Face Your Fears (Fairy Tail Fanfic)

The Last Event

{LEXI'S POV}
Thirty kids, anywhere from the age of 10 to 19 years, are gathered in the arena of Domus Flau, anxiously awaiting Mato-kun's and Chapati's instructions for the special event that will constitute the fifth and final day of the Storybook Games.

We stand in lines by guild, left to right in the same order we were introduced, like some sort of graduation ceremony.

Mato-kun stands before us on a raised platform, and for a second I really think he's going to give each of us a diploma. A novel idea really, since most of us were home- or guild-schooled between working jobs.

Alas, each contestant is given a watch by an employee in a charcoal grey sweatsuit. The watches all share the same generic design: black with a nylon strap. The watch face is digital, but nothing is displayed.

The employee asks me which wrist I prefer. I'm right-handed so I pick my left, and he straps it to my left wrist. Then he casts a spell on the watch.

Eyes boring holes in my back, icy fingers worming into the deepest recesses of my mind and unearthing information they have no business knowing. I shudder. What unpleasant magic.

Only a few seem off-put by the spell, including me, Reiki, and Yuuki.

The watch face blinks, resetting and adjusting to me. The numbers 0000 appear. Hopefully this'll make sense once we learn what the watch is telling, because it certainly ain't time.

"Welcome to the final day of the Storybook Games-kabo! This last day is an all-day special event-kabo!" Mato-kun says into the mic. The audience cheers excitedly. This definitely isn't a battle royale.

Me and the other competitors lean forward with bated breath. What are the rules?

"The name of the final game is Face Your Fears-kabo!" Mato-kun announces grandly.

We immediately begin whispering amongst ourselves, wondering what that could possibly mean. It doesn't sound like we're fighting each other.

"Our very special guest will explain further-kabo." Mato-kun passes the mic to a cloaked figure who's about the same height as him. The cloak falls away, revealing Great Grandpa!?

Shouldn't he be on an tropical island far far away, sipping margaritas and enjoying his retirement? I can't believe he was watching me compete!

"Heyo!" Great Grandpa says, acting goofy. I want to die from secondhand embarrassment as others make the connection and look back at me. In a second, Gramps flips the switch back to serious. "Everyone is afraid of something. It's part of what makes us human. However, sometimes we allow our fears to overwhelm us. You all are young and full of potential. We want you to not be held back by your burdens."

Great Grandpa looks at me as he says this. Pride shines in his eyes, and I know he was cheering louder than anyone else when I used magic yesterday.

The former guild master of Fairy Tail continues, "Sometimes, all you can do by yourself is look at your fears, and that's okay. You are never alone. We band together in guilds to bolster each other's weak points. The fearometer on your wrists will judge your vital signs and body's condition, calculating points based on amount of fear felt and your body's coping. Don't worry about that. The goal is not to overcome if that is too tall a task. The goal is to go forth with your friends—your family—and strengthen your resolve. Become the best version of yourself you can be as you help each other move forward. You have twelve hours to face your greatest fears."

We'll get points for a fear response. No wonder that magic was so uncomfortable. My fear is so deeply engrained, it's a part of my personality. I've been living an omission of the truth for nine years now.

I reach forward and grab Reiki's hand. He squeezes back. Our fears are aligned, and there's currently nothing stopping him from unsealing himself right here and now and attacking those we love.

It's time for us to face Apophis.

"There are probably cameras hidden around town." Storm reasons. "So the audience can still see us and be entertained. Looks like the fearometers transmit our scores to the giant lacrima-vision."

Sure enough, all of our faces are displayed with 0000 next to them on the screen.

"The final day's event begins now-kabo!" Mato-kun sends us off with a flourish.

Nashi frowns. "What am I supposed to do? Ask people if I can crawl into their attics?"

"I think I know where I can find you some spiders." Storm grins confidently, then hesitates. "Unless you want to split up?"

Nashi beams and grabs his hands. "No way! I could never do it alone. We're stronger together, Storm!"

She pulls her boyfriend out of the arena. Several others follow suit. No point in staying if what you fear isn't an empty field or a live audience.

Mirror stares at someone in her guild box for a minute, then shakes her head and looks down. Tear and Ima group together, staring up into the Fairy Tail guild box, then away shyly.

Diana hugs Nero, who carefully extricates himself from her grasp and leaves with Rose, whispering to her. Diana puffs out her cheeks, pouting.

Our guilds also file out. Chapati explains that they'll go back to their hotels, to be ready for contestants to come and ask for help with their fears. Of course, there are lacrima-visions set up in the hotels so they can still watch the event and stay informed.

I can practically feel Apophis turning over inside Reiki. I take a deep, steadying breath. I grab Reiki's hand, my body already dissolving into lightning, and we shoot up into the sky together.

Now I have a birds-eye view. Domus Flau is built on the edge of Crocus, and there's a giant forest on the other side. I aim for a spot in the forest, away from civilization. My lightning tears through the trees, creating a clearing about thirty feet in diameter.

This will be our battleground, and perhaps our graveyard. Either way, we're determined to take Apophis down with us.

I have a plan for how to deal with the destabilization of our magic power. Time to test it.

"Apophis, come out!" I feel silly, shouting my order at Reiki's solar plexus.

The air turns cold. Wind howls menacingly, swirling like a tornado around us, as Apophis breaks the Seven Sins Seal he created just yesterday.

Apophis rises to his full height, completely corporeal. His scales glitter black as a cosmos with hints of electric blue. He's beautiful and menacing.

"At last. I've waited nine years for this." The chaos snake Apophis hisses.

My body tenses from his gravelly voice. That's right. Reiki and I have suffered for nine years. I clench my fists. This ends today.