I know that there's been some issues with ff this past weekend, and I'm not sure if you've been able to read this chapter, so I deleted it and re-uploaded it, and it seems to be working now. Hopefully ff can get their act together and keep working. If you've already read and reviewed, then awesome, you can ignore this. If you've read it but haven't reviewed, well, the review button's at the bottom. And if you haven't read or reviewed yet, well here's your chance. And expect the next chapter to be by the end of this week...hopefully.

Four of the new tributes are in this chapter...I know, I know, I'm so mean, making you get to know 8 new tributes (well...7, we already know Angelo.) But hey, that just means that Ross, Liviana, Amira, Nolan, Annabel, Mallow and Nyx are safe! And don't worry, we will hear from all of them again. They will not fade away, they refuse to fade away. And I love them all way too much to ignore them.

To Have An Angel Watching Over You

Olive's jaw dropped when she heard her name being uttered from Caesar's moldy green lips. It just couldn't be possible that she was a tribute. Couldn't be possible at all. In fact, it was insane, had to be a cruel trick. She turned her head and looked out into the crowd and searched for her parents. It took less then a minute to find them, holding onto one another for support. The last time she had seen them that worried was ten years ago when her brother had been reaped.

Well, guess her father knew what he had been talking about after all. Her whole life he had worried that she was going to be reaped. And now, here was her final stand.

Olive squared her shoulders and walked to stage, waiting for the rest of the names to be chosen. Only eight names to be pulled. And there were thousands of children everywhere. Her odds were great, just one in a million. Just like everyone else though. Everyone else had the same probability. But still, how had it been her name on that slip of paper?

The very next name was Marin Laize. A very smug looking boy with a plain black suit sauntered up and stood next to her. Olive played with the strings on her gray hoodie as she was led to the Peacekeepers buildings to say goodbye.

Marin was led into the room on the left, while she made herself comfortable in the room across the hall. She didn't need to wonder who her first visitor would be. Her parents walked in.

Both of them were named after Gods. Well, Gods from a very long time ago. Olive wished that she could believe that Poseidon and Hera were still alive and watching over her. But for now, she had to have faith that her parents were.

"Mom," Olive fell into the safe comfort of her mother's caring embrace.

"Oh baby, it'll be alright," Hera said in her calming voice.

"Yes she will," Poseidon said to his wife then turned back to his daughter, "you will Olive, because you are strong, and I know that I taught you well. You will come home. You have a good shot, you're already in the final eight, and half of you come from the Career districts. And the other half is probably weak."

Olive nodded along as her brain whirred at a thousand miles per second. She might be able to. She had hope that she could, hope was what pulled her through each day. Olive wasn't an eternal optimist like that girl who had just died. Or like that girl's friend. But Olive was still of a positive mindset.

Two minutes later, her parents left and her two close friends came in. Why was saying goodbye so difficult? Olive loved saying hello and meeting new people. A social butterfly, that was how people liked to describe her. Olive was upbeat and friendly, always smiling. And so she smiled at Katie and Orion just like always. There were no smiles to welcome her.

"Whose ass do I need to kick to get you out of the games?" Katie asked. Olive chuckled, oh that was definitely her best friend. Olive didn't know what she would do without Katie. The two of them had been best friends for ten years, ever since they were five years old. They could read each other like a closed book.

"I'm going to miss you," Orion said as he wrung his hands together.

"I'll be back," Olive tried to assure the all. He nodded but Olive knew he didn't really believe her.

Orion opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Olive rolled her eyes, that was so like Orion. He was a coward sometimes, especially when he was upset.

Katie rolled her eyes, she was always able to see right past Orion's unresponsive eyes. "Oh just do it, it's probably your best shot."

Olive didn't know what Katie was talking about, but she figured that out in less then five seconds. Because Orion came at her and plopped his big wet lips on her cheek.

"Was it just like you always imagined?" Katie asked with a grin.

"Better," Orion said with a lopsided smile.

"I'll let you kiss the other cheek when I get home," Olive informed him.

"Deal," Orion's face lit up. Olive rolled her eyes, the littlest things made him happy. But that was why they were best friends. Because give her a string, and she would be amused for hours on end. She was the type of girl who didn't play with the dollhouse she got for Christmas, but rather, the box it came in.

