"Good evening, mares and gentlecolts, and welcome back to Canterlot News. This evening, as I'm sure you're all aware, we announce the scores of the tributes for the upcoming 74th annual Pony Games. Tributes are given a score from one to twelve, depending on how well they performed for our Gameponies. Now, back to Tracy, for some on-the-scene coverage of our training center."
Fluttershy sighed and leaned back in her armchair. She didn't have very high hopes for her score; if she was lucky, she would probably get above a five.
Around her, Rarity and the stylist teams were chatting with each other, enthusiastically discussing the interview outfits. Caramel sat on the far side of the room, exchanging view on different strategies for the Games.
"Thank you, Tracy. As usual, we'll start with the first district, moving up until the twelfth. From the Crystal District, Blue Rook, with a score of four. Also from the Crystal District, Sapphire, with a score of seven."
Fluttershy listened carefully, paying attention to the tributes with higher scores. She would need to remember them in the arena, the ones that could possibly end her life. Of course, any of the tributes had the potential to kill her, but only a few of them could do it without a shred of remorse.
The filly from the Manehatten district got an eight. Spitfire received a ten. Braeburn got a nine.
Half of the room held their breath as the reporter colt finished reading the Applaloosa scores and moved on to the twelfth district.
"From the Ponyville District, Caramel, with a score of eight."
Caramel grinned as everypony turned to look at him. Fluttershy smiled at him, impressed; any score above a seven was noteworthy.
"And finally, also from the Ponyville District, Fluttershy, with a score of," He paused and squinted at the paper that listed the scores. "Eleven."
The entire room gasped; Nopony had ever gotten above a ten. Fluttershy felt eleven different pairs of eyes fixed on her. Twelve, actually; one of the servants still lingered, gaping at her from behind the couch.
"That's..." Fluttershy searched desperately for the right word. "Nice."
"Nice?" Rainbow Dash laughed. "I got a ten for my training score. I always thought that eleven and twelve were just there to match the number of districts. Nice doesn't even cover it."
"How on earth did you get an eleven?" Rarity asked, excited. "I mean, not to say that I thought you couldn't, but I never even expected-"
Fluttershy muttered her words quietly, hoping nopony would hear. "I threw a knife at the Gameponies."
"What was that?"
"I threw a knife at the Gameponies." It was only slightly louder.
"Sorry, what?"
"I..." she took a deep breath. These ponies were here to help her in the games. She might as well tell them. "I threw a knife. At the Gameponies. Well, not really at them. It hit a cupcake and pinned it to the wall. "
The room was silent for a moment.
"Sweet!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "I wish I'd thought of that. Good job, kid."
Fluttershy remembered that she was at least half a year older than Rainbow Dash, but she decided not to say anything.
"Will I get in trouble?" She asked softly.
"Probably not." Rainbow replied. "You're already signed up for the worst punishment possible. They'll just take it out on you in the arena."
"Oh." she responded, not sure if that was supposed to make her feel better or not.
Rarity levitated her glass of grape juice gracefully into the air. "To Fluttershy, the mare that shined across Paneighm!"
The rest of the ponies smiled and raised their glasses as well.
Fluttershy hoped that they didn't notice her blush.
***
"Ouch!" Fluttershy yelped as the stylist mare gave her dress straps a yank for the fourth time.
"Sorry," she said. "I don't understand why it's so small on you, we had you measured when you first got here."
Fluttershy thought back, to all the fancy dinners and luncheons she'd been to since in Canterlot. No wonder the dress didn't fit- she must have grown at least two sizes.
The stylist tugged at the straps one more time, and Fluttershy gasped in pain.
"Is she ready?" Another stylist appeared at the doorway, the earth pony with the light green coat.
"One more thing," The pink coated stylist reached into a drawer and pulled out a pair of earrings. Both earrings were small silver circles, but the similarity stopped there. "This one represents Canterlot," the stylist explained, holding up the first one. It had the image of Canterlot Castle, containing exquisite detail for such a small piece of jewelry. "And this one represents the Districts," She held up the other one, a tiny silver alicorn with a huge arrow in her mouth. Tiny bits of pearly white flame curled off her wings, giving Fluttershy the impression that the earring was on fire.
She stood still as the stylist fastened the earrings on her ears.
"Okay," the pink stylist said. "She's ready."
Both stylists exited the room, and Fluttershy stepped up to the mirror, not sure what to expect. When she caught sight of her reflection, she let out a gasp of amazement. The pegasus in the mirror gasped as well. Her shimmering pink mane fell in elegant waves down her back. Her tiny form was covered in sleek gray feathers, and she wore thin black slippers on all four hooves. The gorgeous mare in the mirror could not be her, and yet it was, breathtaking and lovely as she was.
"Oh, my dear!" Rarity walked over to join Fluttershy at the mirror, a huge smile spreading across her face. "You look simply marvelous!"
