"Crystal, wait!" I gasped, completely frozen with fear.

Crystal snarled, gripping her machete tighter. "Your time is up, Fish Girl."

"I'm sorry!" I stammered, stumbling away from her. "I'm so sorry about Bronze!"

"Don't even speak his name!" Crystal shrieked. Her hazel eyes sparkled with malice.

My hands felt heavy and numb, my legs like lead, and I knew I was finished.

No, I had to fight! I had to do this for Linnet!

Crystal lunged and sliced a deep cut across my arm. I yelped and staggered. What can I do? How can I fight a knife? My bow and arrows were useless in this battle; they were a longer distance weapon.

"Fight back!" Crystal ordered. "Make this worth my while!"

I gulped as she swung again, but this time, I barely managed to evade her.

A glimmer of hope flashed before my eyes. Perhaps I could defend myself, even for a short while. At least I would know I'd tried.

As Crystal prepared to strike, I caught sight of a sharp, lethal rock and dived for it.

Once it was safe in my palm, I turned to face Crystal.

Crystal grinned wickedly. "That's more like it."

I dodged her next lunge, and then countered it with a strike of my own. Crystal gasped with surprise as I sliced her shoulder.

"Lucky hit," she growled.

Crystal swung her delicate fist and punched me in the jaw, and then landed a solid kick to my chest. I tripped and almost went spiraling into the river.

My hope began to fade as I realized there was no way I could survive. Crystal was a deadly cobra, quick and venomous. She'd trained her whole life for this moment. I was doomed.

Crystal noticed I was distracted and inflicted a deep gash across my thigh, causing my knees to buckle, and then slapped me viciously.

I collapsed to the ground in an agonized heap. My vision began to cloud, and I was sure I was about to fall unconscious.

"No you don't!" Crystal snapped, hauling me to my feet. She was unbelievably strong for such a slender girl.

Gazing at her, I realized why Ace cared so much for her. Crystal's sorrow was masked by hatred. Even now, nothing could suppress her beauty.

I couldn't let her beat me. Her weakness was her pain.

Crystal strode towards me, undoubtedly preparing to deliver the final blow.

As she raised her hand to pierce my heart, I grabbed her arm and tugged with all of might.

Of course, Crystal was far stronger, but she wasn't expecting it. I wrapped my free arm around her throat and squeezed.

Crystal gasped and struggled, but her efforts were pointless for my rock could potentially kill her.

"Listen," I began, voice strained. "I am sorry. I could've prevented Bronze's death, and I didn't. I understand why you hate me, but avenge Garnet and Bronze in the right way. Turn on the people who truly ended their lives."

Crystal was intelligent enough to understand who I meant, and by her snort of disgust, I gathered that she did.

"Nice try, Fish Girl. I know what you're trying to do, and to an extent, I agree with you, but it's impossible. So, why not destroy those who were also at fault, hm?"

I wailed with pain as Crystal drove her machete through my lower-back.

The pain was unbearable as she twisted the knife this way and that, slicing my nerves. The rock clattered to the ground, my grip on her loosened, and I dropped to my knees.

Crystal relentlessly continued her torture until I heard a sickening, distinct snap, and I could feel no more.

I lay completely motionless by the river. Crystal had severed my spine, and I knew instantly that death approached.

Through foggy vision, I saw Crystal wipe my blood from her knife, and then I was blinded by a dazzling light.

"Harpie, we're together again," Linnet said lovingly.

I smiled as body and soul found peace. Now, I could be with those I truly loved, and I felt I deserved it.

.

Crystal frowned as Harper's cannon sounded, and then a long, low chime of a horn echoed across the walls of the arena. The following silence was eerie.

"What the hell?" Crystal grumbled, setting off into the jungle to reunite with Ace.

A terrified, piercing scream sounded nearby. Crystal froze and clutched her machete tightly.

Only her, Ace and the red-headed girl remained. Could that have been Robyn's death?

"RUN! To the cliffs!" the girl screamed again, closer this time. Crystal gasped with surprise as the red-head sprinted past her frantically. What was going on?

Suddenly, a towering, colossal beast crashed through the trees.

It was a muttation that resembled a buffalo, Crystal thought immediately.

Its eyes glowed scarlet, and foul, disgusting saliva foamed from its gargantuan mouth. It paused and glared at Crystal menacingly.

