AUTHOR NOTES: Korra is conflicted, and Vivian is not helping the situation. She's so cool and level-headed, and combined with Sacajawea's gentle warnings, and we've got a conflicted little career tribute here. Her journey is far from over, even if the games are approaching their end, what with only 6 tributes left.
Well... 6 tributes at the end of this chapter, anyhoo.
Happy reading!

CHAPTER 25: The Breakup

When the two cannons had gone off, Saki and Korra froze, wondering who they could have belonged to. Had Vincent and Vivian been slain? Did the one-armed girl get her vengeance on District 11? Had the elusive District 6 pair been spotted? Korra did not like not knowing these things.

"You know what else is bugging me?" she turned to her darker-skinned friend as they began to make camp for the evening, "It's been two days and there hasn't been any life-threatening hazards trying to kill us like there were on the first six days. What gives?"
"Maybe they didn't want the Capitol thinking that it was actually rigged?" Saki suggested, "Zurok is more discreet than that, and so if her Gamemakers were being too obvious, she would make sure they knew to tone it down."

"Those last dozen or so Night Witches are still out there though," Korra sighed, watching the sun disappear behind one of the distant mesas, "and the gradually increasing humidity is going to soon become a problem, if it's anything like the monsoons back home."

"We'll be fine, Korra," Saki reassured the shorter girl as the two of them curled their bare toes against the grassy rocks around them, "Your odds of winning are still pretty damn high, especially since I'll be backing you up till they get me."
"But that's another thing that bugs," Korra shook her head, laying down with her head in her arms, gazing up at the slightly hazy sky, "you're my friend. Vincent and Vivian are my friends. Koshu's my friend, even. I guess I kind of fell into that trap of falling for people in the arena, and making friends."
"I suppose you could chalk that up as a weakness if you wanted," Saki suggested, "you're a likeable person, Korra. It's easy—well, for me at least—to see why the careers liked you, and why Koshu likes you. You're strong and smart, but you're also personable. You're a one-woman army that somehow projects supreme self-confidence and humble vulnerability. Why do you think so many people look to you as a leader?"

"I'm fine with leading people," Korra shrugged, "I just feel like I wouldn't do well at it. You've seen me when I'm out of my element."
"Yes, and it's adorable!" Saki giggled, "your face turns so red…"
Almost as if that was the trigger itself, Korra's freckles disappeared in a sea of pink and red. However, right as she opened her mouth to snap a response, the anthem played for the evening, revealing the names of the victims of today's scuffles.

Vincent Caruso, District 2…

"Shit!" Korra gritted her teeth, "that better not mean…"
Laura Talahasi, District 11…

Korra sighed in relief. Vivian was still alive, which, strangely, meant something to her after the District 1 girl's remarks earlier.

"Something tells me that Zurok's plan was never to have the arena annihilate me," Saki warned, "I think that she's trying to get one of the tributes to muster up the courage to finally kill me."

"Who do you think it will be though?" Korra turned to her,

"Well, if it comes down to you and I, I'm sure that somehow they will make sure you win. Otherwise… who knows? That District 6 guy scored an 11 and we haven't seen him or the kid he was with since the bloodbath. It might be Zhao, or maybe Vivian is turning on us."
"Why would she do that though?" Korra seemed confused, "with this many tributes left?"
"Well, maybe she wants someone else to kill you before you have to inevitably turn on her…" Saki shrugged, "or maybe she wants to find an easy way out. She's only got one arm. She knows she's at a disadvantage, and sp she's going to try and manipulate the field. Don't lose any sleep over it though, Korra. I've still got my money on you…"
Despite that reassurance, Korra had trouble sleeping that evening.

The morning was hardly any better. Right as they were waking up and cooking the last of their food before they'd have to go hunting again, they looked up and saw Vivian approaching, with Koshu in tow. Korra seemed pleased to meet them, standing up and hoping to greet them with a smile, but the smile was short-lived as she saw their somber expressions.

"Vincent is dead," Vivian announced, "as you surely noticed last night."
"I know," Korra sighed, "but that's why I'm glad to see you."
"Actually, about that," Vivian raised her hand, the stump that had once been her other arm bound up with cloth that was most likely sponsored. "we're here to warn you that our alliance needs to end."
"What!?" Korra stared at Vivian like a slack-jawed village idiot, "why!?"

"I figured it'd save us the heartache." Vivian sighed, "you've got Saki, and I've got Koshu. You two have some little secret pact or whatever worked out about Saki since she's apparently not supposed to win or something, and if Koshu and I get to turn on each other, we've got scores to settle anyways, and so that's why we're fine with temporarily pairing up."
Saki couldn't help but give a respectful nod to this girl. She was very Hunger Games-savvy, and she was showing it. Korra was admittedly surprised at the alliance between the District 1 girl and the District 3 boy, especially since she knew that Cobalt had died at Koshu's hand. Vivian had seemed rather upset when it had happened, and now here they were working together. Saki was right though—Korra hated losing friends, even if she knew that she would have to lose them before she could go home.

"So that's it then," Korra sighed, looking suddenly very distraught, "you're just going to turn on me like that despite that there are still three other tributes that could very well be plotting our demise right now?! Is that how much our alliance meant to you, Vivian?" The passion behind her voice had Vivian step back a little, but she kept her resolve firm.

"Korra…" she sighed, "it's not that at all. It's just… think about it. I would much rather have to let someone else kill you or me than to have to have the two of us have to duke it out to the death. Besides—I'm missing an arm. I'm barefoot now because I use my feet for some of the things I used to do with two arms. Face it—we're all trying to manipulate our circumstances to our advantage, because we all want to survive. If the Gamemakers are really trying to accidentally kill Saki or whatever, then look at her. Even she wants to live, and so she's fighting back. Koshu and I are just trying to even our odds a little bit without suffering too much heartache. If you want to cut us down right here and right now, do it. You're no pushover, Korra. You could overpower me in seconds, even if I still had two arms. You're a good person, Korra, and you're a great leader. I might not be afraid of death, but I don't want to be living the last few days of my life in fear of it. Strike me down here, or let us go our own separate ways and take our chances. The choice is yours, Mockingjay."

"What did you just call me?" Korra exclaimed, "How did you know about—have you been spying?"

"Nonsense," Vivian laughed, "I'm not sure if you girls have realized it or not yet—but knowing things that I'm not supposed to know is basically what I do."

"Really?" Korra tilted her head, her auburn hair falling to one side.

"Well, and you just gave it away." Vivian chuckled. "but seriously—my odds of winning aren't great, and hopefully someone else offs one of us before we have to confront each other. Pitting my odds against the great Korra Francisco is not something I'd rather do."
"Alright…" Korra sighed, "you and Koshu best get moving then. If you're going to turn on me, I will not hesitate to gut you here and now to prevent either of you from getting Saki or me."

"May the odds be ever in your favor," Koshu gave Korra a salute before Vivian did the same except with her left hand. "Farewell."

And just like that, the two tributes took off southward, hoping to pick off some of the others before they became victims themselves. Korra watched them go, and sighed.

"No one decent ever wins these games, Korra," Saki muttered, "because by the time there's a victor announced, that poor kid is a fractured remnant of who they once were."
"I can overcome it," Korra insisted.

"Hmm, the nightmares?" Saki raised an eyebrow, "or the PTSD?"
"Definitely the nightmares…" Korra agreed, "maybe the PTSD. I'm not sure. Some of the victors seem pretty stable to me. Amy seems stable. Leto seems stable. Your two latest victors seemed pretty calm."

"Doesn't mean we can't still suffer fr—" Saki froze.

Another cannon had just gone off.