The Pony Games

by UnidentifiedFlyinPegasus

Chapter 3: Training

"You two made quite the splash in the opening ceremonies," Rarity said as they entered the training center. "I've had a lot of ponies asking about you. Of course, I can't sign sponsors up myself, but as soon as Rainbow Dash-," they reached the elevator, and the unicorn pony in front of it opened the doors, let them on."Level twelve, please." Rarity told him. "As I was saying, as soon as Rainbow Dash stops taking so many naps, we can start getting you sponsors!" The unicorn's horn glowed, a blue magical aura emanating around it, and the elevator began to rise slowly. They soon reached the top floor, and the doors opened to the most luxurious room Fluttershy had ever set hoof in.

White carpet covered the floor, as soft as a angel's tail. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, sparkling with hundreds of tiny crystals. Large stuffed armchairs surrounded the largest television screen Fluttershy had ever seen, and on the other side of the room, an ornate table, complete with a set of exquisitely carved chairs.

An earth pony with a dull grey coat bowed and silently led Fluttershy to her room. She looked around as the earth pony bowed again and shut the door.

The entire room was plush, with so many gadgets and buttons populating the walls that she didn't know where to start. Experimenting, she pressed a small green one, jumping backwards as a microphone popped out of the wall. "State desired food choice." The mechanical voice came out of a speaker in the wall.

"Um..." Fluttershy racked her brain for a moment. "Daisy sandwich, please."

The microphone receded back into the wall, and she could hear a low hum as the machine processed her request. In less than a minute, another small compartment opened in the wall and her sandwich came out on a silver platter.

"Nice." Fluttershy said, bending down to pick up her snack. She wandered around the room, munching on her sandwich and pressing random buttons. One of them changed the color of the wall; another opened a closetful of colorful shoes. Fluttershy found one that played all different kinds of animal noises. She pushed it over and over again, reminiscing about each and every one of her animal friends. Who was taking care of them, now that she was gone? Would she ever see them again? She pondered these questions for a while until Rarity burst in, announcing that dinner was ready.

Caramel and a few of the stylist ponies were already sitting at the table when Rarity and Fluttershy entered the main dining room. Rarity trotted around to sit next to Rainbow Dash while Fluttershy found a seat next to the pink maned stylist.

She looked down at the bowl in front of her; in it was the first course, a heavily spiced soup with various vegetables floating in it. Bending down, she took a wary sip; it was the perfect temperature, and it tasted marvelous. An earth pony offered her a cup of foamy cider, but she turned it down, choosing instead a small glass of purple grape juice.

"Those outfits were pretty good," Rainbow Dash was saying to one of the stylists. "But the dress was way too girly. Maybe for the interview, we could add some shoulder spikes..."

"I don't suppose either of you have had any training?" Rarity asked Caramel and Fluttershy. "For the games, I mean."

"Nope." he said, just as Fluttershy answered, "Not at all."

"Well," Rarity said. "You'll have to work hard in the training center, then."

"Caramel's really strong." Fluttershy found herself saying. "He can pull whole wagonloads bricks without any trouble."

Caramel sat there for a moment, taking in what she had said. "Fluttershy can talk to animals!" He blurted. "That's got to come in handy in the Games."

"Talking to animals won't save me in a fight." Fluttershy muttered.

"Well, I don't think there'll be many wagons to pull in the arena."

"Stop it!" Rainbow Dash interrupted. Fluttershy and Caramel both fell silent. "This is good. You both need to learn how to use these strength to your advantage."

Talking to animals isn't much of a strength, Fluttershy thought, but she didn't say anything.

"How did you know that I pull wagons?" Caramel asked.

"I used to see you with them all the time in Ponyville." She responded. "But how did you know that I can talk to animals?"

"Well, it's not exactly a secret," he replied sheepishly. "You took care of my sister's sick gerbil once."

Both tributes continued to enjoy the rest of their meal in silence. There were four more courses of the strangest food Fluttershy had ever tried. When the servants finally took the last of the plates away, she said goodnight and walked back to her room, falling onto her bed. It was perfectly round, and as soft as a cloud, if not softer. Reaching up, she pressed a switch on the wall, plunging the room into darkness. Sighing contentedly, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

"Pegasus from Ponyville, huh?"

