A/N: Hi all! Here is the next chapter. I'm going to be doing two prequel chapters, this being one of them. The other will be from Capitolites, Celestia Snow, and the Head Gamemaker whose name I still need to figure out. Thank you to bobisawesome123, Loveableheart, and rawlimad000 for submitting tributes and mentors! I really appreciate it. For anyone who just came to this story, please review and PM me if you want to reserve a tribute/mentor/escort/stylist. Enjoy the chapter!

P.S.- Everlark is a thing in this. Just FYI.

Athena Victor, 18, District 2

Athena Victor woke up with a start. She had been dreaming about her Games. Doesn't every Victor? The way it felt to plunge that last knife, arrow, or sword in the final showdown, how they went hunting for tributes in the middle of the Games, the adrenaline they felt when the Games started and they rushed to the Cornucopia. And that overwhelming feeling of guilt. Guilt that they had killed so many people. So many children. Of course, there was always that one exception. That tribute that only killed two people and won. Those tributes had it the hardest. The innocence taken away from them after they realized that they were a murderer. Athena had been trained her whole life for this. Her parents were victors. Before she could walk, she was taught how to hold a sword. Before she could talk, she was lectured on how to best kill a smaller tribute. But what her parents hadn't taught her was how to cope with the guilt that she had ended a life. Multiple lives. And it wasn't as though she needed to win for her family, like Katniss Everdeen had when she volunteered for her sister, Prim. She volunteered for the glory. Of all things to volunteer for, she chose the glory. Of course, it was expected of her to win. Trained before she could walk, lectured before she could talk. Parents the Victors, victors in consecutive years.

Athena got out of bed and looked out of her window at her parent's house. She had always lived in Victor's Village, but after her victory, she moved into her own house. Her parents came over daily, because what was hers was theirs. They were preparing her for mentoring in this year's Games. It was tradition. The newest Victor was a mentor. Especially because this year, Katniss Everdeen was coming. Last year, she hadn't come. The Capitol gave her grief, but when her husband, Peeta Mellark had sent them footage of her, they let it go. Now, Athena had no idea what the footage was, but it must have been bad. But this year, Katniss and Peeta were both coming to mentor. This was going to be the biggest Games in history. She thought about who would be chosen from District 2. She sometimes went to the Academy, but not often. It filled her with sadness that one of those kids was going to volunteer to possibly get killed. She had volunteered, but if she could go back, she wouldn't. Now that she knew what it would feel like, she wouldn't. District 2 took the Hunger Games very seriously. District 2 was the District with the most victors. Construction crews had to add to Victor's Village. All of the children were trained their whole lives.

At a month before the Games, the chosen volunteers were going to be picked soon, and Athena would have to be there for it. She would shake the hand of the tribute she was going to be mentoring, and go home and make notes. A week before the Games, she would go over to her tribute's house. Go over strategies, interview them, get to know them better. Of course, this wasn't actually allowed, but neither were the Academies, and three of the twelve districts had them. On reaping day, she had to stand and endure two tributes volunteering themselves for possible death. She didn't know who the male mentor would be yet, but she would find out soon.

A little while later, she heard the door open and a voice yell,

"Athena! Get down here!"

"Coming Mother!" she yelled back. She quickly threw on some clothes and went down the stairs.

"Ah, Athena. We have some news for you." Atalanta Victor was pretty, with smooth, dark hair pulled into a ponytail and light brown eyes. Athena looked mostly like her mother, but her eyes were grey. Her father, Achilles Victor, had golden brown hair and green eyes.

"What is it Mother?" Athena asked. Knowing it was about the Games, she had to force her face not to turn into a frown. She managed a neutral expression while she waited for her mother to say.

"We found out when the volunteers are being chosen! It's in a week. We'll need to get a new outfit for you, specifically for the occasion! Your partner will be announced then as well, and you will have the three weeks up until the Games to get to know each other. Isn't that exciting?"

"Absolutely, Mother. You can count on me. I'll send for a seamstress this afternoon."

