***EXPLANATION INSERTED AT END ;3***

::Aspen's POV::

Aspen stayed on the glittering Highrock,slowly turning silver in the pale moon light.He forced himself not to shudder as his gaze rested on the three new O.C.s in the Webkinzluver5 camp-Cola,Lynexia,and Onyx.He knew Webkinz was always a creative one,but did she have to make these three so...insane?Well,insane was a bit of a strong word,and it didn't entirely describe them all.Cola was a white she-wolf with red and white checkerboard or striped patches with some black stitches,and on her chest was a crimson heart that seemed to be bleeding and glowing red eyes.At this,Aspen couldn't help but suppress a shudder,remembering bitter-sweet memories.Lynexia was a black she-wolf with green and purple markings that reminded him strangely of Midnight,possibly the beta of Bloodpack.Then there was Onyx,a crow-black male wolf with gray and red markings.It was funny,really-Onyx reminded him of Eight,the former Alpha male of Camopack before his brother,Eclipse,had taken his position after he died.

Aspen couldn't really describe them,though he had a few ideas of them all already-when it came to communication,Onyx rarely talked to anybody else other than Lynexia and Cola,Lynexia refused to speak to any of the other O.C.s and made it all too clear when the others shouldn't say even the smallest word possible.And Cola...well,despite her design and rather disturbing features,she was a nice O.C.,no matter how insane of a look her eyes gave off.The medicine wolf had to admit,he usually didn't mind being around her,but that didn't mean he always enjoyed her company.

He remembered when Springtrap,Meadowstar,and even Eclipse themselves had come back to visit because they had the day off.Jessy,Electric Gaze and Meadowstar's deputy that Aspen could never seem to remember the name of joyfully welcomed them back,along with almost half of the other O.C.s,too.But the rest kind of hung out in the back,casting wary glances at the two wolves and Clan leader.At this thought,Aspen couldn't blame them-he still hadn't really forgiven Eclipse when he found out about the Death Water that had killed Shadestar.Sure,the tom wasn't very well liked among the valley Clans,but he still a Webkinzluver5 O.C. through and through,so the medicine wolf couldn't help feeling a twinge of pity when he saw him die through the water pool.

Shaking off those memories,he stayed where he was on the rock,watching the three new wolf O.C.s mingle in their own little group,a world that not even Bramble or Five Tails themselves would understand,which Aspen found a bit perplexing-despite being Fang's sister,Bramble was the complete opposite of her;Fang was never fully BloodPack and couldn't bear living like that,while Bramble would have died for BloodPack in a instant if she had to.

Letting out a small huff of exasperation,Aspen noticed his oldest brother,Nitro,padding up to him and sitting down beside him,curling his gray,fluffy tail over his paws.

"Beautiful night,isn't it?"he murmured.

Aspen nodded."So,those new wolf O.C.s;do you think they're a bit...insane?"

Nitro stared at him like he had just asked the stupidest question he'd ever heard."Not really.Just because they may look or act like their insane-Cola and Lynexia especially,"he woofed,flicking his tail towards the two she-wolves,"doesn't mean they're completely insane."

Aspen narrowed his mahogany eyes."If they look or act insane,wouldn't that mean they are?"

Nitro glared at him."If Eclipse started talking crazy stuff about some wolf dying,would you consider him insane?"

Aspen was taken back by this question."He already is in his own way!"he snapped.

Nitro rolled his eyes."Yes,he shouts a lot,knows how to start picking a fight,can be a bit harsh,but is that actually being insane?"

Stunned,Aspen stuttered,"Well,no,but..."

"Exactly,"Nitro growled,turning his head back up to sky.

"You don't need to make this difficult!"Aspen snarled.

"You made it difficult on your own,"Nitro pointed out angrily,baring his teeth.

Throwing a quick open-mouthed snarl,Aspen quickly got to his paws and whisked down the rock,definitely not in the mood to talk about Cola,Lynexia and Onyx any further with Nitro or with anybody.

