My shoulder throbs painfully as I slam to the ground, Zhen on top of me. He took me by surprise, so he has the advantage, but I have one too.

I activate my Dart-mode and slap his arm with so much force my hand would already have left a mark if I hadn't slapped a lobster-red part of his skin, and, considering I did, his wail of agony rips through the air and he rolls off me, cradling his arm. I wince at the sound, feeling my own arm sting slightly as I imagine the pain.

I guess I found his weak spot.

I stand up quickly, taking in the scene around me.

Anemos and Neve are battling the wind elementalist while Nero and Ignis fight Fotia. Terro is fighting the water boy, but seems to be losing, which I find surprising.

I glance at Zhen, who continues rolling on the ground in agony, and shake my head at him in disgust before Darting to help Terro.

I come from behind the water elementalist. He never saw it coming.

Terro's eyes widen as his opponent suddenly spasm's before passing out, but he returns to his usual scowl as he sees me.

"I didn't need your help." He grumbles, looking like a little boy who was just told he couldn't have a cookie.

I smirk at him, crossing my arms, "Sure, just like you didn't need me when you were about to get engulfed by a giant wave."

His scowl deepens, "I had it under control!" He exclaims. I just continue smirking, which infuriates him.

He opens his mouth to say something but is cut off as something heavy slams into my back and sends me flying toward him, my eyes wide in surprise and my mouth open.

I scream and slam into him, making me, him, and whatever slammed into me start rolling down a hill.

"Gahhhh!" Terro cries as we continue rolling. And rolling. And rolling.

I start to get dizzy and get my bearings before stopping us and jumping to my feet, feeling the world slow down around me as I begin to Dart again.

I whip around, a glare on my face, to see what slammed into me.

Zhen.

I reach my leg behind me and kick him as hard as I can in the same arm as before, but this time he just grits his teeth, pain written all over his features, and Darts to his feet too.

I gasp as he starts flying toward me again. I quickly squeeze my eyes shut and cover my face with my arms by instinct, but there is no need.

For a second nothing happens, so I slowly peel my eyes open. They widen in shock as I watch a rock crash down on Zhen's head, making the boy fall to the the ground, limp as a rag.

"There, now we're even." Terro says, getting to his feet and brushing his hands together like nothing just happened.

"Hey! I saved you on the water path during the strategy round!" I exclaim indignantly, crossing my arms, "It's two to one!"

Terro rolls his eyes, but then they suddenly widen and his hand flies forward, making a rock shoot from behind him over my shoulder, whistling by my ear. I don't even have time to move before a loud cracking sound reaches me from behind and I whirl around to see the rock lodged in the wind elementalist's stomach, blood seeping out of the wound, her eyes wide in fear.

I quickly turn away so I don't throw up, hoping never to see something so gruesome ever again, only to see Terro staring at the girl with a horrified expression.

I feel myself go numb again.

I just watched my friend kill an innocent girl.

Why do I feel so cold?

"I....I just....no." I hear Terro whisper to himself, sounding so horrified, so scared that I move to comfort him and end up hugging him, my face pressed in his chest. He smells like my brother. Dirt, grass, and the farm.

It makes tears well up in my eyes, but I force them back as Terro squeezes me back. I feel a raindrop hit my hair and look up to find one land on my cheek, except it's warm.

Tears. Terro's crying,

I hug him tighter and we stay like that for a while. No matter how we bicker, he's still my friend and I'll be there for him.

That's what friends are for, right? To pick you up and dust you off when you've fallen? To be there for you? Well, that's what I consider a friend, so that's what I'll do.

I don't know how long we stand there, holding each other, sharing the horror of what Terro just did.

Kill someone.

The most I had ever done was make people pass out, and I always feel a small pang of guilt. Killing someone....ending their life.....I can't even imagine. The guilt would kill me.

"Terro? Blitz?" A tender voice says softly, and I feel someone's hand gently rest on my arm. I break away from Terro to see Ignis watching us, her eyes soft. I am glad she isn't making fun of us for hugging, she must have seen the girl and the rock and figured it out.

Everything I see is a little blurry, which I couldn't tell before when I was hugging Terro.

Tears. I'm on the verge of tears.

I look at Terro and see he looks bad, his eyes distant and his face blank. He looks so, so lost. It makes my heart ache.

I look to see they knocked out Fotia, but apparently it took all of them and they look exhausted. Fotia must have put up some fight.

I nod and turn to the leaders to see their faces haven't changed.

Why?

God it's killing me.

"We did it. Let us go home." Anemos says tiredly, sounding like he could fall asleep on his feet.

Mr. Baja shakes his head, "I said to the death, they are not dead."

We are so tired all we can give him are the 'are-you-flipping-serious' looks.

"You're kidding." Ignis says flatly.

Mr. Baja shakes his head. I share a glance with my team.

No. We won't

"No." Terro says frankly.

Mr. Baja's face changes slightly. His lip curves down the slightest.

What?!? Did Mr. Baja just express emotion?!?! The world must be ending. Yep, that's the only reasonable explanation.

"You have to." He commands.

"Nope. Nada. Not a chance." Kin says, sounding like a brick wall, not to be swayed.

Finally, finally, one of the other leaders speak.