Fluttershy looked up from her poisonous plant workshop to see the firey-maned mare from the Cloudsdale district.

"And a volunteer, too." The pegasus appraised. "Not bad. Maybe you have what it takes."

"Thanks," Fluttershy said, smiling and standing up.

"Or maybe," The mare's voice changed, becoming harsher. "You're a little priss with a good stylist. You really think you'll make it out of the arena alive?"

Fluttershy swallowed hard, her wings flattened against her back. "I... I..."

"Think again." The mare shot her a fierce glare. "The name's Spitfire. Remember it." She opened her wings in a flash of orange and took off, gracefully soaring above Fluttershy and landing beside the other Cloudsdale tribute at one of the weapons stations.

"What was that about?" The trainer from the poisonous plant workshop said, trotting over.

Fluttershy only shook her head, not wanting to talk about it.

"I wouldn't worry about her." he said. "It's a common tactic among the tributes to intimidate any potential threats."

Fluttershy glanced over at the weapon station, where Spitfire was viciously hacking away at a training dummy with a knife, and wondered why she would possibly be considered a threat.

After finishing her workshop, Fluttershy wandered over to the other side of the training room, looking for another skill to practice. Camouflage wasn't much of a problem; it was easy for her to blend in in the forest. Identifying dangerous creatures wasn't necessary either; all animals were sweethearts once you got to know them. She probably should have gone to one of the weapon stations, but all of those sharp knives and swords made her nervous. Instead, she headed over to the shelter station, where an instructor was showing a few tributes how to construct a simple lean-to.

In almost half an hour, she had a satisfactory shelter, consisting of two large sticks standing upright, supporting another stick between them. A collection of thin, long twigs leaned on the middle stick, forming the "roof". Fluttershy stood back and admired her work.

Suddenly, there was a flash of brown at the base of the structure. One of the supporting sticks fell away, and the entire shelter toppled to the ground.

"Oops." A young filly smirked at Fluttershy, flipping her dark pink mane out of her eyes. "Not like it would have helped you much in the arena anyway." She had a strong Manehatten accent.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Oh you know." The filly grinned. "With all the other tributes trying to kill you, you won't make it past the first few days.

Fluttershy looked at her, horrified. The filly wasn't any older than Applebloom, and she was talking about death like it was nothing. Was she like this before? Or were the Games beginning to change her?

The filly laughed and walked away.

Fluttershy spent the next few days in a meaningless blur. She drifted around to every station except the weapons stations, learning all sorts of survival skills that she probably could have figured out by herself. One by one, the ponies from the other districts attempted to intimidate her, and with every conversation, Fluttershy grew bolder and bolder. It wasn't until she responded harshly to the unicorn tribute from Baltimare that she realized what was happening.

The Games were starting to get to her.

At lunch that day, Fluttershy sat by herself. She had just started on her oat sandwich when one of the stallions trotted over and sat next to her.

"Just- just save it, okay? I already know what you're gonna say, so just don't." Fluttershy turned away from the tribute, eyes cast down to the floor.

"I was just gonna offer you some of my apple turnover." The stallion said kindly. "But it's okay if you don't want any." He stood and started to walk away.

"Wait," Fluttershy called after him. "Please come back. I'm- I'm sorry. It's just-"

"It's alright." He turned around again and smiled at her. "With that fancy dress you wore, I would be surprised if the other tributes didn't try to talk you down a mite." He had an Applaloosan accent that was pleasant to hear.

Fluttershy felt warmth rise to her cheeks as she reached for one of the rolls in the middle of the table. "Thanks." She said.

He gave her a courteous nod. "Would you still like some turnover?"

She smiled and declined, and he trotted away to his own table.

On the third day, the tributes were called out one by one for private sessions with the Gameponies. The stallion tribute went in first, followed by the mare tribute. Fluttershy watched as the stallion from the Crystal District went inside, and wondered what she could possibly do to impress the Gameponies. Weave a basket? Fly around? Her prospects looked grim.

She sat silently by herself, watching as tribute after tribute entered the training room. Spitfire walked in confidently, throwing a haughty glance over her shoulder before entering.

The room slowly emptied as the tributes were called in, some nervous, some confident, and some in between. Braeburn's name was called, and he walked towards the door, shooting Fluttershy a reassuring smile before the doors closed behind him.

