A/N: I'M BACK! Woot! Thanks to everyone who supported me and this story. I honestly wasn't going to re-upload, but after all the PM's received I just had to. Anyways, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry that it seems I'm neglecting some tributes or their POVs, but everyone is going to have a plot, some just won't come in until later. Hope you enjoy. :)

Aeron Swan

Jade's wound has healed nicely since she started taking antibiotics. It's a good thing the Capitol's medicine is so technologically advanced. She can actually walk around, though with the slightest of limp, and her prognosis is looking bright.

Everything has been pretty quiet, but I've had my eyes out for Shoal. When the face of the District 9 male appeared in the sky the night I was sure Shoal had died I knew he was still around and possibly coming back with a vengeance. Somehow he had escaped our grasps.

Noah, Jade, and I have kept trading watch always making sure to scale the coastline. I offered to swim out there to see what he had possibly found to make shelter, but Noah refuses to let me. I listened to him because I knew it could a stupid decision that would likely end up with me drowning.

Although the beach has been a place of refuge so far, we know we cannot stay. The land is too open and we could easily be attacked from all sides. The heat wave has also gotten worse. The only way of keeping cool is swimming in the water, but even that has become sickly warm like bathwater. We've already taken camp down, and we plan on leaving as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.

I dig into my dinner of fish, and look down at Jade who is wandering down the coastline. Slow and steady. I put my bowl down and make my way down the sand to meet her. She catches my eye for a moment before looking away back across the ocean.

"How are you feeling?"

She doesn't look at me. "I'm fine."

I sense her revulsion for me, and I don't really blame her. I have gone from ignoring her, to hating her, to becoming her caregiver and healer, and now finally an ally. I'd like to blame my raging hormones for my actions, but that wouldn't be fair.

"Any sign of the runaway?"

She shakes her head.

A moment of silence follows but I keep pace with her regardless.

I stare out at the foam rushing in towards my feet, and I long to be home. What would I give to be home with Lively and the baby? What would I give to sit next to Demi and gossip like the young girls we once were only a few weeks ago?

"I never said thank you," Jade finally speaks and turns to meet my eyes.

I can't help but laugh. "For what?"

"Well certainly not your hostility and anger, but you saved my life twice; once at the cornucopia and again with this wound. I don't know if you did it for Noah or what, but thanks anyways."

The word humanity echoes in my ears over and over. Is this what the Capitol wants; for us to lose our humanity? What if I would've killed Jade? Would District 1 have judged the ferocity of District 2 because of my action to save myself and the baby?

I have finally realized the power of the Hunger Games. Rebellion will be suppressed if the districts are too concern with fighting with one another. What will the parents do to keep their children from being sent? District 1 and 2 had never been belligerent to the Capitol. We were their fighters, and protectors for them while their citizens cowered in fear. We were the ones who were sent to the front lines. They send our citizens to be Peacekeepers, which is one of the most honorable jobs to have. If they favored us, they would have never sent our children to participate, but we were just pawns in their game. Our citizens are sent to do the jobs they would never want, while District 1 showers them in jewels and velvet furniture.

I was never fond of the rebellion. My family had chosen to stay away from the fighting and it was easier for us. We only treated the wounded, but now I wonder if by staying away I was helping the Capitol. Isn't that what they want? For us to be passive and unquestioning? I look over at Jade, she has slowed down a bit.

"Why don't you head up and get some sleep. I can keep watch for the night." I tell her.

Jade shakes her head. "I'd prefer to stay up if you don't mind."

I look down at her limping leg. She should rest, but she is stubborn. Her eyes dare me to defy her words. I merely nod, and turn to leave.

"Wake me when you're tired. Please get some rest tonight though. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

She neither speaks a word nor turns her head to look in my direction. I leave her to her thoughts and crawl up the sand to my sleeping bag.

Alice Leigh

I've been stuck in my mind plenty of times before, but never like this, and I am going crazy. My ankle is bloodied from pulling and yanking at the jagged cuff that surrounds it. I've already sculpted a spear from a large tree branch I could reach, but now I'm running short on activities to keep my mind occupied. I crawl back over to the stream and lie flat on my stomach. It's the only way I can reach what little water is in front of me, and in this heat I could easily dehydrate.

Where is my captor? Instead of facing them I must be locked to this tree to mentally suffer. I sit back down to examine my prison. If I had something sharp I could cut the metal wires around my leg. I've already tried with a rock, but all I did was butcher the skin on my ankle more. This trap was not meant to release me. I will die chained to the tree. At least that's what the purpose was.

