A/N: I, being the big forgetful goof that I am, made a really big mistake. Galaxy has a little sister, who I forgot to include in her chapter. She's been added in now, so I suggest rereading it, otherwise this chapter might not make much sense. Also, there's a cameo appearance by a certain character, who I'd like to say belongs to hope_forever_18. Other than that, enjoy!

***

Casey's dark eyes were glued on the stage in front of him, nervously eyeing the glass ball. He stood with the others sixteen-year-old boys in f the district, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Meanwhile, Destiny and April waited with the sixteen-year-old girls. April dragged the toe of her boot along the ground, her blue eyes focused on her feet, while Destiny's dark tail twitched restlessly back and forth as she crossed her arms back and forth.

A leopard mutant leaped onto the stage with ease, her long, spotted tail lashing impatiently as she landed on two feet. Her golden eyes glittered irritably as she ran her claws through her caramel-colored pixie cut, a bored expression on her furry face. In her hand, she held a microphone. She strolled to the middle of the stage, clearing her throat and beginning to speak into her microphone.

"Hello, District Nine," she said, her tone flat and disinterested. "My name is Emery, and I'll be your announcer for this year's Hunger Games. I suppose we'll just get this Reaping over with now."

She reached into the glass ball, shuffling around a bit before pulling two paper slips out. All eyes were on her as she unfolded the tiny piece of paper, reading it over.

"April O'Neil," she called out.

Near the back of the crowd, a balding red-haired man cried out in sorrow. Destiny's tail fur spiked in horror as April gulped, her eyes widening. Slowly, the redheaded girl emerged from her group, walking out in front of the district toward the stage. She was almost there when four words were shouted in a familiar voice.

"I volunteer as Tribute!"

Destiny burst from her group, the determined look in her wild green eyes unmistakable. She strode past April, flapping her raven wings a little as she fluttered lightly onto the stage. April stayed where she was, her eyes huge with shock and her mouth gaping, and two Peacekeepers marched up and carried her off. The teenage girl did not object, only looking even more shocked.

"A volunteer, huh?" Emery's eyes locked with Destiny's, sparking with interest. "What's your name, wolf?"

"Destiny Luna," was the firm reply.

Emery acknowledged her with a flick of her tail tip, then unfolded the second slip of paper and called out the name. The wolf-raven's face remained blank, but inside her stomach churned fast and hard.

"Casey Jones," called Emery, staring around Town Square.

Casey felt as if he would drop dead at any moment as he trudged up onto the stage, his hands stuffed impossibly deeper into his pockets and balled into nervous fists. The mournful cry of a little girl rose up from the gathered district, which Casey knew belonged to his little sister. Grief hacked at his heart like a scythe at wheat, slowly breaking it to pieces.

"Well, here they are, so get a good look away 'em before they're gone," Emery announced. "Your Tributes for this year's annual Hunger Games, Casey Jones and Destiny Luna."

Out of the corner of her wild green eye, Destiny could see April's father, gently herding his daughter away from the Square. April's face was buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs, mourning her best friends that she would likely never see again.

***

In District Ten, Chris's tail lashed with unease as he stood beside Dylan. The two boys looked exceedingly different–fear was evident on Chris's face, his eyes wide, his tail fur rippling, and blonde ears flattened against his head. Dylan was the vision of calm, his face expressionless. His bat ears were once again covered by his hoodie, his shades glinting in the sunlight.

The announcer stepped onto the stage and began to speak, her voice sickeningly cheerful.

"Hello, District Ten!" she chirped. "Let's get started with the Reaping, shall we?"

She dug a hand into the glass ball, plucking out two slips of paper, then unfolding and reading them.

"Dylan Klaybar!"

Chris's ears flattened even more as he froze.

Dylan...no...

The bat mutant's ears pricked up in shock, his sightless eyes widening behind his shades. Chris's mind was immediately filled with horrible thoughts, of all the terrible things that could happen to his blind best friend in the Games.

He won't even make it through the first day...he'll die!

"I volunteer!" he shouted, his voice stretched with desperation. "I volunteer as Tribute!"

Dylan tensed, his ears twitching as he turned his head to face Chris. The dingo mutant only pushed past his friend and darted up onto the stage, forcing the fur on his tail to lie flat. His eyes searched desperately for his younger siblings, trying to spot them in the crowd, but he couldn't see them among all the other people gathered.

I'm sorry, you guys, he thought sadly. But I had to save Dylan.

"Ooh, a volunteer!" the announcer squeaked. "What's your name, darling?"

"Chris," was the shaky but sure reply. "Chris Jackelon."

"Oh, you're so forward," gushed the announcer. "And now for our second Tribute..."

She read over the second slip.

"...Cyn Cobra!"

Chris couldn't keep his tail fur from spiking up. Dylan's ears perked up and twitched in surprise, and at the head of the crowd, people whispered to each other in shock from within their age groups.

"Poor Chris," a girl whispered. "He has to go into the Games with the serial killer."

"Be happy she's going," a boy hissed back. "Now we don't have a psychopath running around the District."

Cyn's one good eye glittered with a strange light in the sun, as did the bright purple streak in her wavy brown hair. The girls in her age group parted to let her out, watching with anxious eyes as she headed toward the stage. A crazed sort of grin was plastered onto her fair-skinned face as she climbed onstage, something that made Chris increasingly nervous as he stared over at her.

Is she really all they say she is? he wondered. Is she really a suicidal murderer who killed her parents?

Even the announcer seemed a little put off by Cyn's frenzied expression as she spoke again.

"Well, here are District 10's Tributes for this year's Hunger Games," she boomed, "Chris Jackelon and Cyn Cobra!"

