“Oh wow! It’s time again. It’s time again!” A pink pony cheered as she hopped down the street.

“We know Pinkie, we know.” Her rainbow mane companion spoke groggily. “You’ve only been telling us that for the past hour.”

“Oh Dashie, how can’t you be more excited! I already have an entire party planned for afterwards! There’s going to be cake and games and punch and streamers and balloons and confetti and cookies and enough cupcakes to last an entire week!”

The mares stopped momentarily as a large crowd of ponies past in front of them. Each of them giggling and laughing to one another, no doubt in the same excitement that Pinkie Pie found herself completely wrapped within.

“Ah’ reckon she just means we’re all excited too, ain’t that right gals?” An orange pony spoke to her ecstatic pink friend, the cowboy hat atop her mane keeping the cowpony comfortably shaded from the high noon’s sun.

“Oh of course darling, this is quite the special event.” A white-coated unicorn agreed. “Why my little Sweetie Bell simply wouldn’t rest last night. I had an easier time tucking her in on Hearth Warming’s Eve for goodness sake.”

The crowd had passed them and the six friends continued their trot towards Town Square.

“Ah’ now watch ya’ mean, Rare’. Lil’ Apple Bloom made quite the fuss last night too.” Applejack chuckled in light laughter at the memory.

“Oh, but I slept quite well.” A cautious pegasus spoke form the back of the group, her pink mane hiding majority of her face. “I mean, I hope you all did too.”

“Honestly, I was too nervous to sleep.” A lavender unicorn spoke next to her skittish friend. “This is my first time I’ve been eligible for this sort of thing in Ponyville, and I was voted already. I-I studied everything I could last night, but this was so sudden.”

“Oh, it’s alright Twilight.” Fluttershy spoke kindly to her. “I’m sure you’ll do great, really, honest.”

“Yeah! You always do such a super duper job Twilight, I wouldn’t be surprised if they let you win just because your you!” The excited bouncing of Pinkie Pie was not as contagious Twilight would have liked it to be. Now would have been a great time to have some of that enthusiasm.

“Yes dear, you’ll do fine, but you simply must relax,” Rarity spoke to her fellow unicorn. “There’s little for you to worry about, all you have to do is smile, act as pretty as you look, and make sure the ponies cheer for you. Simple as that.”

“I know,” Twilight muttered more than responded. “But I mean, my first time eligible and I get picked? The chances are just astronomical!”

“Not really, I mean, most ponies just put down names of ponies they know.” Pinkie explained to the unicorn, hopping backwards. “I’m probably the only pony who put down Cranky’s name and that’s because he spends all his time with Matilda. You’re practically a celebrity, so it makes since that everypony would write down your name!”

“I guess you’re right, but still…” She let her voice wander as her group of friends continued to trot, minus their cyan coated friend hovering above them.

“The Lottery is such a big tradition for Ponyville, shouldn’t they vote for… well… ponies who have been here longer?”

The group had just entered the large opening that was Town Square, bustling with the activity of excited mares, stallions, fillies, colts, and even foals. Everypony who wasn’t gathering around in anticipation of the event was either helping with the last minute decorations or finding a good place to view.

A wooden stage was constructed just before Town Hall, adorned with the familiar Equestrian symbols and flags. Mayor Mare stood at the podium, testing the microphone system with a tap of her hoof. Despite the authoritative figure’s posture, it was clear she was just as eager for the event as any other pony in the crowd.

Twilight let her eyes scan to see any familiar faces. Looking for something to relax her nerves.

“Look! There’s Lyra!” Pink cheered with an outstretched hoof. Five sets of eyes followed the pink appendage to see the familiar mint green unicorn. Her mare friend Bon Bon was just by her side, rubbing her head against the other mare in an eager, yet proud manner.

Lyra had a foreleg around the other mare, laughing outside of the six’s ear shot. Twilight couldn’t tell if she was genuinely happy, or just as nervous as the lavender unicorn was.

“Heard she got voted up too.” Applejack spoke to the group. “Just about bounced of the walls harder than Pinkie Pie when she got the news.”

