Chapter 41: Coral Thiller

A/N: They were both called weak. Neither of them thought they would become Victors. They both thought that their footballing legacy would die with them, never getting any recognition from the rest of Panem. But Rafael and Coral both made it out, two fourteen-year-old footballers terrified of the arena. We all know how Rafael did it, but how did Coral do it? Mistakes won't happen twice, so she's got to rely on her wits, skills and Rafael's sponsors to survive...

P.S. This arena was loosely based on Moraine Lake in Canada. Thank you cartierscrown for helping me out with this arena! Go check out his story One Big Explosion and remember to support Olive and Rowan!

Katniss raised an eyebrow. "District Four with another fourteen-year-old, huh?"

Peeta shrugged. "I guess they specialise in bringing fourteen-year-olds home. Wish District Twelve could too."

Katniss's eyes moved to Rafael and that silly grin on his face. "He sure looks happy."

"I mean, who wouldn't be? He's been so depressed watching the Games, I bet he's delighted to finally bring home a Victor. Plus, maybe he was her godfather or something?" Peeta suggested.

Katniss shook her head. "Not sure about that. We can ask if either of them survived. But I remember watching Coral's Games. Boy, the other tributes really didn't see her coming."

Peeta chuckled. "Yeah. She seemed so, insecure. But like Iris, she proved everyone wrong. She deserved that crown."

Coral Thiller

District 4

Aged 14

5 Kills

Coral:

Okay, this isn't the time to fret, Coral. Look, please, for once, just focus and stop stressing out about your horrible life and argh! Okay, Coral. Chill out. You've had a good match. Now just do your homework right! Gah, trigonometry, there's the sine, cosine, and uh, I don't know, tangerine? No, that's not it! I slam the book down on the ground, tears falling down my cheeks. Oh, I'm so screwed! This is due tomorrow and I have nighttime practice with Rafael and I need to make sure my hair looks nice before I go to school tomorrow if I'm going to even stand a chance with Charlie. Oh, Charlie! That hot, handsome, no, Coral, stop blushing! I grit my teeth and stare at the mirror on my desk, gazing in horror as my cheeks turn a nasty shade of red in embarrassment. This is bad, very bad! I sigh, burying my face in my hands. "Oh, Coral," I snivel. "Why are you so shit at life?"

Rafael:

I glance at my watch. Coral's late but I don't blame her for it. Not when I'm late too! Yeah, I know, I'm the team captain and player-coach along with Nile and co-manager along with Nile's father Killick, I shouldn't be late. It sets a bad example for the team. But when you're a Victor drowning in a swarm of depression and hopelessness, it can take you ages just to perform a simple non-sporty task. Everything seems to remind me of my horrible arena! I can't swat it out of my head, it just keeps flooding back to me in one big explosion and I can't do anything to stop it! I gaze with my painfully depressed eyes as Coral came into view, her hair in a tangled mess and her clothes ruffled as she runs towards the training ground, panting and wheezing. "Sorry!" she squeaked, smoothening her jersey and brushing back her hair in a nervous fit. "I had a lot of homework today and I needed to go to the fish market and I got stopped for inspection by a Peacekeeper and-" I could tell she was close to a nervous breakdown so I held out a hand and clasped her shoulder. It's okay, I signed. That's how I communicate now. Sign language. I can't bring myself to speak, it hurts so freaking much, talking. I don't deserve to talk, I'm a murderer for goodness sake! So here I am, telling her it's okay. She gives me an apologetic look and jogs over to position, as the team looks at her with wide, judging eyes. She's the only female in the team and is the youngest too. Everyone else is between the eighteen-to-thirty-four-year-old age range. I had known that she would be ostracised. But I had been left out because of my age too and so had Nile. It's only natural. But fourteen-year-olds can prove a hard bunch to beat, we all certainly proved that. Coral's a brilliant midfielder with an exceptional passing range and playing vision. She can see through defensive gaps like no one else can and exploit them. Also, her free kicks are legendary, simply astounding, far better than anyone I had ever seen. Coral's pivotal to the team, and besides, football is the one time she can completely focus. It's weird. If you watch her on a pitch, you'd think she's this graceful, elegant and tricky girl, but in reality, she's mistake-prone and horribly insecure about herself. Of course, I try to help out, although I can't do much. As far as I'm concerned, I'm a lot more insecure and hopeless. She's got an incredible life ahead of her, full of endless possibilities and ultimate opportunities. I have nothing. Nothing to do except wallow in my depression and try, try my hardest to coach others into becoming talented players, in the hopes that they too can, like Coral and Nile, use football as a fun escape from the harsh realities of life in Panem.

