Authors note
Hi everyone! I am really sorry that it has taken a long time for me to update. I promise it won't be such a long wait next time. I wanted to thank someone who favorited this fic recently and it was because of that person that I found the inspiration to get up, stop being so lazy
and write more, so thank you! I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Chapter 2

I hear a scream from the crowd, it was my mother. I see her struggling against five jacketed ponies: the peace keepers.
I am too stunned to say anything, so I look to Sun Beam. Her face is contorted with sadness and anger, I know that she wants to volunteer just to save me; but we always promised each other that we wouldn't ever go willingly. I've been chosen, and now this is my task to face, and mine alone.
I start walking towards the stage, hiding my feelings. I have to stay as strong as I can, can't let the cameras see that I'm sick with fear. As I walk through the crowd it parts to the sides to leave a big enough gap to let me though, it's like I'm diseased, or cursed.
I walk slowly up the steps, just putting one hoof in front of the other is painful, and take my place on the stage. I look down at all the other fillies, and they look back, horrified. Most know me, and even the youngest recognise me, but beneath the horror I can see relief over and over again. And so they should be, they are safe for another year, my future is less certain, no, it is certain, I'm going to die in the arena and there's nothing anypony can do about it. I am still frozen on the stage when the brightly coloured mare picks a name from the other bowl. "The colt who'll represent District Eleven is..." Again she pauses, and then yells, almost gleefully, "Thunder Strike!"
For the second time that day my heart feels like it has stopped. I can't breathe properly, please don't let me collapse on stage! Not in front of all the cameras, I begged silently.
I want to fall through the abyss as I watch my best friend make his way through the crowd. He acts the complete opposite to me and doesn't hide his petrified face from the cameras. I watched him reach the stage, he walks towards me and stands on my right.
We don't look at each other.
"And there we have it!" The bright pony says cheerfully, "Our tributes this year are Thunder Strike and Silver Skies!"
We both know what to do; we turn to each other and shake hoofs, still not daring to look at each other.
I can tell that all the cameras are now on the capitol as we are shepherded into the town hall, there we are left alone and for the first time we look at each other. Silence.
The brightly coloured pony trots in, breaking the uncomfortable stillness.
For the first time since the start of the reaping I look at her, properly. She is bright pink and smiling, how could she be this happy? We are most likely going to die and doesn't she even realize that? It was then I see her eyes and I almost don't believe it, they look sad. I realize that it's all just an act for the cameras.
The pink pony closes the doors and finally away from the cameras her artificially cork-screw curled hair droops. She walks slowly towards us, Thunder and I glance at each other, neither of us sure of what to do.
"Happy hunger games, may the odds be ever in your favor." The pink pony sighs. She looks at us with such sadness that I take pity on her.
I walk forward nervously, "Are you… are you okay?"
The pony looks at me and her eyes fill with tears, "No pony has asked me that in twenty five years."
I look at her in shock, "Why don't you speak to us about it." I look at Thunder for encouragement but his face clearly says, leave me out of this.
"Well… I don't know where to start." The pink pony says.
"Why don't you start with your name and then tell us why you're here." I watch her cower slightly, why would this capitol pony be so afraid?
"My… My name is Pinkie Pie." The pink pony paused, "I am here because I dared to stand up against the capitol…"
"Wait… you are a capitol pony who is being punished for standing up against the capitol?"
"Yes I am." She pauses looking up at the ceiling, thinking. "I was one of six; my five friends were with me as well."
"Friends? Which friends?" I admit that I do feel a little curious about this pony.
"Well... there was Twilight Sparkle, she was the most talented unicorn and she could use many different types of magic that I'd never even heard of before! She once banished an Ursa Minor." She paused, lost in memories for a second before continuing, "There was Rainbow Dash, she was the best flyer in the whole of Equestria, once she won Clouds Dales best young fliers competition and we always used to prank other ponies together. Applejack… I've never known a pony work so hard! She used to work on an apple farm called Sweet Apple Acres along with her family." She smiles sadly, "They used to make the best apple cider. Rarity used to own a boutique in Pony Ville and she used to design the best dresses, she even made each of us dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala once. The last of us was Fluttershy, she was a really quiet and shy pony who cared so much for animals and although she was always so nervous she once faced a dragon and sent it away even when none of the others could."
I listen and pictured what life in Pony Ville used to be like, how it must have felt to have been free of worry and free of fear… and loss, "It sounds like Pony Ville was a happy place back then."
She nods and smiles, "Oh yes, it was…" Her smile turns to a frown.
I take a small step forward, "So… what did you used to do?"
She looks at the floor for a second and I watched her face fill with concentration, she looked up at me again with her light blue eyes, they seem a little happier than before, "I used to plan and throw parties, some ponies said they were the best parties ever. I loved to make other ponies laugh… but now all I seem to do is make ponies sad."
I give her a slightly comforting smile, it's all I can muster given the current situation, "Well I wouldn't say that all you do is make ponies sad, you should have seen some of the fillies today in the crowd, they couldn't believe how bright and colourful you are."
She sniffs, "R…Really?"
"Yes! They were so happy to see all the bright colours because all we're used to around here are boring shades of faded colours or grey." I lay a hoof on Pinkie Pies shoulder, "It's alright Pinkie Pie, you can still make ponies smile."
"Please… please call me Pinkie."
"Alright Pinkie, you can call me Skies; it's what all my friends call me."
"Th… that's true." Thunder finally plucks up the courage to speak.
"We should go, we have to go to the train or we'll be late." Pinkie stands up and begins to walk towards the back of the Town Hall. She leads us to a small door that opens out into the street behind.
Thunder and I walk side by side, I give him a comforting look. For someone who has lost a brother to the games before I'm keeping my composure better than I thought, I hardly ever get angry in fact I can only remember one time when I felt truly angry but that was a long, long time ago, besides anger wouldn't help in this situation.
We are led towards the station in complete silence. There are no ponies around to see us off and to be honest I'm glad, I don't think I could keep calm if I had to say goodbye.
"Do you think… do you think that…." Thunder speaks breaking the silence with nervous stuttering.
"I think we both stand a good chance. If we train and think about this properly then there's no reason to be scared." Of course I'm lying, there's every reason to be scared. We are heading towards our almost certain demise.
I watch Pinkie board the train with Thunder close behind her but I pause at the entrance and look back at Pony Ville, my life has always been here.
At this moment there are only four ponies on my mind; my mother, Beam, Thunder and my brother. There is no turning back now so I board the train just as steam starts billowing out of the chimney.
In the last seconds before the train pulls out of the station I vow silently to make sure one of us returns home.