Crystal blanched and began to weep.

Rich, sickly blood poured from Bronze's mouth. His spear clattered to the ground.

Crystal grasped his face in her hands.

"Bronze," she sobbed. "Don't leave me!"

Through his agony, Bronze managed a pained smile.

"Win for me, sweetheart," he spluttered. "I always had faith in you."

Crystal let out a tortured scream. "No, no! Don't say that! I need you!"

Bronze shook his head weakly. "You don't, you never did. Love you, Cryst. Tell Garnet I love her."

"NO!" Crystal screamed.

Bronze stilled, and his eyes fluttered shut.

A cannon sounded, sending the arena into eerie silence.

Crystal cried brokenly, slumping to her knees and holding her face in her hands.

Ace sliced through the netting and scrambled to his feet, furious.

"What happened?" Ace snarled, and then he saw. "Oh, shit."

Garnet cried in outrage, then glanced up at sight before her.

"No!" she gasped.

Ace remained motionless, completely stunned, as Garnet raced towards Bronze's body.

"Why?" she shrieked, collapsing in a despaired heap.

"Come on, Sparkles," Ace whispered softly, regaining his sense and comforting Crystal. "The hovercraft will be coming to take him."

"They can't have him!" Garnet wailed, throwing herself over Bronze's body.

"We have no other choice," said Ace firmly, gripping his partner's shoulder.

Garnet shook her head rapidly. "No, I won't leave him!"

"Crystal, listen to me!" Ace snapped, removing Crystal's hands from her face. "We have to leave."

Crystal nodded numbly, tears streaming down her angelic face.

Ace scooped her up bridal-style, and Crystal buried her face into his sweater.

"Gar, it's time to go," Ace said gently.

Garnet gulped. The jungle animals went into a frenzy, sensing the hovercraft.

Ace turned and headed towards camp, Garnet stumbling after him.

.

I waited until the Careers had vanished and the hovercraft had taken Bronze's body, then I rounded on Linnet.

"What have you done?" I cried.

Linnet shook his head, in utter disbelief. "Harper, the chances were so slim!"

"You killed him!" I yelled, completely horrified.

"I- I didn't mean to!" Linnet insisted, eyes wide with shock.

I shoved him away from me.

"Murderer!" I bawled, before storming into the jungle.

I could hardly believe what I'd just witnessed. Crystal's despair had both shocked me and filled me with guilt. Bronze was dead, it was all Linnets' fault, and I could've stopped it.

They would come for their revenge, of that I was certain. The tortured gleam in Garnet's eyes would linger in my mind until those final moments.

.

The second the Careers reached camp, Crystal hurled up the contents of her stomach.

Ace watched sadly as Garnet began attacking the wildlife, releasing all her grief.

"Is she sane?" Crystal whispered.

Ace swallowed. "I don't know."

"Ace, we've lost him," Crystal mumbled, tears threatening to spill once again.

"I know," Ace said. "But we have to keep going, right? He'd have wanted us to fight."

Crystal nodded firmly. "He told me to win, for him. I bet I know who rigged that trap."

Ace's eyes darkened. "They'll pay."

Crystal clenched her fists; a wave of grim determination overcame her. Those fuckers would die.

"Tributes, congratulations on making it into the final six!" Claudius Templesmith announced, his deep voice sounding across the arena. "Tomorrow, at sunrise, there will be a Feast at the Cornucopia, with back-packs containing an item you all desperately need. Of course, whether you want to attend is your choice, but if I were you, I'd go for those packs."

Ace and Crystal paused, and Garnet marched over to them, eyes wild.

"Did you hear that?" she demanded. "A Feast, and I can guarantee those bastards will be there. We're going, and when we do, I go for the back-packs, got it?"

Crystal glanced at Ace nervously, but he nodded his assent.

"Sure, Garnet."

Garnet whirled around and briskly stormed back through the trees.

"Me and you will keep to the trees," Ace decided. "Keep an eye out for tributes."

Crystal nodded. "OK."

"That's my brave girl," Ace replied with a grin.

.

Robyn's P.O.V

I awoke to the sound of Claudius Templesmith, announcing a Feast.

Groggily, I attempted to sit, and my head throbbed with the effort.

What had happened to me? Where was I?

I glanced around; my vision took a while to adjust to the harsh sunlight. I was at a campsite, a recently used fire was spitting embers.

"Hello?" I croaked.

A dark figure came into view, and I had to blink a few times before I realized who it was.

"Dallas!" I gasped, scrambling to my feet. The action had me reeling.

"Steady on," Dallas muttered, rushing to my aid. I leant on his shoulder until I regained my footing.

"What happened to me?" I whispered.

Dallas's charcoal black eyes narrowed. "You don't remember? I was hunting for meat when you fell from the canopy. I brought you back here, you've been unconscious for a while."

I thought hard, but I couldn't recall falling.

"Why did you help me?" I asked suspiciously.

"I thought you might be of use to me," Dallas shrugged, helping me sit. "I watched you in training, you're very clever."

I snorted. "Clever enough to fall out of a tree right onto my enemy's lap."

"Enemy?" Dallas echoed, pretending to be insulted. "I wouldn't say that, at least, not now. Allies?"

I considered the option of allying with Dallas. He seemed trustworthy enough, and I needed his strength and protection.

"Allies," I agreed.

"So, when we go to this Feast, you watch my back, OK?"

.

After several hours of mourning, the Careers set out in a desperate search for water.

"Listen!" Garnet hissed.

The Careers paused.

"I hear it," Crystal confirmed. The unmistakable sound of running water could be heard close by.

They ran swiftly, following the noise, until they reached a steady, flowing river.

"Thank God," Ace sighed, pulling off his t-shirt.

"Wait!" Crystal cautioned.

Cautiously, she took a stone and approached the river's edge, and threw it in.

Almost instantly, a flurry of angry fish sprang from the surface, snapping at thin air before submerging into the water again.

"Piranhas," Crystal declared. "I should've known."

"Shit!" Garnet cursed.

"Looks like someone wasn't so intelligent," Ace snorted.

The Careers noticed the mutilated, stinking carcass of the girl from 10, rotting beside the river.

"Typical," Crystal sniggered.

"I have an idea," said Garnet sharply. "Two of us distract the piranhas whilst the other one bathes."

"Good plan," Ace replied. "You can go first. Sparkles and I will distract the mutant fish."

Garnet nodded and waited until Ace and Crystal had wandered further downstream, tossing in pebbles to attract the piranha's attention.

"How are you holding?" Ace asked softly.

Crystal gulped. "Better."

"Good."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't have my best girl losing herself, can I?" Ace replied with a grin.

Crystal smiled slightly. "I guess not."

Ace leaned down and filled his flask with fresh water whilst Crystal distracted the piranhas.

"I'm worried about her," said Crystal abruptly.

Ace sighed. "So am I. As you may've noticed, she's quite unstable, she's had it rough these past few years. I think losing a friend has just put the icing on the cake."

"He wasn't just Garnet's friend," said Crystal shakily. "Bronze told me to tell her he loved her."

Ace's eyes hardened. "Have you told her?"

Crystal shook her head. "Perhaps now isn't the right time."

"Our days are limited, Sparkles," said Ace darkly. "I wouldn't leave it too long."