Coral:

Okay, Coral, this is it! The time you finally got a hold of yourself and plucked up the courage to communicate with Charlie! I clutch the letter tightly in my hands, the paper soggy from all the sweating, both from the sweltering hot beach sun and the sheer train wreck that I become when I even so much as think of Charlie. I slowly approach the blue mailbox, and that little letter hole. Once my letter goes in, there's no going back. It's a portal, a portal that can either make my heart soar or send it crashing into Davy Jones' Locker. Deep breaths, Coral, I tell myself as I take another step towards the fate-deciding mailbox. The contents of the letter replay in my head. I told him that he was super cute and had the most kissable face in Four and that I had a super huge crush on him and that I really really wanted to go on a date with him. Oh gosh, it's horrible! I stop just short of putting the letter into the little hole. "No, Coral," I mutter. "It's not a good idea. It's not a good idea!" I'm about to retract my hand and head back home when my fingers slip and the letter slides into the little hole. I yelp, kicking the mailbox in desperation but all I succeeded in doing was to bruise my foot. I howl in pain. Oh no, what have I done? Tears of shame flow like rain down my bruised face. It's over. There's no way he'll ever like me! I've single-handedly ruined it all! Sighing in frustration, I'm about to head back home when I hear the loud, unmistakable crack of a whip. Another beating? But why are the screams so familiar... oh no! I dash towards the Justice Building, only to find the Head Peacekeeper beating my parents, shirtless and covered in sand and blood, as they scream at the top of their lungs. I gaze in horror and in true Coral fashion, race forward without thinking it through. Almost instantly, the Head Peacekeeper's attention turns to me. I have just enough time to think, oh shit before he raises his whip, ready to strike me. This is it. The moment I got what I deserved for being such a pathetic girl. I close my eyes, bracing myself for the impact, even though I know I can never quite brace myself for it. Just then, something skids into position in front of me and the sound of a whip hitting a person fills my ears. But I feel nothing. I open my eyes, only to see Rafael on the ground, clutching his stomach as thick blood stains his jersey. I gasp. He's taken the hit for me! But why, and how? He hadn't been anywhere near the area! I knew he was a fast sprinter but he couldn't possibly be that fast, could he?

Rafael glares at the Head Peacekeeper, ignoring his injury. "D-d-don't t-t-touch h-her," he growls in his low stammer.

The Head Peacekeeper scoffs. "You? Threaten me? Ha, you're a joke of a Victor!"

Anger seeps through me. I've known Rafael ever since I was ten, when he'd spotted my talent at a local field. Despite his obvious mental issues, he's taken great care of me, treating me like a third sister. And of course, he just took a big blow of a whip for me. I clench my fists, ready to make some stupid counter but Rafael speaks before I can. "M-my s-s-sister i-is C-caesar's g-girlf-friend. A-and l-last I-I ch-checked, C-Caesar s-spons-sors y-your b-bodyg-guards. W-without t-them, y-your r-rivals m-might-" He falters, but he doesn't need to finish. The Head Peacekeeper's eyes widen and I can see the tiny alarm bells ringing wildly in his little brain cells. He grunts and trudges away but gives me a withering glare that makes me shrink into myself. Ugh, I hate that glare! It makes me feel weak. Maybe because I am weak. I can throw knives really well but I'm a klutz. I'm not a powerful Career like Jolien, Timmy and Rafael all were. I'm just poor little Coral Thiller. I rush over to my parents, who are both writhing in pain. Large, ugly gashes leak red hot blood, which smears across their bronze skin like a can of paint ruining a masterpiece. They would be okay, and so would Rafael, but I certainly would not be okay...

I sat in the dining car, shivering not because of the freezing cold air conditioning, which, by the way, was a shocking contrast from the bright, sunny paradise known as District Four's hidden beaches. Paradise Beach, in particular, is a brilliant hidden gem, far from the noisy and polluted docks and slimy fish markets. Rafael had taken me there, showing me the route to not only Paradise Beach, but also to other secluded coves and places of interest. He is more than just my coach, he's the brother that I never had. But could he really mentor me to Victory? Actually, did I even want to win? It seems strange, not wanting to go home, but if I did go home, I would have to return and face, gulp, Charlie. Oh gosh, I would die of pure embarrassment! At least dying in the arena was somewhat dignified! I sighed, throwing my hands up in the air as Walrus, my District partner, watched me with those big, curious, brown eyes. He's a strong fisher boy with excellent spear-throwing skills so he's a decent competitor for the crown. But he's also super inquisitive, easily fascinated by curious objects, including me. Just then, the team of District Four Victors streamed in, all looking downright dejected and bearing grim expressions on their wrinkled faces. I could hardly believe that the Fisher siblings were still in their twenties. Save for Iris, they all looked much older, bogged down by heavy loads of trauma. All six Victors looked awfully broken, although Mags composed herself better than the other five. They had never quite left the arena, it seemed. Marina spoke up first. "Alright, Walrus, Coral, first things first, your mentors," she told us, her face cautionary. "We'll all help out but you need to choose one official mentor. I suggest that you take a look at your own skill sets and choose very wisely. Your life depends on this decision." I scanned the Victors' faces, but I had already made my decision. There was only one person who knew me well and could bring me home. One person who had been in my position less than a decade ago, a young, fourteen-year-old footballer entering the jaws of death. The mentor who would suit me the most. Walrus seemed a little more careful, frowning and seemingly deep in thought. He would probably go for a good, strong Career mentor, that much was obvious, although Mags might be good for him too.

