The Festival of the Gods:

Part One:

Head Gamemaker's POV:

Lavender's POV:

Oh, my sweet tributes. How unsuspecting they were. I laughed at the irony of this entire situation. They thought they were so in control. They thought they were so safe, as long as they had the proper attitude. What they didn't realize was that this wasn't about them. This was about the Capital. This was all for the Capital's entertainment. I looked down at the list in front of me. The list of the tributes' greatest weakness at the moment.

Rouge Lockett- Afraid of showing her real self, and being rejected or hated.

Alex Carter- Afraid of not being in control.

Isis Robertson- Afraid of getting to close to others.

Hali Wardle- Afraid of fighting another tribute.

Rapids Waters- Afraid of dying and being forgotten.

Claire Estates- Afraid of dishonoring her fiancée.

Paloma Moretti- Afraid of leaving people behind.

Neal Dawson- Afraid of being defenseless.

Abby Parker- Afraid of those that are smarter and stronger than her.

Bree Sulivan- Afraid of hurting those that she I close to.

Link Trat- Afraid of those he is trying to protect getting hurt.

Jute Farlend- Afraid of becoming a monster.

Alix Van Airengarde- Afraid of being betrayed.

Natalie Swan- Afraid of hurting those who are weaker than her.

Conium Maculatam- Afraid of failing to protect his sister and allies.

Shadow Ferrah- Afraid of being and the open and not hidden.

Dusk Shalt- Afraid of killing someone again.

Oliver Pendragon- Afraid of being alone.

I laughed as I thought about how much fun I was going to have with them tonight. I smiled at the idea that was soon going to be put into action. My plan was one hundred percent full proof. It was far better than my gem idea. You see, my gem idea had one weakness. A tribute could be shocked out of their mental state of mind. For example, Bree Sulivan. She was so shocked at what she did that her mind reverted back to her original state. In risk of sounding cliché, love was the one weakness of the gem. My new plan had no weakness. I was pitting love against love. Either way, they hurt someone. Either way, I won because the Capital would be getting the show of a lifetime tonight.

Mutt's POV:

Angel's POV:

"Here you go, Angel. Make sure you give the right mask to the right tribute," I heard Lavender's voice chime in my head. I nodded, and walked over to the basket that had just fallen from the sky. I opened it, and smiled at the contents. My mask was right on the top. It was pure white, and had white feathers on the sides.

My name was Angel, and I was the Capital's mutt. My body was modeled of that of a twelve year old girl. My hair was golden blonde, and fell in ringlets to my lower back. I was as cute as a button, and I was perfect. Just how the Capital wanted me. I raised my scarlet hood over my head, and began to walk around.

I already had a tracking device of each tribute. Most were still outside the gates, but the Festival was starting soon. One thing you had to know about the Festival was the rules. One thing was that it was a masquerade. Everyone was celebrating the gods, and this was the night the most unruly things happened. This was the night once a year when you would forget who you were, and become someone else.

I smiled when I saw the first tributes to walk through the gates. It was Rouge, Link, and Hali.

"Why, hello there," I called sweetly.

"Hello," Rouge said suspiciously.

"Welcome, travelers, to the Festival of the Gods! Please, take a mask!" I offered.

"We're fine, thank you," Rouge said coldly.

"Please, I insist," I hissed. All of their eyes widened, and they knew it wasn't an option. I handed Rouge a white mask that had flecks of diamonds imbedded in it. Link was handed a mask that was modeled after one of the trees. Hali was given a mask that reminded me of a mouse. As soon as they put them on, they cried in pain. Rouge gripped at her mask, and tried to yank it off.

"It won't come off until you complete your task," I said sweetly. I saw the ribbons of the mask slowly crawl through their ears into their skull. I heard all of them gasp in pain when it connected with their brain. Now, they were connected with Lavender. They would each be given an order sometime throughout the night. Once they completed it in the allotted time, then the mask would pop off and they would be free to live. If they didn't complete it, they would die. Either way, they lost.

"Have a wonderful time tonight!" I cheered as they walked away quickly. Suddenly, I spotted the next two tributes.

"Welcome to the Festival of the Gods!"

District One:

Rouge's POV:

"Tributes, you have fifteen minutes to make it to the Festival of the Gods. If you are not there in time, you will be killed. Thank you, and may you have a wonderful time tonight," Lavender announced.

It had been a half hour or so since that creepy little girl had given us our masks. I knew that if we didn't take them she would have killed us. When I refused the first time, her skin began to slowly turn red, and I could have sworn I saw horns peeping up through her hair.

