Face Your Fears (Fairy Tail Fanfic)

Red Like Blood

{AVERY'S POV}
My first thought is that Whistle isn't able to protect herself and Fae doesn't seem to care. My second thought has me plunging my senses deep into the earth to locate a metal vein; copper works.

I wrap my mind around it and bend it to my will. A protective copper dome encases Whistle, shielding her from Fae's onslaught.

My third thought is: Oh crud, I should've protected myself too. The earthen tidal wave slams into me with all the might of a runaway train.

It's times like these when I really wish I could encase myself in iron like Dad can. I have no choice but to take the hit without any magic or physical defense.

I swear I can hear my brain bouncing around in my skull as I'm thrown up into the air then down into the ground by Fae's magic. My landing is not soft, as she hardens the earth beneath me too. I sit up, the world somersaulting. My head throbs. I reach up and touch my temple lightly. Ouch.

My nostrils flare and I smell it. When I look at my hand and see the color red, my stomach starts flip-flopping in the opposite direction. Must not puke.

In the crowd, I can hear people screaming in concern for me. Equally many are screaming for violence. They want to see a fight. They want to see blood.

My hand is red. So red. Don't breathe through your nose. You must not puke, Avery Redfox.

My reeling brain pulls two voices specifically from the crowd. Are they louder than the rest? Am I delirious? I don't know. I can't think. Must not puke.

"Avery! Avery! Are you okay? Pull yourself together, Fae's still coming for you!" So much red. Red like fire. Fire. Nashi. My rival. My friend.

"Hang in there, annoyed-by-your-presence! Avery!" The other one. Red. Red like anger. Makes me angry. Why do I hear his voice above everyone else?

Will not puke.

I wipe my eyes with my sleeve, clearing my vision of red, and my stomach eases slightly.

I gasp for breath and stand on shaking legs, like a newborn fawn. Fire and anger pull me up. I will not loose so easily. Definitely not to Fae Marty.

Fae laughs like she can't believe I'm stupid enough to get back up for another beating. But I'm a Fairy Tail mage. We always get back up.

I pull on all my senses and several dozen metals respond to my will. They burst from freshly tilled soil, aiming to capture not cut. The metal twists around Fae Marty's limbs, restricting her and lifting her away from her source of power: the earth.

Fae struggles to escape, but I clench my fist and the metal manacles tighten enough to hurt. She stops.

"Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-What's this?!" Chapati yells into his microphone. The crowd roars approval. "Who could've predicted this?! Avery beat Fae Marty in a come-from-behind victory while Enigma found and defeated Lionel and Rum! Now Enigma has 3 points without even crossing the finish line! Who's going to end up on the podium?!"

I look at the exit, twenty feet away. I'm guaranteed second place if I go through now.

I stumble over... to the copper dome where I left Whistle semi-conscious at the start of my rematch with Fae Marty.

I put my hand on the cool metal and retract it to reveal Whistle, still dazed but mostly recovered. Three moles are trying to dig her out.

I offer her my hand. "Come on. You found the exit before I did. You should cross it before I do too."

Whistle looks more than a little suspicious of my true intentions. "Why?"

I smile weakly. "I'll never leave a friend behind."

After a moment, Whistle accepts that I have no ulterior motive and returns my smile. I help pull Whistle to her feet, then end up sagging against her.

The audience is stunned into silence. They can't believe it. Then a deafening cheer arises from the Fairy Tail and Mermaid Heel guilds.

"I don't think anyone could've predicted this, folks! Avery and Whistle are helping each other to the exit! Enigma is running for the exit too! She's pulling the maze out of her way, making a straight path! Who will get there first?!" Chapati yells.

I look over my shoulder. Enigma has ripped the maze illusion apart so 40 feet of dirt, devoid of hedge or trap, is all that separates us. She barrels towards the exit full kilt in her red-plumed knight armor.

"We hafta hurry." I mutter as Whistle practically drags me along. The sun hurts my eyes. I hope Aunt Wendy can cure concussions because this sucks.

Whistle and I are so close to the maze's exit that I can taste it when I feel a breeze to my right. Enigma overtakes us and books it through the exit.

Sabertooth got first place. I feel a wave of disappointment course through me. I have to settle for a third place finish now.

I shrug off Whistle's shoulder and gesture to the exit. I might not have even been able to walk this far if not for her. "After you."

Whistle smiles gratefully. But she doesn't follow Enigma. Instead, she whistles.

"What're you—"

"Consider this your thanks for protecting me." A giraffe grabs me by the back of my shirt and lifts it's long neck, hoisting me off of my feet. It trots across the finish line, carrying me into second place.

Still smiling, Whistle follows at a leisurely pace to secure third place for Mermaid Heel.

Enigma, Whistle and I watch the rest of the match on the big screen, together.

Lionel and Rum were both beaten by the same spell Whistle got taken out with. While we wait, Enigma describes it as spell that causes sensory overload.

The two boys recover and find the path that Enigma created in the hedge out of desperation, since she apparently thought Fae Marty and I would keep each other occupied for longer.

Rum and Lionel reach the exit and have a fair duel to decide who gets to go through first, like they agreed they would when they teamed up. It's a close match, ice against fists, until Rum manages land a solid blow. Lionel goes down as the crowd goes wild.

Poor Fae Marty is stuck inside my impromptu cage of metal in the sky until the event ends, earning Blue Pegasus zero points.

Fae Marty isn't in her guild box during the second day battles. If rumors are to be believed, Master Bob will be lecturing her on her nasty behavior towards me and Whistle long into the night.

All I know is that she missed three epic battles.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Master Bob always gets the bad apples 🍎