"I'll go for Jolien," he said finally, turning his curious stare to Jolien, who bit her lip nervously. I could tell that she didn't want to mentor this year. Her eyes darted towards Timmy, who lightly pushed her forward. She sighed and led Walrus to his room, a look of uncertainty on her face. Then it was my turn. I didn't hesitate.

"I pick Rafael," I said confidently, giving Rafael a forced smile. I thought that he might smile back, just to give me some form of encouragement. But no. Instead, his deep blue eyes widened in despair and he began to back away from me.

"M-me?" he stammered, gripping a table for support.

Marina stared warily at me. Her eyes were confused, stunned by my decision. "Are you sure, Coral?"

"Positive," I replied, although I wasn't too happy with Rafael's reaction. Was I really making the right choice? Maybe not, but so what, I was a mistake, to begin with. Might as well give him a shot at mentoring.

Rafael:

Did Coral really have to pick me? Why on earth would she throw her shot at life away like that? I was literally the most incapable mentor in Panem! All the other mentors from Four had brought home at least one Victor, why hadn't Coral picked them? Our winning streak ended with me, I was the curse, the hated boy in the District. The mayor hated me for killing Dive. He became pro-Capitol ever since my victory, doing everything Snow told him to do, if it meant that I would suffer. Death threats, football pitch sabotage, food poisoning, you name it, he did it. I was a depressed person, someone who looked way older than twenty-one, there was no way I could possibly mentor Coral to victory! I didn't want her to die, though, so I might as well try. She was as close to me as Iris, Timmy and Jolien were, she was like the fifth Fisher sibling. We all loved, took care of her, especially considering that her parents always fought and worked long hours at the docks. But I had the closest bond with her, with all the football stuff going on. And I knew about that letter to Charlie. She didn't know it, and she certainly wouldn't believe me if I told her, but Charlie thought she was cute. She might never know it too. No, you can't think like that! I snapped, gritting my teeth as I stepped out onto the platform and into the bright glares and flashes of the journalists' cameras. Ugh, I never liked those pesky journalists. Always asking, demanding, interviewing. They never seemed to understand the value of privacy. I weaved Coral through the maze of photographers and journalists, arriving at the same spot the Careers always met every year to discuss the alliance. Jolien and Walrus followed us, Jolien roughly shoving journalists aside like a bulldozer. As we edged closer, I saw the one face I never wanted to see. Okay, one fo two, no, three, actually, faces that I never wanted to see. Julia and Snow were the other two. But the one standing before me was the worst of all. Draco Hadley, the Victor of the Tenth annual Hunger Games, stood beside his tribute Leonidas with his usual, fearsome gaze and smug sneer. Oh, how I wished I could stick a knife into his chest! But I knew that Sapphire bore a bigger grudge against him, if that was even possible. We sometimes discussed how we could one day kill him as an act of revenge, but knowing that bot One and Four would be punished for our actions, nothing ever came into fruition. When he saw me, his eyes widened in an almost amused manner. "Rafael? You're the mentor?" he snickered. I glared at him, unable to speak without stammering.

"Hey! Rafael's going to mentor me to victoire! Er, I mean, victory!" Coral said, trying to sound confident. I blinked. I knew that she was prone to acting rashly, but surely she wasn't rash enough to snap at Snow's freaking BFF? I jabbed her with my elbow but she didn't seem to care.

Draco snorted. "This one looks pathetic. Right, guys?" He glanced around for support but there was none.

"Give her a chance," Hercules told him. "She could be Iris minus the betrayals."

The boy from One, Calvin, nodded. "Yeah, I think she's alright."

