A/N: I don't own anything but the concept. I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. Big shout-out to Princesakarlita411 for being the 100th reviewer and of course big thanks to everyone that has reviewed to get to that number.
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Kim woke up slowly the next morning. She had dreamed about Scorpina attacking her and Mesogog dragging Scorpina off her and killing her. Mesogog told her that he was letting her go this one time because of what she had done for Shayla. Once he said her name, Kim saw Shayla standing between her and Mesogog with the flowers in her hair that Kim had weaved into it. The little girl was dressed in white and looked exactly how an angel would look minus the halo. It had been the final image in her mind before she woke up.
She looked back at Tommy and saw that he wasn't shaking for once which was good. It meant that he no longer had a fever. The medicine had worked and now all they had to do was survive to win. Throughout the night, she had expected Tommy to relapse but he hadn't, thankfully. She didn't know what was in that medicine but it was a miracle as far as she was concerned. She knew how bad Tommy had been before getting it.
Rolling away from him, she stood up and stepped outside the cave. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon but the heat of the day was already hotter this morning than all of yesterday. Apparently the council was turning up the heat which made her remember the lower water level last night. It was something to be worried about but at least they did have water at the moment so it would give them time to find another water supply if the river was dried up. She feared that the lake near Goldar would be the only supply but they would deal with that when the time came. Looking around she also noticed that the ground was dryer than what it had been. There had been no dew like the other mornings but given the heat already it could have been here just evaporated already. They really had cut off the water supply in the arena with the raise in temperature.
"Its hotter today than it has been." Tommy said behind her but she didn't jump or anything because she had heard him step behind her. He wasn't the quietest person in the woods but she didn't expect him to be because he had never hunted before. She didn't think that he had ever been in the woods before now.
"It is and dryer than yesterday." She said turning around to face him. "We need to find some water and food today." She stated as he nodded. They had eaten the last of their food last night. "How are you feeling?" She asked feeling his forehead with her hand. He definitely wasn't running a fever she noted before removing her hand.
"Better, almost better than when I entered the Games." He said with a smile. "You know I think nursing runs in your family."
"I'm not sure about that but I know that my mom and sister are good at it. They would have known which plant to give you days ago." She muttered looking away from him. She knew that she wasn't the healer in the family but the hunter. She had never liked to see anyone injured or sick because she felt so helpless around them. Sometimes she even left her own home when someone was bought to her mother to heal.
"Kimberly, you saved me." He said stepping closer to her. "You did it without anyone's help." He said taking her shoulders in his hands and gave them a squeeze. She felt so small in his hands that he was afraid to let her go but he knew that she was stronger than he was or could ever think about being. She had a backbone of steel, to go through all she had and still stand strong.
"Well Zordon did send the medicine with the money from our sponsors." She pointed out trying not to smile. "So I didn't do it all by myself." She muttered.
"He might have sent the tool but you are the one that did the work." He said smiling down at her. "Also don't forget that you found me and fed me before you ever got the medicine. You kept me alive so that I could get the medicine." He reminded her as she nodded. "You are the reason that I am alive."
"I guess you're right." She said looking up at him. "Come on, we better some water and food before it gets too hot." She said getting her emotions back under control. They still had tributes to find and take care of before they could be declared winners. The woods were starting to come alive with the animals all beginning to move around for the day. It would be a perfect time to hunt with that much movement going on.
"You led the way." Tommy said as Kim nodded before ducking back into the cave to gather their stuff up. It was mainly hers since Tommy had lost his bag the morning of the Stinger Winger attack. After everything was packed away, they left the cave in search of food and water. She had her bow raised in hopes of catching some animal that was unaware of them moving around as Tommy walked behind her rather loudly.
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"Finster, your surprise is ready for tonight." Ivan stated from behind Finster.
"Thank you, now how is the water supply?" He asked without turning around. He was watching Tommy and Kimberly make their way into the woods. They had finally emerged from the cave so that meant that it was time for Finster to end the Games.
"Its all gone except for the lake like you asked. They will have to get it from the lake if they want any water." He replied as Finster nodded. Everything was working out perfectly. "Is there anything else you would like done?" He asked.
"No just monitor the tributes and let me know once they are close to each other." He said as Ivan nodded and backed away.
Finster smiled as he watched the tributes get up and start moving around. He could feel that today was the day that he would announce a victor. It was only a matter of time now. The end of the tunnel was finally in sight and not a moment too soon.
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"Okay this isn't working." Tommy said after about an hour of trying to find food. "I'm being too loud and scaring everything off." He said stopping.
Kim sighed as she looked back at him. She didn't want to lie to him but she couldn't hurt his feelings either. "You're just not used to hunting. How about you gather some berries while I hunt." She suggested as he nodded. "Okay don't wander too far because I won't be able to hear you that well and we'll meet back up in an hour." She said as he nodded before leaving her alone to hunt.
Kim smiled as she continued with her hunt. Stalking through the woods, she killed two rabbits and one squirrel within the first thirty minutes. Tommy had been the problem but at least he would still be getting them food. Whatever berries and nuts he found would be great and hopefully he might find some fruit. She hadn't found any yet but she had been focused on getting some kind of meat and trying to stay alive so fruit hadn't been high on her list.
She gathered up her game and cleaned her arrows when she heard the cannon fired. It was muted but she knew that was because of the loss of hearing in her ear. Spinning around, she took off running back to where Tommy should be. He shouldn't have to go far because there had been plenty of berries around where she left him.
"Tommy?" She called out looking around for him. "Tommy?" She called out again when he didn't answer. She didn't know if it was because she couldn't hear that well or if it was because the cannon had been for him. She took off running and saw his jacket laying the ground with berries and nuts on it. It looked like he had found strawberries, blueberries, and something that stopped her heart; nightshade. Did Tommy eat any of the berries he had collected? Looking up she tried to see if she could see his body anywhere but she couldn't find him.
