I Do not own the Hunger Games nor Their Characters.
With that being said this is a one shot. It is also the long awaited sequel to Total Damnation.
Enjoy.
Redemption
(Sequel to Total Damnation)
Sixty years later;
Cato is still looking put of the bars, waiting deep in thought. Only to be tapped in the shoulder. Cato looks over his shoulder to see Mac Everdeen and Haymitch Alberthany looking at him. The three are called over to Gabriel; "It's time."
The three men know who the angel was talking about as they go off and discuss how they were going to help her. Cato remembers as he felt her pain for the first ten years after the dipshit died. How she found out at this funeral about the affair that Peeta and Della had that went on in the capitol for over fifteen years along with the child that Peeta and Della had together. It took her years to get over that but Cato knew she would never let anyone in again.
Forty-seventh area;
The pain that Cornelius Snow has been suffering is stopped, receiving a slight reprieve from the pain of the arenas when there's an announcement. Cornelius thinks to himself; "So…. Here she comes, the freaking Girl on Fire…"
Outside the main gate of Heaven;
Alba Coin is lowered as she was released from her bonds that had her tied there for these last six decades. Coin rubs her wrist as she think to herself; "Damn, here we go…"
District Twelve;
In the old victor's area Katniss is saying her last words to the three children that she raised Poppy, Sage and Bran who was Peeta and Della's love child when she sees an old friend sitting in the worn rocker in her room; "Haymitch…"
Sage looks at Poppy; "Who's Haymitch?"
Poppy answered; "Her mentor from hers and dad's games. He was also the fiftieth victor of the hunger games. Lost his family on trumped up charges when he returned home…. After the rebellion he returned to the capitol and married Effie. Out of everyone mom was the only one who wanted to stay. She call this home. I guess he's coming to take her to heaven…"
Yet Haymitch just shook his head got up from his chair, walked over to her and held out his hand; "Come on Sweetheart. It's time."
Has Katniss was seen by all to reach for a hand she lets out a sigh and lets go. She's floating upward as she sees her children cry over her, Katniss sees Bran cross her arms over and pulls the sheet up she hears him say; "Bye mom and thank you for everything…"
Katniss is then transported into a line where she sees her friends Cinna, Octavia along with another from that faithful night on top of the horn of her first games, Cato. Katniss is leery until she hears another voice as she turns around and sees her father Mac Everdeen; "My Wild child…"
"Dad?"
Mac tilts her face up toward him; "You have one more thing to do Katniss. You have to decide what is to happen to Snow and Coin. It was decided since you were the one who suffered the most from the rebellion and the games that it will be up to you to decide their fate. You have to decide if they can be redeemed."
Katniss is still weary of Cato until Mac informs her what happened that all because of Coin and Snow that were forced into these games and into being sold into prostitution for the capitalists, were allowed to entered into the kingdom. For they were innocent and they were worthy. Mac and Haymitch also told her to think long and hard before making the decision. Then the three men left her in line but not before telling her that they will see her there. While she was waiting in line Cinna returned; "I told you once that I wasn't allowed to bet. But if I could I would bet on you."
This is when he had to let Katniss know that what should have happened during her time. That it was Prim who was supposed to be the Mocking Jay. That Cato would've won the 74th games and would've brought Prim home because during the games she cured him from a poisonous bite from a snake. Peeta was on borrowed time cause of Cato. It was also what made Cato's sacrifice more painful for him because of Peeta's betrayal on you. Cinna continued and explained that it was supposed to be when Cato had brought Prim back to twelve, for saving his life he was to meet her. They were to fight in the rebellion to overthrow Snow and his evil ways yes but, it Prim was to be the Mocking Jay. However when Katniss had volunteered for Prim, it had changed a few things. Cinna then told here what has been happening since Snow and Coin's arrival. The debates that have been going on, who she was supposed to see in what order and now why she has this last assignment.
Yet when Katniss still wavered Cinna said; "Go with what is right. Anyone can judge easily but when it's right or for the right reasons, you will know. I'll see you at the gate my friend." Then he too was gone.
Katniss waits in line with the others but for her it ended all too soon has she herself comes up to Peter the guardian of the gate, who welcomes her like a long lost friend. She sees many people on the other side of the golden gates and hears the laughter of many children. Yet all becomes quiet when all are looking out at her as Gabriel brings Snow and Coin who are bound in chains in front of her. Only then Gabriel speaks to her; "Choose Katniss. Choose for all time. Choose who suffers for all time."
Only Katniss replied with the unexpected; "Why? What if I don't want to? Who am I to judge?"
Peter and Gabriel both smiles at each other before Peter replied; "Because we are still in 'debate' on these two and have been for quite some time…. Or would you (as Alma Coin is elevated into the air) flip a coin?"
Yet Katniss replied; "But I am not worthy…"
Peter looked into the blue gray eyes of Katniss; "You are worthy. More than you'll ever know, daughter."
