The 25th Annual Hunger Games: A change of destiny

Author Note: Hey! Okay, yes, I am aware that in the books, the First Quarter Quell's rule change was that the districts had to vote which tributes entered the arena. BUUUUUUUT a VERY good friend and practical sister of mine, Erudite-Dauntless Girl, and I were not aware of this, (well….I wasn't….) when we began a roleplay with two OCs of our, Airmet and Valerina.

So we came up with this, and I do believe our roleplay is bloody good! :D Enjoy, folks, and here's to you, Erudite-Dauntless Girl! Thanks for being epic ;)


Valerina, District Seven, P. O. V.

"Thissy?" Emmi cooed in my ear. I groggily opened my eyes ans saw my two little sisters sitting over me, their long blonde hair brushing my face.

"Good morning, you two," I said quietly, not wanting to awake our father who was, once again, in a drunken stupor.

"Good morning, sissty!" they said back.

"Today you two have to dress really nice, okay? Mr. Estaer will take you to town while I'm around, and I'll be back right after the party in the square. Don't worry." They nodded their little heads, blue eyes promising and innocent.


After I dressed in a black silk shirt and a white blouse my mother left when she died, I walked to the silent town square. The district escort came up on stage and her whole spiel about how great the Games are. Then she introduced our mayor, who gave the whole speech about Panem's history and how long the Games started. When he finally finished, he called the escort back on stage.

"Ladies first!" she squealed as she wobbled her way over the crystal ball that contained my name 20 times. Five because I was seventeen, and fifteen for tesserae that I took for Emmi, Eve, and myself.

She approached the microphone, and read the name that would change someone's life:

"Valerina Ivory!"

I stood amidst my fellow swventeen year olds, frozen. In shock, in fear, in disbelief. The other girls in my section pushed me forward; I don't recall moving, but I know I eventually made it up to the stage. When I approached the microphone, the escort, Permura, smiled, revealing straight white teeth in the shapes of hearts. I cringed back from her, and she put a hand up to her chest, offended. But a few seconds later, seemingly recovered, the grabbed another slip of paper and read the name.

"Wade Roxen!" the boy walked up to the stage, not even hesitating. Once he made it up, Permura took both of our hands and thrust them in the air, "Ladies and gentlemen, your tributes for the 25th Annual Hunger Games, Wade and Valerina!"


Some Peacekeepers led Wade and I into the Justice Building as I trembled and shook. Wade looked over at me with warm brown eyes, a look of sympathy in them. He reached out his hand and pressed to fingers to my wrist, a sacred tradition in District Seven meaning luck, love, and peace. The small action meant so much to me; my mother had to that to me before she took the final deadly blow from my father. I shook myself out of my memory and felt a small tear slide down my cheek.

I sat in the luxurious waiting room of the Justice Building and waited. The silence of the large room scared; there was nothing, no sound in the room. The maddening silence pounded in my ears, driving me crazy. Suddenly, the heavy oak door of the room slammed open, revealing two teary-eyed little girls.

Ermmi and Eve rushed over to my hunched figure on the couch, taking my long brown hair in their tiny hands and bombed their fingers through it. They always did it when I was sad because they knew it relaxed me.

"Sissy, where are you going?" Emmi asked, I look up to her through teary eyes and took them both into a tight embrace.

"Far away, but I will be back soon, okay?" I said hoarsely, and she nodded.

"I'm gonaa miss you tho much, Val," Eve said. I looked into her turquoise eyes and saw so much love, so much care, that I burst into tears.

And even though they didn't know why I was crying, my two little sisters began sobbing too. We sat there embracing and sobbing for three minutes, or at least until the Peacekeepers came in and gently took the two loves of my life away from me. Emmi and Eve wailed and sobbed as the men carried them away. I did too, but I knew that if I tried to get them, I would be tazed. So I just sat there and cried.

"I love you two so much," I whispered, long after they left the room.

Silence again.

I sat there and waited for the Peacekeepers to take me away.

My world came crashing down around me, leaving me unsure about anything. Actually, that wasn't true. I was sure about one thing, and the thing only. And I clung to that one thing for my dear life: I was going to win. I was going to come back to my little sisters, and make their life good.


We were loaded into a slick black car that sped us to the train at the more hi-end part of our district. The car came to a stop, and Wade and I were ushered out into the awaiting train. I ran in and found food and luxurious furniture everywhere. I filled my thin hands with rich food, then stuffed my mouth full. I repeated this process until I thought I was going to explode.

Permuma found me laying stiffly on a soft couch and escorted me to a bedroom with a satiny bed that plopped down onto, and fell asleep the quiet rush of air coming from outside the train.


I awoke to Wade shaking me gently. My eyes snapped open and met those soft brown ones as he smiled and said, "Hi. We have food in the dining cart if you want any. We'll be in the Capitol in about two hours."

I nodded, and although, I wasn't hungry, I got up and followed him out of my room and to the dining cart.

"Good afternoon, sleepy one!" Permuma purred. I smiled and tried to be pleasant in attitude, but just couldn't, given the situation ahead of me.

Killing Wade would be very hard, considering he had a family and Briar, his girlfriend, to return to. But I had two little sisters that NEEDED me, that I was going to return to.


We sat around the table and exchanged quiet pleasantries. Permuma was the one to speak and bring up topics, allowing us to nod or mumbled "yes" or "no" whenever needed.