“Oh, yes, of course. She’s, um, been having trouble with money issues lately.” Fluttershy gently explained to her friends. Above the noise of shuffling ponies around them, she was just barely hearable. “I-I’m sure she and Bon Bon would be thrilled if she won.”

“Oh, and the lovely doctor is just over there.” Rarity pointed, before hastily redrawing her hoof, muttering about the impoliteness of pointing.

“O-Oh, you mean Dr. Hooves.” Fluttershy weakly spoke, a blush upon her canary cheeks.

“Lucky stud got voted on, same as Twi’ and Lyra. About time if you ask me.” Dash muttered as she hovered over her group of friends.

And there was the doctor, wearing what appeared to be a freshly pressed bowtie and well combed mane. Unlike Lyra, and definitely unlike Twilight, Dr. Hooves looked the very image of calm and controlled. Ditzy Doo eagerly trotted around the tan earth pony, looking as happy as she was with a fresh batch of muffins.

“Business has been slow for him lately, or so I hear.” Rarity answered the unspoken question. “Ms. Doo was actually paying most of the bills with her modest mail earnings.”

“How terrible.” Twilight agreed with her fellow unicorn. “That must be tough on Dinky.” She let the sentence spill from her lips as she thought of the filly unicorn, adoring her mother and surrogate father.

“I’m glad he got in and all, but I just wanna see a pegasus. I mean, c’mon! We have an earth pony and two unicorns, why can’t there be a pegasus up there.”

“But, um, Rainbow?” Fluttershy meekly interjected.

“Yeah?”

“Thunderlane was also voted in.”

That shut the mare right up.

“Oh yeah! I almost forgot about him. Silly me, guess I’ll just have to throw him a party to make up for it.” Pinkie agreed with a hoof to the back of her puffy mane. “But I think he needs it. I mean really needs it.”

“Why, what happened?” Twilight honestly had no idea why Pinkie would intentionally pick a favorite out of the constants, above her no less.

“Oh, I thought you knew.”

“Knew what?”

“You really don’t know?”

“Pinkie…” Twilight spoke lowly, warning the bouncing earthy pony.

“Sorry, but… I actually don’t like to talk about it.” That earned a few concerned looks from her fellow mares.

“Oh, um, well…” Fluttershy began to mumble to herself.

“Girls, what’s wrong with him?”

“H-He lost his parents, um… recently.” The pegasus meekly uttered before hiding herself beneath her long mane.

“Oh, oh my.” For just that moment, Twilight mistook the white unicorn for her skittish friend. “But… doesn’t he have a little brother?”

“Yeah, he does.” Pinkie answered back, far more somberly than any of her friends were used to, or even comfortable with. “Little Rumble has been coming by the bakery more often, usually asking for free samples. Mr. and Mrs. Pie look the other way when he asks me.”

“That… that really bites. How come I didn’t hear anything about this?”

“Not the kind a thing you wanna talk abou’.” Applejack muttered as she kicked a hoof in the dirt. “Seein’ as most ponies barely even know ‘em, it’s a kind of a blessin’ he got voted up, though I’m sure glad he did.”

“Where is the poor dear any how?”

“Probably trying to calm his little brother down.”

“I-Is this really okay?” The friends shifted their focus back on Twilight.

“What do ya mean, suga’cube?” Applejack asked with a concerned look to her lavender friend.

Said unicorn shuffled across her hooves nervously. Her gaze was focused more on her jittering nerves and restless legs than any of her friends.

“I mean everypony else needs to win this Lottery so badly, is it really okay for me to be up there? I’m a student under Princess Celestia, both of my parents are from Canterlot, I’m known as the Element of Magic, and I even have a brother as captain of the Royal Guard. What if I win? I wouldn’t need any of the prize money or fame.” Twilight let her head hang between her forelegs in what could almost be called shame.

“Geez Twi’, it almost sounds like you want to get out of this.” Dash spoke down to the unicorn. Her response was instant.

“NO!” Her shout earned the attention of more than just her friends. “Just… no, I wouldn’t want to disrupt tradition. Princess Celestia said that this has been happening for longer than she’s been ruling Equestria! There’s no way I’d let myself disappoint her.”

“I am glad to hear that Twilight Sparkle.”