Draco scowled but he knew that Coral was going to be a part of the pack, whether he liked it or not. He turned and gave me a withering glare. I backed away straight into a photographer, who stumbled to the ground, fumbling with his huge camera. There was just something about him and his long history of crimes against humanity that could compel me for some reason. He was my worst nightmare come to life. "Fine. The girl can stay. But if she slips..." Both Coral and I grimaced as he whipped out a tiny, white rod in his pocket, probably a bone, and snapped it in half. I nodded, fully understanding the message.

Coral:

So far so good. I've gotten myself an eight, a respectable score for a Career. I've shown what I can do with knives and hooks, so my place in the pack is solidified. I only tripped once whilst walking up the stage and I didn't blush when Caesar kissed my hand. But I did when he asked me if I had a boyfriend, which single-handedly ruined the whole damn thing. Oh gosh, I couldn't believe it! I admitted that I had a crush on Charlie on live national television! Gah, this couldn't possibly get worse. I sat in my room, my eyes soaked with tears as I bemoaned my fate. It was practically written in the stars. I would trip over my own laces and fall on some dead Bloodbath tribute's sword. And that was it. Coral Thiller, a Hunger Games meme! I collapsed on my bed, drowning in my tears and choking on my sobs. The door creaked open and Rafael slid in. I barely paid him any attention as he sat on the edge of my bed, sullenly staring at me. "I just want it to end," I said bitterly. "This nightmare, it's horrible!"

Rafael took a deep breath. You can't give up, he signed.

I wiped my eyes. "There's no point in trying."

Rafael gave me a firm look. Gwen, Laurel, John, Nikola, Woof. We've had many unexpected Victors. There's always a point in trying.

"But what if I end up like you? All battered up with nothing left to lose?" I whined.

Rafael shook his head. No, that won't happen. You're stronger than me, Coral. You can do it, he signed.

I began to bawl again. Rafael gave me a hug. I buried my face in his shoulder. "I can't o this! I'm going to die!" Wild thoughts raced through my mind. I was going to die, I was going to die, Leonidas was going to torture me to death, I WAS GOING TO DIE!

"L-look, C-coral," Rafael stammered. "I-it's j-just another t-tough match-h, o-okay? N-nothing m-more. I-it's like f-football."

It's like football. The only time I could actually focus. Could it all really be that simple? I looked up, my vision blurry from the pools of tears. Rafael gave me a sly smile, one he had never given since before his Games. It was like in his old photographs. That crafty, athletic young boy from Four with that sly smile. And here it was, back after so many years. I found myself smiling back. "It's like football," I repeated.

"E-exactly," Rafael said, nodding. "It's like football."

I looked around. Okay, this was it. I was in the arena, no, I was on a football pitch. It was time to, uh, focus on the sunshine? No, no, no! Focus on the arena, er, I mean, unique football pitch. I was standing on a pedestal on rocky ground. In front of me was a rope bridge over a small lake. All the other tributes had similar bridges, leading to the Cornucopia, stacked to the brim with weapons, supplies and for some reason, compasses. Beyond the Cornucopia was a thick forest full of trees I recognised to be firs. In the heart of the woods was a crumbling tower, one not very different from the wooden towers used in the Panem-District Seven war that had happened nearly one-and-a-half century ago. Seven's natives had used wooden towers and stone forts to defend against the oncoming army of Peacekeepers. In the end, they eventually capitulated and District Seven was thus created. The Capitol used posters of that war all the time for propaganda. Behind me was a rocky trail that lead to a, oh gosh. It lead to the most gorgeous lake that I had ever seen! The water was a brilliant shade of blue, like a sapphire that had been polished by the best workers from One. It clearly reflected the towering, imposing peaks full of snow and ice in the distance, their grey bodies and frosty glaciers a stark contrast to the mountains from last year's Games. Okay, ten seconds until the kick-off. I had to be serious. I squinted my eyes, remembering Rafael's tactics. I had to time my run perfectly, reach my preferred weapon, stay close to the heart of the Cornucopia, avoid killing unless necessary, it seemed simple enough. I was about to find out. The gong rang and it was game on. I sprinted forward, racing for the daggers as if I were racing to kick the ball into the back of the net while the keeper chased after me helplessly. I was pretty good at doing that. My fingers closed around the daggers. They weren't throwing knives, but they had to do. There weren't any throwing knives around but daggers were fine with me. As per Rafael's instructions, I stuck close to the centre of the Cornucopia as chaos reigned before me. I winced as Leonidas slashed the boy from Three's head with a chakram. The blood and the gory bits of, ew, was that his brain? I resisted the urge to scream and cry on the spot. Attempting to look away, I found myself staring at Tiffany from One bashing the girl from Twelve's head with a quarterstaff. That scene was even ickier, to say the least. I was so grossed out by these awful Careers that I barely caught the boy from Seven trying to creep up from behind, a scimitar. Thankfully, I was always in the lookout for opponents trying to steal the ball, or in this case, my life, from me. I whirled around and struck a dagger into his heart. He crumbled to the ground with a sickening crunch. I blinked, momentarily losing my focus. Just then, I heard a faint whirling coming towards me. I dodged just in time as a mambele sliced the air over my head. I froze, my eyes wide with alarm. Oh, I had so nearly died! Okay, Coral, don't panic, just leap up and get that stupid bitch who tried to kill you! I did and soon, my knife was in the girl from Three's face. Stepping back a little, I gulped at all the carnage before me. How could anyone possibly enjoy this? Bodies littered the clearing as tributes ran around, screaming, stabbing, throwing, wailing. It was like watching animals in, what had Jolien called those places? A zoo? Yes, a zoo! It was like watching animals in a zoo. These weren't humans, these weren't children, these certainly weren't football players on a pitch! These were savage creatures standing between me and the back of the net.