I kept waiting for Lavender to give me my order. When the mask was attached to my brain, the standard greeting was issued. It told me I would have to complete a command. If I completed it, I would be able to live another day and the mask would detach from my face. If I refused to try to complete it, not only would I die but so would my brother. I guessed as long as I tried, my brother would be allowed to live even if I died. Whatever that order was, I would complete it. However, still there was nothing. I found myself constantly pulling at the ribbon that attached the mask to my face. The mask wouldn't budge an inch.

"Thank you," Krindle said happily. I glanced over at him to see he was walking back happily. We had been waiting this entire time for the jeweler to get done with our gem. He had imbedded it into a golden ring, and fitted it to fit my finger. Of course, my finger size was the same as Hali's, and she put it in her pocket for later. We didn't want to mess with it right now, since we already had so much on our plate.

"Let the Festival of the Gods begin!" Someone yelled out. I looked at a raised stage to see the Queen announcing this to all of her loyal followers. Everyone cheered in response, and music began to play. Suddenly, all of us were separated. I was grabbed by some man to dance, and I lost sight quickly of my allies in the crowd. We continued to dance, and I just groaned internally. Tonight was going to be the longest, and deadliest, night of the games so far…

District Twelve:

Oliver's POV:

"So, does this mask make me look sexy," I joked with Neal.

He just glared at me and rolled his eyes. My mask was probably one of the most boring things ever to look at. It was black, and it had small gold dots all over it. I had no idea what it was supposed to signify, but it was pretty darn ugly.

"You really shouldn't be drinking that," Neal reprimanded.

"Come on! It's not like we are allowed to drink back in the districts," I retorted. I continued to guzzle down a glass of ale, before I handed it to the owner to fill it up again. Everything here at the festival was free! Free food, free clothes, and free alcohol! It was my own personal dream come true!

"We need you in top condition for whatever the Gamemakers throw our way," Neal chuckled.

"Yeah, well I can still swing around a knife even if I am a little tipsy," I slurred. Suddenly, I heard her voice. I knew it was Lavender's voice in a matter of seconds.

Oliver, my dear! You really should listen to your district partner! He won't always be there to protect you. Isn't that what you're afraid of? Relying completely on yourself?

I shuddered at how close she sounded. She was completely right. My entire life I was around someone else. I was either around my sister, or a cute girl, or even my mom! I was never alone. I was afraid of having to rely on myself, because no one had ever been able to rely on me. I had always failed others, so why wouldn't I fail myself?

You must leave Neal behind, and protect yourself for two hours. Failure to complete this task will result in your death. The clock is ticking, Oliver…

I nodded in approval. Two hours? I could rely on myself for two hours. I just had to be away from Neal.

"Hey, I got to take a leak. Be back in a bit," I yelled. Neal nodded slowly, and turned his attention back to looking for other tributes. I left my stuff by Neal, and only brought along a knife. I walked through the crowd of people, and felt so lost. Every single person was wearing a mask of some sort. How was I supposed to know who was a tribute, and who wasn't? Maybe Lavender would warn me… Wait, I obviously had drunk to much ale. There was no way I could depend on Lavender!

I continued to walk around, until I knew what would keep me preoccupied for a few hours. I saw a hot girl dancing about. She turned towards me, and her bright red mask seemed to glow in the firelight.

"Hey there!" I called. I grabbed her arm, and started twirling her about. I knew a lot about dancing from back home. That was one of the number one ways to pick up chicks back in District Twelve. I continued to spin her around, and her laugh seemed to make my heart soar. Well, I personally think it was the alcohol making my heart thump so loud, but my mind was a little too cloudy to think coherently. After the tune was over, everyone clapped.

"My name is Sandra," The girl shouted.

"Mine is Oliver. Nice to meet you," I beamed. The girl giggled loudly, and I knew my charm was working perfectly.

"What to go someplace quieter… I can't really think it so loud, let alone carry on a conversation," Sandra flirted.

"Yeah! Sounds great!" I slurred. She linked arms with me, and led me out of the crowd. Both of us looked around, until we found a small storage building. I opened the door for her, like a gentlemen, and walked in after her. This building was being used to store kegs of ale and other drinks as of the moment. I led her to the back of the building, and we found a small place where we could lie down.

"So, Oliver. Are you enjoying yourself so far," Sandra smiled.

"Of course I am! I'm here with a beautiful girl!" I replied.

"Where's this other girl," Sandra mock asked.

"Right here," I said, pointing at her heart. She giggled again, and batted her eye lashes. I remember earlier hearing about how during this Festival everyone did things that they would never do usually. This was the perfect time to get an easy lay.

