Chapter 15: The Antechamber of the Feast

A/N: Hello to you all, and I hope you're having a fantastic day. This'll be the chapter of the preparations for the Feast. I know I said that this chapter would be the Feast's, but I'd rather give you a good chapter than a half-baked one. Another 'disaster' will also occur in one of the sectors, so let's do it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games; that belongs to Suzanne Collins. Nor do I own "When the Stars Start to Fade", that belongs to LittleMermade. Please check it out if you have the time. Valeria is a guest character from that fanfiction brought to this timeline.

- Hey, thanks for all the encouraging words, and I hope this one doesn't disappoint - it's been one of my favorite chapters to write.

bjorkjerk - Yo! Thanks for following the story, and enjoy this upcoming chapter :)

LittleMermade - Hi again, and I already expressed how great of a writer you are in the PMs, so I won't repeat myself. Allow me to express my deepest gratitude for allowing Val to appear here!

ForsakenKnight44 - What's good? You'll find out what happens posthaste…

Day 12

Location: The Arena, Cliff Sector

Time: ~9:00 A.M.

[Sophia]

The feast would take place at around 6:00 P.M. at the Cornucopia, with Julius Templesmith's update shortly after his first announcement.

Rain hasn't woken up, as I look at his sleeping figure. He seems at peace, and not in a life-or-death situation. Rain starts to stir when an extremely loud rumbling noise wakes him up immediately.

"What is that?!", Rain shouts as he wakes up.

I look around, in a state of panic. What if the cliff sector was to collapse on us? Fortunately, I was wrong.

Looking over at the highlands sector, it was being flooded, likely by the Gamemakers. Something clicked in my mind.

Day 4 had the cliff sector's earthquake, Day 8 with a fiery meteor rain on the forest sector, and now the highlands sector was being flooded on Day 12, or today. The identical rivers separating each sector started to overflow.

What's coming on Day 16, then?

Rain and I watched as the highlands sector's trap washes out all the way to what was likely the starting area, which housed the Cornucopia. We heard muffled screams, but it was impossible to tell who it was.

After the flood stopped, a single cannon fired. I looked at Rain, who stared back at me with his gray eyes. His eyes held an inscrutable look: I wasn't able to tell what he was thinking. I decided to divulge my thoughts to him.

"The firing of a cannon? Music to my ears, Rain. That means we're one step closer to winning", I clarify to him.

Rain scrunches up his face, as if he's trying to think of a counter-argument. He drops it and changes the subject.

"We should review our plan for the upcoming Feast. It's crucial that we get our bags there", Rain remarks, deep in thought.

"Right. Let's go over the plan."

"Alright, so, I'll be the one that goes in while you cover me, Sophia. Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's what it is. I'll be taking cover behind some fallen rocks. I'll come in after you get to the Cornucopia."

Rain still seems skeptical of the plan. His trust in me is still shaky, undoubtedly.

"And why exactly am I the one going in? Shouldn't it be you?"

"You're going in to get our bags, because you're faster than I am, and likely faster than Cyrus," I counter, "I don't know if I could take Cyrus in a one-on-one fight, so I'm trusting that you can take the bags, and then come to help me before I get overwhelmed, if that's the case," I finish my little monologue as Rain simply nods.

"That makes sense, as there are advantages to being not bulky like you Careers," he says, but not in an offensive way. It seemed more like a joke. I laugh along with him.

"Oh, Sophia.. One more thing."

"Hm?"

"Stay alive."

I felt my heart skip a beat, for some weird reason. Did he really care for me?

Location: District 2

[Cato]

I couldn't take my mind off of what Val said in her interview.

That she could relate to what Sophia's going through…? It made me curious, I had to admit. We might have been Careers, but we were still human.

There's nothing inherently wrong with relating to a tribute that's in the arena, but the way she worded it… that it reminded her of… herself?

In the 77th Games, she managed to beat all her competitors. She stuck with the usual Career strategy, and then went off on her own. I remember that she made an alliance with an outer District, but I forgot which one it specifically was.