Typical these two would start a fight -3-

::Swiftstar's POV::

Dead (15):Apollo,Arjanna,Hazelclaw,Bismuth,Angelfeather,Comet,Midstrip,Silverpaw,Tundrafrost,Kelive,Vi,Burnflight,Dappleheart,Shadestar,Skyfire

Tributes:

Coldice

Dodre

Swiftstar

Alex

Splash

Skycloud

Bearpaw

Echostrike

Firefly

Swiftstar paced the ground angrily as milky dawn light began filtering over the sky,replacing the midnight,star-filled sky with pale yellow and blue.Ever since Echostrike had left Dodre and his mange-pelts,she had never seen even a tuft of her fur,mostly likely buried in the earlier blizzards and swept away by the harsh winds.But every single day,the she-cat Clan leader grew increasingly impatient,her claws itching to run through arena until her paw pads grew sore just to find even a clue of where the silver tabby was.

Skycloud always seemed to say that you should never hold onto to something you can't catch,but of course,always stubborn,Swiftstar ignored her and kept finding herself wandering farther and farther from the camp to find traces of Echostrike's recent presence.But alas,even if she did find the faintest scent trail,it was always stale and seemed to lead her to one of the places she and Echostrike had been near the start of the Games.

Stupid games! Swiftstar cursed in her head.I wished they never existed!I wish Feather herself never existed!

Getting lost in her completely disoriented thoughts,Swiftstar angrily began running,feeling her muscles stretch as she bounded across the soft,wet grass in long strides,the wind whisking through her whiskers and fur as she pushed her way through rough bracken and shrubs.She had to scramble her way through a couple bramble bushes,the sharp thorns piercing her skin,but she hardly felt the pain,she just wanted to keep running until she found the edge of the arena-

No;she wanted to go farther than that.Whatever was on the other side of the arena,Swiftstar would find out.For a fraction in time,the she-cat felt a kit again,always dreaming big and thinking about becoming Clan leader one day,wondering what was always on the other side of the cave tunnel.

Enjoying the wind whipping through her unkempt hair,she felt she could run forever until a shrill yowl echoed across the calm morning sky mingled with shock and horrible pain.Her heart pounding loudly in her chest,Swiftstar ignored her already throbbing paws and turned her direction towards the sound.

Her paws thudding against the ground,her paws tingled with apprehension as she neared closer.Fierce snarling,sneering and mocking hissing was starting to come into earshot as she clumsily made her way up and over fallen logs.An acrid tang of smoke and ash bathed her tongue,though she forced herself not to retch at the scent as bile rose in her throat and her fur spiked with fear.She could tell by the fiery scent that a fire had broken out days ago by a river,where it must have stopped,so at least whoever was here thankfully hadn't been scorched and burned alive.

Belly churning,Swiftstar skidded to a halt as she padded up to the stepping stones.Though the river was barely stirring,she felt her claws uncurl and sink deeply into the ash filled ground as she imagined herself trying to swim her way through,her pelt sodden and plastered against her frame,then drowning,drowning...

Pushing away the horrific thought,Swiftstar noticed stepping stones leading a path across.Summoning up her courage,the she-cat crouched on her haunches,then sprang forward onto the first stone.Teetering a bit,her heart lurched and didn't slow down its racing beat until all her paws had been planted firmly onto the wet,slippery ground.Another ear-splitting shriek exploded into the air,making Swiftstar stiffen.Though she thought she was imagining this,she felt sure the shriek had belonged to Echostrike.

Echostrike! Fear for her lost ally and joy for finding her at last mixed together.(NOBODY CONFIRMED IT WAS ECHO YET KEEP READING eue)Feeling new energy surge through her,Swiftstar fearlessly leaped to the next stone,then the next,until she finally reached the last one and leaped onto the ground on the other side.Though the stinging in her pads seemed to grow worse,Swiftstar ignored it the best she could and raced one through the blackened trees.

