Chapter 15: The Second Task, Finale!
Wendy could feel the magic pouring out from her body. It was draining rapidly, and despite being enveloped within the spiral of flames, she could feel the sweat dripping down her forehead from the strain. Tightening her hands into her fists, she braced herself as she watched the man in front of her prepare for the fight.
This was no time to feel sorry for herself. Not when she was so close, and despite her anxiety from her use of the lacrima in the past and what resulted from it, she knew that this would be her only chance to finish this fight. It was her last chance to prove to everyone that she can defend herself. That she was more than the small, frightened girl that fought on Tenrou island all those years ago.
The fire continued to swirl around her, brushing against her skin harmlessly as it flew higher and higher into the air. The snow covering the ground was all but melted, with the fresh powder from the blizzard never making it close to the rocky surface. There were a few trees scattered about between them, with one even being struck by a rogue lightning bolt.
The fire mixed perfectly with her wind. The elements building upon each other, their strength unrivaled when combined.
With her time limited, she bent forward, extending her arms out behind her. With a yell, she launched herself forward with a burst of flames. The fire shot out of her palms, propelling her towards Laxus at record speeds. As she swung her left fist down, he brought his forearm up in a flash of lightning to block it. Embers and sparks shot out in every direction as she saw him wince, making her grin.
Not wasting any time, she swung her foot up. With a crack, it connected with the side of his chest, causing him to scream and throw her foot away. His eyes flashed as he swung a lightning covered fist towards her, which she just barely managed to dodge.
She jumped back, forcing herself to ignore the shocks of pain wracking her body. Her arm was easily the worst and looking through the flames she could still make out the burnt flesh. She could even still feel the tingle of the lightning coursing through her limb. It was taking all her willpower to just keep herself standing.
Looking back up with a grunt, her eyes widened when she saw Laxus directly in front of her.
"Don't get distracted, now!"
He once again swung towards her stomach, the lightning building up around his fist making her scramble to get into the air. With a burst of wind, she pushed herself up, the flames whipping around her wildly. But unfortunately, she hadn't been fast enough, as his fist caught the bottom of her left calf, sending her spiraling out of control.
She attempted to re-correct herself in the air, but it was futile. Twisting herself around as much as possible, she extended her legs out beneath her so that she could attempt to land on her feet. With flailing arms, she braced her knees right before her feet met the rough ground below.
When her feet met the ground, a sharp pain shot up her left leg, making her cry out in pain. Stumbling forward, the flames dissipated around her as she collapsed onto her right knee and grasped the leg. The skin was tender and pressing down on it only made the pain worse. She didn't know what had happened, but she knew that it couldn't be good, and when she stood back up to take a couple of tentative steps, she was forced to limp.
She looked up to see Laxus once again watching her from across the clearing. The lightning had not died down in the slightest and the glowing of his eyes made him look menacing. The aura of magic pulsating around him was overwhelming and she knew that the only thing allowing her to resist its force was her own increased aura fighting against it.
With her right arm, left leg, and head, all throbbing in pain, she met his look with a defiant glare. As no words were spoken, the only sounds they could hear were the crack of lightning and the swirling of the wind around them. She did her best to continue forcing herself to ignore the pain, but it only served as a reminder of her limited time.
"You don't have much left in you, Wendy."
Despite the distant, his voice was clear, as if he was standing next to her. His glare hadn't lessened, but she could now make out his unclenched fists and relaxed shoulders. The wooden Fairy Tail amulet still lay on the ground between them.
"You've shown me your power. There's no point in continuing. It's just going to end up with you injuring yourself even more."
There it was. Despite all that she had done, he still looked down on her. As if she was weak and unable to take care of herself.
She remained silent for a moment, the tension between the two palpable. There was a small flicker of light in the sky above them, and as both fighters glanced up at it, she realized what it was.
"No." she growled, her fists clenching as her glare worsened. "We aren't done yet. I can take care of myself. No one else needs to look down on me anymore."
Laxus paused, the glow in his eyes dimming down. "Wendy," he started, "No one thinks that you can't handle yourself. We are just concerned about you."