The mares whirled in the streets to see their ruler standing high above them. Her main flowed in unseen winds and coated shined like the brilliant sun.

“Princess Celestia!” The mares all fell to their fore knees in the presence of the ruler. The alabaster alicorn smiled down at her subjects with all the love a mother does her filly.

“Please stand, there’s no reason for that now. I am here simply as an observer, as always. And my faithful student,” the princess of the sun began as she knelt her head down to the rising unicorn. “I am thrilled to see you elected for a chance to win The Lottery. It is a great honor, as I am sure you know.”

“O-Of course Princess.” Twilight stammered with a blush to her mentor. “Every pony who’s ever won has their name inscribed in Town Hall. It’s a grand honor that’s reserved for only those ponies who have both popularity and luck on their side. O-On top of that, the pony’s family tends to be held in high regard afterwards as well.”

“Well done,” Celestia praised as her studious pupil finished. “Now, why was the Lottery first used?”

Twilight didn’t miss a beat.

“Before you or Princess Luna came into power, the poverty around Equestria was terrible. So it was agreed that the citizens of each town would donate a small portion of their earnings for an annual lottery. The town ponies would then vote for the four most deserving ponies. A winner would then be chosen at random from a lottery draw between the four. It was proven to boost moral, control economic funds, and encourage societal connections of pony kind. Such connections eventually led to the economic boom that we still find ourselves within.”

“Very good, my faithful student.” Celestia congratulated with a small hug from her long neck. “You are truly diligent with your studies. Many unicorns at the academy could learn well from you.” Twilight felt herself blush hotly under her mentor’s praise.

“Oh, Princess Celestia, I had a question for you.” Rainbow Dash spoke, landing on the ground just beside her lavender coated friend. “Is it true their cancelling the Lottery in other towns? I heard you guys stopped it a couple of years ago in Canterlot.”

The monarch gave a deep sigh at the pegasus’s question. Even Twilight couldn’t tell if it was from stress or disappointment.

“Regrettably, they have Rainbow Dash. The nobles feel as if they no longer have a need for the Lottery anymore. They are correct that nearly every family in Canterlot is being sustained well, and that was their largest argument for cancelling the Lottery. ‘No need to go through such an ancient and common practice if no pony benefits from it’” Celestia quoted from the lips of what was doubtlessly some stuck up rich unicorn.

“The blowhards,” Rarity muttered more to herself than her majesty. “I’d wager my boutique it was to simply horde their funds.”

“Gotta say yer highness, that just sounds like all kinds of wrong.” Applejack spoke in reply.

“Oh and I agree young Applejack, but I wish to be a ruler, not a tyrant. If the ponies cannot see the benefits of such events, I cannot force them too in good conscious. But that is enough of that.” Celestia spoke as she raised her head high, a brilliant smile once again adorning her muzzle.

“Now, I am sure I’ll see you all very soon. And Twilight, I wish you luck.” With that, the princess walked past the group of friends, Royal Guards following just behind.

“See ya later Princess!” Dash cheered at their ruler’s vanishing form “C’mon guys, we gotta hurry. Can’t let Twilight show up late, that would make her the wrong kind of crazy.” The snickering of two ponies was clear and identifiable among the mares.

Said unicorn let out a controlled sigh at her flying friend’s antics. She was far more than used to the small quips her pegasi friend would throw her way from time to time, just as much as she was used to Rarity giving her beauty tips in the midst of an exercise session.

“Well, it would be two kinds of wrong ta’ make the star of the hour late, huh?”

“Yeah! They’re going start soon. Oh my gosh, we might not get a good spot! We wouldn’t be able to cheer for Twilight then!” Before a pony could mutter a word otherwise, their pink-coated friend was gone.

“And there she goes.” Rainbow spoke with a salute of her hoof. A collective chuckle was released from the group. Even when she was leaving, Pinkie Pie always knew how to leave her friends with a smile.

“Well come on darling,” Rarity motioned with head. “They can’t very well start without yo-WOAH!

The white unicorn found herself on the ground with a mouthful of dirt…

… Her younger sister and friends just by fallen form.