"Well, what are you going to do with her," Sandra asked as she got extremely closer. Our lips were practically touching, and it felt as if electricity was sparking between us. This was so much better than spending time with Neal.

"I don't kn-" I started before she cut me off with a kiss. We slowly kissed, and caressed each other. We continue to do this, and I felt so safe. I was never comfortable being alone. I had never thought I was that great of guy, which led to me finding my happiness in others thinking I was a great guy. I was a pretty great guy… right?

Suddenly, my body felt as if it was on fire. I fell on my back, and looked up at the girl. She was holding my knife, and it was coated with my blood.

You must leave Neal behind, and protect yourself

I had failed. I touched my throat, and knew the girl had slit it. I tried to say something, but all I could feel was blood begin to gurgle out of my throat. Sandra must have slowly grabbed the knife out of my belt, and then raised it to my throat.

The girls' mask popped off, and she shook her head. "The Capital thought they had me. They thought my order would be so hard for me to carry out. They thought 'seduce a tribute, and kill them' would play on my biggest fear. They thought wrong. They thought I couldn't seduce someone because Charlie was dead…"

The girl continued to mumble to herself before she looked at me with pity "I'm sorry they pitted us against each other. Killing someone like this is just sick and wrong…"

She walked away, and all I could see was her wiping off my blood on her outfit. Soon, she was gone. She must have been a tribute. I wondered what her real name was, and who this Charlie guy was. It didn't matter anymore anyways. I was just going to sit here, and die. I looked around, and saw my blood was everywhere. It surrounded me. It engulfed me. It was the last thing I saw before I died.

District Seven:

Link's POV:

Over the music, I heard a cannon ring out. I gasped, and continued to frantically search for my allies. All of us had been separated since the very beginning of the Festival. The Capital wanted us as far apart from each other as possible. They wanted us at our weakest when they played with us.

Was that Rouge's cannon? Was she alright? Maybe it was little Hali's cannon? Could someone kill someone as sweet and small as her? I continued to run through the crowd, and turn women around. Every time I saw a woman with blonde hair, or a girl with light brown hair I would whirl them around. Time after time, it wasn't them.

"Rouge! Hali!" I yelled. I felt myself beginning to panic. I felt as if the world was slowly crashing down around me. Suddenly, it seemed as if I was being swallowed by the masses of people. I dragged myself out of the crowd, and stood against a wall on the outskirts of the town square. I breathed heavily, and tried to calm myself down. I would be able to find them… I had to be able to find them!

"Link!" I heard someone yell. I glanced to my right to find Rouge running towards me. I stood up taller, and began to run towards her. Then, I stopped, because I felt an immense amount of pain shoot through my brain.

Awwww… The cutest couple in the arena. The place where love always seems to blossom. There she is! Rouge, the girl of your dreams. The girl you love. The girl you would do anything to protect. The girl who is your weakness.

I heard the sharp, metallic quality of the Head Gamemaker's voice ring throughout my brain. Were all of those things true? Was she my weakness?

Here is your order, Linky. Break her heart. Break her heart, and make her hate you. Say whatever you have to, but get the job done. If you don't, not only will you die, but so will your precious mom. Also, I can't make any promises that Rouge will live through it either… I have just as much control over her life than I do over yours at the moment… You have fifteen minutes. Tick tock, Link…

I felt as if someone had just punched me in the stomach. All the breath was gone from my body. Break her heart… I had spent days getting her to trust me. I had spent days loving her, and trying to get her to return the feeling. How could I just crush it like this?

The thing was it didn't matter how I felt. I had no choice.

"I thought I'd never find you," Rouge cheered as she embraced me. She pulled me into a quick kiss, and smiled at me. "I have something to tell you… Something I've been meaning to tell you for awhile now, but I hadn't gotten the guts until now."

"Rouge… Don't…" I began.

"Just let me get this out," she spewed, "I've known I've felt this way for days, but I was afraid to say it out loud. I was afraid that you'd leave me… or maybe not even return it. Now I know it's all just fear. I… I… I love you…"

Suddenly, her mask popped off of her face, and she smiled at me. "My order was to admit my feelings… That wasn't so hard, was it?"

She hugged me again, and snuggled her head in the crook of my neck. I didn't hug her back, but I memorized everything about her in a matter of seconds. I memorized the way her body felt against mine. I memorized her sweet, melodic voice. I memorized it all before I took a step back.

"That was my order too," I lied.

A look of confusion spread across her face. "You've already told me that you loved me… What else is there to say?" she asked.

"The truth… I don't love you," I lied.