Her eyes widened with fury. She took a step forward, the ground beginning to smoke beneath her feet as the winds grew more intense above. Laxus took a wary step back and clenched his fists again, never taking his eyes off her form. Despite the urge to remain quiet and ignore his words, she knew that she couldn't hold them back any longer. Not just to him, but to everyone.
"Concerned?!" she exclaimed, the fire beginning to build up around her feet again. "No one bothered to be concerned when I was wanting to help in the GMG, or when I tried repeatedly to show everyone that I have grown up. To prove to everyone that I can help protect the guild just as everyone else has time and time again!"
Her words faded away, and the fire spiraled up her body again. "No one was concerned enough to go look for Natsu."
Laxus opened his mouth to speak, but Wendy interrupted again before he could continue. As each word was spoken, her anger only continued to rise.
"Everyone still thinks of me as the young, frightened girl from Tenrou. You all still think I'm weak."
At her final word, Laxus froze. She had put as much venom as she could muster behind it, and the result was more than satisfying. His shoulder slumped over, and he had barely begun shaking his head.
"That's why I left." she continued, her voice lower. "I thought that if I could show everyone that I can handle myself on missions… If I could handle myself alone, and succeed, then you would all finally see."
"But I was wrong. No matter what I did, every time I returned to the guild, I was met with the same thing. That's why I stand here. I'm no longer a child! I beat Lucy, I will defeat you, and then, I'll beat anyone else who stands in my way."
And then… I will have kept my end of the promise.
Laxus looked miserable, an expression that she had never seen before etched across his face, and she could see the conflict in his eyes. It almost made her regret her words. Almost. "Wendy… Please just stop for a moment and think. This isn't the kind of attitude Natsu would want you-."
"Don't tell me what Natsu would want!" she interrupted, the flames ones again bursting out in response to her outburst. Laxus eyes the approaching flames warily. "You don't know anything. I've heard the stories of who you used to be. You only craved power. You thought you were the best. And then you were expelled. All of which you conveniently never shared with me despite being together for a year."
"And who do you think made me change?" he questioned, making her press her lips together in a thin line. "Natsu made me see the error of my ways. He changed me, and I finally realized the error of my ways."
Wendy shook her head and waved her hand. "Enough. You don't know anything. After you trained me, you left. I barely ever saw you anymore. You never once invited me on a mission. Never gave me a chance, just like the rest of them, even though you knew how much I improved."
"Out of everyone, I thought that you would at least give me a chance…" Wendy trailed off, and as she slowly wiped her hand across her cheek, she was surprised to find her skin wet with tears.
"But I'm done waiting. I'll prove everyone wrong."
She launched herself forward, her entire body erupting into bright-red flames. She reached him in an instant, swinging down her arms. "Fire-Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!"
Laxus was quickly enveloped in an explosion of flames as he let out a pained scream. The ground beneath them trembled from the force of the attack, and before he could react, a burst of wind quickly followed, sending him crashing into a cluster of trees behind him. Wendy didn't wait and quickly chased after him. He had just pushed himself up onto his feet when she slammed a flaming fist into his jaw.
His head whipped back, and she could immediately make out the seared skin as he stumbled back and fell onto one knee. Using the air to push her into the sky, she flipped forward as she swung a foot down, flames bursting around it. "Fire-Sky Dragon's Claw!"
Laxus crossed his arms above his head, barely blocking the attack in time. He was barely able to hold himself up against the force of the wind pushing against him, but when the fire soon followed and covered his body in searing flames, his defense shattered, allowing her heel to connect with his shoulder.
The force of the magic being expelled was overwhelming. The earth trembled beneath them, with explosions going off every time an attack connected. Embers covered the sky, while any smoke was quickly whisked into the air by her wind, covering the sky in a blanket of misty-grey.
Laxus grunted as he pushed himself off the ground. She could make out the burnt skin on his jawline and his shoulder through the tattered shirt and jacket. There was blood dripping down both wounds, staining his clothes a dark-red. He was panting, but when he looked back at her he still seemed as dominating as before. The intensity in his eyes not having faded in the slightest.