They shook on it. After one last round of hugs and good lucks, Olive was whisked away from the building. She joined Marin and the two newest tributes of district four were forced onto the train. Time to face the music at the Capitol. Well, she hoped that they were going to the Capitol. It would really really suck if she was sent directly to the arena. But she could see that happening. The Capitol people wanted a show, they waited all year long for the games. Sure, they loved the chariots and the interviews, but they looked forward to the action in the arena the most.

Olive really hoped they weren't sent directly into the arena. But she was ready for anything. And if she was sent directly into the arena, well she had an advantage over a few of the others. Well, she thought she did. She hoped she did. But Olive had never met any of the others, so she didn't really know.

XXX

Marin wasn't ready for this. He hadn't fought Artis for the chance to participate this year for a reason. Well, that and the fact that he knew Artis and respected him. Well, used to respect Artis, until the silly boy got himself killed. Marin was only 17, he still had one whole year to train. That year of training was now lost. And he wasn't ready. But no one was though. The eight new tributes weren't ready for this. They had all been selected, none of them volunteered for this. And Marin had planned to volunteer for next year, so maybe, just maybe, he could win this in less then two days. But he was going to win, it was just a matter of how long it would take him. He just had to get Angelo out of the picture. Angelo was the only one he was worried about. But in a way, Angelo would probably be the easiest to kill. Because Angelo was broken. And maybe with Jace in the arena, Angelo would get careless.

Yes, Marin had this in the bag. He would be the winner. Even if it was a year earlier then planned. And if he didn't win, he was a failure. Not just in his parents eyes, but to himself as well. And Marin hated losing, he hated failing. Failure was not an option. Marin would go home a winner, in fact, he would go home a year earlier then expected. He smiled to himself as he thought about the hero's welcome he would receive. Oh, his parents would finally be proud of him. After seventeen years of trying to get his parents approval, he would finally get it. Asla would be so proud of him right now. Oh Asla, he hadn't thought of her in awhile now, it had probably been two days since he last thought of his sister. Well, what he imagined his sister would be. Little Asla would be seven now. If she had survived infancy, she would have gorgeous long blonde curls and big green eyes.

Marin looked out the window of the train and saw the familiar pattern of trees and long stretches of nothing. There were mountains in the distance. They were on the way to the Capitol, that much was certain. He had been there on occasion, his father often took him there when he had to work. In fact, the last time Marin had gone to the Capitol, he had snuck away while his father was in a "meeting" and went to a sketchy plastic surgeon. He had emerged two hours later with gold flecked eyes. He looked like a cat, a very sexy cat.

The girl, Olive, couldn't stop talking. Seriously, she was yakking up a storm. She was fifteen, a few years older then Asla would be. Maybe they would have been friends if Asla was alive. Actually, Marin peered at Olive closely, she looked a lot like Marin pictured his sister to look. Olive had long curly golden hair and sea-green eyes. Marin had never seen her around before, which really was too bad. Because maybe then he would have gotten over Asla's death a little bit easier.

"So then Katie asked me who I thought was cute, and I couldn't answer her, because it's embarrassing," Olive rambled on. Marin found it kind of cute, because he could see his sister doing this. Oh Asla, he thought,why'd you have to die?

I'm not dead, he imagined her saying with her cute little mouth of hers, I'm right next to you silly.

Marin sighed, oh if only she really was right next to him.

"Orion told me that I should get my hair cut, what do you think?" Olive asked as she waved her curls in front of his face. She really was pretty, but it was obvious that she could care less.

Marin shrugged. "It's up to you, well, actually, I suppose it's up to your stylist now."

Olive nodded, "I suppose so, I hope I get a nice stylist. I don't want all of my hair chopped off. I'm kind of fond of the longness of it."

Olive really was a nice girl, with a charming smile and sparkling eyes. Such a change from the usual girls he hung out with. Like Liviana, now that girl was cold and very bitchy. Marin knew Liviana from Career training, Liviana was good, like really good, but she was difficult to get along with. Marin hardly ever talked to her. And she probably would have won if she hadn't of been pulled from the arena so early. Marin was glad that it had been Angelo to be re-reaped and not Liviana, because then he would be in trouble. Liviana was the only person in career training who could disarm him. In fact, he had a little mark on his right side that Liviana had left when she stabbed him.

The train slowed down, Marin saw the familiar looking buildings, they were at the Capitol. A smile crept up on his face. Bring it on. At least he knew that there was a little angel looking out for him. Asla would be smiling at him right now.

