> The Pony Games
>  by UnidentifiedFlyinPegasus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Long ago, there were 13 districts, all of them working and producing items for the majestic city of Canterlot. There was much peace in the land, and everypony lived in harmony with one another. 
That is, until the Lunar district decided to rebel. 
There was a war, a dark and terrible war. Blood was spilt on both sides, but in the end, Canterlot prevailed. As a reminder, the Lunar District was reduced to ash and rubble, and a yearly tradition was established. A deadly game, a fight to the death between 24 young mares and colts. For 74 years, it has remained as a reminder that only the strong can survive. 
The Pony Games. 	

> Chapter 1: The Reaping
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Fluttershy woke up and yawned, stretching her wings. Angel shifted in his sleep, and she hummed a soft lullaby as she got out of bed, careful not to wake him. None of her animal friends were awake yet; quiet bluejays nestled in the rafters, tiny white mice snoring softly in their holes, and small squirrels nestled in their beds, their soft brown tails encircling them like blankets. Even the morning light seemed peaceful: streaming through the windows in a gentle cascade of sunshine. 
Fluttershy smiled and made her way outside, stepping delicately between the sleeping animals. She reached the door and opened it, breathing in the sweet morning air, sighing with contentment. 
She looked over at Ponyville, realizing for the first time that all was silent. None of the ponies were outside, and even the birds in the trees refused to sing their morning ballads. 
Then she remembered what day it was: The first of May. 
Reaping Day. 


***


Town square was silent, although everypony in town was gathered there. Fillies clung to their mothers, too young to know what was about to take place. PeacePonies wove through the crowd, separating ponies according to their ages. One of them prodded Fluttershy with his hoof. 
"You there," he said with a stern Canterlot accent. "How old are you?" 
"I'm.. I don't..." Fluttershy stammered, her voice almost a whisper. 
The unicorn glared at her and his horn glowed with magical energy as he performed an age detecting spell. "Idiot pegasi." he muttered, pushing her under a rope into an area with a group of mares. Fluttershy recognized her friend Applejack, silently standing by herself. 
"Welcome, welcome!" A thick Canterlot accent echoed through the speakers that surrounded Town Square. Fluttershy turned to see a regal white unicorn mare standing on the stage. She wore an elegant pink gown and had a large curl of rich purple hair. "As I'm sure you're all aware, we are about to start the reaping!" She grinned at the audience, waiting for some sort of acknowledgment. When she received none, she continued. "So let's all get in our assigned areas so that we can begin!" Fluttershy recognized the mare from past reapings, but couldn't remember her name. Rainy? Rare? She couldn't put her hoof on it. 
"Fluttershy!" AppleJack trotted over to her. "Am ah glad to see you!" 
"A-aren't you scared?" Fluttershy asked. 
Applejack shook her head. "Ah'm just nervous for AppleBloom. She just got her cutie mark yesterday, the poor filly, and it's her first reaping." 
"Oh dear." said Fluttershy. "I wish you both the best of luck. And-" she swallowed. "may the odds be ever in your favor." 
"Ah sure hope so." Applejack replied, looking for her little sister among the group of frightened fillies. Fluttershy could still remember her first reaping, after her cutie mark had appeared. She'd been so frightened, so sure that she would be picked. Luckily, she hadn't been. 
But she still might be. 
"I'm so happy to be here today for the choosing of the tributes from the district of... er... Ponyville." The white unicorn plastered a fake smile on her face. "As usual, ladies first." 
All the ponies of Ponyville held their breath as she trotted over to the large glass orbs that held the names. Seven of those little slips of paper had the name Fluttershy written on them in a unicorn's fancy script. The mare closed her eyes and magically summoned one of the slips of paper. Levitating it in front of her, she unfolded it slowly for dramatic effect. Finally, stepped back up to the microphone and read the name aloud. 
"AppleBloom." 
Fluttershy stood straight up, and her eyes met Applejack's. She knew what was going to happen next. Applejack would volunteer for her sister, and Fluttershy would be forced to watch her die on television. 
The words left her mouth before she knew she was speaking them. The loudest, most forceful words that she had ever uttered. 
"I volunteer as tribute!" 
All eyes turned to her. Ponies of every age gaped in surprise as Fluttershy, the shyest pony in all of Ponyville, walked slowly up to the stage. 
"No!" Applejack protested, stepping in front of her. "Ah can't let you do this! I volunteer!" 
Several PeacePonies surrounded Fluttershy, pushing Applejack away. They shoved her towards the stage. 
"Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events!" The unicorn on stage flipped her hair and smiled. "Two volunteers at once!" She smiled sympathetically at Applejack. "Sadly, only the first volunteer is allowed to participate in the Games."
Fluttershy walked up the steps onto the stage, trying not to show any fear. Every pony in Ponyville, watching her... and all those cameras... she tried not to think about it. 
"What's your name, dear?" 
"F-F-Fluttershy." She said quietly. 
"And now for the boys!" The unicorn trotted over to the second glass bowl and picked a slip of paper. She unfolded it and read the name: "Caramel." 
A tan colt with a long brown mane stepped onto the stage, fear showing in his eyes. Fluttershy wanted to comfort him, but she was worried that she would start shaking with fright if she moved again. 
"Your tributes, Fluttershy and Caramel!" The Canterlot mare grinned as if she'd just announced the winner of a game show. 
Nopony cheered. 
Fluttershy stared out at the crowd, at the faces she knew she would never see again. AppleJack was still struggling defiantly against four of the PeacePonies, and their eyes met for just a moment. Applejack gave her a pleading look, but Fluttershy turned away her gaze, knowing that there was nothing she could do. She could feel hot tears begin to well up in her eyes, but she blinked them away, knowing that there was no time for tears where she was going. 
And then, Applejack shoved away the guards and bent her forelegs, crouching down into a low bow aimed at Fluttershy. One by one, all of the ponies around her bowed as well, all showing respect for Fluttershy's act of true kindness. There was a moment of reverent silence, and for a moment, none of the PeacePonies knew what to do. Then the white unicorn signaled for the national anthem to start playing, and the silence was broken. 
The moment it was over, a herd of PeacePonies surounded Fluttershy and Caramel, and escorted them unceremoniously onto the train. The two tributes were left alone in the dining car. 
Caramel looked out the window. "I didn't even get to say goodbye." 
Fluttershy sat down and didn't say anything. What could she say? The tributes from Ponyville almost never won, and losers of the Games never came back, unless it was in a coffin. She looked out the window too, hoping to get a last glimpse of her home. 
"So you're the new meat." 
Fluttershy and Caramel turned to see a light blue pegasus drop onto one of the benches. She had a rainbow colored mane, and held a glass of cider. 
"Are you our mentor?" Caramel asked uncertainly. 
"Rainbow Dash." The mare smirked. "Although, you can call me your only hope for survival." 
"S-survival?" Fluttershy asked. 
Rainbow Dash set down her drink and leaned forward. "Don't let the name fool you. This is no game. You either die or you don't. Wanna know how I won?" 
Caramel and Fluttershy both nodded slowly. 
"I didn't die." 
Chuckling, Rainbow Dash grabbed her drink and got up to pour herself more cider. 
"Oh, this is so exciting!" The white unicorn burst through the door. "They've really outdone themselves on the tribute train this year. I mean, have you seen these crystal glasses? Imported from the Crystal District itself, I'm guessing!"
Fluttershy looked out the window again, hoping to avoid conversation. 
"Of course, you already know who I am. Rarity, your personal guide until the Games start." 
So that was her name. Fluttershy made a mental note to remember it. 
"How do we get sponsors?" Caramel asked Rarity. 
"All you have to do is look good for the cameras, and we'll do the rest." She responded. "By we, of course, I mean Rainbow Dash and I." 
Rainbow Dash nodded her approval and knocked back some more cider. 
"Um, um, excuse me, Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked timidly. 
"Yeah, what is it?" 
"Well, um, you said you didn't die, but, um, how did you really win?" 
Rainbow Dash patted the seat next to her. "Sit down and I'll tell you all about it." 
Fluttershy trotted over and took a seat. 
Rainbow began: "It was two weeks into the games. I had plenty of food stocked up and a spear or two stashed away in case of any hoof-to-hoof combat. I was alert at all times, ready to be attacked by any one of the four remaining tributes." 
Caramel and Rarity wandered over and sat down next to Fluttershy, also curious about her victory in the arena. 
Rainbow Dash continued: "I was in the middle of a short nap when I was suddenly knocked out of the tree by another pegasus. It was the tribute from CloudsDale, and she wanted to end my role in the Games. Permanently. I hit the ground hard but recovered quickly, taking to the sky with the other tribute on my tail. I pushed my limits as hard as they would go, flying faster and faster, until-" She paused for dramatic effect. "It happened." 
"What?" Caramel asked. "What happened?" 
"A sonic rainboom." 
Fluttershy's eyes widened. She'd only ever heard of the sonic rainboom in stories. Everypony had always said it was just an old mare's tale. 
"Then, it was only a matter of picking them off one by one." Rainbow Dash said. "After seeing my awesome sonic rainboom, they were too intimidated to come after me. The victors crown was in the bag." 
"Wow." Caramel said. 
Picking them off... Fluttershy thought. She acts like the deaths don't even matter. Is that how I'm going to act in the Games? Are they going to turn me into another killing machine?
She wasn't sure if she wanted to find out.

> Chapter 2: The Chariots
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Her mane is so soft!" The earth pony with the light green coat pulled a brush gently through Fluttershy's pink mane. "Just imagine what we could do with some styling gel..." 
"And these wings!" another stylist exclaimed in a high pitched Canterlot accent, flipping her mane out of her eyes. "So elegant!" 
"I think she's ready." said a pale cream mare. "Photo Finish will see her now." 
"Photo who?" Fluttershy asked, but the stylists were already gone. She was left by herself in the large, empty styling room. She sighed and sat down on the floor, glad to have a moment to herself. Ever since she'd gotten off the train, she had been surrounded by pony after pony, all excited to see the pony that had volunteered for the tiny filly. 
The door flew open, and a fabulous mare burst into the room. "Photo Finish has arrived." she said dramatically. She wore a striped black and white dress, with a pink scarf and large round pink glasses. Her white mane swished back and forth as she strode purposefully over to Fluttershy, who stood. 
"H-hello." she said.
"And you are Flootershy?" 
"Well, um, it's Fluttershy, but-" 
"Enough talk. Ve work!" She began circling Fluttershy, examining her wings and mane. "Gold is no good." Photo Finish said to herself. "Ve must have silver!" She circled her a few more times, then left the room with a flourish, returning mere seconds later with the stylists. 
A few hours later, Fluttershy was dressed in the flashiest, most attention-grabbing dress that she'd ever worn. Thousands of small silver quills covered her body, with holes for her forelegs and wings. A circlet of silver circlet crowned her head, and strings of silver feathers were braided loosely into her mane. Ever time she moved, the light shimmered and reflected off of her in all directions. She felt like a living disco ball. 
"Flootershy, ze mare zat shined all over Paneighm!" Photo Finish exclaimed.
The stylists escorted Fluttershy down to the bottom level of the remake center, where the chariots were being prepared. The stallions standing ready to pull Ponyville's chariot were gray, with black manes. 
Fluttershy caught sight of Caramel and trotted over to her fellow tribute. His costume consisted of a suit made entirely of a silvery material, and a matching silver hat with a quill sticking out of it. 
"Wow." he said, glancing over her dress. "And I thought my outfit was over the top. Nopony will even notice me with you in that getup."
"How wonderful." Fluttershy said, a bit sarcastically. She hadn't asked for all of this attention, after all. And what was the point? She'd be one of the first to die in the arena, anyway.
Rainbow Dash trotted over from the other side of the room, stopping next to Fluttershy and Caramel. "You see the tributes from the Cloudsdale district?" 
They followed her gaze to see two tributes dressed in matching white outfits. The edges of their costumes were lined with large cotton balls, probably to represent clouds. 
"Be careful of those two. They're careers, so they've been training for this their whole lives. Don't associate with them." 
Fluttershy nodded slowly and continued to gaze at the Cloudsdale tributes. The mare had a yellow coat and fiery orange hair that was gelled permanently into a windswept style. The stallion had a dark blue mane in a similar style, with a pale blue coat. Both ponies were pegasi, of course. 
Fluttershy's attention was diverted as an official-looking unicorn with her mane in a tight bun marched to the middle of the room. "All chariots, line up by district," she announced, magically amplifying her voice so all the tributes could hear her. 
The grey stallions, already hooked up to the chariot, trotted to the back of the line, Ponyville being the 12th district. As Fluttershy followed them, she noticed the Cloudsdale tributes already standing proudly in their pearly white chariot in the middle of the line. 
Fluttershy flapped her wings lightly, hovering just high enough to land lightly on the chariot. Caramel stepped on beside her, being an earth pony, and she moved to the right to make room. 
Rarity looked up at the pair from the ground. "Don't forget to smile!" she called. "And spread your wings out, dear. It looks better that way." 
Obediently, Fluttershy opened her feathers and placed her hooves on the rim of the chariot, holding tight so as not to fall off of the back. 
The doors began to open, and cheers flooded the room as the crowd caught sight of the tributes. The Crystal Empire chariot began to roll forwards, and the chaotic noise got even louder. 
Fluttershy took a few deep breaths, trying not to imagine the thousands of ponies that would be watching her every move in a few mere minutes.
"Do you think they'll like us?" Caramel asked Fluttershy in a hushed tone. 
"I-I sure hope so." she responded. "We won't get many sponsors if they don't." They both watched as the chariot in front of them began to move. 
"Looks like we're next," Caramel said, and the chariot jolted forwards as the stallions began to walk. Fluttershy held her breath as they crossed the threshold. 
Both tributes were suddenly blinded by a few dozen spotlights, and the entire audience yelled and stamped their hooves in approval. Fluttershy glanced down at her dress, amazed at how the light reflected off the silver quills in a fantastic display of shimmering splendor.  
Photo Finish must have had connections, because over half of the spotlights were focused on Caramel and Fluttershy. Mostly Fluttershy. 
She looked up at the crowd of ponies, all yelling her name, and felt like hiding under a rock. Of course, hiding wouldn't get her very many sponsors, and if she survived past the first day, sponsors could mean the difference between life and death. So, instead ducking down in the chariot's bed, Fluttershy lifted her wings even higher and smiled. 
The chariot ride only lasted for about five minutes, but if felt like hours. Finally, when her cheeks had just begun to hurt from smiling, they reached the end of the road and slowly came to a stop. 
"Tributes," Celestia stood on the castle balcony, her mane flowing behind her as she looked more imposing than ever before. "Welcome." She looked over the twelve different chariots, and Fluttershy wondered if she cared that twenty three of them would be dead within the month. 
"Happy Hunger Games!" Princess Celestia exclaimed. "And may the odds," she grinned. "be ever in your favor." 
She went on to give a short speech about how the games had evolved to form an integral part of the culture of Paneighm. Fluttershy couldn't help but notice how she didn't mention anything about the districts. 
Celestia ended her speech and stepped back to watch as the chariots resumed their circuit around the city. Fluttershy smiled even bigger this time and even waved once or twice. The spotlights were trained on her the entire time, and the audience couldn't seem to take their eyes off of her. 
Fluttershy glanced at one of the screens above her and saw a gorgeous mare in a blinding outfit. She felt a small twinge of jealousy for the mare before she realized that it was herself. The beautiful pegasus onscreen blinked in surprise before resuming her confident grin. 
Finally, the chariots reached the end of their route. Fluttershy and Caramel both breathed sighs of relief as the doors of the training center closed behind them.  
"VUNDERFUL!" Photo Finish walked towards Fluttershy with purposeful strides. "Ze press is going crazy over your performance. Now, for ze interview dress I am going to need four yards of seelver silk..." She wandered off to find the other stylists. 
"So..." Caramel said. "The mare that shined across Paneighm, huh?" 
"It's really kind of silly..." Fluttershy said softly. 
"I think it's cool." He smiled encouragingly. "They'll be talking about you for years now." 
She smiled back and stepped off of the chariot. It occurred to her the Caramel was being nice. Maybe a little bit too nice. After all, he'd never even acknowledged her before the reaping. Was this just a result of them being a tribute pair? Or did he have a bigger plan in mind, one that would extend to the arena? The thought shook her a little, and she watched him as he jumped down from the chariot. 
Only one pony survives The Pony Games, Fluttershy thought. Once we're in the arena, the only pony I can trust is myself.
And that thought completely and utterly terrified her. 