Finally slowing down,she pushed her way through black and brittle undergrowth that had a hint of death on them until she found a large clearing.A once sturdy looking cave had one side crumbled and missing and a tree had collapsed onto it.Leaf packets lay scattered on the ground,almost completely ash by now.

Another shrill wail rose up in the sky.Swiftstar fought against the panic swelling in her chest and the urge to bolt towards the sound as she realized Dodre,Bearpaw,and Coldice standing over a small O.C.,its pale fur matted with blood and soot.

"Echostrike!"Swiftstar yowled.

::Venomtooth's POV::

Apprehension churned in Venomtooth's belly as his tabby tail lashed madly.Bitter grief still loomed over his head as he remembered his father being killed by Dodre.(SHADESTAR HAS A SON WHAT O0O)He felt sure,at first,it was just a terrible dream,and when he woke up none of this would have happened.But it had happened,and no amount of wishing could reverse anything.

He blankly ripped his gaze away and stared at his brother,Sunwing,who was still looking into the pool,a glazed expression filled with terror as his fur spiked up (SHADESTAR HAS TWO SONS?! O0O).

"Why should it be Shadestar?I could care less if Swiftstar died-,"he began.

"What was that?"Windtail,a light brown warrior of SwiftClan,snarled menacingly.

Sunwing slightly flinched at his fierce response."Nothing!"

Windtail rolled his eyes as he glared at both of the two brothers and trotted over to his own brother,Marshfang,the medicine cat apprentice of Kestrelflower.

"Who made dirt in his fresh-kill?"Sunwing snorted.

Venomtooth shrugged."You still shouldn't say things like that,though,"he warned."Our mother taught us better than that."

Sunwing's expression suddenly grew dark."Blossomflight's dead." (SHADESTAR HAD A MATE HOW MANY SECRETS HAS HE KEPT FROM US eOe)

Venomtooth struggled against the anger rising in his chest.How dare Sunwing speak of their mother in vain?"That doesn't mean you still try and stir up trouble!"

A dark shadow loomed over the two toms.Looking up,Venomtooth realized Jessy was standing over them,staring at them through narrowed eyes.

"He's right,Sunwing,"she barked,her voice sounding like thunder to the warriors."We've already lost half of our tributes to the Games,so you should show a little respect."

Nodding,the light brown tabby tom watched the silver she-wolf pad off to join a small group of other wolves."You heard her Sunwing?"

"Yea,yea,"Sunwing grumbled,glaring back at the pool.

Ventomtooth forced himself not to roll his eyes as he did the same.Sometimes he wondered how he and Sunwing had ever ended up sharing the same blood.

Probably the most disorganized chapter I'll ever type...T3T

::Swiftstar's POV::

(Oh good,you never actually got a cliff hanger XD I said I'd make it up to you in the last chapter,and I'm determined to do just that >:D MISSION ACCOMPLISHED .D.)

Her eyes wide with terror,Swiftstar's legs grew stiff and her claws dug into the ashy ground.She realized now that Echostrike was being firmly planted into the ground,one of Dodre's huge paws on her muzzle and one on her back as she weakly thrashed and let out muffled squeals of fear and indignation.

"Let go of her,fox-hearts!"Swiftstar snarled,fluffing out her fur to look twice her size.

"Dog-breath!"Bearpaw yowled back cheekily.Swiftstar fought the urge to go right over there and cuff him behind the ears-claws unsheathed.

"Make us,"Dodre sneered,showing his yellow teeth."Though I doubt you could.There's three of us and one of you."

"No,there's four of us and three of you,"a voice behind Swiftstar snarled.Whirling around,the she-cat realized Skycloud,Splash,and Alex were standing behind her,their looks hostile and merciless.

Coldice just answered nonchalantly,"So?That doesn't mean you can fight better than all of us,does it?"

