...
Link had dinner with Thud, Cali, and his stylist that night. Thud immediately asked, "how did it go?"
"Eh." Link shrugged one shoulder.
"Oh, come on." Cali told him.
Link sighed. "You know that sword training robot in the gym?" Everyone in the room nodded. "I fought it blindfolded." Everyone fell silent. Thud stopped his fork right before it entered his mouth.
"Did you now?" He asked. Link nodded.
"How's that possible?" Asked his stylist. Link shrugged again.
"How did that go?" Asked Cali.
"Pretty well, at first. But then it managed to strike me down at the end."
Link's stylist chuckled. "You really are the descendant of the hero." Link smiled sheepishly.
The rest of dinner was silent. When all four got up, Thud suggested figuring out their training scores. They gathered around the television set. They watched as the training scores were given to each tribute. One through twelve.
"Oh yeah," Link recalled. "When I entered the gym, the Gamemakers looked rather upset. I wonder what Katniss and Peeta did before I arrived." Katniss's and Peeta's faces showed up on the screen with the number twelve dancing beneath them.
"Wow." Said everyone there.
Link's face showed on the screen. The number ten appeared below it.
"Hah! Not bad!" Exclaimed Thud. Link grinned. He headed to bed.
The next day, Link had to be prepared for the televised interview that would be taking place the next night. But he saw a note saying that he was already prepared, and didn't need coaching.
An entire day to myself. Thought Link. He walked out of his room, running into Katniss and Peeta in the halls.
"Oh, hi!" He said.
"Hello." Peeta greeted.
"What are you two doing on the thirteenth floor?"
"Well," said Katniss. "We were going to hang out on the roof for the day, since Haymitch and Effie canceled our coaching sessions."
"Really? Cali and Thud canceled mine as well!"
"Cool! We were going to ask you if you wanted to join us." Link's face brightened before he nodded. "Great!"
They ordered a bunch of food, grabbed some blankets, and headed up to the roof for a day long picnic. There was a beautiful flower garden up there with wind chimes.
They ate, lied in the sun. Katniss practiced her knots. Peeta sketched a picture of her. Link played his ocarina. They made a game where they through an apple into the force field that surrounded the roof, and another person had to catch it.
No one bothered them. Katniss lay down with her head on Peeta's lap. Peeta fiddled with her hair. Link watched from a short distance away. Suddenly, Peeta's hands went still. "What?" Asked Katniss.
"I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever." Peeta replied.
"Okay."
"Then you'll allow it?" Peeta smiled.
"I'll allow it." Peeta resumed messing with her hair. Link watched as Katniss dozed off.
Peeta heard Link's footsteps as he walked over and sat down. He sighed without looking up at Link. "I hate the games."
"Don't we all?" Came the reply. Peeta laughed slightly, then fell silent.
After a while he spoke. "You still love Zelda, right?" Link sighed before speaking.
"More than anything." He replied softly. He stared at his hands. He closed his eyes, and leaned back, his hands resting on his stomach. Peeta looked down at him. Link's chest rose and fell slowly. Peeta noted that even though Link wasn't asleep, he looked peaceful.
"How did you and Zelda meet?" Link didn't open his eyes when he answered.
"At school. She just walked up to me during lunch, and sat right next to me, sensing that I felt lonely at the time." Peeta nodded. Link inhaled deeply. "I wish more than anything to see her again." Peeta looked down at Katniss's sleeping face.
Link's eyes opened. "I love her." His voice was barely more than a whisper. "This is wrong. I love her. We all have those we love back at home." His breath shook slightly. "These games are so terribly wrong." He shook his head. "I can't stand it." Peeta could almost hear the gears clicking in Link's head. "I've gotta start acting more like the hero. I don't know how, but I have to rebel against the Capitol. Somehow. Like what you told Katniss last year. To show them that I am more than just a piece in their games." The more he spoke, the faster he spoke. "I hate the games. I hate the Capitol. I don't care what they do to me. I will always fight back." Link sat up. "I'm going to speak about our loved ones for the interview. No doubt I'm going to pay for it, but I don't care."
Peeta smiled sadly at him.
After a while, the sun began to set with beautiful colors of yellow and orange. Peeta roused Katniss. "I didn't think you'd want to miss it."
"Thanks" said Katniss.
They stayed up on the roof past dinner. No one came to summon them. They remained there until bedtime. They headed to their rooms.
The next morning, Link was awoken by his prep team. There wasn't much talk as they prepared him for the interview that night. Link felt them paint some kind of a symbol on his forehead with a dark-green paint. He watched them paint a triangle pattern on his shoulder. He recognized it immediately. It was the same triangle pattern that was displayed on his ocarina.
