Hey-o! I'm back on the Hunger Games fanfiction archives! I gave up on my first one, but I got inspired to do this one, so hey, why not?

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.

"Piper! Come on! The train's leaving for District 4 in twenty minutes, and it's going to take us ten to get over there, and I'm sure Leo or you will have forgotten something and we'll have to go back!" Piper's mom called.

"Kay, mom!" Piper called, fixing her hair into pigtails. She dragged her suitcase down the stairs, enjoying the thump it made. "Ready!" she said cheerily.

"Finally." Piper's eight-year-old brother, Leo, grumbled. "Mom, why does Piper always take forever?"

"Because she's Stally-McGolly." her mother said lightly.

"Mom!" Piper whined. "Don't call me that! Just because I'm five doesn't mean I need nicknames!"

"You're quite a spunky five-year-old." her dad said.

Piper bowed and marched out of the house into the car.

When they arrived at the train station, and miraculously they hadn't had to turn back, several assistants took their luggage and escorted them onto the train, one taking Piper's hand and helping her up the steps. This wasn't Piper's first train ride, but she found it very exciting when someone offered their hand to help her up. It made her feel like one of the princesses in the old storybooks her mother sometimes read to her.

The train ride took until the next morning.

Piper, refusing the hand that was offered to help her down the steps, jumped off and took a tumble. Luckily, there was a patch of grass where she had jumped, and all she got were grass stains.

They had a car take them to the hotel they would stay at. Of course, this was one of District 4's finest and only hotels, because for most people, District travel was forbidden. But Piper got a giant room all to herself, with a king-sized bed that was really fun to jump on.

The next day was their parent's meeting with District 4. Piper and Leo allowed to go out, under the watch of an assistant. But then Piper decided to ditch them because of a modern building with swivel doors. She wanted to play in the swivel doors. She ran over to them and began to spin. After running around in circles about fifteen times, she stumbled dazedly into the building. It was a lobby area. She stumbled over to a woman behind a desk, hair in a tight bun and horn-rimmed glasses, typing madly at a computer. Piper watched her for several minutes before she looked up. "Hello. What do you want?" she asked.

"What is this building?" Piper asked, unfazed by her rudeness.

"The Tribute training center for District 4."

"Can I go in?"

"What's your name? And your age?"

"Piper Clave, age 5." she said proudly.

"Piper... Clave... age 5..." the woman typed something into her computer. "Why... there is no Piper Clave on this list. And your name sounds like something a District 2 citizen would have."

"That's because I am! I'm visiting District 4 'cuz my parents are District 2 representatives to the Capitol and different Districts-"

"Well, outsiders most certainly aren't allowed in here! Especially District 2. You have your own training center! Get lost, kid!" the woman said angrily. "I have better things to do than deal with brats like yourself!"

"I'm not a brat!" Piper said indignantly. "Just curious."

"Too curious for your-"

"She's with me, Miss Amanda." a soft, somewhat squeaky voice rang out. Piper whirled around to see a girl her age, with long blond hair in a braid, say.

"Why, Tallulah, you've made friends with this District 2 child?"

"Yes." Tallulah didn't hesitate.

"Fine, go on in." Miss Amanda said grumpily. Tallulah skipped towards Piper, grabbed her hand, and skipped to the elevator. Piper, deciding it would be best to play along, skipped with her.

Once they were in, Tallulah dropped the gym bag she had been carrying on her shoulder. "Hi." she said. "I'm Tallulah Florence."

"Piper Clave."

"District 2, huh? That's so cool! I've always wanted to visit different Districts but District travel is forbidden except for ambassadors and those types of people- my parents aren't, they just had to be the owners of a dumb fishing company- I'm assuming you're the daughter of a representative."

"Two, actually." Piper said. "Both of my parents are District 2 representatives to the Capitol and other Districts."

"Cool."

"Thanks for saving me from Miss Amanda. I thought that Peacekeepers or guards were going to come and throw me out or something!"

"No problem. Especially for a friend!" Tallulah smiled.

"We're friends?"

"Why not?"

"Why not." Piper agreed.

Arriving on the floor, Tallulah picked up her gym bag and ran out of the elevator, Piper following more slowly.

"Who did you pick up on the streets, Tallulah?" a man in his twenties sighed.

"Zane, this is Piper! She's from District 2!"

"District...2?" Zane stared at Piper. "How in the name of the sea did she get into District 4?"

"Come on, don't be rude!" Tallulah whined. "Her parents are District 2 representatives and they're visiting District 4! Piper was playing in the glass doors and ran into Miss Amanda 'cuz she wanted to come in and she wouldn't let her so I said she's with me and-" "All right, Piper."

Zane rolled his eyes and beckoned to Piper. "Do you train in District 2?"

"Not me, but I know people who do." Piper said cheerily.

"Not my question." Zane grumbled. "Well, I guess you can stay."