Fluttershy smiled timidly. "Thank you."
"Are you ready for your interview?"
"I- I think so."
"Good! We should probably get going."
The trip to Canterlot Castle only took a few minutes, but it felt like forever. Fluttershy stared out of the carriage window the entire time, wanting to memorize each and every detail of the huge extravagant buildings that passed by.
When they arrived, Fluttershy and Caramel were guided backstage to the tribute's waiting area. They were just in time, the last of opening music playing out on the stage.
"Welcome, mares and gentlecolts! I'm your host, Fancy Pants and tonight we have twenty four very special guests!"
The applause could have been mistaken for twenty herds of buffalo, with all the noise the audience was making. Fluttershy sighed, wishing that her dress had holes for her wings, so she could stretch them out. She had never felt more nervous in her life. At least on the chariot all she had to do was smile. Now she had to walk down to that chair and answer three minutes worth of questions, in front of thousands of ponies. Fluttershy watched as the first mare tribute walked out to greet the audience, met with a deafening round of applause.
Every three minutes, a buzzer went off on stage, signaling that the interview was over and it was the next tribute's turn to go on. The time seemed to go by faster and faster with each tribute that went on stage. Fluttershy stared up at the screen that showed the stage, taking in their outfits and personalities one by one. The filly from the Manehatten District, who was apparently named Babs, wore a glittering red dress. She answered each question with confidence and style. Spitfire wore a soft white gown, and seemed to be assured of her victory already. The colt from the Cloudsdale District, Soarin, wore a pure white suit and made lots of jokes, most of them involving pie. Braeburn wore a simple red suit jacket and a bolo tie, choosing a more gentlecolty approach. He even winked at the audience a few times, causing more than a few mares to swoon. His mare counterpart wore a poofy green dress, and spoke with such a strong Appaloosan accent that most of the audience had trouble understanding her.
And then it was Fluttershy's turn. She took a deep breath to calm herself and stepped through the curtain and onto the stage. The audience cheered loudly, but she ignored them. All the cameras were pointed directly at her, all twenty five spotlights reflecting off of her dress. She tried to compose herself and walked to the middle of the stage.
"Welcome, Fluttershy. How are you this evening?" Fancy Pants, the Games host, was a white unicorn with a handsome black suit. He smiled at her as he waited for an answer.
"Fine." Fluttershy said softly, cringing as her voice squeaked.
"Wonderful, wonderful." He had a very strong Canterlot accent. "Now, we all saw you volunteer for that young filly back in the Ponyville District. Would you care to elaborate for us exactly why you volunteered for her?"
"I... I..." Fluttershy sighed. "I did it for my friend. Applejack."
"I'm assuming that she is the lovely mare that volunteered after you did."
"Yes. The filly is her little sister. I knew... I knew she was going to volunteer for her, and I didn't... I didn't want her to die. Either of them."
The silence was deafening.
"So you decided to sacrifice yourself for them?" Fancy Pants asked.
"Applebloom is so young. And Applejack... she has her apple farm. They both have so much to live for. And I... don't."
Fancy Pants was silent for a moment before he changed the subject. "So how about that fabulous dress you wore for the opening ceremonies?"
The mares and colts watching began to cheer so loudly that Fluttershy had to wait a few seconds before she answered. "It was lovely." She smiled for the audience's sake. "Of course, my stylist should get all of the credit."
Fancy Pants shook his head, grinning. "Still, it's not the stylist that wore it in the opening ceremonies. That was all you, my dear."
The spectators cheered some more, and Fluttershy tried to look pleased. On the outside, she looked confident and beautiful, but on the inside, she wanted to run off of the stage as fast as she possibly could.
"So, tell us about charming old Ponyville," Fancy Pants changed the subject once more.
"Well, it's very nice. I live in a little cottage outside of town, and I have lots of little-"
The buzzer went off, signaling the end of the interview. Fluttershy thanked Fancy Pants and started to walk away, but he signaled for her to stop. Turning to the audience, he grinned widely. "Mares and gentlecoats, may I present to you... Fluttershy, the mare that shined across Paneighm!"
The applause was deafening, as nearly every single pony in the room stamped their hooves on the floor. Fluttershy smiled modestly, her ears twitching from the noise. She trotted back across the stage, almost galloping in her attempt to get out of the spotlight. She stopped in the hallway and allowed herself to breath once more, glancing up at the television screen that showed the stage.
Caramel was walking towards Fancy Pants, his dark grey suit accessorized with a matching top hat. The two exchanged greetings like they were old friends, and the interview began. Caramel answered every question with a smile, obviously going for the "nice stallion" approach.
"Caramel, my boy, you're a nice young colt." Fancy Pants said. "I don't suppose there's somepony special waiting for you at home."
Caramel grinned. "Well, there is this one mare."
