Chapter 9: The Winner Takes It All

'The loser has to fall..' ~~~~~

    Once they made their way back into the auditorium Emme took her seat in the stands next to Tigris who gave her a polite smile and a hand squeeze moving so she could sit while Coriolanus went back to his desk.

"Lucy Gray, is she okay?" Coriolanus asked as he came back to his seat looking at the screens.

"She won't be for long." Festeus smirked as he watched Coral go after Lucy Gray.

"I've got you now, songbird." Coral said with a smirk.

"Wait. What's wrong with Treech?" Sickel said pointing at the screen in confusion as her tribute started gasping and coughing.

"Did Coral do something to Treech?" Sickel asked looking over at Festus angerily. As her tribute crumbled to the ground taking his last breath.

Lucy Gray shriek as Coral noticed her out of the vent and on the floor.

"Run. Run." Coriolanus whispered at the screen.

"What did she do to him?" Sickel asked in suspicion as the Buzzer went off declaring Treech dead.

"Dissension in the ranks. Treech is down." Lucky announced. "Good afternoon, Ms. Sickle."

  Emme looked at the screen confused. Treeches death was a lot like Dills the gasping, the coughing, and the blood coming out of their noses. She looked over at Coriolanus her eyebrows furrowed in confusion did he give Lucy Gray something to help so that he would win the plinth prize?

  Her thoughts were snapped out as she heard reaper call Woveys name she looked up to the screen to see the tank being hauled into the arena and seeing the little girl Wovey walking straight towards it.

"Is it over?" Wovey sniffled "Can we go home now?"

  Emme's heart ached for the girl. Her mind screaming to get away from the tank.

"Wovey." Reaper called out.

"Please!" Wovey sobbed walking closer.

"Wovey." Reaper called out to her again before the tank cracked and tipped over as snakes consumed her. Emme's hand came up to her mouth with a gasp of horror at the scene as Wovey screamed before facing an inevitable death.

"Not candy! Down goes Wovey." Lucky said in surprise as the buzzer buzzes for Wovey.

The snakes hiss as they consumed every people screaming as the ran away. Emme let out a choked sob as Reaper sat calmly letting the snakes take over him.

"Help!" Mizzen screamed at Coral before being consumed. They buzzed buzzes once more.

"Mizzen, say goodbye!" Lucky said waving goodbye to Mizzens mentor.

"Yes!" Festus cheered.

"Lucy Gray, wait!" Coral said groaning as she let out a sob. "Lucy, I'm begging you!"

Lucy Gray stopped looking at the sobbing girl in fear.

"It's not fair." Coral choked out. "I-I can't have killed them all for nothing."

Emme stared at the screen her heart swelling knowing that none of them had asked for this. None of them wanted to kill or be killed. As she watched Corals body be taken as well.

"Ms. Reinswood we need you to come with us." Emme turned to see two peacekeepers she looked at them confused before looking slightly back at the screen to Lucy Gray singing. Tigris gave her a concerned look as Emme got up and followed them.

Emme walked out with them into the main hall to see Dean Highbottom.

"You must be wondering why I have brought you here Ms. Reinswood." He asked.

"Well.. yes I am wondering. What is this about?" Emme asked, staring at the Dean confused.

"Don't you find it odd that Dill just died so abruptly so mysteriously? Well it looks like your friend mister snow. Had gave his little songbird some help.. in the arena." Dean Highbottom said.

Emme looked at him. A million thoughts running through her head.

"I bet you're wondering How? He did it. Well Ms.Reinswood I have another question for you. Do you recognise any of these?" Dean Highbottom asked, putting a scarf and a compact on the table.

'Of course she recognised them. They were both.. Coriolanus's mothers...' Emme thought.

"He filled his mother's compact with a powdered poison. The same exact poison that Lucy Gray Baird dumped over Corals Tribe in the vent and the same poison that she put in the water bottle. That same water bottle little Dill drank from that ended her time. You can open the compact if you don't believe."  Dean said, handing her the compact.

  Emme didn't have to open it to believe him. She already knew. She noticed it the night she stayed with him.

"I wouldn't worry. Your father is on his way to collect you.." Dean said as he left. Emme paled 'why would the Dean call him..' The doors barged open.

"You!" Emme backed up. Before being pulled into a harsh grip.

~~~~

"She's won! Lucy Gray!" Lucky shouted excitedly. All the students started cheering for Coriolanus.

"Coriolanus Snow is the winner of the 10th Annual Hunger Games."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Lucky beamed as music started playing.

Coriolanus looked at the screen. He had won. He looked over to find Emme but she was gone. He looked around confused and started walking towards the exit.

"Congrats!"

"Congrats!"

"Whoo!"

As students cheered and congratulated him.

"The Games... that I had... predicted! Whoo!"

"Yeah! Give it up!" A student shouted.

"Tigris." Coriolanus said, as he saw her smile and hugged her.

"Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow!" Students chanted. As he left them room.

Coriolanus walked out into the main hall calling out Emme and Lucy Grays name but nothing came.

"Emme?"

"Lucy Gray?"

"I warned you, Mr. Snow." Coriolanus heard the voice of the person he hated the most as he turned around to see Dean Casca Highbottom.

"Cheating will be punished. More poetically than even I could have hoped." The Dean said.

"Emme? Lucy Gray, where is she?

"I would be more concerned with your own survival if I were you. It's fitting that both your parents could be here for your big moment.." The Dean provoked, Coriolanus glared at him. Before glaring at the table.

"That compact. How many times did I see your mother use it, I wonder... to powder her beautiful face? Come now, we both know that child from 11 didn't die of disease." Dean pushed.

Coriolanus tensed.. Emme..

"Or that lumberjack from 7. And that old handkerchief, we found it in the snake tank, appropriately..." The Dean chuckled. "condemning you with your father's own initials."

"Your family won't ever see that prize money now of course. President Ravinstill has left your form of punishment to me, and I've decided banishment to the districts where you'll serve your Capitol in exile for the next 20 years as an anonymous, peacekeeping grunt."

Coriolanus's jaw clenched narrowing his eyes.

...20 years away from her..

"Do you hear that, boy?" The Dean asked. As fireworks went off in the distance.

"Finally. The sound of snow falling." The Dean got up and walked towards the exit.

"Oh and it's a shame that you won't be able to save the girl that you've been flaunting over for years... from her father's rage..."

And with that Dean Highbottom left leaving Coriolanus in the hands of two peace keepers.

~~~~~

Word Count: 1205

(A/n: The end of Act:1!! I apologise if the last few chapters seemed rushed and uncynical but I am really excited to get into Act 2!! Also i promise there is going to be some more Ashe and Emme but sadly not until Act 3! But buckle up because we are in for a bumpy fascinating ride!)