Athena suddenly had a flashback to her own Reaping. Her parents were chosen as the mentors, as it was their daughter who was going into the arena. The name of the Reaped girl was called, and Athena proudly called, "I volunteer" as she made her way to the stage. Her escort asked her name, and she gave it. Her district partner volunteered, and she didn't look him in the eye, knowing that she might have to kill him if he got in the way of her victory. And that he did. The final showdown was between the two of them, and Athena shoved with her sword into his neck. The victory ended up being hers.

"Athena," her father said, "Athena, focus. We have a lot to go over before you meet your tribute."

"Yes, Father." she said, as she mentally prepared herself for a long, grueling day.

Katniss Everdeen, 22, District 12

Katniss Everdeen screamed, woken up by another awful dream about the arena. This time it was about Rue. Poor Rue. She was only twelve. Katniss tried to save her, but it was no use. Rue died, and Katniss could do nothing about it. She tried, and failed. The Games did that to you. Gave you allies, even friends, but then you had to watch them die. She couldn't stop thinking about the tributes that she killed. Who were their families? Did they have a boyfriend or girlfriend at home? Did everyone they know think that they would win? Seven years on, and she still thought about them. She had even made up personas for each of them. It has become weirdly obsessive. Suddenly, Peeta burst into the room.

"Katniss? Katniss, are you alright?"

Oh right. The dream. She screamed, and then of course Peeta came running. He was so thoughtful. She still didn't think that she deserved him.

"Katniss! Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Peeta. It was just another dream." Inside her head she added 'like always'. Honestly, the dreams were worse than the first few years after the Games. Maybe the rebellion distracted her. But now… now she had to mentor another girl. A girl that would probably die. And she would have to watch the entire Games and see it happen. Even in her own Games, she didn't have to see every death. But here, here she would and she would have nightmares for who knows how long. She and Peeta needed to sit down and figure out their strategy for mentoring.

She couldn't be totally distant, she needed to actually help her tribute. Because she needed to make that small chance of winning become larger. Because she needed her tribute to win. Because she would get attached to her tribute, and wouldn't be able to bear having to lose someone else. Like the way she lost Rue. Like the way all mentors lost their tributes, save a select few. The Games needed to stop. The Capitol had made their point. But they won't stop. They will keep going, going until someone decides to stop them. Celestia won't. The Gamemakers won't. Most of the victors are comfortable, something they might not have if they hadn't won the Games. They don't want to change things. No one does, save the people of the Districts whose voices are rarely heard. The conditions have gotten better, Katniss had to give Celestia that. But she is only sixteen. Things can change when you get older. From what she had heard, the late President Snow had been a caring young man, and had even been a mentor in one of the earliest Hunger Games! What had changed, she had no idea. But what she did know was that the Games wouldn't stop anytime in the near future.

Katniss forced herself to get out of bed and smile at Peeta. "See? I'm fine." Peeta smiled at her. "I'm glad. I made pancakes for breakfast." This time, Katniss didn't have to force a smile on her face. It came naturally. Peeta made the best pancakes.

"And after breakfast, we are going to go over things for this year's Games." Peeta paused, and looked at her softly. "I know that you don't want to be a mentor, but Haymitch was awful last year. I guess the first Games back can do that to you. Please, Katniss. That video last year helped make it so that you didn't have to mentor, but we are required to, so you have to this year. Please. If nothing else, will you do it for me?"

"Fine," she grumbled, "But only because I know Haymitch is a terrible mentor and I pity the poor tribute who gets stuck with him."

Peeta laughed, and after a minute, Katniss did too. It was almost back to normal. Almost. With the one exception that they were going to have to train two tributes that might die within a few short weeks. The couple headed downstairs, where breakfast was awaiting them.

A/N: I hope that you guys enjoyed that chapter. I will have one more prequel, and then the tributes will make appearances! Please let me know in the reviews which format I should do for the tribute chapters. Mentors will also have appearances too, with some others thrown in there. PLEASE submit tributes/mentors/escorts/stylists. I'd really appreciate it. Until next time! I might delete and repost chapters if need be, so do not be alarmed if a chapter disappears and comes back. That is all my doing.

-Annabeth