"TOMMY!" She screamed not caring who was around. Where was he? She jumped up and took off running again only to bump into him. "Tommy!" She cried when she saw who it was.
"What's wrong?" He asked trying not to drop the berries he had in his hand but she was scaring him. She was yelling when anyone could be close enough to kill them.
"You didn't answer when I called. What are you doing with those?" She asked slapping the berries out of his hand causing him to wonder what was going on.
"I didn't hear you until just now and I was collecting them for us to eat." He said trying to figure out why Kim was acting like he had done something wrong.
"Those berries will kill you in seconds, its Nightshade." She choked out as Tommy gathered her into his arms. "I was so scared when you didn't answer." She cried into his chest trying to gain control of her emotions but she kept remembering him holding those berries.
Tommy sighed while rubbing her back. He really hadn't heard her call out for him but he thought he heard a cannon which was why he was on his way back to find her. He had been trying to be quiet so that it didn't cost them any food when he had seen her running towards him.
"I heard the cannon and thought it was you." She revealed as he sighed and closed his eyes before resting his chin on top of her head.
"It wasn't me." He said stating the oblivious. "I'm still here." He whispered still rubbing her back.
"I just couldn't find you." She whispered back before pulling back from him. "Who do you think it was?" She asked looking up into his eyes.
He saw the tears that she refused to shed and knew that she really had been scared for him. It gave him some joy that she cared that much. "Don't know but maybe it was Goldar." He said as she smiled. "Let's see if we can find out."
"Okay well the cannon sounded really close to me so maybe they were close to me when they died." She reasoned as he nodded.
"Come on then." He said when he noticed the animals tied to her side. "I'm guessing that you got food." He said pointing to the animals.
"Yea, I got them before the cannon fired." She replied. "I'm sorry for freaking out on you but please promise me that you will never touch Nightshade again." She pleaded as she placed a hand on his arm.
"I promise, I just thought that they were another berry for us to eat. I forget that there are some deadly berries." He replied as she nodded. "Do you think that the strawberries and blueberries are okay?" He asked looking down at his jacket.
"Not sure but they look like the ones that Shayla showed me were safe. They should be alright to eat." She said as they finally came upon the tribute that had died.
"Well you are right those berries are deadly. Its Trakeena." He said as they knelt down next to her. "How did she find those berries?" He asked looking at Kim.
"She stole them. I watched her do the same thing to the supplies that the rangers had. I think it's how she has survived this long." She said gathering the berries out of Trakeena's hand.
"What are you doing?" He asked as they both stood up. Why would she collect those berries if they are deadly?
She smiled at him as she took out a cloth from her pocket to wrap the berries in. "Well she fell for the berries maybe Goldar will too. I mean he has got to be hungry. I did blow up his food." She said with some sass. Tommy laughed as they moved away from Trakeena's body. It was the first time that Tommy had actually seen her in the arena. He couldn't believe that he hadn't seen her until now but that meant that she had been very sneaky moving around. He thought that she was even better at hiding than Kim was or no one cared about her like they did Kim.
"Okay so you got the food covered, I guess we need to find some water." He said as she nodded. "Did you see Trakeena more than that one time at the rangers' supplies?" He asked as she put the berries away.
"No but I always felt like someone was following me." She said as he gave her a look. "Well someone other than the rangers. You know she could have won the Game if she won't have eaten those berries. She was pretty smart and had kept away from everyone." Kim stated as Tommy thought about what she had said. They began walking towards the river where he hoped that they would find water. It was getting hotter and they would need fresh water soon.
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Goldar heard the cannon and knew that Trakeena was dead. There was no questioning that it was Tommy or Kimberly. He wished that he would have been the one to kill her but killing Tommy and Kimberly would satisfy him just as well. Kimberly must have killed her since he knew that lover boy wouldn't kill a fly. He wasn't sure if Tommy had killed anyone yet in the Game. It was like he didn't like killing which was odd for a tribute. Most of them came into the arena not wanting to kill anyone but after about a day that changed because they wanted to survive and win the Game.
Looking around, he noticed that the pond he had passed yesterday was gone now. All that was left was a dried bed. The ground had even begun to crack. The council must be draining the water supply which meant that they wanted the Game over soon. He knew that the only water would be the lake near the beginning. If he played his cards right, he could be close enough to see when Tommy and Kimberly came for water but still be hidden.
Smiling he made his way over the lake. He would wait for Tommy and Kimberly then kill them. It would be the sweetest victory because he would be the one to take down the Firebird and win.
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"It's dry." Kim said as they reached what used to be the river. It was a dry river bed now.
"I don't understand how it can all be gone in a day." Tommy said walking down into it and looked around. "It was deep all the way across."
"The council wants the Game over. I'm sure that they just pulled the plug on the drain and watched all the water leave the arena overnight." She said kicking a rock into the dry bed.
"So what are we going to do about water?" Tommy asked going back to her side.
"They had to leave at least one source of water." She said as he nodded. "It has to be the lake. I mean they want us all together and that is the only open area." She stated taking a breath.
"So what do we do? Follow their plan or make one of our own?" He asked watching her for any ideas that crossed her face but like always her expression was blank.
"We make our own." She said flashing a smile at him.
Tommy smiled as they made their way towards the lake. He knew that Goldar was lying in wait for them but this had to be over sooner or later and he preferred sooner. It would be nice to actually have a bath and more food than a squirrel or rabbit for any meal. They stopped half-way and cooked the animals and ate them before continuing on to the lake. Kim didn't worry about eating all the food because they needed their energy for the upcoming fight and she could always get more if it came to that.
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"They are on their way to the lake." Ivan said as Finster nodded. He watched as Tommy and Kimberly made their way through the woods heading to the lake. His finale was closing in and he couldn't wait. Rubbing his hands he looked at the screen one more time before facing his room full of people.
