Author's Note

I do not own the Hunger Games.

Luminescence Sterling, 17

They had decided to carry on through the arena in the way Phoenix and Vivaldi had been headed, in the hopes that they were closer to something that way instead of having to turn around and go back the way Luminescence and Etheria had come.

With Radiance.

Luminescence didn't say it aloud that there was more than one reason he didn't want to try tracing their footsteps.

Phoenix stayed close to him, at times slipping her hand into his, something she hadn't done in years. At thirteen and seventeen, they really were too old to be holding hands.

But this was a death match, and they were all that they had.

Etheria seemed to have paired off with Vivaldi, who Phoenix did appear to have become close with. He was a little older than her, but Luminescence was glad she'd used the opportunity to make a friend.

The moans and groans from the mutts of the dead players echoed around them, ringing through the darkness, but none appeared to be trying to approach them now. Luminescence still kept his spear in hand, listening for anyone and anything that might be trying to approach them.

Phoenix's breathing was loud in his ears, echoing against his skull. He squeezed her hand.

The fog seemed heavier today, pressing in around them. Luminescence could taste it in his mouth. The black grass crunched at each step. Phoenix pressed her shoulder to his arm, clearly fearful of being separated.

"It seems darker in this direction. Are we sure this is the right way?" Etheria whispered.

Luminescence wished he still had his compass.

"Do you want to go a different way?" Phoenix asked.

Etheria faltered, and that steadied herself, squared her shoulders, and pointed off to their right. "That way."

Phoenix nodded. "Alright."

Luminescence frowned down at her. "What are you doing?"

She shrugged. "She wants to feel useful. And what difference does it make, so long as we aren't going round in circles?"

He couldn't argue with that, so he turned and followed as Etheria found her new path.

Marcellina Arnoult, 16

The long grass was much, much longer now. They had to kick and hack their way through it. Emeria took to using her bow as a bludgeoning tool, swinging it in front of herself to clear a path. Marcellina's throwing knives aren't much good for that task, so she settled for shoving it aside with her hands.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked.

Emeria grimaced. "No, but unless you've got a better idea…"

Marcellina didn't, so they kept going. Long blades of the grass crack and snap under her hands anyway, drooping down to the ground. Everything had dried out. They wouldn't be able to light any cooking fires.

They pushed onwards, towards where they remembered the prison building as being. When they came out this way, Calpurnia had been with them - and they'd had hope.

Marcellina stopped and hesitated, fidgeting with one of her throwing knives.

Emeria glanced at her. "What is it?"

"I'm… not sure this is the best decision. It feels like going backwards."

"The prison is a perfect place to set up base. We should have stayed there before."

We. Meaning her and Silverie, presumably. Who was now dead. Dead because they'd fought another player, dead because they'd listened.

Marcellina shook her head. "We left the prison and followed Celeste because she was hope."

"She's a freak and a lunatic."

"What if she's not?"

Emeria laughed. "Her dreams and wittering about this precious firebird got Silverie killed! And Calpurnia too, in case you don't remember!"

"That… wasn't Celeste's fault! I'm sure she didn't mean for them to die!"

"Maybe she didn't, but she still caused it!"

"At least she had a plan!"

Even if that plan involved searching for some bird made of fire so that it could lead the way out of The Game - okay, it sounded like the ravings of a lunatic, but at least she'd been trying to do something.

"All we're doing is exactly what the hijackers want us to do! They're the reason Silverie died, not Celeste!"

And Emeria… actually seemed to think about that one. She sighed and lowered her bow from her attempts to club long grass from their path. "What do you think we should do?"

Marcellina smiled. "Let's go find Celeste."

Artemis Gilmore, 17

The long grass had proven nearly impossible to navigate. And more worryingly, it was drying out. Most arenas with grass like this had a rainstorm or two a day, and not just to keep the tributes of that past Hunger Game more miserable. The only reason they would be dying it out…

Well, Artemis had reluctantly decided to return to the train tracks and follow them down to the cornucopia. Hopefully she could go from there across into the arena for the Fiftieth and then… hope Ares was there, somewhere. He was her only remaining brother, she couldn't let him get hurt.

