Anakin was glad that Obi-Wan wanted to get this over with—this being Maul, who was still staring them down like they were the only things left in the arena. Which, Anakin supposed, might very well be the case, because he couldn't imagine Maul would find anyone else who might make decent competition. At least, that was what he told himself as he readied the sword in his grip.

"Well?" Anakin asked. "Are we gonna—"

Maybe that was the wrong thing to say, because in the next second, Maul lunged forward.

Anakin and Obi-Wan scattered—Anakin to the right, Obi-Wan to the left. Anakin kicked up ice and snow, and for a moment, he thought he saw something shimmer and move in the air, but he didn't get to focus on that for too long because he felt movement behind him.

Anakin spun around to catch the end of Maul's spear, shoved back. He hoped that he would have pushed Maul back enough to drive him into Obi-Wan, but no, Maul spun around, blocked Obi-Wan's oncoming blow.

Anakin started forward, his sword raised above his head, but Maul's foot landed a well-placed kick, and Anakin fell back into the ice. For a moment, he saw another flash of white, and then he smelled something…oddly sweet and yet not. Anakin blinked a few times and looked down at the snow.

There was less snow than there had been just a few minutes ago. He was sure of that now.

If the snow was melting, then the white stuff in the air…

Anakin didn't have enough time to focus, because he saw the flash of spear coming down again. Before he could get impaled, Anakin rolled over on his side, came up with a mouthful of dirt and snow which he spat out. Not what he needed.

Anakin leapt to his feet and turned, blocked. He caught Obi-Wan moving out of the corner of his eye—but Obi-Wan wasn't looking at Maul or Anakin. He was looking to the snow, too, a strange look on his face that Anakin couldn't think of how to properly describe except almost…

He was expecting this, Anakin thought.

But that didn't—

Anakin lunged for Maul, and this time, he managed a quick slice at the leg. Maul let out a sharp yell, his knee buckling just the slightest in response to the cut. For a moment, Anakin thought that yes, this might be it, but Maul just looked up at Anakin and shoved himself upwards. Anakin dodged away, the spear coming too close to his chin—but then Obi-Wan was there at his side again, sword just barely keeping the spearpoint away.

"Took you long enough," Anakin panted, jerking backwards.

Obi-Wan didn't deign giving him an answer, just a huff of breath that Anakin took to mean shut up.

"And this is who you choose to defend," Maul said, his eyes narrowing at Obi-Wan. "These are the people you chose to ally yourselves with."

"I'm not that bad," Anakin said, reaching down for Maul's left—Maul blocked Anakin, but he backed away a few steps. Anakin noticed the slight limp with no small amount of satisfaction.

"And what do you think will become of them in the end?" Maul asked Obi-Wan, ignoring Anakin. "You defend them now—what will become of them when it's just the three of you left?"

Anakin couldn't help himself—something in him faltered.

"After all," Maul continued, grunting a little as he blocked Obi-Wan's blow, "there can only be one victor."

"You must be tired," Obi-Wan said, "if you're suddenly in the mood to talk."

"And what about you?" Maul asked, panting as he took another step back. "Skywalker, isn't it?" His eyes—nearly yellow in this light—met Anakin's. "What do you think of your new allies? How long do you think you three will have before you need to make a choice?"

"And what of Savage?" Obi-Wan asked.

Maul's face closed, and his lips drew back in an ugly snarl as he re-focused on Obi-Wan. Anakin looked at Obi-Wan too, found a cold matter-of-factness there.

"And if Savage was still alive," Obi-Wan said, "would you have killed him?"

Maul glowered. "You killed—"

"Him," Obi-Wan finished. "Yes, I know." He brandished his sword. "So I saved you both the time and the effort."

Another twisted look came over Maul's face—and then he charged.

Ahsoka and District 10 circled each other slowly, carefully. Ahsoka was reminded a little of some of the mock fights that the children would get into sometimes. The parents would always be angry with them later, and Ahsoka remembered one time, her dad had been especially disappointed when he found out that Comet and Sinker had gotten involved in one of those fights. Ahsoka wondered what her dad was thinking now, and she wondered what her brothers and her dad thought of her as she carefully circled around District 10.

