[a/n] more on the way, everyone, after this chapter...although I'd hate to ruin the surprise of what it will be :)

Hermia-

Tap. Tap. Tap. SHUT UP!

Hermia spoke up. "Do you remember how we last met, Ahiru? So much has changed. I can hardly believe it myself. Anyway…

You know how people have these habits that get you down?

Like…Lysander. He liked to sculpt statues. The result was quite beautiful, actually; he even made a statue of me with wings once. I must admit, I looked like an angel.

It wasn't until later that I noticed the infernal tapping of his chisel. Over and over.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I could hardly stand it. Whenever we were around each other, he'd always have a little piece of stone in his hand and he'd be tapping away at it. Like I said, the final result was lovely, but the process? Tap. Tap. Tap. For me, it was pure torture.

I asked him to stop. Nicely.

But it was a part of him just as much as breathing. He couldn't and wouldn't stop.

So I came to his workshop one day, and it's been a tough morning. You know Demetrius? The one who's always tagging along after me because apparently he's desperately in love with me? He was telling me that I shouldn't take him or Lysander for granted anymore because they both actually loved Helena. Apparently, they were both going to fight for Helena's love. Pfft, I thought. Silliest idea ever.

Yes, it had been a terrible day. I was looking for a little bit of sympathy, and who can blame me for what I did?

There he was, sitting at his little bench, tapping away at something. I came closer to see what he's working on.

And it was a statue of another girl, the same girl who was posing seductively on a pedestal a meter away.

Helena.

"Lysander." I said warningly.

He turned around, and panicked. "Uh..." He said, but he was still tapping away at the stone like his life depended on it.

Helena shot me a sickeningly sweet smile. "Get away from Lysander." I told her. "Demetrius is waiting for you."

"Actually, this is part of the contest for Helena's love." I heard Demetrius say from behind me. "And Lysander, that sculpture's nothing compared to the painting I'm going to make. You can bet that I'll win."

Rage rose in the pit of my stomach. "Lysander, is this true?"

No response.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Lysander."

Tap. Tap. Tap."

I said slowly, "Lysander, if you tap that stone one more time…"

And... he did.

So I went next to the other ginormous sculpture, right beside him…the one he always told me he was afraid would fall over? Yeah, that one.

And I leaned on it.

Needless to say, the sculpture fell over. On top of him and his beloved statue. Helena leapt off of her pedestal, a hand clapped over her mouth, as Demetrius took a step backwards in horror.

I actually thought Lysander would be smart enough to quit tapping on the sculpture with his chisel and get out of the way. I was only trying to make a statement that he couldn't go trying to win the love of other girls while we were together, not kill him. And that damn tapping, over and over and over and over...

But now he was dead. His sculpture crashed into smithereens, just like his skull.

And I was left a murderess."

"I wouldn't have done that!" Ahiru gasped, her face pale, horrified white.

"Don't worry, we know you wouldn't have." Rue said dryly.

"But you didn't mean to kill him!" Pique interjected. "That's not intentional murder!"

"Hm...maybe I did." Hermia said, twirling a lock of curly hair between her fingers. "But he died. If you'd have been there...if you'd have seen it...I betcha you would have done the same."