I had to. But I didn't want it to come to that. 
Finally, he lifted his head, his face dripping with tears. Cherry and I froze with awe. Here was a pony who had labeled himself as a threat and had proved it a thousand times over. He was a fierce competitor and great at combat, and he had sworn to win. He seemed very set that he was going to be the winner. So why was he crying? Was it all just an act?
"I want to win because I'm one of the last of my kind, Terra!" he finally exclaimed with a trembling voice. "Ever since the revolution when the Crystal Empire disappeared, my kind was practically nonexistent. Most of us disappeared right along with the empire, but not all of us did. A small hoof-full remained...my parents were part of that few." He sobbed. "And everypony who saw us saw us as traitors or as demons! We had changed long ago and were no longer feeders of love, but sharers; so why didn't anyone see us like that! We never did anything wrong, and yet, we were persecuted..."
I took a few small steps towards the shaking changeling. "Scale..."
"Ponies didn't like the idea of us breeding. They tried to do everything possible to stop it, some even resorting to violence...they said we were the weaker race...And that's why I need to win Terra! I have to prove to everyone that changelings aren't weak! And I have to make a stand since there are so few of us left! I can't let my race die out!"
I lowered my ears. I had no idea that he went through all of that in his home district. I didn't know that he was in so much pain. I felt sorry for him.
I had just begun to take a step towards him when there was rustling in the bushes behind Scale. 
"Terra!" I heard somepony yell. Before I knew it, Jockey, Code Red, and Silver Streak had darted from the shadows and lunged themselves towards Scale. 
Code Red attacked him first, his hooves flailing wildly, However, Scale was ready and had turned rapidly, landing a punch right on Code Red's chest that sent him tumbling backward onto the ground, gasping for breath. He was alright, but he probably had the wind knocked out of him. Jockey was next wielding his sword, attempting to send sending fast blows to Scale's sides. Scale weaved in between the blows with ease, twisting with such fluid motion he looked like a dancer. Jockey made a thrust forwards and Scale reached his hoof forwards and did a very flowing move where he tremoved the sword from Jockey's grasp. Jockey stared wide-eyed as Scale turned on him and swiped the sword across Jockey's face. He too collapsed backward, and I was terrified that Jockey was fatally wounded. Thankfully he raised his head and looked back up at Scale with raging eyes, a new cut lining diagonally between his eyes, he went to stand, but Code Red grabbed his leg with his own, holding him back. Both of us clearly knew that he wouldn't beat him. 
Silver Streak had attacked last, aiming with a kick to his face. To no surprise, Scale easily dodged it. He rotated and grabbed his hind leg with both hooves, directing his momentum past him and throwing him into the ground. Before I had any time to react, Cherry had come from nowhere and quickly pushed him over. They somersaulted in the pebbles and grass, before Cherry landed on top and started to make powerful blows to his face. 
He had to be getting tired worn out, so I was amazed that he could keep going like this. It was almost unnatural. 
I carefully trotted over to Code Red and Jockey who were laying on the ground, helping them get to their hooves. "Don't fight him. He's just..." I didn't know what to say. I was scared. Everything had changed and Scale wasn't who we thought he was. Still, there was no way we could intervene. We had watched the two green ponies fight, seeing that they were very equally matched. Both of them were fast, and they each had the muscle to make devastating blows to their opponent. There was no way we could step in without hurting ourselves in the process.
Suddenly, Scale had kicked Cherry to the ground and was prepping to make about to make the final blow. The thing that happened next was both so slowly and so quickly. They were a quick blur of grey and the next thing I knew Silver Streak was standing over Cherry, a sword in his back.
He looked up at me, his eyes filled with fear. Everything was silent. Cherry was screaming at him, and the boys next to me were doing something else, but I didn't hear it at all. I didn't want to hear it. His gaze was ice cold and it sent chills running all over my body. It made my heart skip a beat and left my body feeling hollow. 
With my vision turning red, That empty feeling inside suddenly exploded with rage. I bolted for Scale, picking up a knife as I went. He was so occupied watching Silver that he didn't see me coming. I leaped onto Scale, and with a somersault I had him pinned to the ground, holding a knife to his neck. I was staring into his amber eyes as tears filled my own. 
