The KOTLC Games: A KOTLC Hunger Games Crossover

Chapter XVI: Pyrokinetic

Sophie slowly opened her eyes to a bright haze of light, then quickly shut them again. She then tried again, and this time she could see. She propped herself up onto her elbows, wincing a bit at the pain, but it didn't hurt nearly as much as she'd expected. Sophie stared at her arms, red and sore with the burns, but it felt sort of... Numb. As if someone had been treating them, but that couldn't have happened in a few hours. How long had she been out?

Sophie craned her neck behind her, to see a small girl with braided, blonde hair, not much younger than herself, humming a little tune as she cooked something on a smokeless fire. It was pretty bright still, so maybe it was early evening. She couldn't tell without seeing the sun, which was impossible because of the leafy canopy of the forest. Sophie sat upright, hearing her stomach growl at the smell of whatever meat the girl was cooking. The girl turned around startled, and Sophie clutched both hands onto her stomach, embarrassed. The girl just laughed and said

"You're awake then?" Sophie nodded "And you've certainly got an appetite." The girl laughed again and tossed her braids in a way that was... was it flirty? Sophie didn't know how to reply to that, which was good considering her throat felt like sandpaper, and she was sure it would hurt like mad if she tried to talk. The girl tossed a piece of meat at her which Sophie caught deftly.

"Eat up." Sophie didn't need to be told twice. She tore ravenously at the meat wordlessly for a few minutes until all that was left was bone. The girl passed her a bottle of water which Sophie downed in one gulp before sighing and sitting down cross-legged next to the girl, who was still delicately pulling strips off the meat. The girl finished off her food not long after, and it was then Sophie noticed the fire. It wasn't an ordinary fire made out of wood, it was literally floating in mid-air! With a click of her fingers, the fire went out without a trace it had ever been there.

"Who died?" Her voice was croaky, and saying this triggered another coughing fit from the smoke, but Sophie didn't care. The girl hesitated, unwilling to answer the question. 

"The girl and boy from 3, the girl goblin from 10 and the girl from 12." Sophie held back a sigh of relief because she knew that would be disrespectful, but internally she was practically doing a dance with joy that none of her friends had died. Except for Amy.

"You're Marrela, aren't you?" Sophie asked after a moment of recollection. Her voice was still scratchy and hoarse with the smoke, but this time she didn't need to cough. Marrela nodded suspiciously. "Photographic memory," explained Sophie. Marrela nodded, deep in thought.

"You're the Moonlark, aren't you?"

"What?"

"I said that you're the Moonlark. And I'm right, aren't I?"

"What's the Moonlark?"

"Forget it." Sophie couldn't help but notice that as she said this, something flashed in her eyes, a sort of disappointed look, or maybe it was just the light. But what was this 'Moonlark'? Sophie shook her head.

"No. Explain." Sophie stood up and put her hands on her hips, intending to look intimidating, but she couldn't hide the wince from putting weight on her legs. Marrela sighed, before beginning to explain. 

"There were rumours a few years back, about District 13,"

"The Black Swan District? I thought they were dead!" Sophie interrupted. Marrela nodded, motioning at her to shush and let her carry on.

"But some say they survived, and created this... Genetic weirdo to defeat the Neverseen. I never really understood it. Others say they created it not long before the council fell, when the Neverseen were rising. You seem the only person who fits the bill. I mean... Who else would really be it?" Sophie scoffed.

"Me? Have you seen me? I'm... I'm the clumsy adopted girl who barely knows anything. You think I'm the Moonlark. Ha! As if!" Sophie retorted, dismissive of the nagging part of her mind that told her... Marrela's theory did sort of make sense. She did have loads of abilities and was raised by humans and... She cut that thought off. "I'm not the Moonlark," she finished lamely, looking down at the ground in embarrassment.

Marrela looked equally embarrassed. "I just thought..."

"Forget it." Marrela stared at the ground, and when she looked up she was flushed. 

"I rescued you from the fire you know. I steered the flames away from you, stopped you burning and treated you for the last week." Her voice was timid and sad, but Sophie didn't notice that for something Marrela had said that didn't make much sense. Well it did, but Sophie couldn't bring herself to acknowledge it.

"A week!" Marrela nodded. She said something else, but Sophie couldn't focus on anything but the fact that her friends must think she was dead. They hadn't seen her in 7 days - what else was there for them to think? Something else didn't make sense in what Marrela had said, and as Sophie's brain slotted the pieces together, she couldn't help bursting out: "You're a pyrokinetic!" Marrela looked at the ground nervously.

"Yes," she said slowly. "I am. And now you would do well to go along now and find your friends and forget about me." Sophie could tell that she meant it, and began to walk off into the woods. She only went a few steps before turning around.

"You could join us. Our alliance, I mean." Marrela turned around to stare at her for a few long seconds before opening her mouth. 

"Maybe." Then she walked off, carrying her belongings with her as she walked off into the woods like they'd never met. Sophie gave her a burst of energy with her inflicting and began to walk off to find her friends. But Marrela mentioned the Moonlark. Sophie felt a strange pull to that word. It seemed to be following her. Something was wrong. And everyone seemed to know what it was but her.

AN

So this chapter was more talk than action, which I think we needed a break from (probably). But it gave a nice bit of character development (ish) and introduced Marrela in a good way (I think). It also gave a bit of development on the series's story arc, which does include the Moonlark and the Black Swan as sorta District 13 and the Mockingjay with the exception of me adding KOTLC's story into it a bit more.

This is weird, because I'm writing this on Monday, and you'll be reading this on Wednesday or after. Yes, I will try stick to this strict schedule for the sequels. It will also give me some time for my other books, which is good. Onto other stuff now. So, chapter 16! Did you enjoy it? I hope so. I enjoyed writing it, but I hope it wasn't boring not to have much action. Do you think I should have more chapters like this? I don't want this story to be all action, I want it to have more depth to the characters and story. What do you think?

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This chapter is dedicated to @StormyFanz because again, they comment and vote and stuff and I appreciate it. Talking of which, I wouldn't mind if you pressed that little grey star if you enjoyed it, though quite a few of you do that anyway. StormyFanz is one of those who does that. Thank you StormyFanz! I love people like you!