Hunger Pony Games: Heart Brings Hope

Chapter 2: Reap What You Sow

Twilight Sparkle was on the train with her friends: Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Apple Jack. They were worried about why Princess Celestia wanted them in Canterlot immediately.

“I hope everything is alright.” Apple Jack said. She looked over to Fluttershy, who was shaking in nervousness. “For all of our sakes.”

“I'm sure everything is fine.” the new alicorn princess, Twilight Sparkle, said. “But I don't understand the urgency in her letter.”

“Maybe it is a surprise party!” Pinkie Pie said. She was always happy go lucky, always smiling, always cheering everyone up and always befriending everybody.

The conducter entered the car. He made a announcement to the “Mane Six”. “We're coming on Canterlot now, but there is a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Twilight asked.

“I've been told by a Canterlot Royal Guard that it is being invaded. A pegasus guard if you must know.”

Now all six were worried. Fluttershy's shaking went from being nervous to outright terror. There was something wrong and now they know why they were summoned to the Royal Palace.

Back in Canterlot, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia watched the battle unfold outside their palace. The civilians were being evacuated to a special underground mine for safety as guards fended off the invasion force of ponies wearing white cloaks and white riot helmets. These ponies were all earth, pegasus and unicorn ponies. They fought with weapons held in their mouths, with range weapons that were being aimed with magic or a special device attached to their helmets, and even advanced ballistas that can channel a unicorn's magic to fire a powerful and deadly beam of energy. Thus the Canterlot guards were in a uphill battle against the forces of Prancem.

“I assume they're still fighting in the Crystal Empire?” Luna asked.

Celestia nodded. “Last I checked they were. The last message was sent by Discord. He had just arrived and began using his chaos magic against the forces of Prancem. However, Shining Armor was injured upon his arrival.”

“It is a very dire situation sister.” Luna said. “I wasn't around for the rebellion of Prancem. But I am curious as to how they created such advanced technology for their invasion.”

“I don't know either. But I know that it is dangerous to use such weapons of mass destruction. The magical energies being channeled could cause the machines to overload and explode. The explosion would be catastrophic.” Celestia said.

“Hopefully Twilight and her friends will be here soon. Only the Elements of Harmony can help us defend Canterlot and repel Prancem.” Luna said.

“I shouldn't have separated Prancem from our nation.” Celestia said. "But if I could only harness the Elements of Harmony at that time, I could've ended Snow's reign.”

“Don't blame yourself, sister.” Luna tried to comfort her. “You wouldn't have been able to defeat such powerful dark magic with only five elements anyway. You did the right thing, even if it was to split their nation from ours.”

Twilight, Ranbow Dash and Fluttershy had to carry the other three as the train to Canterlot had to stop. The three winged ponies flew into the city limits of Canterlot and landed. They decided to hurry to the castle as fast as they could through the battlefield. However a surveillance device caught them running past. It transmitted the images to President Snow directly, who saw the Mane Six.

“Those six mares look like good candidates for the Games.” he said to himself. His mind was set. The Mane Six wouldbe the tributes chosen from Equestria. He used his own dragon to send a message to one of his lieutenants, a pony named Romulus Thread.

“Send it Caligula.” he said to a full grown golden dragon, who engulfed it into a red flame and sent it. “Good boy. Now let the fun begin! It's time for the Reaping. We're almost ready for the Games. We just need to find a location in Equestria for an impromptu arena.”

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It was morning in District 12: the coal mining district. Workers would normally have been heading to the mines for the work day, where they earned less than what was seen as minimum wage in Equestria. But today was the day of the Repaing for the Games. So there would be work today.
Today, the families of District 12 were gathered inside their houses, spending time with each other as it could possibly be the last time they would ever be together. However, one particular unicorn pony was up at the crack of dawn. This pony's fur was vermillion in color. Her mane and tail were colored yellow, to make her look as much on fire as possible. Her Cutie Mark was a mixture of red, orange, yellow and white. It was a flaming bird within a flaming circle.

This mare's name was Katniss Evergreen: a marksman unicorn, who could use her magic to create weapons made entirely of fire. Such magic couldn't be done without studying and training oneself. However, cush magic lessons were only taught to the unicorns of Capitol City. It was forbidden to teach unicorns in the twelve Districts such magic. If anybody was caught learning such magic, they could be punished with lashings or worse, executed.

