"I volunteer!"
Kai blinked. His head spun around and he felt a sickening feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. Sure enough, the crowd of teenage girls parted to reveal the one who had called out. At once the look of determination in her dark brown eyes turned to fear, a look which she quickly covered by raising her head high and flipping the long jet black hair she kept in a loose ponytail over her shoulder. She was smaller than most of them, and not very curvy, but you could tell just by looking at her that she was strong, a perfect "career" tribute. But young. She was so young. Fourteen, to be exact.
And how was it that Kai knew this when District 2 was one of the most populous in Ninjago? Because she was his sister.
"What is your name, love?" asked the man who stood up on the stage. He tossed the slip of paper that read the name of some other girl back into the bowl as the small girl took timid steps toward the stage, though she kept trying to look determined.
When she opened her mouth, all that came out at first was a whisper, but she quickly recovered by clearing her throat. "Nya Kajiya."
The man laughed. "I think someone's a little nervous. Come on up here, Nya, and we'll choose the boy to join you in the Capitol."
She nearly tripped on the stairs up to the stage, and with every step she took Kai felt his hands shaking more and more, and by the time she stood in front of everyone with her head held high, he was amazed he hadn't vomited yet.
The man swirled his hand around in the bowl before finally plucking a slip of paper from one corner. He held it up to read the name, but when he opened his mouth Kai mustered up every bit of courage he had left and practically screamed.
"I volunteer as tribute!"
When the other boys parted around him, he tried to avoid looking at his sister's face. He knew she would be shocked, angry, sad. It was bad enough that he felt the same way when he heard her voice, he didn't want to feel it again when he saw those same emotions on her face. He walked forward, keeping his eyes on the man from the Capitol that had been sent to read names. As he climbed the stairs, the man asked for his name.
He took a deep breath. "Kai Kajiya."
"Kajiya?" The man looked back and forth between Kai and Nya as the former took his place on the stage. "Didn't you say that was your last name, love?" he asked Nya. Kai assumed she nodded, because a second later the announcer looked back at the crowd and said excitedly, "This is unprecedented! A brother and sister in the same competition! Extraordinary! Oh, I would ask what your reasons are for volunteering in the same year, but I'm sure we'll hear all about it when you get to the Capitol! I can't wait!"