She couldn't let him die.

And given that she hasn't come across him in six days…

He had to be in a different part of the arena. Ergo, the Fiftieth.

The beeping of a sponsor gift filled the air. Artemis drew her sword and tensed. Most likely it was for her, but there could be another player around here somewhere.

She found no one else near, but still ducked into the long grass and waited as the parachute floated gently to the ground. The top bore the District Four seal. Relief rushed through her. She hurried forward to press the button and watched as the box slid open.

The contents were minimal, a small canteen of water and a pack of dried pork. Still, she smiled and snatched them up. She was desperately thirsty, and quickly growing hungrier.

Artemis popped open the water canteen and took several long gulps before setting it down for air.

"My thanks to District Four," she said.

And then her insides began to burn.

She gasped, doubling over and tipping out a portion of the water. It came out cloudy with black grains, evaporating when it hit the ground.

Death by sponsor gift. Of all the ways to go out.

"Changed my mind. Fuck you, District Four."

Though the people truly to blame for this was the alliance that killed Apollo.

They had taken him away from her.

She'd tried being the hero, that had gone well.

But she could be an avenging hero too, couldn't she?

She'd see justice for Apollo's death.

Zephyr Almon, 13

They dug through the supplies still left at the cornucopia before they had to follow Celeste back into the thickening mist. There were heaps of supplies left over here, to the point that he didn't understand why the Gamemakers had provided them with so much. They packed as much food and water as they could get in their bags, as well as taking a torch each and extras for each of them in case the batteries ran out. Luminita then chooses a dagger for herself, and Iridescence dug out a quiver of arrows to replenish her own. Even then, there weren't many, barely a handful.

"Ares had to get me a bundle during the bloodbath. I wonder if the Gamemakers are limiting them," she said, stuffing them into her quiver. She looked pale, beads of sweat forming along her brow. Her hands trembled.

Ares caught her arm. "Do you need to sit down?"

"I need to find my sister," she replied, pulling her arm from his grip.

"This way," Celeste said, pointing back into the fog. "She's waiting."

"Great." He couldn't just have a normal sister. No. No; he had to have Little Miss Prophet who would lead them to The Saviour.

…

Actually, Zephyr was quite glad to have Little Miss Prophet right now. She might just save their lives.

"We better get going," Ares said, glancing around the cornucopia clearing.

Luminita frowned. "Do you think there might be someone else near?"

Ares shrugged. "Possibly. It's a good place to use as a base. And even if no one is, others might get the same idea we all have. Not all of them are going to be as friendly as we are." He gave Celeste an odd look. Zephyr had to agree with that. Only Celeste would happily sit down in front of a boy trying to kill her with an axe.

"I… guess we're going back into the fog then," Luminita said, and led the way towards it.

A sharp, familiar beeping rang through the air. They all stopped in place. A flashing red light lit up the fog only a little way above them. Luminita reached up as though to catch the sponsor gift, but the box was too big and she had to let it float to the ground. Ares edged closer to get a look at the box, and Zephyr saw the disappointment on his face upon seeing the District Ten seal.

"Was anyone else District Ten, or just Celeste?" he asked.

"Three," said Ares.

"Eleven," said Iridescence.

And Luminita, he remembered, had been… somewhere else. He wasn't sure where.

He glanced at Celeste. "Guess it's yours then."

She smiled and stepped forward to press the button. It buzzed, sinking into the box before it slid open in the usual fashion.

Inside, like some bad rendition of a terrible joke, was a doll, delicate looking with dark hair and the kind of eyes that opened and closed when it moved.

"A… doll?" said Iridescence, clearly puzzled.

Celeste, however, did look genuinely pleased. She reached into the box and pulled the doll out, holding it against her.

"I… guess it's from our parents?" Zephyr suggested weakly.

Ares raised his eyebrows. "Mummy and daddy looking after you? That's what you're going with? Seriously?"

Zephyr flinched. "She's… into dolls. Leave off."

"He's right, it's not worth starting an argument over," Iridescence said, joining Luminita in taking steps away into the fog. "We need to keep moving. Celeste, if you really do know, where are we going?"