Okay, Coral. Bloodbath's over and you survived! Hooray! At the expense of thirteen innocent kids of course, including that girl from One Tiffany. Yikes. She'd seemed so strong in training. I hadn't expected her to trip over her shoelace and land on a spear! That should have been me, not that graceful, elegant girl! Stop thinking about it, Coral. You'll only make yourself feel worse than before. We trudged around the perimeter of the lake, on the edge of the woods. I had seen lakes in District Four before, the place was full of them, but they had lost their blue colour due to intense fisheries and increasing pollution. Our blue District was losing its blue. No, Coral, now's not the time to think about your District's problems! It's high time you thought about this unique football pitch! "Where are those pesky tributes?" Calvin grumbled, unsheathing his sword. He was a handsome lad, so, so hand- No, Coral, stop that! I managed to quell my blushes just in time. I was at the rear of the pack alongside Walrus as we tried to hunt down tributes. It was a sickly business and honestly, I would have betrayed them by now if District Four's acceptance into the pack didn't rely so heavily on me behaving well. Just then, I heard a leaf rustle. All five of us Careers readied our weapons, looking around frantically for the source of the noise. I hoped that whoever it was, I wouldn't be tasked with killing him or her. The guilt of killing Root and Yolanda was too much for me to handle, I couldn't imagine bearing the pain of having to kill even more tributes. A boy and a girl, the pair from Nine, popped out of the trees and sprinted down the shoreline. Leonidas grabbed a knife and struck down the girl. A cannon boomed.

"Get him!" Leonidas roared, charging at the now petrified boy with his spear. We followed suit and the race for the ball was on. Leonidas, Calvin and Scathach slowed down our progress though, with their constant pushing and shoving to claim the kill.

"Out of my way!" Scathach screamed, giving Leonidas a hard shove. With a loud yelp, he tumbled into the lake. I thought that he would just climb back onto shore, but he didn't. He thrashed about in the water, screaming, as a long, slimy tentacle wrapped itself around his wrist and dragged him into the water. I screamed. Oh gosh, this lake was full of mutts! I backed away as the cannon boomed. Scathach's jaw was dropped as she stared in horror at the bits of bone slowly floating to the surface of this pristine lake. She had killed her own District partner! Even I would never kill Walrus. It was considered taboo to do so here in Panem, a boundary few have crossed. Rafael had been one of them, but did he really have much of a choice? Stop it, Coral, that was the past! Look, the boy's getting away! I raced after him, dagger in hand, ready to strike. The boy, Rye, was eighteen and looked stronger than me but he was unarmed and clearly scared out of his wits. Do it, Coral! Finish him off! I flung my knife as hard as I could, aiming it at the back of his head for an instant kill. Thunk! The cannon boomed even before Rye tumbled to the ground.

Okay, Coral. So your nightmares were plagued by Rye. And the cold of the mountains was too much to bear. But it was fine, right? At least you're still alive. And that scarf Rafael managed to give you was pretty good too, right? Oh, who was I kidding? This was hell! I sat on the freezing cold blanket of snow, shivering relentlessly as I looked out over the pristine views of the lake and forest below. Not much had happened since the chase on the third day. It's day eight now and the only trouble we've had to encounter was that pesky yeti mutt. Night had fallen upon the unique football pitch and the stars dazzled in the moonlit sky. I was edging closer and closer to full-time and the tournament victory, I could feel it! But for now, I was just so sleepy...