I sit back down against the stump and drink what little water I was able to savage. Maybe I should start a large fire so the smoke will draw someone. Either they can help me or I'll kill them. The idea seems reckless, but I can't just sit here. What if my fire goes out of control though? I'll surely burn myself. I stare down at the long chain. Think Alice, there has to be someway out, or some idea I could try. I think about the fire again. The hot flames licking my flesh. Fire is a powerful weapon. Doesn't fire weaken metal? And suddenly a new idea pops into my mind; perhaps I will be able to escape this after all.

Faunas Dunois

Between heavy eyelids I see a vision of a person standing above me. It's either an angel or another tribute, so either wait it looks as though death is at my doorstep. I open my eyes completely and rub the fog from them. My dearest sister, Chrys, greets me. How did she get here?

"What do you think you're doing Faunas?"

I blink my eyes. I am lying flat on my back; the sun is burning through my dry skin and boils my blood. Chrys stares down on me, the sun casted behind her makes her look like a standing shadow.

She makes a futile attempt to fan herself with her hands. "Boy it's hot here," she lowers a hand to me. "Come on Faunas get up! You aren't seriously going to give up are you? What do you think mom and dad would think of this?"

"They'd call me a coward…"

She crosses her arms, and glares at me in her signature stance.

"Nah, really?"

I ignore her sarcastic reply.

"How did you get here?"

"That's not important," she grabs my hand in hers. "Up we go."

Her small frame somehow gets my worn body up from the sand. Have I lost that much weight?

"The important question you should be asking is: what am I doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" I repeat.

"Saving your butt of course. Just like I've always done Faunas. Sheesh, I sometimes wonder how you survived those three years before I was born!" She carries a look of annoyance, though that isn't uncommon for Chrys, but behind that I hear the laughter, so soft and childlike.

My legs feel like dead cement weights dragging me into the sand. I cannot seem to move them and I want to lay die, because I'm tired, because I'm severely dehydrated, because the sun has sucked all of my energy. I've been really tired, as of late. Chrys seems all right though, she's trudging on as though it's not a thousand degrees.

"Chrys, I'm sorry… I've been out here for days. Can we take a break? I don't think… I can go on…"

I imagine her turning around with a lecture or a spiteful comment. I can hear her words taunting my weakness, but when she turns to look at me all I see is sympathy in her amber eyes.

She holds out her hands and grasps one of mine. Her touch is silky and cool.

"Did you forget?"She whispers.

"Forget what?"

"That you're a Dunois!"

I shake my head. My family name weighs down on me, rather than lift me up.

"How did you get here?" I ask her again.

She stops and turns to me. She tilts her head in confusion and curiosity.

"Isn't it obvious? You brought me here." And she runs off.

"Chrys!"

She waves me forward. "We're almost there Faunas!"

"Where are we going?" I stretch my lead legs to move faster to keep up with her. Each movement is physically exhausting. If it weren't for my fear of losing my sister in this desert I would probably give up and be happy with lying in the hot sand surrounded by the heat that weighs down on me like an overbearing blanket.

I don't even realize that I'm not moving, when I see Chrys turn around and run back. She grips my arm and tries to coax me to my feet.

"Come on Faunas, we're here."

I slowly tilt my head back to get a glimpse of what's in front of me. Is that… water? Flowers. My little oasis in the desert. It can't be real, it has to be a mirage, but I see Chrys kneel next to the water and pull a handful to her lips. I can't resist and run to the cool water and dip my entire head into the cool liquid. I drink past my fill, and end up vomiting it back up immediately. Chrys still stands there and shakes her head in a 'you should've known better' fashion.

"Is this real?" I take in the scenery, my sister standing just a few meters from me.

"Is anything real?" She responds as she plucks a flower and secures it behind her ear. "That's my flower," she points to a patch chrysanthemums that grow near me. I pluck a yellow one from the patch and hand it to her.

"Yes, the golden flower," I say. I cannot quite recall the day my sister was born, but I know why my parents named her so. Chrysanthemums are known as a flower of life, and Chrys always embodied that.

"You keep it," she says swiping my hand away. "I already have myself."

For the first time in a while I find myself laughing. I suddenly see my older brother in my mind. Where was Kale?

"You know Kale isn't here because he wouldn't have been able to say anything. He would've been too worried about your condition to push you on and just would've babied you."

Did I ask that out loud?

"He misses you, whether he says it or not."

I already knew that. Kale always exemplified silent strength and compassion, while Chrys exemplified determination and vibrate personality. What did I bring to this family? It's no wonder I was here in the Hunger Games.

"I'll send him your love," she dangles her feet in the water, completely at peace.

"How did you get here?" How many times have I asked her this?

"I already told you Faunas. You brought me here."

I would never bring my sister into such danger. That's why I was chosen, so she could live. Now that I'm re-hydrated and coming to my senses, her safety is all I can think about.

"No, I didn't! I would never want to put you in harms way."

She laughs and plucks another flower.

"I'm not going to be in any harm, Faunas."

