//------------------------------//
// The Reaping 
// Story: The Equestria Games 
// by Mitslits 
//------------------------------//

	Celestia's sun shone down on the two ponies that sat in the field below it. Bees buzzed around them, feeding off the sweet nectar of the heather and other various flowers. A trickle of sweat dripped down the nape of the colt's neck and he shook it off apathetically. 
The mare glanced over at him. Her mane stuck up from the back of her neck and was bright red and yellow. Her tail matched the same unbrushed state of her mane. Her cutie mark was a small golden circle with a golden bird in the middle. She opened her wings and whipped them back and forth almost lazily, fanning off her companion.
"Thanks, Fire Mare, but there's no point", the colt replied, his long black mane being picked up the slight breeze. "I'll just get sweaty again as soon as you stop. And tomorrow I'll get sweaty, and the next day, and the next day." His own cutie mark was a tree being bent back by the wind, suiting his name: Gale Force.
Fire Mare rolled her eyes, but she stopped her wings. "Why do you have to be so down all the time?" she asked, with a slight chuckle. 
Shrugging, the colt closed his eyes, dipping his head so his mane tumbled down over his face. "Doing anything is pointless." He stamped an ant into the ground with his hoof without even looking at it.
"Gale, come on", Fire Mare said, nudging him gently. "I know it's Reaping Day, but that doesn't mean you get to be a big grump." Even as she spoke the ground beneath them rumbled. The field came alive with small woodland creatures and insects. The creatures rushed to the safety of the woods that were directly to the right of the ponies. "Speak of the devil..."
Gale Force heaved himself to his hooves. "And the devil appears", he muttered, finishing the quote. 
Moving quickly, the two scrambled into the forest, racing between the tree trunks and leaping over protruding roots. In a matter of minutes they made it to an incredibly tall fence that was supposed to be electrified, but rarely was. An old sign with rotting wood and faded spray paint announced that this was Private Property and they should keep out. Another sign, even older than the first and barely legible, stated that was the boundary between restricted territory and District 12. 
Snorting, Fire Mare wiggled through the sizeable gap in the wire links. She slid through it easily and waited right outside for Gale Force to join her. He did so quickly and nodded at her. "I'll see you at the Reaping", he said in a hasty farewell before turning around and galloping away. 
Fire Mare tracked him with her eyes, finally turning away and heading towards her own home. 

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Eventually her tired hooves brought her to a small, ramshackle hovel. The roof listed severely to one side and there was a small pool of water dripping off one corner. The door sagged on its hinges and the one window was smudged and moldy. Fire Mare carefully pushed the door open, hoping it didn't fall off as it had done before. She had barely stepped onto the warped floor before a mangy gray cat was hissing at her. It lashed a paw in her direction, claws extended, before turning his back on her and attempting to stare out the window.
"Fire Mare!" a small light pink filly shouted, cantering out of the hallway and cannoning into her sister. "Mom has given you the pretty blue dress for the Reaping", she said excitedly. "Try it on!" 
She allowed herself to be led into the small bedroom she shared with her little sister Primrose. She gasped when she saw the dress. How had her mother ever afforded this? It was the most beautiful thing her eyes had ever beheld. 
"Do you like it?" Her sister's white topped head bounced into a view, a big grin plastered on her face. Without waiting for an answer she danced out of the room. "Try it on!" She shut the door, smile still on her face. 
Fire Mare turned back to the dress, examining it closely. 
The front of it was a white crest that swooped up over the rest of the dress, similar to a necklace. The crest was studded with dark purple jewels and had exquisite patterns near the front, also dark purple. A lighter purple saddle protruded from the crest, ending in a mass of cloud-like swirls. From the swirls came the fabric. The first layer was a plain blue, ending in a line of teal beads. Underneath the beads, a darker blue flap was found, also ending in a line of teal beads. The next layer was a thing gauze; it too ended in the line of beads. The last layer was made up of pleated fabric, the darkest blue yet. 
Fire mare slipped it on. The end of it trailed slightly on the ground, but other than that if fit her perfectly. She opened the door slowly, trying to make her entrance more dramatic. 
Primrose squealed in delight. "It's wonderful!" She went to hug her, then dropped to the ground, reluctant to touch the beautiful dress. 
Her sister rolled her eyes and enveloped Prim in a ginormous hug. "You're much more important than some dress", she told her. "Now go get ready. And, don't worry, okay? You'll be fine." She kissed Prim's forelock then sent her to get changed. 
A moment or two later Primrose was outfitted in her own red, sparkly, tri-layered dress. The saddle was small and dark red and embroidered with hearts. The border of the dress was lined with soft green satin and she looked stunning. 
Fire Mare peeked in on their mother. She was staring at an old blue jumpsuit, cut through with yellow lightning bolts. A lightning bolt with wings was embroidered on the flank and the material was wet with tears. "Mom? We're going to the Reaping."
Spitfire looked up, staring at her daughter with empty eyes. "Yes, dear. Of course."
A little scared at her mother's apathy she retreated, knowing she had to hide her nervousness from Prim. "Come on, Prim. It's time to go." 
Her sister shrank away from the open door, fear in her eyes. "I don't want to go", she whispered. 
"We have to." Fire Mare knelt to Primrose's level, looking her right in the eyes. "Listen to me, Prim. There's nothing to be afraid of. Okay? Your name is only in there once; I'm sure you won't be chosen." 
Primrose took a deep breath. "Okay, Fire Mare. I'm ready."
The two walked out of the house, and Fire Mare glanced back one last time. Shaking herself, she returned her gaze to the front. They walked on, heading to the Reaping.

