A/N: So my boyfriend and I are celebrating our 5th year together tonight and I'm supposed to be getting ready..and here I am, finishing edits for this update. Am I dedicated or what? lol Anyway, enjoy the chapter! No quote/lyrics yet because it was either post without one or delay a few hours. Feel free to lend some quotes/lyrics you find fit the chapter and I'll edit later. Thanks guys!

Chapter 23 - Fatal Fantasy

"I promise I won't let you down."

The words Aang said to me when we agreed to be allies continue ringing in my head as I trudge through the forest, searching for Sokka. My eyes hurt from forcing back tears, my throat aching from strain. I'm overcome with the desire to throw up, but my stomach is too empty. It's one thing to watch someone die, but another entirely to watch someone you care about die; watch it unfold before your eyes so quickly that you can't do anything to stop it.

You didn't let me down, Aang, I think with deep sadness. I let you down.

The sun has lowered in the sky, and in a few hours it will be dusk. I need to find Sokka before its dark. I don't feel comfortable sleeping alone anymore, not even concealed high in the trees. The fact that it's been about an hour and I still haven't found Sokka makes me wary. The only good thing, I continue to remind myself, is that a canon would have gone off if he was dead.

I pause under a tree with a wide trunk, giving myself a quick break. I've only got a handful of arrows left—six or seven at most—and the dagger Mai had thrown at me. If we are near the lake, at least I'll be near water, if I can even find it; although I have no idea what I can put it in, but that's not something to worry about just yet.

I dump out the contents of my satchel, looking for anything else I can use. Someone must have stocked it when I wasn't paying attention because I find my bedroll, a single spark rock, clean bandages, Zuko's crown—and Yue's necklace. I bend down to pick it, examining it between my fingers. I try to remember when the prince gave it back to me. I look to the woods, as though somehow the trees hold my answer. Their silence is expected, and yet I still feel disappointed. I still have his crown—I forgot I even had it, to be honest. But he must have slipped my necklace into the bag when I wasn't looking, because I can't remember him giving it back. An odd move on his part, but I slip the necklace over my head regardless; I feel immediate reassurance.

My stomach growls. I'm starving and I haven't seen any berries or nuts lately. I also haven't seen any animals to hunt. Can I even afford to waste arrows hunting for food with tributes to worry about?

Thinking of Smellerbee, I take Mai's knife and chip away a piece of bark from one of the trees. It's thick and chewy and tasting of earth in my mouth, but I force it down with a grimace. At least it'll give me energy, even if it tastes terrible. I eat as much as I can stomach, resting against a tree, my boots digging into the squishy ground at my feet.

"Your clothing is black, but eventually you'll need to blend in. I'd suggest covering yourself in mud," June had said.

"Why mud?"

"Flushes out scent and gives you camouflage. You'll be able to stick leaves on you if necessary."

"Let's hope I never get that desperate."

And yet here I am, more desperate than ever. I look down at my feet, at the dirty boots, thinking of June's advice. If I'm going to stand a chance against Ty Lee and the others, I need all the help I can get.

I bend down and scoop up a handful of mud and start to cover my satchel. Then I smear the mud over my clothing, my hands, my neck, my face. If I find Sokka, can take down Ty Lee and Mai, then maybe I can risk rinsing off at the lake. Until then, I'm going to look like a swamp monster and that's that. I finish my blending by sticking various leaves all over my satchel and clothing.

I'm on the move again. I wish it would rain, even just for a few minutes. I feel dirty, thirsty, and oddly lonely without it. I never realized how much I want and need water. I miss it like a wilting flower on a hot summer day.

Suddenly I hear Hama's voice. "Water is all around us."

She's right, of course. I decide to risk it and pull some moisture out of the plants around me. I'm weaker than before, and I have to concentrate harder, but I manage to do it. The plants shrivel up and die, turning a nasty shade of brownish green. I drink the water; allow it to quench my thirst before moving on. I really hate doing that, watch life drain out of something even as benign as a plant.

I move on. I only walk about ten minutes when I see it: a huge willow, larger than I have ever seen, the green leaves bent over like falling rain. Zuko's voice reverberates in my head:

"I remember a tall willow, though, if it helps."

And then I hear noises. Leaves crunching, followed by hushed voices. High, angry voices. Female. Not coming toward me, thankfully, but in the vicinity.

I start moving slowly, an arrow already fitted into the string of my bow, pausing frequently to make sure my presence remains unknown. If I'm near Azula's camp, I cannot be heard or seen. Perhaps Suki's method of attack will work best. Quick, lethal, and stealthy. Three Fire tributes, three arrows to the chest. Don't make it difficult, I tell myself.

