Today was the day. I would finally be placed into the arena. I was shaking as I made my way into the deployment room. I didn't know If I would come out of the arena. Or at least, come out of it alive.
I found my way into the room and jumped when my stylist wrapped her arms around me. She was trying to comfort me and her hug was well appreciated after I realized what was going on. I held her for longer than she was expecting. I just didn't want to go into the games. I wanted nothing to do with the event. I only ever watched part of it - I usually just pretended to be asleep or busy with a job or something.
When we finally pulled apart, she was shaking her head. "Stay calm and make your first priority to find water and shelter. You'll eventually get your hooves on a spear, I'm sure." She paused, and let out a sad sigh. "Are you ready?"
"I'm as prepared as I will ever be," I responded.
She picked up a thin grey jacket, and then she pulled out a little gold chain - The same gold chain that held a metal version of Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark. I was relieved to see it again. It was a connection to home. She placed the clothing item on me, and then slid the necklace over my head. I let the object dangle, happy to have it's a comfortable feeling back.
"I also have to put a tracker in your arm," She muttered quietly. She levitated a small syringe looking device to my leg, and with a click and a sting, there was a small piece of metal resting just under my skin. It felt unfomcortable. "This is just so they can keep track of your wearabouts and figureout which cameras to use."
"Thirty seconds to deploy." Said a voice. I glanced around the white room and tried to find the speaker. I didn't know where it came from. I could already begin to feel my heart pounding in my chest.
"You're lucky they let you wear that. At first, they thought it could be used as a weapon of some kind, but they eventually let it go. Just be careful with it."
"The symbol didn't bother them at all?" I asked.
"Surprisingly, no. They didn't know how important of a symbol it was, and even if there were some that did, they did didn't say anything. Still, I would keep it tucked inside of your jacket, Just in case." She glanced over at the tube. "But that doesn't matter."
She leaned forward and kissed me on my cheeks, something that was for good fortune, I suppose. I would always see ponies who wanted to be proper do things like that. "Fifteen seconds to deploy."
"Now go," She said, rushing me. "Release your fire and never die down. Create the spark you are meant to be."
I turned and walked over to the glass tube. I turned and looked at Glimmer, who gave me a single nod, as I stepped into the case. Almost right after I did so, the tube sealed and I was lifted up towards the arena. I closed my eyes and lifted my nose to the sky.
When the ground below me stopped moving and no more little vibrations were felt under my hooves, I opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was sand. Large amounts of bright, golden sand that wrapped around the entire base of my stand. I looked to my left and right and saw that Scale and Jockey were noticing the same things, and they too were wearing a grey jacket. However around them and probably around me as well, I could see a faint glow of a bubble. A force-field, actually. This was not only to prevent Unicorns from casting spells too early but to also prevent the pegasai from taking off into the air.
I looked straight ahead and saw a giant silver cornucopia ahead of me. I scanned it and spotted about four visible spears among the pile. I needed to get one of them.
I looked over at the ponies from district eight - my view slightly obstructed by Jockey - and gave them a nod. Moon Breeze nodded back, and I knew that it was her way of saying that we had an alliance. Or that we would at least work together for a while.
I looked back up at the cornucopia, but then looked then looked above and beyond it. I then noticed a shallow hill covered in grass. It went up, and there were about four other hills behind it, and then two mountains. I looked around again and spotted a thin line of blue around the sand I assumed it was water, but I didn't know if it was salt water or fresh water. I think that we were on an Island, or at least on a shoreline. This should be interesting.
I waited for the clock to wind down, and prepared myself to run forwards towards the chaos. It was funny, actually. Discord used to be the maker of chaos and the first thing in these games was exactly that. Chaos.
10...
9...
8...
7...
6...
This was it. There was no turning back.
3...
2...
And then there was a loud siren beyond anything I had heard before. It rattled the ground underneath my hooves, and then it faded away. I flew off of the grey platform and sprinted towards the silver Cornucopia.
The blue pegasus from district one quickly was inside the arena, and he had picked up a sword and was starting to make his way around, scaring others away and at least injuring who he could. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, and then I spotted Cherry Cloud. She had picked up a pack of sleek, silver knives and was throwing them at ponies. She managed to hit one of the ponies from district four and another from district ten. She looked at me, and then she hesitated. Why wasn't she trying to kill me? Surely that was the point of these games?
