Hi everyone! I know it has been quite a while for me to update. It has been really hectic here, and I actually wrote a little one shot story that was holding me up from writing this because it wouldn't go out of my head! It was called The Beauty That Remains which I posted during the last week. But, as promised, the first part of the next story is here. YEA! This is the first time for me to write FInnick and Annie, so it should be interesting. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! : )

Hunger Games and Fairy Tales

The Mermaid and the Prince (Part 1)

Long ago, off the shores of District 4, there was a kingdom deep under the sea ruled by King Cresta. He was a wise leader of the merpeople, and he worked to guard his people well from the dangers above and below the sea. The most precious to him were his six daughters, beautiful mermaids all. This was especially true of the youngest, Annie. She was a sweet and kind girl, with long flowing dark hair and sea green eyes. With her beautiful voice, she would enchant her people, and was beloved by all. Her father doted on her, and was most particularly protective of Annie and all her sisters.

The king had many rules for his girls, the most important being that none of them could go up to the surface. While they were young, this was not a difficult demand, as their life was so happy under the sea that they had no need to go anywhere else. But their content would not last forever, for as the princesses grew into beautiful young teenagers, their desire to explore beyond their own home grew too much. They begged and begged to be able to go to the surface, until the king could stand it no longer. As the oldest, Katrina was coming close to her sixteenth birthday, he relented.

"My daughters, I have heard you pleas and agree that you should have the opportunity to see the world as it is. Therefore, I have decided that when each of you turns sixteen, you may go to the surface to see what lies above the sea. I only ask that each of you please take care, and be careful. I could not bear to lose any of you."

The girls all hugged their father close, and promised their father that they would be cautious. Annie was the last to place her arms around his neck and give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you Father!"

"It's all because of you, my precious one," the king replied. "You wanted this so much."

"I did. This means so much to us. We won't let you down." She left him then, dreaming of the day that would finally be hers to explore.

Soon after, her oldest sister made her way to the surface. All of the girls waited with baited breath for her return. When she finally did late that evening, she was full of tales from her adventure. Annie listened intently as Katrina spoke of the colors of the sky at different times of the day, and the rocking of the ships that she saw on the water.

"It was amazing, truly amazing, but I am so glad to be home," she concluded. The young mermaid was left for days with pictures in her head from the descriptions. Oh, how she longed for it to be her turn!

Year after year, each of her sisters made their ascent on their birthdays. Annie would continue to learn about the life above from their stories about the people in their funny clothing, the various animals, and the shapes of the buildings they saw on the land. She continued to build on the vision in her imagination, until finally it came to be her turn.

The morning of her sixteenth birthday, Annie woke early, swimming quickly to find her father. He was in his throne room waiting for her.

"I know you have been waiting for this day for a long time, my girl. Go in peace. Enjoy what you see, but be careful, and more than anything, come home to us safely."

"I will, I promise!" With that he gave her his kiss of blessing on her forehead, and Annie left him and began swimming up to the top. It took longer than she thought, but finally she broke the surface and took in her first gulp of air.

The first thing to hit her senses was the colors. The bright sun she had heard about was high in the sky that was a brilliant blue on this day. Annie smiled and looked around to decide which way to go. To the west she saw the shores of the land populated by the humans. This was what she was truly curious about, was these creatures and how they lived.

She went in that direction until she found a cluster of rocks that was close enough to the shore that she could see all that was going on, but that would also hide her from view. She watched the people walking around different places. Her focus was eventually brought to the largest building in sight, and there were many people about there. Annie was smiling at all the fabric they were wearing, and their lively chatter to each other. She was so absorbed in it all that she almost didn't notice the striking figure that came to stand out on the ledge overlooking the sea.

He was tall and extremely handsome, with well-built features and a skin tone that showed he was often in the sun. His hair was a sharp bronze color, but it was the eyes that first captured her attention. Even from the distance she was at, Annie could see that they were of a deep green color that matched the color of the sea at times. The young man was finely dressed in rich clothing, and a large smile was on his face. The young mermaid was transfixed once she saw him, as he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

As she watched, an older woman approached him. "Prince Finnick! Here you are. You should come back inside to your guests."

