The seventeenth day

They came to in three empty rooms. There remained to them no indication of how long they had been out, or even how it came about…

Resigned, yet determined.

Fierce, yet gentle.

Driven, yet each struggled to put his own life above another.

Twenty-four had entered. These were the three that remained.

Each had tested fate in different ways, but now they were equal. Before each one, a wheel that was completely blank, and a table.

Am I dead…? Coda Fukai could practically feel the wings on his back. As if he had done anything to earn them. The crystal clear wheel stood before him. The great equalizer.

It's time. He had killed his ally, who had once been his friend. Without him, Owen O'Connor may have already been dead, and now he was here. It's your son, Owen. I'll be home soon.

So close. The faces Cerulean Elpharae had once not dared to dream of were back in his mind, close to his heart. Your sacrifice will not be in vain.

"Before you, you will see seven tokens, that once belonged to those that have come before you. You will have the chance to spin for the spoils they won seventeen long days ago. As you try to capitalize off of their luck for your final battle here, be wary with how far you push fate: as you will also be spinning to follow their fates. Choose your spins very, very wisely. And… may the odds be ever in your favor."

Ceru was the first to make a spin. He took the orange token, the color he knew all too well belonged to a Career. With no indication of what would be on the wheel, Ceru slid the token in the slot. The wheel was illuminated orange, and Remus's picture appeared above it. The person he'd killed. Ceru closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled the lever. The lights flew around: no physical rumbling this time: until it landed.

The slot labelled with an X appeared on the screen, which Ceru recognized from the first day as a spin for nothing. He sighed, but knew that karma was coming for him, as it should.

The second to spin was Owen. He barely hesitated before putting the bright green coin in the slot. The wheel lit up in a tremendous burst of color, displaying Kelwyn's face for Owen to see. At the sight, his eyes teared up slightly: knowing that a perfectly good guy like him was dead was unsettling. He didn't want to follow him.

He pulled the lever, causing the lights to flash and buzz as they spun around. They eventually landed on a blank space. Owen's heart beat nervously as he looked at the other coins, wondering who to try next.

Coda could feel the gold coin beckoning to him, but he didn't know what Henley had gotten. He didn't remember most of the colors, which caused him a moment of panic as he looked at the options.

His side stung as blood continued to escape his body from Lonan's wounds. He didn't have much time… He barely stopped to think: he pulled the moss green token from the table and shoved it in the slot. The smiling, defiant face of the girl from Four looked back at him.

A Career. Coda sighed, hoping she had a good lot as he spun. The lights flashed, and they stopped on… Peanut butter.

Not bad. But not what he would need to fight the other two boys. There had to be something better…

Cerulean held the burnt orange token, hoping to God it was Remus's District partner. Another spin from a Career was what Ceru needed to have a chance at a weapon, or anything really. When he saw Arden's determined eyes looking at him, Ceru looked away from the picture, instead pulling the lever and sending the light brown wheel into a frenzy of lights…

Bag of Apples. The machine produced the bag, labelled with a light brown stripe. Ceru was so tired of apples. He needed something more. Throwing apples at Owen and Coda certainly wasn't an effective battle strategy. His eye caught the token on the far right, and he knew what he had to do…

Owen held the brown token in his hands. The shocked face of his dead ally filled him with dread as he put the token in the slot. The boy he saw in front of him was different from who he once was. But Owen still hated what he did.

He pressed the button, and brown lights flashed as the wheel spun itself, casting the room in an eerie light as it stopped.

Bags of simple food.

That wouldn't be enough… He took the bags from the machine, munching on some jerkey as he contemplated which to spin next.

His eyes fixed themselves on the citrus token. He didn't remember much from the first day, but he remembered a large pile of those supplies… Owen picked the token up… There was no way to know for sure…

He put the token in. Union Pickford smiled down at him, and Owen's eyes stung at the sight of such a happy boy who was now dead. He pulled the lever, the wheel spun, and stopped on another unhelpful supply. What am I going to do with a pillow? He asked himself, shaking his head. His eyes landed on his next choice.

