Clove and Glimmer gasped. President Snow looked like he meant serious business.

"How could you!" Glimmer protested, suddenly getting furious. "We've already won!"

"Yes, but you see...defiance has its consequences." Snow said calmly.

"We're in the middle of the Capitol, if you shoot, everyone will see!" protested Clove. "There's no way for you to get away with this!"

"Does it look like I care? I AM the president, after all." Snow held up the gun, finger on the trigger. "Now, one of you better volunteer. Or else I'll kill both of you."

Nobody moved. All was silent.

"In that case..." Snow started.

BAM! BAM! Two gunshots rang out. Blood trickled out all along the ground.

"Clove!" Glimmer cried.

"Glimmer! What just happened!" Clove asked in a panic.

Someone had just shot President Snow, one bullet in the knee and another in the gut. Suddenly, the shooter identified himself.

"Seneca Crane!" Clove and Glimmer said. "Did you..."

Seneca nodded. "Indeed. Wait just a moment, that pighead is still alive." Seneca kicked Snow so he could look him right in the eyes.

"Seneca!" Snow choked. "I thought..ugh...I killed you...the nightlock!"

"No. I have been building up a resistance to nightlock poison for several years. Yeah, it knocked me out, but I'm still here. You won't be, however."

BAM! Snow was gone for good.

Clove and Glimmer were stunned. They were unhurt, just a little shaken up.

Finally, Glimmer asked, "Seneca, why did you save us?"

"Yeah!" Clove added. "You're supposed to try and kill us, you're the Head Gamemaker!"

"Please follow." Seneca said, motioning the girls over to a nearby bench. He sat down and sighed. "I was the Head Gamemaker. Snow really did try to kill me. Because I let you two live." he chuckled.

"Why did you let us live in the first place? What was in it for you?" Glimmer asked, puzzled.

Seneca sighed. "It was all because of her."

"Her!"

"Mmm-hmm. Ten years ago...the 64th Hunger games...I was at the good old age of twenty-two. It was the first Hunger Games where I was a Gamemaker. Not the Head one, just plain Gamemaker. Anyway, there was one tribute from District 7. She was eighteen at the time. Boy, was she dazzling. Ever since the interview, she had caught my eye. She eventually went on to win the Hunger Games. The night of the winning ceremony, we met for dinner. She was just as fantastic as I thought. We had a wonderful time together." Seneca frowned. "But we had only been in a relationship for two months when Snow caught word of its existance. His reasoning was that if I was in love with a victor, then I'd go too easy on the next year's tributes. So he arranged for her to have a little accident." Seneca's eyes began to swim. "She was back in her district, helping with the tree harvest...and one day, a tree just...fell on her. Looked like an accident. But it was all Snow's doing." Seneca wiped his eyes and turned to face the girls. "And that's why I saved you. To get revenge, and also so another love couldn't be destroyed."

"Wow..." whispered Clove. "That's..so awful! About the District 7 girl, not that you saved us." she added hastily.

"What a horrible creature!" Glimmer was appaled. "I'm glad he's gone for good." Suddenly, she realized. "But who's going to be the new President?"

"I...I don't really know." Seneca said. "But...a long time ago, there was something called a democracy. Where everyone voted to choose their leaders. Everyone was free to have an opinion, to believe what they wanted without any fear. I think...we should try that again."

The girls nodded and smiled.

"Panem can finally be free!" said Clove.

"We won't be pawns anymore!" said Glimmer.

"Exactly!" said Seneca. "In fact, we'll send the news out tomorrow that there's going to be an election for the new President of Panem. In the meantime, us three will act as President to prevent riots and whatnot."

"It's a deal." They all shook hands.

Seneca looked at the sky and noticed the sunset. "Now, you girls should go on back to the tribute apartments. Well, they're not tribute apartments anymore really, but you get the idea. It's getting kind of late, and you girls need your sleep."

"Mmm-kay." said Glimmer, waving.

"Goodbye!" said Clove.

The two girls held hands and strolled happily back to the apartments.

Five hours later, Clove woke up with a start. "Where am I? Is this all just a dream?" she asked. Clove blinked and realized where she was. "Huh, I guess it wasn't." The moonlight flooded in through the window, illuminating everything in a soft light "Glimmer..." she whispered. Glimmer looked so angelic. Clove brushed a strand of hair out of Glimmer's face. "You're so beautiful...I am very thankful we're together."

She lightly kissed Glimmer before snuggling back into her arms.

~The End, for now~