In her moment of hesitation, I quickly went to pick up a bag when I felt a woosh of air pass just over my back as I bent down. It took me half of a second to realize that the stallion I had spotted earlier was attacking me. I turned and used the sack I had just picked up to hit the blue stallion in the face. He staggered backward as I dropped the bag, kicked the stallion in his chest. He collapsed onto his side, but he went down swinging with his swords. He cut my right forearm and my left shoulder, causing me to fall on my knees with a groan. He lifted himself up and went to plunge his sword into my back while I was on the ground. I quickly rolled out of the way, his blades barely missing my body. I twisted my torso and landed a punch to his chest again, and then jumped to my feet and used a front leg to hit him in the jaw. Blood squirted from his mouth, as he turned away, gripping his face.
Without hesitation I grabbed the nearest bag with my magic and ran, kicking up a large amount of sand as I moved. I ran and ran, not caring where I went. Well, I was sort of paying attention, but there weren't really many places to run. I ran through the valley of the hills and was relieved when the grass turned into forest.
I eventually came across a good thicket, one that was perfect for hiding. The ground was shallow, and the vines that twisted around were the right pattern for camouflaging me. I sat there in the bushes and caught my breath, and then slung my sack around so I could look through the contents.
There was a loud 'boom' which made me jump, and the bag that was in between my hooves shifted and fell through my hooves onto the ground. I knew that it was the first cannon, signaling the defeat of the tributes. I did my best to count them, wanting to know how many of the other tributes died today.
Only four cannons sounded, which was surprising. It was probably the lowest amount I've ever witnessed or even heard of, except maybe the first games. I sighed, and then returned to my bag.
I sifted through the bag, checking the three pockets it held. In the largest pocket, there was a reflective blanket, as well a rope - probably not longer than 20 feet. The second pocket held a small plastic container and a metal canteen. I opened it and looked inside, only to find it empty. And in the last pocket, there were three bandages. The bag could have carried worse things, but at the same time, I could have grabbed a much better package.
After I had put everything back into the bag and attached it to my back, I heard rustling behind me. It was in the distance, but it was moving this way, and quickly. It was also clearly at least two ponies. I figured that the first one was being chased by the second. I held my breath, hoping that the ponies weren't aware of my location. And if they did, I hoped that they would be ponies like Moon Breeze or Jockey.
A green stallion leaped over the shrub and tripped. I didn't get a good chance to look at him before I realized that there were only two green stallions in these games, both of which I knew. I flew forwards and grabbed him instinctually, wrapping one arm carefully around his stomach, and using the other to hold my hoof over his mouth so he wouldn't holler. I scooted back into the thicket, dragging him with me, and shushed him as he attempted to fight my grip. I still didn't know exactly who it was.
Another stallion leaped over the bush, much like the first, but he kept running forwards after he landed, much more gracefully than the first stallion. He was probably thinking that the green stallion I now held had kept running on the thin path in front of him. I watch the rear end fly through the forest, stopping in the distance to look around until it turned right behind a row of trees. I waited for about ten seconds, then released the green colt. Anxious and unsure, I scooted even farther into the cave of brambles so that the bush was brushing my back.
"Really? You're lucky I didn't try to kill you," He said with a sharp tone as he turned to face me, a very soft blush on his face. I gave a thankful sigh as I recognized the stallion as the only changeling in the games, Scale.
"Well, I know both of the green stallions in the arena. I decided to take a chance. I was just trying to do you a favor-" I began, but was quickly cut off by him scoffing.
"Oh please, I was fine. You just worry too much." He stood up and brushed of the dirt from his arms. "Well, good luck I guess. I'll be seeing you around...maybe." He started to walk back out into the forest again, an only when he did so did I realize that he had a small pack around his shoulder. He had no visible weapon, so I was worried about him - at least a little.
"You're just gonna leave like that?"
He looked over his shoulder but didn't stop. "Uh yeah, remember? I work alone."
I flattened my ears and trotted after him. The least he could do was give me a 'thank you' or something. Once I reached his side, I slowed down so I could walk next to him. He gave me a glare out of the corner of his eye, his cheeks flushing, but he didn't say anything.
