"APPLEJACK!" Applebloom's voice echoed around sweet apple acres. I stopped bucking the tree, And ran. I ran through the orchard, through the farm and into the house. I quickly climbed up the stairs, I heard Applebloom's heavy breathing. I ran into her room. She sat up in bed, her chest moving in and out rapidly.

"Applejack...I, I was picked to play the games," the tears in her eyes brought a lump in the back of my throat. I walked over to her, i embraced her in a warm and sweaty hug.

"I won't let em take you." I reassured her, she hugged me back.

" it's today, isn't it?" She said, her cheeks were soaking wet with tears.

"Yes, it's today." I replied.

I let her go, she slumped back to her bed, I stood up.

"I have to go, I'm going to continue bucking trees." I lied. It wasn't right for me to lie, and I wasn't very good at it, she took the hint.

The last time I told the truth about what I wanted to do, I got whipped. Them peace ponies hear everything I, or any other pony has got to say. Applebloom looked at me disapprovingly.

"Don't let em catch you." She whispered. I nodded and walked out of her room.

Granny Smith used to tell us about the fences. She said she was there when they put them up. She knows plenty about them, she said that every now and again, the high voltage in one segment of the fence could stop working, and if we find out which one it is, we could break it and sneak out all the time. She was right, it did work. And I've gone out of the district many times.

I walked over to the fence. The high voltage sign made me chuckle. I kicked a rock at the fence to make sure it wasn't working. The rock hit the fence and fell to the ground, no reaction or whatsoever. I crawled through a space at the bottom, part of the ground was dug and hollow there, that would be my doing.

I quickly and quietly trotted through the space between the fence and the Everfree forest. The forest gave me closure. It helped me clear my mind, and train. I always trained in the forest, I had to, I needed to know how to fight. so I learnt to. I taught myself, sometimes having encounters with timberwolves. The timberwolves always went for me, not anymore. I made friends with them, they help me train now, instead of chasing me back to the other side of the fence. I remember that day, I was still a filly, older than Applebloom. I went into the forest, to train, I knew to steer clear of the timberwolves, the one way to know for sure, is their breath. They had the worst breath. I smelt the timberwolf breath, I knew I had to go the other way, but I was obliged to go and follow the smell.

It was a timberwolf cub, stuck under a fallen tree log. The first thing I had to do was simple. Run. But I didn't. The cub whimpered as I drew closer to it, I couldn't help but smile at the fact that it was only a cub, small and harmless, cute. I walked over to the cub, it tried to sniff me, I let it sniff my hoof. It licked me and barked softly. I pushed the log over, letting the cub go free. I played with the young cub, I even gave it a name, Woodstock. After a while, Woodstock had ran into the bushes, he came back with a pack of timberwolves. I wanted to run, but, they didn't attack, they weren't even growling. Woodstock jumped up and licked me then ran away with his pack. I always meet him here where I found him.

I stopped at the log, it filled me with the memory of Woodstock. I smelt the timberwolves breath. He was here.

I sat on the log, Woodstock appeared with his pack, we had the same routine all the time, to them, it was a game, to me it was crucial training. I jumped to the side to begin the training. The pack circled me. They always threw their hunting tactics at me. One lunged forth and I dodged, softly kicking it on the side. The wood that it was made of toppled apart. Another came and bit. A piece of a branch shot at me. I loved that move. I instantly ducked and went for the wolf that threw it. I picked up a finely carved training spear with my mouth from under the log. Thats where I hid all of my stuff, i softly hit the wolves one by one, until I threw it at Woodstock. It went in his ribs. I watched as he played dead, like all the other wolves I hit. I walked over to him and pulled the spear out. He and all the others instantly came back to life.

The wolves don't really have much inside them. Hit them with a rock, they would shatter into a mound of sticks, but with magic, they rebuild themselves. I patted Woodstock on the back, stroking his hard back. I heard the most defeating noise overhead, the wolves perked their heads up, they ran, I hid. A huge ship flew over the trees and into Ponyville.

"They're here." I said, Woodstock appeared next to me.

"I know. It's time again. I'll be gone until it's over, you know what to do." I said muzzling with him.

I returned to the other side of the fence. I went home.

Applebloom was getting ready, she turned and faced me, her bow was sagging, she wore a faded red dress, I smiled.

"Let me help ya." I said. I walked over and tugged on the bow a few times until it sat nicely.

"Yooou go git ready too" Granny Smith said from across the room.

