Bread Boy and I glance at each other wearily, because Rarity has a point. The odds have not been kind of late and Big Macintosh is pretty much our lifeline. Without saying a word, we help Big Mac to his hooves.
"Trippy", he says before passing out and leaning his entire weight on me.
"Going down", I say, before toppling under the crushing stallion. I push vainly at him, trying to heave him off me, but some of his vomit starts to trickle down, dripping onto me. "Oh, God, it got in my mouth!" I shout, then instantly spit it out.
Bread Boy, who has leaned down to help me, takes it in the face and stumbles backwards. "Grossgrossgross!" he squeals. He wipes it off quickly, scraping his hoof on the carpet vigorously.
After a much longer struggle and more vomit-y grossness, we manage to get Big Mac to a bathroom where we rinse him with running water and dry him off. Well, at least, Bread Boy does. I manage to beg off on the grounds that I am a mare, and Big Mac is not. I head off to my own room as Bread Boy scrubs at Big Mac's chest, trying to wash him off. I thank my not-so-lucky stars that he's kind enough to do this by himself, and stop short. He's kind. Very kind. I wonder if his cutie mark has something to do with kindness, so I turn and look. Nope. It's just a steaming loaf of bread.
He catches me staring at his flank and winks at me. My face flushes red, giving him the totally wrong impression that I was checking him out. "No. No, I wasn-...oh, forget it!" I stamp my hoof and stomp out of the room, cursing my pale yellow coat. If I looked like Big Macintosh, that wouldn't have been a problem. Then I think of Big Mac swimming in his own puke with Bread Boy's hooves all over him and I'm glad I'm me again.
The train stops a few minutes later and I look outside the window. My eyes are instantly drawn to a small patch of dandelions and a flood of images pierce my mind.
I toss a dandelion into a bucket already full of them. Prim smiles at me, then picks up the bucket, nearly banging it against her knees. "Slow down there, little duck", I say, taking it from her. "What else?" she asks, leaping ahead.
I head into the woods on my own for the first time, looking through the woods for our next meal. I am lucky and I manage to find green beans and wild strawberries, which I bring home for a salad.
Soarin and I are foraging together and he points out a tall plant with three white blossoms. "Hey, look, Fire Mare. This plant is called katniss. It is edible", he says, taking a big bite out of one of the leaves.
My mother bustled around the house, taking care of Prim and even singing. My sister danced around her, but I was mostly uncomfortable.
I come back to myself as we pass another district, but I am not sure which one. What do they think of me, District 12's very first volunteer? They probably just think I'm stupid. I notice the sky is lighter now.
Rarity hops past my room. She says, "Get up or I'll be forced to send Big Mac in to kiss you awake!"
I think she suffers permanent brain damage because of how fast I cannon into her, screaming about how awake I am. Bread Boy and Big Mac meet as at the table.
Big Mac does nothing but drink whiskey as Bread Boy and I tear into the food. Rarity picks at her food, not eating much. I hope she starves.
About halfway through the meal, I ask Big Mac if he has any advice.
"Stay alive", he suggests through a mouthful of waffles.
Bread Boy chokes on his roll, glaring at Big Mac. He reaches out and knocks his glass of alcohol over. He gets kicked in the jaw for that. Spotting a knife nearby, I grab it in my jaws and slam it into the table near Big Mac.
Rarity's head whips around, eyes fixed on me. "That is mahogany", she shouts.
"Fighters, are ya?" Big Mac asks, eying us with what I think is pride. "Real advice. Let me stay drunk. Deal with the stylists." Then he falls silent and turns back to his whiskey.
I think both Bread Boy and I realize that is all we're going to get.