Crystal glowered back despite her nerves.

With a roar of fury, the buffalo charged in her direction. Crystal only just managed to avoid being crushed, but it's curved, deadly horn sliced a deep gash in her side.

Crystal grimaced with pain but remained in control, racing in the direction Robyn had gone.

Fortunately, she was a brilliant runner, and the buffalo was a slow, lumbering creature.

Crystal neared some jagged, looming cliffs she'd never noticed before. They weren't very tall, but they were split across the centre, forming a narrow canyon.

Without hesitation, Crystal ignored the pain and began to climb. She was out of the buffalo's firing range by the time it caught up to her. It bellowed with outrage and began slamming its massive head against the rock.

With each movement, Crystal found herself becoming weaker and weaker. She was bleeding heavily, and the buffalo's power was causing the cliffs to tremble.

"Crystal!" Ace yelled. Crystal glanced up to see Ace making his way cautiously across a broad ledge. He lay on his stomach and attempted to haul her up, but she could move no further.

"You're hurt," he said gravely.

Crystal forced a weak smile. "Well spotted, Einstein."

Ace's eyes widened with horror as Crystal grip began to loosen.

"Don't you dare leave me!" he snapped. "Stay with me, Crystal!"

"Ace, thank you so much," Crystal mumbled, her strength fading. She couldn't believe it would end this way. "I've had the best few weeks of my life. You showed me happiness when no one else would."

Ace gulped. "Sparkles, this is an order. You won't leave me, you can't. I have no one. You're all I have now."

.

I closed my eyes and reminisced. I remembered all those faces I had murdered. I remembered all the sins I committed. I remembered how cruel I was.

When I opened them, Ace's gaze was so frightened and pained it sent a jolt through my body.

Why had I denied it for so long? Was I afraid?

Well, I had nothing to lose now. I knew this was the end.

"Ace, I love you," I said softly, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Ace's face crumpled. I couldn't believe he was capable of crying.

"Crystal, no!" he cried. I managed the strength to reach up and give him one final, tender kiss.

"I love you," Ace whispered, and as my body gave up and I fell to my death, I felt warm after years of remaining cold.

.

The scene before me brought tears to my eyes.

As Crystal was mutilated by the creature below, Ace wept. I could barely register my shock. Ace, the brutal, blood-thirsty creature I'd come to fear, was crying.

Would he kill me? I'd tried to help them; I'd tried to warn them. I detested the Capitol, they were sick.

Ace's sobs vanished, and he rose slowly to his feet. His whole body was rigid with tension.

I braced myself and cautiously crept away, never taking my eyes off him.

Ace turned, and his gaze was torturous.

Oh, no. He'd snapped. He was insane; I could see the glint in those emerald orbs.

"I'm dead," he whispered. I blinked with confusion. "I'm already dead. My life went with her, and you'll join us. That's all I'm good for, right? Bred to kill. That's all I've ever known. Even if I win, where's the glory? Where's the honor? Where's everything I've lived these past years for? It's gone. Down there with Crystal's body, and up there with her soul."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Ace, stop."

He didn't listen, unsheathing his sword as he continued to approach me.

"Bringing pride to my district, that's why I'm here," Ace rambled. "Isn't it? Is this good enough for them? Is that what you want?"

Ace wasn't addressing me anymore. Instead, he yelled at the sky.

The further I crept away from him, the closer I came to the canyon. Peering into the darkness below, I noticed hundreds of pairs of eyes. Mutts.

"You can't kill me!" Ace snarled. "You can't kill me!"

I desperately dived across the narrow canyon, gripped by adrenaline as Ace lunged at me. Miraculously, I made it across. Ace wasn't so lucky.

His agonized cries pierced my very soul as he fell to the unknown. The muttations snarled as they ripped and tore at his flesh.

"CRYSTAL!" he screamed.

I clamped my hands over my ears and curled into a ball, trying to blot out the carnage, muttering to myself.

A cannon blasted as Ace's cries ended.

I stood shakily to my feet, pressed three fingers to my lips, and saluted the sky. My sign of respect to the fallen tributes who'd never leave my mind.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Claudius Templesmith boomed. "May I present to you, Robyn, winner of the 136th Hunger Games!"