Magnolia could only whimper as she was roughly tossed to the ground, the softness of the surface breaking her fall. Looking up, she saw the amused expression of Coilee and the unnerved face of Azure staring down at her.

"Who do we have here…" Azure sneered, her lips forming a tight smile. "Magnolia Salix, in all of her glory."

"I don't even-" Magnolia began, which was promptly interrupted by a swift kick to the back, which caused Magnolia to crash on her side.

"Shush!"

Magnolia scrambled back to her knees, not wanting to look weak.

"You and I have unfinished business," Azure hissed, staring into the girl from 7's eyes, but Magnolia couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable Coilee looked.

"Azure… what are you going to do to her?" Coilee finally asked, her voice sounding mouse-ish. Azure chuckled darkly. Aslan and Vinna circled around, and were now behind Coilee and Azure, their arms crossed.

Azure stepped closer to Magnolia, grabbing her by the chin.

"I'm going to hurt you the way you hurt Coilee," she whispered, loud enough for the others to hear. Vinna and Aslan voice sounds of approval.

Shaking her head to free herself of Azure's clammy grip, Magnolia gulped before voicing her protest.

"Wait! Wait," she said thickly, gazing up at Azure. "Before you do that, do you mind if I say something?"

Rolling her eyes, Azure nodded. Magnolia grinned.

"I think you're an idiot. You're weak as hell, and you basically have zero chance of winning. Your life means nothing and I hope your death is very painful."

Magnolia could see that Vinna and Aslan were holding back laughter. Azure's face turned red and Magnolia could see beads of sweat forming.

"Don't listen to her, Azure," Coilee said soothingly, holding her ally's arm in a gesture of support. "She's just bitter that she's about to die."

"Better than just accepting it," Aslan chirped from the background, his face spread in an almost eager grin.

Azure was reaching in her pocket, fishing for something that Magnolia knew would be some instrument of pain. Sure enough, it was a hunting knife, it's blade slightly amber-colored. Magnolia figured it must have ended the life of someone else.

Leaping onto Magnolia, Azure giggled as she pinned the firefighter down by her neck, which was now pressed against Azure's blade.

"Let's make this a little fun," Azure said in a threadbare voice.

"Azure," Coilee called out, "maybe just make it quick."

Azure turned back to her, an animalistic look in her blue eyes.

"Huh?!"

Azure was now off of Magnolia's chest, but the Four girl's legs were still planted on either side of her, preventing Magnolia from fleeing and breathing properly.

"I mean," Coilee said in a careful, cautious tone, as one might address a toddler ready to throw a tantrum, "I mean… let's not be barbaric."

Azure stood for a moment, letting the words process. Maybe she was going to be merciful, Magnolia thought. Maybe this wouldn't be more painful than a knife to the throat, which wasn't exactly not painful but miles better than the torture that Magnolia was certain Azure had planned.

But a scowl appeared on Azure's face, adding wrinkles and lines that made her look far beyond her years.

"I'm doing this for you!" she screeched. Azure then clamped her hand back around Magnolia's throat and lifted her up, holding her to Coilee as if she were downed prey. "Everything I've done so far, it's been for you! I even made sure you were in with us at all, and how am I being repaid?! Selfish ungratefulness!"

"Why?" Coilee asked, raising her voice. "Because I don't want you to chop this girl like she's… she's… sashimi, or something?" Coilee had trouble getting those last few words out.

Azure inhaled deeply, holding in the air for a few seconds before letting it all spill out at once in a big, exasperated-sounding huff. Her head craned to face Coilee.

"Don't think I didn't see what you did," Azure hissed, generating a look of surprise from Coilee. No, not surprise, Magnolia thought. Like an attempt at looking surprised.

"What do you mean?" Coilee questioned.

Magnolia could only watch helplessly as a heated argument ensued between the two girls, with Aslan and Vinna just observing along with her, not even attempting to intercede.

"I didn't even want to be here! If I didn't volunteer, they were going to kill my whole family!"

Azure laughed humorlessly. "Nice sob story. Who even is 'they'?"

