Chapter I: Morning in Equestria
Darkness.
Darkness and silence.
As Twilight woke, she wished nothing more than to remain deep in the recesses of sleep. Then she could continue her escape from reality, staying beneath the thin sheets barely keeping her warm and shut out the outside world. Sadly, this was a luxury that she could not afford.
Finally accepting defeat, she sat up in bed. Sleep had evaded her for the majority of yet another night, and to say she was tired would be the understatement of the century. Every time she fell asleep, the same images would re-enter her mind; piles of bodies, explosions left right and center, and endless, endless screaming. She opened her eyes and stood up, rubbing her aching eyes and walking out of her room. She headed towards the kitchen while desperately averting her gaze from the assortment of pictures on the hallway walls, envious of the better times they displayed. Moments of time that could never exist again. Moments of happiness that seemed impossibly far in the past. Moments which would never be paralleled again.
She walked into the kitchen, and was met with the only good thing she had left in the world: the smiling face of her brother. The situation they were in dictated that this was not a happy smile, but a supportive one. He had to care for her, in any which way he could. Given the circumstances, all he could do was support her and be strong for her. But he was safe, while she was facing the worst threat imaginable.
"Morning Twily," said Shining Armor. He spoke softly, with an upbeat attitude that Twilight envied greatly.
"Morning," she responded dryly.
Nothing else need be said between them. She was terrified of what was to come, and it showed with every iota of her body language. Shining didn't need any invitations; he walked right over to her and hugged her tightly. She hugged back, savoring every moment. In tough times, the simple embrace of her brother could make the gloomiest nights seem bright. Moments dissolved, feeling like hours. Twilight cried softly, as every single "It's okay," Shining said made her feel as if all the horrors the world could throw at her wouldn't get within a mile.
After a few minutes of the embrace, Twilight loosened her grip, and Shining Armor followed suit.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked her, eyes full of concern.
"There's nothing to talk about," replied the younger sister he cared for so dearly. "It's out of our control. But we've got a few hours to kill before the reaping, so I just want to be as far away from here as possible."
Shining nodded, levitated his saddle bag onto his back as they both headed out.
For the two young unicorns, home was the area of Equestria known as District 12. History books tell of the district being in a picturesque location, nestled between the great mountains that once housed the royal palace of Canterlot and the dense woodlands of the Everfree forest. The reality was true to form, but only on occasion. Heavy overcast was typical weather in District 12, with the residents very rarely being treated to sunny days. But on these clear days, the surrounding areas of the district were indeed a sight to behold. The great mountains to the north were so clear you could easily make out the ruins of the royal palace, and to the south the forest stretched out in its infinite complexity. The only thing that spoiled the view was the town that lay between.
District 12 was found to be a location rich with coal, in the earliest days of the Capitol rule. Therefore it wasn’t long before mining became the primary industry of the district. The large town was itself nestled in a natural valley, several miles across with the coal rich hills rising up for hundreds of metres on either side. It was often joked that the town was in a location that alone said a lot about the way Equestria was ran. To the north was the ruined palace, to remind the ponies of what they’d lost. To the south was the Everfree forest, to remind them of how dangerous the world beyond the fences was. And to the east and west were the hulking hills in which lay the coal mines, to remind them that the Capitol was always a force that watched over them mercilessly.
The town nestled between the hulking hills could at best be described as little more than a shanty town. History books identified it as a town once called Ponyville, a picturesque village with stunning surroundings and friendly townsfolk. Crisp and clean cottages with thatched roofs housed a few hundred ponies, the roofs of which were made from pure golden hay grown locally on a farm a few miles out from town. The golden landscape of roofs was only broken on the odd occasion, but they were grand exceptions. Buildings like the town hall and its circular roof rising high above the houses, or the bakery which had been specially built so the roof resembled a cake topping. The only evidence of any of this were blurred black and white photographs found in family photo albums and the history books in the school. Naturally the Capitol would twist history to suit its own way at every opportunity. In this case, any reference of the old town in the history books would always finish off by saying that it was the disobedience of the ponies that caused them to lose the quaint nature of their home.