Is this a Career color? Coda eyed the maroon token suspiciously. At this point, he didn't have much choice. He needed something good, and fast. Even first aid, to help him mend these wounds… As if he could mend them… Dammit.

He didn't look back, shoving the token into the slot, and the wheel lit up, showing him the face of Mercury, much to his relief. Please… Coda pressed the button. The wheel spun and spun, until it stopped…

Bow and arrows. It was fair luck for Coda, who waited for the machine to produce the weapon for him. He couldn't use it as well as he could the ko-nanny thing, but… It was a weapon…

Owen shoved the true blue token into the slot, praying for better luck. He couldn't afford to keep spinning, not with the options that were before him. Rammie stared down at him, but in reality, he would be looking down on her forever. She may have gotten his mother the help she needed, but she was such a cruel person. Owen tried to keep himself from crying as he turned away from her picture.

She can't hurt me anymore.

He pulled the lever. The lights flashed, decorating the room with a sad aura as they stopped.

The machine produced another couple bags of nuts, and Owen sighed. How many more spins was he willing to take?

Ceru held the lavender token in his hands, blinking back tears as he prayed his District partner would protect him one last time… He slid it into the slot, and watched her face appear before his eyes. The anger in her eyes was enough to light his heart on fire. He wasn't going to let this be the end. He pulled the lever. The wheel danced for a long while, taunting Ceru until it landed on his manna.

Sword.

It wasn't an axe, but he would take it over anything else. He breathed a sigh of relief, waiting for the doors to open.

Owen needed a weapon. He still had to take a free hit after all… He couldn't go out there with two other tributes, defenseless. He stared at the bright red token, quite possibly his last hope at getting a weapon. He would spin every damn one of these if he had to… He put the coin in the slot.

Kelwyn's ally Celestia stared down at him, her face determined, yet calm. Owen tried to emulate her energy as the room was filled with an alarming light, that made him feel like he was in an emergency… The wheel buzzed as it spun around, and Owen started to have a terrible, terrible feeling…

He watched the wheel slow, each click sending a chill up his spine. Could this really be it for him? The wheel stopped. Owen's heart dropped down to his stomach.

Rapier.

He'd done it. The machine produced a weapon, and he quickly took a hold of the light sword.

"I'm coming for you," he said, his grip on the weapon tightening.

And yet, the doors didn't open for him.

Someone was taking a last spin.

He didn't know why he did it. He was so desperate to see her face one last time… She smiled down at him as the wheel spun, clicking along, clicking… It stopped. And then went one more click to the left.

"No."

It couldn't be.

The room was encased by a golden light. He wasn't sure what it was: the blood loss due to his injuries or what, but his muscles suddenly felt tight. He hobbled towards the door, but it felt like his limbs were made of lead. The doors weren't opening. The room was still in a golden haze.

He'd made it too damn far to cause his own death. He wouldn't allow it to happen. He was going to go out there and show those older boys a fight!

He couldn't even move. He tried to pull on the door, but soon he was using the doorknob to hold himself up. His arms wobbled, until they gave out, and he sunk down to the floor.

No…

He had been his own kiss of death.

He had gotten so far… He could feel blood puddling around him, showing no sign of stopping anytime soon. And his body was unable to do anything to move. He tried to move his lips, to say something, but it was to late. The numb feeling was crawling up his body. It was too late for him to say goodbye.

He couldn't move, he couldn't even turn his head… Coda stared up at the ceiling, still colored gold, his heart screaming in agony. He tried to curl his fingers, but no movement came. Fear overtook him as he felt like he was being covered in cement. It wasn't his time…

He hadn't made it this damn far just to fuck himself over like this!

Henley… He failed her. He just wanted to go home for her, to try and turn himself around, and it was all for her…

But, in reality, he was delusional. He had failed her. He was the one that couldn't provide for them both. He had killed her, but her death hadn't been quick. She slowly lost all will to live, all because he couldn't get them water. It was the worst way to go… And he was delusional enough to believe he could have saved her… Now, he was getting what he deserved for what he did to her.

I'm so sorry Henley… His soul was crying out, but it would never be heard. His face was frozen.

At least it doesn't hurt… Fear overtook his body as his lungs became heavier and heavier with each breath he took. He couldn't do anything to stop it.

