I sat alone in an empty room. My fears chipped off my strength and courage bit by bit. I did what I could only do, wait. I waited but I didn't know what I was waiting for. I looked through a window, the still light barely cracking through the darkness. The many ponies walked through town, so casually. I looked at them, watched them. They were sad. Their eyes were glued to the ground.

The door creaked open, my head snapped back into that direction. "Three minutes."  A peace pony said.

"Applejack!" Applebloom ran in, she wrapped her front legs around me. I let my own tears flow freely down my cheeks. I stroked Applebloom's beautiful red mane. She looked up at me. Big Mac and Granny Smith came in behind her, shutting the door.

"Applebloom," I started. I had no idea what I wanted to actually say, I let everything I needed to say flow through my lips.

"Please, don't do anything stupid. I want you ta' stay outta trouble, don't take more than you need from the peace ponies, sell apples from the farm, stay with big Mac, he'll keep you safe." I blurted out. Applebloom was hiccuping from crying so much, I softly pushed her away. I walked over to Granny Smith. Her eyes were glassy, I pulled her into a hug.

"I want you ta' have this," she said. I watched as she reached into her bandeau, she pulled out a golden piece of something. I couldn't see what it was. "It'll keep you safe." She said. I took it in my hoof, I was able to closely observe it. It was a golden pin, a pony with wings and a horn was in mid flight catching an arrow, no, it was too long to be an arrow. I smiled with gratitude as I pinned it to my dress. Granny Smith was on the verge of crying.

"Please, granny, don't cry. I hate it when you cry." I said, my own tears daring to fall. I walked over to Big Mac. He, too, was crying. I sniffed back a tear. A lump formed in my throat, I tried to swallow it away, but it grew sore and brought tears to my eyes.

"Don't cry Big Mac, you're all they have now. Be strong for them. For me." I said. I bit my tongue, the tears filled my eyes, making it hard to see. I blinked them away. I hugged Big Mac. "Keep them safe." I whispered. He nodded and whispered, "eeyup." I smiled, but It didn't dare change my emotions.

The door opened again. "Times up." Two peace ponies walked in and escorted them out. I saw Applebloom look back before they turned a corner and were gone. The door closed and I was back to waiting, for what was to come.

-

I was escorted into a train, Caramel was still as quiet as he was at the reaping. We sat in the train, the blue unicorn walked into our carriage. I struggled to see the bright side of things. We had all the food we could eat, we had the softest beds to sleep on and the best clothes to wear. I guess it's quality treatment before we die. Sat on a couch, letting gravity pull me down, I felt myself sink right in, it felt like being sucked into a soft and weird embrace on the backside.

The train started moving, I jolted at the startling toot of the horn. I walked around the train carriage, examining everything. Caramel stared outside the window, the passing trees and hills wove by endlessly. I stared at the window, at my reflection. I wasn't as strong as i should be. i needed to win the games, for Applebloom.

The blue unicorn walked across the room towards a door.

"I'll go and get your mentor. " she said. I watched her walked into the next carriage. a second later a black pegasi with a blue mane waltzed in. he sat in a chair next to Caramel. I watched as he tried to gain consciousness of the situation.

"Thunderlane," Caramel started. "H-hi. You're our mentor, Right?"

"Uh," Thunderlane stared at us, he nodded. "Yeah, Yeah, I'm your mentor."

I looked at him more closely. he was dizzy, uncoordinated. Drunk.

I sighed. "Caramel... He's drunk."

"No I'm not." Thunderlane objected.

"You're right, he is." Caramel agreed. I walked off to the room the blue unicorn went to, I just couldn't figure out her name.

"You lookin' for Trixie?" Thunderlane said with the drunk tipsiness in is voice. I nodded. "Yeah, She's in there, In her 'Private' room. That means don't disturb. something she didn't understand."

"Where is my room?" I asked.

"On the other side of the carriage." He pointed his hoof the other way.

I trotted in that direction. I walked through the carriage and into a hallway of bedrooms. I slid into one, I was invited by a rather plush looking bed, I sat in it, sinking into the soft mattress. I lowered my head onto the pillow. I presumed it was made of feathers. I dozed of into a deep sleep, I felt at peace but not entirely. i needed a survival plan for the game and my mentor was the only pony to tell me how to win. I knew for certain that, Trixie, was not entirely capable of helping me. At all. How was a unicorn ever going to help me. Their the lucky breed. Unicorns. With their frilly horns and magic. I hate them, not for what they are, for what they have.

I woke up to the sound of silver spoons on plates. They were eating. The smell of daisy salads and cherry cupcakes wafted into my room. My mouth watered, my stomach grumbled. I was starving. I got up on my feet. I made my way out, I heard chatter. Caramel was speaking.

"What is the best tequnique to winning?" He asked.

"First of all, " thunderlane started. This time he didn't sound like yesterday. He was clearer and much thoughtful.

"Don't get killed." He said with a mocking chuckle. I entered the room.

"Ahh. There you are." Trixie said. "We have been waiting for you," she sniffed the air. "Ugh, you smell horrid."

The other two sniffed my odour and continued eating and talking.

"Oh well, nothing I can do. Go ahead. Eat." She said.

I sat down next to Caramel. He was very into the conversation.

"Second," Thunderlane continued. "Get sponsors."

"Thir-" I cut him off.

"What are sponsors?" I said quickly and loudly.

"They're, uh. Ponies who help you out in the games."

"How?" I asked.

"Well, first, be nice, show off a little, get them to like you." Thunderlane said.

"Then in the games, they could send you a little something that could save your life."

The train went through a series of tunnels. The lanterns didn't do much about lighting the place.

I dug into a bowl of salad and ate a few apples by the cupcakes, they seemed to taste a little less like apples but more like something that a unicorn made. I already missed the taste of our own apples. I stopped eating the apple and stayed with the salads.

The train exited the tunnel into an explosion of light.

"Look!" Caramel pointed his hoof out the window. My eyes were still adjusting to the light.

"Canterlot castle." I said under my breath. The view was breathtaking. The castle was on edge of a mountain and looked perfectly safe. I stayed seated. Caramel didn't, he trotted over to the window. The castle drew closer. The train got slower. I restrained myself from going to the window. I sat it my seat, staring with awe as the train slowly moved past many ponies. They were dressed up in a manner of fun. They were ready for some kind of party. Many ponies, mostly unicorn, we're cheering for the pony games. A game of death. Caramel's hoof went up. He was waving. He turned to look at me. I gave him a look, he shrugged.

"Sponsors." He said before turning again and waving. I Looked to thunderlane. He shrugged.

"Well he knows what he's doing." He said. I continued eating my daisies and tried not to look at the smiling crowds. I wanted to but something was utterly wrong about all these ponies.

The ponies outside the train station cheered for us. most of them were unicorns, a pegasi here, an earth pony there. Trixie levitated the bowl out om my reach and smirked.

"Come on Applejack. meet your Audience. there is more food where we're going." she said

I got off my chair and followed Trixie out of the train with Caramel and Thunderlane not far behind.

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