Ahsoka's hands still rested on her knives. She took one step, then another, and another. The snow hissed under her boots, and with each step, more steam shimmered in the air. Ahsoka flicked her eyes once to see how Anakin and Obi-Wan were doing with Maul. Lots of slashing and dashing and shouting, but besides that, they seemed to be handling themselves well.

They will handle themselves, Ahsoka knew.

She re-focused on District 10. He had his hand settled on the little device that blew the darts. A small slit, Ahsoka could see now—a small slit that probably released the darts. Ahsoka tightened her grip on her knife. If she could get her knife into that slit, she could probably knock out that device completely…

But then there was the matter of the thing that had shocked her. Ahsoka couldn't see a physical device, but she eyed the gloves District 10 was wearing. That had to be it.

"So," District 10 drawled, "are we gonna dance, little lady?"

"Who're you calling little lady?"

District 10 smiled. "You're an interesting one, you know," he said. "You and your little friend in the start. Faster than she looks."

Despite herself, Ahsoka faltered. She forced herself to keep circling, keep her face neutral. But her blood turned cold, and it had nothing to do with the fact that there was still snow and ice around her. If anything, she thought that the entire temperature of the place was getting higher, and the fact that the snow and ice was melting wasn't helping matters either…

"Oh, don't worry," District 10 said. "She's not dead."

Ahsoka shouldn't care. She shouldn't care—

But then again, Ahsoka realized as she looked up to hear a shout—not Anakin or Obi-Wan. Maul. Then again, she shouldn't care about anyone else, period.

"Too fast even for you, then," Ahsoka said, gripping her knives again. "Good for her."

"Maybe," District 10 said. "But I like playing with my food."

"Funny," Ahsoka said, smiling, "I prefer just taking it."

And with that, she let one of her knives fly.

There was a satisfying thunk, and then Ahsoka launched herself forward before District 10 could dislodge the knife from the device. She brought her knee up to District 10's chest, knocked him backwards. They both fell to the snow and the ice, and for a moment, Ahsoka couldn't feel anything except the snow and sludge and that was definitely more melted snow—

Ahsoka spat the dirt and snow out of her mouth, and she rolled up on her feet just in time to see District 10 trying to stand up.

Oh, no you don't.

Ahsoka launched herself forward and kicked District 10 back down. She heard another thunk, but she didn't try to think too much of it, not as she swung herself over the tribute. She brought her knee down again, resting it right against District 10's throat. She heard choked gasps, a gurgling cry. Found bloodshot eyes focus on her, Ahsoka gripped her other knife, held it above her head—

She could end it—

Ahsoka looked down at District 10. A little blood had started trickling from his head from where Ahsoka must have shoved him against the ice. He was blinking a little, his eyes bloodshot and just barely focused, and Ahsoka—

District 10 blinked, and with a snarl, he slapped his gloved hand against Ahsoka's ankle, and she felt the beginnings of a shock crawl up her leg.

That did it.

Ahsoka hoped her dad and her brothers weren't watching. She hoped that the cameras—wherever they were—would be focused on something that was a little more interesting than this fight, but she had the uneasy feeling that everyone's attention was on the events that were unfolding right now.

She brought the knife down.

Obi-Wan had been expecting the charge. He had been goading it on from the start, he knew—but he also knew that Maul didn't need to be goaded, because he had seen that change in Maul's face from the moment Savage was mentioned.

And he hadn't been entirely sure what had caused the change—but just that when Savage was mentioned, Obi-Wan saw a different kind of rage that he didn't think would have been there if Savage had been just an ally.

Strange. Obi-Wan didn't think that Maul would have been the type to keep friends, but now—

Obi-Wan remembered how closely Maul and Savage had worked together in the training rooms. How they had been working together in the arena. He vaguely remembered Maul dragging Savage up, when Obi-Wan knew that Maul could have easily just left him there to die. And yet…

And there had been other instances, Obi-Wan knew, when he had been in the same position. When he could have been left to die, and yet…

Obi-Wan held up his sword in time to block Maul. He staggered back a half-step, saw Anakin move, but Obi-Wan shook his head. No.

