Author's Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda or The Hunger Games. I am earning no profit from this story other than the enjoyment of writing it and sharing it with others. I hope you all enjoy reading it! Feel free to let me know what you think by giving this chapter a review.
The second the bullet makes contact with my skin, ripping it apart, tearing through my tissue, agony rips apart my heart. I let out a blood curdling scream. The last thing I hear before I fall into unconsciousness is Ganondorf letting out a scream of pain that rivals my own.
Then everything goes black, and I know nothing more about the outside world. All I know is that my body has become a battlefield. Life versus death. Each one wants me to join their ranks, because right now I am somewhere in between both. I can feel my Triforce of Courage and the wolf fighting on life's side, but death is still winning. I am fading away, my hold on life slipping.
Because my Triforce is working so hard just keeping me alive, because I'm human, and because human instinct is to fear death, the question I asked myself in our little cave in the arena has been answered. Now I know what it feels like to be afraid. I am afraid of dying. I am filled with a chilling rush of adrenaline that makes my veins feel like ice is running through them. So, this is what fear is. It is so different from any other emotion. Sadness is a reaction to losing something you love. Anger is a reaction to something you believe is unjust. They make sense. But this feeling of fear doesn't. Why am I afraid? If I do die, then I get to see Midna, Zelda, Colin, and Ilia again.
I lie in this state of confusion, of agony, of fear for an indeterminable amount of time. All I feel is the same agony from when the bullet first connected with my skin. I can't think straight. I'm so scared, so confused. I don't know what I want anymore. I don't want to die. But I want to see Midna again. Do I want to die?
It doesn't matter what I want anymore. I am going to die. I can feel it. The pain is fading. My Triforce's power is nearly depleted. It needs time to recharge, but time is not something I have. Death has nearly won this fight. The wolf is tired. My Triforce can't help me anymore. My fear fades away. I have accepted my fate. My time as the hero is over, and I have not failed. I defeated Ganondorf, even if I needed a little help. Hyrule will be safe for a while. Katniss and Peeta will move on, and I'm sure that they are just happy they're still together.
But suddenly, I feel something pulling me back to life. Whatever it is pushing death away, revitalizing my Triforce and the wolf. They continue to fight for me. All I can do is wait for it to be over. But the pain returns, and I wish I had just gone ahead and died. Anything to be rid of this horrible, unending agony. The force reviving me grows stronger and stronger, and death doesn't stand a chance. Even so, it continues to fight, and I just want this battle to end. I want to be released from my agony, no matter which side of existence I end up on. Dead or alive I don't care. Just let me go. It hurts too much. I can't go on.
Finally, life overwhelms death and I fall into a peaceful unconsciousness. When I wake up, my eyes are dazzled by the bright lights of whatever room I'm in. I blink several times, and when they adjust, I can see that the room I'm in is all white. The only color in the entire room is the blood stain near my heart on the thin blanket covering up my entire body. My left hand is dangling off the side of the bed, and I can see that all the skin has been melted off. I guess the Triforce worked just a little too hard. An army of tubes and machines are stationed next to me, with many plugged right into my circulatory system. One tube is covering up my nose, and another my mouth. I try to sit up, but the agony returns. I lie back down quickly. My chest still hurts, but it's a dull throbbing not a constant, stabbing pain. That, I can deal with. I stare up at the white ceiling of my room just happy I'm not hurting anymore.
Then I realize that I truly am alive. Instinct sends a flurry ecstasy through my veins, but my heart feels a little let down. Even through my fear of death, it had truly hoped that I would be able to see Midna again. I will someday. It's not like she's going anywhere. The wolf is happy I am alive, but it roars at me for a while about not helping it fight death. I just listen to it complain, since I have nothing better to do. I'll just lay here until someone comes to see me, I guess.
I don't have to wait long. Soon enough a panel of the wall slides open and Katniss and Peeta step into my room. I smile at them or attempt to. It's rather difficult while you're wearing the medical equivalent of a gag.
Katniss gasps when she notices my open eyes. "You're awake!" she cries. They both rush over to my bed. Peeta's eyes widen when he notices my hand, but he says nothing.
"How long was I out?" I ask weakly. My voice sounds raspy and slightly muffled.
"Three weeks," Peeta replies. "Even the doctors were surprised at how fast you recovered."
"Everyone thought you were going to die," Katniss adds.
"How did you convince the doctors to help me?" I ask. "I mean, I killed the President."
"That's exactly how," Peeta says. "You see, the Capitol does have a rule for choosing the next leader. Normally, it would be the President's son or daughter. But President Snow didn't have an heir."
I snicker. "Of course, he didn't. Who in their right mind would marry the King of Evil?"
Peeta laughs. "I don't know. Anyway, the rule if the President doesn't have an heir is that all of Panem's citizens get to vote for the next President."
"Even the Districts?" I ask.
"Yeah," Katniss agrees. "And everyone voted for you because our fight was televised. All the Districts believed your story about being the hero, even if the Capitol thought you were crazy. You gave them all hope."
"During the vote, and while the votes were being counted, everyone was sure you were going to die," Peeta explains solemnly. "But somehow you held on. And after you were declared President all the doctors immediately began working on you."
"So... I'm President," I say slowly.
"Yeah," Katniss agrees.
I'm not sure how I feel about that. I've never been in charge of anything, much less a whole country. My only condolence is that at least I'll do a better job than Ganondorf.
The panel of the wall slides open again, and a woman clothed in white steps into my room. "How are you feeling, President Ordania?"
It takes me a second to realize she's talking to me. "Oh. Uh..okay, I guess. Better than I was earlier."
She nods. She inspects my army of machines, but frowns when she notices my burnt-up hand. "When did this happen?"
"It was like that when I woke up," I reply honestly.
"We'll fix it," she says, smiling at me. She exits the room.
"Does your chest hurt?" Katniss asks.
"A little," I answer honestly. "It's much better than before."
"You could feel it while you were unconscious?" Peeta asks, his eyes wide.
"Yeah," I sigh, thinking of the unending agony I had endured. But it was over now. "It was awful. I've never felt worse pain than that." Those simple words don't even begin to describe the horrible pain the bullet caused me.
"I'm glad it feels better now," Katniss says with a smile.
"Have you looked at your chest yet?" Peeta asks tentatively.
"No," I say. "This is the first time I've woken up."
"What they did is pretty cool," Peeta says with an air of excitement about him. He gently peels my blanket down, revealing my bare chest.
I gasp when I notice the spot where my heart should be. There is a gaping hole there, much larger than a bullet could have made. Inside the hole is a circular object. It is made of steel, and it pulses with light blue energy. All my major arteries are connected to this strange machine. "I have a heart of steel," I say simply.
"Yep," Katniss agrees. She clearly finds Peeta's excitement amusing. Personally, I agree with him. My fake heart is pretty cool.
"Hopefully you'll get all the way better soon," Peeta says. "We're supposed to have an interview with Caesar Flickerman in two weeks."
"Why?" I ask.
"Because the Capitol insists on finishing this Hunger Games," Katniss says. "Besides, it's just an interview. And then we have the Victory Tour."
I nod. More people in white come into my room.
"You must rest now, President," one of them, a man, says to me. He holds up a bottle of lotion. "We will fix your burned hand as you sleep."
"Okay," I agree. I lean my head back against my pillow and close my eyes. I can feel something being pumped through one of my tubes. It is that sedative from before. Only this time, I allow it to pull me under.