Elizabeth Oakseed, Day 8
Time: 7:09 AM (7:09)
Quadrant~ 1
I let the bitter cold air steal my breath away as I watch the two girls battle to the right of the fire. My heartbeat pounding wildly in my eardrums and I quickly wipe my forehead of the cold sweat droplets drawing themselves across my skin. This is it. This is the moment I've been waiting for, it's the final four. Three cannons shots had danced into my ears over the course of the last hour or so, quaking the ice maze and all the tributes residing in it.
I can't help but stare earnestly down at the fight below me, eyes capturing the two girls placing their life on the line. They glare at each other, sparks raging between the pair. Anne takes a deep yet hollow breath, her crossbow pointed directly at Ciara's chest. Ciara stands still, as if mentally challenging her once ally, daring her to shoot. She knows Anne can't. The taller of the pair blinks away the tears clinging to her eyelashes as she scrunches up her eyes. Anne lets go of the string and shoots the arrow at Ciara. It nearly misses her chest and sends itself plunging through her left bicep. Blood curls and splatters around the wound. The girl from Eight stares at her former ally, a devilish look capturing her dark tan features. Her fingers fly to the wound, immediately grasping the weapon and ripping it from her arm. Ciara doesn't even wince, narrowing her eyes at Anne.
Up here, from my hiding spot in the outer layer of quadrant one, I had watched the events of the feast unfold like a storybook. Ciara running towards Allegro and Abram, killing one of them in the process. The other retreating into quadrant two. Afterwards, with the cannons, it's presumable Allegro had run into the only other alliance who didn't attend the feast. The careers.
Then two cannons had sparked and I have no clue who was the one to survive. My money would be on Misty, I think she's stronger than Kai, and Allegro's definitely a goner. I always liked Kinnik's ally but I have a doubtful feeling he didn't survive a run-in with the two careers.
Whatever it's in the past, I'm glad I have no more ties to any of the other tributes still in here. All I have to do is wait until Anne or Ciara kills the other and Misty runs out from her hiding place to kill the survivor. I know Misty's too smart to run out in the middle of their fight in the off chance they see her as more of a threat than their ally.
Wait-
I could?
An idea starts to course through my veins as my heart continues pounding it's stomping form of music. I don't think much about it and impulsively leap from my hiding place. While Anne and Ciara fight I run behind them, careful to avoid the girl's screaming fits of punches, stabs, and shooting attempts.
I slide to a comfortable position behind the girls, hiding directly behind the raging flames, yet away from the mouth of Quadrant two. I watch the two fight with my mouth hanging open. How long does this fight have to last anyway? My gut is wrenching just waiting for Misty to appear. Anne lets out a painful howl and falls to her knees. The fight doesn't look good for the girl from Ten, with her temple bleeding and her right leg sliced open. But she grits her teeth and grabs Ciara's arm, dragging it across the blade of Ciara's own weapon. The girl from Eight grunts and struggles out of her ally's grasp, a long and jagged red line running the length of her forearm.
Ciara screams and I can't help but jump, startled for no reason. I knock myself off-balance and accidentally slip into the embers of the cornucopia. Fuck fuck fuck. I shut my eyes tight waiting for the pain to come. Waiting for the pain to shatter through my veins, thumping through my skull.
But it doesn't...
Ciara Teal, Day 8
Time: 7:11 AM (7:11)
Quadrant~ Cornucopia
"You bitch." I hiss under my breath, cradling my arm tight to my chest. Anne quickly closes her eyes, wincing in agony. The bloody gash deep in her shoulder.
"I hate you." She groans, stumbling back onto her feet. She loads her bow from the second time, taking a few steps back. My eyes go wide for a second but I keep my confident demeanor.
"Anne, you know you can't do that." I tease, aborting my confidence idea and scrambling backward, trying to get away from the arrow aimed directly at my chest.
"What makes you say that?" she asks, inhaling a deep breath.