XXX

The train moved along at a fast pace. Belaquia wasn't used to that. She had never been on a train before, had never even been in a car before. She was from the poor section of District 9, so she had never had need for any mode of transportation other then walking.

It was her sister's biggest dream. Little Ellie really wanted to ride in a train. Ellie must be really jealous right now. Well, of the train ride, not of the destination. Belaquia felt a pang in her heart as she thought about her younger sister. Little Ellie was a dreamer, her head was always up in the clouds. But Belaquia didn't mind. She loved the fact that Ellie had an active imagination. It was a good thing, since Ellie didn't have active legs. Belaquia always felt angry when she thought about the fire that killed Ellie's legs. The poor girl would always be in a wheelchair. And it was the fault of their selfish mother. The woman had presumably gotten fed up with life and had stuck her head in the oven, causing a major fire to eat through the house. Stupid woman, Belaquia was glad her mother was gone, but that didn't give her mom the right to cause pain to Belaquia and Ellie. Or Lulu, but Lulu didn't count. She had walked out on Belaquia and Ellie and married rich. Belaquia hoped she never saw her older sister ever again.

She probably never would, not with the lights of the Capitol dancing closer and closer to them. The lights became brighter as the seconds passed on. Soon enough, Belaquia would be at the Capitol and heading to the games. Why, oh, why had she been reaped? Of all the rotten luck. Poor Ellie. Belaquia needed to win, she needed to go home to her sister. Someone needed to take care of Ellie, and Belaquia only trusted one person to care for Ellie. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Belaquia had learned that the hard way.

"Bella, you okay?" Ryanne, her mentor asked as she entered the room and joined and Belaquia on the sofa.

Belaquia shrugged, her shoulders rolled up and made it look like she had no neck. Ryanne put a comforting hand on Belaquia. Ryanne had won over ten years ago, but the games were still fresh in her mind.

"We don't have much time Bella-"

"-It's actually Belaquia."

"-So listen up," Ryanne continued on smoothly as if she hadn't been interrupted. She had been a mentor on and off for ten years, she knew how to work with her tributes by now. "There will only be eight of you in the arena, I'm not sure if you're going back to the old one or if they are creating a new one for you. That doesn't matter, what does matter is this, RUN. As soon as the gong sounds, run far and fast from the cornucopia. With only eight of you, you don't need to get caught in the thicket of the blood bath, not when half of them are Careers. The games probably won't last long either, so if you can run and find a water source, you should be good."

"What about a weapon, I will probably need one."

"Don't worry about that now, I'm sure you can find a stick or a rock or something. Just don't stay at the cornucopia, do you understand me?"

Belaquia nodded and Ryanne let out a small sigh of relief.

"Good, next point, don't befriend anyone. No alliances, not with only eight of you. You're on your own. But I have faith in you, you can do this Belaquia, you are a survivor."

Ryanne didn't have to say that she was referring to the fire. Belaquia already knew that. She nodded along, because she knew that this was important. That this information from her mentor was going to keep her alive. And she definitely wanted to stay alive. Little Ellie couldn't lose another family member.

Belaquia shifted in her seat as the train came to an abrupt stop. It had been a lonely ride, she was the only tribute from Nine, so she didn't have a district partner to talk to. Then again, Belaquia wasn't much for making small talk.

"Come on Key," her escort, Shennie said. Shennie had a sad, tired face and wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Shennie had been an escort for over twenty years ago, and her age was showing.

"It's Belaquia actually," Belaquia reminded Shennie for the millionth time. And for the millionth time, Shennie just shrugged.

"We have to get you to your stylist, we don't have much time to prep you." Belaquia had to practically run to keep up with Shennie's fast gait. Belaquia was tall with long legs, but Shennie was super fast and difficult to keep up with. Shennie knew her way around the building and Belaquia was soon deposited in a room where the prep team was waiting. A woman with zebra stripes had a pair of scissors at the ready and a thin man with a boa constrictor around his neck had a measuring tape. Belaquia looked at the door, her only escape route, with a look of silent plea, but no one came to save her.

"Well then, let's get moving."

And so they did. Belaquia stayed as still as possible while the prep team went about their business abusing her body and shaping it into something that it wasn't.

XXX

"These tributes get worse each year," Francios grumbled to his prep team as he took a look at the female girl that he was supposed to be transforming into a goddess or something.

"Are you sure it isn't just you?" Anika chirped back with a smile on her pale face.