It doesn't hurt…

He failed her. Now he would suffer as she did.

Coda couldn't close his eyes. He couldn't believe he was simply going to sleep. He knew what was happening to him. And he was powerless to stop it.

A sudden feeling of peace washed over him. He would no long limp around. His family would be fine without him: they already were, really. The District would keep going. The world would keep spinning. There was no one left for Coda to protect in this world. He couldn't even protect Henley… Couldn't even help himself…

It was better that he went here.

At least It didn't hurt.

Coda's body began to shut down, but the golden light in the room was comforting now. He would be with her soon. He would be able to tell her everything he always wanted to say, but didn't know how. He had done the best he could. But there was only so much he could have done.

At least it doesn't hurt.

Henley…

He could see her. He could see light. Blood seeped into his clothes as his lungs pushed out one last labored breath before freezing. His labored, heavy heart finally gave in…

Coda Fukai gave in.

The fire was extinguished.

A cannon shook the floor under Ceru's feet, and the doors opened before the boys.

Two remained.

But it wasn't over yet.

Owen held his rapier, Ceru his sword, as the two boys were suddenly face to face. Ceru noticed the glimmer in the upper corner of the room, that indicated a forcefield was separating the two. Between them sat Lux Hastings himself. It didn't take them long to notice the third door, which would never open.

"Sit," said Lux, and gestured them both in. They obeyed, neither able to look at the other. A feed on the table scrolled the words as Lux spoke. "Blackjack. Three rounds. I advise that you be careful not to bust."

Owen glanced up at Ceru, who was staring at him with a face full of regret as the cards for the first round were dealt. Ceru sunk into his seat. Both of them had learned the game from their escorts during the pre-Games: but it was far from the first time Owen's played the game. This was the place where his lucked always lived.

Owen had the two of spades and the eight of diamonds. It was a no brainer. "Hit me."

Ceru had the two of clubs and the three of diamonds. When Lux looked over at him, he nodded. "Hit me."

Each got another card.

"I hold," said Owen, and eyes went to Ceru.

"Hit me." His voice was small and weak, trying to see through Owen's poker face. He was always so good at observing people: he saw through Helen's poker face all the time: but Owen was basically unreadable. He did the math in his head and once again said, "Hit me." Damn, he was getting so many low cards… One more. He took a deep breath and said one more time, "Hit me." Once he got that card, he was satisfied. "I hold."

They both put their cards down. The lights flashed cyan blue, as Owen had 20 and Ceru only 18.

The cards were given back and shuffled once again. Ceru watched Lux's hands, curious more than anything where the holes were in the forcefield that he was able to give them cards like that. He dealt two a piece. Owen had the ten of diamonds and the two of hearts. It was another no-brainer for him.

"Hit me."

Lux looked to Ceru, who had the Queen of Diamonds and the 7 of clubs. "Hit me." He was feeling risky. The card came to him, and the room was immediately enveloped in purple as Ceru saw the word "Blackjack" on his screen. He didn't want to smile: not with whatever that meant for Owen: but he was relieved to not be out of this yet.

Owen put down his cards, his heart beating with worry as the third round started. This one was absolutely critical for both of the boys.

"Sorry," Owen mouthed to Ceru, who looked away from him as they both looked at their cards.

Owen went first. Seeing as he had the seven of diamonds and the three of hearts, there was no way he could bust yet. "Hit me."

Ceru nodded, as he had the three of clubs and the Jack of Spades. "Hit me."

The face card looking back at him immediately filled him with dread as he'd busted.

The game continued, though, with Owen biting his lip and saying again, "Hit me." Ceru was sure that those that didn't know him well couldn't tell, but he could see the expression of Owen's face change the ever slightest into one of fear.

The room went dark for just a moment as it was revealed that both of them busted: Ceru with 23 and Owen with 24.

At hearing that news, the boys exchanged a scared, yet relieved look. Ceru couldn't tell what it was that Owen was saying, but he did catch the last word: together.

The words scrolled by for Ceru to read as Lux explained.