"I should be glad," Maul hissed, his breath sour and rotten. Obi-Wan would have drawn back if he wasn't looking for another opening. Some other weakness here—

"I should be glad," Maul repeated. "Because there won't be anyone to save you the time and the effort—" He shoved forward with his spear. "When the time comes for you to make a decision between yourself and your allies, you'll wish that there were still some of us left."

Obi-Wan's chest tightened. But he just looked at Maul.

"Somehow," Obi-Wan said, "I doubt that."

He sidestepped, pulled his sword out from under Maul's spear.

Maul hadn't anticipated that—he pitched forward into the snow, and Obi-Wan pivoted behind him. This time, he saw Anakin move again, and then the two of them both had their swords pointed to Maul's back—

Maul spun around, his back pressed flush against the ground and he brought his spear up. Obi-Wan and Anakin's swords hit the staff, and for a moment, Obi-Wan thought that the spear staff would surely break under the pressure, but it held.

Something shimmered out of the corner of Obi-Wan's eye, and he looked up briefly—if there was someone else coming to the clearing—but no, he just found that it was—

Just the snow. Melting.

Ah.

Obi-Wan blinked the steam out of his eyes. Sweat had started to drip down the back of his neck, although he wasn't sure when that had started. How the snow had started melting so quickly. How Obi-Wan could feel more mud than snow under his boots now.

And then Maul, too, was craning his neck, looking around at the shimmering steam around them. There was enough steam that when Obi-Wan looked up again, he could barely see Ahsoka moving around. He heard a solid thunk, and for a heart-stopping moment, Obi-Wan wondered if Ahsoka—he couldn't see her. He couldn't see anything beyond the cloudy steam now, and Obi-Wan tried to listen for Ahsoka's light footsteps or for the other tribute's voice or anything to signal what might have become of them—

"Did she—" Anakin's voice was harsh.

"I don't—"

A low laugh from underneath Obi-Wan. Maul.

"No," Maul said. "Your friend would be much too quick to die now." The staff was trembling a little under Maul's grip, and at first, Obi-Wan thought that it was just because Anakin was pressing down harder, but when Obi-Wan looked, Anakin didn't seem to have changed. And Obi-Wan wasn't exerting too much more force either, but Maul—Maul, Obi-Wan realized—

Maul was still looking up at Obi-Wan with a quiet rage, but the steam was gathering around them all now, making it difficult for Obi-Wan to tell exactly what was going on.

"No one will save the time and effort for you," Maul hissed. "No one. Everything—everything will fall, just as you fear—"

Obi-Wan paused.

That was his mistake.

Obi-Wan felt a hard kick to his side, and then he staggered backwards—he felt Anakin do the same, and he reached out before Anakin could fall over, but then there was more movement, and more steam, and—

Obi-Wan looked up to see Maul's figure rushing through the steam, spear raised.

He didn't think.

Obi-Wan brought up his sword.

He heard a sharp gasp, and then Obi-Wan dropped himself down to a knee just as Maul pitched forward. Caught Maul.

He found himself looking down at Maul's bloodshot eyes.

Maul wasn't quite looking at him. His mouth was already stained red.

"Everything," he breathed. "Everything."

And then his eyes lost focus, and then it was just Obi-Wan and Anakin and the steam.

Two cannons boomed, and Anakin knew that one of them was for Maul.

But the other—

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, who had just lifted his head.

They both dove into the steam, into the direction where Ahsoka had been.

And for a few moments, Anakin couldn't tell what was going on. There was so much steam, that was what he knew that weird glimmer in the air had been in the first place, but now…he pushed a hand through it, felt the warm, slightly sticky feeling of moisture cling to his hands as he ran forward.

"Ahsoka—" Both Anakin and Obi-Wan's voices rang out, and Anakin was surprised (and then he felt bad for being surprised) at the urgency in Obi-Wan's voice. "Where—"

"Anakin? Obi-Wan?"

And there, just a few steps away from him, Anakin saw a small figure get up. Slowly, that figure solidified, and then they were all crashing into one another, and Anakin didn't care if he looked stupid—he let out a small sound of relief, tugged Ahsoka in close.

"Are you—" Anakin looked down at Ahsoka, tried to check for any signs of injury, but the girl was already shaking her head.