"What are we working on today?" a cute brown-haired boy with nicely tanned skin asked.

"Knives, Kai. Knives. Because none of you are very big or very strong, we're starting simple." Zane said.

"We're the youngest kids to train here. This is only our seventh lesson. Zane's been having us work with traps and knots the last few practices." Tallulah whispered.

Turns out, Piper was a natural knife-thrower. By the end of the day, she could get a dummy's heart almost every time.

The next day, they had to leave. They never stayed at any District for long. Tallulah came to see Piper off. She gave her a big hug. "Will you be back?" she asked.

Piper shrugged. "I hope."

"Here's my address if you do come back! You can come over and play with me or something!" Tallulah said excitedly, handing her a piece of paper, and written in five-year-old penmanship.

Piper grinned and tucked the piece of paper into her back pocket. "Thanks."

While they were on the train, Piper announced she would train to be a Career. When she got home, she and her dad went to the training center to sign her up.

Over the next ten years, Piper stopped traveling with her parents so much. School was getting harder and Career training was more intense. But of course, she always squeezed District 4 into her busy schedule. Despite not seeing Tallulah that often and having other friends in her own District, Tallulah was by far the best friend Piper had.

That's why it hit her so hard when it happened.

During the 97th Hunger Games, Tallulah volunteered in place of a young girl. Piper had full confidence she would win, and that confidence level rose to almost a sure win for Tallulah, when she made it to the final two after she'd decapitated a fellow Career from District 1. Then it was only her and the boy from District 5.

Tallulah, of course, was the hunter. She tramped through a frozen tundra for a day to reach the boy, who was hidden in a cave in mountains. She was still more fit and healthier than that boy, and it had been three weeks in that arena- but she had bountiful supplies from sponsors, and people she'd killed. He, on the other hand, was down to rationing beef jerky. As in, a strip each day. He had gotten a big side wound and any sponsor money he might've had was used on saving him. Tallulah didn't need anything, and anything she would need would be covered by the sponsor money (of course, Careers in the final two would have a lot of money).

It was ugly. The boy had been guarding his cave for three days without sleep, in fear that the boy from 1, Tallulah's most recent kill, or Tallulah would stab him in his sleep. And yesterday had been the boy from 1's death, and he had been the biggest competitor in these Games. So either from deciding it was now safe or just collapsing from exhaustion of staying awake three whole days, he fell asleep that night.

Tallulah was stealthy, that's for sure, but the boy from 5 was smart. He'd put sticks and crisp, brittle leaves all over the cave floor so even someone as stealthy as she would be noticed.

At the snap of the first twig, the boy was out of his sleeping bag, sword in hand, and they were off, fighting for their lives.

He with his sword, and Tallulah, who had decided to use knives for the event, dueled viciously.

At one point, Tallulah lodged a knife in his shoulder and kicked him in the stomach. He toppled over and his sword fell out his hand. But unfortunately for Tallulah, the sword was still in his reach. Barely, but still. And Tallulah didn't kick it out of the way. As she tried to stab him, the boy was able to grasp his sword and quickly stabbed upwards. The sword plunged into Tallulah's stomach and she fell on top of him, blood splattering everywhere.

The cannon fired a minute later and the trumpets blared.

Piper screamed and buried her head into her pillow. Her best friend was dead.

The next time she went to District 4, she ran over to Tallulah's old house. "Where's Tallulah's-"

Her mother burst into tears.

Her dad looked somber, but led Piper to the grave.

"Oh, Tallulah..." Piper whispered, kneeling down before the grave. Then she realized that she could do something. "Im going to avenge you. I'm a Career. The boy from 5 will be killed."

After visiting the grave, she went to the Career training center- for the first time since Tallulah died. "Can I go up?" she asked Miss Amanda.

"No." the secretary said grumpily.

"But-"

"You were allowed in because of Tallulah. She's dead now." she said harshly.

"But-"

"NO, Piper."

"Hey, Piper, you can come up with me, if you want." Kai, the boy who had asked about the knives ten years ago and had been Tallulah's boyfriend, offered.

"No, it's okay." Piper slunk out of the building.

She trained more intensely in District 2 for the next few years.

Three years later, President Rain, the predecessor of President Snow, announced the Quarter Quell. "This year, because it is twice of fifty, this means there will be twice the tributes of the Fiftieth Hunger Games. Four boys and four girls from each District. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

"Four boys, then." Piper muttered. "Tallulah, you will be avenged four times."

Well, here you have it- the first chapter of my newest Fanfiction. Hopefully you'll want to read more!

-But of course, don't set updating standards very high. The plan is to do at least one or two chapters a week, but I've got a busy schedule, and I've got something in constant demand on the Warriors fandom, so that one kinda has to be my main priority.

Well, I guess that's it! I'd love to hear feedback as well!

-Chucklez