“Oops, sorry Rarity.” A white filly with duel colored mane offered. She had a hoof behind her head and a cart on her torso. Said cart had a load of apples in, numbering well into 3 or 4 dozen.

“Same here.” Her bow wearing friend offered, the same cart of apples behind her.

“Girls!” The cowpony spoke to the fillies, authority clear in her voice. “Just what the hay are ya thinkin’ of doin’ with those apples?”

“They’re for the Lottery celebration!” An orange-coated pegasus spoke up for her friends, the only one among them without offering a hoof to push the cart. “We thought we could hand them out, you know, like party favors.”

“I think I’m actually glad Pinkie wasn’t here to hear that.”

“Besides the point!” Rarity had since made her back to her hooves, standing tall above her sister with a glare only the fillies could truly understand.

“Sweetie Bell.” Her sister cowered slightly into her mane. “Apple Bloom.” The young filly pulled her bow taunt over her eyes. “And Scootaloo.” The last of the trio lowered herself to all four knees, hoping to avoid the elder unicorn’s gaze as much as possible. “Did you even properly ask for those apples?”

“Well…” Sweetie Bell began, putting one hoof behind the other. “Apple Bloom said it would be okay.”

“Hey! It was Scootaloo’s idea!”

“Nu uh! It was Sweetie’s!”

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

“GIRLS!” Twilight’s shout once more drew the collective stare of more than just the ponies she was addressing. The rest of the Elements of Harmony watched nervously as the violet magic of their friend’s horn slowly began to die down.

“Never thought I’d need that voice enhancing spell so soon.” She muttered to herself. “Now, why do you want to hand out those apples in the first place?”

“Cause no pony else hands out anythin’ for the Lottery, so we thought we could be the first.” Apple Bloom began. Sweetie Bell followed close behind.

“Yeah, and then we can get our-” The three fillies huddled together as they cheered as one.

“Lottery Helping Cutie Marks!”

The mares all smiled kindly down at the young ponies. So blissfully ignorant to their own talents that they spent every moment together trying to earn their place in society. But not one of the Elements spoke a word of explanation. They had all tried once before to show the fillies how impossible what they were trying to do was, but all with the same result.

“Aw alright.” Applejack relented under the fillies’ excitement. “Just make sure ta wait handing those out until they make the draw. Don’t need confusing anypony about us given’ out free produce, ya hear?”

“Of course, sis!” Apple Bloom cheered under her sister’s approval. “We’ll be super careful, promise.”

“Well, we’ll see you guys soon then.” Rainbow Dash spoke enthusiastically to the three pre-mares. “Make sure you keep a whole pile of apples for us!”

“Will do Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo was gone in a flash.

“Hey! Wait for us!” Sweetie Bell called after her friend, cart of apples behind her slowing her and Apple Bloom down.

“Ah’ swear those three are gonna be the end me one day.” Applejack muttered with a shaking head.

“Agreed, but hopefully not before the end of the day.” Rarity offered to the tired earth pony. Her friend only smiled back politely.

“Oh, um, I think they’re starting soon.” Fluttershy’s quite interjection earned the twist of a few heads.

The mares watched as the other identified ponies began their trot towards the center stage, each giving their last cheerful looks towards their significant others. Dr. Hooves nuzzled Ditzy just behind her mane, a kind hoof over her back. Lyra did the same, but with a small tickle across Bon Bon’s stomach, making the mare squeal in near foolish delight.

“There’s Thunderlane!” Dash cheered from above her friends, holding the best view among them.

Sure enough, the dark coated pegasus made his way on stage. He looked… tired. Not controlled, calm, or even confidant, just barren of the usual energy pegasi possessed. Twilight didn’t want to imagine the reasons behind his clearly exhausted form. Her imagination was too active and too capable to let it wander into areas reserved for mourning.

“Well c’mon suga’cube.” Applejack spoke with a slight push behind the lavender mare. “Can’t have them thinkin’ you ditched ‘em.”

“Yeah, Twily, you better hurry.” That voice didn’t belong to any kind of mare.

Twilight whipped her head around to see none other than her beloved BBBFF, Shining Armor.

