EPILOGUE: Starting Over

I still don't completely understand what happened that night, 6 months ago.

I guess it's not really that important. We got Annie and Peeta and Johanna out alive right? Katniss is happy, Finnick is happy...everyone's happy. I'm happy too...right?

Right?

I AM happy. I'm just confused. Confused on how over the course of 6 months a nation could fall and another one be rebuilt.

"Aliss, you're not seriously writing in that thing again are you?" Arroe asked, peeping over her shoulder.

Aliss slammed her journal shut and glared at her. "As a matter of fact, I am. Writing relaxes me."

"I thought drawing relaxed you?"

"They both do."

"I think they're both boring."

"You think anything that doesn't involve a knife is boring," Aliss pointed out.

"That's not true!" Arroe said, appalled.

"Oh really? Give one example."

Arroe thought. "I don't think this ball is going to be boring, and it doesn't involve knives."

"True," Aliss admitted. The First Annual Panem Independence Day Ball was in about half an hour. Arroe was already dressed, since she was helping set it up in the ballroom of the President's Mansion...which was across the street from the fancy hotel they were staying at. It wasn't really the President's Mansion anymore though, because there was no President. There was a Council, whose members were to be replaced every single year.

Aliss had been surprised to learn that her father didn't live in the Capitol Building...which probably explained why he'd been so late to show up that night. She hadn't been surprised at its expensive splendor or luxurious taste, however. Heavensbee had estimated its value to be around 17 million dollars. He decided that it was big enough to be a private hotel, and this was where all the Council members would live during their time on the job. There was to be twelve Council members, one for each district, including the Capitol. Each Council member was to have the same amount of power, no matter what district they represented. Each district was going to be equal too. District 11 was going to get the same treatment as the Capitol. The only Council member that Aliss knew personally was Heavensbee, who was representing the Capitol. The Council members would be voted for each year, the districts choosing who they wanted to represent them.

Arroe was very excited about the ball, simply because she'd never been to one. She wore a bright green gown that wrapped around her tall frame elegantly and set off her eyes. Her usually messy red ringlets were neat and out of her face. Arroe shoved a bundle of black cloth into Aliss's arms.

"Arroe—"

"Don't even bother arguing with me," Arroe said, holding up her hand. "If I can convince Cecil to go, I can convince you to go. Besides, if you don't go, then who's Cecil going to bring as a date? So put on that dress." She ushered Aliss into the hotel bathroom. Sighing, Aliss surrendered to her friend's torture and slipped into the dress. It was black and lacy, with a tight bodice and a scoop-neck collar. Long sheer sleeves were loose around her wrists. The skirt was just as loose and sheer, but it had layers and layers of lace and black cloth under that. Aliss had to admit: she liked it.

"I'm coming in now!" Arroe said, opening the bathroom door and stopping to admire her choice. "I am amazing. Now let's do your hair." She sat Aliss in a chair and went to work on her hair. Arroe was not gentle. Aliss was relieved when she declared that she was finished and set to work on her makeup. "Done!"

She wheeled the chair around. Aliss was shocked at her own reflection for a moment. Her hair was twisted around a silver chopstick-looking thing, but wisps of it were already coming out. Arroe had taken special care on the makeup. Aliss's eyes were heavily done in black eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow. The rest of her face was nearly makeup free, except for some pale glimmering lipgloss.

"I was going for kind of mysterious," Arroe explained, anxiously looking at Aliss to determine her reaction. "What do you think?"

"I think you did a wonderful job," she answered truthfully.

Arroe beamed. "Oh! One more thing." She grabbed Aliss's wrist and dragged her out of the bathroom. "I borrowed this from Thistel, since I don't really wear jewelry, so you can just give it to her later." She snapped a silver chain with a small black pendant around Aliss's neck. "There! Now you're perfect."

Someone cleared their throat from behind them. They turned to see Cecil, leaning against the door frame smugly. He wore a simple black tuxedo, though the shirt was untucked and the bow tie slung around his neck limply. He had even gotten a haircut.

"You both look beautiful," he remarked, though his eyes were on Aliss as he said it.

Arroe glanced between the two of them and awkwardly said, "I'm going to call a taxi. Both of you will be downstairs in five minutes."

"Very smooth, Arroe," Cecil muttered as she left.

She punched him in the gut.

Cecil closed the door behind her, rubbing his side. "Damn, she still has a mean right hook."