When I get as close to the voices as I dare possible, I pick a tall tree fit with thick, leafy branches and start climbing. My strength with a bow is range, and I don't have range from the ground. I move slower than usual, making sure to keep quiet. About twenty feet up, the worst happens. My quiver catches on a branch—the strap snaps completely and nearly yanks me backwards, knocking me off balance. I struggle to keep my position and almost fall, but I manage to right myself. Only, I can't catch the quiver, and it starts to fall. Desperately I reach out with one arm, grappling furiously, but the quiver slides through my fingers and the arrows topple out. All I end up with is a single arrow that I manage to snag.

The arrows hit the branches on the way down—not at all quietly—and land in a pile of leaves, barely visible even to a trained eye. My quiver lands off to the side. I bite my tongue, both out of fear and fury. It's all I can do not to curse out loud. For a moment I simply down at it all, debating if I can risk getting down and back up here without being heard or spotted again.

And then I'm moving, going down the tree as quickly as I can. Just when I reach the bottom, I hear the sound of crunching leaves, some distance away, but most certainly coming closer. I want to scream, furious with myself. There's no time to gather all my arrows and stack them in my quiver, so instead I stash them under the leaves, burying them as much as I can. I take another for good measure and grab my quiver and scale the tree, climbing faster than I ever have in my life.

I'm about twenty feet up when the footsteps are close enough that I have to stop. I flatten myself against a heavy branch, praying my camouflage works, my heart pounding so loud I'm surprised no one can hear me. I don't dare peek over to see what's happening below—I barely breathe, afraid to make even the slightest of sounds.

The crunching walks past my tree and suddenly stops.

Don't look up, I think desperately. Don't look up, don't look up.

The minutes seem to drag. I tense for attack, waiting for it. Mentally I start coming up with a plan: I'm higher, so I can jump down and use my body force to my advantage. I have two arrows, but I know where the rest are. I have a knife. And then,

"Well, what was it?" a voice calls out, sounding much further away.

"Nothing," another voice answers, from below. "There is no one here. Probably just an animal."

I don't dare breathe out. It's Ty Lee; I can tell by the pitch of her voice. But where's Sokka? What happened to him? No canon, I remind myself. He's still alive. I don't relax until the footsteps fade away, and when they finally do, I rise a little from my position and have a look around. I was so preoccupied with what was going on below me I didn't notice everything around and above me.

I'm high enough from the ground that I can actually see the flags. I'm close to the Base, probably around a half mile. My gold Nine waves in the breeze, next to a red Nine that makes me feel calmer and calmer the more I stare at it. Of course Sokka is alive. I shouldn't doubt him so quickly. There are only nine flags left. Nine tributes. But as I stare at the flags, something feels off, like I'm missing something.

Or someone. And then I catch it.

There is no red Eight.

What happened to Matsu? When did I miss this? Toph's flag is still in the air and the last time I saw her, she was with Matsu when we were trapped—

Zuko. The idea hits me so suddenly I almost gasp. He never told me how he got his swords back. Did he kill Matsu? Or is it merely coincidental? I almost laugh; I'm starting to think there is no such thing as a coincidence in these Games anymore. What happened while I was sleeping off the effects of the venom? Did Toph kill Matsu and give Zuko back his swords? Unlikely, since there's no reason for her to do such a thing. I guess it doesn't really matter; that's one less tribute I have to worry about. I wonder, though, if Toph is still planning on escaping to Province 13 through the underground tunnels.

I almost laugh again. What a suicidal idea but the more I think about it, the more I'm torn with some twisted feeling I almost want to write off as jealousy, but that can't be right. The reason I can't go with Toph—besides the fact that Province 13 doesn't exist—is that I can't leave behind my dad and Sokka. Why would I be jealous of that? And yet…Is it a blessing I can't go because I can't leave behind love ones? Or is it a curse in disguise?

I concentrate on the voices and lower myself until I'm flat on my stomach. I have to inch forward a little, and pull back a branch that hangs in front of my face. From this angle, I'm just able to catch a glimpse of a camp some distance away. Azula's camp, no doubt.

Sitting on a relatively open and flat area is a huge crimson tent, easily able to fit fifteen people inside. Even from this distance I can see this isn't an ordinary, cheap tent. It's regal, trimmed in gold, with an enormous gold emblem on the hanging flap that I think is the Fire Nation national symbol, the flame. Empty crates are stacked around the tent, each embellished with the same symbol. I can't be sure, but it looks like weaponry crates, the kind I've seen loaded off docks by the Guards back at Province 9.

Well, I think reasonably, that explains Mai's endless supply of knives and daggers.