She gulped as she slightly shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be doubting herself.
Laxus tilted his head to the side, cracking his neck. She could make out the slight tremble in his shoulder when he did so but compared to her, he was in perfect condition. He slammed his right fist into his opposing palm, lightning covering the skin, and before Wendy could react, he was upon her.
She jumped into the air with a burst of wind. Angling her palms toward the ground, she let a torrent of fire shoot out from her hands, propelling her further. But even though she was moving fast, it was not enough, as Laxus reached her, cocking his fist back. He swung towards her head, a small burst of lightning following his fist. With a swift tilt of her head, she dodged the attack, feeling her skin tingle as the lightning grazed her cheek.
Suddenly, she noticed a flash from her opposite side, and as she turned her head she barely caught a glimpse of his opposing fist before it connected with her side. Letting out a scream of pain, she was flung through the air. Her body spiraled out of control and she lost the sense of the world around her as she slammed into the mountain below at full speed, forming a crater in the earth.
The electricity caused havoc within her body, making her spasm and scream in pain again. His magic raced through her body for minutes, in a seemingly never-ending spiral of torture. It was only as the electricity began to finally fade, that she noticed his presence standing at the edge of the crater. He was cradling the fist that he had hit her with, his knuckles now black and blue.
"Give up, Wendy."
Her only response was a glare in his direction. Growling defiantly, she planted her fists on the ground and shakily forced herself up. Her breaths were ragged, and she could barely get a full breath of air before a sharp pain cut her off. With trembling legs, she stood up, her brown eyes filled with defiance as they never left his gaze.
"I…" she took a breath, "I will beat you."
Laxus' neutral face cracked, and for the first time she could make out the look of disbelief on his face. "How are you still standing?" he muttered before his frown returned. "You're only going to suffer if we keep going."
She chose to remain silent, before bending her knees and launching herself forward. Raising her arm, she let the fire and wind coat her fist as she quickly approached him. He quickly braced himself raising his own fist in defense. Lightning shot down from the sky to his closed hand, surrounding him in a bright glow.
"Fire-Sky Dragon's Iron Fist!" Wendy roared, extending her arm forward at the same time Laxus yelled, "Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Their two fists collided, sending a shockwave of magic and the elements in every direction. Both mages pushed down on their opponent, refusing to give in. Wendy gritted her teeth, feeling the searing pain race up her arm, but forced herself to ignore it yet again, only focusing on trying to push more magic into her attack.
With one final yell, Wendy pushed forward, breaking through his attack. Her fist collided with his chest with an explosion, making the lightning mage scream in pain as he was launched away from Wendy. His body hit the ground hard at first, sending him tumbling away as he desperately struggled for a handhold.
Meanwhile, Wendy recovered from the force of the attack, landing carefully on the ground while ensuring to put most of her weight on her uninjured leg. Attempting to flex the fingers in her hand, she found that she was unable to move any of the digits and hissed when the pain multiplied tenfold. She couldn't feel anything below her elbow, and the burn marks looked worse than before.
Forcing herself to turn away from the limb, she watched the form of Laxus slowly begin to move in front of her. His black undershirt had been ripped to shreds, revealing the bruised and bloodied skin beneath.
He was struggling to take a breath, and as he stumbled onto his feet, he looked towards her with pain-filled eyes, but nonetheless ready to continue. As she watched him with a defiant glare, the pain in her body suddenly doubled, making her gasp out and clutch her chest.
"You are at you're limit, Wendy."
Wendy couldn't reply. The world was slowly beginning to spin, causing her to stumble and try to catch her balance. She didn't think that there was a single place on her body not in pain. The edge of her vision was starting to go black, and the fire and wind around her were finally beginning to die down.
She was on her last legs, and both knew it.
Gathering as much of her magic as she could, she reached out for the gem hanging around her neck. It was now or never. This was when she needed to show everyone what she was capable of. That she could beat one of the strongest mages in the guild and keep her promise.
