Disclaimer: The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. This is a parody fanwork by fans for fans. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.
Following the Rules
by FanficAllergy & RoseFyre
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Theme: 06: Compulsion
Words: 500
Summary: There was a rule in Two. And Clove always followed the rules.
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There was a rule in Two. Every child with a soulmark entered the training camp.
When Clove was just five years old, she found herself alone (abandoned) among hundreds of other children, introduced to one after another after another of matchless marks until their names and faces blurred. Soulmate hunting they called it. A better term might be soulmate trap. Kids were too young - too innocent - to conceal reactions to hearing their words.
Clove was no exception.
She couldn't hide the pleasure she felt at hearing "Your freckles are cute," from the tall blond boy.
Nor could Cato - for that was her soulmate's name - temper his answering grin when he heard her whispered, "My papa calls them sunspots."
Before they could say more, she was whisked away. But she knew she'd see her soulmate again. Two would guarantee it. It was the rule.
And Clove always followed the rules.
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There was a rule in Two. Keep close to your soulmate.
She missed her home and her parents and her siblings. But this was Two, and crying wasn't allowed. Besides, she had Cato. She didn't need such things as parents or siblings. Not when she had the strongest soulmate in the CTC - Career Training Camp.
Cato was easily the best in their year. Strong. Intelligent. Bloodthirsty.
The perfect Career.
Clove struggled to keep up. While she couldn't equal Cato's strength, she focused on speed. Precision. Craftiness. She became his complement. His match.
There was no way Cato wasn't going into the Games. And there was no way she wasn't going to be there with him. That was the rule.
And Clove always followed the rules.
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There was a rule in Two. Soulmates who live together die together.
They trained together.
They volunteered together.
They entered the Arena together.
In Two, soulmates did everything together. It was understood that it wasn't Two's year to win. The distract had won the previous year, and the one before that. It was someone else's turn. The Capitol would see to it.
Cato and Clove knew they were sacrifices. That they were there to put on a good show, not to win the whole thing.
Then the rule change happened, and she began to hope.
The only real competition was the pair from Twelve, and those two weren't even soulmates. They weren't worthy of the title of Victor. That seed of hope grew into something bigger, stronger. The seed became something to fight for. A dream. A wonderful lovely dream.
With the Feast, she was sure they had it, that the prize was theirs.
But with a rock to the head, her hopes (and skull) shattered.
As Clove felt the last of the strength leave her body, she heard Cato's voice in her ears, pleading with her to stay. She knew she couldn't, but she also knew he would soon follow.
That was the rule of soulmates. The rule of Two. The way it should be.
And Clove always followed the rules.
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AN:
Written: 4/13/18
Revised: 4/21/18
More randomization! Because we've been in a randomize-y mood.
Clove and Cato came up in our randomizer, and what could we do for them besides write a soulmate fic? We figured Two would be more in line with the Capitol's ideas on soulmates, so… we took it in that direction. Sorry?
We imagined the entire Career camp is made up of people with soulmarks. This is one of those situations where you want your soulmate to be significantly older than you - old enough that you can't be sent in together, and ideally can't even be at the camp together. That way you have a chance of ending up together.
You can get more information about our original writing here:
Website: RoseLarkPublishing
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