Okay, everyone, this is it! The Grand Finale! I have been waiting for this! I think it's gonna blow you guys' minds. Hehehe…. This chapter is dedicated to my amazing friends: Rachel, Sophie, Michelle, Rosa, Ronja (I love Germans!), and to PureblueSkies and RipredtheGnawer, whom I seemed to forget your names. No offense, of course.
One more thing, though. I was going to put it in the ending A/N, but I didn't want to spoil the special feeling, so I'll say it now. I started a new fanfic, except I'm not publishing it on . Instead, I am posting the chapters on my blog. Don't ask why, kay? But here is the summary: Ten days. That's what it takes to change my mind. 10 days to cry over the departed. 10 days to chance a new life. 10 days to fall in love with my best friend. Katniss/Gale
The link to it is .. Wonderful name, I know. I'll let you guys know every time a new chapter is put up, so no worrying. Okay, now enjoy this chapter. Or else.
OOO
I awaken from a dreamless sleep. Judging by the shadows and silence, it was the darkest hours of night. Ever since President Snows' speech, I knew what I had to do. It wouldn't be easy, but if it means saving everyone that I loved, so be it.
The tiredness ebbed away as I sat there for a few minutes, gathering courage, stealing it from Peeta if I had to. He was always so strong, yet never in his wildest dreams…
Last night, I had fallen asleep with my family. One of Peeta's arms was around my waist, Primrose had her head on my shoulder, and Mother held my hand. It was quite difficult to worm my way out. Prim just mumbled something and flopped over onto Mother, who kept right one snoring. Peeta, however, stirred when I took his arm from around me.
"Katniss?" His voice was quiet and slurred, obviously because he was half-asleep. "What are you doing?"
I quickly made up a fib. "Bathroom." My voice was as quiet as his.
Peeta mumbled something else, and his eyes slid shut again.
I hated leaving him. I hated everything about this, having so much here for me but throwing it away just like that. But I needed to do this… Silent tears of decision welled up in my eyes and I bent over to kiss Peeta's lips tenderly. "I love you, Peeta."
"Mmhm…" He twitched slightly. "Love you…too…"
Before I left, though, I strapped my box and quiver across my back and just crouched in front of the sleeping figures of my family. In the morning they would wake up and I wouldn't be there. They would panic and cry, but stick together to hold one another up. Peeta would take care of Mother and Primrose, and they would love him like their own.
Stinging tears choked up my throat, and I had to get up and leave before I started bawling.
As usual, my feet were soundless as I tiptoed across the frigid cement floor, winding my way around the hushed bodies of refugees, curled around their loved ones, sleeping away last nights' troubles. When I reached the trapdoor, I opened it, thinking that there would be guards there to stop me. The guards were asleep, guns laying limp at their thighs, drool hanging off bristly mustaches. Gross.
I slinked my body through the trapdoor, careful to make sure the bow and quiver don't knock the frame. Once I was on the other side, I realized I had been holding my breath, and let it out. This whole ordeal was leaving me quite adrenaline-boosted and edgy.
As I walked—unsure of where I was going—my new bow and quiver bumped familiarly against my back, providing some comfort to this situation. I had to admit I was frightened. Who wouldn't be? This…plan I had formulated in my head was mad, yes. Utterly insane. In fact, it probably won't even work. But if I have to, I'm going to die trying.
I walked quietly through the dirty corridor for quite a while, and was greatly relieved when I spotted the trap door on the low ceiling ahead. Part of me thought that the Capitol people were still going to be there and it was just a scam, but when I crawled out onto the abandoned cafeteria floor, no people—or sounds, in that matter—were to be seen.
But to my disgust, when I walked out into the cold hallway, the sight was extremely unpleasant. No one had cleaned up after the battle before, and there were, literally, puddles of blood on the floor, and fans of scarlet swept the walls. The smell of copper and burnt keratin made me wrinkle my nose; it was all I could do NOT to throw up.