Swiftstar forced herself not spring at the she-wolf and let her claws cut a slit through her throat,though she noticed Alex looked more stung than angered.

Throwing a small yet fierce sounding growl,Splash woofed,"Fight like the predator,not the prey!"

A cold looking smirk slowly made its way onto Dodre's face,making Swiftstar want to recoil in terror.Slowly taking his paws off Echostrike,he stared at the group through icy,narrowed slits."Very well,then."Turning to Bearpaw and Coldice,he added,"Let's show them how to fight like predators."With snarls of agreement,the three O.C.s practically threw them selves at them and collided into a messy,tangled jumble of fur and yelps.

Fur flashed in front of Swiftstar's face as she stayed rooted to the spot,dazed.Trying to figure which way was which,she dived out of the way just in time as Bearpaw lunged at her and tried to rake his claws into her side.Twisting around,Swiftstar let out a fearsome caterwaul and sprang at the apprentice,scraping her claws against his side.The apprentice let out a pained wail,but quickly shook it off and leaped onto her back and gripped his claws sharply into her back.Yowling,Swiftstar tried to do the drop-and-roll counter move,which she found useful as she slightly squashed Bearpaw and landed onto her side.Feeling the heavy weight let go from her back,the blue smoke white she-cat staggered to her paws,then froze as she realized a lifeless,blood-matted body laying on the ground,white and light blue markings all too familiar.

"Skycloud!No!"

::Splash's POV::

(Five POVS in one chapter?I'm treating you guys really well today! :D)

"Skycloud!No!"

Horror prickled under his fur as he watched Dodre lick away the blood staining his muzzle red.He felt sick with dread as he stared at the now dead Skycloud.Rumbling thunder moaned in the sky announcing her death.

"Skycloud!"Bearpaw wailed,rushing over to the she-cat and burying his muzzle into her blackened and red fur.Looking up at Dodre,he whimpered,"Why did you kill her?"

"She's the reason Kelive is dead,"he snarled back unsympathetically."She betrayed you by joining these..."He glared at the group." ...These murders."

"We never did anything the likes of that!"Alex growled,a throaty growl.

"Stop pretending,Alex,"Coldice spat."We know you killed my pup.And if you live,Avalanche will never forgive you."

"Oh,and we're the ones pretending!"Swiftstar hissed back,her eyes burning with a blood curdling fury."You think slaughtering the other tributes will make you respected?You think every sacrifice possible is considered honorable?Well,it's not!You're only leaving a trail of wreaking havoc and pain in your wake!"

Clearly,Dodre was taken back by this remark,but then collected himself and snarled,"You want to know how much pain I can cause?"Glaring at the whimpering and quivering Echostrike,he added,"I'll show you how much."

"No!"Splash howled,throwing himself in front of the silver tabby.

"Splash,you don't have to do this,"Echostrike whimpered.

Splash looked over his shoulder,seeing the crystal clear pleading in her sky blue eyes."I have to,"he whispered.

She shook her head."No,let him kill me."Her expression suddenly darkened."I know he won't win.All he'll do is destroy himself."

How would you know? the Aussie thought bitterly,but didn't dare speak this thought out loud as he turned his head towards Dodre.The male wolf looked a lot different from when the Games first began-patches of fur were missing from his tail tip and his left flank,fresh and old scars and wounds ran down his chest,legs,and back,and dried and fresh blood stained his once brown fur.One of his ears were scarred and the other was even half missing.

His voice cracking with chocking emotion,Splash side stepped and allowed Dodre pad towards the small looking she-cat."I'm sorry,"he sobbed to himself.

He watched sadly as Dodre glared down at her."This is what we do to traitors like you.You made the worst mistake of your life by leaving the Goldscars.You probably hoped I would never find you,but look at you now,"he sneered,gazing around at the battered and defeated O.C.s not belonging to his own group,"You're all alone.No one came for you.Not even idiotic Firefly himself.At least I know not all the Echostrike O.C.s are stupid."