> 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.  

> Chapter 4: The Interviews
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Good evening, mares and gentlecolts, and welcome back to Canterlot News. This evening, as I'm sure you're all aware, we announce the scores of the tributes for the upcoming 74th annual Pony Games. Tributes are given a score from one to twelve, depending on how well they performed for our Gameponies. Now, back to Tracy, for some on-the-scene coverage of our training center." 
Fluttershy sighed and leaned back in her armchair. She didn't have very high hopes for her score; if she was lucky, she would probably get above a five. 
Around her, Rarity and the stylist teams were chatting with each other, enthusiastically discussing the interview outfits. Caramel sat on the far side of the room, exchanging view on different strategies for the Games. 
"Thank you, Tracy. As usual, we'll start with the first district, moving up until the twelfth. From the Crystal District, Blue Rook, with a score of four. Also from the Crystal District, Sapphire, with a score of seven." 
Fluttershy listened carefully, paying attention to the tributes with higher scores. She would need to remember them in the arena, the ones that could possibly end her life. Of course, any of the tributes had the potential to kill her, but only a few of them could do it without a shred of remorse. 
The filly from the Manehatten district got an eight. Spitfire received a ten. Braeburn got a nine. 
Half of the room held their breath as the reporter colt finished reading the Applaloosa scores and moved on to the twelfth district. 
"From the Ponyville District, Caramel, with a score of eight." 
Caramel grinned as everypony turned to look at him. Fluttershy smiled at him, impressed; any score above a seven was noteworthy. 
"And finally, also from the Ponyville District, Fluttershy, with a score of," He paused and squinted at the paper that listed the scores. "Eleven." 
The entire room gasped; Nopony had ever gotten above a ten. Fluttershy felt eleven different pairs of eyes fixed on her. Twelve, actually; one of the servants still lingered, gaping at her from behind the couch. 
"That's..." Fluttershy searched desperately for the right word. "Nice." 
"Nice?" Rainbow Dash laughed. "I got a ten for my training score. I always thought that eleven and twelve were just there to match the number of districts. Nice doesn't even cover it." 
"How on earth did you get an eleven?" Rarity asked, excited. "I mean, not to say that I thought you couldn't, but I never even expected-" 
Fluttershy muttered her words quietly, hoping nopony would hear. "I threw a knife at the Gameponies." 
"What was that?" 
"I threw a knife at the Gameponies." It was only slightly louder. 
"Sorry, what?" 
"I..." she took a deep breath. These ponies were here to help her in the games. She might as well tell them. "I threw a knife. At the Gameponies. Well, not really at them. It hit a cupcake and pinned it to the wall. " 
The room was silent for a moment. 
"Sweet!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "I wish I'd thought of that. Good job, kid." 
Fluttershy remembered that she was at least half a year older than Rainbow Dash, but she decided not to say anything. 
"Will I get in trouble?" She asked softly. 
"Probably not." Rainbow replied. "You're already signed up for the worst punishment possible. They'll just take it out on you in the arena." 
"Oh." she responded, not sure if that was supposed to make her feel better or not. 
Rarity levitated her glass of grape juice gracefully into the air. "To Fluttershy, the mare that shined across Paneighm!" 
The rest of the ponies smiled and raised their glasses as well. 
Fluttershy hoped that they didn't notice her blush. 


***


"Ouch!" Fluttershy yelped as the stylist mare gave her dress straps a yank for the fourth time. 
"Sorry," she said. "I don't understand why it's so small on you, we had you measured when you first got here." 
Fluttershy thought back, to all the fancy dinners and luncheons she'd been to since in Canterlot. No wonder the dress didn't fit- she must have grown at least two sizes. 
The stylist tugged at the straps one more time, and Fluttershy gasped in pain. 
"Is she ready?" Another stylist appeared at the doorway, the earth pony with the light green coat.  
"One more thing," The pink coated stylist reached into a drawer and pulled out a pair of earrings. Both earrings were small silver circles, but the similarity stopped there. "This one represents Canterlot," the stylist explained, holding up the first one. It had the image of Canterlot Castle, containing exquisite detail for such a small piece of jewelry. "And this one represents the Districts," She held up the other one, a tiny silver alicorn with a huge arrow in her mouth. Tiny bits of pearly white flame curled off her wings, giving Fluttershy the impression that the earring was on fire. 
She stood still as the stylist fastened the earrings on her ears. 
"Okay," the pink stylist said. "She's ready." 
Both stylists exited the room, and Fluttershy stepped up to the mirror, not sure what to expect. When she caught sight of her reflection, she let out a gasp of amazement. The pegasus in the mirror gasped as well. Her shimmering pink mane fell in elegant waves down her back. Her tiny form was covered in sleek gray feathers, and she wore thin black slippers on all four hooves. The gorgeous mare in the mirror could not be her, and yet it was, breathtaking and lovely as she was. 
"Oh, my dear!" Rarity walked over to join Fluttershy at the mirror, a huge smile spreading across her face. "You look simply marvelous!" 
Fluttershy smiled timidly. "Thank you." 
"Are you ready for your interview?" 
"I- I think so." 
"Good! We should probably get going." 
The trip to Canterlot Castle only took a few minutes, but it felt like forever. Fluttershy stared out of the carriage window the entire time, wanting to memorize each and every detail of the huge extravagant buildings that passed by.
When they arrived, Fluttershy and Caramel were guided backstage to the tribute's waiting area. They were just in time, the last of opening music playing out on the stage. 
"Welcome, mares and gentlecolts! I'm your host, Fancy Pants and tonight we have twenty four very special guests!" 
The applause could have been mistaken for twenty herds of buffalo, with all the noise the audience was making. Fluttershy sighed, wishing that her dress had holes for her wings, so she could stretch them out. She had never felt more nervous in her life. At least on the chariot all she had to do was smile. Now she had to walk down to that chair and answer three minutes worth of questions, in front of thousands of ponies. Fluttershy watched as the first mare tribute walked out to greet the audience, met with a deafening round of applause. 
Every three minutes, a buzzer went off on stage, signaling that the interview was over and it was the next tribute's turn to go on. The time seemed to go by faster and faster with each tribute that went on stage. Fluttershy stared up at the screen that showed the stage, taking in their outfits and personalities one by one. The filly from the Manehatten District, who was apparently named Babs, wore a glittering red dress. She answered each question with confidence and style. Spitfire wore a soft white gown, and seemed to be assured of her victory already. The colt from the Cloudsdale District, Soarin, wore a pure white suit and made lots of jokes, most of them involving pie. Braeburn wore a simple red suit jacket and a bolo tie, choosing a more gentlecolty approach. He even winked at the audience a few times, causing more than a few mares to swoon. His mare counterpart wore a poofy green dress, and spoke with such a strong Appaloosan accent that most of the audience had trouble understanding her. 
And then it was Fluttershy's turn. She took a deep breath to calm herself and stepped through the curtain and onto the stage. The audience cheered loudly, but she ignored them. All the cameras were pointed directly at her, all twenty five spotlights reflecting off of her dress. She tried to compose herself and walked to the middle of the stage. 
"Welcome, Fluttershy. How are you this evening?" Fancy Pants, the Games host, was a white unicorn with a handsome black suit. He smiled at her as he waited for an answer. 
"Fine." Fluttershy said softly, cringing as her voice squeaked. 
"Wonderful, wonderful." He had a very strong Canterlot accent. "Now, we all saw you volunteer for that young filly back in the Ponyville District. Would you care to elaborate for us exactly why you volunteered for her?" 
"I... I..." Fluttershy sighed. "I did it for my friend. Applejack." 
"I'm assuming that she is the lovely mare that volunteered after you did." 
"Yes. The filly is her little sister. I knew... I knew she was going to volunteer for her, and I didn't... I didn't want her to die. Either of them." 
The silence was deafening. 
"So you decided to sacrifice yourself for them?" Fancy Pants asked. 
"Applebloom is so young. And Applejack... she has her apple farm. They both have so much to live for. And I... don't."
Fancy Pants was silent for a moment before he changed the subject. "So how about that fabulous dress you wore for the opening ceremonies?" 
The mares and colts watching began to cheer so loudly that Fluttershy had to wait a few seconds before she answered. "It was lovely." She smiled for the audience's sake. "Of course, my stylist should get all of the credit." 
Fancy Pants shook his head, grinning. "Still, it's not the stylist that wore it in the opening ceremonies. That was all you, my dear." 
The spectators cheered some more, and Fluttershy tried to look pleased. On the outside, she looked confident and beautiful, but on the inside, she wanted to run off of the stage as fast as she possibly could.
"So, tell us about charming old Ponyville," Fancy Pants changed the subject once more. 
"Well, it's very nice. I live in a little cottage outside of town, and I have lots of little-"
The buzzer went off, signaling the end of the interview. Fluttershy thanked Fancy Pants and started to walk away, but he signaled for her to stop. Turning to the audience, he grinned widely. "Mares and gentlecoats, may I present to you... Fluttershy, the mare that shined across Paneighm!" 
The applause was deafening, as nearly every single pony in the room stamped their hooves on the floor. Fluttershy smiled modestly, her ears twitching from the noise. She trotted back across the stage, almost galloping in her attempt to get out of the spotlight. She stopped in the hallway and allowed herself to breath once more, glancing up at the television screen that showed the stage. 
Caramel was walking towards Fancy Pants, his dark grey suit accessorized with a matching top hat. The two exchanged greetings like they were old friends, and the interview began. Caramel answered every question with a smile, obviously going for the "nice stallion" approach. 
"Caramel, my boy, you're a nice young colt." Fancy Pants said. "I don't suppose there's somepony special waiting for you at home." 
Caramel grinned. "Well, there is this one mare." 
"Oh?" Fancy Pants exaggerated innocence, drawing a laugh from the spectators. "Well, I'll tell you something. If you win the games, she'll have no choice but to be your super special somepony." 
The audience cheered.  
"There's a little problem with that," Caramel said. "Because I don't think she'd appreciate it if I let her best friend be killed." 
The silence echoed through the room even louder than the cheering had. 
Applejack, Fluttershy realized. He likes Applejack. 
Of course, it wasn't much of a surprise. Applejack was strong, hardworking. Caramel was too. Why wouldn't he have a crush on her? 
"Well," said Fancy Pants, breaking the silence. "I wish the best of luck to you, sir." 
"Thank you." Caramel responded. 
The buzzer went off, just in time. Fancy Pants presented Caramel to the audience with a smile, but Fluttershy couldn't help but notice that the cheers weren't nearly as loud as hers had been. 