Katniss trotted out to the electric fence that separated the district from the wildnerness, or as the Capitol City called it, No Pony Land. It was also the property of the Capitol City for reasons unknown. The belief was that the ponies of the Capitol City owned the land to ensure that no pony wandered out of their assigned district. Travel amongst the districts was allowed but hadn't happened since the end of the rebellion.


Katniss used her magic to split the fence apart and exit into No Pony Land. she walked over to a hollowed out stumpand removed her saddle bag that she has wrapped in a sheet of plastic. Unwrapping the plastic, she put the bag on her back with her magic. Humming to herself, she trotted off into the forests. There, she found a meadow where she could sit down and unpack her bag. Inside were a bunch of books on magic. She had learned how to use her magic in the element of fire when she was a little filly, and was taught by her father, who had passed away years ago.

As Katniss opened one book and started to read, she was disturbed by a piece of raisin nut bread landing in front of her. It startled Katniss and made her look up at the earth pony that tossed it at her. It was a male stallion with dark fur, a pitch black mane and tail, with a Cutie Mark showing several arrows embedded into a archery target.

“Gale! You almost scared me to death!” she said.

Gale Hawkeye was Katniss' hunting buddy. Whenever Katniss was not studying magic at least. Gale laughed at what he did, then he laid beside Katniss.

“You won't believe how I got it.”

“You got it from Mr. Doughnut by giving him some fruit from No Pony Land.” Katniss said in a huff.

“Am I THAT easy to read?” Gale replied. “Yes I did: a bunch of apples and a bag full of blackberries.”

“Well we have time before...” Katniss saw a shadow appear over Gale and her, and realised it was a hovercraft from the Capitol City,

“We have to get out of here, Katniss! Before they catch us!” Gale said, as Katniss placed her book back into the bag and ran off. She put the bag back into the stump and just only had time to cover it with the plastic. Then Katniss used her magic to get both of them back into the district.

The hovercraft though wasn't around to ensure that no pony entered No Pony Land. It was in fact to bring a unicorn named Bubblegum Trinket to the Capitol City. Her fur was pink and her hair was a lighter shade of pink. Bubblegum was a earth pony and very facinated with fashion. In fact, her love for fashion could probably beat Rarity's love for fashion anyday. Bubblegum was wearing a gown with pink gem stones. Her cutie Mark was a gold lucky charm bracelet with pink bubble charms. She walked happily to the Town Hall where the Reaping would take place outside.

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Back in Canterlot, Celestia knew things weren't looking good for her nation. Already the Prancem forces were advancing to her palace. She wondered where the Mane Six were, and what was taking them so long. she got increasingly worried when they didn't show up. But that all changed when Spike ran inside the throne room, being chased by some guards.

“Your Higness, we found this baby dragon running into the palace. What should we do with him?”

“Let him go and get back to your battle stations. You must repel the invaders at all cost!”

“Yes, Your Higness!” The guards allowed Spike to speak to Celestia and ran out of the room. Celestia looked down at Spike.

“Where are Twilight and the others?”

“I'm sorry Your Highness. But as we were making our way through the battlefield, we got ambushed by this one unicorn pony carrying a whip. He lashed out at us and then we were surrounded. Next thing I knew Twilight and the others were forced to follow this pony peacefully. I had to get here to tell you as fast as possible.”

Celestria was visibly shaken now. Her former student and her friends, the Elements of Harmony, had been captured. But for what evil purpose? What was Snow thinking of right this very moment? She thanked Spike and returned to the window she was looking out of a minute ago. She was descending into sheer terror. Whatever Snow was planning was not good.
In fact, some of her answers were about to be answered as a large screen was lowered into Canterlot. It wasn't the only one, though. They appeared all over Equestria, going as far as Ponyville Manehatten. Now she would know what Snow's plan for his invasion was. Soon she would know the diabolical deeds that Snow has commited over the years.
Soon Equestria would regret trying to fight back against Prancem.

XXXXXXXXXX

Katniss and Gale returned home to get dressed for the Reaping. All fillies, mares, colts and stallions had to dress formally, as if they had to go their own funeral. Actually, it was like they were going to their own funeral. A funeral for one male and one female. Both knew that nobody in District 12 had ever won the Games, since Mitch Haystack had won the previous Quarter Quell.