“Shining!” She cheered with a jump towards her elder sibling. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean?” The white stallion asked, giving a playful pat to his younger sister. “My favorite little sister just got voted up to be in the Lottery, and you think it’s weird that her favorite older brother is here to cheer for her?”

“N-No, I didn’t mean it like.” The lavender unicorn began to stumble over her words. It only brought another laugh to older of the two.

“Relax Twily, I’m just here for you, kay?”

“Alright.” She agreed much like her meek friend.

“I truly do hate to intrude,” Rarity began to the pair of siblings, “But our dear Twilight is due on stage soon, and I think we’d all hate to see her worry over being tardy.”

“Et tu, Rarity?” The lavender unicorn jokingly spoke to her fashion centric friend. The joke flew clear over the heads of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who only looked around awkwardly at the small smiles and giggles that came from Twilight’s gibberish words.

“Alright, don’t want to set a bad example in front of the princess.” Shining released his sister’s form, letting the both return to their four legs.

“I wish you luck sis. Do mom and dad proud.” And with that, he was gone, lost into the crowd of ponies around him.

“Well c’mon!” Dash gave Twilight a push with her wings. “You’ve had more distractions in the last ten minutes than I do in a day!”

“I’m moving Dash. I’m moving!” Twilight irritably spoke to her pegasus friend. Said cyan mare released her with a cheeky grin. The lavender mare only gave a sigh before continuing through the crowd of ponies.

She felt more than one of the ponies bump into her side as she made her way towards the stage. Fillies and colts were standing on the backs of their parents, near falling off as they jumped with excitement in place. She heard more than one mother gently scold their child to remain still, but it appeared that the father’s were far more understanding. Twilight paused mid trot more than once to allow a couple of foals to run in front of her, eagerly looking for one another amidst the columns of pony leg’s to hide within.

After a fair amount of time, the lavender unicorn found herself just before the steps to the wooden platform. Now there were no ponies in her way, nothing stopping her from walking up the steps and taking her place besides Thunderlane, Lyra, and Dr. Hooves.

But her nerves still kept her from ascending the steps.

Was this really alright? Every pony on the stage had a reason for being up there, a reason beyond being just well known. If she did win… what would that mean for them? What would that mean for her? Would she be seen as a selfish mare, taking money from those who needed it more than she did? No family member of her was in desperate need of income, and even less for fame or honorary positions.

She bit her lower lip as the questions continued to plague her mind, answers eluding her more so than almost any time in the past. Every bone in Twilight’s body told her it was a bad idea, but just as many cells in her mind told her standing on that platform was the greatest idea in the world. She could play sick; give herself a quick case of indigestion. No pony would blame her if she had a quick sporadic loss of stomach control.

But that would insult her princess, and very likely spit on the tradition the town was so proud to uphold. She couldn’t do that, it could very well end all of the friend ships she had spent so long building. A little case of the nerves wasn’t worth losing all that.

With a deep breath, Twilight trotted herself on stage.

The crowd was enormous.

She really had yet to do any proper research on the population of the small town. She was so used to the rather small population density that she had never considered an event that would cause all of the residents to gather in space. Even if it had happened in the past, she was not given the full view, let alone all of their collective attention. The nerves returned to her hooves with a vengeance.

“Mares and Colts!” Mayor Mare began into the mike, hushing the excited jibber jabber of the ponies before her. “Just besides me are the four lucky ponies we have voted to be eligible to win the Lottery!”

A cheer broke out over the crowd, looking more like a rippling multicolored wave than a collection of ponies. Twilight’s eyes scanned every face she could find, hoping find a familiar set of features to focus on.

The most obvious was Princess Celestia, standing far taller than any other pony in the crowd. She had the regal look that would never leave her, and with a relaxed stature that was as inviting as a warm cup of chocolate from Sugar Cube Corner.

Her brother wasn’t far from her side, naturally given his position. She watched him raise and shake a hoof at her, that same protective smile on his lips as he watched her. It helped, but not by much. But what Twilight really wanted to see were the faces of her friends. She needed them. Their confidence, their energy, their pride, and their support. If there was ever a time she needed the magic of their friendship, without the world being threatened, now was it.

Then there they were.

