I couldn't believe what I had heard. Had she really said her name. I watched as my sister was take up to the stage by two burly Canterlot guards.
"Ah volunteer! Ah will be the mare tribute!" I screeched, my voice coming in short, high sounds. Applebloom looked at me with horror.
"A volunteer," Cadence said, her voice curling up at the end of her remark. "We haven't had a volunteer in 3 since, well, the thirty fifth games." I was pushed up to the stage by the same guards. One seemed a bit familiar to me, but I didn't know how. "The Earth Pony Stallion is… Time Turner!"
He was a brown stallion with a darker mane, and a cutiemark of an hour glass. I had seen him selling hour glasses at the market a few times. All six of us were pushed into the building, each into a different room.
"You've got a minute," a guard said, opening the door. My family walked in. Granny Smith held Applebloom's hoof and Big Mac shook his head, trying not to cry for Applebloom.
"Ah love y'all. And ah promise ya, ah'll try my very hardest to get out of that arena, don't you worry."
"Time's up. You've got another visitor, Applejack." I couldn't imagine who it would be. A white unicorn stepped into the room.
"Rarity?" I asked, surprised.
"Yes, darling. I wanted to give this to you." She used her magic to pull a tiny box out of her saddlebag. It was wrapped in blue paper. "Open it before you get to Canterlot."
"Ah'll open it now," I shrugged, tearing away the wrapping. Inside was a sparkling orange gem in the shape of an apple. I gasped. "How did ya manage to get this?"
"I have a special spell I use to find gems. I just happened to find this orange one a few months ago. I made one for each of our friends. I have to go give Twilight hers." I stood in shock, watching her walk out of the room.
Cadence came in a few moments later and rushed me into the train. I noticed Twilight was still holding her gem from Rarity.
"Your rooms are two cars down," she said. She then went to talk to Bon Bon, the past winner of the games, who would be our mentor.
I followed the other tributes and sure enough, in a large car, each side had three doors. Each one had a picture of the type of pony that was supposed to go there. I opened my door and almost shrunk away at the brightness of it.
"Well, at least it isn't a long trip," I said to myself. I closed the door behind me. I noticed that there was a piece of paper on the bed. "Put on the clothes in the closet," I read. Couldn't hurt. Probably clothes that are better suited for arriving in Canterlot, but that wasn't until tomorrow.
Later Cadence called us for dinner. Bon Bon sat quietly eating her Canterlotian food.
"Got any advice for us, Bon Bon?" Blossomforth asked as she walked up to the table.
"Well, first things first," she answered, looking up from her food, "don't eat too much. It's very rich and might make you sick if you eat too much too fast. And second, choose your allies carefully."
I didn't get the second tip, so I just nodded and sat quietly eating my food, listening to Cadence jabber on about our stylists and how fabulous we would look.
"It's just going to be so amazing! Wait till you see what they have planned for you!"
"What, trousers an' straw hats?" I smirked at her. The others laughed too.
"Ya," Snails snickered. He was a unicorn about Applebloom's age. I felt a bit sorry for the little fellow. I noticed the others nodding along. I looked at Cadence. Her face was offended. She left the table, taking her plate with her.
"Nice going kid," Bon Bon said, even though she was only a year older than me.
"Oh ha ha," I said back. She laughed and patted me on the back.
"Nice to see not all of you are too scared to have a little fun, even though you should be scared." I laughed. It was good to laugh even with the circumstances.
"Ah'm headin' to bed. See y'all in the morning."
I lay facing up in my bed. I couldn't sleep on a moving train, and with the position I was in at the moment. Someone knocked. "Ya?"
"Hey Applejack, uh, can we talk?" Twilight.
"Come on in." She opened the door. Her hair was sticking out a lot. She was wearing a similar nightgown to the one I was wearing. "Ah can see you've had just as much trouble sleepin' as ah have."
"Yeah. Did Rarity give you a gem too?"
"Yeah. Ya wanna see it?"
"No thanks." She brushed some hair out of her face. "I just wanted to tell you that I want an alliance. For the games. I could never kill my friend."
I nodded. She left the room. I took out the gem from Rarity. It's orange color sparkled in the dim light from outside. Even though I didn't want to, I cried. Cried 'till I couldn't cry anymore.