She doesn't comprehend my misunderstanding and rises to her feet.

"I want to tell you something dearest brother."

"What is that?"

"No matter what… you'll always be loved, and admired, at least by Kale and me. I don't know what I'll do without you to keep me company while Kale plays 'parent'. Kale misses you most, but you already know that. He would've volunteered for you if he could have. You always helped keep us all stitched together. Faunas… I know you have the ability to come home as a victor, but you must not try to win for Kale or I. Please do this for yourself. Mother and Father would be so proud of you, and I hope that I can someday live up to my older siblings."

It's as though Chrys is echoing my deepest thoughts right back to me.

"Don't ever think you're worthless," she continues. "You have brought so much to us. That's why the Capitol took you instead of me. You're a trailblazer; somebody that wouldn't be tamed by these stupid games like the rest of our district. I promise if you don't make it home I'll carry on your legacy, no matter what."

"Doing so would put you in danger. You'll end up here, and Kale wouldn't be able to make it without both of us."

"Kale knows the sacrifice would be worth it. Our parents knew that."

She squints up at the sun. The flower in her hair seems to dry up in front of my very eyes.

I feel too full and too empty all at once, and I don't know which to satisfy. Should I release or add more? I just don't know.

I wake up what must be several hours later because the sun is dipping over the horizon. Had it been all a dream? Have I died? No, there's water in front of me. I lift my hand to see a golden flower clenched in my fist, but Chrys is gone.

I look at the flower again. 'You keep it. I already have myself.' She isn't gone; she was never here. Her image had been nothing but a vivid figment of my dehydrated imagination. How strange did I look to the nation as I chased after an unknown figured? Did the audience laugh at my lone conversation? I have to thank her though, or maybe I have my mind to thank, for if she never had shown up to save me I would've given up. My face would be appearing in the sky right now. My imaginary run-in with her makes my heart long to be back home with my family. I curl back up to sleep. Right now I am safe to stay here, but something tells me the higher powers of this arena won't allow my safety for long.

I am, after all, a Dunois.

Alice Leigh

Neither the burning on my palm nor the repeated sting of crooked wires on my ankle has deterred me from pounding stone onto metal. I know right away that my fire is not hot enough, but I strike the chain anyways until my arm is too sore. Once I realize I'm making less progress I add fuel to my dying fire in a feeble attempt to raise the intensity.

My sensitive ears pick up a small sound of rustling from a ways away and immediately I grab my wooden spear, get to my feet and stomp out my fire with my good foot. This is either my next meal, or my enemy. The rustling increases, and then a pause. I hold my breath and aim towards the sound. After a few seconds I'm starting to think the noisemaker has gone, but just as I'm about to relax a rabbit comes darting out. I throw my spear towards it, but my almost-meal is too fast, or I'm too slow and I miss.

My spear is suddenly out of reach. I kneel down to get a better reach for my only weapon, and curse myself for being so idiotic. My fingers barely brush the wood, but I can't get a grasp on it.

"Well, who do we have here?"

My goal to relinquish my weapon suddenly changes to getting to my feet to make myself less vulnerable. About twenty feet from me stands my district partner and the redheaded kid who I remember from the chariot rides as the crazy one who injured his partner.

David's expression drops at the sight of me.

"Alice? What are you doing caught in my trap? You're the last person who I expected to be so careless."

"Well I jumped down from the tree to get some water, and next thing I knew my ankle was being suffocated."

I hold myself as calm as possible even though I am unarmed and imprisoned. I am basically at the will of David who has an axe swinging in his hand.

We stare at each other for a while. I'm waiting for him to make a move, but he stands still caught in some kind of hesitation. Jasten becomes bored and wanders towards the water. I watch him gaze with eyes of wonder into his reflection and he leans down to touch it.

"Are you going to release me?" I ask.

David shakes his head.

"Are you going to kill me?" I venture further.

He doesn't respond, instead he walks towards me and takes a look at my surroundings and the chain securing my leg. He glances to Jasten who is playing in the stream and then back to me. He circles around me a few times and then stares at me.

"How long have you been here?" He asks.

Good question. It feels like I've known nothing but being chained to the tree.

"A few days," I say.

"Hmm..." David seems impressed by my will. "I'll release you… partially, but only on the condition that you join my alliance."

"Your alliance?" I stare over to Jasten who is splashing water everywhere. That's no alliance.

David catches my expression.

"Don't underestimate," David growls, glaring at me.

I probably shouldn't. I mean everyone underestimated David, and here he still stands. Not only surviving but setting traps with readiness to kill anyone with his axe.

I don't want to join David. I have a bad feeling about it, but if I don't I'm sure the fate will just come sooner. I open my mouth to speak, but I'm cut off. He senses hesitation. He knows I don't want to.

