Alright, so there is a stopping point coming soon. It's not here. And if you are reading this and the next chapter doesn't tell you to stop than completely disregard this author's note right now! (Explanation next chapter)
Applejack ran as fast as she could through the grassland. Dainty Almond trailing behind her. She had decided to run with him instead of Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie. Her orange fur blazed through the air as she ran from the cornucopia, as fast as she could. She looked back at Dainty Almond who was following her with his pack that he found in the cornucopia on his back. Somehow, they both started the games alive. He looked so brave with his mane blowing in the wind.
She noticed something in the background. Behind Dainty Almond. A yellow blur was coming towards her, with a pink line flowing on it. A pegasus flew right by, zooming past Applejack. Applejack could make out a few words between the pegasus' gasps.
"Gotta go fast," the pony said, "Magician!"
"Magician?" Applejack whispered to herself. She ignored the comment for a while as she reached the base of the mountains towering right above her. She looked up at the ginormous formation, snow had started covering the mountains before they were even halfway done, but at three quarters, a thick cloud layer had covered all she could see.
"How long do you think it'll take to get up there?" a voice said right next to her.
Applejack jumped back in fear, but stopped to see the familiar coat of blue on her friend Dainty Almond. She took her hat off briefly and wiped her hair from her face to start speaking. "Hopefully not long," her southern accent from District 6 was blatant right now. She always talked like that when she was nervous. "We need to get up there before any otherpony does."
"Good point," Dainty Almond said. He started climbing up the mountainside, and Applejack followed. Well, she only followed for a little bit. After that rock-climbing practice she had had before the games, she was a lot faster at it than Dainty Almond.
Suddenly, maniacal laughter filled Applejack's ears from below her. She looked, and about 100 feet down there was Trixie with purple smoke forming an aura around her. She never realized how far she had climbed. About twenty feet below her was Dainty Almond, just realizing that he was in imminent danger. He looked at the pack on his back and back at Applejack. He thought for a second, Trixie gaining on his position, and he threw the pack up to Applejack. Or he tried to. It landed about fifteen feet below her. She would have to climb down.
Meanwhile, Bright Darkness ran alone through the forest. The snow was making her a bit loud, but at the moment, she didn't care. The darkness of the woods shaded her from the vision of any other pony, and her black fur melted in with the background. There was something she had to do, and it could threaten Doctor Whooves life if he failed.
You're getting closer, a voice said in her head. Krystal. Krystal was a pony that worked for the gamemakers, but she was a double agent working for District 13 (Also known as the rebellion against the Capitol). Krystal was a changeling, and certain changelings can communicate with each other telepathically.
What type of tree is it? Bright Darkness asked telepathically.
The only kind silly, Krystal said. Bright Darkness could feel her smile. You're getting closer, that's all I can tell from here. According to the chart here at base you seem to be getting closer to a failsafe device that will turn off a certain danger that Doctor Whooves is in.
Sounds too easy, Bright Darkness said back.
Bright Darkness could feel Krystal sigh sympathetically. The lever that turns off Doctor Whooves' troubles releases a Manticore into the arena. I'm sorry.
I see, Bright Darkness responded solemnly. But what's one danger? I think I can handle it. General Cheerilee has trained me properly.
You don't understand, Krystal said, You've got a buttload of tributes nearby you. Green Leaf, Hot Shot, Scoodaloo, Soarin', Dusty Autumn, all of the careers, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle. You aren't safe here or anywhere in the arena. Bright Darkness took a second to breathe in her circumstances.
She eventually found the tree that the level was hiding in. She opened a hatch in the wood and saw a rusty metal lever. She pushed hard on it to make it go down but it wouldn't budge. She had to go to the trouble of shape shifting her body to be taller and stronger just to get it down. She didn't change back though. She kind of liked being big and strong. She tried to shut the hatch but it just broke under her newfound strength. She turned around and walked smugly through the woods. Until a roar broke the silence.
"Your choice Applejack!" Trixie's voice cried out from underneath the sad and horrified pony. Trixie was holding a knife to Dainty Almond's throat laughing like she had just won some kind of bet. "If you don't throw me the bag then Dainty Almond gets it.
"Don't do it Applejack," Dainty Almond said, "There's some useful-
"Don't give her any ideas," Trixie held the knife closer to his throat. A trickle of blood came down and he immediately shut up. It's a pity Applejack was too busy looking through the bag to see that his blood was black. With a flick of her hoof Trixie wiped off the blood from his neck and caught Applejack's attention again by throwing a rock at her with her unicorn powers. "Don't get distracted by little things, Apple."
"Fine," Applejack threw down the pack to Trixie. "Now give me back my Almond!"
Trixie simply laughed back, "As if! Anyone as smart as you should have realized that the pony who got an eleven would trick you! This was the most predictable move I've ever made in these games! Don't expect me to be so kind this time." As soon as she finished saying this, a poof of purple smoke engulfed her, Dainty Almond, and the bag.
After an half an hour or so of crying, Applejack decided to continue climbing up. She needed to be strong, and she couldn't stay there for long. It was a long hard trip, but she eventually found a moist cave to spend the night in. The sun was setting on the other side of the arena, and she need a good rest. She walked inside to find insects crawling around everywhere, but none of them were poisonous.
"This is a good place Fluttershy," a soft and shy voice said to herself. Applejack couldn't find her in the dark, but it sounded like the young mare who flew by her earlier. "You can make a home here and try and hide your way to survival." There was a long pause after that, Applejack didn't dare give away that she was there. There was a loud thump and a sigh that trailed off with it. "You'll never survive Fluttershy. You know that! Why would you ever be so stupid? Somepony is just gonna come in and-
"And what?" Applejack said confidently. This pony needed an ally. That was for sure. She took off her hat and grabbed a pack of matches from inside. She had snuck it out of her pack before she gave it to Trixie. She lit the match on her hoof quickly and used the flame to see that there was the yellow pegasus cowering in the corner.
"Oh my gosh!" the pony moved her hands in front of her face as if she wanted Applejack to kill her right then and there. "I'm going to die! Just kill me now, please!"
"No!" Applejack retorted. "I'm not going to kill you Apple Bloom."
"Who?" Fluttershy commented.
"I'm sorry," Applejack started crying, "I'm sorry."
"Who was-
"You reminded me of how helpless my little sister was," Applejack started, "And I-
"It's okay," Fluttershy whispered. "Do you want to be an alliance?"
"Yes," Applejack smiled, "That would be nice. But first, let's get some light up in this cave."
"I collected some sticks hoping to start a fire," Fluttershy said quietly, but it's pretty obvious that I failed. She pointed to a little pile of sticks with a couple marks on them. "Maybe you could light it with one of your matches."
Applejack took out her matches and looked inside the pack. There were only two matches left. "Alright," Applejack said nervously. She lit one of the matches and threw it on the sticks, but the fire went out quickly. She took the last match and put it on the sticks and a small fire started, but it stayed this time.
Suddenly, a loud noise filled the arena and the Capitol symbol was displayed in the air. Three faces were displayed evenly throughout the sky. Snips, Snails, and Silver Spoon's dead bodies were then displayed after their faces. Applejack and Fluttershy had walked out of the cave to see what was happening.
"How horrible," Fluttershy whispered.
Applejack looked at her in sorry realization that only one could survive. Fluttershy would have to die. Her or Applejack herself. "It's alright Flutter," Applejack said with fake confidence, "Let's just avoid being up in the sky ourselves."
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