Rafael:

It was horrible, watching Coral in the arena. She's such a nice, lovely little girl, she didn't deserve to die! If anything, those pirates out at sea should've been Reaped instead! But no, the nice kids die in the arena, the pirates continue to go around bribing Peacekeepers and looting ships out in the open waters. Panem was truly a strange world. Coral was now fast asleep, with her back turned to the cameras. Scathach was on guard with her scythe. I hated that girl. She was so edgy, so hot-tempered and so cunning. The way she swung her scythe around really bothered me, especially considering the fact that Coral was fast asleep, unaware of her surroundings. I kept my eye on the clock. One more hour and Coral would wake up for her turn on guard. My teeth wouldn't stop chattering. I was so freaking nervous! This was torture and the fact that I had to share a mentoring room with Draco only made it much worse. "You know something, Rafael?" he sneered. "I think that Scathach will kill your precious little girl. And in her final moments, she might finally realise it's all your fault. Because it is your fault she isn't coming home. You're weak."

I kept my eyes glued to the screen, careful not to pay any attention to him but it was impossible. The guilt was overwhelming. If she died, it would be my fault. A pang of guilt that I could never live with. Iris squeezed my hand. "Don't listen to him. Coral is coming home."

I nodded bleakly, staring intently at the screen. Nothing much happened for a while. And then Scathach began to approach Calvin with her scythe. I gulped. Oh gosh. Was she going to...

"Noooo!" Geneva screamed, slamming her fist against the table so hard, a crack formed. Boom! Calvin's cannon sounded.

My hands became clammy as I realised what Scathach was doing. "No... Coral..."

Draco laughed sadistically from his seat. "Ha! That's my girl!" he guffawed.

Hercules crouched beside me. "I'm so sorry, Rafael, I had no idea."

Tears began to slip down my face as Scathach killed Walrus too. Then she went for Coral. Coral Thiller. My younger sister. The District's best midfielder and the girl whose life mattered far more than mine ever did. The poor, innocent little girl whose crush awaited nervously back home. The last person anyone would want to kill. The scythe came closer and closer, Scathach coming towards her like the Grim Reaper waiting to take her to the afterlife. To heaven with Dive. But she still had a life ahead of her! She wasn't ready to die! No, this can't be happening! "N-no, p-p-please..." I begged, sobbing uncontrollably as Scathach raised her scythe.

Hercules gripped my other hand. "Mate, I am so, so sorry..."

I didn't care about him. I only cared about Coral! As Draco snickered and praised that traitor of a girl, I could only watch and scream as Coral edged closer and closer to her death. My best friend, about to die right in front of my eyes. I had failed her. I was a disgrace to the District! I was the blight of Four, and a curse in Coral's life! "P-please..." I choked out, reduced to a bleak nothingness as I helplessly waited for the accursed moment.

And then it happened. It all happened in one blur of motion. Before I knew it, Coral spun around quick as lightning and thrust two daggers straight into Scathach's chest, letting out an ear-piercing scream as she did so. Scathach stared in shock, her final word lost in the element of surprise as her cannon boomed. A cannon that wasn't for Coral. "What, how..."

Draco roared with rage, flinging a coffee mug at me but I managed to dodge it just in time. "Traitor!" he screamed. "Your pathetic, useless, little whore of a bitch is a f*king traitor!"

Mags and Timmy gave him hard stares. "Draco, Scathach betrayed the other Careers first," Timmy said matter-of-factly.

"I don't care!" Draco howled. "Only a Two has the right to betray his or her allies!"

Mags rolled her eyes. "Draco, do us a favour, and get the hell out of here."

Draco steamed with rage but he was clearly overpowered. I assumed that he probably went over to Snow's mansion to cry like a big baby. As he should.

Coral:

Okay, Coral, it's the big finale. All you need to do is take down that big boy from Elevn and you've won! Deep breaths, Coral. You can do this! An avalanche had forced me down the mountain, straight in the direction of the big hunk of a farmer boy. His name was Strawberry McMuffin, the most laughable name in the whole of Panem, but the boy himself was no joke. Strawberry McMuffin had gotten himself a ten in training and my size simply paled in comparison. No, Coral, don't think about it! Just keep running, just keep trying! There he was! He charged at me, a wild look in his eyes. Oh, shit! He was even bigger than I thought! I gulped, readying my dagger even though I was clearly far from prepared to face him. He snarled at me. "Your mentor killed my brother! And since I can't kill him..." His lips curled into a sneer. "I'm going to kill you instead."