Chris gazed out at the crowd. Dylan had disappeared, and his siblings were still nowhere to be seen. His eyes flickered to Cyn, who had started to giggle a bit.

Saki help me, he thought.

***

Elsie's bright fur prickled with anxiety as her bushy tail waved back and forth. The little fox mutant's heart was beating harder than it ever had before in her life, and sweat was starting to make her fur plaster to her forehead. Her gaze darted around Town Square, taking in the noisy scene nervously.

With the other fifteen-year-olds stood Sofie, who was just as fearful as her fox friend. The panda mutant flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder, rubbing the soft black-and-white fur on her arm like she always did when she was nervous.

"Attention, District Eleven," the announcer, a young man with a soft voice, spoke from the stage. His voice boomed through a microphone. "Let us begin the Reaping."

Every pair of eyes in the district were glued to him as he reached into the glass ball and drew two slips of paper. He unfolded the first one, read over it, and called the name aloud.

"Sofie Hatter!"

Sofie was vaguely aware of he mother crying out with grief from somewhere in the crowd. From the cluster of thirteen-year-old girls, Elsie looked absolutely horrified as she stared at her friend, her mismatched eyes round with shock and her tail fur rippling. Fighting back the urge to turn and run the other way, Sofie headed forward. She leaped out of her small group, hurrying out in front of the district and climbing up onto the stage. Her blue eyes searched desperately for her mother, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Sorrow weighed Elsie's heart down into her stomach. Just when she thought things couldn't get worse, the next name was called.

"Cayson Are!"

That's my big brother!

The crowd of seventeen-year-old boys started to mutter and whisper as Elsie's older brother pushed his way out. His face was blank, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, but his steps were unsure and reluctant.

I can't watch my brother die on live TV!

"I volunteer!" Elsie cried before she could stop herself. "I volunteer as Tribute!"

Cayson stopped in his tracks, whirling around to look at his little sister as she hurried away from her group and out in front of the district. His eyes widened with shock.

"Elsie, what are you doing?" he hissed.

"Being a good sister," she replied as she darted past him, taking her place beside Sofie.

"Elsie, no!" Cayson shouted, his voice full of despair.

Two Peacekeepers marched up to him, each taking one of his arms and dragging him back. Cayson kicked and fought, struggling to free himself, but the white-uniformed men were too strong for him. Elsie watched with a heavy heart as her brother disappeared back into the crowd.

"Oh, my," the announcer mumbled. He looked sideways over at Elsie. "What's your name, young lady?"

"Elsie Are."

"Very good. District Eleven, may I present your Tributes for this year's Hunger Games, Sofie Hatter and Elsie Are!"

Both mutant girls looked at each other with equal shock and sadness in their eyes.

"At least we're going in together," Elsie whispered.

"Yeah," Sofie replied quietly. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

***

Galaxy's long lizard tail had never wrapped so tightly around her legs before. She waited with the other fifteen-year-olds of the District, twirling a strand of blue hair around her scaly finger anxiously. She knew that her siblings were all standing in the crowd somewhere, waiting with Marcus's mother, which made her feel even worse. Her white-colored stomach ached faintly with hunger, the way it always did in District Twelve. Living in the poorest District in the city, people there could expect a limited food supply. Which was why her family had signed up for tesserae multiple times. Although they hadn't wanted to, they'd had no choice.

We needed some way to feed all four of us, and Marcus can only do so much hunting, she thought. Plus, hunting is illegal here.

Let's just hope I don't get picked. Lyle and Lilly and Lucy need me. I can't leave them.

Nearby, Marcus's dark wolf ears flicked, his tail lashing anxiously. His face, as usual, was a mask of stone, his arms folded across his chest and his dark eyes displaying no emotion. Still, a pang of nervousness hit his chest, and his breaths were a bit heavier than normal. He narrowed his brown eyes against the blazing sun of District Twelve as the announcer shuffled onstage, clearing her throat and beginning to speak into her microphone.

"Hello, District Twelve!" she boomed. "I'm here to select your Tributes for this year's Hunger Games. Let's get started!"

Galaxy sucked in a breath as the announcer reached into the glass ball, pulling out two tiny slips of paper.

Please, don't let my name be on those.

"Marcus Milandro!"

Galaxy stiffened with horror as her cousin's name was shouted out. The fur on Marcus's tail bushed with shock for a brief second before he forced it to lie flat again. His face stony and emotionless, the wolf boy strode up to the stage, climbing up with ease and standing strong and tall. The announcer nodded before calling off the next name.

"Galaxy Moon!"

Galaxy's heart seemed to stop beating for a split second. She felt bile rising in her throat and she swallowed it down as all pairs of eyes in the district became fixed on her. She could hear Lucy's sorrowful cry from the back of the crowd, followed by a few tiny sniffles. Other than that, Town Square was deadly silent.

No...no...

The lizard girl felt her feet dragging her toward the stage, one terrified step at a time. She was barely aware of her movement until she was already onstage, her body shaking and suddenly feeling empty and hollow. Marcus flashed her a brief glance full of sympathy before he faced the crowd again, his face once again expressionless.

"Well, there you are," the announcer chirped. "Your Tributes for this year's annual Hunger Games, Marcus Milandro and Galaxy Moon!"

The two cousins could see their families, trudging away from Town Square. Marcus's mother leaned against Lilly, her shoulders shaking with sobs, and Lilly gently herded her away. Lyle was carrying Lucy; the little turtle girl was wailing and crying, and Lyle appeared to be patting her she'll comfortingly. Both Galaxy and Marcus felt sadness tug at their hearts.

I'm sorry it had to be like this, they both thought in unison.

***

A/N: ;-;