"You might work alone, but nopony has won these games without a little bit of help from at least one other pony," I commented
He sighed, and I could tell there was a major shift in his mood. He was so confident before, but now he just felt...lonely. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, and then his mood changed again. What happened to him? What made him like this?
He opened his mouth again, this time to let real words out. "Well, fine. If you're going to be a comrade of mine, then we need to find a way to get our hooves on some weapons. We're sitting like ducks out here without them."
I was going to protest the fact that I had managed to stand my ground against the stallion from district one without a weapon, but I didn't want to stretch my limit too far. Getting him to let me side with him was like a big revolution or something.
"If that's what we need to do, then we should set up a camp first and come up with a plan."
He shoulders tensed up. "I know what I'm doing."
"I understand, but you would know that we need shelter and water first. They are essential to living, in any environment. Starvation and Dehydration can be just as deadly as any weapon."
"And we won't be able to get them without weapons."
"But without the basic necessities, we might not even be around to get them!" We clearly had two separate survival styles.
He flicked his ear at me, and his black muzzle was scrunched up at the bridge between his eyes.
"As I said, I know what I am doing," He said in a very cold tone.
"Clearly you don't," I said quickly. By the time the words left my lips, I regretted saying them.
He started speaking, but his voice was so cold and flat that it gave me goosebumps. "I say to you that we can work together, and then you insult me. Go." He beckoned for me to run away.
"Scale I-" I started. I felt bad, and I had turned a potential ally into someone who could become my enemy.
"No. Just go." He wasn't looking at me. He had turned his head away from me so he couldn't anymore.
"But I-"
"GO TERRA!"
As soon as he yelled, I turned and bolted out of there. I ran up towards the mountain, depriving my body out of breath yet another time. I eventually slowed to a walk, and was looking around for a place to hide. The sky was getting darker, so the area was also getting colder. As much as I knew I had to find water, I also needed to find shelter to sleep in.
I scanned around, looking for a place to rest for the night. My throat was dry and was asking for just a single drink of water, but there wasn't much I could do about that right now. There should be time for that in the morning. I eventually found a cave under some rocks, which was also curtained by a mixture of vines and ivy. The cave itself was fairly large and had probably enough room for about five people.
The rocks were fairly smooth, which would make sleeping a little bit more comfortable. As I was laying down, I felt my shoulder begin to sting and ache. I suddenly remembered that I was hurt. My adrenaline had been so high that I forgot to notice. I checked my wounds at this time since I had not done so before. They were not deep nor were they too large, but I had to be careful that they didn't get infected. Since I had no water, I, unfortunately, had to use some of my saliva to clean the two wounds out. I had to make a mental note that I needed to rinse them better when I found better access to water. Still, I wrapped them with parts of the bandage, just to be sure. I didn't want to take any chances.
Shortly after the sun was nowhere in sight, the familiar trumpets sounded and Equestria's anthem came on.
I poked my head out of the leafy curtain and looked to the dark sky to see Discord's symbol in the sky. Shortly followed were the faces of four ponies. The mare from district one, the mare from district four, and both ponies from district ten. I sighed in relief, knowing that no one I cared for or had made alliances with was killed.
After it ended, I walked back into the cave, and pulled out the blanket and rested it on the ground, but my hoof also was caught in the rope. I realized this was my solution to worrying about intruders to my cave. I lit my horn, sending an eerie, blue tinted glow into the cave around me. I left my belongings in the cave and trotted outside to find some sticks. I found two that were relatively the same size after a short search and was thankful that I wasn't met by any opponents.
There was an owl that made me jump at one point or another, but it didn't mean any harm. After I returned to, I found two divots on both sides of the cave, and carefully shoved the sticks in. I tied the ropes to both sides and made sure that it was tight enough for a pony to trip. The rope itself was about ankle height, which was the perfect height for a tripwire. I just hoped I would remember the rope in the morning.
With the small trap set, I returned to my corner and closed my eyes to sleep. It wasn't a nice rest, nor was it the most comfortable, but it was well needed. I was woken up once in the night with a scream that echoed off the mountain rocks, and I glanced through the cracks of the curtain to see an obscured face of a stallion, this one from district four.
Here on this first night, five ponies were gone. Five ponies would never return home. With the sound of the siren - with the sound of the cannons - my life, and theirs, were changed forever.