The district was waking up to a new day, but the hustle and bustle that came so naturally was a mere memory today. It would be resumed tomorrow, but today most ponies sat quietly in their houses. Families huddled together, savoring what they were aware could be some of the last precious moments they could spend with each other before the reaping. The quiet streets meant Twilight and Shining Armor went unnoticed as they headed towards the border fence that separated the small village from the dangers of the forest beyond. The two had grown up going into the forest, being up and out at the crack of dawn to spend many a long day foraging for food and returning home just after sunset, exhausted but at ease. They had quickly learnt all they needed to stay safe; where to go, where to avoid, and how to hide should they stumble upon Timberwolves or other unfriendly predators. In the Everfree Forest, Twilight and Shining Armor felt like nothing could separate them. However, today was different.
They approached the border fence which "officially" was supposed to be electrified, but District 12 was hardly the richest district in Equestria. As a result, power would never be surging through it for more than a few minutes. Shining used his magic to separate the wires and make a gap big enough for Twilight to get through, before stepping through himself. The wires twanged loudly as he let his magic release them, and he trotted off after his sister.
Most days they would spend several hours foraging for food. Some of the berries were a delicious treat, but you had to be very careful. The majority were harmful, and the effects were varied. Some caused nothing more than minor stomach cramps and nausea, but anypony eating unfamiliar berries would be lucky to get off so lightly. The effects of the worst berries went all the way up the scale, topping off with amnesia, paralysis, and even death. The two unicorns contented themselves with some apples, and headed towards their favorite spot.
The Everfree forest sat on the edge of a valley, extending outwards for miles on either side of it. The valley twisted and turned, like the sweeping river that lay in the base of it. In one spot, there was a clearing right as the valley turned sharply. Stand in the middle of the clearing and the valley extends out in front of you in a V shape. The river hundreds of feet below cascaded over a waterfall right at the corner, causing a constant mist to rise directly in front of the clearing. Even on gloomier days a rainbow shined upon this spot, gracing the viewers with one of few remaining true spots of beauty in Equestria.
Twilight and Shining Armor had stumbled upon the clearing on their very first trip into the Everfree many years previous. Twilight was just a filly, her flank still yet to boast a cutie mark. Shining had suggested they explore, despite their parents warnings to stay out of the Everfree. They had started off gathering fruits and berries, working their way into the forest when Twilight first heard the rushing water of the waterfall below. They had chosen this perfect spot to sit and enjoy the food they had foraged, and soon the exertions of the day took their toll on the young ponies. They'd drifted away into the recesses of sleep, cuddled up together in the warmth of the sun.
It was this sweet memory that entered Twilight's head as the two approached the clearing. The sun was shining brightly today, and the rainbow danced in the mist not unlike an ecstatic dog greeting its owner. Twilight and Shining sat quietly, admiring its serene beauty. The rainbow never seemed to dissipate or fade with age. It was always there to greet them. Of course it would disappear as the sun did when Luna's moon rose over the horizon, but it would always return when the land was blessed once again with Celestia's glorious sunlight.
"So..." Shining began.
"Don't!" Twilight quickly interjected. She knew what he was going to say, but she was less than keen to talk about it.
"Twily, calm down. There's hundreds of ponies' names that are eligible. The chances of you getting picked are remote."
"But what if I do get picked? What would I do? There's no way I could bring myself kill anypony."
"It's not exactly something I could ever picture you doing."
"Is everything about this a joke to you?"
"Funny things are."
Shining Armor's ability to make light of horrific situations never ceased to amaze Twilight. It truly was a skill she was yet to master, but was never quite able to get a hang of. She wanted to respond angrily, but she knew he was just being blasé to make light of the situation. Albeit an odd way to think, it was infinitely better than the alternative; living in constant fear, terror and depression. Being nonchalant about the abysmal living conditions was one of the few ways to stay sane in Equestria.
"What do you think Mom and Dad would say?" Twilight asked, leaning her head on Shining's shoulder. "I mean, if they could see me killing somepony."
"I think they'd say that its not your fault," he replied with determination in his voice. "You wouldn't jump into the arena with the taste of blood, desperate to kill the first pony you could. And you won't. Not after everything we've been through, everything we saw. I promise, I won't let them take you. No matter what happens."
