Author's Note: There seemed to be a tragic lack of Hunger games/ Swan Queen fics, which honestly surprised me because really was I the only one that went "HUNGER GAMES!" when Regina walked in front of the flaming symbol?
Summary: Emma volunteers for her younger sister, Snow at what should have been a normal reaping. As they travel to the capitol, she realizes that she will have to fight aa girl she met years ago to survive.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the hunger games or once upon a time.
The choice was simple. Hearing "Snow White" called from Effie Trinket's lips was the worst thing she could have imagined, but that changed instantly as she saw the tears not only on her little sister's face, but also the tears on her fiancé James' face. Their sorrow could only add to the pain she felt in her heart already though. As Snow began to slowly walk forward, Emma rushed into the aisle so filled already with the guards that were here to 'protect' her. "I volunteer," she cries, and the whole square falls silent. The only noise she hears is the rustle of Effie's dress as she walks to the edge of the podium to greet her and her own heavy labored breathing.
Effie asks her name, "dear." As if. But Emma gives it anyways, curt and simple, like she appears, no doubt, to this capitol citizen. "Emma Swan," and Effie announces it to the still silent crowd as they raise, as one, three finger to their lips to say goodbye. With long blonde hair whipping through the wind in this desolate district 12, it is no wonder that all voices have been silenced even had she not been the first volunteer in years. All but Effie's voice apparently, and Emma trips a little as the woman stumbles on in her irksome capitol accent. It knocks the made-up woman a little to the side, and she proceeds with her name drawing.
The next name drawn is "Graham Humbert" and as the tall, dark-eyed man walks confidently to the podium, Emma cringes on the inside. Graham was the only one in the district who had snuck out more than Emma herself, and there was a running bet in the hidden bar that Granny and Red ran that one day, neither of them would return. But Emma knew differently. She knew about the little home under the bank, so carefully concealed by plants. About the dust covered bed and counter-tops. About the little grave right next to the bigger one, hidden behind the house, under the waterfall. And she knew where Graham went when he was outside, so her heart went out to her friend, the lonely man.
As he stepped up to Effie, Graham smiled at Emma, and she knew in that moment that he was glad for his selection somehow, and she smiled back. Great. A powerful ally already. They walk together into the justice building, Effie leading the way and gabbing the while about pointless things like how comfy the beds would be or how good the food would taste. Emma rolls her eyes, and prepares to trip into her again, but Graham winks at her, and then does so himself, smacking Effie's behind as he recovers. She looks scathingly back at the two who were trying very hard not to laugh, but says nothing. Which after all was the goal.
They separate now, going into their separate rooms to bid goodbye, and Graham slouches as he enters his, and Emma feels sorry for him, but pushes that thought aside to say goodbye to her own family. Snow and James are there already, hand in hand, and they reach out their arms to embrace her as she walks in. Emma shakes their arms off gruffly, secretly wiping the tear from her eye as she looks away.
"James, you better take good care of her now, do you hear? I don't want to come back and find out that you've had to sell off mom's best china just to eat all-right? And don't let her take out extra tesserae. Granny owes me a little, and she can help you two out for the next year until neither of you can be reaped."
He nods and shakes Emma's proffered hand before stepping back to let Snow tackle-hug her sister again. She is crying, and instead of her being the one to calm the new tribute, Emma wraps her arms around her sister whispering that everything will be okay. Yes, it's a lie, and mother would be furious, but at this point, there is little to do. They stay like that, holding each other until distant steps can be heard signaling James' and Snow's impending departure.
Snow leans forward to whisper in her ear, "I'm going to name our daughter after you," before pulling back and standing next to James. Surprised, Emma looks at them both and gives them a bone crushing hug while whispering, "You could do so much better, Snow," in her sister's ear right before they are dragged away.
Left alone in the empty chamber, Emma stands in the center of the room, perfectly still, just listening to the silence. She tries to picture what her little namesake will be like, and another tear slips past her eyelids as she thinks of the horrible world she would be born into. Suddenly, the door creaks open. She spins, expecting, well, she didn't know what to expect, but Red certainly was not it. The usually straightforward, jovial girl was now standing silent, awkwardly hopping from one foot to the other as she thinks of what to say. She jumps forward and stuffs something in Emma's hand as she gives her a hug before rushing away.
Clipped to the silken handkerchief that the item is wrapped in is a note written in Granny's hasty scrawl. Emma smirks as she realizes she's never seen it on anything other than a bar tab, but reads the note quickly as she turns the item over in her hands.
