The Ballad of a Luna Moth

D

THANKS TO INDIGO FOR HELPING ME WITH THIS CHAPTER !!!

(Screw you this is a hunger games inspired au)

The lump of tears caught in my throat as my feet carried me up to the stage. All sense of reality was lost, the tears refusing to fall, and the lump refuaing to settle.

The 22 of us stood there. My legs felt like they were about to give way, but they didn't. We walked to the train that'll transport us to training in the Diamond Sector, no words escaping our lips. The pink haired girl let out occasional sobs, but that was all the noise we heard.

:/:/:

The week of training came and went, and here we all sat in the waiting area for our private training. We show the Watchers what our special skill is, and they rate us during our interview tonight.

Once they've gone in, they don't come back. They called us up in alphabetical order. The person before me, the man with the mustache, just went in.

I waited the five minutes until it felt like five days, my knee bobbing up and down and up and down until I couldn't take it anymore. My fist hit the wall, sending a shock up my body.

"Pearl Moon." The robotic voice called. I massaged my arm, shoving my way through the door.

The hall felt huge with all of us gone. I strode to the middle, grabbing a heavy axe to perform with.

I bowed, keeping my head facing the monsters that puppeteer us. A smug smile carved into my face as I stood back up.

"Begin, Ms Moon." The head Watchers voice rang out cold.

The holograms that looked like our fellow players burst towards me. I swung my axe, slicing the one named Grian clean in half, blood of light spattering across the floor. Gasps from the Watchers reached my ears.

I didn't care.

My axe struck down on the one they call Cat, screams from the other three holograms glitching before they all vanished.

I spun around, my axe slicing three, four, five unnamed players in half.

The Watchers stopped watching after I killed holo-Grian.

I glared at them, grabbing a smaller, lighter axe. I didn't know what I was doing. I was blinded. Someone else was pulling at the strings.

Next thing I knew there was an axe in the table up top and I was walking out the door.

:/:/:

(SYLVIE)

I rocked on my heels as we stood on stage, waiting for my score and watching the others. They were smart, sassy, funny. They all had personality, and I didn't. My name was called, a sharp number 25 flashing on the screen.

All players got graded from 1 to 30, and it was rare to get  above 20. Only those who'd trained for years get that... I don't know how I managed to scrape a 25... how does throwing an axe into a dummy's skull and splitting a log with a single strike of an axe and my bare hands earn that.

I shakily took a seat, looking across at the interviewer. Nobody knows their name, or their real identity, but they went by Singe, so that's what we call them.

"Welcome, welcome, Sylver Greyson! How honoured you must be, to be standing where so many great champions once stood, aren't you?" Singe smiled, smoothing his ponytail. 

"No, not really." I chuckled, wringing my hands in my lap. Sweat trickled down my forehead, but I didn't really care. I just had to confuse the people here, that's it. 

Singe tittered disapprovingly. "Now, now, don't be ungrateful..."

As if in response to me words, the colouring of the curtains behind darkened, changing the stage from a cheerful place to an ominous one.

"Anyways! First question, dear contestant- who are you? Where are you from? What's your backstory, your history?"

I chuckled. "My history?" Glancing down at my hands. "Well, growing up in the Coal Sector you don't have a lot of history, but you do have family. For me, the things that made my life was my brother." I shrugged. 

"How sweet! A brother! Is he older or younger than you?"

"Older. By a year." I smiled sadly. I don't know why I'm sad about it. Maybe it's the fact I'll never see his cold yet welcoming eyes or ruffle his fluffy green hair ever again. 

"And where is your brother now? Perhaps he's watching right at this very moment!"

"I hope so. I need to win This... for him..." I know I won't. I don't know why I even said it. 

"Well, isn't that adorable- now, how high do you think your chances are, darling?" The interview waved a hand back at all the others. "Against all our lovely other competitors, do you think you can defeat them and rise above?"

"I don't know. I have a chance. I've managed to scrape by this far, I'll manage." They chuckled. "I really hope I'm not in the last two with Cat, though..." I trailed off, the thought of killing her hurts.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Killing the one you love isn't very fun, now, is it." My voice was calm and level, yet there was a hint of venom, a hint of wanting to change the question hidden in my words. 

Singe didn't get the message. 

A gasp from the audience. "Star crossed lovers, now, is it? That's so romantic!"

"I suppose it is." I practically screamed at him to change the goddamn subject.

"Anyways," The interviewer chuckled, shifting nervously in their seat at the death glare being sent their way, and changed the subject. "What weapon do you fight with, now?"

I chuckled, "I can fight with anything, really, but I much prefer an axe or a bow." I shrugged, leaning back and finally relaxing a bit.

"An archer and a axe wielder, how classic!"

I smile lightly. "Basic, I know."

"Well, old-fashioned never hurt anybody...well, you might-" the interviewer chuckled. "And what's with the colour of your hair? Very nice and bright, so lovely!"

"Me, my brother, and my friend all decided to match." I shrugged. "It's a bit faded right now."

"How cute~" Singe laughed. "And how to do you plan to win?"

"I may not plan to win." I said simply.

The interviewer blinked. "...And just why not?"

"Maybe I have a plan to run. Maybe I want someone else to win. Maybe I never planned on winning at all." I smiled slyly. 

The interviewer was very confused. The audience was dead silent. After a long moment, a bell rang, signalling the next turn for another contestant to be interviewed.

With a nervous chuckle, the interviewer stood up to shake my hand, waving at the audience with a fake smile.

I, however, didn't smile, rather smirked, my plan to confuse everyone just enough so nobody knew my next move had worked. 

:/:/:

(INDIGO)

The heat of the shower seared my skin as I washed my hair. Sylvie had rocked it. Pearl was terrifying. I don't know what she did to get a 29, but she was skilled. 

I'm worried. I know I have to get the katanas. They'd be a great help. Gray had told me to get to Sylvie or her or Cat as soon as possible, then we'll all meet up with the other two. I didn't know why, but we roll with Gray's plans. 

I know I won't win, but if anyone does, I hope it's someone else from the Copper Sector. 

Tomorrow the games begin. Tomorrow, we have to kill. 

Tomorrow...