I shift my gaze from the crates and then I see them: Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai, standing off side the tent. Their posture makes it seem as though they're on the verge of an argument or discussing something serious. I have to strain my ears to hear them.

"I'm sorry. "Azula holds up a hand, silencing whoever was speaking. "It seems I am confused. Could you please explain something to me, Mai?"

Even though the question is obviously addressed to Mai, Ty Lee takes a hesitant step toward the tent. Standing across from the princess and Ty Lee, Mai looks more alone than the measly few feet that separate them.

"Of course," says Mai. Her voice is level, but I can see the unease in her posture.

"Did you or did you not score an eight during the training session?" says Azula. Her voice is precise and sharp, the voice of someone that people listen to.

"I did, Princess."

"And did you not perform, purposely, under your true capabilities?"

"I did, Princess."

Azula places her arms behind her back, tipping her chin down with pursed lips, an unsatisfied look on her face. She's wearing dark armor, black as night, and her hair is pulled back, two strands dangling in front of deep gold eyes. She stands like Zuko: tall, proud and regal. "Then how," she says, pacing in front of Mai, "have you failed to miss so many targets I have assigned to you?"

Silence.

Azula taps a booted foot. "Ty Lee, please enlighten Mai on the previous task I bestowed upon the pair of you."

"You said you wanted me to take away your brother's bending and lure one of the tributes from Nine into the woods so they get lost, forcing their group to split," says Ty Lee, in a small, timid voice. I've never seen her look so afraid. "And Mai…you wanted her to kill the other one from Nine and injure your brother."

Azula looks at Mai pointedly. "Did you do either of your tasks, Mai?"

"There were so many of them."

"So many of them," Azula echoes flatly. The silence that follows is frightening and heavy.

"I tr—"

The princess moves so fast it's a blur of movement. Blue fire swarms over Mai's head, silencing her midsentence. Ty Lee quivers.

"Do not say you tried!" Azula's voice rings through the arena, icy and hard and frightening. "You either succeed or you fail. There is no such thing as trying."

Mai bows her head, black hair spilling past her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Princess."

"I am starting to doubt your abilities." It's startling how quickly the princess can go from angry to calm. She lifts a hand, examining her sharp, narrow nails. "Are you incapable of such tasks?"

"No, Princess."

"Well then, I suppose you ought to prove it, otherwise my use for you ends here."

Mai looks up, confused. "Sorry?"

"You say you are not a failure." The princess grabs Ty Lee by the arm and steers her toward one of the trees that surrounds their camp; Ty Lee let's herself be dragged without a word, almost looking like an ashamed pet who has displeased their owner.

Azula turns and vanishes inside the tent, returning a moment later with a ripe green apple. She places it on a very stiff Ty Lee's head and turns to Mai. "If you are not a failure and your aim is as good as you say it is, then you can hit the apple cleanly without harming Ty Lee."

Mai stares at Ty Lee and goes very white. "Is this really necessary, Princess?"

"Is your life necessary?" Azula rallies back. "Not unless I say it is."

My grip around the arrows tightens. Can I hit any of them from here? Trees and branches obscure my line of fire; the shot will be tricky. Missing will give away my location and I can't have a Firebending prodigy like Azula find me trapped in a tree with only one arrow left and a knife. No, I decide. I can't risk it from this distance. Longshot could do it, but he's not here anymore.

"You look indecisive." Azula's voice is almost a purr. "Do you know what happens to the fate of those who are indecisive?"

Mai swallows, but says nothing.

"Do I detect fear, Mai?" Azula says, sounding both amused and disappointed all at once. "Fear you will fail, or fear of what will happen if you fail?"

Mai looks at the princess, face blank. "I'm not afraid of either."

Azula's eyes flash, like the reaction of water hitting fire in a spark of fury, but the look is gone in an instant. Her eyes then flicker between Mai and Ty Lee. "Then do it," she demands.

Mai pulls out a knife and looks at it, carefully. I have to lean far to the left to see Ty Lee; she stands tall and strong but her eyes give her away: She's nervous and scared and I don't blame her one bit. Mai looks up—she's standing about twenty feet from Ty Lee—and gives Ty Lee a look that almost reads as an apology. Then without warning, she launches the knife.

Ty Lee lets out a shriek as the knife pierces the apple, pinning it to the tree; I jump in reaction, but manage to stay silent. For some reason, relief swells inside me, and instantly I feel like I can breathe again.

"Good," says Azula, turning on her heels to face Mai. "Very good. That makes me feel a little better, as it should you."