***


That night, Fluttershy fell in and out of sleep. Her dreams were like a movie, intercut by images of death and her own wakefulness. Finally, the morning dawn broke through her window, signaling the start of a new day.
The first day of the Pony Games. 
A little blue jay chirped outside her window, telling the other birds what a sunny day it was. Fluttershy wanted so badly to join him, to fling open her window and perch next to him on the tree, but she couldn't; the window was locked. 
Somepony rapped on her door lightly. "It's a big, big, big day!" Rarity said in a sing-song voice. "We leave in five minutes!" 
Fluttershy sighed and got out of bed, stretching her wings. Her interview dress hung in one of the many closets in her wall; she couldn't remember which one, and she didn't really care. She caught sight of herself in the mirror, and realized that she still had the earrings on. Oh well, she thought. It's not like I can take them off by myself, anyway. The clasps were too small and delicate for her hooves, and they could only be removed with unicorn magic, or a small animal's claws, perhaps. 
She opened the door and trotted down the hallway to the main room, where Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Caramel were already waiting for her. The stylists were nowhere to be seen. 
They took the elevator to get to the roof, and both Caramel and Fluttershy stared upwards in amazement at the huge hovercraft that flew overhead. A small platform lowered down, and Caramel and Fluttershy stepped onto it, waving goodbye to Rainbow Dash and Rarity. The platform rose into the air, and Fluttershy saw Rarity wipe away a genuine tear with a fancy embroidered handkerchief. 
The hovercraft was even bigger on the inside, it's interior full of workers and tributes. A unicorn mare identified the pair of tributes using her magic, and led them to a designated area. 
"No!" One of the other tributes stamped her hoof angrily against the floor. "The great and powerful Trixie will not endure this kind of treatment!" 
A dozen different servants groaned as they walked over to help her. This was obviously an ongoing development. 
"What was she expecting, the royal treatment?" Caramel muttered. 
He was right, of course; almost all of the tributes were going to die. They were to be treated no better than pigs marked for slaughter. 
"Why would you bring me my smoothie on a wheeled cart? I thought I already told you; the great and powerful Trixie doesn't trust wheels!" 
The other tributes had to endure "the great and powerful" Trixie's rants for the rest of the hovercraft ride. By the time they landed, Fluttershy's ears had started to twitch again. 
The tributes were led underground, where a labyrinth of catacombs had been constructed specifically for the Games. Each tribute was guided down a different tunnel, accompanied by an earth pony that knew the way. Fluttershy's guide was silent the entire time, only speaking to tell her to "watch her step" or to tell her of a "turn up ahead". 
When they finally arrived at their destination, Fluttershy's head was spinning from all the turns and twists. She couldn't find the way back to the hovercraft if her life depended on it, which was probably the plan all along. 
There wasn't much in the room; a table, a chair or two, and, of course, the tall glass tube that would transport her into the arena. 
"Good luck." The earth pony bowed. "You have three minutes." He left the room, trotting down the tunnel at a leisurely pace. Fluttershy almost considered calling him back, afraid to be left alone, but he was already out of sight. She swallowed hard and looked at the transport tube, wondering what would happen if she refused to get inside. Would she be killed immediately? Or would somepony force her into it? 
She wasn't sure if she wanted to find out. 
Fluttershy took a deep breath and stepped through the side opening in the glass cylinder. The metal plate beneath her hooves hummed slightly, almost as if it was excited to lift her up into a living nightmare. Three minutes, the guide had told her. How much time had passed already? One minute? Two? She had no way to tell. 
She began to think about home. What was Angel doing? Was he anxiously watching the television, chewing nervously on a carrot? Or was he lounging in her bed, lazily napping while the other animals ran amok. What about Applejack, and her family? Would they mourn her death? Probably. It made her feel better to know that somepony would care. 
She had a miniature panic attack as the circular plate beneath her hooves began to rise slowly. Her eyes were blinded as the sun burst through a hole above her, and she blinked, trying to adjust to the bright daylight. The plate clicked into position, and as Fluttershy's eyes adjusted, she gasped in amazement. 
"Mares and gentlecolts, let the Seventy Fourth annual Pony Games begin!"

> Chapter 5: Run and Hide
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was paradise. Sparse piney woods to the right, probably populated by all sorts of cute little animals. To her left was a lake, a huge, round pool of water that would be full of fish. Directly ahead of her, was, of course, the Cornucopia, a giant golden cone with a curved tail. In the mouth of the Cornocopia were piles and piles of supplies. Food, water, medicine; almost anything needed to survive. Strewn in a loose circle around the Cornucopia were other necessities: small knives, coils of rope, flashlights. 
Fluttershy glanced over at the other tributes. The one closest to her, the stallion from the Saddle Arabian district, was eyeing a large sheathed sword, right at the mouth of the Cornucopia. Braeburn, two tributes to her left, pawed his hoof on his metal plate, ready to bolt as soon as the gong rang out. Whether he planned to run towards the supplies or into the woods was unclear, but Fluttershy didn't plan to find out. She wanted to run straight into the woods the moment the Games began. 
Caramel was four tributes to her right, and he looked as scared as could be. His eyes darted back and forth between the tributes and the supplies, as if he couldn't decide whether to fight or hide. 
The gong rang out, the loud, unnatural noise startling Fluttershy. She hesitated for a moment on her metal plate, losing a few precious seconds. 
With the sudden realization that her life was on the line, she ran. Galloping for all she was worth, Fluttershy bounded towards the woods, and then, opening her wings, she took off, struggling to gain altitude. Many of the tributes were earth ponies, but a few were pegasi, and she chose not to take any chances as she flew high above the treetops. Below her, tributes battled to the death, using knifes, swords, any weapons they could find to take the others out. One of the other pegasus ponies had a wing hacked off by an axe. An earth pony was kicked in the head, and lay, unmoving, on the hard-packed earth. Fluttershy grimaced and flew on, unwilling to watch the carnage that played out on the ground. 
Clouds were sparse above the forest, but Fluttershy preferred to perch in trees anyway. She flapped her wings harder and glided above the treetops. 
Suddenly, and without warning, Fluttershy felt a sharp pain in her lower left hoof. Below her, a large knife fell away into the forest, and following it, a thin trickle of thick red blood. Fluttershy faltered, realizing that it was her own. The sky seemed to tilt sideways, and she struggled to keep her balance. 
She glanced back to see a unicorn stallion standing on the ground, glaring at her. She must have been too far away, because he turned and aimed his next knife at another tribute. 
Fluttershy flew on for about half an hour, ignoring the biting pain in her hoof. The cut wasn't very deep, she reasoned, and the farther she was from the Cornucopia, the better. 
Finally, she landed, exhausted, in the thick branches of an oak tree. A wide hole in the trunk provided a perfect hiding place, and she laid down inside, gently setting her injured hoof down. 
She didn't realize how tired she was until she woke to the boom of cannons. One... two... three... four... five. Five lives lost. Was one of them Caramel? Braeburn? Babs? She shuddered to think of the young filly, lying in a pool of her own blood. 
And on the topic of blood... Fluttershy glanced down at her left hind leg. One look at her own fur, matted with gore, quickly revealed that the cut was much worse than she had originally anticipated. She tried to move her leg, and was rewarded with a fresh wave of pain. Black spots danced before her vision, and just as the world started to spin, she heard the scratching of tiny claws on the tree branch in front of her. 
Hurt?
Fluttershy's eyes flew open once more at the sound of the timid animal's voice. It was a squirrel, a small, tawny squirrel with large round eyes and a curious twitching nose. 
	You? Hurt? The small creature asked.  
"Yes," Fluttershy responded weakly. "I'm hurt. Do you think you could help?" 
The squirrel tilted his head inquisitively and blinked a few times. Then he flicked his long brown tail and scampered down the tree. He returned only minutes later with a small army of woodland creatures: tiny chipmunks, twittering birds, sleepy owls, even a bat or two. 
Fluttershy smiled, already feeling at home. The animals around her smiled as well, and she began to feel something blossoming inside of her, a warm feeling that she hadn't felt in a long, long time. 
Hope. 


***


Twilight Sparkle stood over the rest of the Gameponies, the raised platform she stood on a sign of her authority as head Gamepony. She glanced down at the 3-dimensional virtual model of the arena, complete with small blinking lights to mark each tribute. Nineteen lights left, and within the next few weeks, eighteen of those lights would go out. They didn't mean anything to Twilight, of course. Just another check on her list of things to do, right next to the groceries. 
"District One and Two alliance is moving to sector 14." One of the Gameponies announced, her eyes trailing four of the lights as they moved slowly across the holographic arena. Twilight's eyes were drawn to the spot they were moving towards, where two more lights marked another pair of tributes. A conflict. Perfect. At least it would give the audience something to talk about. 
"Miss Twilight!" 
Twilight Sparkle groaned inwardly, hoping against hope that the voice behind her didn't belong to the pony she was thinking of. She turned around slowly, her gaze narrowed. Another Gamepony stood there, her pink mane bouncing slightly as she moved. 
"Sorry to bother you." the earth pony grinned. "I just thought you'd like to see this." 
"This better be important." Twilight grumbled as she followed Pinkie Pie to her station. On her computer screen, a yellow pegasus nestled in a hollow tree, surrounded by- 
"Animals?" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed. "She's made an alliance with a bunch of animals?" 
"I couldn't find anything about it in the rules." Pinkie Pie said quickly. "Of course, I didn't look very hard, because there are so many, and I didn't have time to do that much reading, so I asked Brush Stroke to look over them for me, and he told me to go do something that I can't repeat, so I decided to ask you because you're the smartest unicorn ever and of course you'll know what to do because-" 
"Okay, okay!" Twilight interrupted. "I'll look into it. Just go back to... whatever you were doing." 
Pinkie Pie nodded and skipped away, her pink tail bobbing behind her. 
Twilight looked back at the computer screen, where a squirrel was wrapping the tribute's hoof with a long, wide leaf. The animals were certainly an unfair advantage for her. 
Something would have to be done about that.


***


Fluttershy smiled down at her new friends. "Thank you very much.'' She said kindly. "That's so much better." 
The animals tittered and chirped in response, telling her how happy they were to help.
Two of the birds flew up to her, with a small berry speared on each claw. They'd been working hard for the past hour, bringing more and more food to feed Fluttershy's growing hunger. She graciously thanked them and added the berries to her slowly growing pile of reserves. Her wounded hoof felt much better now that it was cleaned and wrapped in a thick bandage. 
All of the sudden, a large boom resounded through the forest, scaring the animals. The birds took to the sky, while the others scampered down the tree and hid in the foliage, leaving Fluttershy all by herself. She watched as a hovercraft materialized out of thin air, only a few hundred yards from the tree she hid inside. It dipped down, opening a hatch in the bottom to release a claw. The claw descended to the forest floor, and when it came back up, it had a limp body clutched in it. Fluttershy squinted, trying to make out who it was. 
It was a stallion, his green coat dotted with large red boils. Fluttershy watched as the claw receded into the hovercraft, taking the corpse with it. She wondered what the boils were from. Had he eaten something deadly?
And he'd been so close to her hiding place. Maybe she hadn't flown as far into the forest as she'd originally thought. 
Fluttershy considered calling her animal friends back, but she decided against it. Maybe there were there others around, others that had heard the canon as well. Others that would be out for blood. 
Instead, she curled into a ball and tried to go to sleep, hoping that they would be there when she awoke.
Before her eyes had fully closed, a terrible smell assaulted her nose. She heard the clacking of wood against wood, and a low growl that caused her to sit upright and look around. She only knew one animal that smelled like that. 
Timberwolves. 
Fluttershy looked down at the ground to see a small pack of them, circling her tree. The monsters were made completely of enchanted wood, held together by nothing but magic. They looked up at her and growled some more, the low sound sending a chill up her spine. 
The timberwolves themselves didn't worry her, of course. She was up so high, in the hollow tree, that they couldn't possibly climb up to her. 
No, what worried her was the desperate and barely audible cry for help. 