The look of pain that appeared on her face almost made me back down, and take it all back. It almost made me say 'just kidding'. But still, I stood firm. I had to do this…

"You don't mean that…" she whispered.

"Yes, I do." I stated as coldly as I could.

"No, you don't!" Rouge yelled. She looked me straight in the eyes, and I knew she didn't buy it for a second. I knew nothing would get her to believe that I didn't love her. Nothing except…

No. I wouldn't. I wouldn't say it.

Do it.

No, I can't hurt her like that.

Do it now!

I felt pain begin to resonate through my brain, and it was a warning. Break her heart, or die.

"I never loved you. You were just something pretty for me to play with, plain and simple." I yelled.

Her face contorted to one of complete and utter hurt. "You… You can't mean that! You can't!"

"I pretended to love you. On the roof, it was all an act. You were pretty, I was lonely, and you were a Career. You were good protection for me in the arena." I shouted.

"Stop it!" Rouge screamed back.

"When I had sex with you, it meant nothing. You were pretty and willing to offer yourself, so I took it."

"Shut up!" she screamed. She drew her fist back and punched me across the face. I stumbled a bit, and turned to face her. Tears were streaming down her face, and she had her bow aimed menacingly at me.

"You're nothing but a District One whore," I growled.

Suddenly, all her anger was gone, and all I saw was agony. She lowered her bow, and spun around. She sprinted into the crowd, and I knew I would never see her again.

You both followed orders quite nicely. Well done, my dear tribute…

My mask popped off, and it fell to the ground. I stared at it for a second, before I grabbed one of my knives and stabbed it into the mask. I stabbed into it again… and again…. And again… I hated the Capital. The only thing I hated more than the Capital right now was myself…

District Seven:

Bree's POV:

"Move!" I heard Rapids yell. She shoved her way through the crowd of mutts until we were in one of the side streets. She hobbled over to one of the walls, and sank down to the floor. She quickly lifted up her shirt, and looked at her wound. It was still bleeding, and I could tell it was causing her a lot of pain.

"Here… Let me help…" I murmured.

"I got it," she snapped, "I think you've done enough!"

I flinched at her comment, and let her begin to unwrap her bandages. I deserved every mean comment or insult she wanted to throw at me. I still couldn't believe I had done that. At the time it happened, I felt like I was trapped behind a glass wall. Like I was looking at the scene, but I couldn't control myself. My limbs were moving, but no matter how much I tried to stop them they continued to attack Rapids.

I deserved every bad thing to happen to me. I was a terrible friend, and human being. How could I do that to my ally! How could I cause her this much pain! I shuddered as I watched her hiss in pain every time she touched her side.

I left that stupid gem back in the cave. I never wanted to see or think about it again. Yet, it was still seared into my brain forever. That violent girl wasn't me. I was a loyal ally! I was a good friend! I was… I was…

You are… You are…

I heard Lavender's voice mocking me. Here we go. The command I had to obey. I tried to think of an excuse to leave Rapids. I didn't want to leave her alone in her state, but most likely my command would make me leave her for a little bit.

You know what you are Bree? You are a kind, nice girl. You always see on the bright side of things, and you are a loyal friend. I think we are going to have to change that. Your order is to finish what you started. You started killing Rapids, and now you have to finish it. You have thirty minutes. Tick tock, Bree…

I gasped, and turned towards Rapids. She had just finished putting medicine in her wound, and was beginning to wrap it back up with new bandages. I couldn't do it… I couldn't do that to her…

You really want you and your best friend from District Seven to die? You really want to die for a girl who is already half dead herself? Come on, Bree. Do what Rapids said, and let loose…

Rapids stood up, and looked with a confused expression at the ground. "What do you mean defend yourself…?" she whispered to herself, and most likely Lavender.

Her order is to defend herself. In a few seconds, she would know it was to defend herself from me. Lavender was pitting us against each other. The opposite allies. The two girls who never saw eye to eye. The two girls that had become best friends.

Do it, Bree. Do it now, or else you will die.

"I'm sorry Rapids…" I spoke aloud. Rapids head whipped up, and she saw the way I was gripping my axe. "Orders are orders… Just like you said earlier today, you have your mother to worry about, and I have my friend."

Rapids nodded slowly in understanding, and raised her machete. "Let the best girl win."

I decided I needed to start off on the offense, and I practically leapt at Rapids. I plunged my axe downwards, but Rapids quickly rolled out of the way. My axe imbedded itself in a wooden box, but I quickly yanked it out and turned around. Rapids was gripping her side in pain, but still had one hand holding her machete. She lunged towards me, and I quickly parried it away.