I've had enough of this - I had to confront Val personally about my thoughts, or it would keep bugging me until I did, so I decided to search for her.

I turned the district upside down for her, yet I couldn't find her anywhere. After my futile search, I asked the locals if they'd seen Val anywhere.

"No, sorry, Mr. Hadley. I haven't seen Valeria anywhere."

"Oh, Mr. Hadley! It's a pleasure to meet you..."

This person spouted nonsense how I brought pride to District 2, and how my mentoring contributes to District 2's #1 position on the victors list.

Great, another admirer. These people haven't any idea how brutal the arena can be. I could only find solace in my fellow victor, Wade. I encountered him on the outskirts of the Victors' Village.

"Hey, Cato. I heard you were looking for Val. I'm guessing it didn't go too well," Wade remarked as soon as he saw me.

As much as I appreciate Wade's company, he jumps at every opportunity to snark at me.

"Yeah, it's been a pain in the neck. Haven't found her, and I'm worried sick as to where she might be," I replied.

"I know where she is."

What? Wade, of all people, knew where she was? This had to be some sort of twisted joke, because he seemed the sort to try something like that. After all, he'd won his Hunger Games with a brick.

Not that mine was any better, to say the least.

Flashback, 26 years ago

Location: 74th Hunger Games Arena, atop the Cornucopia

This was it. We made it to the final two. We'd won, Clove and I. Thresh had just fallen to the mutts earlier, and that girl from 5 was also dead. How she died, I didn't care to know. Admittedly, I was impressed that she hadn't killed anyone up to this point. With the mutts surrounding the Cornucopia, the situation was tense.

None of it mattered, though. Clove and I were still alive.

I looked over at Clove, and smirked. Now we could both go home. I was about to say something, but I was interrupted by Claudius Templesmith.

"Greetings to the contestants of the 74th Hunger Games. The earlier revisions have been revoked. Closer examination of the rulebook has affirmed that there only may be one victor. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

The odds aren't in my favor, clearly.

I looked over at Clove, possibly for the last time. We nodded to each other in understanding, and went to opposite sides of the top of the Cornucopia. Somehow, I knew this would come eventually.

The reality of the situation set in a second later, when a knife whizzed past my head. She was ready to kill me, and so was I, ready to kill her. She was my ally, friend, and now, my…

I couldn't bear the thought any longer. I deflected one of her knives with my sword, and I kept moving forward. Then, I felt a searing pain in my shoulder, as one of her knives pierced my armor and lodged itself in my skin. It didn't matter at this point.

Nothing mattered anymore.

I eventually caught her, and restrained her from moving with a slash to the leg. We were close to the edge of the Cornucopia, and we both know what that meant.

"You know what you have to do," she whispered.

My resolve steeled, I threw her over the edge of the Cornucopia.

I heard her land with a loud THUD!, and I thought my pain would be alleviated immediately, but no. Fate had more in store for me.

I heard her remaining knives clatter against the Cornucopia, as she made attempts to fight off the mutts trying to get a piece of her. At first, she seemed successful in fighting them off, but then, I could hear her scream.

Without thinking, and ignoring my shoulder wound and various other wounds I received earlier, I slid down the Cornucopia and began to help Clove fight off the mutts, which were gnawing at her.

Once the mutts were routed, I limped over to Clove. My shoulder was numb from the wound I got from Clove earlier, but I didn't care at that point.

Clove was breathing heavily, and was wounded badly. I knew she wouldn't last long.

I knelt down next to her, sword in hand, and took her hand in my own.

Her breathing was slowly declining, with her at death's door. I begged her to stay with me, even though I knew it was futile.

"Clove, please… stay with me."

"Cato…," she murmured, as if she was dreaming.

Her grip loosened, and her hand fell to the ground, as she succumbed to her wounds. Seconds later, the cannon fired.

BOOM.

Claudius Templesmith's voice boomed out over the arena:

"Ladies and gentlemen! I am pleased to present the victor of the 74th Hunger Games, District 2's Cato Hadley!"

This was it. I won the Hunger Games, and in the process, I had lost everything.