"Your mother gave me this when we were young, before all of this happened. I think she would have wanted you to have it now." She unwraps the fabric to reveal a gold pin with a delicately carved apple tree on the front, and right as the soldiers enter to take her to the train, she pins it to her tunic.
After settling in their rooms on the train, which for Emma meant jumping on the bed to see how high she could get (amazing air!), the tributes and their future mentor met in the dining car. Effie was there, primly drinking a cup of tea, and across from her sat Leroy, the town drunk and only previous district 12 victor. He looked both of them over, lingering on Emma longer than she liked, before throwing back his entire amber beverage and wiping his mouth with his shirt sleeve.
"Looks like we have two fighters this year. Effie, what did you do, rig the draw?"
She blushes and brings her pink gloved hand to her mouth in shock. "I would never—"
"Sure you wouldn't. As if it matters now." He walks up to Graham and shakes his hand firmly. "So sorry to see you here, my friend. I wish—"
"Don't be sorry. I'm not." Graham cuts in shortly, and Emma turns her head. Those are the most words she has ever heard from his mouth at one time, but her attention is soon caught back up in Leroy who had now stepped in front of her and was gazing up and down her body.
"Emma! So good to see you with clothes on for once." She steps forward to take a swing at the man, but Graham pulls her back. "Not very friendly, this one, is she?" Leroy asks Effie, whose mouth may just have hit the table in shock at his words. Seeing he may have gone a little too far, Leroy puts on a more somber face and turns back to Emma. "Sorry. Good clothes then."
Sensing that things may just be about to go down in a really bad way, Effie steps between Emma and their drunken mentor right as the blonde finished rolling up the sleeves on the simple blue dress that Snow had spent hours poring over. It had been intended for the wedding, but the reaping had come first. "Shall we all sit down and watch the other reapings now?" She leaves them little choice, taking Emma's wrist and pulling as she pushes Graham over to the sofa. They sit down as one: Effie, Emma, and Graham in a row on a couch but Leroy takes a chair and puts his feet up on the table inspiring another glare from Effie. He just chuckles and takes a swig from his hip flask as she looks away in barely concealed disgust.
She presses a button and a screen lowers in front of the four, playing the propaganda that always is presented before the reapings. Effie taps her foot to the music and sways a little before Emma "accidently" steps on it as she reaches for a glass of water. Oh please, just make it stop. As the tape rolls on, Emma pays little attention to her irksome announcer and watches her own reaping with composure, savoring the final sight of Snow and James and storing it in her memory.
For the other eleven reapings, Emma leans forward to study her future opponents. In district 11, a small brunette is pulled from the arms of a much taller man as tears course down his face. She makes no motion to struggle and indeed looks calm, making a final defiant glare at the camera before being led away. The man chosen is huge and angry as he roars before being led on stage. It takes six men to bring him forward, and Emma notes to watch out for him. Both tributes from 9 and 10 are small, virtually children, and Emma's heart twinges for their parents before she regains her focus and hopes for their sakes that their deaths are quick. Painless. From 8, a clear-faced girl is chosen, and the smile on her face when the man, an older boy with a limp, is chosen is quickly wiped away as she realized that only one could survive. Emma notes to watch out for her as well.
From 5, 6, and 7, she notes nothing special from the tributes, but they all appear well fed and for this reason she marks down to watch them as well. Although, often softness comes with being well fed… Another volunteer is seen from district 4. The first girl chosen was tiny, and crying bitter tears as the guards began to pull her away from the woman who must have been her mother. A girl steps forward. Her sister? Same eyes and skin tone. Definitely sisters. Her sister steps up and takes her place with something like pride gleaming on her and her family's face, yet another one Emma decides to watch out for.
The tributes from 2 and 3 are careers, trained and hardened fighters, and all volunteers. They look hardy, gleeful, and fierce as they stare out at the crowd and cheer as they are led away. Emma begins to sink back in her seat (Winning is going to be impossible) but a flash of purple catches her eye when the woman from district 1 is selected. The name called out, Regina Mills, means nothing to Emma but the eyes, the hair, that smile all do. She thinks back to a time alone in the forest four years ago, when she'd travelled farther than ever before. She'd seen that girl once before, and many times after in her dreams. Oh no, that was the girl, her fairy tale princess brought back to life in front of her, and to get home to her sister and future namesake, Emma would have to kill her.
The tape ends and Emma covers her face with a pillow. Oh Crap.