"I'm fine! I'm fine," Ahsoka said, but her arm quickly curled over Anakin anyways. A quick squeeze, and she lifted her head just a little bit to give a smile over his shoulder. To Obi-Wan, Anakin knew.

Anakin let go of Ahsoka. "What—"

"He's dead," Ahsoka said, and Anakin noticed the bloodied knife dangling by her side. He took one look at it, and then he looked at her. "And…I'm guessing the other cannon—"

"Maul," Obi-Wan said simply.

For a moment, no one said anything. No one had to. They just looked at each other.

"That's…" Ahsoka started to say, and then she stopped.

Anakin tried to count. Savage and Maul, District 10, the boy from District 12.

"Four down?"

"Five," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin and Ahsoka both looked at him.

"There was a girl from District 5," Obi-Wan said. "In the beginning. The bugs."

There was another short silence at that.

"So five of them, and then the three of us…that makes eight," Anakin said. "Four left." He tried to think, but that was hard, because there seemed to be more steam gathering around them. Sweet-smelling, strangely warmer and thicker. He moved his hand through the steam again. He didn't feel anything, but…

"District 6, 7, and 9," Obi-Wan said. He was looking around the steam now too, that still strange expression on his face. An almost quiet kind of resignation.

"And District 8," Ahsoka said quietly.

When Anakin looked at her, Ahsoka was wiping her knife on some semi-melted snow. She looked up at Anakin, but she didn't want to seem to add any more information. She just stood back up and tucked the knife back at her side. And then, looking around the steam, she said, "What is this stuff? It's not just…"

Before Anakin or Obi-Wan could say anything, she reached up to touch a curl of steam.

"There's nothing there," Anakin said. "It's just the steam." But even as he said that, Anakin wasn't quite sure if he could believe himself. There wasn't anything just about the Games, and there wasn't anything just about the arena. Anakin again could have sworn that the steam smelled funny, and he remembered games when there were toxic gases, but right now, he couldn't feel anything strange in his head. He was pretty sure he would have felt something if there was anything strange about the steam, but all the same…

Anakin shot a quick look at Obi-Wan again, trying to gage out his reaction. But Obi-Wan was looking at the steam too, the expression on his face turned blank. When Obi-Wan caught Anakin watching him, he just pressed his lips together. Shrugged.

He's not saying something, Anakin thought. But before he could say that out loud, Ahsoka spoke again.

"I know," Ahsoka said, dropping her arm to her side. "But if the snow and the rain were the only sources of water, then…"

"Then we're being driven back to the Cornucopia," Obi-Wan said grimly. "It's an old trick from the gamemakers."

"So a trap," Anakin said. "To get all the tributes together."

Obi-Wan nodded. He sheathed his sword, looked at Ahsoka and Anakin expectantly.

Anakin and Ahsoka looked at each other.

The young girl had her hands wrapped around both knife hilts again, and she looked more tired than anything else, but Anakin realized with a jolt that she wasn't planning on going anywhere, either.

Four left.

And then it would just be the three of them.

Anakin hated that.

He turned back around to Obi-Wan. "What now?"

A corner of Obi-Wan's lips twitched. "Spring the trap," he said.

It turned out that springing the trap did, in fact, mean trekking all the way back to the Cornucopia. At first, Ahsoka thought that would be too much of a tedious journey. After all, they had spent the last few days just getting to this side of the arena, but either they had all gotten stronger and faster, or the gamemakers had somehow shrunk the arena.

Ahsoka suspected the latter might be the case, though, because in only a little while, the trees gave way to rocky and ashy ground, and the arena grew warmer. Ahsoka took off her jacket and tied it around her waist, still making sure her knives were within easy reach. She glanced up at Anakin and Obi-Wan, who also had since taken off their jackets.

"So," Ahsoka said, stepping up the rocky ground, "what's our plan?"

"Take over the Cornucopia," Anakin replied first. He stepped over a rock, helped Obi-Wan up. "Not die."

"A rather simple plan," Obi-Wan said, offering a hand to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka slipped her hand into his, and even though she could get up herself, she let Obi-Wan bring her up the rocks. She kicked away some ash. She wondered if maybe any of the tributes might be able to track them by their footprints in the ash, but she brushed the thought away. They were all coming anyways, she realized.