"The distance from twenty-one you landed in the past rounds will leave each of you with an acquired score. Busting adds four additional points to that score. The higher your score is, the worse your handicap will be. If your score surpasses twenty, you will immediately be dead. However, if fate is on your side, you may, during battle, request to spin the roulette wheel. A high risk, high reward will either add or subtract five points from your score, if you can guess the number in a range of ten, from one to thirty-six. For a lower risk, lower reward of two points, you can guess if the ball will land in a red or black space. You can spin as many times as you want, just keep your score above twenty. Your scores will be up on the big screen so you will know. You may read over the instructions again if you wish. When you are ready, please proceed to the doors of your color on the far side of the room."

Ceru stood by to read the directions one more time, but Owen headed straight to the door. All was left behind except for himself and his rapier. He was ready to get home. Ceru hung his head, holding onto the lavender sword tightly and heading towards the purple door. He could feel the lock click under his hand, and he looked over at Owen one more time before they stepped out.

The door lead them back to the ground floor, but bordering the top of the circle room was now a huge screen that displayed a blue 14 and a purple 10. Surrounding them was a roulette wheel bigger than Ceru had ever seen in his life. He put up his sword, quickly realizing that his hands were being held together by some form of electric handcuffs. He looked over at Owen, who was hunched over, spewing out contents of his stomach, gasping and gagging for air. Before long, the stench of vomit filled the space.

This is it Ceru… He was obviously at a disadvantage.

He was paralyzed. Not by the Capitol this time, but by himself. This was his friend. He couldn't go out without a fair fight like this…

But Ceru also wanted so badly to get home. This was it. He had to take advantage of his luck.

Tears streaked out of his eyes as he charged towards his friend, who barely saw him coming as he was choking on his own vomit. Ceru held up the sword… tapped Owen's shoulder with it. Owen, taking his free hit, froze up, unable to defend himself from it.

He looked up at the boy from Seven as vomit dribbled down his chin and he looked back down, squeezing his eyes shut as more contents flew from his stomach.

Ceru took Owen's moment to freeze and used it. "Low risk spin!" he called out. "Red!" The ball and wheel spun into action, shaking the very ground beneath his feet as it slowed, slowed, and stopped. Ceru looked around, and suddenly went toppling to the ground as it landed in a black slot. Suddenly, he could barely stand up on his own two feet. Was it the spinning of the roulette wheel that threw him off this much?! Ceru didn't want to waste anymore as his score changed to twelve. Ceru tried to stand, steadying himself.

"Spin!" he called to Owen. "Spin now, dammit!" He couldn't stand making Owen's family watch him go out like this. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have hesitated.

Owen spit more vomit out of his mouth. He knew that his ex-ally should have killed him already. He didn't deserve that act of kindness…

But Owen certainly wasn't going to be dumb and waste it. If Ceru wanted to go out in a fair fight, Owen respected that. That was really all he wanted too.

This wasn't the time to play it safe anymore. Owen was about to risk it all. He just wanted to get back home. He didn't have a choice. Now was the time for him to pull out the big guns. No more pussy-footing around. It was either get home, or not.

"High…Risk…" he choked on vomit that was pushing itself out of his throat, his voice raspy. "Seventeen… To Twenty-Seven…" He picked the numbers that felt right to him. The vomit slowed, causing Owen to cough and spit, as the great roulette wheel spun round them, the ball rumbling as it hit each of the spots, until it stopped… The wheel stopped on… Fourteen.

Owen's stomach immediately settled. Before he could see his score switch to nineteen, his vision was gone completely.

Ceru knew it was time for him to do the same. "High risk," he said, as his world spun around him. "Nine to nineteen." He looked over at Owen, who was stumbling about as the great wheel was thrown back into action. Ceru watched the ball stop, and his score count down, down to seven. Ceru's sense of balance kicked in again. His lungs felt slightly tight, but he felt much more normal.

"High-"

"Owen no!" Ceru called, unable to control the desperation in his voice. "If you miss one more, it will kill you!"

Owen couldn't even tell where the voice was coming from. "So what?!"

"Please, don't let it be this that kills you…" Ceru frowned.

"I'm a dead man walking. Just let me make it easy for you. High!"