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The two sisters joined the herd of ponies that had already gathered for the Reaping. Fire Mare craned her neck, looking around for Gale. 
"Looking for Gale?" Prim asked, trying to lighten the situation. Though her words were lighthearted her voice was tense and her eyes still filled with terror. 
Fire Mare jumped guiltily. "No", she lied. "Gale? Pssh. What are you talking about?"
Prim's voice got very soft and low. "What am I talking about, Fire Mare? What am I talking about?" Her eyes began to spread to opposite sides of their sockets and Fire Mare was about to tell her to cut it out when they reached the place where they would be sorted by age. 
"They're just going to take a bit of blood, okay, Prim?" Fire Mare said. "Just a little prick and it's over."
Her sister seemed to come back to life. "NO! Don't leave me!" she shrieked. "NO! NO!" Two burly security ponies began to head their way. 
Making promises that everything would be okay, Fire Mare disentangled herself from Prim's hooves, joining her own age group, keeping her eyes trained on her sister. When it was her turn for the hoof prick, she shuddered at the size of the massive needle. She hated lying to her sister, but what was she supposed to say to calm her down? "Oh, don't worry, Prim, there's just the biggest freakin' needle you've ever seen waiting to take about a quart of your blood." Brilliant. Fire Mare winced, but she endured it quietly. 
Not so with Primrose. Her shrieks echoed around the Reaping area, and several security guards had to physically restrain her. Eventually, the ordeal was over and her sister was allowed to move on. 
Fire Mare spotted Gale Force, his eyes fixed firmly on the stage ahead of them. Her heart skipped a beat, but she managed to turn her own eyes to the stage just as the Reaping began.
A big, burly, red stallion by the name of Big Macintosh stumbled onto the stage, pitching headfirst into his chair. His eyes were blurred and bloodshot with alcohol. The next pony was much more fashionable with a spotless white coat and dazzlingly blue diamond cutie mark. Her deep purple mane was curly and seemed very soft and bouncy. She approached the microphone. "Welcome to the 74th annual Equestria Games. I am Rarity. For those of you who do not know the Histories, we have a short film that we will now show." Rarity stepped back, allowing for a better view of the massive screen behind her. 

The Uprising started with one pony. A Royal in fact. She opposed our dear Celestia's reign, saying that the treatment their subjects received was unfair. She grew jealous and wanted all the power for herself. The princess grew into a horrid, twisted monster, heart as black as the dark side of the moon. She rallied all of ponykind and led the rebellion. Our great Celestia defeated her at great personal sacrifice and was merciful enough not to punish our race unfairly. Instead of slaying us all she decreed that one colt and one mare were to be chosen from each District each year to compete in the Equestria Games. We thank her for her mercy and generosity.

Rarity stomped her hooves on the stage in applause, but the rest of the ponies remained silent, staring at her blankly. "Well, wasn't that informative?" she asked rhetorically, reclaiming her place at the microphone. "And now it's time for the drawing. May the odds be ever in your favor." She trotted over to a large glass bowl filled with tiny scraps of paper containing the names of those ponies crowded into the Reaping area. 
"Ladies first", she said, trying to joke as she approached the bowl. She fired up her horn, picking up one scrap of paper with her magic. Rarity took an infuriatingly long time to make her way back to the microphone. She unfolded the scrap and gazed out over the crowd. "Primrose Everfree."