A part of Ahsoka wanted to just be satisfied with Anakin's answer. Take over the Cornucopia—not die. That seemed like a plan Ahsoka could get behind.

But the tug in Ahsoka's gut told her otherwise.

And Anakin seemed to know what Ahsoka really meant too, because he wasn't looking at her. Obi-Wan wasn't either. But their expressions were different—under the faintest red glow of the light from the volcano, Anakin's face seemed to take on a darker shade than it normally was. More shadows. Obi-Wan's face, on the other hand, was lit up by the glowing fires. Ahsoka could see the quiet worry there, but she wasn't sure how else to interpret what was going on.

Worried for us, or worried for himself? Ahsoka wondered.

"We'll have to elaborate on the plan once we complete the first step," Obi-Wan said. As though sensing Ahsoka's thoughts, he shot her a brief, halfhearted smile.

Ahsoka tried for a smile back, but it didn't feel right.

They kept walking up the volcano, the heat steadily growing more and more intense as they came closer to the actual Cornucopia. Ahsoka looked back once to see if there was anyone following them—but there wasn't any movement in the trees, and Ahsoka couldn't see anyone else for miles and miles. Some relief at that, but only some.

"Here we go," Anakin said, straightening.

Ahsoka turned back to the front. They were standing at the lip of the volcano now, staring down at the bits of still-floating rock that had once held the tributes. Ahsoka felt like that had been years ago. A whole lifetime ago.

She clutched her hands around her knives.

"Right," she said. "What're we waiting for? Ladies first?"

She took a step down, but just as she did, she heard something whistle behind her. Something quick, too quick for Ahsoka to make out, and then pain—sharp, blinding pain—at her shoulder.

Ahsoka cried out, heard shouts of surprise around her. She felt a warm hand scramble up her arm, but that didn't matter—Ahsoka was there first, clapping a hand over where the knife—because it was a knife—nicked her. Warm blood dribbled between her fingers, and huh, it was one thing to feel someone else's blood on her hands, but she was discovering only now that feeling her own blood was something else entirely.

Ahsoka turned around, already reaching for her own knives, but then—

She saw Barriss scrambling up the side of the volcano with alarming speed, her hands already palming for what Ahsoka could only guess were the other knives.

Oh.

Ahsoka knew that she should have seen that coming.

She should have seen that coming.

But all the same, something twisted in Ahsoka.

"There's District 8," Anakin muttered under his breath.

Ahsoka wished she could say something, but she didn't. She ignored the blood dripping down her arm as she reached for her other knife. Pain blistered at her shoulder again, and blood erupted at the side of Ahsoka's lip from where she was biting down so hard. Don't don't don't don't—

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, "take Ahsoka to the Cornucopia."

No—

Barriss was coming closer. Ahsoka could see tribute's hands spinning the knives in her hands, the look of determination on her face, but then—

Ahsoka smelled something sweet.

Somewhere behind her, she heard a scream, and Ahsoka spun around to see two other tributes dancing along the opposite edge of the volcano. One tribute held a bow and arrow, using the bow to shove aside her opponent. Districts 6 and 9, Ahsoka realized.

"Lux!" District 9 was shouting. "Lux, it's me—"

Ahsoka frowned. There was something not…right—

Of course nothing's right—remember where you are—

No—

That sweet smell grew stronger, and Ahsoka turned back around to Barriss. She was coming ever closer, but now, Ahsoka could see that what she had thought was determination on her face was what Ahsoka could now only describe as a daze. Barriss' lips were still drawn back in a scowl, and her eyebrows were furrowed together, but her eyes—

"I don't think," Ahsoka started to say, but Barriss let her other knife fly.

She ducked, crashed to the rocky ground. Ahsoka felt new cuts open at her arms and legs, and then she heard Obi-Wan say, "Anakin, now—"

But Ahsoka was already scrambling up, and ignoring both Anakin and Obi-Wan's shouts, she ran down to meet Barriss.

"What's she thinking?" Anakin asked, standing up.

