Second Wind
As I stared her down, I couldn't help feeling a tremor of fear run through my body. The look in her eyes was something you didn't see often. Her whole aura screamed head case. She swayed and took a step forward and I flinched. How was I supposed to face down someone that made me cower with a single move? A surge of shame engulfed me and I looked to my left. There was my family, cheering me on, willing for me to win, to show the whole of Fiore that Fairy Tail wasn't as beat down as everyone thought, that we weren't the last on the totem pole. They were encouraging me to show everyone the full might of our guild... Our family. My self-doubt deserted me. I would fight for my family. I would give it my all. I would win.
The gong sounded and I heard pumpkin head shouting for us to begin. Before I even had time to think, her flame red hair shot forward and I dived to the side. I didn't know what damage it could do to me. I pulled Taurus' key from my belt and felt my magic flow through me as I thrust it forward into the spiritual gates of the universe and twisted, shouting. I felt my magic forcing open a passageway to the Spirit World.
"Open, gate of the bull, Taurus!" With a deafening moo, he appeared hacking away at the hair that had once again approached me while I'd been summoning him. As he sped forward, towards Flare, I unhooked my whip from my belt and pushed my magic into it. I threw it forward and wrapped it around her body, immobilising her. She struggled and I heard her scream something which may or may not have included swear words. As Taurus approached her, her hair, more than I thought she actually had, reared up and formed a giant wolf's head, attacking my spirit. He was quickly overwhelmed and I pulled him back into the Spirit World, closing his gate. Grabbing Cancer's key from my belt, I opened his gate, once again reducing my reservoir of magic. The drain wasn't so bad anymore, I could barely feel it. I had grown a lot from when I couldn't even have two spirits out at one time. Now it was easy. One spirit was a cake walk. Capricorn's exercises must have really helped. "Open, gate of the crab, Cancer!" As my beloved stylist came forth, I unravelled my whip from Flare and coordinated with Cancer, what we would do. I felt his rising excitement. It had been a long time since we'd fought together. Cancer was special. He was the first key of the zodiac that I had obtained on my own. I never had any backchat from him. We just understood each other. Maybe it was because my star sign was Cancer? I wouldn't be surprised.
"Let's get this show on the road!" I exclaimed as I ran forward. In a flash Cancer was beside me flitting about and preventing any hair from reaching me. I adjusted the quality of magic flowing into my whip and made it much finer, so it was sharper. I brought it round and whipped it straight for Flare's scalp. Her hair writhed around us but I managed to get a good portion of it and she screamed as if she was in pain. I squashed my brief feeling of guilt and ran forward. I jumped and Cancer gave me another boost into the air.
"Lucy kick!" I cried, as I pushed my leg out forcefully, right into Flare's face. I landed and flipped back a little too late as her hair grabbed my legs. I face palmed inside... I should have seen that coming. As her hair made contact with my boots, I felt a burning pain lancing through my body, like lots of deadly little paper cuts. It was crippling. Luckily I hadn't sent Cancer back and he was by me in a second, slashing away at the hair. He picked me up and jumped back.
I looked up and did a double take. Her hair was already growing back! Damn.
"Thanks, Cancer, I'll handle it from here." I looked to Cancer for a second to see him.
"It was fun fighting with you again-ebi!" he said, nodding and smiling at me before shimmering away.
I brought out Taurus and Scorpio's keys, flashing back to our practice sessions. Hopefully this would actually have an effect. I summoned them and noted that I still had a good amount of magic left. With Gemini, I would still be able to perform Urano Metria, even without my second origin. A wave of happiness assaulted me as I realised how far I had come.
"Guys, let's do it! Unison raid!" I cried to Scorpio and Taurus. As they kept Flare occupied, Taurus with his giant axe and melee combat and Scorpio with his sand buster, I felt their unique magics manifesting and tuned into each of their frequencies, finding a middle ground so I could be the link between their powers. I'd done it so many times by now that it was second nature to me and as I felt the click, I let them know, allowing their magic to flow through mine and mesh together.
This time when Scorpio used his sand buster, due to our magic mesh, Taurus was able to gather the sand around his labrys and with a moo and a cry of "Sandstorm Axe Aldebaran!" brought down the might of a high power sand spell. I closed my eyes and withdrew Scorpio and Taurus. As the sandstorms lost power, I saw Flare high in the sky coming down at me with another hair attack. A lion this time.
As I retaliated with Cancer, she caught my eyes and grinned before pointed to my left. I followed her finger and saw little Asuka waving at me, cheering me on. Then I saw a flash of red and I felt my heart drop into my stomach.
"Blondie~! Better give up before someone gets hurt!" She whispered over at me. I felt my eyes tear up as I looked at her and once again closed Cancer's gate, slumping a little. The next thing I felt was burning pain all around me. I tried to hold it in, but I couldn't and I let out the screams. The commentator was noting the sudden change in the even playing field and I wondered through the agony how it was even possible that they wouldn't notice such blatant cheating.