"I think it's time to turn up the Game. Release my surprise and let's make it night." He said as the people below him all stared. They knew that his surprise was supposed to be released tonight but apparently he wanted to up the time table and end the Game now.
"Are you sure?" Dulcea asked wondering if Tommy and Kim were prepared for what they were about to face.
"I am." Finster answered as she nodded and did as he asked and make it night in the arena. Ivan was in charge of releasing Finster's surprise which no one knew what it was. It was his one thing that he did every year to take care of the last few tributes. A couple of years ago he flooded the arena and the only tribute to lived knew how to swim for hours. It was Aisha's year that got flooded and it added to her fragile mental state now that she had had to swim for days after watching a tribute's head get cut off in front of her.
Dulcea was worried that Kimberly or Tommy might not survive this surprise but she had to have faith that they would make it out okay. She couldn't help them anyway without stopping the Game which would tip her hand.
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"Uh okay its dark in the middle of the day, the council must really want this to end now." Kim whispered. All they had to do was take care Goldar then they would be declared the winners. They had to hold on just a little bit longer.
"How close are we to the lake?" Tommy asked trying to see where they were but he couldn't tell anything in the dark.
"Just beyond those trees but I want to stay here for a moment." She replied as Tommy nodded. He knew that she was taking extra precautions now that it was dark.
She raised her bow and looked around them. She could feel something close but wasn't sure what it was. Thankfully her eyes adjusted to the dark pretty quickly so she could make out the shadows that were surrounding them. She heard a howl then and looked around them to see what it was.
"Did you hear that?" Tommy whispered.
"What?" Kim asked looking at him. He had forgotten that he was on her bad ear side.
"I asked if you heard that howl." He said again.
"Yea and I think we should move to the lake now. The moon or sun who knows what that is, is bright enough so that we can see Goldar." She said as he nodded. They walked quickly to the lake. Kim didn't want to be out in the open but it was safer to see what was coming at them near the lake than in the woods. Once they reached the area around the lake, she saw something new. It was something gold and big. The pedestals circled the thing now. Kim had no idea was it was but it looked like shelter of some kind but it was flat on top. It would be a perfect place to sit and wait for Goldar.
"Do you want to get water while we're here?" Tommy asked as she looked around again.
"Yea but we have to be quick. I still get the feeling that something is out there." She said as he nodded and got the bottle out of her bag. He dumped the remaining water out and quickly filled it up before placing it back in Kim's bag.
"What's that thing?" Tommy asked pointing to the gold thing.
"I don't know but it looks flat on top so I think that we should get up there and wait for Goldar. He is around here somewhere." She said as Tommy nodded. "Besides I like higher ground." She said as he laughed. He knew that she liked higher ground since she had spent most of the Game in a tree.
Before they could ever take a step toward the gold thing, some animal jumped out behind them.
"Where did that come from?" Tommy yelled as they took off running. It looked like they were being chased by some kind of wolf/dog mix. Whatever it was it was big and fast. They finally made it to whatever the gold thing was. Tommy gave Kim a boost to get her up there as he jumped up. The animal grabbed at his pants leg and Kim heard him scream out in pain. She knew that one of them had gotten him but she didn't know how badly.
"Here." She said as she reached down and helped him climb up. She knew that something was wrong but she didn't have time to think about it because she was grabbed from behind.
"Well look who finally came out to play. I thought you would fly up here Firebird." Goldar stated as he slammed her down onto the gold top. She barely caught her breath when he jumped on top of her. He was heavy and she noticed that he was wearing gold amour. It had to be what was in his gift bag that Mesogog had stolen. She knew that it had been the reason why Goldar had gone after Mesogog. He wanted his amour to protect him from her arrows.
Suddenly Tommy was there to grab Goldar off of her and throw him out of the way. She might not have been able to get Goldar off of her but Tommy could. They began fighting as Kim coughed and got her bearings. Tommy and Goldar were throwing punches left and right. She realized then that Goldar didn't have his sword which at this moment was a good thing for Tommy since the last time they faced each other, Tommy could a gash on his leg from that sword. She did want to know how he lost it though because she knew that he was attached to that sword.
Rolling around, Kim grabbed her bow and an arrow. She threaded the arrow through the bow in the blink of an eye. Raising it up, she took aim at Goldar as he grabbed Tommy and held him in front of him. He and Tommy were about the same height so he had Tommy's head in front of his so that she couldn't shoot him without hitting Tommy.
"I don't think so. If you shoot me then we both fall and you win." He said holding Tommy in a headlock. She could hear Tommy almost gasping for breath. "Or I could just snap his neck then you could kill me but either way you win. I guess you were the winner the whole time, I just didn't know it. All of us should have known that you would be the winner all along. You were the one to beat from day 1 when you volunteered for your sister." He said as without blinking. He kept a close on Kimberly's hands and she knew that if she released the arrow he would snap Tommy's neck.
"Let him go." Kim stated calmly as she held the bow steady. She just needed a clear shot at him. Bringing up her sister would not help his cause at this moment. She would not let Tommy die at his hand. It was then that she saw Tommy's finger move. She noticed that he had drawn an 'X' on Goldar's hand in blood. Goldar's arm was looped under his chin and held tight in his shoulder. She didn't know where the blood had come from but she released the arrow and watched it hit its mark.
Tommy was released and fell forward as Goldar fell back off of the top and into the pack of crazed animals. Kimberly rushed to Tommy's side and saw that his leg was bleeding again from the wound. She barely heard Goldar's screams as she looked at Tommy's leg.
"You're bleeding." She said as she looked into his eyes. He was pain she could tell.
"It's a lot more than last time; I think that one of the wolves' claws got me." He stated as she grabbed her bag and dug around for the dagger that she had. She had to stop the bleeding or he would bleed to death. She was silent as she cut his pants' leg off and wrapped it above his gash.
"I need something to turn it to keep it tight." She said when she remembered her arrows. She was down to three but she shouldn't need them any longer. Breaking one off, she got it close to his skin and began to twist the fabric around it.