"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now!" I said shakily.
"There isn't any reason why you shouldn't. I've done horrible things." He responded back, his tone monotone.
"But you have your reasons for fighting! You aren't evil, you're just. . . hurting."
"I've always been hurting, Terra, It's the curse of being a changeling. I was born into this. . ."
"But you shouldn't have been! You said so yourself; changelings are love sharers! You're good-natured and kind! You had good intentions, you just. . . You just. . ." I was sobbing. "You don't deserve this! Please!"
Scale extended his neck and closed his eyes. "You can kill me, Terra, it's fine."
"I-I can't, I-"
"Terra if you don't, somepony else will. And I'd much rather it be you."
"Don't make me do this! I can't kill you!" The words left my mouth, but I was still holding the knife against his neck.
"Just do it, Terra!" He shouted, reopening his eyes to stare at me. 
I was shaking, hesitant. I stared at his neck and the blade pressed against it. I didn't want to kill him. Not now, not after everything I've learned. But it was so hard to just let go of the fact that he had stabbed Silver Streak, and I knew that the others wanted me to take revenge. What should I do?
"No," I said firmly. I heard him, as well as the others, gasp. "I won't do it." I dropped the knife to the side and stepped away from him.
He rolled onto his side and slowly got up. "Terra what are you doing!?" I heard somepony call. I lowered my head and let my bang sweep over my face as I found myself continuing to cry. 
Scale was flabbergasted. His head was lowered just like mine, his eyes empty and gazing at the ground. We stood close to each other, our face only inches apart.
"Please don't make me regret my decision," I whispered. 
He looked up at me, sadly, "You won't". And before I knew it, he had lunged forwards again. 
However, it was not at all what I was expecting. He didn't try to attack me or anything of the sorts. No. Instead, I found his lips pressed against mine. I was shocked and I didn't understand what was going on. He looked like he was glowing, and I felt like I was glowing. I felt such a warm feeling rise in my chest; something I had only felt with Circuit. But I didn't have feelings for him. Or at least, not the same way I had feelings for Circuit. What was this? Was he sharing his love? He backed away, his cheeks flushed. He kept his eyes on my face as he began backing away, before finally turning and running into the woods. I sighed shakily, my face heated and more tears falling from my eyes. What happened? 
"Dammit!" I shouted, before collapsing onto the ground. I didn't know what happened. He kissed me, and I didn't killed him. But I almost did. And he stabbed Silver Streak, who was surely dying right now. Scale, who were you? What have you done?
Jockey walked over to me, and he hesitantly put his forelegs around me, trying to calm me down. But I couldn't. My chest was twisting and my throat was tight. I just wanted to scream and yell and just... just do something! Yet, he didn't saw anything about Scale, or about what had happened, he just got me standing again. He had to pull me towards Silver Streak, trying to get me to say goodbye or something. I wanted to, but at the same time, I didn't want to. The three other ponies were circled around him, his eyes drifting to all of our faces. Cherry looked very unsettled, and Code Red had a terribly blank expression on his face. None of us had come so close to death in these games. Even when Code Red was attacked by Mousha, he escaped by pure luck of slipping on a hill. None of us had witnessed death in front of us before, and none of us were prepared. 
"W-why did you s-save me?" Cherry asked, her voice shaking. 
"You four saved my life, more or less. I would have kept wandering aimlessly covered in-" He coughed, a trickle of blood coming to his lips. "I knew I wouldn't win... no matter how hard I tried.." His voice was straining, and it hurt to watch.
Cherry had a few tears falling down her cheeks, dropping off of her chin. Code Red was holding up his head so he could speak. I reached forward, and rested my hoof on top of his, making him give a weak smile. 
"I'll keep an eye on you in the next life..." He said, trying to sound a little better. "Don't do anything... stupid."
Cherry only gave a sad smile. He shifted his gaze upwards, looking at the rolling clouds above us. 
"Oh... and, one of you...please... win..." I picked up his hoof, gripping it with my own. 
"We will," I answered. "We promise." 
"Good." Was all he muttered. His gaze blanked out, and his eyes lost focus on the clouds. His hoof went limp wrapped in my own. He was gone, and the sound of the cannon sealed it all off.