Mai exhales slowly, also looking relieved, and then—

"But you should have feared me more." Azula moves with blinding speed. White-blue light crackles around her, following from her fingers like an electric whip. Mai looks at her, confused, and then realization hits, but it's too late. Azula lunges forward, two fingers pointing out, and the lighting surges from her fingers to Mai's chest; Mai flies through the air and slams at the base of a tree.

The canon that goes off conceals my scream.

"Why did you do that?" Ty Lee asks, horrified, rushing over to Mai. Mai's body is crumpled and still, covered under black robes. "She did it! She did what you asked!"

"Wrong." Azula strides over to Ty Lee, towering over her. There is no remorse on her face, no emotion at all. "My father does not accept failure and neither do I. Province 2 has failed me countless times. I wanted to give Mai a chance to succeed at least once before she dies."

Ty Lee just stares at her and Azula sighs, somehow looking terribly inconvenienced.

"It seems if I want anything done around here I must do it myself," she finally says. "My brother is a traitor, as hopefully the rest of the world can see by now. The reason we remain the last two Fire tributes, Ty Lee, is because we are the only ones worthy of it. None of the others are, including my dearest big brother." Her expression changes into something more thoughtful, yet equally as upsetting. "Although, I admit I did have higher hopes for Mai and Chan." She glances at Ty Lee. "I hope you will not leave me as disappointed."

Ty Lee looks back down at Mai, her face crumpling in emotions, looking more human that I've ever seen. But when she looks back at Azula, it's carefully blank.

"I will not fail you, Princess," she says, and then she moves toward the princess and bows at her feet, nose touching the ground.

Azula smiles down at Ty Lee, just as frightening as it is beautiful. "I know you won't."

Suddenly I think of Aang. This is how he died, only then I hadn't seen where the lighting came from. It was Azula, and she can bend lightning. This must be what she showed the Elites and how she received a perfect score. I have never heard of anyone bending anything other than the four elements; how is lightning even possible? Can all benders do it, or just Firebenders? What about Zuko? Has he been waiting to do this to me, to Sokka, before he goes after Azula?

For a brief second, I consider what will happen if I stay up here, hidden in this tree, until the end of the Games. Will the Elites manipulate the arena and force me out? Will a mentor send a note into the arena, like Pakku did for me, and tell the other tributes where I am?

I don't want to play anymore, I think miserably. But then I think of my dad, watching back at home. I think of June and Pakku and Hama. I think of all of Province 9, and I think of my brother, who is counting on me. I can't quit on any of them. Not now—not ever.

I don't know how to beat Azula; all I know is that Ty Lee's task was to lose my brother in the woods. He's out there alone and lost while the princess and Ty Lee plan their next move. I have to get out of here and find him, but it's too risky to make any sudden movements while they're still hanging around. I have to wait it out. It'll be dark in a few hours; I'll sneak away then. I take out my knife and cut off another piece of bark. It still tastes just as disgusting, but I suppose it's better than nothing. At the end of the day, Mai's flag is the only one lowered. I almost forget flags aren't lowered until dusk, and it relieves me to know for a fact that Sokka is alive. I roll on my back and stare up at the red-gold sky, munching on bark, and somehow feeling lonelier than I ever have in the Games so far.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Poor Mai. :( This chapter was a bit tough because Azula's a tough character to write. Hope I wrote her okay. The reason she keeps Ty Lee instead of Mai is because Ty Lee has "proven herself" more in Azula's eyes, based off things we have seen in the story and things that have happened we haven't seen. ;)

Review Responses:

Jane Keybored: "Now how did Zuko get his swords back? and Why is he covered in blood? Did he protect the stoned tributes while they were out?" - This will be revealed in later chapters. For now you can let your imagination go wild, haha. Also, the reason Matsu is shown as alive last chapter is because Katara believed he WAS alive. I'm keeping everyone on the same page as Katara. ;)

"It is reminiscent of the canon Mai/Zuko relationship, but I'm pretty positive that Mai and Zuko haven't really met up before, since they're from different providences." - Yeah, Mai and Zuko have never met before. I wanted there to be a little reminiscent, but it's really nothing more than that. Zuko wanted Mai alive because of strategic reasons, nothing personal. :D

BG-13: "Ok...if you kill Toph...this story is dead to me...no matter how well its written!" - Lol I've found it really interesting how everyone seems to care mostly about Toph not dying. Don't get me wrong, I love her to pieces, but I find it oddly cute.