I gulped. Great. Just magnificent! He had a grudge against me! I threw my knife at him. Big mistake. He swatted it away with his spear, growling and hissing at me sharply. Shit. I was now weaponless! And he had a spear and a knife! I did the natural Coral thing and ran off screaming like an idiot. A second later, I felt a sharp pain in my thigh. NO! I cried out in agony as his knife sank into my leg, blood oozing out like crazy. The pain, oh gosh! I had suffered from injuries before but this was, argh! This was far worse than everything I've ever faced! Strawberry McMuffin twirled his spear around and I could see the malicious glint in his eyes as he approached. Shit, I was going to die! "RAFAEL! HELP ME!"

Rafael:

"Your girl's not looking so good now, Rafael," Draco sneered.

I gritted my teeth, furiously texting the Capitol elite, trying, hoping, praying that someone, anyone would just pour in a little sponsor cash! I had a sponsor planned, but I just needed a few more bucks! "P-please..." I stammered, a tear sliding down my cheek as I received several messages of rejection. Coral was about to die! That brute Strawberry McMuffin was about to kill her! And it was all my fault! He clearly hated her because of me! Now I just wished that I hadn't survived the arena, hadn't been Coral's mentor, maybe then Coral could survive. Strawberry was edging closer now.

"I'm going to make you pay for what District Four has done!" Strawberry growled. What had we done? I wondered. We were just trying to survive! But in his current, agitated state, there was not a chance he could understand that.

"Come on, make it quick!" Seeder shouted, her eyes glued on her monstrous tribute.

"AARGH!" I screamed. My hands trembled and sweat trickled down my face as a text popped up on the screen. Finally, a willing sponsor! In a flash, I got the money to the sponsor pool and frantically pressed the 'send' button.

"C-come o-on!" I murmured, spamming the button like crazy as Coral edged closer and closer to slipping away from me forever.

Coral:

Okay, Coral. You're going to die. You will die. There's no way out. Oh did it really have to be this painfully slow, though? Strawberry was slowly approaching with that crazed look on his face. Oh, how I wished he could just hurry up! "I'm sorry, Rafael," I managed to choke out as the tears began to flood my eyes. I couldn't do it! I just wasn't a Victor! I was about to squeeze my eyes shut and wait for the final blow when, out of a blue, a parachute floated down towards me. A parachute! With '4' on it! I could be safe! I might live! But it was so freaking slow!

"Too late now, Four!" Strawberry snickered. I backed away as quickly as I could, one hand on my thigh to quell the bleeding. The parachute, I had to leap a bit to reach it. One leap, I had to time it right. If I didn't, I wouldn't get a second chance and Strawberry would kill me! But wasn't that what I specialised in? Screwing up? No, Coral, this is football! You can't screw up, Rafael needs you to come home! The parachute was just a loose ball, I just needed to ignore that searing pain and- jump! There it was! I grabbed it and pulled it to the ground. Not a half-second later, Strawberry's spear went down to strike me but I wasn't going down, nuh-uh! A large shield, built perfectly to fit my size, clicked into action, preventing me from getting skewered alive. But what struck me about this shield was the spiked point in the middle. Oh, yes! I had a weapon!

"Thanks, Rafael," I murmured. "Time to win this!" I charged forward, yelling out a fairly stupid war cry that I sometimes yelled out before a match. Strawberry charged forward too, at a much faster pace. I stumbled about but I was focused. Focused on this match. Focused on this deadly game. Strawberry clashed into me and I pushed my shield forward, hard enough to penetrate his big chest. Boom! The trumpets sounded, but I was already blacking out. Had I really won? Was this real? Had I, Coral Thiller, really managed to avoid screwing up? It seemed like a dream, both good and bad, and it was all going to come back to me as I slipped into dreamland.

Rafael:

The minute the trumpets sounded, I sank to my knees, drenched in tears and sweat. Coral was safe! She was going to live! Patters of applause filled the room but there was one person I really wanted to address. "Y-you s-said I c-couldn't d-do it," I shouted, sneering at a bitter-looking Draco. "Well, s-screw you D-Draco! I-I've brought C-coral home! I d-did it!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Lucky fluke."

I didn't care. I gave him a cunning smirk. "W-wanna b-bet on that?"

Coral:

Okay, Coral, the Games are over! You're a Victor now! I lay on my bed in the hospital, humming quietly to myself as I tried to move my leg without success. It would take some time to heal, the doctors had told me. Rafael slipped in, a huge smile on his face. It was nice, seeing him smile for a change. He always looked so depressed, so stressed-out, so nervous, this one, bright, genuine smile alone seemed to light the world brighter than the sun. "Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked. The first red light was the lack of stutter. He must've noticed my reaction, because he chuckled and explained, "Yeah, I-I've been w-working on it. Gwen's brilliant at this psych-chology stuff."