Pinkie Pie was jumping up and down with excitement as she watched her, her mane threatening to bounce right off of her head. Rainbow Dash hovered next to her, that confident and cocky grin on her muzzle with fiery eyes to boot. Rarity and Applejack each waved a hoof towards her, barely seen behind the large crowd. Sadly, Fluttershy was as hidden like a bush in a forest.

“It is with great pride that I introduce to you all the voted contestants for the grand prize of the Lottery.” Mayor Mare’s voice drew Twilight back to reality. She watched the gray mane of the town’s mayor, dyed gray mane, move across the stage and towards the far edge.

“First, the lovely and talented Mrs. Lyra Heartstrings.” The unicorn took a practiced and graceful bow towards the cheer of the crowd. Bon Bon was as audible as a sonic rainboom above the roar.

“Next, the charismatic Dr. Hooves.” Again the crowd roared in in cheer, several of the ponies, stomping their hooves against the ground for noise. Ditzy Doo Flew high above the rest of the already airborne pegasi, more visible now than even Princess Celestia. Despite the noise, the good doctor took merely a very controlled knee.

“Now I am proud to introduce the young and energetic Thunderlane.” Unlike the prior two competitors, the pegasi merely beat his wings twice and shook a hoof at the crowd, no doubt from the fatigue that clearly laced his body. The pegasi, however, made up for his lack of enthusiasm. No less than two dozen of the winged ponies flew into the air in a clearly practiced formation, showering the citizens of Ponyville with confetti. Little Rumble hovered as high as he could above the crowd, wings buzzing much like the young Scootaloo as he waved to his elder brother.

“And last, but most certainly not least, the Element of Magic herself, Twilight Sparkle.” There was only one way the young unicorn could describe the cheer given for her from the ponies of Ponyville.

She felt like Princess Luna was screaming at her from the crowd.

The roar from the crowd literally blew back her mane, forcing her eyes shut for fear of debris being lodged into her sockets. Her hooves gave a cry against the wood as her form was slowly forced back under the tremendous voice of the mares and colts shouting her name in good cheer, if it was still be called a cheer at this point. She swore she even heard one of the Equestrian flags rip at the seems under the “wind.”

If she were in a more controlled state of mind, Twilight might have assumed Rarity and other unicorns, maybe even Celestia and her brother, had casted voice enhancing spells on the ponies, similar to how she did for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Instead, only one thought pierced her still recovering mind.

‘I’m too popular for my own good.’

“Now, for the moment we have all been waiting for.” Mayor mare pushed her hoof into the ballot box, blinding grabbing at one of the four pieces of paper inside. The audience of ponies watched on with gleeful silence at the growing tension.

Twilight said a silent prayer to her mentor the name wasn’t hers.

The earth pony mare gave a small look of pleasure as she pulled out a piece of paper. It was folded twice over, hiding the name upon it well. Her hooves expertly unfolded the page, revealing the name to her and her alone.

Twilight didn’t want to win. She really didn’t want to win. Lyra needed the money. Dr. Hooves needed the money. Thunderlane needed the money and recognition. She didn’t need any more of that.

“And the winner is-”

She prayed to Celestia she didn’t win. She truly, honestly, prayed and wished she did not win.

“Twilight Sparkle!”

The mare could not suppress her tears.

“Well everypony, you know what to do.” With an almost criminal amount of joy, Mayor Mare trotted off the stage. The other contestants did the same, walking by the miserable mare with smiles and grins on their muzzles.

Lyra gave a respectable bow to her fellow unicorn. The young Dr. Hooves gave curt, but polite, nod of his head. Thunderlane stopped in front of the terrified unicorn and gave her his brightest smile. It only made her tears fall faster. She shut her eyes tight as she felt the rest of Ponyville look up at her. She was the only mare on the stage now, surrounded by every resident of the town. They were smiling at her, she could feel it, proud of her for a reason she had only just recently learned.

She had just won the Lottery.

“Aw, don’t be sad Twi’. This is the best part!” Said unicorn let her eyes peak open, already reddening under the tears was shedding. Maybe… maybe her books were wrong, maybe they were replaced by Rainbow during one of her many reading sessions, another two-bit prank that she would laugh over later.