"I know you Anne, you're above this," I say, my stomach churning at my fate being placed into my former ally's hands. She looks me up and down and lets out a whisper into the howling wind.
"That's what you think." She says, releasing the sting of her crossbow. I watch in slow motion as the arrow sails like a kite through the air. It pierces through the wind, letting out a low whistle. Pain blossoms, like a flower, in my stomach and I let out a gurgled scream. Pain floods my chest, spreading throughout my body. Sticky crimson liquid already drenches my body and my vision starts to create black spots surrounding Anne's figure. The girl let's out a scream into the crisp air and from the corner of my eye I see the girl from Four take off in a picture of flying colors.
My head spins and I can feel my body hit the ground. The ashes below me sinking underneath my weight. My arms start to shake and I can feel the numbness setting into my body. I try and let out a scream but all that escapes my mouth is blood. Red, hot, boiling blood. My vision darkens but this can't be it? It can't be the end, I have too many things to make it home too.
This can't be the end, not now. Not here. I have my mother and two best friends-
That's when the numbness reaches my face and my throat closes in on itself. I try and let in a shallow breath but my throat keeps strangling itself. BOOM BOOM BOOM. My heart pounds deeply in my chest and that's all I can hear before everything goes midnight black. Anything and everything.
Misty Weaver, Day 8
Time: 7:18 AM (7:18)
Quadrant~ Cornucopia
My heart practically leaps out of my throat as I hear the boom of a cannon. The girl from Eight's bloody body lying limp on the ground. Her features muted by the goopy scarlett liquid pooling steadily beside her skinny frame. Her wavy brown hair still tied tightly in a ponytail at the nape of her neck.
Anne stares at the girl with a look of abhor, a small collection of teardrops resting on her eyelashes. I let out a cry and sprint at the girl from Ten, ignoring the pain coursing through both of my arms. The boy from Two, Allegro, had managed to give me a few painful injuries but am I letting them hold me back? No. This is what I was born to do, I was born to fly among the other victors.
"Misty?" Anne asks, her dark eyes going wide as boulders.
"Yes?" I say, smiling devilishly at her. I had played too nice during these games, now it's time to unleash my inner-career. I mean, to be honest, Kai and I spent a lot of time getting lost in Quadrant two but that's in the past. Kai's in the past. I knew Kai would have to die, it was just cool to talk to someone from home. His siblings were pretty cute but I'm here for me, and me only. There can only be one victor.
Anne loads her crossbow but I knock her arrow from its shaft with my spear and look into her eyes. I throw my spear at her chest but she sidesteps quickly to the left, the spear just missing her side. I take two steps to try and retrieve it before Anne throws her body at mine, knocking me off balance. Her bow lays abandoned on the ashes as she sends her fist into my nose.
I hear a swift crack and pain pounds through my veins. Blood starts to drip from my now certainly broken nose and I let out a cry. A mixture of agony and hatred lacing my voice. Blood spatters from my mouth and onto her tan features. The crimson dots her face much like the small freckles clinging to her nose and lightly rosy cheeks.
Anne lets out a scream but drives her elbow into my stomach, making me cough even more blood. I grab her forearms and flip my body over, so I land on top of her. She lets out a grunt, pulling the same maneuver while bashing her head against mine. Dark liquid continues to stream down her temple but she takes no notice.
I twist my wrists out of her grasp and she throws her knee against my chest. My breaths come in wheezing short gasps but she just wipes her left eye of a tear drawing itself down her cheek. She lets out a surprised grunt as I flip her over again, landing on top again. I press my arm to her throat, having lost my spear sometime in the fight earlier. She struggles, for a second before she spots the knife marks lacing up my forearm and narrows her eyes. The bitch drives her nails through the wound on my arm and I scream out as the pain blossoms all over again.
I let go of Anella's throat and she lets out a gasp for bitter air, closing her eyes tight as the color returns to her features. I cradle my forearm to my chest as I hear a muffled shifting from somewhere to the right of me. I whip around to face the giant flames of the bonfire. Suddenly something whizzes through the air, directly past my ear. A throwing knife.