"NO!" Ceru charged forward, his vision slightly blurred with tears as his chest heaved for air, feeling like he'd just run a mile when he'd done nothing. "Don't let yourself die without a fight, Owen O'Connor!" Ceru took a deep breath, squeezing more tears out of his eyes. "Please. For me. For your mother."

Something about hearing him plead made something snap in Owen's heart. He was right. He was right. Owen wasn't going to let his mother see him give up. She needs to know that he did everything to get back to her.

Owen stood up, taking hold of his rapier.

"Let's not hold back now, okay?" A warm tear left a trail down Owen's cheek.

"To the end," Ceru affirmed. He stared at his friend's face one last time before Owen made the first move, rapier raised high. Ceru saw the move, and metal hit metal as he defended it with his sword. Owen kept swinging, wildly attacking forward, until Ceru couldn't keep up with defending anymore. Owen landed a few hits on him, his face contorting in determination as he continued to move forward.

Ceru couldn't put it off anymore. He had no choice but to come home. He had so much left to do… Owen fervently approached, and Ceru could see an opening that he couldn't. Metal slid against metal as Ceru deflected Owen's attack, and a great cry came from him as Ceru jabbed his sword forward, through Owen's chest.

Owen gasped, and immediately went backwards onto the ground. His hand opened, and the rapier slid out of it.

"Owen!"

Ceru threw his sword away, and ran over to where blood was staining the carpet. Their hands found each other on the ground, intertwining fingers tightly and squeezing.

"I'm so s...s..orry, I'm so sorry.." He couldn't control the tears that were rolling out of his eyes, amongst the blood that seeped into his pantlegs.

Owen squeezed his hand. "My… Mom…" He had failed her. He'd taken one step too far testing fate… He should have known it was going to end like this. "Ceru, my Mom!" at least he would take care of her. That was all Owen needed to know. That was all he needed.

"Mom," he repeated, swallowing hard as he gasped for air between quiet sobs. "I will Owen. I will."

He wanted to thank his ally, but it was too late. Owen couldn't find the energy to speak. He gave Ceru's hand one final, tight squeeze. Ceru's entire body shook with tears as he gasped for air. He lay his weary head on Owen's chest, feeling his chest rise and fall one last time as Owen released his final breath, and went completely still.

The screens around him lit up purple, but Ceru couldn't see it. His head was buried in his knees, sobs rocking his entire body, misery consuming him. It was a ballsy thing for him to do, but Ceru didn't care. He gave himself a second to mourn. To be sad. In front of all those people watching him. Ceru buried his face in the clean part of Owen's shirt, desperate for just one more moment with him that he would never get. How he wished he could stop time, process the emotions he was feeling. But he couldn't.

The announcement flashed across the screens, as Viola announced to the nation.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Victor of the 127th annual Hunger Games… Cerulean Elpharae!"

He took a long sniffle, forcing himself back up on his feet as his lungs were released, and took a deep breath of air.

It was over. All of it, over.

And he was the one that lived.

"I will not let you die in vain!" he didn't know how loud he shouted it, but it was what they needed to hear. He wouldn't let a single one of them have died in vain.

Who would have ever thought the little deaf boy would be the one to come out of her? Certainly not Ceru. But now, now he knew better than that. He was going to break free of a society that conditioned him to think of himself as less.

He looked at Owen's body, so peaceful looking, on the ground. He would never forgive himself for what he did to him. He would be sure his family was well taken care of. There was so much that he could do.

The hovercraft appeared for him, a ladder, to take him away from this place forever. But he would never forget it. The ladder stood by him. Ceru looked around the room one last time, the place where it had all began.

He didn't know how to express what he was feeling in his gut right now… There was only one way he knew how. The only sign he had ever learned.

To the twenty-three people who had come before him.

To his ally, his friend Owen.

To his District partner, who had died so he could live.

For those who had lost their chances for him to have his.

Ceru put his fingers to his lips, and outstretched his hand to the room.

Thank you.

He got on the ladder. It would be the last time he would have to be paralyzed here.

Maud hurried forward when she saw him, smiling widely as she took both of his hands and squeezed them tightly. "Welcome home," she told him, and he smiled at her.

