CHAPTER 5, SHADOW

All I had for a weapon was a good sized bronze sword. All I had for food was a small packet of dried meat. All I had for water was a small, empty bottle with a container of purifier inside. It would have to do.

After I had grabbed what I could at the Cornucopia I had run towards what looked like a volcano jutting up into the sky. Hopefully that would give me a good view of the arena and a place to rest. The desert was very hot and dry, already sapping me of my strength. I reached a wall that divided the desert from the volcano: A huge pit full of red-hot coals. Only a very narrow bridge connected solid ground to solid ground. A risk I had to take.

The bridge moved as I slowly made my way across it… each step could cause me to fall and burn to death. Focusing on the opposite side of the land, I eventually made it.

Now I was facing what looked like a rocky cliff. It extended who knows how high into the air….but at the top…there was a ledge. It would give me the view I needed to make out what to do next. I began to climb.

It was very hot here too, but not as scorching as the desert. After climbing a good distance I sat down on what looked like a large lavarock to catch my breath. My throat was already parched and I knew after scaling the side of the mountain I would need to find water as soon as possible. Until then…I would just have to wait.

Something slammed into my back and I fell about ten feet down the mountain, rock cutting into my flesh. I managed to stand up, only to get blasted down again. My head hit a hard rock and the world burst out in different shades of orange and yellow. But that still didn't keep me from standing again and keeping an iron grip on my sword. The meat and water bottle were nowhere in sight. I stared at my attacker as he walked calmly towards me, charging some sort of pure energy ball.

"I could kill you right here." Lucario said calmly. "But, quite honestly, I believe you and I are the only ones without a truce."

"I plan to keep it that way." I hissed, raising my sword and running at him. I was obviously faster than he thought, because the look of surprise was unmistakable. He managed to deflect my blade with more psychic energy but the hilt struck him just under his left eye. He gave a short shout of surprise and then punched me away. I regained my balance and came at him again, cutting into his arm. Lucario gave a cry of pain and then lunged for me again, throwing me against another large rock and squeezing the air out of my lungs. I struggled to breathe as he forced his foot down on my chest.

"I could kill you." He hissed again. His left eye was already beginning to swell. "I could…and probably should…kill you right here, right now. So you won't be a probablem in the future."

I could barely hear a word he was saying because the only thing my body was paying attention to was the fact that I couldn't breathe. I gripped the sword again in the last of my dying strength and tried to bring it around to cut Lucario's foot off. Sadly, he saw what I planned to do and ripped the sword from my grasp and aimed it at my face. I grasped at his ankle, but I couldn't find the strength to grip it. The world was turning dark…then extremely bright…then dark again…I became vaguely aware of the pitiful gasps I was making at an attempt to live. Lucario didn't soften at this and if possible, pressed down harder on me, driving what little air I had left out of my lungs. I was accepting the fact that I was dying when there was a loud shout, the clang of my sword beside me, and then I could breathe again.

I lay there for at least thirty seconds drawing in huge lungful of air after another and coughing them out. My vision returned to normal and I struggled to my feet to see Marth nearby nudging an unconscious Lucario. Ike was sitting on a rock and sharpening his sword like nothing had even happened.

"Should I kill him?" Marth asked nervously. "Ike? What happens then…if I do kill him?"

"Then we're one step closer to getting out of here." Ike said. "I mean, you're getting out of here."

"Why did you save me?" I asked, retrieving my sword.

"Marth did it." Ike said. "You owe him. He saw you two fighting and couldn't just stand there and watch you die."

"Yeah, and besides…we could use more allies." Marth said hopefully, glancing at me. "Oh, here's your stuff." He handed me back my water bottle and packet of meat.

"I owe you my life, I know that." I said. "But I don't work well with others. But If I see that you're in trouble, I'll be there for you like you were for me. When I see you in other parts of the arena, I won't kill, point you out to others, or harm you in any way. If you're short on supplies, I'll help you. But only if you do the same."

