Katniss POV

The cannon sounded and we relaxed. However, the usual fanfare that accompanied a victory did not appear.

There was a crackling and then a voice came on.

"It seems that you don't understand. Well, in the change of rules, we said a pair of tributes, not a group." The mic went off and I stared at the other two people.

One of us would die.

Did I have to choose? Between my best friend and the boy who loved me? Either Ivy Green, who taught me so much back at home, who helped me hunt, who I could talk to when I needed advice.

Or Peeta Mellark. The boy who gave me bread, who helped me live on. The one who loved me and did what he could to help me. And maybe, the one who I loved as well?

My best friend or my love.

Wait, how about me? My thoughts were about...killing the others. How about me?

I promised Prim I would win. But to do that...

Ivy suddenly screamed. I whipped around and looked at her. She clung to her head. As I was about to walk over, she straightened up. She reached down and grabbed Cato's sword, and took out a dagger.

"Ivy?" Without saying anything, she charged at us.

"What are you doing?"

"Katniss, move!" Peeta's voice called out. I ducked a blow that could have taken my head.

Blocking the dagger with my bow, I drop sweeped and then shoved her. She stumbled backwards but quickly regained her balance.

Peeta moved in to tackle her, but Ivy twisted around. Peeta moved in time to dodge her dagger. She kicked him in his stomach and Peeta bent over. Before she could pierce him, I slammed her to the ground. Her head hit the ground with a sickening thud.

She moaned, then dropped her weapons to clench her head. Screaming, she pulled on her head.

"Kill...me...now." She uttered, gasping as if speaking took everything she had. I saw a spark of electricity through her hair.

She cried out, thrashing, and I fell off her. Rolling away, I looked back to see her freeze, then grab her to weapons again.

Charging at me, she swung her sword, spinning to the right so that her dagger would also cut me.

I ran a few steps back to save myself, then shot and arrow which was quickly cut in half by Ivy's sword. Peeta was sneaking up to her, but then stepped on something. Ivy turned around to see him. Running at him, she aimed, then threw her dagger. Peeta dodged. Using the break in his defense, she ran and swiped her sword. It cut his arm and blood gushed, a red stream coloring his arm.

I screamed and shot a succession of arrows at her. One got through her defense of sword and dagger and stabbed her in the stomach, but she showed no sign of pain. She was, however, distracted as she pulled the arrow out.

Peeta took that chance to choke hold her. She struggled, then raised up her sword arm. It moved down, the point of the sword aimed at Peeta's leg. I ran over, grabbing his arm just in time.

Gasping at her strength, I looked at her face. Her eyes were blank. No emotion showed on her face.

"What happened, Ivy? Why are you doing this?" She froze for a moment, her arm relaxing. I took that moment to yank the sword and dagger away. I threw those far away.

"You're acting weird." I continued. Peeta looked at me.

"Katniss, it's the Capital. They must have done this. That is why they healed all her wounds back then. To use her...for this final moment." I clenched my teeth. It was the truth, no matter now much I hated it.

The previously energetic, sarcastic, full of life girl had been reduced to this...this puppet, this tool, this element for a more interesting game!

My face felt wet.

"Ivy..." I remembered her last words. She must have been fighting the machine in planted in her head. She didn't want to be saved. She had said, had pleaded, for us to kill her.

Her struggling saw stopping. The wound where my arrow hit her was bleeding profoundly. I shuddered.

"I'm sorry." I said. Taking a knife from my belt, I plunged it into her throat with shaking hands.

A light returned to her eyes.

"Thank-...Ca-i. Win." She murmured, barely able to form words.

Peeta let go of her has the cannon sounded. I knelt down by her, crying. Peeta put an arm by me, and I clung to his bloodied shirt. He pulled me to his chest, rubbing my back soothingly as tears poured.

When I finally calmed down, I still wanted to cling to him. Then, a question formed. Why wasn't there the fanfare?

"After a closer examination of the rule book, only one winner is allowed. I repeat; only one winner is allowed." I froze.

After everything they took, they still wanted more? Ivy was gone, killed by my hand, and they wanted one of us to die still?!

Win...Ivy had said. Beat the capital.

I wouldn't let them take away more from me.

But now?

One winner...they had to have at least one. Otherwise, everything would fail.

"Peeta..." I whispered. He hugged me.

"You must live." He said. I moved back, looking at him. His face was pale. "It seems...I've lost too much blood." He said. My eyes widened. No...please no!

"You can't do this to me!" I shouted. I ripped by sleeve and wrapped it. "You can't die here! Not now! Don't...don't leave me!"

"I'm sorry..." He said. He closed his eyes.

Everything was blurry. My hands...were they wet? Red?

No...no, no, NO!

I tilted my head back and screamed.

Grabbing my dagger, I pressed it to my throat. Vaguely, I registered someone shouting stop.

My sight was fading. Something was lifting me up. I grabbed the vague blur that was Peeta's hand.

So cold.

Everything turned black...

Beep. Beep. Beep

I opened my eyes. I noticed white walls, with a matching ceiling. Were was I?

"You're awake, sweetheart." A familiar voice said. I opened my dry mouth.

"Haymitch?" I murmured. A face loomed into my view. Yep. It it was him.

"Good job. You won." Won? The games.

My eyes grew wide. I pushed myself up, but was held down by Haymitch.

"Calm down!"

"Peeta! Is he..."

"Barely. They're working on him now." I relaxed, and he moved his hands away. He was alive.

"You did well. Both of you came back." He said. I frowned.

"It should have been the three of us." I said. Ivy... Haymitch didn't say anything. I closed my eyes, hoping to seek comfort in sleep, but red blood was all I saw. Snapping my eyes open, I looked af Haymitch. He knelt down by me.

"You did what you could. There was nothing you could have done for Ivy. She was controlled. They planned it from the start." I clenched my teeth.

"Relax." His voice said. I closed my eyes as something poked me...

I stood in front of Ivy's grave, the one I regarded as the real one. Though she had one with all the other tributes that died, Gale and I made our own for her.

Set in the forest, next to the lake. A little spot where the sun's rays reached the earth. Her favorite resting spot, right under the willow.

Her grave was a simple one. A single stone with her bow and arrow buried underneath. The words Ivy Green carved at the top.

Ivy seeds had been planted. Already, a tiny bit of green could be seen from the dirt.

I put my hand on it.

Ivy, I swear right here, right now, that with this life you saved, I will break the hold the capital has on us. I will set everyone free and end these games. No one will ever be used like you had. No one will ever be a mere puppet.

And thus this story is finished. Thank you for reading! I hope the ending was able to move you.

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