"Oh that's tight." Tommy breathed as she tied it into place.
"It has to be to stop the bleeding." She said as she finally heard Goldar's screams along with the animal sounds of growls.
Standing up she grabbed her bow and looked over at the pack and knew that she had to end Goldar's suffering. The pack of animals was just toying with him by slowing tearing him apart and he didn't deserve that even after everything he had done in the Game. Grabbing an arrow, she threaded it through her bow and fired it. She thought that she heard Goldar say thank you right before she released the arrow but she wasn't sure since her hearing was still gone in that one ear. It was a clean shot for her even with the animals surrounding him. She only wished that she could have done it sooner but Tommy's leg needed to be tended too.
The cannon fired to signal Goldar's death as the animals took off running before disappearing completely making Kimberly think that they hadn't been real this whole time.
"We're the last ones." Tommy said as Kim turned to face him.
"We are." She said with a smile. They got off the top of the gold thing and walked over to the lake. They needed some water and to wash some of the blood off of them while they waited for the announcement that they had won. The darkness lifted around them to reveal that it was still daylight.
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"They won." Dulcea said as the camera followed their movements to the lake. She knew that Tommy would need medical help as soon as they were picked up so she picked up the phone to order a team to be ready when Finster placed his hand on top of hers. "What?" She asked looking up at him.
"They haven't won. Did you really think that I would allow two winners?" He asked with a questioning look in his eyes. "There can only ever be one winner."
"They risked a lot to stay alive together." She responded as he laughed.
"I know and that's what makes this a better ending. I was never going to let both of them win. I just wanted them to survive to the end." He stated with a sly smile. "Now give word to our last two tributes that there can only be one winner." He instructed to Ivan who was standing to the side waiting for his instruction.
"Done." Ivan said as he walked over to the microphone that they had set up. He would take great pleasure in telling them that they still had to face each other.
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"It's been fifteen minutes and they haven't announced that we are the winners. Do you think that know that it's over." Tommy stated as he washed the fresh blood off of his leg. It had slowed the bleeding which he had hoped to get taken care of as soon as everything was over but they were still here.
"They know that it's over. Something is wrong." Kim stated looking around them. She still had one arrow left for whatever the council threw at them as a final test but she didn't want to use it. She just wanted this to be over.
"Attention tributes, the rule declaring that there can be two winners has been overturned. There can only be one winner." An unfamiliar voice said throughout the arena. It wasn't Deca's voice so Kim didn't know who it was but she had a feeling that something like this would happen. It was another one of those last minute twists that she always hated.
"What? No, they can't do this. We won fair and square." Tommy said standing up.
"It's the Capitol and they can do whatever they want." Kim stated as she looked at him. They were still standing by the lake and she knew that he needed help now because of his leg.
"Kimberly, you deserve to win. I only ask that you make it a clean kill." He stated bravely in front of her. He raised her hands up so that her bow was aimed directly at his heart.
"No, I won't kill you. They will either have two winners or no winners." She said as she threw her bow to the side away from her. She would not kill him no matter what. They had won this Game and the council wasn't taking it from them.
"Kimberly, don't do this." Tommy said taking her left hand in his right. "Your family needs you to go back home to them. I wouldn't let you die because of me. I refuse to win that way." He whispered as he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. It was a simple kiss not meant for the cameras but for her alone. He loved her and wanted to kiss her one final time before he died.
"I can't kill you." She whispered pulling back from him as she reached into her pocket and took out the Nightshade berries that Tommy had found earlier. "You remember the story about Romeo and Juliet?" She asked as he nodded. It was one of his favorites in school. "They either want both of us or neither." She said releasing his hand so that she could pour some berries into it.
"This isn't a good idea." He warned as she flashed him a smile.
"Trust me." She said as she leaned up to kiss his check. "On three."
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"What kind of berry is that?" Finster asked as Dulcea searched the database. She thought it looked like the ones that Kim had taken from Trakeena but she had to be sure.
"It's Nightshade and it's deadly." She informed him. "I think they mean to pull a Romeo and Juliet on us. What should we do?" She asked secretly proud of Tommy and Kimberly. They wanted to win together and that showed strength.
"They wouldn't kill themselves." Ivan stated as he watched them raise their hands closer to their mouths. "What tribute has ever killed themselves?" He asked.
"I think they will." Dulcea said as she stood up as Tommy and Kimberly looked into each other's eyes before placing their hands in front of their mouths.
"Finster?" Ivan asked as they watched everything in slow motion.
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"Three." Tommy and Kimberly said together as they tipped their heads back to eat the berries.
"STOP! The rule about not having two victors has been overturned. It is my pleasure to announce Kimberly Hart and Thomas Oliver as the victors of the 99th Games." A voice said throughout the arena as Tommy and Kimberly threw the berries down and spit out whatever had gotten close to their mouths. Thankfully neither had actually eaten a berry before the announcement. A hovercraft appeared over them along with a rope ladder for them to exit the arena. They both climbed on it as they were raised up inside it. Kim held Tommy tight because she was afraid to let him go in case something happened to him. Once they were inside though they were separated by nurses and guards.
Tommy and Kimberly were taken to different areas of the ship to be worked on. They couldn't show up in front of the cameras with cuts, scrapes, or anything else that wasn't perfect. Kim's ear was repaired so that she could hear out of both of them while Tommy had been rushed to surgery for his leg. His leg had been worse than her ear so his surgery was taking longer.
"Where is Tommy?" Kim yelled when she realized that she couldn't find him. No one would answer her though. She thought that they would kill him and say that his injuries had been too much and that they couldn't save him. It was something that President Zedd would command so that there would be only one winner. Running down a long hallway, she saw glass windows that overlooked an operating table. They hadn't placed her too far from Tommy. She saw him lying on the table with tubes going everywhere. He was almost paler than he had been in the Game when he had been sick with fever which scared her.