When Helen approached him, she had her hands held together, and moved them back and forth in a motion Cerulean hadn't seen before until she said, "Congratulations."

More tears poured out of Ceru's eyes at the life he had ahead of him. Somehow, he was the one to have earned it.

Maud guided him over to the hospital bed that they would use to patch up his wounds, and held his hand to help him climb up on it. Ceru gave her hand an appreciative squeeze, for everything she had done for him while he was in there.

He started to feel woozy as he was injected with anesthetic and being rolled away.

Home.

He's coming home a changed man. Gone were the days of a Cerulean that passively watched his dreams coast by with nothing he could do save them. Gone were the days of a Cerulean that felt apologetic for a part of himself that he couldn't control.

I'm coming home, he thought as he closed his eyes.

Watch out District Seven.

You've got a big storm coming.

~.~.

A/N: Well folks, we officially have a Victor. There was so much turmoil that went into deciding which of these amazing three gentlemen was going to get the crown. I absolutely agonized over this decision, and went back and forth among all four of them, but especially these three, over and over again. Ultimately, in planning this finale, there was one person that I could in no circumstances kill off: and it was Ceru. He came so far, and he is going to continue to grow. That being said, this finale was extremely hard for me to write and it was basically entirely randomly generated, from the cards to the roulette wheel, the spins, everything. I changed 2 things on the spins I think, and that was it.

Anyways, I hope that you all enjoyed this finale and let me know if I got you to shed a tear of course!

Thank you to everyone who's been giving me bonus content, it's up on the blog! And really, just thank you to all of you who are still reading and supporting this story. It's meant so much to me and I am so thankful for each and every one of you!

CQ: What was your favorite part of this finale?

Now, I have to jump into my much-dreaded eulogies.

3rd Place: Coda Fukai, District 8- Injured by Lonan Fodor, D10, and Injected with paralytic poison

This was so tough. I knew that with the circumstances, it would be hard for him to make it out. So he got a way to go that was painless. He followed in his ally's footsteps, spinning death on a wheel, and he can at least know that her death didn't hurt as he followed her. Coda was such an amazing kid. He started out so hotheaded and rash at the beginning of this journey, but being allied with Henley changed him so much for the better. He made it so far, but someone had to fill the third place position, and it had to be him with how the circumstances ended up. Saying goodbye to him hurt my heart so much. He had seen so much growth and such an amazing arc that I hated to watch it end. I find it fitting that his arc ended just as it began: by paralytic poison. Thank you so much for this amazing kid VR, I hope you loved watching him grow through the Games and I am so sorry to break your heart!

2nd Place: Owen O'Connor, District 5- Stabbed by Cerulean Elpharae, D7

LEGEND I HAD TO DO IT TO YOU. I am SO SORRY. I think you could see this coming, but I hope I was still able to hurt you through your ultimate knowledge that this would be it for Owen. He was such an amazing character and he went on such an amazing arc throughout his time in the Arena. He killed, he grew from it, his mother lived… But ultimately, Owen was the one I had that was willing to risk it all for that last high risk high reward challenge, and it didn't happen for him. I loved every single second I was writing with Own and he just went so far. There were times I stared at his form, just unsure of where to go with him, and then something would happen in my own life that would help me relate to him just a little better. He really pushed me as an author and took me to places that I didn't think I would or could go. Saying goodbye to him was nearly impossible for me, but now that the deed is done I feel restful about my decision. Thank you so much for this wonderful boy Legend, and for your friendship all these years.

And our Victor is Cerulean Elpharae! He was always the person that I knew I couldn't kill in my heart of hearts, but didn't want to be partial to. I was absolutely sold on him after the feast though, and my decision was solid from that moment on. He has so much to do and he grew so much through his time in the Games, especially towards the end. I knew there was no way I could part with him. We will hear more from him through these epilogues, but I want to congratulate Anna on her first Victor! This story certainly wouldn't have been the same without him and I can't wait to keep writing and developing him!

We have 6 epilogue chapters coming, and I'm going to try to plow my way through them now that it's all over. *blows kisses* Thanks for your support and see you then!