I hear someone curse and more shuffling in the cinders of the flames. If I remember correctly the young girl from Seven was probably still here. And I was worrying about Anne? Shoot, I gotta get this bitch out then worry about Ten. I narrow my eyes, running straight toward the bonfire.
"Fuck fuck fuck." Elizabeth screams from the flames. Does that mean the fireproof clothing had worked? I thought it was stupid? What about her face and hands? It must not even be hot, right? How else would the girl be able to sit in there comfortably for god knows how long?
The girl stretches her arm back and releases another small tiny dagger from her grip. It sails through the air and I dodge to the left, only to have pain spike up from my stomach. I look down at the wound, eyes undoubtedly flaring. I rip the knife out of my gut, pressing my fingers to the fleshy puncture in an attempt to stop the bleeding. My head feels light as I welcome another knife to find its home in my chest. I don't even feel my body sinking to the ground, all I feel is welcoming darkness surrounding me.
Anella 'Anne' Finch, Day 8
Time: 7:23 AM (7:23)
Quadrant~ Cornucopia
"You just, oh my god." I gasp turning to the girl from Seven who stepped confidently from the burning embers. She smirks at me, flames surrounding her frame. My gut twist's itself into a knot as I watch the girl calmly collect her knives from the career's dead body.
"You." She growls.
"Me?"
"Which one of you killed Cel?" she asks, her eyebrows shooting to the ceiling. She starts to advance slowly towards me and I hesitantly back up. Stepping carefully to avoid Ciara's body.
"I-" I start but don't even finish my sentence before a knife comes flying at my chest. I whip to the right, her knife finding a target in the ashes beside my feet. Elizabeth smiles at me and I stop walking backwards, holding my ground.
Underneath her dark emerald eyes I saw the broken girl for who she really was- utterly shattered. Yet she pretended as everything is fine and this what she knew would happen. Guilt pangs at my gut as I think of the redheaded little girl I sent my arrow rippling through. Obviously, Cel's death had hurt Elizabeth yet there's also a spark stealing her lips. A spark of life fullness, a spark of hope, a spark of determination.
"You did, didn't you?" she hisses, trying to appear as confident as possible. She lets out a battle cry, or what I take as a ravage battle howl, as she runs directly at me. She brandishes her two small daggers forward, one in each hand. The last knife lying on the ground beside me.
"I'm sorry," I say, sliding to the right again, hooking her arms against the back of mine. I throw the girl over my back and onto the ground. She screams as I pin the young girl to the ground. At only the age of thirteen, she sure was durable and determined.
Her honey-golden short hair falls around her pale face as she struggles to get me off her. She can't flip me as easily as Misty could, she tries, putting all her might into it, but fails. She screams out into the bitter icy air, pain flickering across her features.
For a small second, something passes over her lips, tugging at the corners playfully. I let out a nervous croak and she takes a deep breath, flinging both her arms up at the same time. She knocks me off balance and takes a moment of opportunity to send one of her knives through my side.
She looks at me gravely and pulls out the weapon, I fall to the ground, clutching my side. Pain blossoms and flickers through my veins, adrenaline rushing through my body as scramble back to my feet, hand clutching my side.
Elizabeth glares at me, glancing back towards my abandoned crossbow laying beside her. She moves her hand slowly to the weapon, keeping direct eye contact with me. Elizabeth slowly grabs the weapon, fingertips stretching over it lightly. She traces the details of flames forced into the lower and upper limb. Elizabeth smiles sweetly as she pushes down the two parts. The crossbow snaps loudly in half and Elizabeth just chuckles to herself. Taking in the two pieces of my weapon.
"That was for Ce-" She starts but I take a deep breath and heave Misty's spear towards her small frame. While she was taunting me by snapping the bow, I had slowly moved my hands along the ashes beneath me until my fingertips found the career's weapon. She didn't notice, I hardly paid attention myself honestly.