Obi-Wan didn't know, but he didn't bother giving Anakin an answer. He just ran down the rocky side, and just as he took a step, a cannon boomed. For a second, Obi-Wan's heart plunged, but Ahsoka and the other tribute—Barriss—were still standing.

Another cannon boomed.

"6 and 9," Anakin said, running behind Obi-Wan.

Two more down.

That just made Barriss and the other one—the boy from District 7—left.

Obi-Wan would have to think on that later. Later.

"Barriss!" Ahsoka shouted now. "It's me!"

That won't matter, Obi-Wan thought. Now much closer, Obi-Wan saw the glaze over the other tribute's eyes. All around him, Obi-Wan smelled that same cloying, sickly-sweet smell that had started back at the snowscape. He wondered if Barriss had been at the snowscape this entire time, and if that had somehow affected her, or if maybe—maybe only this version of the smoke and steam affected her now.

"Barriss!" Ahsoka cried again, ducking a strike. "Snap out of it!"

That won't matter, Obi-Wan thought again.

And he knew it wouldn't—because even if Barriss woke out of whatever dream she was in, they would all still be in the games. Someone would still have to die.

And yet Ahsoka still shouted, and even though Obi-Wan couldn't see her face, he could hear the rawness in her voice to know that something had changed. Even Anakin didn't have anything to say, and when Obi-Wan looked at him, his face had closed.

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan started, grabbing Ahsoka's arm. "Get away—"

But Ahsoka yanked herself out of Obi-Wan's grip. "She doesn't know what she's doing," Ahsoka said. "That has to be against the rules—she can't just—" Her voice cracked, but then she was spinning back around to Barriss, and with a speed Obi-Wan couldn't comprehend, she lifted up her knife to block Barriss' own.

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan started quietly.

"No," Ahsoka said harshly. "People like…the others—they—they were going to kill us anyways, but her—" She pointed at Barriss, who was struggling back up to her feet, that still ever-vacant look in her eyes. "Please—we can't just let her—"

Obi-Wan looked at Ahsoka. He had thought he had seen Ahsoka as a child before—back when she had waved at the Reaping and at the chariots and even during the interviews. He thought that was the child, but now, Obi-Wan saw that the real child was standing in front of him. Eyes too wide, lips slightly parted in a plea.

"Please," Ahsoka said. "She's not choosing to do this."

"None of us did," Anakin said.

Both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka turned around to look at him. Despite the glow of the fires around them, Anakin's face was still darkened by the shadows and the ash mixed with his own sweat.

That second cost them all.

Because in the next second, Barriss lunged forward, and Obi-Wan moved to jerk Ahsoka back, but it was too late—Barriss' knives were already out, and Ahsoka—

A cannon boomed.

Obi-Wan heard a barely restrained cry. A small sob, and then Ahsoka dropping down to her knees.

"Ahsoka—"

But Ahsoka let go of her knives, and she stood up.

No blood, no mark on her.

But Barriss remained on the ground.

Ahsoka picked up her knives.

Obi-Wan saw her open her mouth to say something, but then she closed it.

Obi-Wan found that he didn't have much to add on, either.

But they all stood around Barriss' body.

"We should—" Obi-Wan started, but then he heard something sharp dig into the ground.

Both Ahsoka and he spun around to Anakin.

He had his sword buried into the rock, his head hanging low.

"Anakin?"

For a moment, no one spoke.

"Anakin," Ahsoka said quietly. "Are you—"

"Go."

Both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka froze.

Anakin lifted his head, and there weren't any shadows on his face then. Just a paleness that made Obi-Wan feel cold all over.

"Go," Anakin said through gritted teeth. "Now."

"What is he—"

The sweet smell grew stronger.

Sweet, and then somewhere else, mingled in the background—smoke. Something burning, decaying.

Obi-Wan caught Anakin's eyes.

He understood—but only a moment too late.

When Anakin lifted his sword, Obi-Wan brought his up to meet it.

A/N: Caroline update in the mornings like you said you would challenge-so sorry for updating a few hours later, you guys! I don't know what it is about the work week, but it always seems to throw me off-kilter when it comes to updating times. However, I'm glad to at least update on the same day as I said I would!

As always, reviews/follows/favorites are greatly appreciated! (One chapter left, aaah!)