Planting her feet on the ground and feeling the heels of her boots dig into the dirt and rock below, she screamed. Fire and wind exploded out of her body, creating a larger tornado around her. It shot into the sky, and the heat spread even farther than before. With her arms flung out to the sides, and fresh fire bursting from her eyes, she turned back towards him. She began to take a deep breath, allowing her chest to expand, ignoring the blaring pain as she began to inhale the winds and fire around her.
She could make out Laxus begin to scramble in front of her, trying to put up any form of defense, and back away, but it was too late.
With one final gulp of fire, she flung her arms back and her head forward. "Fire-Sky Dragon's Roar!"
The fire and wind were upon him in an instant, and when the attack connected, Wendy could only hear his scream.
Its power was overwhelming, shaking the mountain to its core. The entire sky seemed to be lit up in flames, as trees and rocks went flying in every direction, uprooted from the devastating winds. It was easily bigger than any attack she had ever used before, and the magic power it radiated was overwhelming. It continued for only a few moments, but to Wendy, it seemed like forever.
Eventually, the beam of energy began to die down, and before she could manually stop the spell, it fizzled into nothing. She stood rooted in the same spot, gasping and panting for air. Her arms hung loosely by her sides, as her head hung down, facing the ground. She couldn't even muster the strength to lift her chin, and before she could stop it, she collapsed to the ground.
Laxus was nowhere to be seen, but where he stood, a large ravine had been carved into the earth. It led all the way to the edge of the mountain, being at least thirty feet wide. She couldn't help but feel surprised at the power. It was the first time she had ever used the spell, having only thought of it before when she remembered Natsu's fight versus Hades. And her version was at the very least just as devastating, if not more.
Digging her fingers into the ground, she pushed herself forward. Inch by inch, she slowly made her way towards Laxus' last position. As she crested the crater, she found his form lying buried in the rocks. His body was burned from head to toe, and she could make out the blood trailing between the rocks on the ground. She could barely make out the slow rise and fall of his chest.
She gulped, a wave of regret immediately washing over her. She hadn't meant for this to happen. She let herself get carried away, succumbing to all her pent-up anger. All she had wanted was to show everyone else, to show him, that she had grown strong. But how was she supposed to feel when she hurt her own friends in doing so?
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a groan from the man in front of her. She watched as he planted his elbow on the ground and slowly pushed himself up, wincing the entire time. When he lifted his head up high enough, he met her eyes, although she couldn't make out the emotion within.
"That was a good one." He coughed, "I wasn't expecting that."
Wendy knew that he meant it as a joke, but she couldn't bring herself to smile. With a groan, he let his head and torso fall back against the ground. He only stared up at the peaceful night sky, which was a drastic contrast to the torn up, ruined earth around them. With a frown, she slowly followed his gaze, feeling the tears begin to well up in her eyes as she looked at the stars.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, her voice trembling.
He said nothing, and for a moment she thought that he hadn't heard her. But before long, he responded with a simple, "I know."
They continued to lay there in silence. The only sounds around them being the whip of the winds, and the crumbling of the earth around them, but they ignored it all.
Wendy's vision was fading. She didn't have long. She blinked sluggishly, and suddenly Laxus was standing above her, one hand wrapped tightly around his chest. She must be out of it worse than she realized, as she hadn't even heard him come over. A few drops of blood fell from his body, continuing to stain the ground red. And once more, she felt despair at the sight.
"Rest." He spoke, although he sounded muffled. Wendy attempted to turn her head, but he kneeled and placed a hand on her forehead. "Rest."
At the repeat of the command, she found it hard to resist, and within moments, she embraced the darkness.
Whoo! Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you enjoyed the conclusion to the fight!
Updates will continue to be slow throughout the month of November, as University picks up the pace and I am participating in NaNoWriMo. If anyone is interested in the status of my Original Work, or are interested in reading any of it, follow me on Twitter at PFWriting for updates! :D
Please let me know what you think! I did my best to keep everything in character and flowing smoothly, especially with the introduction of the new attacks. But I think it turned out well.
Next chapter is the Aftermath. I hope you are all looking forward to that! It will hopefully start to explain a bit of the background story as well as some of the questions remaining from the Flashbacks in the last two chapters.
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