> Chapter 6: Babs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Fluttershy didn't think. She didn't hesitate. She dived straight out of the tree, opening her wings magestically just before she hit the ground. The timberwolves turned towards her, snapping their wooden jaws together in anger. She swallowed hard and stepped back in a rush of adrenaline, knowing that this was one beast that could not be tamed. Timberwolves have no hearts, no logic or compassion. Their only drive is destruction. 
This was a bit of a relief to Fluttershy as she dived towards the first one, aiming for his legs. To her triumph, the limbs gave way, and the timberwolf crumpled into a pile of scraps. The two remaining wolves growled, drool dripping from their mouths. Fluttershy turned around and bucked the nearest one in the snout, her hooves lashing out with quick effort. The wolf shook his head in a daze but didn't collapse like the one before. 
The other timberwolf lunged at Fluttershy, his open mouth revealing sharp wooden fangs. She yelled quietly as he landed on top of her, sharp claws pinning her hooves down so there was no chance of retaliation. The timberwolf leaned closer, his nauseating breath making her gag, his filthy mouth only inches from her neck. 
She closed her eyes tightly, readying herself for her final moments. To think, she  hadn't even lasted a day in the Games. Fluttershy wondered who would win. Hopefully somepony that deserved it. 
"Hey you! Pick on somepony your own size!" 
Fluttershy heard a sharp whack, followed by a whimper, and then the pressure on her hooves was lifted. She opened her eyes with surprise, to find that the timberwolf was gone. In its place, a pile of scattered logs, accompanied by a large rock.
"That's right! You want some of this?" 
Fluttershy tried to pinpoint the voice, scanning the surrounding forest. Her eyes fell on a young earth pony with a short striped mane... it was Babs. The filly hefted another large rock in her hoof and launched it at the remaining timberwolf. The stone hit its chest dead-center, causing it to crumple into scrap wood.
Fluttershy hastily got to all four hooves and opened her wings. If the filly could throw rocks that accurately, it would be best to take to the air as soon as possible. She launched herself upwards, flapping her wings awkwardly as she avoided branches and trees. 
"Hey! Wait!" Bab's called after her. "Please!" 
Fluttershy didn't stop. Her wings beat hard, the wind from her ascent blowing her mane backwards. Just as she was about to clear the treetops, her bandaged hoof hit a branch, hard. The stabbing agony that throbbed through her leg was too much. She dropped like a stone, landing hard on a branch about twenty feet above the ground. Leaves shook and the wood bent, but the tree held under Fluttershy's light pegasus weight. 
She stayed there for a moment, clinging to the branch. Her hoof hurt too much, so much that she wasn't sure if she could fly again. Hopefully Babs hadn't seen her fall, and would think that she had flown away. The last thing she needed was a tribute on her tail, even if that tribute had saved her life only moments ago.
It was only a few minutes later that the sobs began. Quiet, delicate sobs that only a filly could make. Fluttershy looked down, but could not locate Babs among the foliage.
She was forced to wait, the pain in her hoof fading to a dull throb, while the cries sent pangs of sorrow deep into her heart. Eventually, Fluttershy couldn't take it anymore; she could never endure another creature's sadness if she could do something about it. 
She did something either very stupid or very brave; she dropped from her branch, flapping her wings slowly. She landed on the earthen ground lightly, and the weeping ceased. 
"Who's there?" Babs' voice called. "I- I got a knife, and I ain't afraid ta use it!" 
Fluttershy couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. "It's just me," she said, "Fluttershy. I just- I just want to talk." 
"Talk?" The filly's sharp laugh echoed through the trees. "This ain't Granny's house. We're in the Pony Games. If you had any sense, you woulda killed me by now." 
"You saved my life." Fluttershy said firmly. "Why would I kill you?"
Babs hesitated for a moment, and then her voice broke the silence "Because I probably woulda killed you." 
Fluttershy breathed in sharply. "Where are you?" She asked. 
"Down here." 
Fluttershy looked down to see the base of her hollow tree, the one she'd been hiding in. The bottom was hollow as well, and nestled in between the roots, a young brown earth pony lay, her short pink mane matted with dirt. 
"Hey," Babs said. She rested in a weird position her legs pointed away from Fluttershy with her neck bent at an awkward angle. 
"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked. 
"Fine." Babs said, a little too quickly. "This is the way I normally sleep." 
Fluttershy pondered this for a moment but was forced to accept it. "Babs, I was thinking..." 
Babs looked at her, with those wide, youthful eyes. Even if she was a bit of a jerk at times, there was a certain... innocence about her. 
"Do you want to form an alliance with me?" Fluttershy asked.
"An alliance?" Babs replied incredulously. "You want an alliance? With me?" She considered the idea for a moment or two. "Yeah, okay. But no funny business. I don't want anypony stabbing me in the back." 
Fluttershy smiled, relieved. "We should probably rest for the night." She said. "In the morning we can-" 
All of the sudden, the sky lit up. A giant screen shone high above them, displaying the image of Canterlot Castle. The Paneighm national anthem began to play, erupting out of unseen speakers. 
Fluttershy bent her head back to see the sky screen, but her view was obscured by tangled branches and foliage. She opened her wings and looked at Babs. 
The tribute waved her hoof. "Go ahead. I don't mind." 
Fluttershy smiled gratefully and took off, frantically dodging limbs and trees in her effort to ascend. She landed precariously on a thin branch near the top, wobbling for a moment as she struggled to balance herself. The screen overhead was just fading to black, and the face of the first tribute appeared. 
It was a mare, from one of the lower districts. The next one was a stallion with a green coat; the one who's corpse she'd seen retrieved by the hovercraft. The third tribute was a mare. Then a stallion, then a mare, then another stallion. Fluttershy didn't recognize any of them, much less know their names. 
She took a moment of silence, mourning the six deaths with respect. Then she dropped down to the forest floor, the soft leaves and dirt cushioning her fall. "Babs?" She called, worried about surprising the filly in the dark. She still wasn't sure if Babs actually had a knife, or if it had just been an empty threat. 
Babs didn't answer. 
Fluttershy stumbled forwards in the darkness, for night had completely fallen. The only light was that of the moon. She recognized the tall tree she'd hidden in, outlined in the dim light. She trotted towards it's base, wondering where Babs was. Had she run off? 
Fluttershy was just beginning to panic when a low rumbling sound came from her left. She yelped and stumbled backwards. Had one of the timberwolves survived?
The rumbling stopped. Then it started again. It wasn't quite a growl- more like heavy breathing. What creature made a noise like that? 
Then Fluttershy realized what the sound really was; Babs was snoring. 
She smiled and walked a few feet away, giving her new ally some space. She laid down on a soft spot of ground. 
"Good night, Babs." Fluttershy said quietly. "See you in the morning." 
She closed her eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


***


"I'll kill him! I'll kill them all!" 
Fluttershy sat up quickly, her mane tangled with leaves. The voice had come from the forest, not far from where she lay. It wasn't Babs, either; she was still sound asleep beneath the tree, and the voice was male, anyway. 
"Babs" Fluttershy whispered. "Babs, wake up. Somepony's coming." 
The filly didn't stir. 
"Babs?" Fluttershy walked closer to get a better look. She had rolled over in her sleep, her small chest rising and falling with every breath. She looked so peaceful, and it took Fluttershy a moment to notice the deep cut on her chest, dark with dried blood. It wasn't a very old wound, but it wasn't new, either. For all Fluttershy knew, the filly could be on the brink of life and death. 
There was a slightly more important matter to deal with, however. 
"You're dead! I'll kill you!" The voice was low and rough, getting louder by the second. 
Fluttershy's mind raced as she tried not to panic. She couldn't move Babs; not  with a wound like that. She couldn't abandon her either, not after their alliance. The only possible option was to conceal them both.
She spotted a large branch that had fallen nearby, still thick with leaves. Gripping the splintered end with her teeth, she dragged it over Babs. The filly didn't rouse.
"I trusted you!" 
Fluttershy froze; the voice was right next to her. Shaking, she turned, expecting some sort of weapon to be pointed in her direction. 
"I was going to be the victor!" The stallion's fur dark fur was discolored with a mixture of dirt and blood. He pawed at the ground angrily, staring straight at a nearby tree. His long red mane fell into his eyes, the original color only barely recognizable through his filth. 
"I was going to survive!" He growled at the tree. "And then I trusted you!" He yelled the last word, so loud that it echoed through the surrounding forest. Fluttershy flinched, but he either didn't notice her, or didn't care. 
"A day..." the stallion spat on the ground. "I only lived a day! And now I'm dead! Maybe..." He swayed on his hooves for a moment. "Maybe I've always been dead." He fell forwards onto his face, and twitched violently for a few seconds before falling limp. 
A cannon boomed throughout the forest. The stallion was dead. 

> Chapter 7: Close Encounters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It took Fluttershy nearly an hour to carefully carry/drag Babs to the nearest stream, and another half an hour to clean and bandage her wound, using a similar leaf to the one wrapped around her own ankle. Finally, satisfied that her ally was going to be all right, she dipped her long mane in the stream, then slowly and surely wrung it out over Babs' face. 
The filly sputtered, her eyes fluttering open. "What the- where am I?"
"Oh, thank Celestia!" Fluttershy couldn't help herself; she was so overcome with relief that she leaned down and enveloped Babs in a loose hug. 
"Hey, hey! Mind the-" she stopped short and stared down at her own chest, where a carefully wrapped bandage covered any sign of the injury. "Did you do this?" 
Fluttershy nodded. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" 
"You wouldn't have wanted an alliance. Heck, if it had been anypony else, I'da been dead by now." Babs sighed. 
Fluttershy looked at the filly, her eyes full of worry. "Who did that to you?" 
Babs looked down. "It was my fault. I was stupid. I thought I could nab a pack fulla stuff from the Corna- the Corna-" 
"The Cornucopia?" 
"Yeah, that thing. Anyways, it weighed me down a bunch, and I was cornered by this big angry-lookin unicorn stallion. He cut me pretty good, and I had to leave my pack and run away. I'd just found a place ta hide when those wolf things showed up." 
Fluttershy remembered something from the day before. "That was you calling for help, wasn't it?" 
"So what if it was?" Babs said quickly, suddenly on the defensive. "I coulda handled it by myself. I just- I just got a little scared, is all." 
Fluttershy smiled sympathetically. "Everypony gets scared. It's not-" 
Babs slapped a hoof over her mouth suddenly, and Fluttershy fell silent, startled by the filly's abruptness. She looked at her, hoping for an explanation, but her eyes were fixed on the sky. 
Fluttershy followed her gaze to see two flying shapes, merely silouettes against the bright sun. The Cloudsdale tributes didn't pause or look down as they flew directly overhead the two allies. 
All of the sudden, the blast of a cannon reverberated throughout the forest. The two pegasi stopped swiftly, their wings flapping to keep them aloft. One of them said something to the other, and, with only the briefest hesitation, both ponies shot off in opposite directions. 
After waiting to ascertain that they were truly gone, Fluttershy let herself breathe once more. 
"That was too close," Babs whispered. 
Fluttershy nodded. "We got lucky. They didn't see us." 
"Who do you think..." Babs trailed off.
"I- I try not to think about it." 
"Okay." Babs looked at the forest floor for a second. "I'm hungry." 
"There's plenty of grass." Fluttershy replied. 
"Yeah... But..." Babs sighed. "I'm allergic." 
"To grass?" Fluttershy had to suppress a giggle. 
"I'll just go get some dandelions." Babs said, struggling to get to her hooves. "I saw some back by my tree." She grunted with pain and effort, and her legs began to shake as the pain of her injury spread throughout her tiny body. With a groan, Babs collapsed to the ground. 
Fluttershy immediately rushed to her side, helping the filly into a more comfortable position and adjusting her bandage. "I'll get them for you." she assured her. 
"But what if somepony comes? How'm I gonna defend myself?"
Fluttershy thought for a moment. She trotted back to the stream bed and picked up a few large stones, rolling them over to where Babs lay. "You can still throw from where you're sitting, can't you?" 
Babs nodded. "Don't take too long," she said. 
Fluttershy smiled and turned, remembering the direction of the hollow tree. 
The walk was surprisingly easy, without the task of dragging Babs over roots and  branches on the forest floor. Fluttershy found herself squinting up at the brilliant sun overhead, enjoying the warmth it gave her. After a moment of peaceful stillness, she blinked away the spots in her eyes and turned her gaze to the tree in front of her. 
The smell reached her nostrils before her vision had fully cleared. The acrid smell of smoke made her nose wrinkle, and soon the taste of ash filled her mouth. 
The tree... the tree was blackened and burnt, still smoldering from the fire that had consumed it. Surrounding it, in a perfect circle, was blackened earth and charred branches, each and every twig and leaf reduced to ash. 
This had been no natural fire. Around the scarred area, leafy green and brilliant flowers covered the tall, unscorched trees. The Gameponies were behind it, Fluttershy knew. But why would they-
It was then that she spotted them. Hidden among the soot and smoke, they now stood out like a sore thumb. Carcasses. Tiny, blackened squirrels, with tails smoking. Charred birds, their outstretched wings looking so tiny without their feathers. The animals had returned to the tree, hoping that Fluttershy would come back. This was her fault. All her fault. 
Fluttershy shut her eyes before she could take in any more. Those animals, so delicate and innocent, all dead. The message from the Gameponies was clear: no animal friends allowed. 
Without warning, the death toll of another tribute boomed throughout the entire arena. Even now, the number of dead rose. Nine tributes were dead, not to mention the number of animals that had lost their lives.
She couldn't take it anymore. Fluttershy looked down on the charred earth, and her eyes burned with both anger and sorrow. She gritted her teeth, feeling her own rage begin to boil inside of her. All of this death. When would it stop? After somepony had been declared the victor? No. It would keep going, for years and years. Death after death. Game after game. 
Without another thought, Fluttershy threw her head back and screamed. She screamed for the tributes, for the animals, and for herself. Her high-pitched voice carried through the trees, and even after she stopped, echoes of it still rang throughout the arena. 
Eyes widening, Fluttershy realized what she'd done. She'd practically thrown up a flare, alerting every tribute within a few miles that she was there. Without hesitation, she grabbed a few dandelions in her mouth and dove into a large bush, wincing as a few sharp branches dug into her belly. She parted a small section of leaves and peered through, waiting for the inevitable tributes to arrive.
It was only moments later that a light blue stallion dived into the clearing, opening his wings at the last minute to land. Fluttershy recognized him as Soarin, one of the Cloudsdale tributes. He had a huge sword gripped in his teeth, and a steely look in his eyes. 
It wasn't long before Spitfire landed next to him. She glanced around with hatred in her eyes, and Fluttershy froze, not daring to move for fear the sound of rustling leaves would alert them to her presence. 
"Do the Baltimare tributes still have the Cornucopia?" Spitfire asked her partner. 
Soarin set the sword on the ground. "Yeah," he replied. "But I couldn't find the mare anywhere." 
"She's probably hiding in a comfy cave somewhere." She scoffed. "Those two think they're so much better than us, just because they have magic."  
Soarin smirked. "It'll be satisfying to watch them die." 
Spitfire rolled her eyes and opened her wings. "Come on, there's no one here. Let's circle a few times and get going." 
He picked up his sword and nodded. Both pegasi took off into the sky and disappeared from view. 
Fluttershy relaxed her muscles, the dandelions still clenched in her teeth. She checked the skies one more time, then the surrounding forest. Nopony else had materialized. Turning, she jumped out of the bush and galloped in the direction of the stream.
Babs was waiting for her when she arrived.
"What happened?" The filly demanded. "I heard a scream and then I saw that mare tribute from Cloudsdale fly over and I was worried about you and I didn't know if you were alive or dead and-" 
"Relax." Fluttershy said coolly, after dropping her dandelions on the ground in front of Babs. "I'm fine." 
"Oh." She looked down at the dandelions. "That's all you found?" 
"It was... all I had time for." Fluttershy realized that she was hungry as well, and she bent down to tear a few blades of grass from the ground. 
"What happened?" 
Fluttershy chewed her grass slowly before swallowing. "There was a fire. The Gameponies- they burned the tree that I hid in." 
"Why would they do that?" Babs asked. 
Fluttershy sighed and looked at her friend. "Before you came- before the timberwolves showed up, I made some friends." 
"Other tributes?" She looked concerned. "Who were they, and which-"
"They weren't tributes." Fluttershy interrupted. "They were animals." 
"Animals? I don't understand."
"I... I can talk to animals. It's a... special talent of mine." She looked down at her cutie mark, three pink butterflies. 
"Some talent." Babs acknowledged. "But what does that have to do with the fire?" 
"The animals that I befriended... they're all... all..." Fluttershy felt tears in her eyes. 
"Go on." Babs coaxed. "You can tell me."
"They're all dead." Fluttershy said, her voice barely a whisper. And with those three words, her mental resolve broke down.Warm salty liquid ran down the sides of her face, and she sobbed for all she was worth. 
Babs sat there, not sure how to respond to this. After a moment, she reached over with her hoof and patted Fluttershy on the back. "It's okay." She said. "It's all going to be okay." 
"Looky what I found. Two little fillies, crying for mommy." 
Fluttershy whipped around to face a purple-coated mare with a turquoise mane. She had a jeweled piercing through her muzzle and a haughty look in her eyes. A blue amulet encircled her throat, probably taken from the Cornucopia.
"Nice job, Violet. Looks like this one just got her cutie mark last week." A stallion stepped out of the trees behind the mare, his spiked yellow mane a stark contrast to his dark brown coat. He gazed at Fluttershy for a moment. 
"Any weapons?" Violet circled the pair in a wide circle. 
"Not that I can see." The stallion glanced over at Fluttershy again. "Is she with the other pegasi?"
The mare scoffed. "This wimp? I've never even seen her fly. There's no way they'd want her as an ally." 
The stallion nodded, still eying Fluttershy's wings nervously. Something told her that he'd had a bad experience with a different pegasus pony. "I'll take the filly." He said.
Violet sighed. "Fine. Make it quick, though. We don't want her to scream for long."
The stallion turned his attention towards Babs, taking a few menacing steps towards the seemingly defenseless earth pony. "C'mere, little one. Don't worry, I'm not gonna-" 
"Gonna what? Hurt me?" Babs leapt to her hooves, her injury suddenly forgotten. The stallion stepped forward, but she raced around him, kicking him between the hind legs, right where it counts. He let out a squeak and fell to the ground. "You'll pay for that," he croaked at Babs. 
"Doubt it." She said bluntly. 
The other tribute, Violet, flipped her hair out of her eyes and growled in anger. "Now you're gonna get it." She closed her eyes and the amulet around her neck began to glow a deep purple.
Babs' eyes widened, and she stared in fascination at the amulet. It was probably the first time she'd ever seen an earth pony perform magic. Fluttershy was more familiar with it, having watched countless Pony Games on television. The Gameponies usually left one or more magical artifacts in the Cornucopia, to give the earth ponies a better chance against the unicorns and pegasi. As a result, only earth ponies are able to use the magic. And usually, that magic did terrible things to whoever it was focused on. 
And now it was focused on Babs. 