The two unicorns sat in silence, staring at the rainbow with no awareness of how much time was passing. Years could have gone for all they knew. They were just happy to be together while it lasted.
It was inevitable that the silence would be broken, and they both cursed in their heads as they heard the sirens in the distance. This was not an emergency siren, but one of announcement. Twilight hugged her brother tightly, holding on to him as if anything within his abilities would prevent the sound of the sirens reaching her. She knew the message that was being conveyed by the sirens, but wanted so badly to ignore. It was a summoning of everypony in the district, and strict head counts ruled out the possibility of hiding from it.
"Twily..." Shining said.
"Don't! Please, don't..." She said, desperately trying to prolong the time they had away from the inescapable.
"I'm sorry," he said. "But it's time."
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Oh my god, ponyfied Hunger Games.
This sounds very, very interesting.
That the reference?
Ding ding! We have a winner!
I need either a picture or description, as well as the name of, your OC, as well as what district you wanna be from. Also its gender.
I was just thinking earlier today, "I really need to read an MLP/ Hunger Games crossover fic". This worked out nicely.
I dunno anything about avengers, but I guess I've already been beaten to that anyways. Haha.
I thought it was pretty well done for your first fanfiction (or, at least first fimfiction). Some minor grammar issues (missing punctuation and capital letters where I wasn't expecting, for the most part), but they didn't get in my way or anything. A few of the paragraphs were a bit long for my taste. Not a big deal imo. I liked the way you described district 12 and Twilight's emotions. I haven't read The Hunger Games in a while, but I think you did a good job on capturing the same feel from what I remember.
I like that you diverged from the plot a bit and made Twilight have an older brother. Obvious this is following mlp canon, but it means that she can't replace Shining Armor, so that makes me curious on what will happen. Is Shining in the draw as well, or is he too old? I wonder who the male tribute will be.
Anyyyyways, I'd love to submit an OC to you. Before I do that, though, are all of the districts open? I have a pony that might fit will in district 1, but you might already have an antagonist set up there.
2193132
Thanks for the kind words, its always nice to be new on the scene and be welcomed with such open arms.
As for the questions about Shining Armor, the idea is that he is older to the point where he is above the maximum age requirement for the reaping, which is canon to the comparison we see of him and Twilight in the BBBFF song when Twilight was younger.
As for your OC, as long as its a stallion, I can definitely put it in as a District 1 tribute. If not, just pm me with a picture or description of it, and I'll see what I can do.
Also, bear in mind I'm not taking the first book and making it ponyfied, I am creating a new story, as this is meant to be the first of the games, not the 74th that we see in the book/film. This gives me more room to breathe in terms of loyalty to the first book.
I enjoyed looking at "The Hunger Games" and have watched all three seasons of "Friendship is Magic." Merging the two of them together was an excellent idea, 8-Bit. The first chapter with Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle really moved me. I'm off to read the second chapter now.
Can I have 2 OC's in here? I'm not sure how to post pictures, but I can describe them.
Halfnote is a unicorn with a long black mane and tail, white coat, and teal eyes. Her cutie mark is a backwards halfnote, a bridged eighth note, and a quarter note. I would prefer she'd be from 11, so like Rue. Her eye shape is like Twilights. She's the main OC.
Jewel is also a uni, but she is a light purple color (a little darker then Twilight's), her mane is yellow with dark purple tips. Her cutie mark is a blue diamond. She's almost exactly like Glimmer from district 1(or is it 2?) with her personality.
firstly, I found a little grammatical error:
it should be "To kill anypony"
And I know it's a bit too late, but if I could have my OC A Capella : (link) in here, it would be much appreciated :3
I know that it's WAAAAAYYYYY to late, but I'm going to submit 2 oc's to be in the Quarter Quell (if you make it)
Name: Lightning Racer
Sex: Male
District: 10
Coat: Yellow
Mane/Tail: Blue
Cutie Mark: Joystick
Race: Pegasus
Name: Note Stringer
Sex: Female
District: 10
Coat: Reddish Brown
Mane/Tail: Black
Cutie Mark: Eighth Note
Race: Unicorn
I loved how you stuck to the show canon and made it so that Twilight and Shining Armor don't hunt, they gather.