Addem woke with a start, his face pressed against the machine he'd fallen asleep on. He groaned, fumbling for his glasses and pushing them onto his face, then hurriedly donned his usual lab coat. He galloped out of the warehouse, charging towards the field. He slowed as he reached the massed ponies, mingling in with the crowd. He breathed a sigh of relief, looking over to the females' side. His eyes locked onto his sister's, both ponies mouthing, "Good luck."
The pony onstage beamed out towards the massed ponies. "Happy Hunger Games to you all!" She flipped back her translucent mane before continuing. "I'm sure you all know why we're here, so let's just get down to business, shall we?" The smile slid from her face as the crowd continued to stare blankly at her, then trotted forwards. She pressed a button on the large contraption, which churned to life, gears turning and black smoke belching out of it. A small slip of paper shot out of a slot at its base, which she held up and read aloud. "Addem Up!"
Addem's jaw dropped, his glasses slipping off of his face. He made no move to pick them up, his chest rising and falling. No... Not me... He swallowed hard, breaking his trance, then bent to pick up his glasses. He placed them back onto his face, fiddling with them as he trotted out of the crowd and onto the stage.