> Chapter 8: A Unique Gift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"No!" Fluttershy leapt at Violet in a flash of desperation. She managed to knock her aside, but the mare kept her footing while Fluttershy fell to the ground. 
Babs shook herself from her stupor. With the amulet now pointed away from her, she moved swiftly to Fluttershy's side. 
Fluttershy got to her hooves in a split second, but before she and Babs could run, a piercing scream rang throughout the clearing. The filly and the pegasus both looked in the direction of the sound to see something that they had not expected. 
The stallion tribute, still crumpled on the ground, was enveloped in a glowing purple light, one of his hind legs bent at a gruesome angle. Violet's amulet was glowing as well, and pointed straight at him. Her eyes wide with horror, she struggled to turn away, but something wouldn't allow her. The amulet seemed to be fixed on it's target, and it was intent on finishing the job. 
The stallion screamed again, his face contorted in pain. With a sickening sound, his other back leg snapped, leaving it just as crippled as the other. His front legs were next, bending against his will until the bone could take no more. Each grisly noise struck Fluttershy to the core, as she watched this tribute suffer the fate that she had saved Babs from. 
All four of his limbs broken, the stallion passed out purely from the pain. The purple brilliance around him brightened, and he was lifted into the air. Fluttershy could do nothing but watch as his head raised, and began to turn, ever so slowly. Violet closed her eyes, unwilling to witness her ally's final moments. 
His neck bent farther and farther, until it reached it's limit. His entire body began to shake violently, and then, with a horrifying crack, he fell to the ground and lay, unmoving. The glow surrounding him died all at once, and a cannon sounded. 
Violet opened her eyes and stared at her former partner's corpse, horrified at what she had done. A hovercraft materialized and retrieved the stallion's mutilated form. Violet couldn't seem to take her eyes of the lifeless body, as it was lifted from the arena. As the hovercraft disappeared from view, the mare blinked, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. 
Babs nudged Fluttershy with her hoof. "We should get going," she whispered, "Before she comes to her senses."
Fluttershy nodded and they began to walk slowly backwards, trying hard not to attract Violet's attention as they made their escape. 
They had just made it to the edge of the stream, when Violet looked straight at them. Her eyes were a mix of anger and grief, a combination that never can end well. 
"You did this," she growled angrily, taking slow strides towards them, like a jungle cat stalking its prey. 
Fluttershy stepped back into the shallow stream, a chill running up her spine as the cold water soaked her back legs. She looked down at Babs, and realized how much she cared about the filly. She was like the little sister she'd never had. 
"Babs, run." Fluttershy said, in a quiet yet stern voice. 
Babs looked at her, a bit surprised. "Are you crazy? What if-" 
"Just go." Fluttershy interrupted. "I'll hold her off for as long as I can." 
Babs blinked a few times. "But-"
	"Go!"
Babs turned and ran off into the forest. Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, before looking up to face her fellow tribute. 
Violet, ignoring Babs' retreat, spat on the ground. "This is all your fault!" 
"I-" Fluttershy swallowed, the mare's menacing snarl making her nervous. "I didn't-"
"I-I-I," Violet mimicked in a high voice. "I'm gonna rip your throat out!"
Fluttershy quickly went over her best options for survival. She could attack Violet first, but chances were, she wouldn't stand much of a chance against the tough earth pony. She could run, but this conflict was inevitable, and sooner or later, the Gameponies would make sure they met again. There was still one way out, a way that's almost always available to pegasus ponies: up.
Fluttershy opened her wings and took to the air.
"Coward!" Violet screamed. "Coward!" 
Fluttershy ignored her and continued to fly upwards. She peaked just below the treetops, landing on a thick, leafy branch near the trunk. She looked down at the ground, where Violet waited. The angry earth pony paced around the tree a few times, searching for a way to climb up. Fluttershy wondered if her amulet worked at a distance. Hopefully she was too deluded with rage to remember it. 
Now, there was still one problem to solve. How could she possibly kill Violet, with her limited resources? 
Kill. When had she started to think this way? Fluttershy had never hurt a soul. At least, not intentionally. She shuddered as she remembered the stallion's mangled corpse. That hadn't been her fault.
Had it?
And now there was Violet to worry about. Fluttershy had seen the bitterness in her scowl, the wrath that was written across her face. Her partner was gone, and she wanted revenge. She would stop at nothing to take Fluttershy's life, and possibly Babs' as well. 
The only way to ensure their safety... was to eradicate Violet from the arena. Permanently. 
But how could Fluttershy, an innocent, weak pegasus, kill an enraged earth pony, one that probably had years of training prior to the games? She puzzled over this for a while, and remembered a very crucial fact, one that she'd nearly forgotten up until that point. 
This was the Pony Games. Each and every exciting moment and bloodshed, filmed and broadcast before the entire population of Paneighm, especially in Canterlot. And in Canterlot, hopefully, a few willing sponsors watched. Sponsors meant help and resources, two things that Fluttershy felt a bit short of at the moment. 
But how to ask for it?
Fluttershy examined the base of her tree, looking for any hidden cameras. One of the knots in the wood was darker than the others, and had a certain shine to it that was anything but natural. 
Shuffling backwards awkwardly, Fluttershy allowed the camera to get a better view of her. She looked straight into the lens and addressed her mentor. 
"Rainbow Dash," she said. "I need-" 
A soft burst of light flashed for just a moment on the wooden branch in front of her, before it faded to reveal a round silver casket, just big enough to fit a few baby bunnies inside, or possibly a raccoon. Fluttershy stared at it, mesmerized, as the top slid open to reveal... a knife. A silver blade, sharp and ready for the kill, much like the one that she'd used on the Gameponies. 
Maybe it was the same one. She couldn't be sure. 
When Fluttershy looked down again, the silver casket was gone. That didn't bother her; she wouldn't have had much use for it, anyway. She practiced swiping at the air with the knife, but a twinge of pain in her neck told her that this method wouldn't be of much use. And besides, Violet would be able to see the knife from a mile away. How could she possibly hide it when it was clenched in her teeth? 
She almost decided to hold it with the feathers of her wing, but her wings were so clumsy when it came to holding things, and she'd rather not cut herself. 
To her surprise, another light flashed in front of her, this one even brighter than the one before. She almost dropped the knife, but managed to hold on to the end with her very front teeth. Setting it down carefully, she curiously examined the second silver casket in front of her. 
It slid open, and Fluttershy grew anxious. In all her years of watching the Pony Games, a tribute had never received a second sponsor gift within an hour of the first. Actually, most mentors waited a day or two before giving their tribute another gift. Why in Paneighm was Fluttershy the exception? Was Rainbow Dash feeling generous today?
Unable to stifle her own inquisitive nature, she peered inside the silver gift-carrier and found... a simple black strap. 
Fluttershy frowned, and took it out. It wasn't especially flashy or dangerous. In fact, the strap seemed to have no purpose at all. 
The silver casket disappeared as quickly as the other one had, and in it's place, a simple white card, with a fancy silver print. A little bit of magic, to brighten your nights, it read. 
What kind of message was that?
Fluttershy turned her attention back to the strap, which was supposedly magical. It was about the size of her hoof, so she assumed that was where it was supposed to go. Using her teeth, she stretched it around her right front hoof and waited for something to happen. 
Nothing. 
Wait, something did happen. The knife in front of her had begun to hum slightly. Was it possible that the two gifts were meant to be connected?
Fluttershy moved her hoof, along with the strap, towards the knife, and the humming intensified. Was it some sort of metal detector?
Then, all at once, the knife rose into the air. Fluttershy stared at it, unable to comprehend what was happening. It turned, so the handle was pointed towards her.
And then, it raced straight at her.
Fluttershy let out a small squeal and threw up her hooves to protect herself. When nothing struck her, she slowly uncovered herself. The knife was gone, nowhere to be found. But where had it-
Fluttershy's eyes wandered to the strap around her hoof. It was gone too.
No, not gone. She could still feel the strap. It was simply... invisible?
	A little bit of magic. Of course, the strap was magical! 
But why make it invisible? What was the point?
And for some reason, the strap was slightly heavier than it had been. Was that a side effect of the invisibility? Or was there something attached to it now... something that hadn't been there before. 
The knife. The strap and the knife were connected somehow. When the two got close enough to each other, the strap would attract the knife, and the knife would become... attached, somehow. Fluttershy wondered if she could take the knife off, too. 
"Hey!"
Fluttershy stood up quickly. Heart pumping, she gazed down at the ground, where Violet pawed the ground impatiently. 
"Don't get any funny ideas," Violet yelled up at her. "I'll just follow you if you fly away." 
Fluttershy ignored the earth pony and turned her attention back to her sponsor gifts. To her surprise, the strap around her hoof was visible once more, but the knife was no longer connected to it. Instead, the knife was impaled in the branch... right next to her hoof. 
This was certainly strange. What could she possibly have done to make it detach itself? Fluttershy gripped the knife with her mouth once more and yanked it cleanly out of the wood. Holding it next to her hoof strap, the knife pulled itself from her teeth and affixed itself to the strap. Both instantly disappeared from view. 
Fluttershy experimented with her gifts, trying to figure out what made them work. It was only when she bent her leg that she heard a tiny click! Frowning, she straightened her leg, but nothing happened. When she bent it again, however, the same click sounded. It occurred to her that when Violet had yelled at her, she'd stood up quickly. Maybe a quick movement was required to make it work. She backed up even farther on her branch, careful not to fall off. Pointing her bent leg towards the trunk of her tree, she snapped it straight. 
The knife hurled itself in the direction pointed, swiftly clearing the short distance. It pierced the thick wood, quivering for a moment before falling still. 
Fluttershy couldn't help but smile. Perhaps she did have a chance in the Games after all. 