Mr. Geni.

"Baja, just let them go. Look at them, they're dead on their feet!" He says, looking quite timid.

Mr. Baja shoots him a look.

"Yes, just let them win, they've done enough." Mr. Angin agrees.

"Just let them." Ms. Spitha says, sounding tired.

Mr. Baja gives them a look, which they all wince at, before nodding.

"Fine. You've done enough. Come in here with us." He says shortly, and whistles something, making the force field disappear, revealing an elevator. How we hadn't noticed it before is beyond me, but right now I'm too tired to care.

We did it.

We run to the leaders, spending the last of our energy. I fall into Ms. Spitha's arms and she gives me a sad smile, pulling me to my feet and putting a strong arm around my shoulder.

I feel myself zone out, staring off into nothing. My mind starts flying through space and time. I think I fell asleep in Ms. Spitha's arms, because when I snap out of it, Ms. Spitha is sitting at the end of my bed, which I am laying in. I look around and see my sleeping teammates around me before turning my eyes back to the woman sitting on the edge of my bed.

All I want to do right now is lay back and get lost in the world of dreams, but I give Ms. Spitha my attention.

"Why?" Is all I ask, too tired to be angry. I don't need to specify.

Ms. Spitha shakes her head in response and for a split second her eyes flit around the room.

"We....had too, to make the games more....fun." She says, using Mr. Baja's words. I frown.

I'm not an idiot, I can tell she's trying to tell me something, but why doesn't she just say it?

"We wanted the audience to be captivated. Many of the residents in Kinzoku City had stopped watching." She continues, and her eyes flicker around the room again, looking for something.

It clicks and I know now. She's looking for cameras, that's why she won't say what she wants to say out loud. I watch her face closely and she looks into my eyes.

"Well, you should get some rest, but I will speak with you again tomorrow." She says, ending the conversation and standing up. I don't say anything as she walks to the the door, but she pauses and turns back to me before leaving.

"Oh, and Blitz?"

"Hmm?"

She gives me a long look before a sad smile flickers on her face.

"Congratulations."

For some reason I shiver, and Ms. Spitha gives me one more glance before shutting the door gently behind her.

I fall back on my pillow. Why was Ms. Spitha so secretive? What is she trying to tell me?

I gasp as I remember what is happening tomorrow. The party.

The winning team gets a party in their honor and all the other teams come, along with family and friends.

I feel my heart swell. I get to see Dad again! I can help him pay for his broken leg! I close my eyes with a smile, weariness finally taking over.

I'm so tired it's physically painful, so I let sleep take me, along with dreams of Dad and what things could happen tomorrow.

. . .

When I wake up the next morning, I'm the only one awake, which both surprises and annoys me. I love my beauty sleep

I roll on my side and try to fall back asleep, but only manage to get in this weird half-awake half-asleep zone for about an hour before Anemos wakes up, quickly followed by everyone else. I'm already wide awake, so I manage to get in the bathroom first, leading to me being done before everyone else, which is a surprise. Anemos is usually up and ready first, so it was nice to not be in a hurry for once.

I'm usually near last. I'm not the very last because nobody dares wake Ignis up. One of the first days Nero bravely tried to wake up the sleeping demon and ended up having to go to the hospital wing with a bad burn.

Ignis did not apologize.

Once everyone is ready, the man who always leads us to the grey room comes again. It's so weird not to have another round to look forward to. It's all over. We're done.

We did it.

And for the first time, I wonder how he knows when we're ready.

They have to have cameras. How else would he know?

I watch him suspiciously the whole time as he leads us to the deciding room. It's where the party is held.

Today I'm wearing a fancy yellow dress. Kin, Neve, and Ignis' all look the same except in different colors, and the boys are all wearing tuxedo's with ties that are their elements color's.

When we get to the deciding room, everyone is there already. There is food and bodies everywhere, all wearing fancy clothes. I see the other teams hugging people and the leaders mingling, but when we enter, everything quiets.

"The Snow Ferrets." The man who took us here announces loudly, then leaves.

"I'm so glad you could join us!" Mr. Baja calls, drawing my attention to where he stands, to the left among a group of parents. He doesn't sound so glad.

"Join us! At the end of the party you will get your winnings and be able to leave. Now, go see your parents."

Mr. Baja gestures to the parents surrounding him and I recognize them to be our parents. I spot my Dad first, right in the middle, and when I see him I can't stop the wave of emotion.

I Dart over to him, slamming into him and squeezing him tight, taking in his smell and feel, just taking in him.

"Dad." I choke out, squeezing him tighter.

"Blitz." He says, his voice so full of emotion I can't decipher one from another.

We stand there for what feels like forever, hugging each other, before we have to pull away.

I notice his leg in a cast and look at him, worried, but he just shakes his head.

"It's fine. Now." He says, his eyes twinkling, a hint of a tear in them.

"Go party."
*************
Guess who's back?

That's right, your favorite author, ME!

I'm up and running again, and guess what you guys?

One. More. Chapter. Left.

THATS RIGHT!

Oh my gosh! I'm so excited! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

Okay Rascal, calm down, just calm down.....

I'm better now,

Anyways.....

Until next time! (The last chapter!!!)
XOXO,
Rascal