The Hunger Games Galaxies: District 3

Hi! My name's Tohru Honda. It's been a rough year, what with Mom passing away and all, but I've been so fortunate to join the Sohma family. Shigure, Yuki, and even Kyo have all been so wonderful to me, welcoming me into their home and letting me stay there. And through them I've met so many amazing people: Hatsuharu, Rin, little Kisa, Hiro, Momiji Ritsu, Ayame, Hatori… I could just go on and on. Not to mention I've still got my best friends, Uo and Hana, who have supported me and kept me strong through each new adventure.

So… even though there's all that happiness… why are my legs shaking so badly? I wish I had your courage, Mom, because I know you'd just smile and know that whatever was going to happen was going to happen. But… even with Yuki's reassuring smiles, and Uo's arm wrapped around me, I can't stop the shaking. It's the first time I've ever been alone on the day of the Reaping, and I'm terrified it's going to be me or someone I know.

I can't get reaped, I just can't. I need to stay in and finish high school. It's what Mom wanted. It was her last wish for me… and I can't afford to have anything distract me from this goal. And… well… I don't know if I could bring myself to really hurt anyone, not in the Hunger Games, even.

See… the Gods that watch over our world made a pact, long ago… and each year, twelve worlds have to give up two children between the ages and 12 and 18. It's a fate we all know can befall us, but it doesn't always happen. It changes. The continents share the burden so that it's not always the same people at risk. But… this year… it's our turn.

They always do a pre-reaping in the days before the official one, the one that's going to be broadcast to those other worlds. It's the Asian cycle, and, unfortunately, Japan was chosen… and, to make matters worse, our city was the city chosen out of the entire country. They have us split up by schools, in the largest one's gymnasium. And from there… they'll reap two of us.

They have us separated by gender as well. Our District, District 3 I mean, hasn't had a victor in more than 10 years. Mom told me it was a girl from her gang, long ago, who won the games at 13. I can't even imagine entering the games at that age, let alone winning.

"Tohru? Are you ready?" asks Uo.

"Oh… yeah," I reply, smiling. "Just… you know… thinking…"

"I don't mean to pry, but, is your Grandpa here?" asks Uo, scanning the stands.

"Oh… yes, he and his family came to support me, though I think they are outside," I say, noticing how absolutely packed it is in here. It's also hot; I can already feel myself sweating.

"Where's Orange-Top? And the Prince? I can't see them," says Uo, who has the best vantage point; she towers over all the girls.

"I sense… their signals in that direction," Hana announces, pointing.

I can see them. They're already causing a ruckus; Momiji and Kyo are fighting, while Haru has his arm around Yuki. I'm guessing Hiro is further up with the younger students; I saw Kisa there earlier and waved to her as she walked by. I hear someone else whispering my name, and am delighted to see Kagura about three rows behind me. Just past her is Rin, but she's not looking at me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin the Reaping," announces the principal from one of the other classes.

I take one more glance around, but I don't see Shigure or the others. I'm not surprised. See, many of the Sohmas have a curse, one from the Chinese Zodiac. If they're hugged by a person of the opposite sex, they turn into one of the animals from that Zodiac. The only way it doesn't trigger is if another cursed member hugs them. With this many people in an enclosed space, I guess it's safer if they wait outside.

"… along with a relaxation of the age requirements, allowing younger and older competitors…"

My thoughts made me miss something important! I glance over to Uo and Hana, both of whom look distressed. Uo doesn't have any siblings, but Hana's younger brother, Megumi… he should be too young to enter the Hunger Games. He's got another year left before he needs to enter, I think… but… I guess not anymore…

"Don't worry, Hana, they won't pick him," I tell her, smiling. "It's only his first year, if anything."

Hana seems to snap out of a reverie of some sort and smiles at me, touching my face lightly. We turn back to the stadium. A very short, lukewarm round of applause circles the auditorium. Nobody wants to celebrate it, but if we don't show some enthusiasm, they say we might end up like that 13th World. The one that doesn't exist anymore.

"I will now choose the name of our first tribute, District 3's female," announces a Priest of the Gods.

He walks forward, digs his hand deep into the enormous bowl full of our names, and starts his slow, methodic march back towards the front of the stage, where the microphone awaits. Mom used to make fun of his walk, likening him to a particularly fat duck. The memory almost makes me smile for a few moments, but I can't manage it. My mind is racing. What if someone I care about is on there. What if it's me? I can't handle that thought.

"Our first tribute…" he reads. "… Kisa Sohma."