Only for all to hear in a booming voice; "HOLD!"
Katniss looks around to see everyone including her father Mac on one knee. She takes her cue from her father and kneels too as a bright light stops in front of Katniss and take shape. Katniss sees Mac but she could tell the difference. She knows it is someone who had taken that shape but to comfort her. Without looking up Katniss sees a hand; "Rise daughter and come with me."
Katniss did as she was bidden only for the voice to ask; "What were you thinking while waiting in line?"
Katniss simply replied; "There is only one law giver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you- who are you to judge?"
The Lord replied; "Ah James 4-12… I thought you were more a Luke myself. 'Do onto others as you would have others do onto you'."
Katniss replied; "Kind of."
The Lord nods; "I see your point Katniss. But how can you forgive them?"
Katniss replied with the simple truth; "Hence my dilemma."
The Lord nods as he changes shape again but this time he changed into Brutus; "I see if you have to forgive one you have to forgive the other. So what would you suggest daughter?"
Katniss thought about it for a while. She looks over to the fallen tributes, victors and their parents including her own. Katniss again looks at her mentor Haymitch who just nods and smiles as if they shared a secret code as Katniss replied; "Can't it be both?"
The Lord looks at her; "Both?"
Katniss replied; "Both"
"Arenas?"
Katniss shook her head; "But not here."
With a new amount of respect for Katniss the Lord replied; "Very well."
The Lord turns toward both Snow and Coin and replied; "Both of you shall receive the same." He snaps his fingers where Coin and Snow are in separate gilded cages within a cave.
Alma Coin stands up; "What the hell is this?"
Only to hear Gabriel say; "Purgatory. For what one endures the other feels."
Snow chuckles as Coin said; "What?"
Cinna better known as the angel Raphael replied; "What pain Snow endures 'you' shall feel. What pain you endure Snow shall feel. For one is as evil has the other. For the pain and suffrage that every parent felt their children had endured as tributes in all those arenas for the capitalists entertainment you shall feel for all time. Enjoy."
Has the Angels were waiting for one more to arrive Michael looks at Cinna; "She's good Raphael."
Only for Raphael/Cinna to reply; "She's pure in body and soul. That is why she ended up being the Mocking Jay. The messenger of peace in a troubled land. Well Michael shall we?"
Michael nods as he then looked at another who had been hiding within the darkness of the shadows; "Have fun my fallen brother."
Michael then snapped his fingers as he, Raphael, Raguel, Gabriel, Camael and the other angels leave but one. Only after they had gone did this fallen angel appear out of the deep darken shadows. He snaps his fingers. A flame shoot up into Snow's gilded cage has Coin screams in agony. Only then did the fallen angel speak; "Welcome to new home, Purgatory. Has you put others into glorified cages or arenas as you would call them for 'your' entertainment, so shall you be ours." Lucifer snaps his fingers again but instead of the empty cave that they thought they were in; it's filled with his minions for their 'training' exercises.
Back within the gardens of heaven Katniss and Cato walk together as they come across Peeta and Della. Peeta was about to get up yet he thought better of it for he really did not want to cause his former wife anymore pain. Instead he smiled in their direction. Katniss seeing how happy he really was with the other woman held no ill will as she waved and walked on. Yet Cato sees a different Katniss. Gone is the old gray haired woman. Instead is the girl he met when he was eighteen with her trademark braids and soulful gray eyes. The seventeen year old girl who he fell for on first sight for her bravery and pure heart. For the first time in decades he feels warm and whole again. Still he feels a tug on the back of his shirt. He turns around, only to see Rue; "Told you so."
Only to skip away again without a care in the world as she rejoined her friends. Cato and Katniss kept walking as Cato said; "Haymitch got it all wrong. You're worth a million of him. He betrayed you. I would've never done that. If it wasn't for Brutus stopping me, I would have made my declaration known all of Panem."
Katniss replied; "I know. I don't know why but I learned that Peeta's not worth my anger. It would've me nor the kids any good. It took me years but in the end, Peeta and Della was still dead. The only victim would've been Bran. He was innocent of all it. So I fell on what my father had taught me. That helped me to move on and be a better parent and later a better person."
Cato shook his head; "You are a far better person than I was."
The pair walked on to a meadow where there are people there setting up for a picnic. Cato sees the biggest smile come on Katniss's face as she sees another that she has missed dearly. Her sister Primrose Everdeen, her little duck who died at the age of fourteen when the bombs went off at the President's Mansion.
Lucifer looks at the cages and smiled at the pair. He points at Snow; "You are hungry."
Points at Coin; "You are thirsty."
Yet Snow for his part muses at the ruler of Hell; "Is that all you have got? I can do better on a Sunday afternoon in my sleep."
