Phoenix Fire || Fairy Tail [1]

𝐱𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

The guild erupted into tears, and Rose just sat there awkwardly watching on. Did she even have the right to feel touched? It wasn't like she'd be a long-term member of the guild – just a few months, she found herself saying, and then she'd be gone.

Sting's mind must have spontaneously combusted after the speech. After all, there was no concept of camaraderie in the Sabretooth guild.

Natsu and Gajeel crossed the line. There was an uproar of cheering from the crowd who had been moved by Natsu's words.

Natsu was taken to the infirmary, and Lucy left to check up on him and Wendy. Whilst they were gone, Rose devoured a record amount of cookies without leaving any trace of their existence. Normally Cylene would have interfered and stolen a few, but the wyvern was in the infirmary reserved for Fairy Tail so that no one would bother her.

Raven Tail and Lamia Scale had a match while Rose was eating, and then it was finally Fairy Tail's time to shine.

"Let's move onto Round Two of today's head to head battles. First, from Quattro Kerberos, it's the God of Wine, Bacchus!" Chapati's words earnt an uproar from the stadium. It was clear to Rose that Bacchus was quite popular as a contestant.

"Finally, a member of Team Fairy Tail A!"

"Fight!" Cana screamed from the sidelines, having only recently recovered from a major hangover from the night previous. "I don't care who it is! Avenge me!"

"And now, the enigmatic new member of Fairy Tail, Rose Fellia!"

Rose was rooted to the ground for a moment, eyes wide with shock. Was she actually going to compete? Her? Even though she had joined just a few months ago?

The phoenix slayer was bewildered, even as Lucy threw her arm over her shoulder and cheered.

What if she failed? Would they hate her? Would they make her leave?

Erza clapped her on the back with an armoured hand, beckoning for her to move. Rose stared at her for a moment, dead silent, before swallowing her fear and shooting her teammates what she hoped was a confident grin.

"Well, guys, wish me luck! This looks like it'll be fun!"

"Good luck, Rose!" Lucy hollered, though the phoenix slayer was already halfway down the hallway. Rose waved, trying to disguise the fear evident on her face with a layer of blank indifference. She stole one last glance at her clothing, ensuring everything was in order, before emerging into the open air of the stadium.

Rose had to take up a position opposite Bacchus, and could only glower at the male who was laying on his side – relaxing.

"Are we just going to stare at each other? I've got better things to do with my time."

"Hey," Bacchus stated all of a sudden. His eyes glinted, and Rose sensed that he was going to suggest something stupid. "Hey. What do you say we make our own bet like those last guys did?"

Rose stared him down coolly for a brief moment, trying to consider all the possible things which she had to gain from such an arrangement. It wouldn't hurt to ask, would it? "What kind?"

"Well, if I win, set me up on a night out with that white-haired girl from your guild. Mira, was it? And there was that other one – they're sisters, right? I like the idea of that..." Bacchus leered at the phoenix slayer, increasingly disturbing words spilling from his mouth like a never-ending fountain of stupidity.

A cornucopia of torture methods had bloomed to life in Rose's mind, and she found herself willing to use all of them against the disgusting mage.

"There's no way in hell that I'd make a gamble of that sort." Rose grimaced at the mere concept, having lost any respect she previously had for the man.