"I know Mags. I was just here to get some fresh air and quiet for a few moments. I was planning on coming in soon," the young man answered.

"Don't make it too long," the woman answered. "You are the guest of honor, you know. They are all here to celebrate your eighteenth birthday with you."

"Right…" the prince answered. "That's exactly why a large portion of the guests are single young princesses of a marrying age."

Mags sighed. "That was your mother's idea. She thinks it is time you begin choosing a wife. "

"Maybe I don't think it's time." Finnick responded. His voice trailed off for a moment, but then he continued. "Don't worry, old woman. I know my duty and I'll do it." With that, they both turned around and walked back into the large building, which Annie assumed was one of those places the humans called a palace.

With him gone, Annie decided it was time to leave herself. She swam back down below into the depths to reach her kingdom. When she arrived it was quite late, and her sisters and father were quite frantic.

"I'm fine," she assured them. "There was no problem whatsoever. I just lost track of the time. Let me tell you what I saw, though!" She recounted the events of the day and what she had seen, except for her thoughts on the prince. Annie decided to keep that to herself. When she was finally alone in her sleeping chamber, she smiled and sang to herself remembering the sight of him. Before falling asleep, she resolved that somehow she had to see him again.

While most of her sisters never again really travelled to the surface, Annie found herself making trips almost every week, trying to catch some glimpse of Finnick. She returned many times to her spot among the rocks and would wait for hours to see him, but he never came out. She despaired more and more that she would never see him again. Her trips became fewer and fewer.

One day, Annie decided to make one more visit to the surface. As she reached the top, she immediately noticed the darkness in the sky. The clouds were black and Annie felt a sense of foreboding. She knew that she would not be able to stay long and probably should not go very far as well. She noticed a ship floating in the water nearby, and swam towards it. She climbed up the side as she got to it, finding a small ledge to sit upon near an open space where she could see. For a few moments, all that was happening were men who were obviously sailors walking around doing their jobs.

But then, there was the stomping of a boot above her head, and although she was still hidden, she looked above her and took in a breath. It was Prince Finnick, looking out over the ocean. He had a telescope in his hand.

"It looks bad," he said to one of the crewman. And as if on cue, lightning strikes could be seen in the distance. Annie didn't want to, but knew she had to get out of there. She leaped off the ledge and went back into the water. She floated for a while, just trying to get a last look, when a lightning bolt hit the ship directly. The mermaid watched with horror as it lit up in flames.

Annie instinctively swam back towards the ship. She could see men getting in to a smaller boat and trying to pull it away from the fire. Where was Finnick, though? She couldn't see him and fear shot through her. The vessel was coming apart and pieces of wood began floating everywhere. She searched around until she finally saw him helping an unconscious man get into the lifeboat.

Once the sailor was safe, the prince was knocked back for a moment and once again Annie couldn't get sight of him. The boat heading to safety was getting farther and farther away. Again, the large form appeared on the edge of the sinking ship and she saw him jump off into the water. She swam towards where he entered, and found his body floating in the water. It looked like he had hit a large piece of debris and had been knocked out.

Annie knew there was nothing else for her to do. She placed her arms around his chest and began swimming towards the direction she knew the shore had to be. She couldn't see very well, but her sense of course was always good. The prince was heavy, but she was determined to carry on. After what seemed like hours, she felt her fins hit something solid. Annie went a little further, and knew that she had reached land. She laid the prince out and heard him cough out some water followed by a deep breath.

She was so close to him now, and he was so beautiful. The young mermaid couldn't help but to touch his face. She began singing softly to him, almost urging him to come back to her. As she noticed his eyes beginning to open, Annie knew her time was up. She quickly made her way back in the water and swam off before he could see her. She rushed back to her home to find her family eating their evening meal. She joined them, but didn't say a word.

Her sister Merina noticed and asked, "Are you all right, Annie? Did something happen today? You look like you have seen a ghost."

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine, really. Just tired. I went very far today." No one pried any further, but they all took in her mood.

Once again, Annie went to bed resolved that just watching for Prince Finnick from a distance would no longer do. She knew that she was in love with him. She had to find a way to be a part of his life. She lay awake trying to think of a plan to make this possible. All of her ideas seemed unrealistic until the middle of the night it hit her. She needed help, and there was only one creature under the sea that might be able to help her. The mermaid finally fell asleep knowing that tomorrow, she was going to visit Octavia, the Sea Witch.