Well, almost everything. My mind drifted to Valeria, as I blacked out.

Present time

[Cato]

Location: Outskirts of Victors' Village, District 2

Wade snapped me back to reality.

"Hey, Cato, what's with you? It's not like you to daydream, old buddy."

"Drop it, I'm fine. Where is Val? I need to talk to her, and now!"

"In her room."

It hit me right then. The only place where I hadn't searched was my home, because I figured she'd gone out somewhere.

I was so steaming mad that my foolish younger self would be proud. I stormed off without thanking or even saying goodbye to Wade. I was played for a fool.

[Valeria]

I was in the middle of a dream. It was so real, that it felt like a touch away from reality.

A voice kept whispering in my head, the name of "Cypress". "Cypress"? That name meant nothing to me, yet it did somehow.

That same voice whispered "the 3rd Quarter Quell". The 75th Hunger Games? Wasn't that the one where Katniss from District 12 won? This was too complicated for me to grasp.

We were opposite sides of the same coin. We were the richest district, even more so than 1; it was the poorest district, no doubt. It has produced a grand total of 4 victors, while we have produced nearly 20 victors.

I had some sort of vision in my dream. I was standing in what looked like a Hunger Games Arena. I looked around, and found myself standing near the Cornucopia. I walked around the structure, and spotted a girl and a boy. They were dressed identically, except the girl had a 2 emblazoned on her shoulder, and the boy a 12. I shouted out to them.

"Hey! Who are you two?"

They ignored me, or didn't hear me. As I stepped closer, I could hear the girl telling the boy some sort of story. What in the world was going on here?

The girl kissed the boy, and murmured something else that I couldn't quite make out. She then stabbed herself, falling forward onto the boy's lap.

I hear the boy let out a pained scream of sheer despair, but I don't have time to dwell on it as a bright light consumes me.

I wake up to my older brother, Cato, shaking me. I knew I couldn't avoid him forever.

"Val… we need to talk immediately. I've been worried sick about you."

I sit up, and let out a hefty sigh. It's true, my brother looks worse for wear.

"What do you need, big brother?"

"It's about what you said in the interviews. What did you mean, by saying you could see yourself in Sophia's shoes? It's been 23 years since you won the Hunger Games, Val."

Ugh, I let my mouth flap too much. I decided to tell Cato everything that I had been on my mind up until that point, including my most recent dream. After looking at my brother's face go through multiple emotions all at once, his final expression settled on "shocked".

"Let me set this straight… you dreamed of me dying to the mutts in the 74th Hunger Games, and you think you saw a younger version of yourself talking to a boy you don't even know, and your younger self stabbing themself? Is that the gist of the story?!"

I nod, knowing how ridiculous it sounds.

"Are you sure you're not messing with me?"

I nod again, this time with more vigor to confirm what I was telling him.

"Well… alright, I believe you, Val," he replies.

"You… do?" I ask, shocked that he would even consider such a ludicrous tale.

"Of course, I do. You're my sister, my one and only. We'll get through this problem together."

I can't help but smile and let my mind drift off to my younger days, when I took him for granted. After all, he's the only brother I'll ever have. I don't know what would've happened if I ever lost him. Was what I saw in the dream what would've happened if I lost Cato? I hope I don't ever have to answer that question.

Location: The Arena, Cliff Sector

[Rain]

I panted, a little worn out from all the preparations we had been going through. Sophia had agreed on teaching me more about the art of the lance, while in exchange, I taught her how to tie snares and traps that'd be useful for hunting any game and even netting other tributes.

I wove a net, and demonstrated the trap by tossing one of our empty backpacks into the trap. Sure enough, it worked like a charm. The backpack was completely trapped in the net. I see her raising an eyebrow.

"Heh, I now understand that ignoring the knot-tying station wasn't a smart idea, I guess. The Games aren't all about weapons, I guess."

"Yeah," I reply, "You need wits and other skills besides brute force to win the Games, you know".

She nods, looking impressed.

