𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑩𝑳𝑨𝑪𝑲 𝑫𝑨𝑯𝑳𝑰𝑨, 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒓

𝑻𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒋𝒂𝒚 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔

His voice is bland and detached, devoid of any personality visible in prior interviews. But he'd managed to get the words out, and that was the best he could manage. It would have to do.

Nodding at the boy as his brows furrowed with fake thoughtfulness, Caesar remarked, "Now, Peeta, I doubt that the rebels will ever let her see this. But if they do, what would you say to her? To Katniss Everdeen, the once sweet Katniss Everdeen. What would you say to her?"

"I would tell her to think for herself." Peeta answered, bottom lip quivering as his eyes filled with tears. Caesar muttered his encouragement as Peeta turned to the camera and addressed the girl personally, "Don't be a fool, Katniss. I know you never wanted the rebellion. The things that you did in the Games were never intended to start all of this." Finally the tears began to flow and Peeta's lips curved downward into a desperate frown. Now he was pleading with her, "The rebels have made you into something that you're not. Something that could destroy all of us. So if you have any power or any say in what they do or how they use you... please, please urge them to stop this war before it's too late. And ask yourself, can you trust the people you're working with? Do you know what they really want?"

A moment of silence passes as Caesar allows the gravity of Peeta's words to sink in before announcing, "Thank you, Peeta Mellark, for these revelations about the real Mockingjay." Surprisingly the camera then briefly panned up to the masked figure of the Black Dahlia who stood stoically with her arms folded behind her back like a perfect soldier. "Thank you also to the Black Dahlia, who has been fighting tirelessly on the front lines to defend Panem from these traitors. She is the true symbol of hope and peace in this war. She is the one we should be standing with."

The people of District Five were devastated to see what had become of their strong Victor. Before the Quarter Quell, they would've agreed with Caesar's words and praised Dahlia Blossom for the fighter she is. But that girl on the screen was not the one they recognised. It was not the one they were willing to fight for. They refused to stand with the Black Dahlia.

When the time comes, they would rise up for the Blossom girl who had sacrificed everything to protect the ones she loved. But they would only rise up when she calls...

•——————•°•✿•°•——————•

"Are you, are you, comin' to the tree? Wear a necklace of hope, side by side with me." Katniss' voice echoed out from the screen where the Rebellion's next propo was playing. President Coin, Haymitch, Plutarch and Beetee were gathered around watching it with satisfied expressions, more than impressed with their latest broadcast from the Mockingjay.

"That line was originally 'necklace of rope'." Plutarch explained to the others, talking over the song to make his point heard. "I had it changed to 'necklace of hope'."

"Wow." Haymitch mumbled flatly, lifting his mug towards Plutarch in acknowledgement. "You are a true wordsmith."

Plutarch grinned at the former District Twelve mentor with a nod and commented, "Little on the nose, but, of course, so is war."

"Every district's seeing this?" Coin questioned Beetee, interrupting the two men's civil conversation.

"Yes. But not the Capitol." Beetee confirmed, motioning to the screen where a complicated electrical diagram is displayed. "I designed this signal defence system for them. But I can't find my way through it." He then hung his head in embarrassment and shame as he muttered, "Guess I did my job too well. At the time, I was just thinking of the science of it all." Nodding to himself in determination, he turned back to the screen and declared, "We'll get through it."

Suddenly, Haymitch perked up as a memory popped into his head. Setting his mug to one side and clearing his throat to capture the attention of the room, he became aware of all the eyes turning to face him. Alaric had always been better at making the speeches and talking to people, whereas Haymitch had always been better at getting drunk and passing out. But he was trying to channel the energy of his old friend. Whenever Alaric spoke, people listened to what he had to say. That's what Haymitch needed to do now.

"I, umm..." He began before cutting himself off with a sigh. He needed to do this. He made a promise. "Look, I need to ask a favour... A favour for an old friend."

•——————•°•✿•°•——————•

Every district of Panem was being shown the exact same video on their screens, apart from one. As the Mockingjay's haunting song rang out across the country coupled with footage of District Twelve's desolated ruins, District Five was roused into action by a different voice. They marched along the roads of their district humming along to 'The Hanging Tree' with the powerful words of a Victor carrying them all the way.

Are you, are you comin' to the tree?

"District Five!" Dahlia Blossom's voice cried out in their heads as they emerged over the hill.

Where they strung up a man...

"You all believe me to be a heartless killer. Maybe it's true. Maybe it's not..." They trudged along in their hundreds, ready to fight as she had for them.

... they say who murdered three.

"But I will kill for you. I will bleed for you. And I will die for you." She had been so young and willing to sacrifice everything just to protect them.

Strange things did happen here,

"I fight for those I have lost and those I can yet save. I hope one day, you will do the same." She had done her bit and now it was their turn to fight.

No stranger would it be,

"And when the Mockingjay sings, your time to rise will come." She had given them the signal right then and there. The Mockingjay was now singing and they were answering her call.

If we met at midnight in the hanging tree.

"Power belongs only to those who take it. And history will remember our sacrifices." The Capitol was the place with all the power and now, District Five were going to take it back.

For Dahlia Blossom, the girl who loved and the girl who lost.

Like moths to a flame, they were drawn in by the gleaming lights of the hydroelectric dam, marching as one unit, one mind. The thought of what lay beyond the edge of the horizon for them was daunting. Who would live to see the sun rise once more? No one knew, no one cared. History will remember their sacrifice.

The peacekeepers stationed on the dam rushed to take their positions, ready to defend the power source from the hoard striding their way. Their guns were raised in preparation, aiming at an enemy they couldn't see. Even nature seemed to be on the side of the rebels. A thick mist clouded the bridges, covering their approach and shielding their path for as long as it could.

Even the highly-trained soldiers seemed to tremble in their boots as an eerie melody echoed around the dam, possessing their minds like a siren song. As the fog rolled in to charge with the ragtag army, the screams of hundreds of brave souls joined in, knowingly running to their deaths. And they did so in the name of freedom.

The first wave fell quickly, they were sitting ducks lined up in a row for the peacekeepers to gun down. Bullets also rained down on them from above through the murky drizzle, picking them off one by one as easily as squashing bugs. But still, the rebels would not be deterred. They kept on coming. Wave after wave, they came. Charging from the mist with no sign of fear, leaping over the bodies of their fallen friends, running head-first into an onslaught of death.

Though the odds were not in their favour, the rebels' determination proved stronger than fate. They crashed into the barrier of peacekeepers with no thought for themselves, tackling them to the ground and clearing a path for the precious cargo to be carried through. Sprinting into the heart of the dam, each pair shoved their crate into position and set the timer to detonate. Then they ran back across the bridge as fast as they could. But the damage was already done.

As the nameless heroes retreated from the scene, the power in the Capitol was shut down completely.

Dahlia Blossom's sacrifice, repaid. Alaric Silvers' final revenge, complete.