SLAP

A rotten apple hit her face.

All hopes died in that moment.

“Wow! Great shot Pinkie!” She heard more than saw Dash cheer for her friend, damning her other. The whole of Ponyville was cheering. She heard the laughter and whoops of joy, fillies cheering with stomping hooves as she was being shamed.

SLAP!

Another rotten apple hit across the face, the spoiled fruit mixing with her mane. At that moment, the whole of Ponyville began to throw the objects at her.

SLAP “Yeah!” SLAP “That was a good one.” SLAP “I bet she’s feeling it now.” SLAP SLAP “Now that’s wha’ I call two fer the price of one!” SLAP SLAP SLAP “Ha! Still the best in Equestria!”

Twilight was covered in the grim and gruel, tears mixing the pungent and offensive substances. But still she stood, as proud as she could. With tears down her muzzle, rotten fruit staining her coat, and weak hooves shaking beneath her, Twilight Sparkle didn’t move from her place atop the platform.

“Alright, time for the real fun to begin.” The mare knew what was coming next.

CRACK!

She let out a high-pitched yelp of pain as the sensation. Her eyes opened through the grim of rotten fruit and tears to watch the source of the feeling roll across the stage.

A rock. A hard pressurized carbon rock. A pony, very likely one of her friends, had thrown a rock at her.

She looked up across the happy faces, looking for the pony that had hurt her, intentionally brought her pain. They all looked so happy to her… they were all so happy to see her crying in shame and pain.

“Think fast Twily!”

CRACK

Twilight cried again as she felt another bolt of pain, this time through her foreleg. It felt cracked beneath her skin, earning a pained sob and some extra tears from the lavender mare. This time, she recognized the voice. She knew it since she was just a little filly.

Her tear stained eyes fell on the proud smile of Shining Armor, her elder brother, her supposed BBBFF.

“Oh, I suppose I can enjoy myself as well.”

A pained sob uttered from Twilight’s lips before she even felt the rock impact her chest. The pain of the force was nothing compared to knowing who had thrown the object at her. The voice was as well known to her as her own brothers, that of her beloved mentor and ruler, Princess Celestia.

“Pardon me yer higness, but ah’ can’t let you have all the fun.”

Twilight was in terror. She knew even through her tear stained vision what the whole of Ponyville was planning on throwing next. Rotten apples with smiles and grins were terrible enough. But rocks, possible bone breaking objects? How much could she take?

CRACK “Bet that one hurt.” CRACK “Right on her cutie mark! Hooray!” CRACK CRACK “Oh, this is fun.”

Twilight fell to her knees. She tried desperate to bring up a shield, a spell, anything to block the pain that was permeating through her body.

She couldn’t do it. Her magic was unfocused, her horn slathered in the putrid fruit. Her body was weak from her distress and pain. The Element of Magic, unable to cast a single spell.

CRACK

“AH!” She couldn’t suppress her yelp of pain as the hard object impacted her snout, resonating above her already drowning tears. She… she had to leave. She couldn’t stay. She thought was brave, she thought she could do this. For her princess, for her friends, for tradition.

But she couldn’t.

In one of her single most desperate acts of magic, Twilight Sparkle teleported herself off the stage, and out of sight.

“Aw geez, did she really just run away?”

“I must say, I thought she would have a tad bit more endurance than that.”

“Aw well, ain’t like she’s gonna be comin’ back. That messed up bad, and ah’ bet a pebble would put ‘er down.”

“She fared better than most others I have seen. Now would be a good time for me to make the arrangements for her family.”

“Oh yes, ah, Spike will be thrilled to hear it. I-I’m sure he’ll fill the library with gems. That is, um, if the earnings are the same as last year.”

“Of but of course Fluttershy. Twilight’s family will be taken care of for the next year entire!

“I’ll tell our parents, they’ll probably be dropping for joy. Same with Cadence.”

“Hey now, its time for the party!”

Cheers echoed and boomed around the declaration of the familiar voice.

Twilight Sparkle listened with terrified clarity, honing in on every words her “friends” spoke. Just behind a pony’s house, in a dark alley out of sight of Town Square, she continued to sob. She was in pain, so much pain… but she had to leave. Now.

