A/N: Apologies for the delay. I struggled a bit to plan out the finale. Enjoy this chapter! There is one chapter, the Epilogues, after this one.


Chapter 9: Finale


Athens Prescott, age 17
District 8 Male Tribute

Games Night 5

Despite everything, I'm so tired.

I'm not sure how much sleep I've gotten since Giselle left with the dragon… yesterday? I've lost track. It's been hard to sleep knowing that I'm supposed to be guarding the hoard and I could be killed in my sleep while Giselle isn't here to keep watch. There aren't many tributes left, but still.

The death recap has just finished beaming up from my wristband. The Career pair from Two, the boy from Five, and the girl from Seven are all dead… and so is Giselle. I wonder what happened and I hope that my District Partner's final moments weren't too hard. Part of me wishes that I was there for her, but it's too late now.

I wonder where the dragon is, too. If Giselle is dead then something must have happened to the dragon, right? Maybe it's dead. Maybe it isn't, but if Giselle is dead and the dragon is left to its own devices, it might be on its way back here. Or maybe some other tribute managed to tame the dragon? I try to think of who's left and quickly give up.

I hear loud, heavy footsteps that definitely don't belong to a person. Oh shit, the dragon's coming back and it sounds pissed. I've been sitting at the dragon's original spot in front of the treasure, and I scramble to my feet. Shit, now what? This room is a dead end, and if I go down the tunnel I will definitely run into the dragon. I scramble to the mechanism that controls the drawbridge and draw it up. It's no use. The dragon bursts into the room, glares at me, and roars. It looks injured, but it still jumps over the moat relatively easily thanks to its size.

Fuck!

The last thing I see is the column of flame bursting from the dragon's mouth and burning me alive.

BOOM.


Hampshire Fairway, age 17
District 10 Tribute

Games Day 6

I may have slept through a cannon last night. I wonder who's still alive. No matter what, I'll have to fight whoever I come across. I'm running low on supplies and I can't keep running from my final opponent forever. I know that if I try, the Gamemakers have their ways to force me into a deadly confrontation.

I stand up and start walking back to the Cornucopia. As I walk, I notice a pale purple fog closing down on me from behind me. I walk faster. The gas definitely does not look natural and it must be the Gamemakers' way to drive me closer to a fight. There's no way I can turn back now. My heart pounding, I speed up to a slow jog.

When I reach the horn, I notice that the girl from District 1 is there.

Fuck.

The Career stares straight at me. "May the odds be ever in your favor," she says, in a voice that I can barely hear. Then she charges.

This isn't fair. I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. If I go into the fog I will surely die. As my opponent closes the gap between us, I take off my backpack and hurl it at her. Aurora easily dodges it and continues charging at me. Her mace is much bigger and deadlier than mine. I know that this fight is over before it even begins.

I still try my best, but it isn't enough. I can barely land a hit on the agile Career, and I'm pretty sure Aurora's mace is poisoned because as we fight and my bones crunch I start to feel dizzy and numb. Maybe it's just the blood loss. Either way, I'm dying. I try to say something poignant to my loved ones back home, but my mouth is full of blood as I fall to the ground and stay there.

I'm coming, Mom…

BOOM.


Aurora Underwood, age 17
District 1 Female Tribute

Crowning

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Victor of the 66th Annual Hunger Games, Aurora Underwood of District 1!"

Breathing heavily, I drop my mace and clutch at my shoulder where my final opponent hit me. I notice something glowing brightly in my peripheral vision, and I turn around to see the rungs of a soft ladder that's snaking towards me. I crouch down and use both my hands to grab onto the ladder. I'm frozen in place by its gentle electric current, and I watch in awe as the ladder drags me through the Arena and then through a hole in its ceiling that seems to have just opened up.

Medics swarm around me as soon as the ladder hauls me into a bright exam room. I drift in and out of consciousness, and I'm pretty sure I've been poisoned, too, because I keep feeling dizzy and numb.

But that doesn't matter. I'll survive because I've won.

About a week later, I've been cleared to appear in front of Panem as its latest Hunger Games Victor. My prep team dresses me like a fairytale prince, complete with a fake sword and shield, and I don't voice my surprise but it must be evident on my face.

"You must be wondering about your outfit," my Stylist, Mysti, says excitedly. "We decided on a Sleeping Beauty theme because of what happened back in District 1 as you won."

"Someone woke up?" I ask. My eyes widen. "Phillip?" I can't contain my surprise and excitement. "Phil woke up?"

Phillip Belmont was a childhood friend of mine. Many years ago he fell into a coma due to carbon monoxide poisoning, and for a long time I didn't think he was going to wake up. I've tried my best to move on, but if he has actually woken up after all this time…

I practically fly through the post-Games proceedings as I watch the recap, accept my crown, and shoot one final interview with Caesar Flickerman. I'm a Victor. And I'm ready for my happily ever after.


Eulogies

3rd place: Athens Prescott, District 8 - Burned by dragon mutt, Night 5. Athens was a fun character because he was pretty much a stereotypical obnoxious, irresponsible party dude, but there really wasn't anything morally wrong with him. He may be a father who isn't in his unplanned child's life, but considering his circumstances that is hardly surprising. His interactions with Giselle were a blast to write, and I'll miss this carefree fellow who did his best with what he had. RIP.

2nd place: Hampshire Fairway, District 10 - Clubbed by Aurora (1F), Day 6. Hampshire is a funny story. I tried to make him an example of a closeted transgender tribute with a unique and understandable reason for being in the closet, as well as more character than just their transness. I'm not sure if I succeeded because I wasn't able to show Hampshire's personality that much, but it was definitely fun to play with a sociable tribute who was forced into going through the Games alone by circumstance. RIP.

1st place: Aurora Underwood, District 1 - Victor, Day 6. To be honest, Aurora was a bit tricky for me to write at first because she was a rather normal Career girl, but as soon as I had the idea of forcing her into an unwanted leadership position I was able to write her story fairly easily. It was fun to write Aurora wanting to blend in with the background but being forced by circumstance into standing on her own. Many thanks to fiona11303 for trusting me with Aurora's story, and congratulations on your first Victor!