"Please tell me there is more of Toph being Epic!" - I have so much to say about her but I can't because I refuse to spoil everyone! lol I will say this though. I want to explain Toph's behavior a little. Of course Toph is a badass and she could probably take out just about everyone in the Games-perhaps not Azula or Zuko-but for Toph to show off her skills and be a badass would mean she's playing the game. That she's giving in to the Capital. And Toph is just not ike that. She flat out refuses to play the Capital's little game, and opts for a way out. So while it would be fun to write her being a badass, I don't think it'd be in character, at least not the character I have for her in this story. Toph is waiting patiently, just as her mentor advised. Think about who her mentor might be and it might make more sense...:D

happilyinsane13: "The conflict in Zuko's head is playing out very well, and since I can tell this from Katara's point of view, that's even better!" - Thank you! That's such a great compliment. It's hard to portray conflicting character correctly, especially when they're seen from another point of view. Glad it's working so far. :P

"On a slightly different note, you know your story that you also originally posted on HPFF? Is the story still there? Or only on FFnet now?" - Changing Fate? It's only on here now. :D I'll be posting Forces of Destiny, the sequel, when I finish CF. I'm sort of re-writing every chapter, not changing anything big, but making it a cleaner and better written story.

DestinyCrusader: "But I guess... well, when I read it, the emotional feeling I got didn't seem strong enough. Idk, maybe my mind just went numb when it happened... just a thought, I guess." - Talking about Aang's death. This was actually my intention, to be honest. A quick death that leaves you thinking "did that just happen?" Aang's death is reminiscent of how he "dies" in season 2, and it's how I felt when I watched it because it seemed so fast that I almost couldn't believe it happened. But it's those deaths that linger, and Katara constantly thinks about it afterwards. It doesn't affect as much when it happens as it will in the future, when she looks back. That quick death was a shock factor, but once that shock fades, then she has to face it and that's when it hurts most. There is a drawn out death though, coming up soon. :(

SallyAcorn: "I know, I know, and your probably not ven reading this cause of the overwhelming popularity of this story!" - I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I want everyone to know I read EVERY review. Every single one. I check reviews at least 10 times a day. I love posting a new chapter and seeing what you guys think about it. Now, I don't respond to every review, simply because I try to respond to questions or comments that I want to explain. But I really do appreciate every review I receive; they mean a lot to me!

"In the end, will it be more of the "KATNISS AND PEETA, ON TOP OF THE HORN, ALONE W/ NO HOPE" or will you put on a different approach" - Different. :D No horn and no muts! lol (I felt so bad for Cato in that scene..)

Gryffygirl: "Why are you keeping them as a group for so long? In THG, Katniss was alone for most of the time, except for Rue. So why keep her with so many for so long?" - Well, firstly because Katara isn't Katniss. :P She functions differently, especially in the "working alone" versus "working with a group" sense. Now Zuko prefers working alone, like Katniss, and so does Suki. But Katara is a bit different. She also has her brother, so she really isn't alone in the sense that Katniss was. And if Sokka thinks they should be in a group, Katara trusts his decision. She also knows staying in a group is the only way Azula and her sidekicks could go down. Cato isn't as powerful as Azula, and he also didn't have allies as strong as Ty Lee and Mai. While Katara would have preferred to be just with her brother, she's smart enough to know her chances are much stronger in a group. She's not as stubborn and prideful as Katniss in that sense. :P

HunterX321: "Also, I would like to ask if it would be possible for an extra to be about Toph when she was reaped." - This is a good idea for a bonus scene! I'll keep it in mind. :D

me38242: "I was also surprised/disappointed that Zuko didn't kill jet because I honestly feel like he had the skill set to do so." - Firstly, I enjoyed all your theories! You hit close on some points. :D Now to your comment: Yes, Zuko could have probably killed Jet based on skill alone. But he knows he needs Jet, because Jet is a good fighter. It's really the same reason he didn't want to kill Mai: he needs them for the bigger picture. He had a plan in his head and was trying to keep it from backfiring. He needs Jet to fight Azula and he needs Mai to find Azula. :P But we all know how Zuko's plans work out..haha.

"The fact that Zuko now shows hesitation reveals that he, in fact, is not truly a naturally "killer." - Yes, I do not believe Zuko is a natural killer. However, I would say he can be an instinctual killer at times. Instinct was what made him kill Chan and natural is what made Azula kill Mai. Instinct drives a lot of Zuko's actions, actually. :D

"That line "You have no idea what it feels like to love someone so much you would risk your own life for them"... Why do I get the feeling that Zuko did EXACTLY that while Katara was unconscious with the rest of them?" - Well, I will say these words did trigger something in Zuko, but it has nothing to do with Katara. :P There..I'll let you mule that over, haha.

Updated list of ALIVE tributes:

Province 1 - Azula and Zuko

Province 5 - Ty Lee

Province 6 - Jet

Province 8 - Toph

Province 9 - Katara and Sokka

Province 12 - Suki