Silence. The screens up above show that the cameras are searching for her. And there she is. Kisa. Little Kisa. She already has tears in her eyes, and her hands are shaking. Those horrible Peacekeepers are coming for her, and she can't even move. I don't know what's happening, but I'm moving forward, I'm opening my mouth, and suddenly Uo is grabbing me, her eyes wide with horror.

"You're not going to volunteer," she whispers, urgently. "Tohru… no… you can't…"

"But… I can't just let her…" the tears are already running down my face.

"Kyoko would kill me if I let you do that," she whispers back. "I forbid it. You-."

"I volunteer!"

The head snap back and suddenly thousands of eyes are looking at me. Well… no… they're looking past me, back to where the voice came from. Rin stands there, a wide berth around her; nobody wants to be mistaken as the one who spoke. She looks so fierce that my breath catches; I can't imagine having that gaze focused on me.

"I said, I volunteer!" she snarls again. The Peacekeepers, only inches away from Kisa, turn back. I'm secretly grateful. If Kisa got too upset, she might change on her own… and that would prove problematic for us.

"It seems we have a volunteer," says the Priest on the stage.

There's a few tense minutes, with lots of whispering in the crowd, as Rin is lead toward the stage, her head held high and her eyes blazing with fury. But she doesn't show any other emotion, as she steps up on the stage, and faces us.

"My name is Rin Sohma. And I volunteer as District 3's tribute," she announces to the entire universe.

"Oh… so… was that your sister we called, this 'Kisa?'" asks the Priest.

"My cousin. But it's despicable that anyone that young should be sent to slaughter," she retorts.

"V-very well," says the Priest, taking the microphone from Rin. "Our… next tribute…"

His walk seems to take forever. There's sobbing; it's Kisa, I just know it. I take a chance and glance back to where Yuki and the others are… and I wish I hadn't. Haru is devastated. His face is crushed and I can swear, even from here, I see tears in his eyes. And that makes my vision go blurry as my own tears begin to pour down my face; there's nothing I can do.

"Our male tribute…" says the Priest, and then he adjusts his glasses as he focuses on them. "I… uh… our male tribute from District 3 is Yuki Sohma."

There's a tremendous uproar from our school's sections. The girls are in absolute hysterics, none more so than the Prince Yuki Fanclub. There's screaming, yelling and demands for a volunteer, in between passionate cries of love and devotion to the prince. Several Peacekeepers have to place themselves in the buffer zone between guys and girls to hold the peace. On stage, Rin only lets a moment of shock cross her face before her mask of defiance resumes.

Yuki, all things considered, takes it very well. There's the initial shock… and then his cool resignation. He doesn't even wait for the Peacekeepers to reach him before he's already heading for the stage. I can't even see Haru anymore, though from Momiji and Kyo's gaze, I think he might have fallen to his knees. I hope he hasn't collapsed…

"If I may?" we hear Yuki ask, after he ascends the stage. "I respectfully request that nobody volunteers for me at this time."

This shocks everyone, but the girls' furious cries are reduced to nothing bout loud cries. And so stand Yuki and Rin, unflinching, surveying the crowd, as the cameras zoom up on them. I know they're looking strong because they have to; they want to get sponsored from a deity. It's one of the few things that can tip the odds in our favor in things… but… it seems… that won't be helping us this year, either.

"Before we conclude the Reaping ceremony, the Gods have asked me to tell you: there will be no sponsors this year. In an effort to prevent favoritism from districts, all tributes will be entirely on their own," he states.

It's too much… Rin… almost Kisa… and now Yuki… Mom… help me. How… how can this day get any worse…? What should I do…? I know I have to be strong for them but… I'm losing two people very dear to me… even if they don't die in the arena… how can we ever go back to the way things were…?

Author's Notes:

Short explanation time on how this whole ordeal is going to work!

The games themselves are still in progress, so for now I'm only doing the intro stuff. All events that take place in the Districts will be in their appropriately-titled stories in the proper crossover section. Once that's all taken care of and it collapses into one story, I'll put the title at the end of each District Introduction Section (or just click on my author name to find it yourself).

The entire story is being decided solely on a complicated series of dice rolls, to prevent bias on my part and to make it so even I have no idea how this is going to end or who is going to win.

Let me be clear: this is not going to be an "everyone bands together and fights the evil powers and they all survive" story. As of writing this paragraph, eight tributes are dead. So if you see your favorite character selected… well, don't get mad if they don't make it through.

That's all for now. May the odds be ever in your (favorite characters') favor.