The spear sinks into her chest cavity and I let out a gasp. That actually worked? Elizabeth's eyes go utterly glassy as she sinks to her knees. Blood pounds in my ears as my stomach twists itself even father inside out. We both let out screams, our words swirling together. Mixing until she goes silent for a second.
Boom
The last cannon spikes through my ears and my vision starts to cloud with the salty tears dripping down my hot cheeks. I look over at the three lifeless bodies, each covered in a mixture of blood and cold sweat. A breeze blows through my body, etching itself into my bones themselves. I pull a few stray curls from my eyes and stare down at the dead girl from Seven.
She was too young to die, all of them were. No one in this arena deserved to die, why didn't I? What's the point of this game if all I can see and hear are images of the other girl's dying? First shooting Ciara then spearing Elizabeth. How? I never thought I'd actually win, never thought I was good enough.
I won for Sunna, she's the only reason I'm here. She was my best friend and my heart pangs at the thought of her memory. She had so much to live for but then again, don't we all. I want to see my brother again, their faces filling my mind.
Felix's auburn curly hair and his cute little smile. Butch with his watery light baby blue eyes. My heart aches at the thought of seeing the two aga-
My thoughts are ripped to the sound of the crackling, signally the light swift off. Blindingly silent, the pitch-black darkness surrounds me and I can't help but let out a small shiver. The seal of Panem shoots through the sky, capturing my breath.
The first face creeping over the sky is Ciara's. Her daunting smile shining against the light of the camera flash. Ciara's dark eyes send a deep stab into my chest, I'm the reason she can't make it home. I'm the reason she's lying lifeless, blood dripping from the arrow wound shattering her stomach. The depicted girl looks nothing like the villain whose body lay to the right of me. I slowly sink to my knees, taking in the details of her tan face. The Ciara here looked happy, albeit a tad intimidating but still, there was something there. Something deep that lined the utmost corners of her mouth, traced the outer rim of her eyes, dripped from her small fingertips.
I shift my body so I can sit in the ashes as Ciara's face starts to fade. The next face spearing through the dark sky. The yellowish blonde-haired career girl's features look terrifying. She holds her hands in fists at her side and glares at the camera with a sparkling determination. Her light blue eyes stare confidently back at me and I wipe away the tears dripping down my hot cheeks. My face flushes red as Misty's face starts to disappear from the screen as Ciara's had done. I whisper the girl a final goodbye before Elizabeth's grinning features take the stage.
I look into the girl's lively yet deep forest eyes. I remember back to the family interviews earlier this morning, Elizabeth didn't have a family member come. My heart goes out to the girl even with nothing to come back to. I'm guessing she was fighting for her ally's memories, much like I have been for Sunna.
"How could you let her die Anne?" I ask myself, staring at the girl from Seven's playful smile. She crossed her arms over her chest but not in a daunting terrifying way as both Ciara and Misty had done. No, this girl was having fun, definitely laughing with someone off-camera.
My heart thumps deep in my chest, pounding it's own rhythm. The girl's features start to blend with the black backdrop, causing another wave of tears to drip down my sweaty face.
"Congratulations to Anella Finch for winning the Three-Hundred Annual Hunger Games! Ladies and Gentlefolk please give it up for our newest Victor!" I hear Amos scream into a microphone and somewhere in the background, I can hear an uproar of cheering and clapping. Hoots and hollers fill the air and I try not to shrink away from the sounds. I hate feeling like a plaything, a dog awarded the treat of living. The treat of seeing her brothers again.
Warning I'm writing these eulogies at 4 am so they probably make no sense, just bare with me-
4th place- Ciara Teal, shot in the stomach by Anne Finch
Ciara ahhhh. I have no words, you were such a fun arc to expand on. Becoming a villain was hilarious to me and I think you absolutely rocked it. I knew you'd never win, being a rebel and all but still I loved you. Your plans and thoughts were extremely amusing to portray, I loved having you in ashes. Anne shooting you, in the end, was a big part of the finale and her arc. I'm sorry you had to die but revenge is a bitch isn't it? Karma came back to wack Ciara in the face but it was cool to write the way she processed ideas. Someone told me she reminded them of a soap opera villain with the way she thought about things and that made me die laughing because that makes sense.