Magnolia started to try and discreetly push herself backwards to get a better jump to run away, but Aslan immediately shot a cold glare that glued her back to her spot on the floor. Azure got closer into Coilee's face.

"I saw you kiss Ash, you know." She then turned to Aslan. "I saw you both! Don't think I didn't see!" Azure cried. Magnolia could see Vinna clamp a hand over her mouth in mock surprise. Aslan chuckled and stepped forward, shaking his head.

"Ash, are you serious?!" Azure screeched. "Why would you do that?"

"Why would I do that? Why wouldn't I?" he mused. "If there's one thing Coilee's good at…"

"Shut up! Shut up right now!" Azure was pulling at her hair, looking like she was ready to have a panic attack. Coilee was crying, collapsed to her knees.

Magnolia didn't even notice Vinna behind her.

"If I were you," she whispered softly, "I'd get going."

Magnolia blinked twice.

"No, really, go." Vinna's tone was slightly more urgent now, but almost amusingly so, as if she were warning a mouse of an impending feline attack.

Magnolia had trouble getting to her feet, which had gone tingly and numb. Whimpering, she could feel her heart rate skyrocketing as those elusive red woods got closer and closer. As soon as she could get past those, she knew she was golden. And sure enough, as Magnolia went crashing into the bushes that lined the forest, Azure and Coilee had not even noticed she was gone, mainly due to the fact that Azure was now on top of Coilee, clawing at her ally's face.

"What else did you do with my partner?!" Azure shouted. "Did you visit his bed after? I bet you waited until after I was asleep to do it."

Coilee's mouth dropped and her struggling stopped for a moment. "What?!"

"Don't play dumb!"

Aslan and Vinna could only stare intently at the scene that was unfolding. Aslan loved the thought of him being the source of malice between these two girls who had been such good friends until now. It filled him with the kind of joy only a narcissist could feel. Vinna was not sure what to make of it, but was not unfamiliar to the concept of a cat fight. Many of the girls in Vinna's way to glory took each other out unwittingly, not knowing that they were truly helping Vinna further her own goals.

Now Azure was holding up the same knife she had planned to use on Magnolia, that name all but dissolved from her raging thoughts, as her only thought at the moment was to make Coilee hurt. Azure couldn't help herself when these urges came over her.

But, as quickly as they came, a wave of guilt washed over her. Coilee looked so afraid, so innocent. Sure, she kissed Ash, but it probably didn't even mean anything. She barely knew him at all. Coilee was just doing her best, really. She was trying to survive just as much as anyone else. And she was Azure's friend. Friends don't hurt friends.

But then the image flashed in her head again. Shameful. Immodest. Azure didn't feel like she was in her own body as she slammed the knife into the center of Coilee's forehead, nearly cracking her skull in two. The cannon was deafening.

"Good job, Azure," Aslan said darkly. "Thanks for taking care of that little problem."

Azure said nothing.

"Speaking of problems, we're good, right?" he asked his partner.

Azure's mind rushed with incoherent words. Her vision was turning blurry and dim.

"Yes," she mumbled in a remote, trance-like voice. Azure had a reason to be angry with her partner, almost more so than the girl she just killed. But Azure felt empty, and the nothingness consuming her almost forced the forgiveness from her.

Aslan burst into laughter. "Good to know! No hard feelings, then."

Aslan motioned to Vinna, who sent a slim knife hurling into the back of Azure's neck, who gurgled for half a moment before sinking into her former ally's corpse below her. Another cannon.

"Ash," Vinna started, "I don't know how happy they'll be with you that you did that."

"That's why I had you kill her," Aslan explained nonchalantly.

"Still, we're the only Careers left," Vinna said, seeming to realise the reality of it. Aslan didn't seem as concerned as he turned to Vinna.

"Those two loved each other. They would slit our throats in our sleep without a second thought. I'd rather not deal with that headache anymore."

