Chapter One - The Morning Before the Reaping
Twilight Sparkle slowly opened her eyes. Sunlight was trying to travel through her thick hoof stitched Curtains. She began to get up feeling like there was no point in having a lie-in because it was not the day to feel relaxed. Today was the day of the Reaping. Twilight's muscles tensed up. No. There was no need to worry. The Pony Games have been going on for 50 years. She was not going to be picked.
How Twilight is still alive and young to tell the tale about how The Pony Games started is unknown to everypony. Everypony except for her and the Elements of Harmony. After all war had broken out in Equestria, as her last dying spark of magic, Princess Celestia cast a spell over Twilight and her five friends that meant if they keep on harnessing their element of harmony that pony will live forever. The only way they can die is by murder. If only Princess Celestia knew what she was doing. If the princess knew what Twilight and her friends would had to live through Celestia would have just let them die. Twilight's heart dropped when she remembered the last tears of her beloved princess falling to the ground. Then with one final breath the princess was dead. Then, The Pony Games were born. To mark the defeat of the princess; and the start of the Capitol.
The Pony Games are simple. One mare and one stallion from each district get picked out of a big ball full of names to be entered into the Pony Games. This is a competition when 24 ponies fight to the death. Magic and flying is allowed but try to fly out or teleport out if the arena and you will be killed. Only two ponies have ever won The Pony Games from Twilight's District. No pony has ever heard or seen of them since. You would think though that Ponies from a magic district would win it easily but it's the Pegasus ponies who win it each year. As the gong goes off, the Pegasus' shoot up into the sky sleeping on clouds and only coming down to scavenge for food. When the last few ponies began to battle for the victor the Pegasus ponies swoop down into battle. And having been better rested and stronger than the others they triumph over the weak ponies and win the Pony Games for 'The District of Weather'.
Twilight tried to shut away visions of the different types of deaths that can only happen in the Pony Games. Death by Stabbing, Poison, Bombs and Mutations are just some of the many deaths in the arena.
Twilight made her way down the stairs to the library. A cold shudder went through her. She hated it here. It had to many good memories that she wanted to forget, but moving was not an option. She tried to remind herself that she was lucky to still have her library. After the war most of the Ponyville's original buildings were destroyed so they could make more 'Capitol' like buildings. Twilight rolled her eyes. More like: "So, we're going to come here and destroy your safe and warm houses to build houses which don't even have a working toilet".
Twilight walked over to her kitchen and opened her cupboards. Empty. It wasn't surprising. Food had been hard to buy ever since Equestria was split up into Districts. She was put into: 'The District of Magic' where the most talented Ponies enchant objects for the Capitol so their life is made easier. Twilight wished she lived at the 'The District of Food' instead though. It's hard to harvest crops that won't even grow in the dry soil of 'The District of Magic'.
Twilight sighed as she lifted up her purse. She smiled. This was something that put pure joy into her days. Something that kept her alive. Magic. This was the only thing the Capitol could not brutally take away from her.
Flashbacks suddenly appeared into her mind. Flashbacks that made her drop her purse making all the contents spill out on the floor. Flashbacks of all her friends being taken away from her came into her vision. She saw Applejack and Applebloom being torn away from each other's hooves. She remembered Rainbow Dash trying to fly away from all the Harmonykeepers but being brought down by nets. Pinkie Pie was screaming for Mr and Mrs Cake to keep themselves and Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake safe. Fluttershy was trying to protect all of the animals and trying to be brave as she can but she was shaking as more ponies turned up, Rarity grabbing Sweetie Belle closer to her as Harmonykeepers surrounded her. Twilight was screaming for everypony to be calm but seeing that Spike was being dragged out from the library. Screams of terror were coming from him. Twilight pushed her way through the Harmonykeepers trying to get to Spike. Twilight called his name, Spike turned his head. He started to begin to scream Twilight's name but was silenced by Harmonykeepers pushing him to the ground. Screams of all her friends were ringing in her head.
It took a couple of minutes for Twilight to realize that the screams were coming from her. She came to her senses, her muscles weak and shaking. Sweat was running down from her mane to her face. Twilight shook herself. No more. This was her life now. She will never see them again. And nothing can change that…
Twilight began to collect all of the fallen coins and placed them into the purse. When she was done she put her purse into her Saddle bag, put the saddle bag on and made her way to the front door of the library. She took one last look behind her. No more thinking about her friends. It was time to put the past behind her and look to the future… if she actually had one…