All I had to do was last until the time ran out. Could I really endure this pain? I was reaching my breaking point. I knew that the words would never leave my mouth, but I contemplated surrendering. It was then that I heard Natsu's voice.
"Lucy! I got it! Don't worry! Give it your all, we're rooting for you!" I strained to look to my left as Flare screamed and I fell to the ground as her hair recoiled. I saw Natsu standing next to Asuka, giving me a thumbs up with a huge cheesy grin on his face. I could kiss him. I stumbled up and turned to Flare. Steeling myself for any sudden movements I might have to make.
"It's time to end this!" I cried, as Flare recovered from her Natsu's fire and rushed at me with her hair. I summoned Gemini and Aries.
"Aries, you play defence! Gemi, Mini! Transform into me! It's time!" I cried. Aries used her wool wall to stop Flare from getting at us as we started chanting.
It's always weird casting Urano Metria for me. It's like all your magic is leaving your body and you're just aware of everything around you, even the smallest ant, and you're so alive and in tune with the world that you can affect the fabric of the universe. This is the crux of the spell. You're basically summoning the eighty-eight stars like you'd summon spirits by altering the fabric of the universe. This is why it's so hard to master. You run the risk of dissolving the barrier between worlds if you don't know what you're doing. Of course, that's all theoretical as it's not possible for any human to reach that level of power. Even people like me, with large amounts of magic are only able to open small gates for each of the stars. It's not easy focusing on eighty eight different points of the universe as well as an attacking enemy, but Flare was creepy enough that I wouldn't let her get out of my eyesight.
The mood of the whole fight shifted and I saw Flare frantically attacking at Aries before I could complete my spell. I noticed with a twinge that she'd just slashed through Aries and I felt the heat of anger fire up within me. I heard Aries whisper a pained apology at me as she shimmered out. Nobody hurts my spirits and gets away with it! As Flare flew at me, the fear present on her face, I finished the spell.
"Shine!
Urano Metria!"
The full power of the ultimate magic of the stars should have fallen down on her and knocked her out but I felt all the magic being used to sustain the opening of the gates being pulled from the surrounding area and I realised in that heart breaking moment that I had failed my family. I would lose this fight.
Flare started laughing as I collapsed to my knees and the crowd began to boo. The deranged bitch. As I looked through my tears at everyone, I started to apologise before I felt burning pain on my back, like hundreds of little paper cuts being opened on my back again. I was lifted into the air and I felt her whipping me. The pain was unbearable that I couldn't even find it in me to do anything but sob. Who had cancelled my magic? How was it even possible? With a jolt, I opened my eyes wide. I hadn't even used my second origin! I still had a chance! Through the sobs, I reached for my keys, straining all my muscles and joints. It felt like I was tearing apart. I couldn't handle it.
In a last ditch attempt for freedom, I opened my second origin, like lifting a lid and I felt magic run through my body again, bathing it in the familiar soothing feeling. I compressed the magic into multiple balls inside my body wherever Flare's hair held me and exploded it outwards.
She howled in pain as her hair was dissolved by the compressed magic and I dropped to the floor trying to fall without hurting my already battered body. I lifted myself off the floor, thinking at lightning speed. I couldn't summon Loke, Virgo, Sagittarius or Capricorn as today wasn't one of their contracted days.
I hadn't summoned Lyra this month yet! She could help me out!
"Open, gate of the lyre, Lyra!" As she shimmered in, I tackled her to the ground as Flare's hair went right for her. Unfortunately, her lyre got completely smashed! Damn, that won't help.
With an anguished cry, I heard Lyra scream. "My lyre!"
I looked at Lyra in alarm. She had a dark aura surrounding her. I'd never seen her like this. That should be helpful.
I unhooked my whip again and proceeded to hack away at the hair that surrounded us.
"Lyra, I need you to sing her to sleep! Can you do that?" I whispered to her.
She turned to me with a stony face and a fire burning in her eyes and said "You can count on me!"
And with that she began singing her lullaby to Flare. I watched, prepared for action as her hair began to fall, strand by strand and as her eyes drooped. Distracted as she was, I sprinted forward, ignoring the protest of my muscles and the burning pain from where her hair had attacked me and brought my fist back as I smashed it into her head. I don't know whether it was Lyra or my punch, but finally, finally, she actually fell unconscious.
I stood there for a second, just blinking. Did this mean... That I won? I'd won? I'd won! As pumpkin head called the match, I stood there, unable to move. As Lyra said goodbye and left in tears for her broken lyre as I apologised and thanked her, it finally sunk in. I had won, and with Lyra of all spirits! She wasn't even a combat spirit!
I turned to face the rest of Fairy Tail, and with a massive grin on my face, one worthy of a Fairy Tail magician, I punched the air with the hand that held my guild mark and shouted to the world jubilantly.
"I did it!"
And that's when my teammates mobbed me and carried me away to the medical ward. I relaxed into their hold as I finally lost consciousness from all the trauma, with a smile on my face.
I love my family.