Standing-well,more like staggering-up and letting out a weak and pitiful hiss of defiance,she spat back,"None of us are stupid.And just wait-,"a heaving cough wracked her small body as she continued and rasped,"...just...you wait...until Firefly...gets here."

Dodre just let out a worrf of cold amusement."That won't happen.Because he's been annihilated from the competition already."

Echostrike's fur spiked as she wailed,"You killed Firefly?!" 

"Not necessarily myself,"he answered coolly,not looking at all regretful or sorry."Feather got to him first.But now,you'll be my next victim."

"You'll have to fight for my entrance to StarClan,"she snarled,arching her back as her claws slid out.

Dodre let out a puff."This is going to be as easy as killing prey."

"We'll see about that."Letting out a yowl,she leaped at Dodre,ducked under his belly and raked her claws against the soft flesh.Barking out with fury,Dodre swung his head around and tried to grab her on the scruff,but she had darted out quickly and was on all fours,panting heavily.Without hesitation,she sprang again and landed on his head,slashing at his already bruised and battered ears,then sank her teeth into his scruff,putting a firm hold on him as the male wolf thrashed madly,trying to dislodge her.

Leaping off,Echostrike snarled the word "Crow-food!" then sprang and leaped onto his back and sliced her claws against his back.Dodre was practically standing on his hind legs often for a couple seconds before getting down on all fours again.

Then,the most unthinkable thing happened-Dodre flipped himself onto his back with such force,a muffled squeal of terror sounded under him.Flipping over to his side and quickly getting to his paws,a battle-scarred and beaten Echostrike was crumpled on her side,drawing in shaky,rattling breaths.A thin stream of blood ran down her lip.

Splash was about to leap forward when Coldice appeared out of nowhere and snarled,"Step another foot closer and you go down with her."Bearpaw was doing the same with Alex and Swiftstar.

Splash watched in dismay as Dodre loomed over the tabby she-cat,his lips curled back in the beginnings of a snarl,revealing yellow-stained,glinting teeth."I should've never let you live,you pathetic lump of nothing."

"Please...don't...it won't change...anything,"Echostrike half whimpered,half rasped.

"Begging is for the weak,"was all Dodre replied,then thrust his head forward into the tabby's neck until Echostrike's wail split the air.Lifting his head,Dodre barked to Coldice and Bearpaw,"Leave her to die a slow and painful death."

Nodding,Coldice and Bearpaw followed him out of the clearing,not once looking back.

(Welp,Splash never really did much in this POV o^o)

::Swiftstar's POV::

(You'll see why I'm immediately switching back to Swiftstar -u- BUT POOR ECHOSTRIKE I LOVED HER ;-; *thoughinthischapterIactlikeIhateherono*)

"No!"Swiftstar wailed,her eyes streaming with tears as she rushed towards Echostrike and pressed her body against her still oozing neck wound.

"Y-you can't...save me,"Echostrike mewed,her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Not if I can help it,"Alex barked,racing off,Splash hard on his heels.

"I-I'm s-so sorry,"Swiftstar whimpered,her vision blurry from the tears.

"N-no,I'm sorry,"Echostrike replied.

"Y-yo-u s-should-n't h-h-have t-to be..."

Echostrike nodded her head."Yes,I-I should b-be."Another cough rattled in her chest."I..I tr-trusted F-Fire-f-fly...a-and...h-he betrayed...me..."

"It's not like you could help it,"Swiftstar meowed,trying to force her voice to stop cracking."He was from y-your O.C. group.It's n-no wonder you trusted him."

Echostrike's gaze suddenly hardened."W-Why a-a-re you b-blaming yours-self?You n-never did a-anything wrong."

