Diclaimers: Perhaps unnecessary, but I do not own these books.
Author's Note: Canon Typical violence, with mentions of suicide.
Written by the Tarpon half, edited
21. 21 Canons. 21 Corpses. 21. 21. 21. Each step beat the number into her head, and with it came the memories. 21. Step. Glimmer, face swollen from the stings. Step. Boy from District 3, neck snapped by Cato.. Step. Clove, head smashed by Thresh. Step. Foxgirl, poisoned. Step. Peeta… It is here she falters, remembering her failure, how she was too late to stop the careers. A breath. Another step. She did get to them in time to kill three of them for that. Step. Boy from 1, her kill. The only step without regret. Rue's screams still echo in her head. Only sometimes, it's not Rue's voice. Don't think about it. Need to keep moving. Step. Thresh, killed by Cato. Step. The other 11, she didn't know. Nameless, faceless, nothing more than the sound of their canon and a corpse for the tally. 21. Step. Step. Step.
21 Canons. 2 to go. 1 winner, 2 corpses. She knew one would be her. She hoped the other would be Cato. She left just after dark, whatever time that was supposed to wake Rue for second watch, but instead she had pinned Madge's mockingjay to the girl's shirt, and left. She had been following Cato's movements, and he had stayed by the cornucopia, where the remnants of a camp were already set up. He may have learned to fight at a career academy, but she had been taught survival in woods much like these. She stopped to shift the night glasses higher on her nose. They were useful for what she needed, but the view was unnatural. She sighted him slumped against the inside of the cornucopia, sword in hand. One advantage of keeping an alliance this late in the game: guarding in shifts allowed for sleep.
Despite what she was about to do, all she could feel was exhaustion. She was ready for it to be over, for the games to be over. She walked into a position where she could hit him cleanly. It would only take one shot. Her bow went up. A breath, and she let go. He slumped forward even further, gone faster and more easily than most of the deer she hunted back in 12 . Boom. 22 Canons. 22 Corpses.
Katniss knew she didn't have much time. Rue might have woken up from the sound of the canon, she might not. In the end it didn't matter, except perhaps to spare her more pain. No, it was the gamemakers she was worried about, who were no doubt already planning some dramatically horrible finale. She walked into the trees just as light was returning to the arena. Sat down at the base of one as she pulled out her pack.
Sifting through the supplies until she found what she was looking for, a small pouch with the last of the nightlock. Katniss took a moment to roll a berry between her fingers as she contemplated the innocent looking fruit. It had been a risky ploy, hoping that Foxface wouldn't take the time to recognize the poison for what it was, as there was always the chance that one of them would eat it by mistake. But now it was what she needed. There was only one thing left to do.
She cleared her throat, telling herself it was to get the attention of cameras. Katniss knew it was a lie, there was no way that they weren't watching, but it made her feel better about how much she didn't want to do this. She only hoped that she would have enough time, that once the gamemakers figured out what she was doing, they would bank for an emotional ending rather than a bloody one and give her a chance. Another breath.
"Prim…" Her voice cracked on the first word, and she berated herself. She had to be better or she would never finish. Katniss cleared her throat again. "Prim I'm so sorry. I know I promised you I would come home, but it looks like this is the one promise I have to break. I said I would try my hardest to win, and I did. But I won't kill her, I can't, she's so beautiful and kind and full of life, just like you." A sob nearly tore it's way out of her throat, tears were falling so fast she could barely see and she had to stop a moment to get back her control. "I can't take her from her family. I'm so, so sorry Prim. But you'll be fine little duck, you have the goat and mom and Gale will help. You'll be fine. Don't take tesserae. It not worth it, I can't bear the thought of you stuck here too. It'll be okay. I'm sorry that this goodbye is all I can give you, but know I love you so, so much Prim. I'll always love you."
She couldn't speak for the lump in her throat, and she wanted to scream. To cry, to beat at the ground and hug Prim so tightly that they could never be apart and it wasn't fair it wasn't fair it wasn't fair! For all she didn't like speeches, didn't like audiences, she could have waxed poetic for days about Prim, how sweet and gentle she was, but it would only delay the inevitable, draw out the pain. As it was, she was surprised they had given her this much time. The capitol must have enjoyed her bleeding heart. Squaring her shoulders, she took a final breath.. As she moved to eat the berry, her father's voice came back to her 'Not these, Katniss. Never these. They're nightlock. You'll be dead before they reach your stomach.'. And she smiled.
23 Canons. 23 Corpses.