We soon started a pattern of fighting. I would be on the offense, and she would dodge. She would the counter attack me, and I would block it. The pattern was never ending, but I could tell it was taking a toll on Rapids. I could see her white bandages were now bright crimson, and she was panting extremely heavily.

Finally, the pattern ended abruptly. Instead of dodging my axe, she didn't move at all. My axe went straight into her injured side, but I realized too late she didn't move on purpose. When I got close enough, she rammed her machete straight through the shoulder of my prominent fighting arm. Both of us screamed in pain, and fell down. We lay there, moaning in pain for awhile. I knew she had definitely cut through muscle and cartilage. Eventually, I yanked out the machete, and stood back up. Rapids did the same with my axe, and held it threateningly.

I moved the machete over to my uninjured arm, and started to swing towards her. I was aiming for her neck, and she brought my axe up to block my attack. She twisted the axe in such a way that the machete went flying from my grasp, but so did her axe. I did the first thing I could think of, and I tackled her to the ground.

I grabbed her hair with one hand, and punched her injured side with my other. She yelled in pain, and quickly scratched my neck, and punched me back in the stomach. We then continued to toss around, all the while yanking at each other's hair. I then freed one hand from her hair, and grappled for one of the weapons. I grabbed the machete, and quickly swung if at her arm. It dug into her wrist, and she immediately let go of my hair.

She screamed in pure anguish and started rolling across the ground. At first, I didn't understand. Then I felt something was still gripping my hair, and screamed when I saw Rapids' hand still holding on to my hair. Her hand that wasn't attached to her arm anymore. I quickly uncurled the fingers from my hair, and threw the hand across the side street. I grabbed for the axe with my uninjured arm, and walked over to Rapids. She was sobbing uncontrollably as she held her bloody lump of an arm to her chest.

"I'm sorry… You really were one of my best friends…" I whispered. I raised my axe, and drove it through her neck. Her head detached itself from her body, and I heard a cannon ring out. I quickly grabbed both of our backpacks, her machete, and my axe. I then sprinted to the other end of the side street and looked back. Her mother had been lowered from the hovercraft, and was sobbing over her little girl's dead body. I ran around the corner, and collapsed against the stone wall. I thought about fixing myself up, but pushed that thought to the back of my mind. I would do that later. Right now I had to cry. I cried because Rapids was dead. I cried because I was the one who did it. I cried because I had controlled my body that time, and there was no one else to blame for her death but me. I cried because I wished I was the one who had died instead of her. I wished I would have sacrificed myself for her…

District One:

Alex's POV:

Another cannon rang out, and I froze in midstride.

"Two within an hour or so…" I muttered to myself.

"Wow, you finally decide to give a crap, huh?" Alix sneered.

"Shut up," I growled. She just continued to laugh, and we kept walking. Ever since I let Jute go, Alix hasn't given me a second of peace. She was constantly bringing up how I had a softer side, and I was constantly telling her to shut her big pie hole up. She obviously wasn't taking orders. I tried to pull my mask off again, unsuccessfully, and huffed in frustration.

"You know that's not coming off until we get our orders and then complete them," She lectured.

I rolled my eyes, and groaned, "I know, I know. I just… I just can't wait any longer! The thought of dying… it just freaks me out, okay."

Sympathy leaked into Alix's eyes, and she patted my back reassuringly. "I get it… I'm constantly afraid of dying as well, but we just got to keep plowing through it… Okay?"

"All right," I murmured.

"Don't go weak on me now! You're the leader of the Careers! Pick yourself up, and let's keep moving!" Alix cheered.

Yes, Alex, why don't you pick yourself up? You are the leader of the Careers after all.

That voice running through my head made me want to scream. I knew it was the Head Gamemakers, and I knew she was about to give me my order. Of course, she was going to have her fun with me first. That sadistic bitch.

You do know why you are the leader of the Careers, don't you? You're clever, fast, and a brilliant strategist. You have a confidence that other tributes can only aspire of having. However, that confidence is also your downfall. The main reason you just had to be the leader of the Careers was because you are a control freak. The reason you only let the best of the best in wasn't because it was some brilliant plan. It was simply because you wanted to control how things went, and you wouldn't have it any other way. Look where your brilliant plan got you? There is only you, and some girl from district nine! Here's your order, Alex. You have to relinquish control. You have to realize your wrong, and disband the Careers. Break off your alliance with Alix, and make a new plan. Ally yourself with anyone you want, but if you even try to restart the Careers you are as good as dead. You have two minutes. Tick tock, Alex…

I immediately looked at Alix, and had to stop myself from groaning. End the Career alliance? I wouldn't have anyone to watch my back anymore… I would be completely alone! I cleared my mind, and breathed in and out. You don't have a choice. Either you do this, or both you and your girlfriend die. I felt the internal clock ticking away.