"Isn't that how Finnick from District 4 won his games? By trapping his opponents in nets and attacking them with his trident?"

"That's where I got the idea from, it looks like you caught on quickly," I smile.

She returns the smile.

"Now, how about those lance lessons you asked for? It might just come in handy at the Feast. While you're from an outlying district, your lance arm isn't that bad. It could undergo some improvement, though," she smirks.

I return the smug look.

"When you're fighting for your life, you're forced to adapt, or die."

Sophia taught me more about the weapon, and how a Career was trained to know more about specific weapons to enhance their flexibility in the arena, just in case they couldn't access or lost their preferred weapons.

"You're rather knowledgeable about all this, Sophia. Instead of telling me, why don't you show me what you've got instead? I learn faster by visually learning."

Sophia ended up showing me how to thrust my lance more effectively, and did tell me that lances do have a slight advantage over swords, due to its longer range. She also taught me how to throw my lance as a javelin, just in case my opponent was too far away.

Sophia and I were preparing to head out for the Feast, now that it's only a few hours away. I also learned something from our training sessions together. Despite her seemingly small stature, she's got one nasty sword arm.

Location: The Arena, Highlands Sector

[Jose]

And just like that, my ally was gone.

It all came so suddenly. The sector started rumbling, and the water was coming in, and FAST. I acted quickly, and bolted for the highest ground I could find. Robert was right behind me, but he wasn't fast enough. I scaled a rock that would protect me from the flood, and I extended my hand so Robert could pull himself up.

It was useless, as the roaring waves caught him before he could take hold of my hand.

I knew there was no use grumbling about it, but it was unfair. First Rain, and now the stupid Gamemakers had to go and ruin all my plans. Now I understood Johanna's expletive-filled rants about the Capitol, and how much she hated them.

Her words rang in my head: "The Capitol can't hurt me anymore; I have no one left that I love."

I walked back to the rough location of our original camp, and only a few of the backpacks we had remained in the camp, or at least the remains of said camp. I checked the inside, and the food was extremely soggy, but the flask containing water was just fine. The sleeping bags were likely swept away in the flood. I then heard a cannon go off, and water sloshing in the distance.

BOOM.

That cannon was undoubtedly Robert's, unless someone else was caught in the flood.

I counted that there were seven tributes left. The boy from 1, both from 2, the girl from 3, the girl from 4, myself, and the boy from 12. My theory would be proven right or wrong later tonight. I left the remains of the camp behind, thinking it'd be a good idea to scour the sector for any of the missing backpacks on the way to the Feast,

Location: The Arena, Burnt Forest Sector

[Cyrus]

It was utterly infuriating. I sauntered through the burnt forest sector, looking for Vulcan, I found footsteps forming a trail, but it seemed to just go in circles, and nowhere else. I was pissed, to say the least. That girl from 4, Aileen, chickened out and bailed when the fight erupted. I'm not chasing after her; Vulcan is the bigger threat here. What threat does the weakest Career tribute here pose to me? Nothing.

After all this fruitless searching, I also came up with nothing. Like a slap in the face, I just wasted my time. To add insult to injury, I received a scalding note from my uncle.

Cyrus,

Do not waste your time trying to search for the boy from 1, as he will likely show up at the upcoming Feast. Try to make use of this. Use your hands, AND your head for once. Figure out its use on your own.

W

The gift I received from the sponsor? Why, some rope. What, was I supposed to strangle someone to death with this? I already have various other methods, such as my trusty axe. Ultimately, I decided to keep the rope. Uncle Wade said it has a use, and he's won the Hunger Games, so he does know what he's talking about.

Still, his reprimanding was just another issue of his that really set me off. What's the point of having a mentor, if they only exist to nag and criticize you, instead of giving out useful advice to survive the Games?

Just watch. I'll prove you wrong, uncle. All your faith in me won't be wasted.

A/N: That's it for now. I'll definitely be working on the Feast chapter tomorrow as well, since I did think rushing the Feast wouldn't be a good idea. Once again, a huge thank you to LittleMermade for allowing Val to appear here as a guest character.