Heavy sobs wracked Swiftstar's body.There was so much she wanted to say,and yet there was so little time.She wanted to tell Echostrike she was sorry-sorry for letting her leave,sorry for letting Firefly lull her into his net of lies and trickery,sorry for letting her let Dodre slaughter an O.C. from her own group,sorry for abandoning her in her time of need...sorry for everything.

"I did...everything,wrong,"Swiftstar mewed in a small voice,feeling her cheek fur wet from her tears.

Echostrike painfully lifted her head up to Swiftstar's ear and gently licked it before settling back down again."No...you d-did...everything...right...For you-,"at this,another cough shook her before she continued,"...For you,there's n-never...s-such a thing...a-as doing a-anything...w-w-wr-ong."

"I-I fa-ailed you...,"the Clan leader murmured.

"No...y-you n-never failed m-me,"Echostrike rasped."I w-will a-always...r-remember...y-you..."

"Don't talk like that!"Swiftstar pleaded,pressing her pelt closer against the wound.

"G-goodbye...Swiftstar,"Echostrike mewed.She drew in one last breath before her flank stopped rising and falling and her eyes had closed.

Overpowering grief swamped over Swiftsar like water.Burying her muzzle into Echostrike's cold and lifeless fur,she uttered a prayer to StarClan.

"Please...let Echostrike find the right path to her ancestors."

She looked up when a loud rumble roared in the sky and realized Alex and Splash had come back,their jaws filled with slightly blackened moss soaked with water.

"We found whatever moss was in good shape-,"Alex began,his voice muffled by his cargo,then stopped and he gazed at Swiftstar."What happened?"

Swiftstar hesitated for what seemed like countless moons before answering.She didn't want to answer.She just wanted to bury Echostrike and fight even harder to avenge her death.But she couldn't let Alex and Splash suffer as well when the news was too clear already.

"Echostrike's...Echostrike's..."The words seemed lodged in her throat because of the lump forming in it."Echostrike's gone."

Very sad ending to a chapter ;-; Although,honestly,I had Echostrike's death planned out way before o3o I had the majority of deaths planned out.Strangely,even though I intended on killing Skycloud in this chapter,which I did,this isn't how I exactly imagined it.I thought she would do what Echo had done,which was a bit different,like protecting Splash from Dodre (and Shadestar would've lived up to this moment) but ending up being slaughtered anyway...Yea,Echo did that for me so I never carried out my original plans... ^^; Oh well...

R.I.P Echostrike and Skycloud you two were probably mah favorites ;u;

Feather:Time is dead and gone,it must go on,it's time for the Games

Eclipse:Why is Feather singing her version of Circus Monster...? o_e

I was listening to music while typing the chapter -3- Right now it's playing Circus Monster...Wait,what was I saying?OH YEA anyways,because of how short the last chapter was,I made it up to you guys by making a super long,and sadly,super depressing chapter ;^;

The reason I didn't update earlier was because,like one of my previous weeks,this week was kind of miserable T^T There were times where I felt like slapping someone and then times I just wanted to mope...Yea,I can't do anything fun in middle school while under the roof of mah parents :^: Somebodeh save meh...e^e

NO DON'T SAVE ME I DON'T NEED NO SAVIN' o3o Anyways!The next chapter is probably going to be really long again,but I most likely won't get it finished tonight because it's 8:32 and I should be going to bed 9-ish -3- Yea,no other chapters this Friday,I'm afraid :c 

PLEASE DUN'T STOP READING YO WON'T EVER KNOW WHO WON eue

Yeeeesss,Shadestar had a mate named Blossomflight who has his two and only sons,Sunwing and Venomtooth (just like Baypool had Thunderclaw's two and only sons Windtail and Marshfang) but sadly his mate died after being mauled by a fox...Poor Shadestar su much heartbreak he lost his foster mother to battle and now his mate ;u; I must make his bootiful sons live ;D; But not Shadestar himself.Because I don't like him.Even though he's my O.C.And I love my O.C.s.But not this one. >3<

~Webkinzluver5