Devils and Dust by Bruce Springsteen
Fear's a dangerous thing
It can turn your heart black you can trust
The rebellion is strong with the people of the districts. They are ungrateful for what their mother nation has brought them to, as the lowest class citizens always have been.
Since the beginning of even the earliest settlements, this has always been a fact. No matter the prestige or success of a nation, there will always be those who are unsatisfied with what they have been gifted. Even before the wars that created our great nation of Panem, our ancestors have fought amongst one another for power. The ones who lived under the protection of the government always sought to overcome their limits. The ones who lived as part of the government always sought to keep their positions, most times out of fear of what would become of the nation should a revolution be successful.
There have been countless times in history where the choice has been left with those who are in power. If they are not willing to do what is necessary to keep peace and prosperity in their nation, then the nation will fall. When leaders are not able to do what they must, there will always be someone else who is willing. It is those times where the revolutionary wants the power more that the nation falls, when the country's leader is too weak to keep them in line.
And so the time has come where Panem is forced to ask the historical question- Is my leader willing to do whatever it takes to keep them safe. The people of Panem do not want a war, they have lived in one for far too many years. They do not want the constant reign of fear and sadness that has controlled them for so long. They look to their leader for peace. They look to the father of their nation to protect them from wartime.
We have come to you in hopes that you will not be the one to allow our great nation to be purged into despair for another moment. We have come to you in hopes that you will be the one to lead us away from this age of terror and into a new age of prosperity. We come to you with high praise but even more so we come to you with the solution that you need.
We come from a society that has dedicated itself to the study of history, and more importantly to the study of the mistakes that have befallen our ancestors in the past. The solution we have brought forth for you is not a simple one, and does not come without sacrifice, but we have great faith that you will do what is right for the nation your have sworn to serve and protect.
The conclusion that many of us has drawn is one that we trust you yourself have considered at some point in this dreadful wartime. The years that this Capitol has suffered in have taken their toll on our great people. The years that are to come will be difficult as our people fight their way back onto their feet and do away with the ill memories that will plague them from the images that have had to bear witness to.
The fact that the district people are to blame for the suffering of these innocent people should not and cannot go unnoticed. Not only to satisfy the hunger that all of us cannot help but feel towards the rebels that have caused so much pain to us, but also for the wellbeing of the nation as a whole.
If it is known to the people that those that do ill upon Panem are able to simply slip away to once again make their plots against the government, then they will live in constant fear. Not on that, but it will give the rebels a sense of victory in this war they have forced upon us. To slip away unpunished shows that they are feared, and proves to them that there will at some point be a time where their cause will be successful.
To keep the order that we will begin to rebuild in the coming months, we must quell both the fears of our own great people and the hopes of our rebellious enemies.
But what are we to do to punish those that have already willingly given over their lives to an improbable cause? Merely mass killing them will accomplish nothing but kindling a fire in the hearts of their youth who will continue to bear the flag of their rebellion. To punish them, we must strip their entire population of their hope for a revolution. While there is no hope of quelling this fight in the older generations, there is still time to save the young ones from sharing their families' fates.
That is the solution we have come to the conclusion would be the most effective in tying up the loose ends that the war has left us with. To target the rebellious youth that have become tangled in this war, in the hopes that we can show them how truly selfish their parents were to force them into this terrible war.
One must break the bonds between the generations, so that the young ones can be saved.
So with remorse we present to you the solution to the problem that you will soon face. For months we have worked out the details of how it will be presented to the public, and how it will be enforced to the districts.
In penance for the sins of their parents and grandparents, each district will be told to offer up one young man and one young woman as tributes to participate in the event. In representation of the wartime, each of the tributes will enter an arena where they will fight amongst each other as a showcase of how the districts' ruined themselves through the rebellion. In discussion, this event was given the name of 'The Hunger Games'. The fighting will cease when only one tribute is remaining, a lone symbol of the kindness and forgiveness that the Capitol holds for its colonies.
This lone victor will be welcomed into the highest ranks of the Capitol, with all of the wealth and fame they could ever need or desire. In doing this we will show the districts that not only are we forgiving, but we also care for those that follow our wishes. The single tribute that remains will be the beacon of hope that the children of the districts can aspire to be. In knowing that with obedience comes fortune and fame, we will save the young generation from becoming like their savage ancestors.
The nation will once again rest in peace and prosperity as long as this event will continue. So long as the newest generations are reminded of the mistakes of their ancestors as well as the rewards that will come to them should they allow their mother nation to protect them, this country will never again know the suffering that comes with civil war.
We very much hope you will consider our modest proposal.
The people of the Capitol should not be scared any longer.
Song: Devils and Dust by Bruce Springsteen
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed my somewhat unorthodox second prologue. If you haven't figured it out yet, this is the letter that was in the envelope that was handed to President Albinus Snow by the woman from the first prologue. Hopefully I did a good enough job of showing how I've interpreted the Hunger Games coming about by now...
Anyway, I guess you are all looking to see the tribute list and not just me rambling like I seem to do a lot. But before I get to revealing that, I want to say that the decisions that I have had to make have been very hard for me. I received a lot more tributes than I expected to and it was hard to decide between them all but I had to so don't hate me!
A few of you might notice some changes that were made to your tribute such as age, height/weight, faceclaim, etc. If it bothers you a lot let me know, but I tried my best to keep changes to a minimum.
Anyways, the list!
District One
Female- Vera Hemley, 17
Male- Hollis Bale, 17
District Two
Female- Santana Belmont, 16
Male- Connor Leland, 18
District Three
Female- Jalissa Kessey, 18
Male- Danican Tobin, 16
District Four
Female- Caprice Neviere, 16
Male- Venice Durante, 18
District Five
Female- Dallas Audrinne, 17
Male- Adriel Maynard, 17
District Six
Female- Melita Crescent, 15
Male- Radimir Ankratij, 17
District Seven
Female- Merryn Celtey, 15
Male- Jonah Lintell, 16
District Eight
Female- Carina Ricter, 14
Male- Sampson Ellios, 15
District Nine
Female- Leina Rallis, 16
Male- Verden Arell, 16
District Ten
Female- Kyra Lacasse, 14
Male- August Overture, 17
District Eleven
Female- Eileen Garreti, 17
Male- Harlan Pearce, 12
District Twelve
Female- Ariella Saville, 14
Male- Flint Calloway, 14
So congratulations if you tribute was accepted and I am very sorry if they weren't! I will be beginning with new chapters for the story very soon so stay tuned!