"Oh?" Fancy Pants exaggerated innocence, drawing a laugh from the spectators. "Well, I'll tell you something. If you win the games, she'll have no choice but to be your super special somepony."
The audience cheered.
"There's a little problem with that," Caramel said. "Because I don't think she'd appreciate it if I let her best friend be killed."
The silence echoed through the room even louder than the cheering had.
Applejack, Fluttershy realized. He likes Applejack.
Of course, it wasn't much of a surprise. Applejack was strong, hardworking. Caramel was too. Why wouldn't he have a crush on her?
"Well," said Fancy Pants, breaking the silence. "I wish the best of luck to you, sir."
"Thank you." Caramel responded.
The buzzer went off, just in time. Fancy Pants presented Caramel to the audience with a smile, but Fluttershy couldn't help but notice that the cheers weren't nearly as loud as hers had been.
***
That night, Fluttershy fell in and out of sleep. Her dreams were like a movie, intercut by images of death and her own wakefulness. Finally, the morning dawn broke through her window, signaling the start of a new day.
The first day of the Pony Games.
A little blue jay chirped outside her window, telling the other birds what a sunny day it was. Fluttershy wanted so badly to join him, to fling open her window and perch next to him on the tree, but she couldn't; the window was locked.
Somepony rapped on her door lightly. "It's a big, big, big day!" Rarity said in a sing-song voice. "We leave in five minutes!"
Fluttershy sighed and got out of bed, stretching her wings. Her interview dress hung in one of the many closets in her wall; she couldn't remember which one, and she didn't really care. She caught sight of herself in the mirror, and realized that she still had the earrings on. Oh well, she thought. It's not like I can take them off by myself, anyway. The clasps were too small and delicate for her hooves, and they could only be removed with unicorn magic, or a small animal's claws, perhaps.
She opened the door and trotted down the hallway to the main room, where Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Caramel were already waiting for her. The stylists were nowhere to be seen.
They took the elevator to get to the roof, and both Caramel and Fluttershy stared upwards in amazement at the huge hovercraft that flew overhead. A small platform lowered down, and Caramel and Fluttershy stepped onto it, waving goodbye to Rainbow Dash and Rarity. The platform rose into the air, and Fluttershy saw Rarity wipe away a genuine tear with a fancy embroidered handkerchief.
The hovercraft was even bigger on the inside, it's interior full of workers and tributes. A unicorn mare identified the pair of tributes using her magic, and led them to a designated area.
"No!" One of the other tributes stamped her hoof angrily against the floor. "The great and powerful Trixie will not endure this kind of treatment!"
A dozen different servants groaned as they walked over to help her. This was obviously an ongoing development.
"What was she expecting, the royal treatment?" Caramel muttered.
He was right, of course; almost all of the tributes were going to die. They were to be treated no better than pigs marked for slaughter.
"Why would you bring me my smoothie on a wheeled cart? I thought I already told you; the great and powerful Trixie doesn't trust wheels!"
The other tributes had to endure "the great and powerful" Trixie's rants for the rest of the hovercraft ride. By the time they landed, Fluttershy's ears had started to twitch again.
The tributes were led underground, where a labyrinth of catacombs had been constructed specifically for the Games. Each tribute was guided down a different tunnel, accompanied by an earth pony that knew the way. Fluttershy's guide was silent the entire time, only speaking to tell her to "watch her step" or to tell her of a "turn up ahead".
When they finally arrived at their destination, Fluttershy's head was spinning from all the turns and twists. She couldn't find the way back to the hovercraft if her life depended on it, which was probably the plan all along.
There wasn't much in the room; a table, a chair or two, and, of course, the tall glass tube that would transport her into the arena.
"Good luck." The earth pony bowed. "You have three minutes." He left the room, trotting down the tunnel at a leisurely pace. Fluttershy almost considered calling him back, afraid to be left alone, but he was already out of sight. She swallowed hard and looked at the transport tube, wondering what would happen if she refused to get inside. Would she be killed immediately? Or would somepony force her into it?
She wasn't sure if she wanted to find out.
Fluttershy took a deep breath and stepped through the side opening in the glass cylinder. The metal plate beneath her hooves hummed slightly, almost as if it was excited to lift her up into a living nightmare. Three minutes, the guide had told her. How much time had passed already? One minute? Two? She had no way to tell.
She began to think about home. What was Angel doing? Was he anxiously watching the television, chewing nervously on a carrot? Or was he lounging in her bed, lazily napping while the other animals ran amok. What about Applejack, and her family? Would they mourn her death? Probably. It made her feel better to know that somepony would care.
She had a miniature panic attack as the circular plate beneath her hooves began to rise slowly. Her eyes were blinded as the sun burst through a hole above her, and she blinked, trying to adjust to the bright daylight. The plate clicked into position, and as Fluttershy's eyes adjusted, she gasped in amazement.
"Mares and gentlecolts, let the Seventy Fourth annual Pony Games begin!"