"It's over, Girlie," I shouted.

Alix turned around, and glared at me. "What are you talking about?"

"The Careers. We're over. We are the only two left, and it's about time we went out on our own."

"What do you mean! You said we were going to find Isis during the Festival! Perhaps recruit a few more tributes! It isn't over yet!" Alix shouted.

"I said it's over, so it's over." I hissed.

"Fine!" Alix growled, "But I'm still looking for Isis. She's my friend, and I won't let her brave this arena alone. Goodbye, Alex."

Before I could even utter another word, Alix spun around and disappeared into the throng of people. I stood very still, and could only think one thought.

What the hell had I done?

As soon as that thought raced through my head, my mask popped off and fell to the ground. I shook my head, and just walked away. I kept walking, until I came to a small alley way. I walked further and further down the alley way. Suddenly, I heard something. I grabbed my double sided sword, and slowly turned the corner. Sitting behind a barrel, curled up in a ball, was Rouge. My district partner, who I hadn't seen since Isis almost killed her up by the castle.

I just stared at her. At first, I was utterly and purely stunned. I could tell by the way Rouge's body was moving that she was sobbing. What could ever make Rouge cry like this? The Rouge I knew wasn't like this. She was strong. She was independent. She was beautiful, but wouldn't let that define her. Even when she was worried or in pain, she wouldn't show it. She would simply hide behind an ice cold barrier and project to the world what she wanted them to see.

"Rouge?" I questioned.

Suddenly, she sprung up and fumbled for a weapon. She had a bow strung, and had an arrow pointing right at me. Her face was contorted with rage, and for the first time, I was terrified of this girl. In a matter of seconds, she saw it was me, and I was alone and unarmed. She dropped her weapon, and ran straight into me. She wrapped her arms around my torso, and I awkwardly hugged her back. She sobbed into my shoulder, and we sunk to the ground against the wall. She continued to sob, and I felt something inside of me break. Something about seeing the girl who was your district partner in pain just made you feel in pain as well.

"He's a liar! He's a no good scum bag! He lied to me! He promised… He promised!" Rouge cried in between sobs. I had no idea what she was referring too, but I continued to rub her back as she cried.

"It's okay… It's all going to be alright," I lied. I could tell that whatever happened was going to leave her far from alright. Suddenly, a memory popped into my head.

"Would you mind escorting me to dinner," she asked sweetly. Apparently Rouge was trying out her new acting nice and cheery attitude. I laughed and held out my arm. For a second, a smile flashed across her face before she went back to acting.

"I would be delighted to." We then walked down the hallway.

"I have a proposition for you," she said smoothly, "I know you will be the last one standing from your Elite Pack. Once you are, and if we meet up, would you like to be allies?"

I had to stop myself from smiling. If my Career Alliance broke up in the arena, then I had a back-up alliance! "Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."

I wasn't alone. Even though my plan had failed with the Career alliance, I still had Rouge. I knew I could depend on her, and I knew she could depend on me. If we survived this Festival, I knew we were going to make it to the end together. It was the best plan I could have ever thought of, and I didn't even need to control it.

District Five:

Neal's POV:

"Where the heck is Oliver," I hissed. I tapped my foot impatiently, and begun to worry even more. So far, two cannons had ringed out and announced the death of two tributes. The odds of one of those being Oliver were so miniscule… He was probably with a girl. With a female mutt. Yeah, he would much rather spend time with a pretty girl than me. He was fine… He had to be…

Suddenly, I felt as if my brain was going to explode. The pain was vibrating through my skull, and for a second I thought I was going to die.

Don't worry, Neal. I'm not done playing with you yet…

I shook my head, and practically growled in response to the voice in my head. I hated the stupid Head Gamemaker. One of these days she was going to get what was coming to her.

If that day comes, you most likely won't be around to see it. Now, Neal, you have obviously been very reserved and guarded during this festival. Why is that? Is it possibly because you always like to be on your guard? That if you aren't you are afraid someone will pop out of nowhere and kill you… Just like that girl killed Olivia…

"Don't talk about her," I snarled aloud. All I heard was laughter in my head as a response. Was it true? Was I afraid to let my guard down because of what happened to Olive? Or maybe I've always been like that. I personally didn't know. I never really thought about it before.