"TOMMY!" Kim screamed as she banged on the window. The nurses and doctor didn't even look her way. It was like they couldn't hear her. Tommy couldn't be dead, he just couldn't be. They had survived the Game so he couldn't die now. They were in this together and she needed him. She watched as the doctor and nurses removed her make-shift bandage that she had fashioned. Blood had soaked the fabric she saw but she couldn't see what they were doing to his leg.
"TOMMY!" She screamed again as someone came up behind her and injected something into her neck. She fell in a dead heap in the person's arms never seeing who it was that had come up behind her.
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"I need to see Finster as soon as possible in the morning. I want to watch the interview tonight to gauge the damage." Zedd stated as he watched the recap of the Game. Two winners were not acceptable and Finster would pay for letting it happen. He didn't really think that they would kill themselves no matter what it looked like. Kimberly should be dead since she was the one to come up with the berries. She would be sorry that she had ever thought about that little stunt. He knew that she was not so love with that boy to think of nothing else. No she knew what she was doing when she pulled the berries out.
"I need a complete history on Kimberly Hart." He commanded another person without taking his eyes off of the rebellious act that would not be shown to the public when Tommy and Kimberly were interviewed. Finster at least had sense to know not to show that part even if some people had seen it live. The report in from district 11 was that they had quieted down but only after he had sent more guards there. Kimberly would pay for starting all of this. The Firebird would not make a move without him knowing about it ever again. She would be watched more closely than she had been in the Game.
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Zordon lifted Kimberly higher and walked back down the hallway with her. She was light enough that he didn't need help carrying her. He knew that she didn't understand why no one was telling her anything about Tommy but she needed rest and it had been for her own good that she had to be dragged away. Cameras were still trained on her and Tommy and they would be for the entire time that they were in the Capitol. Everyone was afraid to answer any questions because they knew that she had gone against the Capitol with those berries. Zordon's job was not over by a long shot. He had to protect Kimberly from herself and hopefully keep the rebellion under control until everything was in place.
He placed her on a bed before leaving her alone. He had to figure out how to get them out of this mess and make it look like Tommy and Kimberly couldn't live without each other and that's why they chose death over life without the other. It would take some doing but he knew that Tommy would be okay with it. Kimberly was going to be his problem. She needed to be told that it had been an act of rebellion.
Walking back down the hallway, he watched as the doctors controlled Tommy's bleeding and got his body stable enough to move once they landed which would be in a few minutes.
"How is he?" Zordon asked as the doctor came out of the operating room finally.
"Good, he will be just fine after some rest. I must admit that without Kimberly's help, he would have been dead. He lost a lot of blood but it would have been more if she had not put a tourniquet on him." The doctor said as Zordon nodded.
"Thank you." He stated shaking the doctor's hand.
"Oh no thanks needed, I knew that I had to keep him alive for the Firebird. She risked a lot to keep him safe and it was the least I could do to help her." He said before walking away. Zordon just stood there while he thought about what the doctor had said. The rebellion was gaining in the Capitol apparently since the doctor seemed to be on their side but he wouldn't say anything yet in case the doctor was a spy sent by Zedd to discover rebel leaders.
Looking back at Tommy, he saw that his color was slowly returning which would make Kimberly very happy. Tommy was going to be alright.
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"They won." Kira said as her mother started crying. They had been worried all day because they knew that the Game would be over today. It just had to be with everything was going on. Everything had seemed to move in slow motion all day.
"I'm so happy for them." Carolina said through her tears. "Oh we need to clean the house because they will come do an interview with us." She said as Kira nodded and got to work on it. They didn't know when the interviewers would be there but they wanted to be ready. It was tradition that once the Games had been won that the family of the victor was interviewed. The interviews would air before the victors took the stage for their own interview.
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"She won or well they won." Andros said as Jason looked at the screen. He had been nervous all day about it so he hadn't really looked at the TV at work. He didn't want to see her die if that was her fate.
"They? As in Tommy and Kimberly? They let both of them win?" He asked as he saw Tommy and Kimberly standing by the lake and being declared victors. "I can't believe it." He stated as Andros laughed. He also noticed that Kimberly and Tommy had been holding something before they had been declared victors but he wasn't sure what it was. The clip was cut but why? What had Kimberly done in the last few moments of the Game?
"You got have a little faith. She was good and kept Tommy alive." He said as Jason nodded. She had kept Tommy alive but he knew that she wouldn't do it any other way. The rule change had given her the chance to save someone and he knew that she would take it.
"She'll be coming home in a few days then. I can't wait to see her." He said as Andros just laughed again, shook his head, and walked away leaving Jason alone watching the Game recap. It was focused mostly on Tommy and Kimberly since they were the winners but it did show some of the other tributes as they made their way in the Game. There was still something cut from the end. He would have to ask Kimberly when she got back what it was.
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"How is Tommy?" Kim asked as soon as she got off the hovercraft. They were back in the suite that they had stayed in before the Games had started. She had woken up as they were coming in to land on the roof.
"He's good at the moment. He did lose a lot of blood but the doctor said that in a few days, he should be in top shape. Apparently your quick work saved his leg." Zordon stated as Alpha came into the room with the rest of her prep team.
"Kimberly, I think you have lost weight. How will your dress fit now?" He asked as Kim smiled. Alpha did know how to brighten her day.
"Sorry, I wasn't fed correctly in the arena." She replied as Alpha laughed.
"No worries, I have the dress done so minor changes should be all that needs to be done now. You are going to look lovely and innocent." He stated as Kim just looked at him. "What you don't like? I haven't even showed you the dress yet." He said placing his hands on his hips.
"No, it's not that but I'm not sure that I am innocent anymore. I mean I took someone's life." She replied as Alpha walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms. His arms did not feel like Tommy's though. They did not reassure her like Tommy's did. She didn't know what it was and why she craved Tommy's arms but she did.
