The original rules of The Hunger Games are that only one person can survive, meaning that both tributes from each district must fight everyone or each other. When the romantic plot of Katniss and Peeta becomes popular with the public, the Capitol changes the rules to allow two tributes to survive if they are from the same District. However, when Katniss and Peeta are actually the last two survivors, the Capitol tries to change the rules back; in rebellion, Katniss threatens to commit mutual suicide with Peeta instead of fighting him. Rather than allow that very powerful defiance of their power, the Capitol lets them both survive, and Katniss and Peeta return to their District to begin the events of the second book, Catching Fire.