Fire is catching
Chapter 5
Authors Note: Thanks so much for all the reviews. I didn't think so many people would actually read and like my story.
First of all, I want to clear some things.
Mirajane and Lisanna both are tributes, but of course they aren't related to each other as they come from different districts.
I'm truly sorry that Erza is an antagonist. She's one of my favorite Fairy Tail characters, so it really hurts to make her a career, but I simply think that she's so strong she has to be from district 2.
You may have noticed that I spell "Jellal" as "Gerard". I know that he's called "Jellal" but as his name is pronounced like "Gerard" I can't help but (that's the French in me) spell him "Gerard". I hope you don't mind ;)
That being said, enjoy chapter 5 of Fire is catching 3
Back in our rooms that the capitol arranged for us, or should I say back in our gigantic apartment, we watch the parade on TV.
Miranda squeaks when Sebastian and I enter the hall and I am smiling pathetically and waving at the crowd, although Angel and Miranda assure me that I looked lovely and adorable.
"You know what?" our escort asks, "In the capitol voting about the best parade outfit your outfits are on rank 2!" she exclaims all excited.
"That's all thanks to Gerard", I say and smile at my stylist.
"Who's first?"Raido asks and I notice that this is the first time I actually heard him say something.
Angel snorts: "That boy from 12 with his fire show. The capitol is totally fascinated" and the bitterness in her voice startles me.
It's true that the fire thing was maybe a bit exaggerated but all the tributes and mentors simply try to get noticed and gain sponsors, so I can't really blame district 12.
I just feel a bit sorry for the girl from 12, being in the shadow of the boy on fire, nobody noticing her.
"You should go to bed my dear tributes" Miranda says "Tomorrow will be the first day of training, it'll be a big, big day so you should better get some sleep."
That stupid escort…, I'm happy that I'm allowed to be alone though. "Honey, would you come here for a second?" Angel calls me "I assume you don't want to join the careers after all, right? In that case you shouldn't let the other tributes know what your magic power is, ok? Try out to throw knives or go to the survival stations, but don't show off your power no matter how tempting it might be. We'll keep that as a surprise for your private training"
I simply nod and go to my room, happy about Angel's strategy. I'm glad I won't have to summon my spirits in front of all the other tributes.
My spirits all know about my situation, that I'll be in the arena soon and that I most probably won't be their master for a long time anymore. They all told me that they would do their best to protect and support me and I feel so much safer knowing that they are at my side.
I already told Angel that I wanted her to have my keys in case I didn't make it. She's the only other Celestial mage I know, she could really use my spirits and before they end up being in the capitol, it's better for my mentor to have them.
After probably hours of tossing and turning in bed and many thoughts swimming around in my brain about the parade, the training, the other tributes and the games I finally fall asleep dreaming of the arena.
I don't even manage to swallow a single bite the next morning. I'm just so nervous about the training that it's impossible for me to eat anything.
As Sebastian and I enter the training center several of the other tributes have already assembled.
Once everybody is there, we are introduced to our trainer who tells us about the importance of survival skills and that we shouldn't only focus on the weapon stations. That being said she wishes us good luck and as the other tributes all head to different stations I don't know where to start.
Finally I make my way over to the fire station where you can learn how to start a fire which is said way easier than done. It takes me several tries till I get to start one.
Seeing the flickering flame, feeling its heat really makes me wonder how Natsu was able to be covered in fire and feeling comfortable with it.
The girl from 10, Lisanna Struaß and I start several fires together and really get along. She's about my age and so friendly I simply can't think about her being in the arena with me in only a few days.
After the fire station, I go to the edible plants station where I have a long conversation with the station trainer. I learn a lot about edible plants, where to find them and about other plants which are poisonous. I try to memorize everything, gather as much knowledge as I can right now.
At the snares and explosives station I meet a girl from district 3, Levy McGarden who shows me how to set traps to either catch animals that might live in the arena, or in order to trap other tributes.