Coin screams again has Snow's feet are burned by fire, only for the ruler of Hell to tut then replied; "You reap what you have sown Cornelius. So shall you both reap." Lucifer paused for a moment then replied; "Snow you don't have the slightest clue of what I am capable of. This is just a 'training' exercise. Like you trained those innocent children to kill or be killed. Like you sold the 'Victor' into prostitution or kill their families. Like Coin you gave false hope in the name of peace. Both of you are equal in evil. And on this subject both my father and I are on the same page. That both of you should indeed suffer equally."
Suddenly the cages disappear only to find Snow and Coin are now strapped face down naked onto wooden x's. Lucifer looks out at the two long lines of his minions, each with their favorite toys in each hand for the occasion. Lucifer gracefully walks around to face the two former presidents of Panem. He grabs Snow by his hair; "And I am a devil of my word."
Lucifer lets go of Snow's head walks around toward his minions are only to say; "Have fun children." Only to disappear without a trace…. For now. Yet Snow looks over his shoulder at the line formed behind him as recognizes the many faces of his formers game keepers and aides. Including one Seneca Crane….
Within the meadow various groups are sharing a meal together as Katniss is tackles by both Rue and Prim. Both who died because of the evil of Snow and Coin. Cato observes how Katniss is smiling and laughing. Not those trained laughs but the kind that are from deep within that your ribs hurts afterwards kind of laughs. Katniss has found an inner peace since her arrival. Katniss feels a tap only to hear a familiar voice whisper; "If I was allowed to bet, I would bet on you…"
Katniss replied; "Cinna!"
Only for her friend to correct her; "It's Raphael actually. I came to tell you that there is no hunting in heaven. However we felt that your skills should not go to waste. So you, Cato, Johanna, Finnick, Brutus, along with another will be hunting the evil on earth. Stopping them before earth destroys itself. We're just waiting on one more to arrive here."
Cato's family had joined the Everdeens on the meadow when there is a tap on Katniss's shoulder. Katniss looks up only to find her old hunting partner Gale Hawthorne. Katniss thought this to be impossible since Gale was still alive. That was until Gale replied; "I arrived six months after you did."
Raphael arrives with Johanna, Brutus and Finnick. That's when they all get up and go to another area of heaven. Where the five look over the earth and see the seeds of evil being planted and starting to flourish again. Katniss looks at Cato as they both realize that even in heaven to save mankind, there are still worse games to play.
In the dark chamber Cornelius Snow hears the muffled screams of Alma Coin from her ball gag. Seeing the several toys being inserted into them. Their vibrations counter-acting their pleasurable effects. Snow muses to himself; "What can I say. I did have a country to run with all these enemies who claimed to be my friends and swore that they were true to the government…." Only for everything to stop with the snap of someone's fingers…
Both former presidents of Panem are released from their bindings as they are shot through tubes into another location. Both Coin and Snow are now standing on platform dressed in loin cloth along with their former 'retired' associates in an arena. But it's now just any arena. Oh no, it's the Fiftieth arena of the hunger games. They see pink fluffy bunnies, rainbow cranes along with other unfriendly creatures just hanging about. The tributes also see the cornucopia filled with food and weapons and along the outer rim of said stage they see a few backpacks, a spear and one golden bow and arrow set. Has the Tributes see the timer count down to the buzzer they all hear a familiar voice;
"Welcome to the fiftieth hunger games. May the odd ever be in your favor…"
The announcer goes through the rules of the games. Yet the announcer ends their statement by saying; "You can either grab supplies or weapons but not both… again may the odd ever be in your favor."
From his throne the dark one looks up from his seat only to see Azrael looking down on him with a familiar smirk and an arched eyebrow on his face. Lucifer answered his brother's unspoken question; "Just like they did with those tributes, either risk death for food or risk death fighting to survive. This should entertain my children for the next few centuries."
Azrael slowly shakes his head from side to side as he watch the countdown continue.
Within the arena Snow looks at the others as he muses to himself; "I may have won battles on earth; but I lost the war in the afterlife…" Has both he and Coin hear; "10… 9… 8…7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1.." the buzzer goes off as Coin runs and gets a pack. She changes direction as she run past the cranes and into the thicken forest…
Snow runs towards the horn of the cornucopia grabs a few weapons before he too runs into the woods as he's being chased by his former aides…. One of them throw an ax only to end in a trunk of a nearby tree.
In another place, peace and tranquility are up held as the younger tributes are being tucked into their beds for the night. The older tributes and victors who guard the little ones do not give neither Snow nor Coin another thought. At one bed Rue looks up at Katniss; "Sing to me please…"
So Katniss does;
Deep in the meadow.
Under the willow.
A bed of grass
A soft green pillow
Lay down your head
And close your eyes
And when they open
The sun will rise Here it's safe
Here it's warm
Here the daisies guard
You from every harm
And here your dreams are sweet
And tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you…
Katniss looks on at a sleeping forms of Rue and her sister Prim. Katniss is finally at peace with herself as she thinks; "Yes dear friend. Dreams are sweet and do come true."
_End_