***


Rainbow Dash grinned, her eyes on the television screen in front of her. Fluttershy was doing surprisingly well, considering she knew nothing about her role in the Games. And she'd figured out how to use the knife all by herself. Rainbow had to admit, she was impressed. Maybe the pony wasn't such a wimp after all.
"Miss Dash?" a grey pegasus pony appeared at the door, a mail back on her back. She was slightly cross-eyed, Dash noticed. 
"What?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I'm busy." 
"Letter from the princess." The pegasus mare reached into her mail bag and pulled out an envelope embossed with golden writing.
Rainbow Dash sighed, having known this was coming. Of course, any sponsor gift that included a cloaking spell must be pricey enough to attract even the attention of her royal highness. 
Sure enough, the letter read:

	Dear Rainbow Dash,
Congratulations on getting your tribute thus far in the games! I'm sure that none of us were expecting her to get through the first day, even when she received such a high score from my lovely Gameponies. 
I have recently become aware that you sent your first sponsor gift, at exactly thirty three hours and twenty four minutes into the Games. This gift, which included a weapon, a launching spell, and a cloaking spell, was extremely expensive, as I'm sure you are aware. 
Simply for my own reassurance, and the assurance of those that oversee the sponsor gifts, please send over a complete list of all of your sponsors, including name, race, and amount sponsored. 
Thank you for your time.
Your compassionate leader and illustrious dignitary,
President Celestia

Rainbow Dash glanced over at the mailmare, who stood, waiting patiently for her reply. Rainbow reached under her chair and produced a list, which she'd had ready for days. 
With a forced smile, she stuffed the paper into an envelope and handed it to the grey pegasus. 
"Thank you!" The mare said, genuinely happy to receive something to deliver. 
As the mailmare trotted out the door, Rainbow imagined the president's face when she saw the list. For, at the bottom, underneath all of the Canterlot sponsors, there was one very interesting entry. An extremely large amount of bits was donated, the only other information provided being one inexplicably complicated word:
Anonymous. 

> Chapter 9: Death and Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Fluttershy fluttered her wings quickly and smoothly, taking care not to make any noise. In order for this to work, she had to have complete silence, or Violet would kill her without a second thought. A chill seeped through her body as her wings beat the cool afternoon air. Her hooves gently touched down on the soft earth, and she folded her wings ever so slowly, trying not to rustle even the tiniest feather.
Violet was right where she'd left her; on the ground. She lay, fast asleep, on her stomach, partially covered by leaves and dirt. Fluttershy suppressed a laugh as a throaty snore escaped the earth pony's mouth.  
And now came the tricky part: Fluttershy had to remove the magic amulet from Violet's neck. She crept towards her, wary of every leaf, every stick that could make the slightest noise. It only took a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity before she reached the sleeping tribute. 
As Fluttershy stood over her unconscious enemy, it occurred to her what she was going to do. It was murder. Pure and simple. How would she ever be able to live with something like this on her conscience? How would she be able to sleep at night, with the image of this mare's face engrained in her mind? 
It had to be done, she knew. There was no other way. 
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Fluttershy gripped one of the larger feathers at the end of her wing. Squeezing her eyes shut, she yanked, ignoring the sharp pain that resulted. The amulet around Violet's neck worked with a simple clasp; too small for her clumsy hooves, but with a bit of work, it could be removed with a pegasus feather. 
She carefully pushed the quill end of the feather under the clasp, trying not to press into the mare's fur. With one swift upwards movement of her head, the clasp became unhooked, and the ends of the amulet dropped to the ground. 
But one problem still remained: the amulet lay trapped, underneath Violet's neck. 
Fluttershy knelt on the ground and reached her hoof towards the end of the necklace. If she could just slide the necklace out from under Violet without waking her...
The moment her hoof neared the smooth metal of the amulet, Fluttershy could feel a strange repulsion. Almost as if the amulet was pushing her away. She frowned and moved her hoof closer-
Fluttershy was blinded by an extremely bright light, right before her eyes. A high-pitched scream sounded in her ear, but she wasn't sure if it was her own or not. It was only when she hit the ground that she realized that she'd been thrown into the air the moment she touched the amulet. 
Her head hurt, and she couldn't seem to focus on anything. The world tilted and spun before her eyes, and she was suddenly aware of an ache in her shoulder and a stinging pain in her ear. Along with that, both her right front hoof and back left hoof hurt something terrible.
"Where is it?" 
The three words seemed to echo through her mind, and they sounded as if the speaker was far away. 
"Where is it?" The strange voice said again. They sounded frantic. Perhaps Fluttershy should help them in their search. She tried to stand, but her legs wouldn't support her. She fell back onto the ground helplessly. 
"You stole it!" The voice exclaimed. As the surrounding forest came into focus, Fluttershy became aware of a purple earth pony coming towards her. Violet walked with a heavy limp, but from the look in her eyes, she wasn't going to let that stop her.  
Fluttershy got to her hooves, her knees shaking as she stood. She was glad to see that the amulet was gone from around Violet's neck; perhaps it had been thrown into the foliage when Fluttershy touched it. 
"Give it back!" Violet screamed, stopping a few feet in front of Fluttershy. "I need my magic!" 
Fluttershy blinked away the bright spots in her eyes. She glared back at Violet.  This mare wasn't going to scare her anymore. Now that her precious amulet was gone, her only weapon was intimidation, and even that was weakening by the second. 
Seeing that the amulet wasn't around Fluttershy's neck, Violet narrowed her eyes. "Where did you hide it? Where?" She demanded. 
"Shut up." Fluttershy growled. "Shut up or I'll kill you on the spot." 
Violet did as requested, dumbfounded. A bit taken aback by this newfound courage, she began to stutter. "You- you don't have any-"
"Weapons?" Fluttershy smirked, trying to keep up the act. Really, she wanted to dart into the trees and have the conversation from there, but this was one battle that required a direct confrontation. "Sounds like my sponsors are a bit more generous than yours." 
Violet took a step back. "You're bluffing." 
"Am I?" Fluttershy asked. "And what if I'm not?" 
Violet didn't answer. 
Fluttershy looked straight in the earth pony's eyes. "I'm giving you a chance to save yourself. If you leave this part of the forest, and promise to never attack me or Babs again, I'll let you live. But if you don't..." She let the sentence hang in the air, hoping it would produce the desired effect. 
"You're giving me a choice?" Violet scoffed, having regained some of her usual bravado. "Did Quartz have a choice when you killed him? Did Jade or Night have a choice when I killed them both? Did any of us have a choice when we were put here in this living hell?" She shook her head. 
Fluttershy swallowed. "Then... I'm sorry." She steeled herself for the moment that she knew would come, the moment when she would have to kill another living pony. 
"I'm sorry, too." Violet said. "Sorry that you won't be able to see me become victor!" She dived straight at Fluttershy, knocking her legs out from under her. 
"Hey!" Fluttershy shouted. She quickly got back on her hooves.
"Come on!" Violet yelled, standing and stepping closer. "Fight me!" 
Fluttershy could only step back. "I- I won't-" 
"You're weak!" Violet exclaimed. A bit of her forelock had fallen into her eyes, but she didn't bother to brush it away. "You've always been too weak! I could tell the moment I saw you; you'll never have the will to fight. You don't deserve to wear the image of the Princess!" 
Fluttershy didn't have time to process the statement. With a yell powered by rage, Violet leapt towards her again. But this time, she aimed for her throat. 
Fluttershy fell backwards and thrust out her hooves to stop the attacker. She felt a hoof knock her head hard, bending her neck backwards at an awkward angle. Something thick and warm dripped down onto her chest, and for a moment, she feared that it was her own blood. She opened her eyes, just as a cannon boomed, and was met with a gruesome sight. 
It was Violet. She lay, limp, on top of Fluttershy like some sort of giant rag doll. Her face frozen in a look of shock and anger, with the hilt of a knife protruding from her neck. 
She was dead. 


***


Rarity smiled and stomped her hooves along with the rest of the crowd. Another tribute out of the Games! With almost half of them gone, Fluttershy had an even greater chance of winning. And the farther along she got in the Games, the more parties Rarity got invited to! 
"I say, that pegasus of yours is certainly faring well." One of the unicorn stallions said to her. "I wouldn't be surprised if she made it to the top five." 
Rarity smiled gleefully. She couldn't remember the stallion's name, but at the moment, it didn't really matter. 
"What in Paneighm is she doing now?" One of the mares interrupted the flurry of conversation spreading throughout the room. All eyes turned back to the colossal television screen that covered the entire wall in front of them. 
Fluttershy had moved the body of the purple mare off of her and was now standing next to it, eyes closed. Everypony watched as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Immediately the room erupted with whispers, questioning if the tribute was very smart, standing out in the open like that. 
Rarity noticed a silver earring, still dangling from Fluttershy's ear. At least she'd managed to hang onto one of them. And something that the other tribute, Violet had said... something about wearing the image of the princess? Rarity sometimes heard Celestia referred to as a Princess, but the alicorn on the earring didn't look much like Celestia. But... what other princess was there? 
As Rarity and the rest of the onlookers watched the screen, Fluttershy rolled the corpse onto her back. The whispers became excited. What would she do? Stab her again? Cut off her mane? 
No. Fluttershy carefully crossed her former enemy's front hooves and laid the legs out straight. Then, with a certain solemnity about her, she closed Violet's eyes. Fluttershy stepped back and mourned as more tears dripped down her face to mingle with the blood on her neck and chest. 
Rarity was dumbfounded. The tribute had tried to kill her, and yet Fluttershy treated her death as an occasion for sadness. Surely this went against everything the Games stood for. Killing another tribute was supposed to bring honor, glory, gladness. But there was nothing glad about Fluttershy now. 
Evidently the Gameponies decided that a mourning pegasus wasn't very exciting, so they switched the scene to show a conversation between the two unicorn ponies that had taken the Cornucopia. Rarity tuned out, her mind focused on her tribute's peculiar behavior.
One thing was for sure: If Fluttershy didn't change her view of the Games, and soon, she would be killed. There was no room for a compassionate tribute in the Pony Games. 


***


After the hovercraft ascended with Violet's body in tow, Fluttershy walked back to the stream and washed the blood out of her fur. Other than her back left hoof, which needed a change of bandage, nothing was seriously injured, only bruised and cut. 
The light in the sky was just beginning to fade, and it occurred to her that Babs was still in the forest somewhere. What if she thought the cannon was for Fluttershy? What if she thought that Violet was still alive, still angry and looking for more tributes to kill?
Or what if- what if she'd been found by another tribute? What if Babs wasn't even alive anymore?
No, that's what the cannons are for, and there had only been one cannon since they had separated: Violet's. Still, the thought made Fluttershy even more anxious to find her ally. 
Deciding that she could get a better view from the sky, Fluttershy unfolded her wings and took flight. Right before she cleared the treetops, however, she hesitated. Was it possible that Spitfire and Soarin were up there? They were certainly very comfortable in the sky; and what better place to watch for other tributes than a cloud? 
She decided not to risk it. Better safe than sorry, after all. Finding Babs would have to wait until tomorrow, under the shade of the trees. Fluttershy chose to rest for the night in one of the taller trees, on a thick, strong branch with plenty of leaves. She smiled when she realized that this was the fourth tree she'd taken refuge in since the Games began. It was becoming a habit for her. The sky was completely dark now, and the forest was suddenly filled with the booming anthem of Paneigm. Fluttershy moved a few leaves and peered at the sky, where the giant screen showed the image of Canterlot Castle. The image faded as the anthem ended, and the first tribute showed up on screen. 
The mare was obviously a crystal pony, which meant that she must be from the first district. The next tribute was a stallion, also a crystal pony. The next face shown sent pangs of regret at Fluttershy's heart; it was Violet. Then her tribute partner appeared on screen, his deep brown eyes and solemn face making her feel even worse. Then the stallion, the one that had woken her up that morning. The screen went black, and Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Babs' face hadn't been shown. 
She laid down on the branch, gathering together a clump of leaves for a pillow. Her eyes closed, and she fell asleep instantly. 
That night, she had the strangest dream. 
She was running through the forest, fleeing from some unseen terror. The bright moonlight illuminated her path, and she leapt over obstacles with ease. Next to her ran the unicorn stallion, the one that had cut her at the beginning of the games. He turned to her and opened his mouth to speak, but instead of his voice, it was the voice of Rainbow Dash. 
"It was only a matter of picking them off one by one," He said. The stallion turned and ran away from her, leaving her all alone. 
Braeburn materialized out of the foliage, wearing a brown vest. He galloped beside her and turned to speak. "It'll be satisfying to watch them die." He said, in Soarin's voice. He stopped suddenly, and was quickly left behind as Fluttershy barreled on ahead. 
Fluttershy ran straight into a tree, but it didn't hurt her in the least. She looked up to find her way barred by a tight wall of foliage. There was no way through! She turned around, and was met with the sight of a blue unicorn mare leaping out of the trees.  
"You'll never have the will to fight." The unicorn said, in Violet's voice. She turned and leapt back into the vegetation. 
Finally, Spitfire landed on the ground in front of her. A vain smirk on her face, she spoke with Babs' voice, "If you had any sense, you woulda killed me by now." Then she reared backwards and kicked Fluttershy in the chest, knocking the breath out of her. 
She woke up with a start, breathing heavily. It was just a dream, she told herself. Just a dream. 
She lay awake for a few minutes before falling into a deep, dreamless slumber. 

