I stand and listen as the eccentric pink mare pulls the small slip of paper out of the big glass bowl. A gust of wind blows a few strands of my dark blue mane into my face, but I don't bother with them. Now, I am completely focused on what is written on that little piece of paper. As the mare unfolds the slip and begins to read the name into the microphone, my ears flop and I stand shocked as I hear the name being called.
"Velvet Sparkle." She says in a clear voice.
That's my name. I stand awestruck for a minute, then slowly walk up to the podium. I ascend the steps, and stand next to the mare. She has me face the entire population of my district. District Six to be exact. I live in a country called Panem, which is located in a place that was once called Equestria, before fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters all but destroyed every living thing in the land. Those that survived created a new nation. Divided into thirteen districts ruled by a single Capitol.
Then came the Dark Days, where the thirteen districts revolted against the Capitol. The districts had it good in the beginning, but the overwhelming air superiority of the Capitol was too much, and twelve were defeated, the thirteenth destroyed to set an example for the rest of us.
Those districts that did survive, however, had to face an even darker future. To show that the Capitol is still in control, each of the districts must send one male and one female citezen between the ages of twelve and eighteen to fight to the death inside a gigantic arena in a televised event called "The Hunger Games." What's even worse, is that the districts are forced to celebrate it!
The mare crosses to the glass bowl to our left, and reaches a hoof inside. She pulls a small slip of paper out and crosses back to the microphone. Unfolding the slip of paper, she reads the name loud and clear, and I swear my heart skips a beat.
"Darius Finwich." She says.
"No..." I whisper under my breath.
That name belongs to my younger brother, who only just turned twelve this year. I close my eyes to try and shut out what was happening around me. First I am called to fight in the arena, and then my little brother. No, the odds are not in my favor today...
"I volunteer!" I hear someone in the crowd yell. I open my eyes to see that it is my longtime friend, Harris Bloodweel, who is being held back by a pair of peacekeepers in their white armor.
"I volunteer as tribute." He says, looking me in the eye.
"Well, it seems we have a volunteer." The mare says. "Come on up here darling." She says, waving her hoof to indicate him to ascend the stairs.
He comes up, and stands on the other side of the mare.
"And what would your name be, young man?" The mare asks.
"Harris Bloodweel." He says, staring straight ahead.
"Well, let's have a round of applause for Velvet Sparkle and Harris Bloodweel. Your tributes of District Six in the sixty-seventh annual Hunger Games!" The mare yells to the crowd, who begin to clap their hooves slowly. "Go on you two, shake hooves."
Harris and I turn to face each other, and I can see that his jade green mane is being tousled by the light wind, and that his brown eyes are locked on to my purple ones. I reach out my right hoof, and he extends his. We grasp each other's hoof firmly and shake. I mouth a silent "thank you" to him, and he nods his head subtly.
"Happy hunger games!" The mare says. "And may the odds be ever in your favor."
As she finishes speaking, a squad of peacekeepers surrounds Harris and I and escorts us inside the justice building. We are led tithe elevator, and are shoved inside. The elevator is cramped, and smells like someone left a dead mouse in here for a week. I look at Harris, whose coat is light blue. Mine is tan, which I forgot to mention earlier, but no matter. My cutie mark is a loaded bow, pulled back. I earned it when I discovered my talent for shooting a bow and arrow. Being from district six, where we have to hint for our food almost every day, it was not strange for any of us to have a cutie mark that revolves around hunting. I hear that hunting is illegal in every other district, we're the lucky ones I guess. Most of the food we manage to catch and kill is sent away to either the Capitol or another district, only leaving us with just enough to get by. I turn to Harris, and wrap my forelegs around his neck, and squeeze him hard. He seems surprised, but he hugs me back. I swear I'm about to cry here and now.
"Thank you..." Is all I manage to get out.
"Hey, you're already going in here, and I'm not letting you go alone. Especially not with your little brother as your fellow tribute." He says to me, stroking my mane softly.
"But why did you have to go and volunteer, knowing that you'll probably get yourself..." I can't bring myself to say it. The thought hurts too much. "What if we're the last two tributes standing? I couldn't kill you even if I wanted to."
"I know." He says.
We break apart as the elevator doors open, and two peacekeepers direct us to two rooms on either side of the hallway. This is where we are given an hour to say goodbye to our friends and family that we will be leaving behind. I sit down on the chair that is provided, and wait until the door opens, revealing my mother, father and brother standing there. I get up, and they all surround me in a warm embrace. We all break out into tears, and I am the first one to speak.
"I love you all." I say through the sobs.
"We love you too." My mother says.
Before we knew it, our three minutes are up, and my family is being pulled out the door by peacekeepers. I sit back down, alone and still sobbing. I hear the door open again, and in steps Harris' mother.
"Hello Velvet." She says.
"Hello." I say. The silence is somewhat awkward, but I know she has something to say.
"I'm sorry that this happened to you. I never wanted this to happen to either of you." She says, stifling a sneeze.
"I know." I say, looking at the floor.
"Just, if he dies, try to come back. For him." She says.
I nod. "I'll try. He would want me to."
"Thank you. I made him promise the same thing for you." She says, smiling weakly.
The door opens, and the peacekeeper outside is ushering her out the door.
"Take care of my son, Velvet." She says, and the door closes behind her.
I am about to assume that nopony else is coming to say goodbye when the door opens for a third time, and my friend Ink Heart steps through the door. He is a grey unicorn with intelligent blue eyes and a light blond mane.
"Velvet." He says, grabbing me in a hug. "I am so sorry that this is happening!"
"I know, Ink, but there's nothing we can do." I say, returning the embrace.
"Just, try to get out of there alive. Okay? I wouldn't want to lose a friend like you." He says, breaking the hug and looking me in the eyes.
"Yeah, I'll try." I say.
"Good." He says. "Well, I guess I should be going." He says, noticing that the door has opened and that the peacekeeper is standing there. "But before I do, I must give you this." He hands me a small necklace. "For good luck." He says, turning around. He turns his head to face me one last time. "Goodbye Velvet..." He says, and the door closes.
An hour later, Harris and I are on the train to the Capitol. The train isn't one of ours, it's a Capitol model that travels at two hundred miles per hour.
"So..." The pink mare begins, "my name is Octavia Flufalia, and I will be your escort for the Games."
"Okay. Don't we have a mentor?" Harris asks.
"Well, yes. He is probably asleep right now however." Octavia says.
"Oh. Well, will we be seeing him tomorrow?" I ask.
"Oh, yes. Don't worry about that. Just enjoy the trip, and make yourself at home until we arrive in the Capitol." Octavia says excitedly before leaving the dining car.
"So..." Harris begins, forcing my attention. "We aren't very lucky, are we?"
"No, not really." I say. "Why did you do it? Why did you volunteer?"
"Because I don't want to see you get killed out there. I do not want to lose you, especially not like this."
"And you think that I'll be able to live with myself if you die?!" I shoot back at him.
"No, but you'll find a way. You always do." He says.
"I... I....." I can't think of anything to say. I don't want to talk about the thought of one of us dying.
"I know, Velvet. I'm sorry I brought it up." He says to me. "Come here." He extends his forelegs, and I go into them, and hug him as tight as I can.