The Ultimate Games - Book One

Opening Ceremonies

Universal P.O.V:

I watch from the crowd as the first golden chariot enters the circle. Leading the tributes is last year's winner of the Hunger Games, Zeph Fillium from Distirct Eleven. He is wearing a white tuxedo with a red eleven stitched into his left breast pocket. He waves to the adoring crowd who cheer madly back at him.

Behind him, the first tribute chariot follows, the six from Five, the Power District. They sit on a plain black chariot with a switch on the side of it. All the tributes are wearing white, the two girls wearing dresses, the four boys wearing suits. Bruno, who is sitting on the edge reaches down and pulls the giant switch which causes the entire crowd to gasp. All the clothes the tributes are wearing have small lights sewn into them and are sparkling lots of different colours. They all go from gold, to red, to yellow, to green, all in sync with each other and the audience applaud cheerfully.

Next up, come District Six, the Transport District. The three girls are dressed as stylish air hostesses whereas the three guys are wearing suits that resemble that worn by ship captains. The chariot is very eye catching, with golden embroidery and red velvet seating. The girls blow kisses to the crowd who wolf whistle back at them and throw roses. The boys each now wield small items you would find on a boat. Eliot is standing at the front of the chariot with a boat's steering wheel and pretending to steer the chariot. Chris is looking through a telescope in the direction of the crowd and there is a multicoloured parrot perched on Taylor's shoulder.

Behind them follow District Seven, the Lumber District. The six tributes ride on a chariot that is dark brown, the colour of tree bark and vines and flowers interwine around it. The tributes are dressed to represent their District. The two guys are dressed as woodcutters, in blue dungerees and hold blow up hatchets in their hands and swing them playfully towards the crowd. The four girls are painted shades of green and are wearing dresses of flowers. Willow has a long dress fashioned from sunflowers and she is smiling happily to the crowd. Bonnie wears a red satin dress with roses around the hem and shoulders.

Finally, District Eight emerge, the District of Textiles. The six from this District ride a chariot that has been made to resemble a peacekeeper truck and they all sit on it happily waving to the crowd.  The four boys are wearing the peacekeeper uniform and the two girls are wearing a modified version to make them look more feminine. Their heads are visible, none are wearing helmets and each has a different but bizarre hairstyle, some are spiked in random directions, others twist abstractly outwards. They look more like Capitol citizens than tributes.

The five chariots circle the area and as each of the tributes names are called out they bow to the crowd who cheer for each of them. They do a few laps of the circle and then turn and head back inside. The crowd cheers mightily once more as the last chariot exits the circle through the large gate.