3rd place- Misty Weaver slain by 'bra' knives from Elizabeth Oakseed
I loved Misty ughhh. She was such a cool character with a queen mindset. I do feel Misty could have been the victor but in the end, it fell between Anne and Elizabeth. Getting killed by a thirteen-year-old is kinda funny honestly but both Misty and Lizardbreath are queens. If Kai and her didn't get so lost in the maze I feel like they could've dominated and killed more but it came down to the fact that it is a maze. Misty was just a fun character to play around with and I really enjoyed having her in my story. Also, Misty and Kai's friendship was pretty cool and I think they made a pretty good team.
2nd place- Elizabeth Oakseed speared in the gut by Anne Finch
THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I WENT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN ELIZABETH AND ANNE IS UNBELIEVABLE. I may be a bit of an indecisive bitch ngl. Well, Elizabeth was such an amazing character and she'll always have a place in my heart. I'm going to miss Lizardbreath and the number of times I managed to throw in self-references to her PoVs was hilarious. She was such a mood, just vibing with her bra knives up in quadrant 1 while the rest of the tributes were out here stabbing and shooting the daylights out of each other. Her plan to hide behind the fire kinda failed but it's fine because the fire wasn't actually hot. Elizabeth brought a lot to ashes and I had a ton of fun developing her.
1st place- Anella 'Anne' Finch
Annnnnnnne oh my gosh, you queen. I love you so much and you were too good to part with. Your bond with Sunna was adorable and showing how it affected you was heartbreaking. But you won for her, you won for your brothers. I'm so glad Anne was subbed to Ashes, I had ridiculous amounts of fun with her and her character arc was ahhhhhh. She put too much trust in others and tried to see deep down into their soul, it's just a habit she has and why she was almost killed by Ciara. You kept trying, pulling with all your might to find the once kind girl in Ciara the arena had squashed. You were too wholesome for these games but they brought out the raging fire in you. I had so much fun with her, tbh I had so much fun with all of the tributes. This story was a lifesaver for me and I can't believe we've made it this far! Thank you to the submitters who haven't given up and stayed with me, even when it seemed like the story would take forever. Ashes of Snow and Ice took exactly a year, down to the day and I'm so glad I got to share this with yall.
A/N: Annnd that's the finale! Staboom. Oh my gosh I'm crying atm (and it takes a lot to make me cry). I love each and everyone of these characters and I'm so glad that I gotta make it this far. Thank you to each and everyone of my submiters for trusting me with their unique babies, I hope I did well enough with them. Honestly, each and every Ashes character lives in my head rent free and I loved them all so freaking much.
I've had so much fun playing around with this story and I can't believe it's been a year already! It just blows my mind that it's taken this long but we did it! Thank you to anyone reading right now, you mean the world to me.
There were times I felt great and wrote entire chapters in one sitting but there were other nights I wanted to abandon this fic. There's been highs and lows and I can't believe that through it all I managed to finish! I'm blown away by the amount of friends I've found and made here with /discord.
Shout out to both Matts0688 and Averyrandomauthor for your continued support via reviews. You guys make my day just taking a small amount of your time to read and review my story. Shout out to ContemporaryDancer02 for being my spoiler buddy and helping me through some tough scenes. Shout out to my internet sisters- MetheFanatic19 and Rune Whisperer (both of them are absoluteeeee queens and I love them to pieces). Shoutout to my older internet brothers- Remus98, My_Mental_Mind, Platruim and Joesph611 for always being there, love y'all.
There will be a bit more to come with Anne but for now- have a good day/night/afternoon.
Bye for now,
Marie