"I can tell you're hesitant, and I can't have that," David says. He reaches into his pack and starts digging around. "So I'm going to leave you here awhile, and see how look it takes to mentally break you."

He tosses two water bottles to me.

"But I'll die. I have nothing to protect myself with."

"Looks like you've been fine so far."

But David digs into his pack withdraws a knife anyways; he grabs a hold of the blade and holds the handle out to me.

"Don't get any funny ideas. You know how well District 7 is with an axe."

Of course I do. My brother was one of the finest. I grasp the handle in my hand. The knife is on the smaller size and I examine the blade. There's something dark stained all over the silver blade. It looks like blood. Did David skin an animal with this? I look over at his packs and realize David would have no need. He has enough supplies. I picture the faces that have died.

"Who… did you kill?" I'm not sure I even want to know.

A slick grin spreads on his pale face, and I suddenly understand.

"Mika," I whisper. I feel a constricting pain in my chest area. The urge to find Shoal seems to wedge itself in my priorities.

"You should be happy," he slings his pack back over his shoulder. "I did it for you."

Bullet Daniels

"Everyone set?" I look over at Aeron who is trying to fling her heavy pack on her shoulders. She teeters under the misbalanced weight and I'm starting to wonder if I should take some more weight in my own. We took Jade's supplies and divided them up between the two of us so she wouldn't have to carry anything with her lame leg. I glance over to Jade standing on the shore, her feet sunk into the sand. She looks like she is at peace and I don't want to disturb her.

"I'm ready to get out of here," she wipes the sweat off her forehead. The heat has done nothing but increased over the last few days, and I can guess we are nearing peak temperatures for human life. My shirt is already soaked under my pack.

"Jade!" Aeron calls Jade out of her daydream, and she snaps out of her world and glances to Aeron.

"Ready to go?" She yells again.

Jade nods, and cups her hands over her mouth.

"I just need to put my shoes on!"

Aeron sighs and turns.

"I finally got this thing on, and now I have to wait. I just want to sit down instead of standing here with thirty some pounds on my back."

I'm worried about her and her… condition. So I go over to lift the pack off her shoulders, but she immediately shrugs me away once she realizes my intentions.

"No, I'm okay. I was just joking."

"I should take some more of your stuff. I could take a little more weight."

She shakes her head.

"But you're…"

"Don't even start with the pregnancy excuse. I'm okay Noah, it's not a weakness."

She's so stubborn.

"I'm not saying it is, but why can't you let me be nice and ease my mind a bit?"

She shakes her head again and clenches her straps tighter.

"Listen Noah, I'm…" her sentence is suddenly interrupted by a scream. The scream is neither piercing or loud, it sounds more like a squeak that was cut off. Aeron turns before I register the source and the next thing I know her backpack is flung in the sand and she's running faster than she ran after Shoal the other night.

I hear the cannon fire before she ever reaches her. The killer is already speeding off through the water, and Aeron drops to her knees by Jade's lifeless body.

"I'll kill you!" She screams to the executor, who I can guess is Shoal. He is probably too far away to decipher her words, and I lay my pack down and run to her before her hormones decide to do something stupid. I can just see her trying to swim out in the waves after someone who probably has hidden fins.

She gets to her feet and starts kicking sand towards the water, but the wind just blows it back at her.

"Aeron," I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her away. She fights me before falling to her knees. Fistfuls of sand fly from her towards the water. I understand she needs to vent her frustration, but this isn't going to do anything.

A few days ago Aeron would've said good riddance to Jade without a second thought, but since our conversation and that night where Aeron fixed Jade's wound, she changed. Somehow she had gone from Aeron the coldblooded killer to Aeron the daughter of two surgeons; surgeons that had taught her the moral values and worth of another's life. When Aeron took it on herself to heal Jade with the technique only a healer could give, she had taken Jade's life into her own hands. Now that the girl who had recovered so quickly had died, Aeron had snapped. As I watch her thrash in my arms, I come to an understanding of the inner-workings of her mind, and so I let her throw sand. I let her swipe her limbs through the water angrily because she at least deserves that much.

A/N: Death count on my profile. I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Sorry it took so long to update. Obviously there were a few circumstances that got in the way. I have three things to say before I go.

1) Everything I forget to put in A/N will be on my profile, go check there.

2) Go PM Demigodgirl1000 to sign the petition to have guidelines changed to allowed SYOTs, unless you already did and if that's the case, thank you!

3)Before my SYOT was taken down I was asking by nb1998 to tell all of you that they would like if you went and read their new story "Crippled" which is about the District 10 boy from the 74th Hunger Games with the crippled foot. I have read it and it's already caught my attention. I'm sure nb1998 would appreciate it as well. :)

Okay I'm done. PM me if you want to talk. Thank you guys for being awesome!