A/N: I do not own the Hunger Games. Nor do I own the songs used in this fiction.

In celebration of roughly two years of writing this fiction, I thought I'd revamp my prologue part one. In the original prologue - the woman who does the dastardly deed is a government spook assigned to Serene Westenfluss - a surviving pre-Second Rebellion victor and now politician - as her 'awkward' personal assistant. In the D1 reapings, she has a scene or two as well. Overall, she's a minor character if at all.

It seems too... "action packed" and maybe even a little confusing seeing as it isn't explicitly mentioned that she is who she is. Now that I'm a little older, you can kinda reflect and look at improvements. So this is what this is, an improvement.

Izzy kinda has a origin story in the series of prologues, so this is fitting in a way, given that she's the 99th victor and has plenty of points of view throughout the mainline story. If we were to circumvent the original prologue with this one, this one would fuse into part two seamlessly.

Also, the universe I design I feel has a lot of activities besides the Hunger Games when the victor is crowned for that year, so why not detail that - show off life outside the Games? And so, this was born. As you can see, there are a lot of parallels to real life events. Halloween and Christmas, yeah, they're celebrated but they're purely commercial holidays, especially Christmas. Only very few know the true meaning of Christmas. In terms of fashion and the society I created, "old timey" but still new, the movies offer a hodge-podge of inspiration.

Isabella is such a great character...Only Ben knows but Isabella Wilkinson is circa 2014, from my first HG fanfic that was quasi-cringe and is now deleted. She now lives on in this universe and in a SYOT, so that's nice. I see this as one more layer into a very likable character. Maybe, we'll see more soon.

Thanks for all the kind words and continued support via discord and other avenues.

Metamorphosis: The 100th Hunger Games.

Prologue - "A Day Like Any Other"

Isabella Wilkinson, 17
District 6 Citizen

October 30th, 2161 (HG 98)

I feel bad for Mrs. Wheeler.

With a hand on my jaw, I observe with a smile as my classmates of Grade 12 history chatter loudly among themselves. It's funny, as soon as our teacher - the thin line between order and anarchy - is removed from the equation, even just for a minute, all hell seems to break loose. Some girls fidget with their compact mirrors while they glob on some more lipstick, like Susie McDermott and her gaggle. I make sure not to make direct eye contact, lest they pelt me with stupid names like "Izziot" and "Retard". If they're fortunate enough, some even whip out their phones to tinker with. Chevy Anderson - the idiot, the handsome idiot - horses around with his gaggle of hoodlum friends, going as far as to shove Stan Ricci off his chair with a resounding crash. All while this is happening, our librarian - Mrs. Wheeler - watches on. Mrs. Wheeler is a meek spirit, only replacing the haggard Mrs. Black this school year. Young and green, we might as well have a mouse doing it as Mrs. Wheeler's 'chastising' voice occasionally breaks through the racket we make. I welcome the noise wholeheartedly. It allows my vocal spasms to chime out to their hearts content without embarrassing myself.

"Nurr, nurr! Wooooah!" I chime out, earning the occasional gaze. But, because its loud enough already, no one turns and gawks! I find that if I let it flow, the better chance they go away long enough to not rear its head at a bad moment.

I can't help but grin at the scenes playing out before me. Can you really blame us for acting the way we are? It's Friday! So naturally we'll have the weekend jitters one class before the end of school. Not to mention tomorrow's big event.

"Sit down, shut up!" Our history teacher, Ms. MacFarlane, barks as she storms through the doors. Almost like Peacekeepers, we snap to attention, scrambling back to our seats and setting aside our knickknacks. She was a by-the-book teacher, strict and occasionally joking when she felt like it. I guess it comes from her military background during the War - in which she was a loyalist. At least that's what her various photos on her desk showcase.

"I can't leave you guys for one moment without causing a ruckus?!" she continues, eyeing us sternly while striding up to the holo at the side of the room.

"We're growing youths, Miss," Chevy drawls, earning sniggers from the class at large. "We require constant stimulation or else we go stir crazy."

"That sounds more like you're describing a child's development more than a teenager's, Anderson. In that case you're not far from the truth." Ms. MacFarlane snips in response. Another chorus of laughter washes over the library. "Now, for your assignment, we're going to move past the Second Rebellion era into the post-war era - something that affects all of you directly. From the Eightieth Hunger Games onward, Panem has seen something of an upturn nationwide. So I thought that I would set the tone for the era by listening to the president who presided over most of these post-war years - President Agesilaus Kane or "Uncle Kane" as we all know him as. Izzy? Please dim the lights."

I nod gingerly, rising out of my seat and striding over to the lights. "Yeah, sure thing Miss!"

"And probably the only thing..."

My stride is interrupted by Susie and her gaggle's idiotic laughter. A sharp breath inward suppresses the urge to snap back and I'm on my way again, flicking off the lights and returning to my seat as Ms. MacFarlane sets up footage of President Kane's inaugural speech. He's sworn in by the judge where the President usually welcomes tributes into the Capitol during the Hunger Games. He dampers the thunderous applause with a gentle wave of the hand from one end of the audience to the other.

"It's no secret that human civilization has been pushed to the brink of extinction, accelerated by cataclysms and the barbarism that followed as the institutions we relied on - essential but flawed - crumbled under the maelstrom. Our grand nation, Panem, like a phoenix, rose out of the ashes of these trying times, birthing a capitol - a tribute to the darkest days behind - and a bevy of industrious districts that serve as a testament of humanities steely resolve to persist through strife of any magnitude.

However, as the phoenix rose, it didn't escape the flames it so desperately tried to escape from. Panem itself was singed with tragedy, ignorance and despair right from its inception. This of couse gave way to not one, but two rebellions. Dare I say that the cause for these wars was due to faults by both parties - -uncompromising leaders and ungrateful followers? Yes stringent rulings can be taxing on a population, but rules are essential to the very survival of our nation.

We cannot claim to be the nation's "beating heart" while denying facets of the body basic essentials that only few enjoy. I cannot and will not preside over a nation in which its people are divided by the haves and have-nots. Those with peace of mind and those choked with uncertainty. This was never the vision of our forefathers..."

Over the applause of the audience, I glance over to the portrait of the President that hangs prominently over the libraries reception desk. He really does have that stately look about him. A warm smile, creased elderly features...Uncle Kane. Back at the plant, factoryhands talked so lowly of Panem before the War - under President Snow - but whenever Kane is brought up, I never hear anything negative. Then again, I'm not a political girl at all. I can see why they like him though. Where presidents before him talked down to Panem, he seems to include everyone. And with him ending the Games after the hundredth, he'd have to die in office before anyone replaced him!

"Therefore, I propose a new way of conducting affairs in Panem. From the Capitol to Snow Island, I yearn for Panemians to enter an age of exceptionalism, especially after this - a second senseless rebellion. Like our predecessors intended a century ago, during this nations infant days, I call on you, my fellow Panemians, to expect better - and become that better. In turn, those at the helm of power should facilitate them. This is a timeless contract that I'm certain as a nation can uphold and should."