Phoenix Fire || Fairy Tail [1]

𝐱𝐯𝐢. 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐩𝐭. 𝐨𝐧𝐞)

𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙭 𝙗𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙯𝙖
❛ 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘺. ❜

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"Natsu? You ready to go?" Rose questioned when Natsu emerged from the infirmary. He nodded in response to her inquiry, a determined glint residing within his dark eyes.

"All set. Now let's go win this thing and make everybody in Fairy Tail proud!"

Rose smiled at his decidedness. It was nice to see that the male had bounced back somewhat, considering how devastated he had been when the fight with Minerva landed Lucy in the infirmary.

"Natsu!"

Rose and Natsu both turned around, noticing Happy standing a little bit away. Rose determined that he was probably there to encourage Natsu.

"Hey, Happy." Natsu greeted in his normal manner, albeit a bit confused. "What's up?"

Rose realised that it would probably be awkward for her to listen in on their conversation. "I'll wait up for up ahead."

She walked a bit further down the hallway until both Natsu and Happy were out of hearing distance. When she was just a little away from the entrance to the arena, she stopped and leant back against the cool stone wall.

Why was she of all people here?

What could have gotten the Master to choose her to compete in the Grand Magic Games – the games which would announce Fairy Tail's re-emergence to the rest of the world? She hadn't been in Fairy Tail prior to the Tenroujima Island incident, and the time she had spent with Fairy Tail was short.

She stood there in silence for a while, her mind swarming with questions, emerging from her dazed state only when Natsu jogged up to her.

"Let's go!"

Rose pushed herself away from the wall, mentally swatting at the pesky thoughts which were bothering her. Insecurities, doubts, fears...

'Shut up,' The dark-haired girl though to herself. 'This is nothing. Why are you so nervous now?'

'Because people actually rely on you now,' echoed a part of her mind, 'You're scared you'll lose them, aren't you?'

Rose cursed herself as the light from the arena surrounded her and Natsu.

'Why do I care so much?' She pondered this for a moment, catching the bright, encouraging cheers from the Fairy Tail guild's balcony. 'Wasn't I supposed to leave? I wasn't meant to become friends with them...'

"And now, the battle which everybody has been waiting for!"

Rose and Natsu stood beside each other in the centre of the arena, facing their designated opponents – the twin dragons from Sabretooth, Sting and Rogue.

"One guild was considered the strongest in Fiore seven years ago, and the other currently holds the title. This is going to be a great match. It's Fairy Tail's Natsu and Rose, versus Sabretooth's Sting and Rogue!"

The silence was deafening. Anticipation gave the atmosphere an almost electric feeling, as if lightning was about to strike at any moment.

"This is going to be a battle of epic proportions. These aren't just any mages – all of the competitors here are users of ancient slayer magic!"