For a moment I stood there, getting my cool, trying to reach a little further into my mind, hoping for a more detailed plan to come forth. A question popped into my head: What exactly are you looking for? I knew the answer. I needed somewhere to get out. I needed…a door or something.
I nearly laughed out loud. I knew the answer. In fact, it was almost ironic. The very people I was hunting down had punched a hole in the ceiling a while back (long story) and it was that night I got stabbed. Yet when I got stabbed, I was outside.
Now with a fresh purpose, I turned the opposite direction and began a brisk walk towards the old astronomy lab. "Lab" wouldn't really be a good word, because all it was was a room with a glass ceiling. And once, a few months back, it had served a different use, but I try to forget about that.
When I rounded the hallway I knew to be the correct one, I had no trouble finding the right door. By then, my shoes were sticky with un-evaded blood, and the back of my neck was sweaty with anticipation. I gripped the doorknob and turned it, stepping inside.
The immediate blast of cool air hit me, and I had no choice but to breathe in gratefully. I hadn't had fresh air in at least a month. When I opened my eyes again, I actually blinked in surprise. The ceiling was completely gone. When I had chased Cinna, Octavia, and Venia out, they just created a giant hole in the top, but now there wasn't any glass left. The room was open to the heavens.
In one corner, a plastic bag lay tied up, but when I opened it and saw the bits of shattered wood, I was disappointed. I was hoping for something exciting. No matter. The problem was that I had no way to get up.
I paced the room, trying to think of ways, but I was impatient, so I tried the old 'run-and-jump' strategy. The breath was knocked out of me, but I managed to haul myself up onto the cool dirt.
The sky was gorgeous. Brilliant golden stars winked down at me from above, saying hello. I resisted the urge to cuss at the wind for the being so happy at a time like this, but I didn't. They were in the greatest place in the universe. In fact, I bet one of those brilliant stars up there was my lost best friend, coming to say a final farewell to me.
My eyes aught out the brightest star in the sky, and I thanked it. I told it I was sorry, and I loved it. I told it I would be with him soon. Though I was probably just talking to a planet or something.
Okay, now that I was out in the open (I wanted to dance around in joy and go hunting for bunnies to cook and eat raw, and dance around the fire using their bones as a necklace; I wanted to be Jungle Woman) there was an undeniable ounce of satisfaction, but I couldn't help but be a little confused. Now what?
My eyes squinted off towards the north; black. To the south; black. But when I peered to the east, I was rewarded. Off to the right was a bundle of lights, brighter than the stars, peeking at me curiously. They seemed unnatural, and I immediately knew that was where I was to be headed. But as soon as I began walking in that direction, a serious déjà-vu slammed into my chest.
I was walking. Just walking. The air around me was a blissful chill, spreading bumps along my arms. I knew very little about my destination and what I was leaving. I knew behind me, there were things I to live for. Behind me, I had a life, a love, a home. In front of me, I had a job to do. There were definite consequences for either choice, but oh well. I had to do what I had to do.
My footsteps made no noise on the barren soil beneath me. In fact—there weren't any sounds at all. No birds, no crickets, no sounds of my quiet breathing. But since it was just a dream, that didn't faze me. I kept walking.
It was a dream I had—a very short time ago, in fact. I had to pause for a few seconds, shaking off the déjà-vu. Part of me was really weirded out I had 'told the future' or whatever, but the other part knew all along. I shook my head and kept walking, inwardly hoping that my feet wouldn't freeze into the ground like it did in my dream.
As I approached the lights, I had to un-strap the bow from my back and ready it with a normal arrow. But when I was close enough to actually see the shadows of the trees, and the details of the hanging lanterns, it happened all too fast.
Gunshots exploded around me and I was in frenzy. People were suddenly visible, jumping out from behind the trees with guns. I hit every one of them, with only three things in my mind: A) there were only 25 in the fight yesterday, so there was about 90 left. B) I only have around 45 arrows, fifteen of them normal. And C) DIIIEEEE! Those were the things running through my head.
