Pema comes to collect me and quietly helps me up. She then treats me to a smile, and says, "You'll be alright. If there's anyone that I have hope for, it's you.

Tenzin believes in you. They all do."

"What if I can't win?"I ask.

"Then you'll have done your best."

"What's the best going to do when I'm dead?"

"The best is all that matters. At least you would go down with a fight. Now, let's go take the train so we can travel to the headquarters. We'll have to wait for the other tributes to arrive there. Come along."

We traverse through the hallways, that I now notice are finely decorated. I ask, "How come I'm a Republic City tribute. Not from the Southern Tribe."

She gives a shrug. "Perhaps because you've come here to train with Tenzin they consider you citizen of Republic City. I don't know. But you are very lucky to be from the Capitol. You will get the most sponsors."

"I guess… Where's the other tribute?"

"The boy who volunteered for his brother?" I see a flash of something in Pema's eyes. "He's waiting in the Satomobile already."

"Oh. Alright."
We walk the rest of the way in silence, and two White Lotus guards hold open the doors.

I sit down and find myself next to Mako. I notice him clutching his scarf. He doesn't spare me a glance. I do the same and turn my head away.

Pema talks to us from the front seat. "You will meet your mentors at the train station. You can choose one to have or share them equally. Your call."

"We can do both, I guess," Mako says. "Take strategies from both and do one and one."I look at him in surprise. Maybe he's not so rude after all. "If she doesn't mind."
Before I open my mouth Pema says a bit coldly, "Why would she mind? I expect the two of you to be nice to each other. At least until the games. Be polite. I'm sure your Mother has taught you manners."
"Maybe when I was young. I don't remember. I don't have a mother," he replies quietly.

"Oh...I'm sorry for your loss," Pema says.

"I'm sorry," I say. He just gives us an unreadable look and turns his head away.

We enter the station after passing through the familiar streets of the City. I walk through the station, which happens to be very elaborately decorated with different metals, and a lot of silver clocks hanging throughout.

I don't get to look around much more, as we are ushered into the train.

Pema takes us to what looks like the dining carriage, and as our trip begins I notice the other occupants in the room.

"Why hello, uhvatar," a man leers at me. I just nod at him, slightly weirded out. I'm mostly numb now, about my current predicament.

"Nice to meet you," a woman greets us, with a visible scar on her face. "Lin Bei Fong."

"Bei Fong?" surprise brings some feeling back to me. "As in, Toph Bei Fong's daughter."
"Ya what of it?"
"Well she was best friends with Aang."
"That's old news," she says, with a tone that cautions me to drop it, and I do. "We're your mentors, if you couldn't tell. That strange one is Tahno."

"Strange? Well chief, who are you calling strange?"

"Chief?" I ask, puzzled.

"Ex-police chief. Don't worry about it kid. We have more serious issues here."

"When will you start teaching us?" Mako asks.

"Take it easy there," Tahno tells him.

Lin holds up a hand and says, "Whenever you'd like."

"What should we do as soon as we enter the arena.?"

"Run. Run like a bastard," Tahno says.

"Though I wouldn't have used the vulgarity, I agree," Lin shoots him a slight look.

Tahno snorts. "I'm plenty sure you're prone to profanity, chief."
"I'm not the chief anymore, you-"
"Mentors please! Please with the bickering, can we get along?" LIn looks at her and they share a strange look. Even I can sense the tension, and they hush. "Now, how about we all have some dinner, and just go to bed," she clasps her hands together and smiles at us. I haven't seen her this cheerful in a while. Maybe she just wants to be pleasant to the people who are slated to die? Or does she find hope in her unborn child. Whatever it maybe, I feel a bit happier at her smiles, forced or not.

Pema then gestures at us to follow her, and we do.

We walk into a hallway with small chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling. "The doors each have your name on it. You'll find all that you need in your rooms. Goodnight." she bows with the White Lotus symbol, and we mimic her action, and I walk into the door with Korra engraved in metal on top. I would be impressed at the fast workmanship if my situation wasn't so dire.

I enter the room and although it's compact, the few pieces of furniture are elaborate. I find it to find clothes of assorted colors, but I pick the familiar white and blue colors. And I think of the nice things I had in life. My parents. Naga. Playing in the snow. The adrenaline whenever I trained. The feel of the elements. At least I still have my elements. I let some fire into my palm, and it warms me. Tenzin always says that I should've been born in the fire nation, because I have a hot head, and he says it's bound to get me into trouble. I remember when I first discovered the elements, they always have come easy to me, and I was smashing through the walls, giving my parent's heart attacks. At least I could mend the walls as fast as I broke them. Then spread the rumors and the White Lotus came and took my life away.

Not my actual life, obviously. But I was always in the compound, rarely allowed excursions. I never had any friends, except for Naga and my masters.
I let go the thoughts of home and go to sleep. I'll need it.