Author Games: Renegade | CLOSED

Finals - Luna Jordan

"You're going home."

Luna had never thought three words could ever sound sweeter, could sound like music to her ears. 'Home,' she thought, a smile creeping up onto her pale face as she pondered over the fact that she was returning to her Capitol. 'I miss it so.'

She could almost feel the warmth of the fire crackling in the hearth gently caressing her face, and Luna could not wait until she sunk her worn feet into her favorite pair of fluffy slippers, to curl up into a ball on her couch, her nose buried in yet another book. A soft chuckle escaped her dry, chapped lips, and Luna grinned as she gazed up at the symmetrical silver tiles on the ceiling, mentally counting down the days until she could leave.

Suddenly, her friend Glitter's face, with her blazing orange hair, appeared in Luna's mind. The two friends had not talked much after Jasmine's drowning, but Luna had to admit that she still missed Glitter – missed her with all her heart. Glitter was Luna's only remaining close friend after Jasmine died, and sometimes on the dark, stormy nights, Luna would put down her books and stop her studies, and think. She would think like how she was thinking now – about the good old days before Jasmine's death tore that away from her, about the things she had done and regretted, how she wished she would go back in time and fix things she had broken. Such as, lives.

Jasmine. Popsicle. Amber. Aime. Vix. Skye. Gus. Luna shook her head, sighing as she did so, feeling her heart sink into the pits of her stomach. She had tried, numerous times, to convince herself that there was absolutely nothing that she could've done to save the seven people she had seen die. It didn't work. Instead, Luna had gotten more and more depressed until by the time she reached the Rebel Base, she had almost lost all hope to go on. Key word – almost.

When she had collapsed into the arms of a short blonde woman with piercing grey eyes that reminded Luna of a gathering storm, she had unexpectedly felt a sense of welcome and comfort as she was led into her current room. It was at that very moment when Luna realized, as her the burden resting on her shoulders lifted, that she was safe. Protected. Here, somehow, Luna knew that death could not touch her – or anyone else for the matter.

The girl was still engrossed in thought when suddenly three soft knocks sounded on her wooden door and Luna murmured a soft, "Come in."

The door opened with a slight creak as the familiar sound of Elysia Ambrose's voice echoed throughout the small room, "Luna." A pause, but Luna didn't look up. Instead, she let her chin rest lightly on the knuckles of her hands and waited patiently. A few seconds passed before Elysia took a deep breath and continued, "Tonight you're going to meet Gamemaker Dionysus Monterrae."

Quick as a flash, Luna whipped her head around to face Elysia, suddenly realizing the intensity of the situation. A million thoughts swirled in her mind – the Gamemakers are here? How? When? I have to speak with one of them? Why?!

"Luna, Dionysus will be restrained while you speak," Elysia hurried to add. "She would not – could not – harm you. We want you to get a chance to speak your mind, get a sense of closure."

"But-but-but I wasn't even in the Games!" Luna burst out, hoping she could wiggle her way out of meeting the violet-haired, beady-eyed, Japanese-born Dionysus. 'Anyways,' Her mind was a whirlwind, trying desperately to find an escape from the unexpectedly task she was required to do. 'I hardly know the woman. Ask me to recite the Periodic Table anytime, but a chat with one of the Gamemakers? No way, José!' However, Elysia simply shook her head 'no', took a couple of steps forward, and stretched out a slender hand to help Luna up from the bed.

Sighing loud and long, Luna gave up trying to resist, knowing that this was not one of her kindergarten shenanigans where she would pull a 'cute face' and the teacher would let her off the hook for stealing a cookie. No, this was serious, deadly so. Elysia smiled softly at Luna's submission and jerked her head towards the door, blonde hair framing her petite face as she did so, "The room's this way. Don't worry, Luna, it's going to be fine. No one will hurt you here."

No one will hurt you here. The words repeated themselves, never ceasing, in Luna's head as she stepped out into the bleak grey hallways, following Elysia as she led the way. The woman's heels emitted a loud 'click-clack' sound on the pristine white tiles, entering Luna's head to mix with the words 'No one will hurt you here.' It was driving Luna to the brink of insanity when Elysia's footsteps suddenly stopped, and her voice once more penetrated Luna's thoughts like a serrated knife.

"In here," Elysia nodded towards a large mahogany door, before subsequently reaching into her jacket pocket and taking out a tiny brass key that glimmered in the sunlight that filtered through the various ventilation systems. Elysia inserted the key gingerly into the lock, as if it was a precious jewel, and turned ever-so-slightly to the right. Luna waited, breath hitching in anticipation as the door opened with a clink, and Elysia grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open full way. She stared expectantly at Luna and nodded her head, as a way of reassurance.

Inhaling deeply, Luna stepped forward, through the doorway, and entered a dimly-lit room with nothing inside other than a large rectangular wooden table and two wooden chairs positioned on either side of the table. On one side, sat Dionysus Monterrae, whose wrists were strapped tightly with leather to the armrests of her chair. The other chair was unoccupied, and Luna realized with a start that she was meant to sit there. Cautiously, she moved towards the chair, keeping her eyes trained on Dionysus to make sure the Japanese woman did not suddenly jump out at her and try to murder her or something. Extra-cautiously, with muscles tense, Luna sank into the chair and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. As Elysia backed away and shut the door behind them, Luna wondered what she would do next.

"So," after a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Luna spoke up. Her voice sounded croaky and hoarse, and she swallowed. Her mind was suddenly void of all information, of what to ask, what to say. So Luna Jordan blurted out the only thing that was on her mind at that moment, "I thought Dionysus was a man's name. Wasn't he the god of wine, or something?"

Dionysus cocked her her head at Luna, narrowing her eyes at the blonde girl, "And what do you care?" she spat, her voice laced with the slightest trace of an Asian accent. "I'm strapped to a chair and you're asking me about my name?" Dionysus scoffed, "I swear they get more idiotic every day."

Despite herself to be calm and collected, Luna couldn't help but flinch at the woman's harsh words. She was really starting to regret coming here – obviously it was nothing but a waste of time, for the both of them. Luna was just about to get up from her seat and make a dramatic exit when Dionysus sighed, "I'm sorry," her eyes were cast downwards now, losing all her previous fury. "I'm not usually like this, it's just...Esmerelda. She...she..."

"I understand," compassion laced Luna's voice as her heart softened for the woman's loss. She may be a prisoner, and she may have been a Gamemaker who watched children die in her own arena annually, but she was still a human being with a heart. Luna had heard the news that Esmerelda had supposedly perished during the Gamemakers' abduction, and Dionysus was obviously suffering. So were Amy and Kateryna, Luna deducted. "I lost people too."

"But Esmerelda," Dionysus's lower lip was trembling violently. "I just – I could've done something. Anything."

"I know," Luna's heart was unexpectedly touched by Dionysus's grief for her lost friend, for Luna could relate so much to what she was feeling. "I felt the same way as well. For ages, for so long, I was eaten away by guilt because I thought I failed to save people. But when I came here, you know what I realized?"

Dionysus shook her head.

"I knew that one, I was going home. And two, that no one would hurt me here. Finally three, that no one can control death," Luna paused, letting the information sink into both their hearts. "No one."

And it was true. She knew it.