She awoke early before anyone else was up. Annie knew is anyone saw where she was going they would do everything to stop her. Without a sound she snuck out and swam to the part of the sea even deeper than her own home, where the there was almost no light. As she drew nearer to the Sea Witch's cave, fear began to creep up on her. At the entrance, she stopped a part of her not wanting to go any further. She thought about Finnick, and became determined, her head straightening up as she entered the lair.

It was dark and Annie could hardly see anything in front of her. She just kept moving forward until she heard a voice call out.

"Hello, young princess. Please come in."

She was shaking but found her voice to answer. "Hello there. I am looking for Octavia."

"You have found her." Annie suddenly saw a form come into view. While she was expecting the witch to be ugly, as usually described, the mermaid was surprised to see that Octavia was actually quite beautiful. She had long flowing blonde hair and deep blue eyes, almost transparent. A shiver ran through her body at the thought that the witch could almost see right through her.

Annie once again drew up her courage to speak. "I have come searching for you in hopes that you could help me."

"And what help is it that you are seeking?" Octavia replied in a voice actually sweet like honey.

"There is a Prince on the shores above the sea. I have fallen in love with him, and I would give anything to be with him. I wanted to see if there was any way that you could make that possible."

The witch looked her over for a minute, obviously thinking about the situation. "Dear princess. I can't make anyone fall in love, but if you are so desperate to be a part of this young man's life, then there is only one solution. You must become a human and live on the land. That is the only way you will have a chance to try and win his heart."

"Can you make me human?" Annie cautiously asked.

Octavia walked over to a shelf where various liquids and pills were stored. "I can, but it will come at a price." She swam back over to the young girl and held out a bottle. "This potion will take away your fins to give you legs. You will be able to walk freely on the land."

"And the price?" the young mermaid offered.

"The price that I ask for the potion is your voice"

"My voice? But how can win Finnick's heart if I can't speak to him?" Annie asked desperately.

The witch smiled at her. "You can use your other charms, I'm sure, to gain his attention. But know this. The potion is only good for three days. By that time, if the prince has not returned you love with love's first kiss, then you will once again become a mermaid. And with that, you will also become my slave forever."

Annie gasped at the thought of the consequence if she failed, but knowing there was no other solution, she agreed to Octavia's demands. The witch had her stick her tongue out, and as she did, touched it with a drop of a special amber liquid. Once done, the young mermaid had the bottle of potion thrust into her hand.

She looked at the dark bottle, only hesitating for a second, she opened it, and drank every last drop. Immediately, there was feeling like sharp knives slicing inside her. It was almost unbearable, but Annie knew she had to start swimming. And she did. Through the pain she swam at breakneck speed until in exhaustion she broke through to the sound of waves. She quickly found a rectangular piece of wood debris and laid on it before passing out completely.

The next thing she knew, her eyes were slowly opening. She could tell that the sun was bright and someone was hovering above her. Annie also felt something beneath her. She moved her hands around and could feel it was sand. She was on land! She had made it to shore! She smiled, and tried to focus on the figure that seemed to be looking at her with concern.

Annie put a hand over her eyes and finally saw the face. It was a face more dear to her than anything in the world. Finnick was there touching her cheek. She wanted to scream his name.

"Are you alright? Who are you? Where did you come from? Was there a shipwreck of some kind? What is your name?" The questions all came out in a string out of his mouth.

Annie started to open her mouth, but when she tried to speak no sound would come out. Of course, the witch had taken her voice. She tapped her throat to let him know.

"That's alright," he answered. "I understand. You have probably been through a nightmare. Come, we'll take care of you here and help you get back home. You can trust me. I am Prince Finnick. You are safe here in District 4."

He helped her get up, and then took Annie by the arm to help her walk towards the castle. I've made it. I found FInnick and I am with him now. She had three days to make him fall in love with her, and no voice to help.

Whatever am I going to do?

Well, Part 1 is over! I hope you all are enjoying it so far. We will definitely have more interaction between the two in the next chapter. Please please keep reviewing! I love to hear from you all.