Only the thought of it makes me shudder.
I can't imagine this nice girl setting traps to catch people in it. She seems so cute and innocent, but come to think of it I shouldn't judge her. She has family and friends waiting for her at home, like all the others, she simply wants everything to go back to normal.
I see the careers throwing knives, fighting with swords and all other kinds of weapons. They never miss their target.
By observing them for a while I find out that Gajeel Redfox uses some kind of steel magic which allows him to attack his opponent with an arm made of iron, or various other dangerous looking attacks.
Juvia Lockser from 4 uses water magic and her district partner Gray is an ice mage.
Erza Scarlet uses Requip magic which allows her to exquip a lot of armors that protect her from fire, shoot lightning attacks and other terrifying things.
Mirajane, the girl from district 1 hasn't shown her magic power yet, but I'm sure she has some as she also is a part of the career pack.
The careers seem so powerful I bet one of them could wipe out all of us with just one strike.
Some of the other tributes also try to learn to fight with weapons, but it's really difficult for them, as it is for me as I try to throw some knives.
I aim for the heart but the knife just gets the dummy on the leg, I should probably just forget about throwing knives. At least the others don't do a much better job than I do. The only one a part from the careers who really knows how to attack is Natsu.
He sets the dummies on fire and punches them until there is nothing left of them and I wonder where he got that magic skills; I should watch out for him during the games.
Although I somehow don't have the feeling that he would attack or even hunt me down in the games. Yes, Natsu sure could beat me and the other tributes easily, but something tells me that he wouldn't unless he really had to.
He doesn't seem that hungry for blood as the careers do.
At lunch I sit at a table together with Levy, Lisanna and Wendy, the little girl from 6, and we all get along so well that I get an uneasy feeling about it.
I shouldn't be friends with them, get attached to those girls. We could have been friends under other circumstances but these are the hunger games and I can't allow myself to have friends in the arena, otherwise I won't make it back home.
So I separate myself from them after eating enough and go to the healing station where I'm taught how to take care of wounds and infections.
Wendy soon joins me and although I don't really want to, we spent the rest of the training day together.
After some failed tries to get rid of her, I finally give up and let her accompany me. The small bluenette follows me like a shadow and her happy chattering soon makes me grow fond of her. Wendy is so adorable it's impossible not to like her.
She is really good with healing and tells me that she can actually use some healing magic. Her mother is a doctor in District 6 and she often helps her out.
"Mom promised me that I'm allowed to take care of the sick people all by myself once I'm back home" she says and smiles like she's looking forward to that day.
Her story almost makes me cry and I understand that no matter how hard I try, I can't just ignore this girl. She's so small, so young, so fragile, but still full of hope and happiness. I tell myself that I'll protect her in the arena as long as I can.
I know that I actually decided to completely avoid any contact with my fellow tributes and never ever start to like them, but somehow I couldn't.
Especially Wendy.
She just brings out my big-sister-has-to-protect-younger-one-alarm and I can't leave her all on her own.
I'll probably regret that decision later.
Some minutes before the training is over I see Erza, Gajeel and Gray walk over to Natsu who is at the knife throwing station. Oh, I know where this is going, the careers want him to join them. It actually never happened that a tribute from 12 joined the careers, but sometimes they choose a rather strong tribute from another district and let them join their pack.
These alliances never hold long though and sometimes those outsiders get killed by the careers once they have no use for them anymore.
I shake my head, this isn't good. The careers are too strong this year. There are already six of them, one more powerful than the other, and with Natsu they would be even seven, which makes almost a third of the tributes careers.
This isn't good at all.
Authors note: Reviews, follows and favorites mean a lot to me and I'm thankful for every single one of them.
The next chapter may contain some Nalu (finally), so look forward to it. Reviews and follows make me upload faster!
Natsu: What the heck is Nalu?
Lucy:* blushes* *looks away*
Natsu: Author! Tell me what Nalu is or I'll burn down your room!
Author: You'll have to wait and see…