"Deal." Marth said happily. "And no turning us over to other groups."

"I swear it."

"Now what about Lucario?" Ike asked, motioning with his sword. "Should we kill him or what?"

"I don't want to kill anyone." Marth muttered sadly. "I'm just focusing on surviving at the moment."

That was when Lucario sprung to his feet and threw a sphere of energy at me. It hit because I was unprepared for the attack, and I was paralyzed on the ground, unable to do anything. Only able to watch as Lucario grabbed my sword and propelled it at Marth. He managed to block it, only to have Lucario begin a more devastating attack at him. Ike was now on the scene, keeping Lucario at bay while Marth and I recovered from the attacks. I could move my arms and feeling was creeping back into my legs. I shakily stood and gripped my sword, coming at Lucario as he fought Ike.

With a loud battle cry, Marth took another swipe at Lucario's head. He managed to duck, but not before the blade caught his cheek, ripping a long gash in it. Lucario sunk to the ground, where we stopped our attacks and watched as his hands became bright red with blood.

"Lucario, you brought this upon yourself." Ike said emotionlessly. "I should have known that you were someone to take care of as soon as possible."

Lucario slammed a spike-adorned fist into Ike's stomach. Ike stumbled backwards, taken by surprise at the attack. That pause bought Lucario the time he needed to get back onto his feet and launch another sphere of energy, this time at Marth.

Marth's head snapped backwards and he hit the ground with a crunch. Ike was at his side in an instant, leaving me to deal with Lucario.

"Do you honestly think you can kill me?" Lucario smirked. Blood was flowing freely from the gashes in his arm and cheek and his left eye was swollen shut. "I bet you've never killed anyone before."

"Would you want to bet?" I hissed before I shoved the sword through his chest. A quick death. He shouldn't have felt a thing. A cannonshot rang out.

I joined Ike by Marth's side. Ike was pale and was clutching Marth's hand like it was a lifeline, keeping him here on Panem. Tears filled his eyes as he watched his young friend die.

"Ike…?" Marth gasped. "Ike…Ike… don't leave me…"

"I won't. I swear, I won't." Ike whispered softly. "You're going to be ok. I swear. Just relax and we'll get you help soon."

"Ike…you gotta win the Games." Marth coughed up blood, staining his Game suit dark red. "Win the Games…Ike…Games…"

"Marth, no, stay with me! Stay with me! MARTH! NO!"

But it was too late. Marth breathed his last. A cannonshot echoed throughout the arena.

Ike let go of Marth's hand and slammed both his fists into the lavarock, desperately trying to distract himself from the pain of losing his friend. "No…no…Marth…" He sobbed. "No…Why? Why did this have to happen?"

"Nothing can reverse it." I whispered. "Nothing can reverse death."

"I'm winning these Games for him. I have to." Ike's face was a mask of anger. "If you want to live until the final two, you'd better get out of here."

I nodded. "I'll still be your ally." And I began hiking up the side of the mountain again.

I watched as the Capitol hovercraft picked up both Lucario and Marth's bodies and flew them away. I watched as Ike slowly left the mountainside to go somewhere in peace. I watched as the sky slowly turned pink from the setting sun. It was then that I reached the top.

The arena was huge. From my lookout perch, it looked much like a four-leaf clover. One leaf for the volcanic area, one for a frozen tundra, one for an ocean with a small island in the middle of it, and one for a dense forest. The desert in the middle of the arena was just the starting point and you'd have to take your chances in the tough climates. I noticed that a huge wall was built to separate the tundra and ocean from the desert…possibly keeping the cold and water inside the respective climates.

So this is it. Survival of the fittest.

Marth wouldn't have stood a chance in the first place. Perhaps it was good that he passed so quickly…but now Ike's alone and without someone to watch his back. But he is Ike, so he stands a great chance.

If only I knew what would happen next…