Francios stuck his tongue out at her.

"You know, the sticking out of the tongue is getting very old and boring," Clementine said as she draped a cloak over Anika's shivering shoulders.

"Oh stop arguing, we don't have much time to get her ready. She has to be ready for the chariot ride in less then half an hour," Solara said as she bustled over to the group and started painting Anika's face. "Now Clementine, trim her hair, it's a mess. Penta, start waxing her legs. There's not much time."

The others listened to her and got to work. Francios was the stylist, but Solara was the one who held them all together. She was the brains, the voice. When she talked, the others listened. And she liked it that way.

"Okay Anika, listen up, we're going to get you ready for the chariot ride, then you're going to move right to the interview. In just three hours time you will be in the arena."

"Three hours?" Anika asked in disbelief, "that's not a lot of time."

"I'm just doing as I was told," Solara chirped as she measured Anika's body. "You're very small, you know that?"

"If only I had a mirror, then maybe," Anika responded. Penta and Clementine chuckled. Francios just glared. "So I'm guessing there won't be any time to train."

"Fraid not, they want to get the tributes back into the arena as soon as possible."

"Good thing I'm ready to party then!" Anika smiled.

The door opened and Anika's mentor, Clavis walked in.

"Okay, let's make this quick, we have a lot to go over and not much time to do it."

Anika groaned, "please tell me you're not going to tell me how to hold a spoon and curtsy."

"We don't have time for jokes, this is serious stuff Anika," Clavis chastised her. "For the chariot, hold your head up high and smile. You don't have time to mess up the first impression. For the interview, I'm thinking we're going to go with the fun career angle."

"I have to have an angle? Gee by golly, and I thought this was going to easy, like my mom's tea parties." Anika laughed, sharing her own inside joke. No one asked her to clarify it, and she didn't offer.

Clavis rolled her eyes, this was not going to be easy. "Once you get in the arena, get a weapon and align with the other Careers. Angelo knows what he's doing, make friends with him."

"I doubt he wants friends, and he seems like he could bite my head off or something."

"Then don't piss him off," Clavis advised her. "Stay away from the boyfriend of the dead girl, he seems strong enough to kill you."

"Aw Clavis, you do care," Anika said as she turned in a circle while her prep team draped her body with silk and jewels. Anika shivered as the cold metal of the diamonds were glued onto certain areas of her skin. Ugh, she hated being a female sometimes. So much effort went into making girls pretty. She just found it dull and annoying.

Ten minutes later, Anika found herself being pushed onto the Chariot with a big one on it. She had no partner, it was just her. The chariot was actually bigger when she didn't have to share. Very soon it would move her into the spotlight for all of Panem to see her.

She held her head up high and waited. She was going to show Panem who she was, she was going to win sponsors.

The announcer's voice came on, announcing the beginning of the chariot parade. Anika pasted a genuine smile on her face as she was lurched forward. She would be the first tribute that all of Panem would see. And she was going to make it memorable.

To have an angel watching over you, you need to lose a loved one.

Opinion Question: If the final 8 hadn't of been saved at the last moment, who do you think would have won the games? (And on a side note, would you like me to write up an alternate ending on what would have happened if the final 8 had not been saved?)

I'm sure you've noticed, but updates have been a little on the slow side. But it's time for you to get used to this pace, because life finally caught up to me and I'm going to be super busy for a little bit. Which isn't fun, I hate being busy. I like having free time. But there's nothing I can do about that. Darn life. But you know what will help you get fast updates? Reviewing! And at least it's a decent sized chapter. Not the longest ever, but not the shortest either.

So Freedom is officially longer (word-wise) then Fear. And it has almost as many reviews. Let's keep it up!

Who shall I chat to today? Oooh, ooh, pick me, pick me. You can put your hand down now Olive. Does that mean you picked me? Only if you can get the readers to review...Oh absolutely, I love challenges. And it's a huge challenge, do you know how difficult it is to get these stubborn readers to hit the review button? It's just like trying to learn Spanish, darn near impossible. That's probably not the best synonym, since I'm pretty fluent at Spanish, when I really want to be. So you can say a random sentence in Spanish? Si, me gusta mi gato. Su nombre es Cami. Cami le gusta dormir sobre mi cama. Does that even make sense? Probably not. Anywho, review por favor. I think that was Spanglish. Nothing wrong with that.

~*Misty*~