Over an hour later, it's time. The sky is starting to darken. Cinna and Portia corral the bunch of us to our chariots. Prim and Sapo's horses are pure white. Helayne and Nathan's are a glossy black. Jasmi and Granite's are a delicate cream. Mine and Robin's are a gorgeous chestnut. All of the horses' manes are intertwined with ribbons of each of our respective colours. Our chariot is the final one. Robin and I climb in. I have my arm around his shoulders. I love him so much.
He tiptoes up slightly to kiss my cheek. "I love you, Lucky," he whispers.
"I love you too, Robin," I reply, smiling at him. I hug him. That reminds me. "Cinna! Is there anything we should do whilst we're in the chariots?"
"You and Robin should hold hands. Maybe, to play the loving siblings angle – which is evidently true – kiss each other a bit. Not too much though."
"Alright. Thanks!"
Robin looks at me, confused.
"How we act might just get us more sponsors, and it's good to choose an angle. We're the inseparable sibling duo. I'm the loving big sister who's going to sacrifice herself in the games so that her brother and another young girl can get out." His eyes well up slightly at the mention of my imminent death. "Robin, don't worry. You will get out of the games, and I will always be with you. In your heart." I press my hand to his chest. His heartbeat is slightly fast. That's concerning. He can't use too much energy. What with the chronic fatigue, he's got barely any of it. Maybe he should go to District 5. They have a lot of power. That was a terrible joke, and a slightly cruel one, I reprimand myself. I kiss Robin on the forehead again. He grabs my hand and starts squeezing it so tightly, I think I'll have lost circulation before we are on the streets of the Capitol.
Suddenly, the first chariot – District 1, the tributes are dressed as rulers from somewhere called Ancient Egypt, wearing gold, silk, glittering jewels, that sort of thing (it's fabulous, although I hate to admit it) and it's the twin careers – starts moving. I think those two are Jasmine and Jasper Emerald. They look vicious, yet somehow just slightly vulnerable? Anxious? I'm not sure how to put it. All the District 1 tributes are matching. Then comes District 2, their tributes dressed as different stones. There's one girl who appears to be wearing diamonds. I think that must be Diamond Avala. I realise that the stones correspond to their names. They're all in white suits covered in whatever stone they're meant to be. I feel slightly bad for the Career in sandstone. That's Sandy Quartz, I expect. The bulbs from 3 head out next, followed by the merpeople from 4. I have to admit, the tributes from 4 are very attractive. Especially the Odair boy. But considering who his brother is, I'm not remotely surprised. Poor Finnick, mentoring his own brother. It's a shame that he's going to have to watch him die. Because no one will get in the way of Robin and Prim. I hope. This is going to be hard. There are several other young children. I won't kill them, if it comes to it. Then there are lightning bolts form District 5. They're not glowing, just shimmery. District 6 are trains, I think. They have long capes fluttering along in the wind, that have glowing studs (windows?) along them. The forest of 7 is next. Then the tributes of 8 are in patchwork, elegant clothes. It's an interesting design, and looks surprisingly nice – especially compared to last year. District 9 have been dressed as people from an ancient civilisation called Greece. They're holding solid gold stalks of wheat. 10's tributes are dressed as cowboys and cowgirls, their outfits near-identical to last years. District 11's tributes are dressed in a variety of outfits. The younger four are dressed as flowers. Rye, Buttercup, Sparrow and Rosabeth. The older four are dressed as farmers – in velvet and silk, mind you!
It's nearly our turn to exit. Cinna and Portia jump up onto our chariots and light us up. Honestly, I've been a bit nervous. I know that the flames are safe, but I still have a very strong sense of self-preservation telling me to run. I flinch slightly as my wings burst into flame. In front of me, Sapo and Prim are blazing white. In front of them, Nathan and Helayne shimmer into a coppery green. At the front, Argent and Jasmi are glowing pink.
Suddenly, the chariot jerks into motion as the horses begin to trot. Robin and I both sway a bit – he nearly falls out of the chariot! I grab his hand and guide it back to the rail. I can see the streets of the Capitol, crammed with people who are all desperate to see us. The phoenixes of 12. As Jasmi and Argent pull out into the streets, the crowd goes wild. I have to admit, they play the crowd extremely well. Helayne and Nathan are smiling and holding hands. Sapo is looking around, confused. I hope he doesn't go into a rampage.
Finally, Robin and I are exiting. The crowd gives another cheer, and I can hear people whooping with exhilaration. I lift up Robin's hand in the air. That's when I get an idea. But it's risky. I whisper it to Robin, as I kiss his cheek. He nods eagerly. I bend forward, and he clambers onto my back, before sitting on my shoulders. We've done this loads of times at home. I straighten up, and the crowd goes absolutely wild. Robin sits, elevated by me. Like I'm going to elevate him into being a Victor. Robin is waving excitedly at the crowd. All of the cameras are on us, the District 12 tributes. People are throwing roses at him and me – in beautiful hues of red and orange and pink and gold! It's then that I see a single white rose.
Drifting on the wind, it lands right on the chariot. I'm so close to panicking, but if I do, I'll drop Robin, and that could easily kill him. So I stand upright, unable to move. Frozen. Eventually, after what appears to be an age, but is just a few seconds, it flies off, and away into the wind.
People scream their adoration as we ride through the streets. Eventually, my shoulders feel like they will literally fall off if I don't put Robin down, so I gently lower him back down, and smile down at him, kissing his forehead. The crowd loves that. My wings and his, they trail behind us in a forest of sparks. We are not phoenixes. We are angels. I catch a glimpse of both of us on a large screen. We are in a blaze of heat, our wings fluttering in the beautiful gradient of a fiery sunset. Cinna is brilliant. I am so indescribably elated, that I feel I could take off, flying on my wings into the greenish twilight. We are all ethereal beings of another world, where children fly on flames, and people are dressed in radiant, fiery beauty. I believe I am in a state of something one of our teachers at school told us about. Nirvana. I am basking in my temporary glory, and playing the loving sister to perfection – although it's not even an act. We are all receiving far, far more than our fair share of air time. We have utterly eclipsed everyone else.
Eventually, we arrive at the city circle, by the time that the night is a deep hue of royal blue. President Snow gives his speech, but I cannot hear it over the silence of his cold, yellow eyes glaring at me. He remembers me, and I remember him. What did I do to deserve this? This unwarranted persecution. His eyes move on, raking over the tributes. The smile playing on his lips as he warmly greets us all, is masking a cold, sinister, serpentine smirk. He is truly a snake, in the clothing of fresh, deep, powdered snow.
Then we all start to move again as the chariots begin to roll out of sight. The cameras focus on us until the last spark, the last ember, the last glow, has been swept away by the night and we glide out of sight, us firebirds, us children of the Sun.