> Chapter 10: Strange Allies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Waking up that morning was a difficult experience for Fluttershy. She opened her eyes, took in the bright sunlight, and then shut them again, falling asleep for another few minutes before repeating the process. The branch she lay across was rough, and the coarse wood scratched her legs and made her belly itch. Still, she felt very comfortable there, almost as comfortable as she would feel in her own bed, at home in Ponyville.  
The sound of leaves crunching underhoof made her sit up. Somepony was down below her, on the ground. 
Fluttershy parted a few branches and peered downwards at the forest floor. It was a mare, slightly younger than herself, with a dark grey coat and a pale blue mane. The earth pony bent down and drank greedily from the stream. She looked as if she hadn't had a proper bath in weeks, even though the Games had only gone on for two days so far. A black saddle bag hung from her back, swinging loosely. Her thirst sated, she stood up, water still dripping from the sides of her mouth. Her eyes darted around cautiously, but her gaze never traveled upwards, where Fluttershy was hiding. 
The mare reached into her saddle bag, pulling out a thick brown stick with something attached to the end. It had a slight shine to it... like metal. 
An image flashed through Fluttershy's mind: a pegasus stallion, one of his wings being violently hacked off... by an axe. She had looked away before- before the deed was finished, but then, she'd seen his face played across the giant skyscreen that night. Had this mare been the pony to kill him?
Fluttershy shuddered and continued to watch the earth pony mare. She was bent down, examining the strands of grass before her, the axe still clutched tightly in her teeth. 
Without warning, the mare swung her weapon around, alerted by some sound in the forest. A small shriek sounded, but the voice didn't belong to Fluttershy. The mare sighed with relief and dropped her axe on the ground as a yellow-coated earth pony emerged from the foliage. 
The new arrival sighed and shook her bright green pigtails. "Now what do ya think yer doin? Gave me a fright, ya did, swingin' that axe 'round like that." 
The grey mare rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Fritter. Didn't realize it was you." 
"Prudence, you're more jumpy than a barrel full 'o rabbits. Who else would it be? By mah calc-ya-lations, the only ponies 'round this area are us, Braeburn, and that lil' brown filly." 
Fluttershy's ears perked up. Braeburn was there! And a little brown filly... that had to be Babs!
"You can never be too careful." Prudence said, peering around at the surrounding trees. "I don't want to underestimate the other tributes."
"Darlin', there's a chance you migh' overestimate 'em, if you keep worryin' so much." Fritter smiled good-naturedly. 
"I'm not worried." Prudence declared. "I'm heedful of my enemies." 
This time it was Fritter's turn to roll her eyes. "C'mon now, we'd best be going if we wanna make it to the cave 'fore nightfall. Did ya fill the canteen?"
"Not yet." Prudence said. "Could you grab it out of my saddlebag?" 
Fritter complied and reached into her bag, retrieving a large metal flask. It seemed that these two had gotten a small share of Cornucopia supplies. 
After the canteen was filled in the river, the two mares packed the saddlebag and began their walk back through the forest. Without the slightest hesitation, Fluttershy followed them, flying quietly under the trees as she listened to them converse. 
"-not so sure if I trust Braeburn..." 
"Braeburn? Why, he's only the sweetest stallion this side of Canterlot! Why wouldn't ya trust him?" 
"I dunno." Prudence's voice grew soft, and Fluttershy strained to hear. "Something about him seems off. He's a bit... too nice, if you know what I mean."
"Now, come on. If you can't trust Braeburn, you can't trust anypony! Why, back in Appleloosa, he-"
"Fine, fine." Prudence interrupted. "If you trust him, I trust him, too." Something about her voice was hesitant, and Fluttershy wasn't entirely convinced that she believed Fritter. 
"But what about that filly? What was her name?" 
"Babby, Brandy, Barley..." Fritter rattled off a few names. "Somethin' startin' with a B." 
"Right. Tell me again why you wouldn't let me kill her?" 
"Because," Fritter said, with a hint of annoyance. "I will not let any ally o' mine kill off a poor, innocent, injured filly!" 
"How do you know she's so innocent? There's eleven dead already; she could have killed any one of them." 
"No." Fritter said in a soft tone. "I could tell. She ain't no killer. I would'a seen it in her eyes." 
"Right." Prudence said sarcastically. Fluttershy found herself wondering how these complete opposites could have become allies. 
Fluttershy waited for one of them to say something, but neither did. She realized that the hoofsteps below had stopped. She managed to wheel around in a tight circle, searching the forest floor for the two mares. Once she'd spotted them, standing close together in a small clearing, she landed on a branch above them, bending her legs to absorb the impact and make minimal noise.
"What is it?" Fritter asked Prudence. Fluttershy watched curiously as Prudence took out her axe once more, her ears twitching as she strained to listen. 
"Girls!" 
Fritter instantly relaxed, but the axe remained clenched in Prudence's teeth. Fluttershy caught herself smiling when she recognized the voice: it was Braeburn!
"I've been lookin' all over for you two!" he said with a grin. 
"And we've been lookin' fer you!" Fritter exclaimed. "Where you been, cousin?" 
Cousin? Fluttershy thought. I've never heard of cousins participating together before. 
"Here and there." Braeburn replied. "Haven't caught wind o' those pegasus ponies, though. Seems they've dropped off the map for a while."
Prudence grunted and dropped her axe on the ground. "They won't be gone for long." 
Braeburn looked at her for a moment. "And why not, miss Prudence?" 
"Because," Prudence said haughtily. "I know their kind. It's not like them to go into hiding. They won't rest until every single one of us is dead." 
"You seem to know a whole lot 'bout your enemies." 
"And you seem to know a lot about your so-called friends!" 
"Now, what exactly are you implying?"
"Hey!" Fritter interrupted. "If y'all would quit arguing and just look around, you'd see we've got a visitor." 
Fluttershy looked around, searching the surrounding forest for another tribute. It took a moment or two to realize that Fritter was pointing upwards with her hoof... straight at her. 
"Fluttershy?" Braeburn asked, peering upwards. "That you up there?" 
Fluttershy tried to respond, but her voice came out as a squeak that never reached his ears. 
"A pegasus! She's been spying on us!" Prudence said angrily. She picked her axe up off the ground, arching her neck back to get a good throwing angle. 
Fluttershy yelped and took off, shooting towards the sky. She had just cleared the treetops when she heard Fritter's faint voice behind her. "No use, darlin'. She's way outta range already."
Fluttershy looked around, searching for a good tree to take shelter in. She wasn't sure if Prudence would accept the futility of following a pegasus pony, but she certainly wasn't going to wait to find out. Spitfire and Soarin were up there on the clouds somewhere, perhaps watching the trees below, and if they spotted another pegasus-
Making up her mind, Fluttershy flew back beneath the tree cover, but just enough to hide her from any arial surveillance. She beat her wings, enjoying the wind as it weaved through her coat, drying the nervous sweat she'd managed to work up. The pegasus weaved in and out of trees, for a moment forgetting herself, forgetting the Games, and just enjoying her own freedom.
She didn't want to stop. She wanted to keep flying forever, out of the arena, into the wilderness, to a place where no pony could tell her she couldn't have animal friends. A place she could stay, not worrying about tributes or Gameponies or people watching her or-
Cold, hard reality hit her in the form of a tree branch, and she lost control of her wings. The ground grew closer, and Fluttershy managed one more feeble flap before the dirt greeted her. Hard. 
She shook her head and tried to get the gritty taste of earth off of her tongue. Her back hooves and hindquarters had taken the blunt of the impact, but at least her injured front hoof wasn't hurt. At least, more than it already was.  She checked herself, prodding her limbs to check if she could still feel them. Everything seemed fine, if not a little bruised.
Fluttershy got to her hooves and shook her head at her own foolish ideas. Fly out of the arena? There would be a force field to prevent that. And besides, if it were possible to get out, then-
All of the sudden, the familiar sound of a cannon erupted from the forest behind her.
Fluttershy's mind immediately flew to the threesome she'd left. Prudence, Fritter, and Braeburn... was that cannon sounding in honor of one of those three? 
Prudence had an axe. She'd nearly gone after Fluttershy with it, and Fritter had stopped her. With a weapon that deadly, how hard would it have been to turn on Fritter, or even Braeburn, and slice them in two? Fluttershy didn't want to envision that sort of gruesome death, and she certainly didn't want to see one, but a mixture of curiosity and dread burned within her. 
If either Fritter or Braeburn had been killed by Prudence, the other would surely be next. These were good ponies- kind, honest folk that would think nothing of helping another pony. If Fluttershy didn't try to save them- at least, the one that still lived- then why should she be any better than the other tributes? Of all twenty four tributes, many of which lied, and killed, what set her apart? 
Fluttershy made up her mind. She couldn't stand by, not if there was a chance of saving a life. Digging her hind legs into the soft soil, she coiled slyly, and then sprung from the ground, flapping erratically at first and then gaining speed as her wings synced their motion. 
She reached the glade faster than she had anticipated, and she pulled her wings back at just the last moment, stopping with a burst of wind at the edge of the trees. Braeburn and Fritter were nowhere to be seen, but Prudence was in the middle of the clearing, grappling with a light-blue coated stallion. 
It was him- the unicorn that had cut Babs. 
Fluttershy watched, wide eyed, as Prudence fought relentlessly, kicking her hooves as hard as she could, while he resisted, his horn sparking every few seconds as he threw up a weak shield, a futile attempt to fend off her violent attack. The stallion wore a dark tattered jacket, and his black mane was a disheveled mess.  
Where were the other two? Had Prudence killed them both before taking on this new challenge? No, there had only been one cannon blast. Had one of the escaped? Perhaps the unicorn was-
Fluttershy's eyes widened, as she noticed something laying on the ground, behind the brawling ponies. A body. No, two bodies. A larger stallion; one she didn't recognize. And a smaller one, a mare with two bright green pigtails splayed out next to her, slowly drowning in a growing pool of blood. 
It was Fritter. She was dead. 
It didn't take Fluttershy long to asses the situation. The unknown stallion's body was covered with deep, bloody wounds, cut cleanly from Prudence's axe. But Fritter had none of these wounds. In fact, if it weren't for the deep red puddle around her, Fluttershy could imagine she was sleeping. 
Prudence hadn't killed Fritter. 
Prudence hadn't killed Fritter. 
Fluttershy's attention was pulled from the bodies as the stallion's horn glowed with a bright magical aura, and a large wall of energy rose up between him and Prudence. The mare stepped back, breathing heavily, but the angry fire in her eyes still burned. 
The unicorn's eyes flickered over Fluttershy for just a moment, registering the presence of another tribute before he reared at Prudence, blocking her attempt to get closer to him. He didn't consider the newcomer a threat, just a minor inconvenience to be dealt with later. He didn't know about her sponsor gift. He didn't know that she had a weapon, didn't know about the invisible blade strapped to her hoof. 
Fluttershy took a slow breath. If she didn't do something now, the stallion would kill Prudence, and then he'd come for her. She focused her gaze on the unicorn, and bent her foreleg. With as much speed as she could muster, she pointed her hoof at his torso. 
The mechanism made the faintest clicking noise as it engaged, but the sound reached the unicorn's ears still. He quickly turned his head  and threw up a weak shield of magic, dropping the one between him and Prudence. The glowing wall deflected the knife at an angle, but was unable to stop it from slicing the flesh near the base of his leg. He winced, his eyes showing his pain. 
Prudence took her chance. With the shield down, she tackled him to the ground, managing to grapple him into a tight headlock, one leg wrapped around his neck. 
"Doesn't feel too great, does it?" she hissed at him. "Sharp blade cutting you open? The blood flowing freely?" The fierce mare kicked him in the leg, causing the cut to open even more, and he grimaced in pain, making no sound.  
The stallion's horn began to glow once more, a faint light surrounding it. The knife, impaled on the ground, began to glow as well. 	
"Prudence!" Fluttershy warned, surprised as her voice cracked. "The knife!"
Prudence tightened her headlock, squeezing his neck all the more tightly. "Don't... you... dare!" she said menacingly. 
A small gurgling sound escaped his throat, and the glow died. Prudence lifted her free leg and placed the flat of her hoof against his horn. 
"N-no..." he choked.
Prudence ignored him. She pushed hard against it, her entire body beginning to shake with effort. 
She couldn't be- She wouldn't- Could she? Was such a thing even possible?Fluttershy was about to find out.
Prudence pushed still, and- she may have imagined it- a tiny crack had appeared at the base of his horn. 
Her other foreleg loosened it's grip, just a enough to allow him to breathe. 
"No!" he cried. "Please, I'll do anything just-"
It snapped.
The stallion yelled in rage and pain as sparking lines of magic left his body, dying out in the air around him. The jagged remains of his horn fell into the thick grass below, the pieces clinking together like the final performance of a great instrument. 
Prudence released him, and dropped to all fours, unsure whether to be triumphant or dumbfounded at what she had accomplished.  
The stallion struggled to stay on his four hooves, stumbling forwards as his legs wobbled like a newborn foal's. With a thick mane covering what was left of his horn, he resembled an earth pony. He glanced at Prudence, the fear evident in his eyes. Without his magic, he was powerless, with no way of defending himself. 
Prudence turned away from him and dipped her head low to the ground. The stallion's eyes filled with a slight hope, hope that she would leave him alone, that she would let him live. 
Sadly, it was short lived. 
Prudence lifted her head again, but she had something clenched in her teeth. A long, brown stick, with a sharp silver piece at the end. She focused her gaze on the stallion and trudged towards him slowly, menacingly, the axe's sharp end pointed towards the ground. She was going to finish him, once and for all.
"Please..." the stallion begged, looking straight into her eyes. "I- I can't hurt anypony anymore. Not... not without..." he trailed off. 
Prudence raised her axe, the violent gleam still shining in her eyes. Fluttershy turned away, just before it fell. A cannon sounded to finalize the deed, seemingly louder than all the ones before. 
Fluttershy turned back to face Prudence, but the mare had already started to walk away. The axe lay on the ground, it's silver tip gleaming red. 
"Prudence," Fluttershy said, the name carrying more meaning to her than it had just minutes before.
The mare hesitated, for just a moment, before continuing her walk. She approached the two bodies lying before her, giving a slight nod to the stallion. It was almost as if she were a soldier, commending a fellow comrade for his service. 
And then she reached the body of Fritter. 
"I know you're not dead." Prudence said softly, looking down into the face of her ally. "There would have been a cannon for you by now." 
Fluttershy stood behind Prudence, a silent onlooker, as the mare both spoke and mourned over her friend.
"Look, I don't know if you can even hear me. Heck, if you could, you'd probably be telling me off for killing off two 'innocent' stallions." 
A slight chuckle escaped her lips, but her expression quickly grew somber once more. 
"I guess... I guess I just want to say thanks. You showed me that there are a few good ponies in this screwed-up world of ours. Even if you have to dig pretty hard to find them."
Fritter's eyelids twitched upwards for just a moment, but her eyes remained closed. She wasn't dead; at least, not yet, and maybe, just maybe, she could hear Prudence's words. 
Prudence blinked a few times and scoffed at herself, eyes glistening. "Screw this." She shook her head. "Goodbye, Apple Fritter. Thanks for being my friend." 
And then, as a final mercy, Prudence pressed a hoof down on Fritter's throat,  cutting off her oxygen, ending her pain, ending her life, and the Gamepony's cannon finalized the deed. 
Prudence turned around, the fur around her eyes slightly wet. Fluttershy couldn't imagine it was sweat. They looked at each other, earth pony and pegasus, supposed enemies in this forest arena. 
"You shot the knife at Neon?" Prudence asked, no hint of emotion in her voice. 
"Neon?" Fluttershy questioned. 
"The unicorn." The answer was blunt. 
"Oh, uh- yeah." Fluttershy attempted a smile, but it lasted for only a moment.
"Well, you're either a terrible shot, or you weren't aiming for me." Prudence regarded her for a moment. "And you didn't try to kill me after I- after the stallion was dead."
Fluttershy chose not to point out that she only had one knife. 
Prudence's ears twitched, once, twice. 
"Pick up your knife." She said quickly.
"What?" 
"Pick. Up. Your knife." Prudence's eyes bore daggers into the surrounding scenery. 
Fluttershy complied, walking over to where her blade had been impaled in the grass. It bore a streak of blood now, much like the redness she'd seen on Prudence's axe. The knife slid back into her hoof contraption, disappearing just like it had before. 
If Prudence noticed, she made no mention of the occurrence. 
"Now," The mare said, picking up the axe in her teeth. She handled its weight with ease, keeping the bladed end level and angled to throw.
"Done moof." she ordered, with the wooden handle in her mouth, glaring in Fluttershy's direction. 
"Prudence?" Fluttershy couldn't believe it. 
The earth pony arched her neck, and threw the axe. Right at Fluttershy. 