"I have no sympathy for you," Aliss said, smirking. "You cut your hair?"

"No. Arroe attacked me with scissors," he corrected.

"Well, she did a good job. You kind of look like Cinna now."

"Oh gee, thanks."

"That's not a bad thing," Aliss said.

"I thought you said you liked my hair long?" Cecil said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yeah, but I like it short too."

"Mmhmm," he said, looking at her. "Are you feeling okay, Aliss?"

"Yes," she said, turning away.

"Well, that was convincing," Cecil said sarcastically. He tilted her face up. "What's wrong? You've been...off...since that night. Are you upset about Katniss...?"

"It's not even that," Aliss said, breaking away and pacing around the room. "I'm not sad about Katniss killing the President. I'm not sad about anything. Everything's happening so quickly, it's kind of hard to feel any emotion. I mean, we've completely destroyed one nation and rebuilt another in the course of six months. That should be impossible!"

"Well, I wouldn't say completely destroyed," Cecil pointed out. "There are still some Capitol loyalists who don't exactly like our new form of government."

"That's not my point!" Aliss rampaged. "Almost everyone has moved on from the President so quickly. Things are dissolving and new things are replacing them. And it's all happening so fast that I can't even tell what's new and what's old anymore!" She stopped pacing.

"It's like everybody's so busy running away from their past and focusing on the future that there's no time for the present," Cecil said.

"Yes, it's exactly like that," Aliss breathed with a note of finality.

"So...you don't think you feel anything?" Cecil said, taking a step closer to her.

"No," she said.

"Are you sure?" he said, taking another step.

"Yes."

"You know what I think?" Cecil said, stepping in front of her and entwining their fingers together.

"What?"

He bent down and whispered, "I think you're lying."

Aliss took a step back so she could look him in the face. Her back hit the wall. "I'm not!"

"Yeah, you are," he said, smirking. "You know how I know?"

"How?"

"If you don't feel anything right now," he said, transitioning to a whisper again. "Then why is your heart beating so fast?"

She glared at him, trying to hide her blush. "Because I'm being harshly interrogated."

"Oh really, is that what it is?"

"Yes."

"I don't think so..." he murmured, pulling the silver thing out of her hair, causing it to fall to her shoulders. "I think it's because you love me."

"That is absolutely—" Aliss began, but she was cut off by Cecil kissing her. She decided to let their banter drop for a moment and wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her toes. There was a bang on the door that they ignored.

"Heeelloo?" Arroe called. "Everyone decent?"

"No," Cecil growled. "Now go away."

"That's not funny, Cecil."

He didn't bother answering.

The doorknob wiggled. This was followed by a furious pounding on the door. "Open this door right now! Aliss, listen to me!"

Aliss laughed against Cecil's lips and made no move to obey.

"You guys are in so much trouble! You better be at the mansion in ten minutes or else!" They heard her stomp away.

Aliss sighed. "It'll probably take me that long to do my hair again."

Cecil considered her for a moment, then shrugged. "Just leave it. I like it better down." He tossed the silver hairpiece on the bed and continued to kiss her.

Thirty minutes later, they walked into the ballroom in the President's Mansion. They were the last to arrive. Arroe spotted them coming in and tossed her head aside angrily.

Aliss giggled. "She's giving us the silent treatment."

"She calls that punishment?" Cecil said.

The ballroom was as magnificent as the rest of the house. The floor was a polished marble, along with the walls and pillars on the sides of the room. An array of food sat on several tables lining the walls. There was even a golden fountain spurting champagne. Aliss looked for people she knew. The first person she saw was Thistel, who was exquisite in a plum-colored strapless gown that hugged her curves and flared out at the knees. Her hair was out of its usual tight ponytail and fell fluidly down her back. Then she saw Evan tugging Madge—who was wearing a silk pink gown with spaghetti straps and beaded embellishments—across the dance floor to the food. She noticed Jobee talking to a girl in a scarlet dress with a neckline to her bellybutton and short brown hair. With a start she realized that it was none other than Johanna Mason. She saw Katniss in a swirling silver dress, but she was swallowed by the crowd to fast for Aliss to see who she had accompanied. Not that it was any of her business really.

Cecil grabbed her waist and took her to the dance floor.

"I don't dance very well," she warned.

"That's why the guy leads," he said.

"Riiight."

Someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned to see Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta. Annie looked much better than the last time Aliss saw her, two months ago when she left for District 4. She wore a backless midnight blue gown that tied at the neck and her shiny brown waves were up in a bun. She smiled at Aliss.

"Do you mind if I steal her for a song?" Finnick asked Cecil politely.

"No, not at all." Cecil handed her off to Finnick.

They were silent for a moment. Aliss couldn't comprehend why Finnick Odair would want to dance with her, especially when he had Annie, so she decided to wait until he spoke.

"She still has nightmares, you know," he said, staring over Aliss's shoulder. She didn't need to turn to know that he was looking at Annie.

"I imagine so. She's been through a lot."

"They're different from the ones she had before. About the Hunger Games. Whatever he did to her in there, it was worse than that. And I know from personal experience that worse than the Hunger Games nearly impossible," he added.

"She didn't talk," Aliss said simply.

"No, she didn't. But she couldn't have. She didn't know anything." He paused and looked at her. "I want to thank you, Aliss. You don't know how grateful I am that you saved her."

"I know. She told me thank you every day until you guys left," Aliss said. "But it wasn't just me. Katniss and Cecil were there too."

"That's not what I'm talking about. I mean, I'm grateful for that too, but she told me what you did on the platform."

Aliss tilted her head in confusion.

"When the platform broke, you risked your life to save hers. Thank you," he said.

"Oh...well you're welcome," Aliss replied for lack of anything else to say.

"When things die down you should come visit us in District 4," Finnick continued. "She'd really like that."

"I will," Aliss promised.

"By the way," Finnick said as the song ended. "You look lovely."

Aliss snickered. "So do you."

The song ended and Finnick handed her back to Cecil. Aliss watched as he twirled Annie around the dance floor.

"So what did Finnick have to say?" Cecil asked after they danced for a moment.

"He just wanted to say thank you," Aliss answered. She grinned. "Why? You jealous?"

"Of Finnick? Nah, I'm not worried about him. He's got Annie," Cecil said. He pulled her towards him so their bodies were closer together than what was probably considered proper. "And I've got you."

"You've been awfully handsy tonight," Aliss remarked. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Like I said earlier, you've been different these past months. It's nice to see you getting back to normal," he said.

They bumped in to Evan, who had Madge's hand and was dragging her across the dance floor again.

"Come on, it's time for the unveiling," he said to Cecil before darting back into the crowd. Aliss watched Madge's blond ponytail bob away.

"What unveiling?" she asked.

"Oh, you're going to love this," he said mysteriously. He took her hand and followed Evan and Madge. Aliss noticed that everyone else was heading in the same direction. They ended up outside the mansion's front patio. The night was pleasantly warm, as was usual for the spring time. The white blur of the moon was a full circle tonight, though its edges were frayed. The people began counting down from ten.

"Ten...nine...eight...seven..."

"Cecil, what's going on?" Aliss whispered. He smiled and pointed to the sky, joining the others in the countdown.

"...Six...five...four...three...two...ONE!"

There was a bright ripple of light in the sky. Suddenly it began...melting. That's what it looked like; the sky was melting away. In its place was a replica, only this was much more gorgeous. The moon was a bright orb. Aliss could see its every feature, every crater. Everyone was illuminated and all color was washed away. But surprisingly, this was not what Aliss focused on. She gaped at the thousands of glittering pin-points that were scattered across the velvet sky. The first thing that came to mind was diamonds, but these were even more beautiful. These were stars.

She loved them.

Cecil laughed. "You should see your face right now."

"They're...amazing," Aliss whispered.

"Mm," Cecil distractedly agreed. His arms snaked around her from behind. He was staring at her, she could tell, but she couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off the stars. Most people were heading back to the ballroom, but it was evident that they were going to be staying a while. "You know," Cecil said, breaking the silence. "This is kind of like what you said earlier. Things are melting away and new things are replacing them so fast that people don't really appreciate
them."

"Yeah, well at least some of us do," she said, taking her eyes off the stars for the first time and turning to look at him.

He kissed her. "Yes, some of us still do."

Aliss turned back to the sky, leaning back against Cecil. They watched the stars wink in and out of existence, not thinking of the past, not wondering about the future, just basking in the present.

THE END!

Thank you so much for those who read and commented on my story! If you liked it, keep a lookout for my other ones, eh?

-Smurf ^^