After lunch, Link found it rather strange that his prep team messed with the wolf scar on his chest, making it more visible. He wondered what his stylist was planning.
His stylist walked in with a bag in his hand. Link's prep team left the room.
"What am I wearing this time?" Link asked his stylist. "More green?" His stylist nodded. He unzipped the bag, and instructed Link to put on the outfit. He obeyed. When his stylist showed him to a mirror, Link understood what he was supposed to look like.
He wore tan colored pants that fell just below his knees. They were ripped at the hem, giving them a ragged look. His feet were bare. His shirt was made of real wolf fur, colored a dark green. The hem of the shirt fell from his left hip, down to his mid-thigh on his right leg. On his right hip was some kind of swirly symbol that seemed to represent the forest. (Kokiri tribe symbol) his right sleeve fell down to his mid-forearm. His left sleeve cut off at his shoulder, so you could still see the triangle pattern. On his left wrist was a dark colored cuff, kind of like what you would see in a prison. A broken chain about three fourths a foot long dangled from it. The collar crawled up his throat. His forehead had some kind of symbol on it. (Think about the symbol on wolf link's forehead. That's what I'm talking about.) A wolf tail fell down the back of his legs. But the thing that Link knew would attract the most attention, were three rips in the outfit, designed to look like a wolf clawed him there. The rips laid right above his scar.
Link slowly ran his fingers over the rips, touching his bare skin, as well as the scars. "I'm a wolf." He said. His stylist nodded.
"The wolf of the forest. Descendant of the hero. The hero would be proud of you." Link beamed.
"You think?"
"I know. And those rips? They're to make you look tough. Like you're saying, 'yeah, I got attacked by a wolf. I killed it. I have the marks to prove it. Don't mess with me.'" Link laughed.
"That doesn't really sound like me." He said.
"Then make it." his stylist replied. Link shook his head.
"You know I can't do that." His stylist didn't reply this time. Link turned to face him, his tail flying out, curling around his legs, then unravelling itself. "Thank you." His stylist nodded, and sent him on his way.
Link waited offstage as the other tributes arrived slowly. He chatted with them. Some commented on his wolf outfit. They asked about his visible scars. Others just glared daggers at him. As soon as Peeta and Katniss arrived, Link approached him.
"Hello! Getting married, are we?" Link asked him while the other tributes just stared. Peeta wore an elegant tuxedo and white gloves. Clothes that grooms would wear when getting married. Katniss wore the most beautiful white gown, pearls covering her. They smiled solemnly.
"You wish." Said Peeta.
Finnick spoke from behind Link to Katniss. "I can't believe Cinna put you in that thing."
"He didn't have a choice. President Snow made him." Katniss said defensively.
Cashmere, district one, tossed her flowing golden hair behind her back. "Well, you look ridiculous!" She grabbed her brother's hand, yet another tribute, and pulled him into place to lead their procession into the stage.
"What's this?" Katniss asked Link, touching a light hand to his chest.
"I got attacked by a wolf after the tour. My stylist wanted to show it off."
"Ouch." Said Peeta. Link nodded in agreement, and took his place in line.
Before he knew it, he was sitting onstage in front of the whole world.
Each of the tributes had prepared a little speech just for the interview. Cashmere spoke about how she couldn't stop crying when she thought about how the people in the Capitol may be suffering they will lose their victors. Finnick recited a love poem for the one he loved in the Capitol. Johanna asked if something can't be done in the situation. Chaff insisted that the president could change Quell if he wanted to, but he must not think that it matters to anyone.
By the time Katniss was introduced, the audience was an absolute wreck. The sight of her in her bridal dress practically caused a riot. Everyone loved Katniss and Peeta, the star-crossed lovers of district twelve, and it was all gone. Caesar Flickerman finally managed to quiet them for Katniss to speak.
"So, Katniss, obviously this is a very emotional night for everyone. Is there anything you'd like to say?" Caesar asked.
Katniss replied, "only that I'm so sorry you don't get to be at my wedding... But I'm glad you at least get to see me in my dress. Isn't it just... The most beautiful thing?" She raised her arms, and began to twirl slowly.
Link gasped along with the screams of the audience.
Fire.
Flames of bright orange licked around Katniss's twirling body. It looked more real than ever before. Even she looked scared, but she kept on going. Pearls clattered onto the stage. The fire devoured her dress until the white silk was completely gone, replaced with a black gown made of tiny feathers. Her sleeves had white patches on them. Link watched as she stopped twirling, and rose her arms in the air.
Cinna has turned Katniss into a mockingjay.
OMGOSH! Mockingjay! R&R plz! ;)