Here is your order. Do you remember the golden rule? Do onto others as you would want them to do onto you? Well, we are disregarding that rule for tonight. Your order is to attack a defenseless, or unsuspecting, tribute. Catch them by surprise, or just make sure they don't have a weapon. I personally don't care which. Failure to complete this order within twenty minutes will result in both you and your little sister's death. Tick tock Neal…

I was immediately on my feet and looking around the square for a tribute. You can mess with me all you want. Bring my sister into this, and it gets serious. I started shoving my way through the crowd, and gripped my knife tightly. I could always use one of Olive's bombs, but that might kill some of the mutts, and Olive told me to never kill a human mutt. It wouldn't end well.

I pushed my way through a couple kissing to set my sights on my target. The girl from District Ten. Right now, she was walking away from me. Her blonde hair was down, and she just kept walking on ahead. I was wondering where her ally was, but then I shook my head. For all I knew he could be dead, but I had a feeling the Capital separated them on purpose. They did that to Oliver and I, which meant they probably did that to every alliance. This Festival was meant to weed the weak away from the strong. It was about making sure the strongest tributes survived. The ones that could face their fears and survive. If you were with your ally, it would defeat the purpose of all of this.

I slowly crept closer and closer to the girl. She wasn't walking very fast, which made it quite easy for me to shove my way towards her. I eventually got within reaching distance of her. I was about to stab her, when I started to panic. How could I do this to someone who wasn't expecting it? It wasn't fair to them! It wasn't right!

This game isn't fair, Neal. Do it now, or else you will die!

My mind flitted to my little sister, and my resolve became stronger. I grabbed the girl's hair, and I heard her scream in surprise. I quickly stabbed my knife into her back, and yanked her so that she was leaning against me. I slowly led her to a wall, yanked my knife out of her back, and put her against it. I looked at the girl, and gasped in astonishment.

It wasn't the District Ten girl. The District Ten girl had grey eyes. This girl had blue eyes. This person also wasn't a girl, but a woman. I could tell she was older, and my mind immediately linked her with a picture I saw once. This was Rapids mom.

"My daughter is dead," She whispered, "If you ever lose a child, you will know how I feel. There is no reason to keep going on… No reason at all…. Just end it quickly, please…" The woman pleaded.

I raised my knife, and then a question popped into my head. "What's your name?"

"Coral," the woman smiled, "And yours?"

"Neal," I whispered.

"It was lovely meeting you," Coral laughed.

"Agreed," I murmured before I drove the knife into her heart. A cannon rang out, and I just looked at Coral. A defenseless mother… A woman who had nothing to live for anymore… My mask fell off, and I knew I was safe for the time being. I got up to walk away, but then I turned back around. I closed Coral's eyes, and brushed the hair out of her face. I wiped the blood off on her outfit, and started to walk away. This wasn't fair… None of this was fair…

President's POV:

Raven's POV:

I couldn't help but laugh at the thing Neal had done. So humane of him…

I laughed again, and called my secretary.

"Yes, Madam President?" Lopunny asked.

"Would you please have a message delivered to Head Gamemaker Lavender? Tell her this is her best idea so far, and what she is making the tributes do so far is some of the best entertainment the Capital has seen in years. The Capital hasn't been this excited and entertained in decades!" I stated.

"I will have it immediately sent to her," Lopunny confirmed.

I hung up the phone, and just smiled at the television screen. Everything was so perfect! First, Lavender put Claire against Oliver. Claire was a fairly attractive girl, and she was told to seduce and kill a tribute. Oliver was told to protect himself, but he was a complete womanizer. The Capital was so excited when they saw The Black Widow poison her mate, that she probably got five times more sponsorship money.

After them, Lavender pitted Link against Rouge. The completely unorthodox couple that the Capital loved. However, you know what the Capital loved even more? The Capital loved it even more when they broke up! I know Lavender was hoping Rouge would imbed an arrow into Link's skull, but obviously that didn't work out. Perhaps Rouge wasn't a complete heartless bitch.

Now Bree and Rapids fight was my favorite so far tonight. These two allies were always fighting! Then to tell Bree to finish the job! Perfect! Another brilliant idea by Lavender was to broadcast what she was telling the tributes to do! What was even better was that we couldn't hear what they were thinking! We had no idea if they were going to follow her orders, or just brush them off and risk dying! So far, no one had done that and I doubted anyone would.

The breakdown of the Career alliance didn't work how Lavender hoped it would either. Lavender most likely hoped the last two careers would try to kill each other, but that obviously didn't work. Now this last one with Neal! Perfect! Watching him take that woman out was perfect!