"Oh, and that reminds me! Don't forget this year is what's called a 'Quarter Quell'. It has a different rule change in it that makes it stand out from the previous years. Some sort of twist….I wonder what it will be!" she squealed in delight.

I'd never heard of Quarter Quell. Whenever Capitol things were showing, I turned the sound as low as it went, so that Emmi and Eve wouldn't the hear the new horrors that the president was forcing on us.

"You two do know what the Quell is, right?" she inquired, raising an accusing perfectly plucked and waxed eyebrow.

Wade and I answered at the same time, but were opposite, "No," and "Yeah, it's mandatory."

Permuma smiled at Wade, but then looked at me in horror, "It's ILLGAL not to watch the President's announcements! I would have thought you would have known this!"

I shrugged, "What's this year's Quell?"

I decided to ask, even though I didn't really care to hear about it. Just another way of the torture, straight from the devil in Hell himself.


Airmet, District Eleven, P. O. V.

"Air, why do we gotta get all dressed up?" Jackson inquired innocently as I pulled a plaid shirt over his head. He is the most fitting of what most people look like in our district: Black hair that nature styles in interesting ways with curls on his small forehead, and big, brown eyes that remind me of a young deer's.

"Yeah! What's a repeaing?" Emmaliegh titled her head to the side, and I smiled as gently as I could to them. She looks so much like me it's not hard to believe she is my little sister; Her blonde hair is half brown, however, unlike mine, that is total blonde, and her eyes and brown and somewhat big, like my own.

"Well….you don't want to know," I quickly changed the subject to avoid further questions and pressing, "come on. Let's eat our toast and cream puffs."

I'd saved so long to get them butter and the bakery food, and they obviously enjoyed. I smiled to both of them as they hugged my hugged my legs, thinking of how innocent they were, even though Emma can be a little devil and Jackson can be a not-so-innocent angel.

Emma's seven. Jackson's four.

They stand alone behind the restraining ropes in the back with several families, all the ages of that not yet qualifying to be in the Reaping Bowl or too old to have their name entered. I have my name in there six times because I'm thirteen and because I take tesserae for my siblings, and I would be in there more for my parents, but they are both dead. I'm not really sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

I am pulled from my thoughts as our obviously emo escort steps onto the stage. He is punk and young, with slick black hair that is cut in triangle shapes around his head, and his eyes are so black they are purple. He reads a card lifelessly on what he is apparently supposed to say to us before picking the name on the very top of the bowl, looking like he wished he could be anywhere but here, but for different reasons than our District.

"Airmet Jumpneptune!"


I was dragged onto the stage, and by that tiem, the male tribute's name was ready, "Trace Longstein!"

I can barely hear it; I'm sobbing and shaking violently. I am struggling ,fighting to stay strong for my brother and sister. I meet Emma's eyes, and by the way they look so worried, so knowing of the bad to come, I have little doubt she knows it's purely up to her to take of our little brother, who is currently pointing at me with teary eyes, no doubt asking Emma what's going on and why I am having a complete breakdown.

Suddenly, Trace has grabbed my hands, and I find it trembling as much as mine. Our hands were pulled into the air by our escort….Unjack, I think his name is, as he announced lifelessly, "Here are your tributes for District Eleven this year, Airmet and Trace."

It was too soon when we were being pushed into the Justice Building, where I'd have to say my last goodbyes….I felt so sick.

"Just be brave," Trace mumbled as I was shoved into a room, and the teardrops poured out heavier as his words echoed in my head.

None the less, I tried my best to dry it up when Emma and Jack entered, but it was to no avail. They clung to me, her latched onto my shoulder and him latched onto my leg. They slowly eased into my lap, fitting perfectly because they are both so small, frail…breakable. I kissed them both and wrapped my own thin arms around them.

"I will come back…." I whispered hoarsely from congestion and heavy grief.

"I no let nobody give me bath but you," Jack cooed, like he knew it would be okay, "or feed me but you."

"I'll feed you," Emma kissed his cheek, and when he smiled, I did my best attempt at one myself.

"You two be good," and when they were gone, I feel like a part of me had, too.


Oh my gosh….so much food….SO MUCH FOOD….

As soon as I'd made myself sick three times on the rich stuff, I crawled under the bed and fell asleep. When Unjack found me to tell me it was diner, I all but hissed at him. I just wanted to be alone….maybe if I stayed here, I'd die the Games even began…..


"Hey," Trace woke me up the next morning, "let's eat something."

I groaned loudly and tried to ignore him. I'd starve to death if I didn't die in the bloodbath…..man, I was screwed. And so were Emmaliegh and Jackson.

"You are such a boy," WOW, that sounded mean….but I just wasn't ever to be happy again.

Let's just say I was surprised when he picked me up and start to spoon-feed me.

I knew this year was Quarter Quell, and there had been rumors of our District mates voting on who was going to be going in. I never did find out, since our home doesn't have a TV or even a small radio. I'm thirteen and I've been raising a seven year old and four year old alone for almost three years….what did they expect? Besides, I never went into town unless it was absoulutley vital for our survival. I'm not a big people person in general….I know despite the fact the adults and full families aren't much better, they judge me, and the sucky adoption home is always trying to take them from me.

When Unjack told us what it was though, I went absolutely hysterical.

"This year, any siblings of the tributes will be participating as well!"