My heart was pumping adrenaline through my veins, and I ran, dodged, and yelled in fury as arrow after arrow hit their targets. Men dropped dead to the ground. Gun blasts rang through the air like thunder, and I felt a sting on my left shoulder. Blood splattered on my face, making me gag a bit. But I didn't have time for complaining.
I dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way as a squat man aimed his gun at me and fired. The soil behind me was sent flying upwards.
Sweat damped my hair, sticking it to my forehead, as I reached behind me and shot another arrow at the person. It erupted in flame, sending the man screaming to the ground. I didn't have time to watch him thrash.
The next arrow I pulled from my quiver behind me, I had to search around for, and I pulled it from the "normal" arrow slot. It was the last one.
I knocked the arrow on my string, pulled it back, and watched it go shooting straight through the chest of another soldier who had his gun aimed straight for me. He coughed a great amount of blood on the ground and keeled over.
For a moment I got to breath, looking around for more guys hiding behind trees. But as soon as I saw one and aimed, I heard a shout ring through the forest.
"Hold your fire!"
My hold on the bow wavered a bit, and I was shocked to see the man in front of me drop his gun and look behind him.
"Hold your fire." The voice repeated, somewhat quieter and more recognizable.
It was Snow, of course.
The soldiers retreated back into the dimly-lit woods, and I stood, shaking, the arrow tip quivering on the ledge of my bow. My eyes followed the tall figure of the President as he strode out of the woods casually, a gun hanging lightly at his side. Golden light from the lanterns illuminated his amused face.
"Ah, Katniss." His pale lips stretched over his face. "I honestly have to say I didn't expect to see you here this late."
"Bullcrap." I hissed, gripped the weapon in my hands. "You knew this was coming."
"Why so hostile? You know you can't win." President Snow shrugged indifferently. "I still have forty men behind me in the woods, waiting for my word to attack. And you only have one arrow left."
In sudden fright, I whipped my hand to my quiver, which was, indeed, empty. I had no idea what kind of arrow this was; I had pulled it out in a hurry.
But Snow didn't say anything for another five minutes, in which time I didn't let my guard down, but was able to get quick glances around him. Some twenty feet into the thin woods, I could see some big, metal square protruding from the ground. At its left, at least a dozen giant barrels of gunpowder sat stacked up, open and ready for immediate usage. But no one was around.
"Long time no see, I suppose, Miss Everdeen." Snow broke the silence, keeping his gun at his side in a non-threatening way. But I knew better. "Six months, if I'm correct."
My mouth remained zipped.
"I had to admit, when I received word that my spies had failed, I wasn't shocked." Snow walked over to the nearest tree and began picking at the bark. "They were only decoys."
I blinked, trying to understand, but inwardly formulating a plan to shoot Snow when his back was turned.
He obviously misconstrued my facial expression. "Yes, Miss Everdeen. Decoys. They were too clumsy and fickle to get what I wanted done, so I just sent them in to distract you. Everyone was so caught up in the idea of them being the spies; they didn't even spare a second glance at my real, trusted spy until you, Katniss, sent him to jail."
For a split-second, I was surprised into an upright position, gawking at the facts he laid on the table before me. I hadn't sent anyone to jail. Except for the 'decoys', of course. And Dr. Longarden… My mouth popped into a stunned expression, and I immediately looked at Snow for confirmation.
His lipless mouth stretched into an even bigger, evil grin. "Yes, it was your dear old doctor. He was quite convincing until I ordered him to tell you your daughter was a mutt."
"Why did you do that to her?" I demanded, screaming the words and jabbing the tip of my arrow in his direction. "She was just a baby!"
"She was." Snow agreed. "But if it makes you feel better, I didn't tell him to kill her. That was purely his idea."
A feeling like freight train slammed into my chest, making me stumble backwards. A cry flew out of my mouth, and I had to fight back tears. "Don't lie to me!" I shrieked, though had the sneaking feeling in my gut he wasn't.