Vinna eyed Aslan. She thought herself stronger than him by a landslide, but in a fight, he could perhaps beat her with a bit of luck. Still, he was weaker, she thought. He seemed to be acting on impulse, as a child would. She had gone along with it because it would be a decently entertaining spectacle, but now, the silence in the Cornucopia seemed to be cutting through Vinna's core. It was just her and Ash.

Shaking her head, Vinna tried to reassure herself. "I guess you're right. I never thought you to be the betraying type. We might have more in common than we realise."

The last two Careers chuckled in unison.

…

Hunger. It was the only thing Aston was registering at the moment, as she had been for the last day or so, but she wasn't too sure how long it had been since that vision of Mother washed her away from the shore and onto this rock in the middle of the water. Time had a way of evaporating when the only thing surrounding you was pale purple waves, lapping and crashing onto the sliver of land that Aston was now spread across.

growl…

Any other tribute might mistake a noise like their stomach growling with a Mutt blanketed in the shadows, ready to pounce. But they could be relieved, for lack of a better term, for the fact that they had only heard what was a much less speedy killer, but still deadly nonetheless.

The sound of her body yearning for food was something Aston had grown eerily accustomed to whilst being in her own father's captivity. When she begged for a scrap or morsel, his usual response was to say that no one would want her if she turned fat.

Aston knew she wasn't fat. Far from it, in fact, to the point where her clothing seemed to constantly hang from her frame. By the end of the first month since her mother died, her ribs began to push through her skin, which had turned the colour of weak tea. Her eyes were dull, never seeming to catch the light. Even after a week of eating well, she still felt malnourished the day she entered the area, but not as badly as she was now.

Is this it? Aston wearily thought in her head. Am I just going to waste away out here, away from everyone?

Not that she was particularly fond of anyone left in this arena. If her math was right, there were twelve. Pontiki, her only real friend, was gone. Indy, the only other person Aston was slightly familiar with, was still out there. Everyone else was stronger than her in some way, except maybe Salalai. Even after not paying much attention to the others, she knew that. It gave her a feeling of hopelessness, that her days were already numbered. Aston wondered how long it would be until the morbid thoughts kicked in, the same ones that came during her darkest days after Mother died. For now, thankfully, her only thought seemed to be if she would survive another day.

"Bored?" a distant, sarcastic sounding voice boomed. Aston whipped her head around, trying to find the source, and quickly spotted a pastel-coloured teddy bear sitting beside her on the limited space of the rock. It was Dream Weaver.

"Ah!" Aston yelped. She scampered away from it on her hands before coming in contact with the water. She whimpered as it approached her.

"Do not have fear, young girl from District Six whose name I can't remember, for I mean you no harm!" The teddy's formal way of speaking unsettled Aston immensely.

"Uh…" she stammered. "What do you want?"

Weaver looked around. "Lonely out here, isn't it?"

Aston nodded. "A little."

"I bet you'd like to get off this rock, wouldn't you?" The bear's tone was amused, almost condescending. Aston stayed silent for a moment. She didn't want to die out here that much, but the alternative wasn't very attractive to her either. This Mutt was probably here to take her back to the center, or close.

"Not really. It's nice and peaceful out here."

Weaver scowls. "But you're so far away from all the action."

"If by 'action' you mean much stronger kids wanting to kill me, then I want no part." The two cannons from earlier had spooked Aston, and made her glad she was away from the shore. It also saddened her to no end that so many kids were dying while she continued to live.

"But you'll starve out here!" Weaver pointed out. "That's no way to die."

Aston raised her eyebrow. "Aren't we in the Hunger Games?"

Dream Weaver started laughing maniacally, holding its stitched sides. "Oh, man! That's a good one! Hahaha!"

The strange bear collected itself then turned to Aston.

"Look, I'm not saying you're exactly a front runner in this. In fact, you're probably a long shot for even the Top 8."

Thanks, Aston thought dryly.

"But you, like everybody else here that's still alive, have a decent chance. The odds never count anyone out!"

The bear sat itself on Aston's lap, like a puppy.

"Out here, you have no chance, I can guarantee you that. Give yourself a chance!" Dream Weaver tried to sound sincere, as if he really believed in Aston, but Aemilia's orders to bring Aston Shinjin back to the shore in a way that looked convincing prevented him from just taking her back against her will. He recalled her words.