I continued to cackle before I slowly smiled. The best thing so far was that night wasn't even half over yet! So many more deaths to come… I couldn't wait to see all of their blood spilled…

TeeHee! Now, I know only three people have died so far, but let's just say I have a plan where A LOT more are going to die! The carnage WILL continue next chapter! So review! Tell me what you thought of this chapter!

Also, I know I threw a lot on you, so let me summarize it here in case you don't completely understand. Each tribute is forced to wear a mask. The ribbons that tie it to their head make their way through their ears into their brain. Then, Lavender can communicate with them as long as the mask is attached. She can also kill them with it as well, and they are not safe until the mask is off their face.

Each and every tribute (except for the ones who replace someone who dies during the festival [that does not count Shadow, Claire, and Oliver since they were already in the arena at the beginning of the festival so they have to wear a mask and they get an order to]) has one order that they will get randomly throughout the night (because the Capital can't watch every single thing if they all get their orders at the same time) and they have to complete it otherwise they die. If they refuse to even TRY to complete it, then not only do they die but so do their replacement tribute. If they at least TRY, then only they die and their replacement tribute lives. Once the mask pops off, they are safe from Lavenders orders, and they have the rest of the night to lay low. However, they still can die because there are other tributes with orders to fulfill! So anyone can die, even if they fulfill their order! Aren't I a crazy, psychopathic bitch :D

Eulogies!

Rapids- I'm SO SORRY! However, a lot of people are dying tonight, and you just happened to be one of them. It could have been Bree and not you, but at the last moment I decided you were injured already, and it was your time to go. I LOVE YOU AND I WILL MISS WRITING YOU SO FRICKIN MUCH YOU HAVE NO IDEA!

Oliver- THE LADIES MAN! I actually had huge plans for you in the future, but I kind of decided to kill you last minute. Yeah… I'm in a bloodthirsty mood and your blood was so easy to spill… I'm going to miss you too!

Coral- You were defenseless! I had to have someone defenseless to fulfill Neal's order, and you were not only physically defenseless but emotionally was well since your daughter JUST DIED.

District 1:

Girl: Rouge Lockett

Brother: Silver Lockett

Boy: Alex Carter

Girlfriend: Olivia Crane

District 2:

Girl: Isis Robertson

Nanny: Brielle Ibe

Boy: Saturn Everett (killed by Rouge on Day 3 with an arrow to the skull)

Friend: Constantine Blanche (killed by Isis on Day 3 with hidden knife/poison)

District 3:

Girl: Hali Wardle

Brother: Ben Wardle

Boy: Solder Hemsworth (killed by Alix with golden bat during the bloodbath)

Mother: Agrippa Hemsworth (killed by Isis by snapping neck during bloodbath)

District 4:

Girl: Droplet "Rapids" Waters (was forced to be killed by Bree during the Festival)

Mother: Coral Waters (killed by Neal with a knife in the back during the Festival)

Boy: Charlie Montgomery (killed accidently by Abby with a throwing knife on Day One)

Fiancée: Claire Estate "Black Widow"

District 5:

Girl: Paloma Moretti

Brother: Dario Moretti

Boy: Neal Dawson

Sister: Hali Dawson

District 6:

Girl: Abby Parker

Father: Mill Parker

Boy: Quince Fisher(tortured to death by Saturn on Day 2)

Sister: Piper Fisher (killed out of mercy by Alix on Day 2)

District 7:

Girl: Bree Sulivan

Friend: Sarah Matthews

Boy: Link Trat

Mother: Evalynn Trat

District 8:

Girl: Azalea Cress (killed by Alex during bloodbath with her own throwing axe)

Mother: Violet Cress (killed by Scarecrow Kid Mutt during bloodbath)

Boy: Jute Farlend

Sister: Alice Farlend

District 9:

Girl: Alix van Airengarde

Friend: Anna Raven

Boy: Vijay Blackman (killed by Dusk on Day 3 with a knife to the throat)

Friend: Jim Leewood (killed by bear mutt on Day 3)

District 10:

Girl: Natalie Swan

Friend: Ann Kingston

Boy: Cornium Maculatam

Sister: Danaus Maculatam

District 11:

Girl: Melody Trine (tortured to death by Saturn during the bloodbath)

Friend: Taint Humbue (killed by Alix with bat during bloodbath as an act of mercy)

Boy: Jakov Douglas (killed by the human muttations during the bloodbath)

Girlfriend: Shadow

District 12:

Girl: Olivia "Olive" Pendragon (poisoned to death by Shadow on Day Four)

Brother: Oliver Pendragon (seduced and killed by Claire during the Festival)

Boy: Dusk Shalt

Grandfather: Sonny Shalt