"My dear you are far more innocent than you know." He whispered before releasing her. "Now I do believe that you need to be cleaned up before I will let you anywhere near your dress." He said as she laughed. "I'm not sure how many layers of dirt and sweat you have on you." He stated.
"Okay, I get it. I didn't take a bath while I was in the arena but doesn't jumping into the water count for anything?" She asked. "It at least refreshed me." She muttered.
"No, it does not." He replied as she shook her head and headed off with the prep team. They would do all what they did when she first came to the Capitol. At least this time, she was a winner and not a tribute about to enter the Games.
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"Where is Tommy and why haven't I seen him before now?" Kimberly asked two days later. She was waiting backstage for Deca to come on and start the interview. She was a little nervous but most of that had to do with the fact that Tommy wasn't here yet. He had to still be under doctor orders to stay put but she didn't know where. She hadn't been allowed to see him which she thought was odd. They were the winners.
"Kimberly, he will be here but you have to settle down. I need to tell you something." Zordon said placing his hands on her shoulders.
"What? Did I do something wrong in asking for Tommy?" She asked as he sighed.
"No, not in asking for Tommy but you did defy the Capitol with that stunt with the berries." He whispered into her ear. "Listen, you will need to go up on that stage and show that you were so in love with him that you would rather die than live without him." He said urgently. He really needed her to understand what he was trying to tell her without her asking a lot of questions.
"Why? They shouldn't have changed the rule back." She said so low that only Zordon could hear. They were not alone so she knew that she had to speak as low as possible.
"I know it wasn't right but it was another twist in the Game but your act was of defiance. President Zedd is not happy with you." He whispered as she nodded slowly. "Remember to go up on that stage and be so love with that boy that no one questions it." He said as she nodded again.
"Kimberly." A voice said behind her and she pulled away from Zordon.
"Tommy." She stated as she rushed into his open arms. "You're okay." She said into his chest as he laughed softly. She felt his arms go around her which settled her more than anything else could.
"I am and I would have been with you sooner but the doctor was worried about the amount of blood I lost so I had to stay there. Don't worry, I'm here now." He whispered into her ear.
"This feels right." She whispered as she pulled back from his chest.
"What feels right?" He asked as the stage hand walked over to them but she didn't have time to tell him.
"Show time." The man said as he led them to the side of the stage to wait for Deca to call for them.
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"Does she understand?" Dulcea asked as Zordon walked over to her.
"I explained it as much as I could before Tommy showed up." He replied. "She will be fine."
"I hope so; we have so much riding on this interview. President Zedd needs to believe her because no one questions his love for her." She whispered as Zordon nodded. He knew that which was why he spoke with just Kimberly. Tommy was in love with her that he didn't have to worry about anything on that front. It was just Kimberly that had them sweating. They didn't know how she would be able to pull off being in love with Tommy during a live interview.
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"Welcome citizens, after almost two weeks we finally have a winner of the 99th Games or rather we have two winners. Here they are Kimberly Hart and Thomas Oliver." Deca said as the crowd went wild as soon as they saw Tommy and Kimberly walk out onto the stage hand in hand. Tommy looked handsome in a green suit with white trim. He also had a pink rose pinned on his lapel. Kimberly was the big surprise. Alpha had gone for youthful and innocent in her baby pink dress. The top was a fitted bodice while the bottom was made of layers of tulle. It made her look like a princess which was totally different from the girl that they had seen in the Game. They took a bow before taking their seats. Instead of the normal chair for the victor, there was a loveseat which fit in with Zordon's plan perfectly. The stage director had wanted to put them in separate chairs but Dulcea had intervened and placed the loveseat up there.
Zordon had warned Kim before she saw Tommy that she would need to act like she was in love because of the berries. She knew that it would be hard because she didn't know how she was supposed to act in a live interview so she just followed her gut. Once they sat down, she kicked off her shoes and tucked into Tommy's side. The key to being in love is that you had to show it. Being close to Tommy right now would possibly save their lives and she wanted to keep him close. She didn't know if Zedd would try to kill Tommy but she would at least be able to protect him if he was at her side.
"Well now look at you two, I can see the love. How was it to fight each other in the Games?" Deca asked as Tommy took one of Kim's hands in his and bought it up to his mouth to kiss it before turning back to Deca to answer.
"Well it was hard to even be on opposite sides but I think we worked through that. I mean we manage to stay alive till the end." Tommy said looking down at Kimberly again who had managed to sit even closer to him.
"Yes you did and now let us take a journey through the Games." Deca said as the screens behind her flashed on to the beginning of the Game with Tommy and Kimberly waiting for the horn to blow. They along with the audience sat in silence as the Games began. The video lasted about three hours which was good considering all the material that had to be cut. The audience was in awe of the scenes with Tommy and Kimberly especially when they were in the cave.
Kim did notice that they didn't show her placing the flowers around Shayla or her salute for Shayla. The only part that they showed of her and Shayla was Shayla dying in her lap and Kim singing to her. The video quickly moved on to the change in rules that two winners would be crowned if they came from the same district. She didn't realize that she had said Tommy's name until she saw it on the replay. It also didn't show her and Tommy about to eat the berries at the very end. It had been a rather quick cut there but after Zordon's warning, she figured that that part would not be in there since the Capitol was mad that they had defied the rule.
"You guys have been through so much and Kimberly I want to know what went through your mind when you learned of the rule change allowing two victors. We see you call out for Tommy." Deca pointed as Kimberly remembered to smile.
"I guess the first thought was that we were finally going to be on the same side. We could work together and go home." She said looking over at Tommy.
"Well I know I was worried about you finding him since he hadn't seen him since the Stinger Winger attack." She said as Kim nodded.
"To be honest, I was a little worried too. I knew he was alive since I never saw him face on the Capitol's fallen list. I think I hit a little luck when I saw his trail." She stated squeezing Tommy's hand.