> Chapter 11: Lost Hope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Fluttershy shrieked and dived out of the axe's path. Her long, messy tail was thrown out behind her, and the axe flew straight into it. Only a few of her long pink strands were severed, but the weapon's course was diverted, twirling in the air until it stuck in a tree a few yards out of the clearing. 
"#@$% it, Fluttershy!" Prudence cursed. "I said don't move!" 
Another earth pony darted into the clearing, coming out of the forest where Fluttershy had been just moments ago. She brandished a large spiked club in her teeth. Had... had Prudence been aiming for the mare instead of her?
"Trouble in paradise?" the newcomer snarked out of the side of her mouth. There was blood staining her pale green coat, either her own or another tribute's. 
Prudence's eyes darted to the tree where her axe was impaled before fixating her stare on the new tribute. "Nice club. What are you, a cavemare?" 
The mare's pale pink eyes twitched with a hint of amusement. She spit out the club, and it thumped onto the soft green grass. "The old fashioned way then?" Her voice had a soft, youthful quality to it that made her words all the more aggravating.  
"Just the way I like it." Prudence said, her face cleared of emotion. 
"Oh," the tribute remarked, glancing at Fluttershy, and, more accurately, her feathered yellow wings. "It looks like somepony forgot to take out the trash. Do you mind?" 
Prudence's eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare."
The mare laughed, a tinkling, dainty laugh. "Oh, I see. You had so much fun killing those other three. I really should let you have one more. By all means, then, go-"
Prudence lunged. 
She went for the throat first, teeth bared like some prehistoric beast. The tribute leapt backwards and stumbled for a few steps, all the while cackling like it was a game. 
"Is that really all you've-"
Prudence reared back, kicking hard with both front hooves. One caught the mare in the chin. 
There was a crack, softer than thunder, but louder than the snap of a branch. Blood dripped down the side of the mare's mouth as she pressed a hoof to her face. It took Fluttershy a moment to realize that she was holding her jaw in place. 
"Ish dat all hyoo got?" She couldn't smile, but her eyes still showed a grin. This mare was insane. Insane or on drugs. 
Prudence looked on her with a hint of pity. She galloped to the tree where her axe still stuck, and pulled it out. 
The tribute shook her head, which should have caused her even more pain. If she could still feel, that is. 
"Wan me? Come an ged me." She turned and trotted off into the forest, blood dripping behind her. 
Prudence shot Fluttershy a look. She took a breath like she was about to say something, but decided against it. She ran off after the tribute. It was less than a minute before the cannon was heard. 


***


"Are they ready?"
Pinkie Pie smiled, something she did far too often. "Yupper-doodle-doo!" Her pink hair bounced too much too. Didn't it ever get tangled in the controls?
Twilight rubbed her temples with one hoof. "Miss Pie, a simple 'yes' is an acceptable answer." 
"Okay!" The pink Gamepony smiled. Again. "Or should I say yes? Does yes work in that context? Should I say yes to everything you say? Yes yes yes!" 
A mixture of a sigh and a groan escaped Twilight's lips. "Just make sure that everything goes smoothly." 
"Yes!" Pinkie exclaimed. 
Twilight trotted down the hallway towards the hangar, shaking her head. Pinkie Pie was more trouble as a Gamepony than she was worth. Always screwing up messages, delaying the production of obstacles. And that vacant look in her eyes, like she knew nothing and everything at the same time...
But Twilight wasn't going to let that distract her. As the head Gamepony, she couldn't focus on a little thing like an incompetent employee. She raised her head high as she neared the hangar door, horn glowing magenta as she slid open the gate. The creatures were waiting inside, shuffling nervously in their lineup. Twilight Sparkle ignored them completely and walked straight to the trainer. 
"Have they all been implanted? We wouldn't want any of them to survive." 
The trainer nodded smartly. "Yes, of course. Although..." he trailed off, not desiring to finish the thought. 
Twilight looked straight at him. His reflective glasses showed her stern eyes. "Is there something you wanted to say?" 
He cleared his throat. "I thought that we were going to save the use of these creatures for next year. I'm not sure they're fully mature yet. Perhaps we could wait until next Games and instead-" 
"Remember your place." Twilight said to him coldly. "If President Celestia wants to use these monstrosities in this year's games, then we are going to send them in. You are not to question direct orders. Is that clear?"
The trainer bowed his head. "Crystal, ma'am. But why-"
"The workings of our President's inner plan are none of your concern." Her eyes stared daggers at him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a launch to oversee." 
She turned and walked out of the room. The only sound was the clopping of her hooves against the cool pavement.  


***


Applebloom pushed her sister away. "Would you stop coverin' mah eyes every time there's a little blood? Ah'm a big girl now, an' it's not the first Games ah've watched!" 
Applejack smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Appebloom." The picture on the television screen zoomed in on the dead mare once more, showing her blood-splattered green coat in exquisite detail. What kind of deranged mentor sends their tribute pain-erasing drugs as a sponsor gift? 
One that's lost hope, that's who.
And Fluttershy- she'd almost killed Fluttershy. Applejack had nearly yelled at the television screen at the sight of that mare, raising her club for the kill with murder in her eyes. If it hadn't been for Prudence- Nope. No thinking of that. Besides, without her, all that planning... it would all be for nothing. 
It should be me, Applejack thought. How could I have let her volunteer? She's going to die, and it'll be all my fault. And she has no idea... no idea of what's in store. If only I could warn her...
But really, she could do nothing. Nothing but sit here, watch her friend struggle, and keep up the regime of hope that she maintained, year after year. 
"You okay, sis?" 
Applejack took a breath and tried to relax. 
"Ah'm... ah'm just fine." She said, putting on a smile. "Just worried for my friend, is all." 
"Oh. All right then." Applebloom turned back to the television, where Fluttershy walked through the forest, alone. Before long the scene changed, showing a blue unicorn mare that was digging through a pile of provisions. "Ya think she'll win?"
"What?"
Applebloom pointed at the television. "The unicorn mare. Trixie. She's hardly killed anypony yet, but she can if she needs to, with all those weapons, and her magic too. An with her partner gone, she's the only unicorn left. Ah bet she'll win." 
Applejack looked at the picture with uncertainty. "Ah sure hope not. We're rootin' for Fluttershy, remember?" 
"Yeah." The filly looked down at her hooves. "Ah'm gonna go get some cider. You want some?" 
"Ah'm good, thanks." 
The young pony trotted out of the living room. Applejack watched the screen, where the scene had changed once more. A cerise pegasus sat onstage, uncomfortably shifting in a huge round seat. 
"Good evening, folks, and welcome back! I'm your host, Fancy Pants!" Applause pattered through the speakers as a white unicorn trotted onstage to greet the interviewee.
"Is this gonna take long? I got ponies to see, places to be." The mare shook her mane, six different colors that framed her annoyed expression. 
The audience laughed.
"Now, now, Miss Dash, we'll only be a few." He grinned at the audience. "And aren't we excited?" 
More cheering.
Dash mumbled something that the microphone didn't pick up. Applejack wasn't a lip reader, but it looked an awful lot like, "Celestia kill me now." 
"So," Fancy Pants leaned back in his chair. "Both of your tributes have made it to the top ten!" He cocked his head for a moment, listening to a voice coming through his earpiece. "Sorry, it appears to be nine, now! My, how these Games fly by." 
Rainbow stiffened, holding back a grimace. 
Fancy Pants looked at her with a glint in his eye. "It takes a good mentor to get two tributes this far. How did you do it? Beforehoof training? Good advice? Perhaps a," he paused, "sponsor gift or two?" 
So this was the point of the interview. Applejack scoffed at the television. Celestia wanted to know where Fluttershy's fancy sponsor gift had come from. 
"Well, I... uh... I..." Rainbow's searched for words.
Just be yourself, Applejack urged. 
"I'm only the best mentor in all of Paneighm." 
The country mare sighed with relief. Celestia wouldn't learn a single secret, not when Rainbow was busy talking... about herself. 
"Of course, I couldn't let them get killed on the first day. We had nonstop training, at dinner, on the train, even before breakfast. I didn't win my Game by chance, you know. If only the other mentors could see that it doesn't-"
Applebloom walked in with a cup of cider in her hoof. She glanced at the screen, and her face fell slightly. 
"They're doing another interview? Ah was hopin' there'd be some more action..." 
"Action?" Applejack got up and turned the sound down a few notches. "Whadya mean, action?" 
"Ya know, fightin'." Applebloom said, setting down the cider. "It's the best when there ain't no weapons. Just pony 'gainst pony, to the death!" She threw a few punches against an invisible enemy. 
Applejack stared at her little sister, sadness spreading across her face. "That could be you in the arena."
"But it ain't." Applebloom tried out some more of her fighting moves, leaping across the room with karate kicks. "Hyah!" 
That was too much. Applejack pounded her hoof on the wooden floor of the home, causing the framed pictures to shake and the cider to fall on it's side, spilling foamy liquid onto the rug. 
Applebloom stopped pretending. 
"Fluttershy is risking her life!" Applejack said loudly, her tone harsher than it had ever been. "For you! Doesn't that mean anythin'?"
"Ah-"
"Go to your room, young filly!" Applejack stamped her hoof again, softer this time. 
And then she was alone in the living room. The sound of hoofsteps receded as Applebloom raced up the stairs. 
"And what about your district partner? What was his name?" Fancy Pants was still interviewing Rainbow Dash. 
"You don't remember?"
The host was a bit taken aback. "Well, I hardly-"
Rainbow shook her head. "No. Of course you don't. But some of us do. His friends, his family. Those that loved him. Even those that didn't know him could see his strength, his sacrifice for what he knew was right. He may be dead, but he'll be remembered."
"And- while we're on the subject- would you mind reminding me of this strong young stallion's name?"
Dash looked at Fancy Pants, and then at the audience, and then straight into the camera. Her face tightened as she spoke. "His name was Big Macintosh."