A single unseen flash from her horn, and Twilight was gone.

“Dang, still no cutie marks.”

****

Twilight blinked into existence well outside the boundary to Ponyville, far outside the earshot of anypony in Town Square.

She cried with unrestrained tears.

Twilight sobbed to herself as she left her home as fast as she could, with an injured foreleg, bruised sides, and with only half her vision available. The tears fell like pegasi rain from her eyes, watering the dirt lane beneath her injured hooves. She hobbled more than trotted down the path.

Where could she go now?

Canterlot was impossible. Her family, her mentor, any one time acquaintance would recognize her. Cloudsdale was even more impossible. Even if she was able to maintain a cloud walking spell for long enough, she would be questioned daily for her presence, and ultimately, be found out. Appleloosa? Maybe, but Applejack would doubtlessly tell her cousin all about her status, and a single sight of the lavender mare would be all that it would take to send her on the run again. Las Pegasus, Manehattan, Trottingham? No, Celestia’s star pupil would doubtlessly be known among all the members of the guard and police, and they were trained to catch any pony of any status.

There really was only one place she could be safe now, she just didn’t wan to admit it.

Twilight began the slow trek towards the infamous woods of The Everfree Forest.

“I-It’s not fair.” She muttered weakly as she trotted away from Ponyville, tears in her eyes and hooves weak with pain. There would doubtlessly be bruises under her coat the next morning. One of the rocks may have even broken one of her ribs, or so the throbbing would make her believe.

“I-I did so much. I… I thought I could be… an e-exception… maybe.” She continued to mumble to herself, limping on her weak hooves and doubtlessly broken forehoof as she did so.

“Rainbow Dash… Pinkie Pie… Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity.” A pitiful cough came from her throat, caught under her tears. “P-Princess… Sh-Shiny…”

Twilight began to bawl.

She didn’t stop moving, for fear of more pain. She didn’t slow her pace, for fear of being found, but she continued to cry in her lonely trek away from the first place she was ever able to call her perfect home.

It was only when the shade of the forest surrounded her did she open her eyes again.

Twilight found herself before the Everfree Forest, the gargantuan home to the most vicious of animals known to Pony kind. Ursa Majors, Timberwolves, Manticores, and Cockatrices.

And this would be her new home.

She had won the lottery, and she had won one of the worst kinds of prizes of all.

Banishment.

Another sob wracked her frame, the images of her friends, her dearly beloved and cherished friends, throwing rotten apples and rocks at her while the whole of Ponyville cheered behind them. Her beloved mentor watched on with an amused grin, wings’ flaring under only Luna knows what kind of emotion. And her brother even… even her brother threw stones at her…

She felt her hooves growing weak, but she couldn’t stay here. If any pony from Ponyville found her, she would lose any “honor” her name had, if she hadn’t already.

Twilight Sparkle had won the Lottery.

She was a beaten and broken mare. She had rotten fruit dripping from her mane. She had bruises beneath her coat. She had a shattered heart and broken will. Her friends now loved her pain. Her mentor enjoyed her misery. Her brother relished her tears.

She sobbed again to herself, doing nothing to stop the tears that continued to flow down her muzzle. Slowly, painfully, her hooves began to guide her into the deadly forest.

Twilight Sparkle won the Lottery. She had lost everything else… in the name of tradition.

“It’s just not fair.”

---

Author’s Note: Due to fear for my life, let me explain. I in now way think this would actually, or has actually, happened in FiM. I just finished reading the “Top 50 Greatest Short Stories of All Time,” and this idea popped into my head.

It looks like Equestria is a land pretty freaking heavy on tradition, so I can see how no one would second guess another tradition, and why Twilight would bow to it because Celestia endorsed it.

In case your also curious, my justification for the stones was because… they were trying to kill Twilight. In order to keep the poor society at a minimum as well as flourish, they had to remove most of the population, hence a lottery. This is all based off a short story I have credited in the description; any Google search will take you there.

Any more questions, comments, angry letters of rage can be posted in a comment.

Hugs and kisses,

~The Wizard of Words