"I think I'm the one that got lucky. Kimberly showing up at that moment gave me hope. I knew that we could make it through." Tommy spoke up looking at Kimberly.
"Now you two make a lovely couple and to know what you both went through to be here today is something." She said wiping away a tear from her eye. Kim wasn't sure if there actually was a tear but it was great for the TV. "I think we all want to know what you thought; Tommy when you found out that Kimberly had gone after your medicine."
"I wasn't happy at first but after I thought about it, I knew that she would do it all over again even knowing that she could have died. I owe my life to her because without the medicine, I know that I would have died in the cave." He said leaning down to brush his lips over Kim's hair.
Kim smiled at Deca before looking up at Tommy. "I was just happy that the medicine worked and thankful for our sponsors. They are the ones that make it possible for Tommy to live." She said.
"Yes and I think that we should give a round of applause for our wonderful sponsors this year." Deca said as everyone started clapping including Tommy and Kimberly. "I have one final question for you two. What was your reaction when you realized that you two would be the victors of the 99th Games?" She asked as the audience settled back down.
"I think my first thought was that we had won. Everything happened fast after that though so the rest is a blur." Tommy answered as Deca nodded.
"And Kimberly what about you?" She asked looking beyond Tommy.
"Home, my first thought was that we could go home." She answered truthfully.
"Well that was quite a journey for both of you and let me congratulate you once more on your win. We look forward to catching back up with you on your Victory Tour." Deca said standing up as Tommy and Kimberly did the same. Kimberly quickly slipped her shoes back on before she and Tommy bowed once more. They left the stage once the lights had died down holding hands.
"Great job." Zordon said as soon as they made it back to their rooms. "You have one more duty then its back to Angel Grove." He said as the nodded. "I suggest that you get some sleep for now." He stated leaving them alone outside their bedrooms.
"So we will finally meet President Zedd face to face tomorrow." Tommy said as Kim nodded. She was worried about facing him since it was him that she had to prove that she loved Tommy. Hopefully tonight's interview helped with that.
"Yea but then the next day we are back on a train heading for home." She said walking over to her door. "Sleep well Tommy." She stated as she opened her door.
"Sleep well, beautiful." He whispered back as he headed to his door and into his room.
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Zedd watched the interview with a cold eye. Kimberly may put on a good act but that's it was, an act.
"Mr. President the crown maker would like to know what he should do about only having one crown." A guard said from behind Zedd.
"Tell him not to worry about it, we will only have one crown." Zedd stated without turning around.
"But we have two winners." The guard pointed out as Zedd turned around to face the guard.
"Do we?" He questioned as the guard began to shake. It was his first day on the job which was why he had gotten this task. "Just tell the crown maker not to worry." He said as the guard nodded and backed out of the room.
"Yes sir." The guard said while backing away.
Zedd watched him leave before turning back to the screen to watch recaps of Tommy and Kimberly's interview. She had answered the questions as if she had been in love with Tommy so he knew that someone must have warned her to do that. His only guess was Zordon who had been giving him pain since he won years ago. It could be time to take out that victor. It could serve as a reminder to the victors that they were only allowed to live because he chose to let them live.
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Kim woke up the next morning and had to remember that she wasn't in the Game anymore. Her nightmares had kept her awake most of the night. She could still picture Goldar holding Tommy by the neck and twisting so hard that he snapped Tommy's neck before she could fire an arrow through his heart.
Shaking her head, she got up and got into the shower. It was only a dream, she reminded herself again. They had won the Game and could go home tomorrow and not have to think about the Game or death or anything with the Capitol.
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Finster walked silently between the two guards trying to figure what to say to President Zedd when he came face to face with him. After watching the interview last night, he hoped that Zedd would let him explain why he had allowed Kimberly and Tommy to live even after the rule change. They had to have a winner and why not two if they were going to kill themselves before killing each other. They were in a different part of the Estate house that President Zedd lived in. He wasn't sure what was actually going on but he paused when the guards did.
One of the guards stepped forward and opened a door to his left. "You are to wait here for President Zedd." The guard stated as Finster nodded and walked into the room. The door locked behind him and he wondered why he was being locked in.
Looking around, he noticed that the room was pretty much empty except for a lone table in the center with a bowl setting on it. There was no light in here except for the sunlight pouring in through the window. He had never seen a room like this. What did President use it for anyway? Walking forward, he wanted to see if there was a note in the bowl waiting for him explaining what was going on. His face completely lost its color when he noticed the berries in the bowl.
There would be no talk today with President Zedd. The berries could only mean that President Zedd was beyond angry that Kimberly and Tommy were alive and he wanted someone to pay for it and that someone was him. He knew that his death could be painful and last for days or it could be over now. There was no way that he was walking out of this room again. Picking up a berry he made his last decision.
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"For 98 years we have had one victor to stand tall and defeat their enemies in our annual Games but for the first time I am proud to announce the victors of the 99th Games, Kimberly Hart and Thomas Oliver." Zedd said as Tommy and Kimberly walked onto the stage holding hands. Kim knew that they had to show a united front at least until they made it back home.
The crowd went wild as soon as they saw Tommy and Kimberly and only quieted down when Zedd raised his hands. They were standing behind him separate by only a few feet which meant that they had to let go of each other's hand. Kim missed Tommy's hand though because he was her anchor through this.
"It is my pleasure to crown this year's winners." He said as a man walked forward with a single crown resting on a red cushion. The crowd looked at each other trying to figure out why there was only one crown. "As you can tell there is only one crown and that's because neither won alone but together so they will share the same crown as they do their fate." He said taking the crown and breaking it in two. No one seemed to notice the last part of his speech about sharing the same fate. Once the crown was broken, he placed one piece on Tommy's head before moving to Kimberly. Smiling he placed the second piece on Kim's head before noticing her pin. "A crane." He muttered.
"Yes, it was a present from my father." She stated as Zedd nodded before backing away to face the crowd again.
