"Amu, wake up. It's recruiting day."
My eyes opened slightly to see my mother hovering over my bed. She wore a familiar worried look, as if the world would end at any minute. It was Recruiting day, for thirty-three twelve to eighteen year olds the world was going to come to and end.
I lived in the country of New Tokyo. You'll probably tell me that Tokyo is a city, not a country. And you would've been right, if you had said it a hundred years prior. But that was before the rebellion, before Japan burned and from it's ashes gave birth to New Tokyo, before the entire country found out about guardian characters, before the games, before everything.
It was the day everyone, except those who live in the capitol, dread, but are forced to treat like a holiday. Today was the day the capitol chose who'd participate in the battle to the death known as The Guardian Games. It all started the day the hearts egg outbreak began. Even though I wasn't even born yet, I felt like I could remember it like it was yesterday. We were taught about it enough.
Nobody knew how or why it happened, but hundreds of adolescents, twelve to eighteen year olds were realizing their dreams, realizing who they wanted to be, thus laying guardian eggs. While they were finding themselves, the adults were realizing that the capitol had too much power. The people of the fourteen districts were so outraged, they went against the capitol. They pushed their children, made them believe in who they wanted to be so they could use their character transformations to fight a war they had no clue was even happening. Thirteen of the districts were defeated and the fourteenth...never existed if you ask the capitol. In result of the war, The Guardian Games were born.
The capitol blamed the rebellion on the hearts egg outbreak. They said it gave the people of the districts mass weapons and if they were willing to sacrifice their children before, they wouldn't have a problem doing it again. That's why the Guardian games were for twelve to eighteen year olds who bear guardian characters. Each year on a day known as Recruiting Day ,the whole population of New Tokyo witnesses thirty-three innocent twelve to eighteen year old guardian bearers be chosen to participate in a fight for their lives.
I've realized that all the capitol is saying is, "We have so much power, that we can make your children kill each other and their dreams again and again and again. And we're gonna make you think you caused it."
I trudged to my closet and grabbed my old school uniform. I slipped on my uniform and my guardian cape. All character bearers had to wear capes to identify themselves on Recruiting Day, girl character bearers wore red capes and boy character bearers wore blue ones, but there are very few who wore purple or black capes. Girls who's Guardian characters had been marked with an 'X', but could still be used to character transform had purple capes and boys in the same situation wore a black cape. As I walked to my dresser, my guardian characters floated over to me.
"Amu-Chan, there is no need to worry. There are thousands of other names," Ran said
"Yes, I know. But I'm seventeen now, that means my name should only be in the bowl five times, but times five by four and add the amount of times my name has been added for supplies kits"
How many times your name was entered in the bowl was based on age, amount of guardian characters, and supply kits.
Supply kits are needed for the poorest districts. I lived in district Seiyo, which was once a town called Seiyo. What was once a beautiful town became a poor house. Because of this we needed supplies like medicine, food, clothes .One supply kits supplied one person with basic necessities, like food, clothes, etcetera. The only way the capitol would give us these necessities was for those of eligible to be in the games to put our name in the bowl four more times in exchange for one supply kit. I entered for four supply kits, one for each of the members in my family, resulting in my name going in the bowl sixteen more times.
By the age of seventeen your name was entered five times. Before I even entered for supply kits my name was in the bowl twenty times. My name was in the bowl thirty-six times this year.
"Amu- chan it'll be okay. Rumor is there's a girl who's registration claims she has five guardian characters," Dia attempted to calm me down.
"Yeah, and if that's true I'm sure there's other kids like her, but look at age and if they need supply kits.
"Breakfast," my mother calls.
I walked into the kitchen and sat at the wobbly table, eating breakfast in silence.
"Amu, it's eight, o, clock. We have to head to the square."
My guardian characters, Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia sat in their eggs. I placed the eggs in my bag and headed to the front door. I waited at the door as my mother dressed my little sister, Ami. My dad was running around the house taking pictures of everything I owned.
"Dad, what are you doing?" I asked
"Taking pictures of all your memories for you to take with you to the Capital."
" We don't even know if I'm going to be in the games and if I am I can't bring a pound of pictures with me," I complained.
"The risk is too high, I want you to have these memories."
My mom came into the room with Ami and we headed out.
As we walked to the square I took in my surroundings. Everywhere we turned there were people crying. Recruiting day hadn't even officially started and there was so much crying. I suddenly felt bad for the families of the thirty-three kids that were about to be chosen. At the start of the games they had to worry and wonder if their kid will survive. But at the end thirty-two families would be grieving over the loss of their child.
When we arrived at the square, I stared at the kids lining up in five neat lines. Which line is based on how many guardian characters you have. I walked over to the four guardian character line and waited for the lines to fill in. After everyone filed into their lines, Recruiting day began.