"We need to send a message that no one should ever give up in the Games, or anything," she had told him. "It's a good message. Good for the kids."

Aston looked down at Dream Weaver, petting his head. "You're talking to the wrong person, weird stuffed animal. I'm nobody. I don't have anyone to go home to, so why would I even want to win?" Her tone was dejected. "I mean, I'm almost glad I got Reaped. It got me taken away from my father. He was terrible."

Dream Weaver glanced upwards. "Terrible, how?"

Aston hung her head. "You don't want to know."

An idea popped into Dream Weaver's artificial head. He stepped off Aston's lap and faced her, swaying from side to side.

"How about this? If you promise to come back to the shore with me, I'll make sure you don't have to worry about your father anymore, in case you do win!"

Aston gave him a surprised, sideways look. "You would do that?"

"You bet!"

Aston considered it for a moment. It wouldn't be so bad anymore if Father was gone. Mother still would be gone, too, but at least she could live her life without worrying about Baxter taking her again. But part of her knew better. She was not going to win, but if Father could get punished, then at least Aston would be able to die happy.

Aston knew revenge is not always healthy, but she saw no point in allowing her father to continue to live as he always had, hurting others. What was the point in that?

"Okay, sure. Take me back."

Dream Weaver started jumping up and down in excitement. "Yay! Yippee!"

A flash of light enveloped Dream Weaver and Aston, disappearing in an instant. Aston blinked rapidly and tried to make sense of her surroundings. She was back on the shore with the purple sand. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon.

"Here you are!" Dream Weaver said happily. "I'll be back after the anthem with a little surprise."

The bear hopped and leaped out of sight, and Aston settled back under the rock she had once shared with Pontiki. Now that she was back in reality, she began to truly feel her friend's loss. Tears welled in her eyes, and when the anthem began to play, Aston forced herself to look upon the faces of the girls from 2 and 4. Her eyes widened in surprise for half a moment.

Then the girl from 8 and the boy from 9 appeared. Aston was surprised four people had died today. She remembered hearing only two cannons.

As the faces dimmed from the sky, Aston turned on her side to go to sleep, and was surprised to see a wooden box beside her. It had Aston's name printed on the lid in pink letters.

Clutching the box, she gingerly opened it, squinting her eyes.

Aston shrieked and dropped it as she saw a dismembered finger on a bed of crushed red velvet. She felt her entire body break out in tingly shivers, the kind she always got when Father demanded that she watch someone be tortured in front of her.

But then it hit her.

It was Father's finger.

12th: Coilee Undergaze, District 2 Female: Killed by Azure, Day 5

I liked Coilee and her backstory, because it was pretty tragic. It thought it gave her a massive chip on her shoulder to play with. Unfortunately she never truly belonged in the Career pack. I think she would have done better in a pack of underdogs but that opportunity never really arose for her. Thank you for her Lavender Scones (nice name btw) she was one of the better ones.

11th: Azure Copenhagen, District 4 Female: Killed by Vinna, Day 5

Azure had a lot of interesting layers to her, she was both a sweetheart and a little crazy in a psychotic way. You'd think the latter would have gotten her farther but sadly it ended up doing her in. I appreciated Azure's simple backstory for how complex her psyche was, and she definitely had Victor potential had things turned out a little differently. Again, thank you Lavender Scones and I'm sorry both your tributes had to go in the same chapter. I had always envisioned Azure and Coilee dying together, and they just happened to be both yours.

Kills

Vinna (2): Sixtine (assist), Garrett

Coilee (1): Ethan

Azure (2): Nerezza, Coilee

Aslan (4): Sixtine, Sophia, Pontiki, Azure

Esther (1): Altair

Indy (1): Esther

DW (1): Armahni

Tributes remaining: Vinna (1F), Albert (3M), Aslan (4M), Aston (6F), Indy (6M), Magnolia (7F), Salalai (10F), Ryker (10M),Andrew (11M), Lilac (12F)