"Thomas Oliver and Kimberly Hart, your 99th Games winners." He said as the crowd went wild again. Tommy grabbed Kim's hand again and raised their hands above their heads. They were led off the stage back to their rooms as Zedd watched them closely.
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The next morning Zordon led them back on the train as they waved bye to the crowd that had gathered to yell goodbye to them. Kim couldn't believe the journey that she had traveled to get back to here. She had learned a lot about herself in the process and apparently almost started a rebellion. Standing at the window watched the train pull out of the station, she felt Tommy come up beside her.
"You sure are quiet this morning." He observed. "I mean more than normal." He said with a smile as she looked over at him.
"Just thinking." She muttered looking away from him.
"Thinking about your sister?" He asked as she nodded. "What happens now?" He asked studying her closely.
"I don't know. I just want to forget that all of this happened." She answered turning back to him. "I want to go back to how my life used to be."
"I don't think that you will be able too." He stated trying to figure out her mood. She was about to see her family so she should be over the moon happy but she wasn't.
"I know and that's what scares me." She said looking away. "The only good thing at the moment is that there are no TVs following us." She said with a sigh.
"Very true but I didn't really notice them anyway." He said as she looked back at him.
"You didn't notice? Its all I could think about." She said as he thought about what she said. She had been aware of the cameras during the Game? He hadn't really remembered the cameras were around until he watched the footage of the Game.
"All you could think about?" He asked as she nodded. Zordon chose that moment to come over to them. Dimitria would not be coming with them on this trip. They would see her again though on the Victory Tour which was in about six months.
"You both did wonderful just keep it going until we get off the train and you are home free." He said as Tommy looked from Zordon to Kimberly. Zordon smiled and left them alone again as the train began to move faster now.
"What was he talking about?" He asked her as soon as Zordon was out of earshot.
"President Zedd is angry about the berries. Zordon told me that I had to prove that I am so in love with you that I would rather choose death over life without you." She answered as Tommy backed away from her.
"What? Everything was all an act?" He asked. "The kisses?"
"Not everything was an act." She whispered as she noticed the anger in his voice.
"What wasn't an act, Kimberly?" He asked with a frown on his face. She had never seen him with a frown before or at least not aimed at her.
"Well you did kiss me too so those were not an act." She answered as he groaned.
"So you let me kiss you for the cameras, that's how I got the medicine, not because anyone wanted to save me but because of our 'romance' in front of the cameras." He said with air quotes around the word romance.
"I didn't let you kiss me. I wouldn't do that even for the cameras." She stated calmly. There was no use getting mad at him since she had being acting a lot for the cameras but some of it wasn't.
"Now why don't I believe that?" He asked turning away from her.
"Tommy." She cried as he turned around to face her.
"What?" He asked standing there refusing to take a step closer to her.
"Where do we go from here?" She asked thinking that she couldn't do this without him standing at her side. He had been her rock through of this but somehow she had cracked him and she didn't know how to repair him.
"I don't know." He answered before walking away leaving her alone at the window. She turned and saw the Captiol disappear the further they got away from it. She knew that she was going back to Angel Grove a changed person but she wasn't so sure that it was a good change considering she was pretty sure that she had broken Tommy's heart.
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"Ivan will take over Finster's spot for the 100th Games. Everything is already in place for it so just tweak whatever you need to make it the best we have ever had." Zedd said as Ivan nodded along with the other council members. They didn't know how Ivan had gotten the job but at least he would keep the Games interesting. They had learned of Finster's death only hours ago. No one knew how he had died only that he had. Zedd didn't inform them of anything other than he died.
Dulcea turned away from them as she processed what had happened. Zedd was mad that there were two winners and she knew that he would try something. She would have to watch over Kimberly and make sure that she was safe until the time came for the Crane to fly. It wouldn't be easy but then again nothing had been easy concerning the rebellion.
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"Okay here we are, home sweet home." Zordon said as the train came to a stop. Tommy and Kimberly hadn't spoken the entire train ride home which Zordon thought was odd but he didn't ask them about it. He knew that that they had been through a lot in the past several weeks but their journey was almost over for the moment.
The train doors opened as Zordon stepped out ahead of them. Tommy stepped up next to Kimberly and grabbed her hand.
"What?" She asked looking from their joined hands to his face.
"I can't let you face them alone, now can I? One more time for the cameras." He said as she nodded. She noticed that instead of warmth that she had always gotten from him, he was cold to her. He hid it well but she knew that this wasn't the same Tommy that had been in the cave with her. She had lost something precious to her that she didn't even know she had. They stepped off the train holding hands to face the waiting crowd of Angel Grove. She made sure to smile at the people who had believed in them enough to send some money.
She spotted Jason standing tall next to her mother and sister. He had kept his promise to her and kept them safe and fed. What would he think about her performance for the Game? When Tommy had asked he what had been an act, she couldn't answer him. She didn't know what had been an act and what hadn't. In the coming weeks, she would think about that and tried to figure it out for herself. It was a question that she wanted to answer.
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Zedd read over Kimberly's file and tried to think of a way to punish her for her defiance. The 100th Games would be next year but it was also the year that had a twist to it. Standing up he walked over to the box holding the rules for the Games. Every 25 years there was some special twist to the Games and he could use that as punishment for Kimberly. He found the envelope holding the twist and opened it to read what it was. Smiling he knew that this would work for him better than anything he could come up with.
"I am not done with you yet, my dear." He said as his voice echoed off the walls of his study. "Not by a long shot." He muttered before leaving the room. Kimberly would be dealt with and it would show the nation that you did not defy the Capitol.
End of Part 1
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Okay so what did everyone think? Please let me know. Also this is the end of part 1 but don't freak out. Part 2 will be up in two weeks because next Monday is a holiday (for those in the states) and I will not be able to write for a few days since I am going to see my bestfriends. I want to thank everyone that has read and reviewed this story so far. Also don't forget to find and like me on facebook, Falcon4Crane.