A few long minutes after Braeburn, the mare tribute from the Appaloosa district was called, and Caramel and Fluttershy were the only ones left on the long bench in front of the doors to the training room. Neither one said a word, each anticipating their private session with the Gameponies.

"Caramel," The mechanical voice boomed throughout the room, breaking the silence.

He stood and started to leave.

"Good luck," Fluttershy called after him. Even if he was going to become an enemy to her the moment they stepped into the arena, that was no excuse to forgo common curtesy.

He turned around and smiled. "You too."

The door shut with a resounding thud.

Fluttershy wondered what he was going to do for the Gameponies. Pull around weights? Buck one of the practice dummies?

It was several minutes before Fluttershy's name boomed out of the loudspeaker. Trying to quell her trembling legs, she stood and walked to the door. What she found inside was not what she was expecting.

The head Gamepony, a light purple unicorn, dried her mane with a towel while she scolded a giggling pink earth pony.

"-can't believe you would bring such a creature. I thought I told you that on no account-"

"But it's bring your pet to work day!" The pink-maned pony protested, grinning in spite of the reprimand.

Fluttershy walked to the center of the room, throwing a curious glance at the pink pony. She'd never heard of an earth pony becoming a Gamepony before. In fact, all of the other Gameponies were unicorns.

"Hello." Fluttershy said, hoping she sounded confident.

None of the Gameponies paid the slightest attention to her. The purple unicorn had finished drying her mane and continued to yell at the earth pony, gesturing angrily at the punch bowl in the middle of the table, in which sat a small green alligator.

"Excuse me," Fluttershy tried again, but none of them seemed to notice her.

"-tired of you already. Why in Paneighm would President Celestia hire you as a Gamepony, when you're obviously not-"

A few of the other Gameponies grew bored of the argument and began to chat amongst themselves.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think I'm supposed to..." Fluttershy trailed of into silence. Nopony was listening, anyway.

"Your shenanigans have gone on for too long! As soon as this is over, I'm going home to submit a formal complaint to the highest-"

"Gummy! What are you doing in the punch! You know the cupcakes are place to be!"

"-to think, she made you second in command to me! We'll see what she has to say when I tell her about this little-

"And I heard that sompony told one of the stylists that her tribute-"

Fluttershy took a deep breath, feeling red hot anger begin to bubble inside her. She was tired of being ignored, shunted aside like the runt of the litter. The Gameponies were going to pay attention to her, and they were going to absolutely love her.

She picked up a knife from one of the weapon racks; it was the perfect size to hold in her mouth. Fluttershy glanced over at the target on the wall: a pony-shaped outline, with red Xs to define the kill spots. She aimed for the X directly over the heart, twisting her head, she prepared for the throw.

It only took an instant: a violent turn of the neck, and a release of the sharp knife. Fluttershy looked up to see her knife vibrating slightly, impaled just next to the X she had been aiming for. She glanced up at the Gameponies, hoping for some sort of recognition.

None of them had even turned to look.

Trying to contain her sudden rage, Fluttershy trotted over to the target and yanked the knife out. She backed up quickly, gripping the blade tightly between her teeth. She turned, eyeing the target out of the corner of her eye.

"-never even heard of 'bring your pet to work day'! I suppose I'll have to ask President Celestia to make sure, but I know I've never heard of-"

Fluttershy wasn't sure if it was conscious choice or a mere accident, but the next thing she knew, the knife was slicing through the air towards the Gameponies. It soared past the purple unicorn, barely missing her indigo mane, and straight into one of the cupcakes. The sugary cake was impaled on the wall, and the frosting began to drip down to the floor. All talking ceased immediately, and the Gameponies looked at Fluttershy with a mixture of fear, amazement, and admiration.

"Thank you." She said, holding her head high. She left the room quickly, not giving them any time to respond.

Comments

[ThatCactusPony]

I love it! Just a question, are Carmel and Fluttershy going to be in love like Katniss and Peeta? You have to continue this though! :D

[mlponypeople]

i love pinkie pie in itand twilight and gummy LOL

[Primrosethepony]

You made a small mistake. "that was no excuse to forgo common curtesy." Don't worry it could happen to anyone, nut you might want to change it to this. "that was no excuse to forget common courtesy." but great story, i'm loving it!!!