"Honestly, Katniss. The only thing I did was to fuse muttation DNA in with your daughters'. She was not putting anyone in danger by living, other than being a half-mutt."
"The only thing." I spat, fuming mad at this monster in front of me. "You only killed an innocent child. You murdered her in cold blood. Don't tell me it wasn't your idea, because Dr. Longarden had no reason to kill Alexis. He would have only killed her if you had told him to, if he was your man at all."
"Jud Longarden acted of his own accord, I assure you. I wanted to keep the child. I wanted to have him tell you he did away with it, but send it to me for further experiments."
Listen to the monster, talk about my child as though she were a lab rat. I hated him so badly, but I needed answers. And I would die getting them.
"Instead, he thought he might do some experimenting for me and inject her with tracker jacker venom, but her young immune system could not handle it, so she died within the hour. It was not my doing." Snow reached up a hand to wipe his sleeve along the top of his gun, but didn't aim it at me. "I was hoping we could have done this in the daylight, at least. It's so dark now, I just might hit your somewhere besides your heart. And you would die a slow, painful death." His voice grew quieter, and whispered like a snake.
"Too bad!" I yelled, angrier than I had ever been in my life. Tears of pain and torture poured down my face, and I closed one eyes, centering the tip of the arrow with President Snows' chest. "Because I'm going to kill you right now!"
"No you aren't, Katniss." President Snow actually took a step closer to me, and raised his shoulders almost apologetically. "I have a gun. If you make a single move to shoot that bow of yours, I'll shoot you straight through the gut and watch you writhe around on the filthy ground, slowly bleeding to death. I want you to feel all the pain you deserve, Katniss, because—to be frank—no one likes a sore loser. If you put the weapon down, however, it'll be painless, I promise."
My throat choked up, and I was sickened by the choice. I had a good chance of actually hitting him, but I would be guaranteed a slow, painful death. But there had to be a quicker way. If I knew I couldn't hit him on time, there had to be a way to completely demolish everything within a good hundred-foot radius. And maybe—if I was lucky—it would kill me, too, so I wouldn't have to rot with a bullet lodge in my stomach. Then it came to me. So quick and sudden, the idea nearly burned like fire in my head. The gunpowder.
I held my head high. "I'm not going to lose, Snow. You may be all-powerful with a gun in your hand and your expensive shoes, but unlike yourself, I have brains. While you were busy feeding off information from Dr. Longarden and Cinna, while you were busy pilfering our blueprints, I was spending every moment I had thinking of ways to get out. I was coming up with a plan to get rid of you slime, and get my family out safe. Your idea was smart enough, but you forgot one thing. One very important piece of your plan."
"What is that, little Mockingjay?" Snow held his gun up, pointed to my chest, and—for the first time in this battle—I felt fear.
"Living." I released the arrow.
Everything happened in slow motion. My eyes followed the perfect black arrow as it sailed through the air, feathers spinning gracefully in the wind. I watched as it nearly grazed Snows' shoulder, and begin flying towards the gunpowder. As soon as it missed Snow, though, he smiled and pulled the trigger. Then the strangest thing.
I didn't feel the bullet enter my body. All I felt was a rush of wind on my shirt and I saw the splatter of dark liquid on the ground. Feeling lightheaded, I tipped backwards slowly, as if stuck in syrup, but my eyes rolled back in my head just in time to see the explosion. White fire like a rose blossomed from the forest like a flower blooming on a fast-forwarded film. Red licked the edges of the trees, and spread out to me.
It felt like I was being picked up with a giant hand and tossed twenty feet into the air into a pit of rabid weasels. Flaming weasels. No pain was felt, though. Just wonder as I watched red tongues of heat engulf my body.
And just like that, the war was over, and I drifted off to sleep with visions of fire flowers in my head.
oOo
I would really, really like it if everyone who read this chapter would review. Okay? Even if it's to tell me it sucked real badly. I hope that was enough kick-arse action for you out there ;)