Bubblegum exited out of Town Hall with Mayor Underseed, and Mitch himself. Mitch was a shell of his former self due to the apple cider he drank constantly, which happened to a lot of Victors from the Games. Mitch had to stand with the other ponies awaiting for their chance to be reaped this year. A chance for what Bubblegum said was the chance of a lifetime to fight to honor Prancem. But the poorer Districts usually considered this as a death trap. This was because they knew they could never win the Games with the Career Districts of 1, 2, and 4 winning them every year. But with the only Victor Distrct 12 ever had, it looked like another Career District would win the Games, as Mitch couldn't save himself from the drunken state he was always in. Another year of suffering and starvation was on the cards. With no pony willing to rescue them from their current situation. No pony to save them.

Six mare ponies were escorted up onto the stage. One was a purple alicorn, one was a white unicorn, one was an orange earth pony, two were pegasi ponies with one blue and the other pastel yellow, and finally a pink earth pony whose fluffy hair was now laying down on her head.

Bubblegum looked at these six Equestrian ponies, before turning back to the ponies standing in front of the stage.

“Well, it looks like our glorious and benevolent ruler President Snow has chosen his ponies to represent Equestria! So, now I bid you welcome to the 75th Hunger Pony Games! Just so you recall, President Snow has read the stipulations for the third Quarter Quell. He said that even Victors from previous Games are not immune from having return to the arena! That means it's every ponies' game today! First we start with the fillies/mares.”

Bubblegum lifted one slip of paper out of a pink bowl, using her magic. She opened it and read the name aloud.

“Primrose Evergreen!” she announced. It hit Katniss and her sister like a ton of bricks. The small unicorn filly, with her fresh Cutie Mark of potions behind a primrose flower, was stunned that she was picked. The Peacekeepers ushered her up to the stage. However, Katniss was already ten steps ahead. She got out of line and ran up to the stage shouting her name.

“NOOOOO!” Katniss was then stopped by Peacekeepers from advancing any further. “I VOLUNTEER!”

Katniss stood firm and proud as she repeated what she said. “I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!”

Bubblegum nodded to the Peacekeepers to let her through and to return Primrose back to her place in her age group. Katniss galloped on stage and Bubblegum asked for her name.

“What is your name dear?” Bubblegum said.

“Katniss Evergreen. My name is Katniss Evergreen.”

“Then you're volunteering for your sister. How brave of you to do that.”

“I just don't want to watch my sister die.”

“Oh, I'm sure you don't. But we don't have time to talk more. We have the colts/stallions to get to.”

Bubblegum chose a random name out of the blue bowl. She opened and read it out loud.

“Mitch Haystack!”

“OH,HORSE APPLES!”

“NO! I VOLUNTEER IN HIS PLACE!” came the voice of a earth pony. His fur was a whitish color and his mane was blond. His Cutie Mark was a plate of doughnuts. Katniss reconized him as the oldest son of the Doughnut family, Peeta Doughnut.
Peeta took to the stage and stood next to Katniss. Bubblegum asked for his name before continuing on.

“Well, we have two volunteers today. This is so exciting! Could we actually have a Victor from District 12 for the first time in twenty-five years? There is only one way to find out! But before the tributes go into town hall for visitors, the mayor must read the Treaty of Treason.”

Mayor Underseed took to the podium and cleared his throat to speak. “Woe to the thirteen Districts that have sided with Princess Celestria and Equestria. For they have lost District 13, and the Princess has forsaken us to our almighty ruler's reign. But our President has granted us mercy. Instead of destroying us outright, he decided that we had to prove our worth to Capitol City. For the past seventy-five years, we've had to send one mare and one stallion between the time they receive their cutie mark and the timethey reach adulthood at the age of eighteen. Now, our tributes will fight to the death inside an arena of the President's choice, where only one shall remain standing. That victor will receive honor and glory. In addition, their District will be given enough food for a year until a new victor is crowned. That is the treaty of treason: a treaty signed by the district mayors of the past. So the nation of Prancem can showthat the sacrifice of pony blood is to be offered unto the President, that he may continue to show us his mercy.”

Twilight was silent, not just for what she just heard about her former mentor abandoning Prancem, but for the Hunger Pony Games in general. How could one pony get away with such actions against innocent ponies who just wanted to live in harmony? Before the tributes were sent into town hall, Twilight and her friends were introduced. Rainbow Dash introduced herself with attitude, which sounded just like her. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were so scared of this new land they were in that they could barely be heard. Luckily Bubblegum carried the podium's wireless microphone. However, Twilight introduced herself as Princess Twilight Sparkle which casued a stir in the crowds.

“A princess of Equestria? My, President Snow sure has some taste in his choices. But the Reaping is officially over. Please kids go back to your families, and make more memories this year. As for our eight tributes: inside, please.”