I grinned. "That's good to hear."

Rafael returned my grin and pulled out an envelope from his pocket. He handed it to me. I frowned, recognising the navy blue seal of District Four. Who had given this? My parents? Nile? "It's from a special someone," Rafael said teasingly.

OH GOSH. "Charlie?" I muttered, gulping.

"Open it-t," Rafael told me, a coy smile on his face.

My face was probably as pale as a sheet of paper at that point. My hands turned clammy as I pulled out a yellow letter. Oh, gosh. This was not good, this was not good!

Hey, Coral,

So, first of all, congratulations! You've won! I couldn't be happier that you've survived the arena! You did District Four proud, that's all I'm gonna say.

Okay, time for the main thing. I, uh, got your letter and honestly, it was pretty cute, just like you. Oh, wait, did I just write that? Uh, yikes? SO, uh, you wanna go on a date sometime?

Sending love,

Charlie

My heart fluttered wildly. "Oh..." I blacked out again in true Coral Thiller fashion.

MANY YEARS LATER

The dinner table was set. Coral and Rafael smiled as the ministers entered the room. In the background, a small screen showed Brutus and Enobaria chasing down Johanna and Finnick but no one cared about that. Everyone sat down. Rafael picked up his cup and gave a toast. The ministers toasted along with him and drank their wine. Rafael and Coral, though, refrained, holding the cup and staring tentatively at the ministers. Just then, all ten of the Capitolians dressed in their lavish uniforms began to choke and gasp. Their muscles began to stiffen and the blood seemingly drained out of their bodies. One of them managed to choke out, "Traitors...' before he froze into position, before tumbling to the ground, his bones, now fragile as glass, shattering against the pearly white tiles on the floor. Rafael and Coral gave each other wide smirks as they stood up, holding up large, metal trays. Then, one by one, they smashed their plates against the ministers' shells of bodies, sending them crumbling to dust. They gave each other a fist bump once they were done, donning wicked smirks as they did so. As Katniss destroyed the arena, Rafael grabbed a pile of minister dust and flung it at the screen. "You're never safe from me," he sneered, the cunning glint returning to his face after so many years of absence. "You will never be safe from Rafael Fisher and Coral Thiller."

Katniss and Peeta had their moment of silence for the Victor from Four. "She seems like a nice person," Peeta remarked. "I hope she survived."

"I hope they all survive," Katniss muttered.

"You know," Peeta said. "There were so many times when I thought for sure she was going to die. But she didn't."

"That's the great thing about Coral, she just won't die," Katniss told him.

There was nothing left to say so Peeta flipped the page. The next Victor was a big, strong boy with a bald head and strong, muscular arms. He bore an imposing figure, one that would almost certainly scare the living daylights out of the other tributes. His eyes were firm but at the same time gentle. It was hard to tell whether he had even wanted to go into the arena in the first place. Peeta winced, memories flooding his mind. "Brutus Gunn."

VICTORS

District 1-Sapphire Huntington(4), Onyx Hibonite(9), Franc Montgomery(14), Crystal Montgomery(21), Sterling Jones(25), Luxe Carmichael(36), Geneva Cooper(37)

District 2-Ragnar Sveinsson(5), Reyna Boudicca(6), Draco Hadley(10), Scipio MacAllister(17), Freya Carson(22), Hercules Nichols(28), Julia Dawson(39)

District 3-Nikola Johnson(13), Gadget Schroeder(24), Beetee Latier(40)

District 4-Marina Bluebell(1), Mags Flanagan(11), Jolien Fisher(31), Timmy Fisher(32), Iris Fisher(33), Rafael Fisher(34), Coral Thiller(41)

District 5-Shocker Crimson(8), Switch Kim(19), Flash Morrison(27), Porter Tripp(38)

District 6-Ford Hamilton(20)

District 7-Hassan Greenwood(2), Jill Wilson(15), Olive Sanchez(26), Birch Davison(35)

District 8-Woof Casino(16)

District 9-Gwendolyn Whitfield(18), Laurel Flamsteel(29)

District 10-Ringo Alvarez(7), John Gatwick(23)

District 11-Orchid Bloom(12), Seeder Crue(30)

District 12-Axel Millar(3)

A/N: So there we go, Coral, ladies and gentlemen! The cute 'girl next door', until the end, that is! That ending was loosely based on the music video of "Popular Song" by MIKA and Ariana Grande, props to you if you recognised it! Hope you enjoyed that and once again, thanks to cartierscrown for helping me out with this one! Do read his story too haha. Don't forget to review or PM me your ideas for Brutus and I'll try to include them! Stay tuned, stay safe, cheers:)