I washed myself down, getting most of the timberwolf smell off. You could get it off, but you can never get it all off. I thought to my self. I finished off, drying myself with a towel. I walked into my room to be invited by the green dress on my bed. I put it on, admiring the comfortable fabric it was made with.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I tied my hair into a plait, struggling with my hooves, it was neatly done. I went down into the kitchen, Big Mac was waiting for us with Granny Smith and applebloom. I muzzled with applebloom and we left the house.

We arrived in at town hall. I pushed applebloom to her age group line. She turned her ears back. I pushed her more into the line.

"It's time ta sign in." I stopped pushing. "Won't hurt much." I said. "I'll find you later." She gulped as she walked in the line.

I walked over to my age group line, keeping an eye on applebloom. She just signed in. No winging no crying. Good.

"Hoof please." The blue unicorn said. I gave her my hoof. She pricked it with the sign in device. I winced at the pain. My name appeared on the device's screen. She place my hoof on an ink pad and pressed it on the sign in sheet. I trotted into the hall and searched to applebloom. Instead I found fluttershy. I stood next to her, she looked at me and smiled.

"Um... Hi, applejack." Her soft voice soothed me, telling everything was going to be okay.

"Hiya fluttershy" I said with a smile. I was shushed by a peace pony.

A blue unicorn with a silver-blue mane walked out on the stage. She tapped the mic twice and spoke.

"Welcome! To the seventy-fourth annual Pony Games!" She smiled from ear to ear. I guess I'd be happy too if I were a unicorn.

"First, something brought to you, all the way from Canterlot!" Her horn glowed, a projector screen was pulled down, the lights went out and a projector turned on.

Images of war flashed across the screen. war... Terrible war... the Princess' voice filled town hall. widows, orphans, a motherless child One town rebelled against the Princess that fed them, loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained. And then came the peace, hard fought, sorely won. A pony rose up from the ashes and a new era was born. But freedom has a cost. When the traitors were defeated, we swore as a nation we would never know this treason again. And so it was decreed, that each year, the various districts of Equestia would offer up in tribute, one young colt and mare, to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice. The lone victor, bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future

The video was over, the blue mare smiled and spoke again.

"Boy, I just love that, don't you?" She said. She clasped her hooves together.

"Let's begin, now as always, ladies first."

She trotted over to a large bowl filled with our names. Her horn glowed, a paper in there glowed. The suspense killed me. She slowly opened the paper reading it.

"Applebloom" she called out.

Fluttershy gasped. "Oh my..." She breathed.

"Applebloom..." I said under my breath. "No..."

I pushed past other ponies. Applebloom was already making her way to the stage.

"No! Applebloom!" I began running towards her. She looked back, tears welled up in her eyes.

I was being held back by four peace ponies.

"Applebloom! No!" I cried.

She will never make it in the games. I know it. She doesn't even have a cutie mark yet, this wasn't good. I remembered Big Mac's stories of his experience with the games. He said he was picked once, but he never played because his best friend volunteered for him, but never came back.

I knew exactly what I needed to do, Ive been training for it in the forest for days. This was it.

"I VOLUNTEER!" I shouted. The gasp heard from the many ponies pulled me to realisation of what I have just done.

I pushed the peace ponies off me. "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" I shouted again.

The blue unicorn was dumbfounded. She searched for her words.

"Well, it seems we have a volunteer. Up you get" she said. I walked over to the stage. Applebloom's tears showered down her face. Her ears pinned back and she was taken away by the peace ponies.

"Applejack! No!" She cried. I ignored her cries, and walk up to the stage, the lump at the back of my throat hurt so much. The tears in my eyes fell to my cheeks. I was next to the unicorn on the stage.

"So tell us, what is your name?" She said into the mic and at me.

"A-Applejack." I replied.

"And I presume that filly was your sister?"

"Yes"

There was a pause. It was either she didn't know what to say or because she forgot what she was going to say.

"Now... For the boys." She said. I watched her trot over to the other side of the stage. Another bowl of names at there. I watched as her horn glowed and a paper was lifted out of the bowl. I hated that I was born in such a place. I hated having to shed all the tears.

"Caramel." She said out loud.

Heads turned and one pony was in the center of their attention. A caramel coloured pony with brown hair and three horse shoes as a cutie mark. He looked so... Familiar. Tiny flashes of my memory passed by, but I couldn't reach out to them. He walked up to the stage. Struck by reality.

"Well, let's give a hoof to district Ponyville's tributes for this year!" She said, stomping her hooves.

There was no applause, it was very silent. One pony raised her right hoof. Then another, and another. Soon many right hoofs were up. It was a sign of respect. I wanted to crawl up in a ball and cry. I didn't want this to happen. Next Chapter: Chapter 2: Canterlot Estimated time remaining: 8 Minutes