"This is different." Ara's cheeks were red and hot.
Mira and Jenny were posing it off, Ara a little envious of the busty moves they could make. She looked down at her chest with a pout.
Then the battle took a turn as Mermaid Heel suddenly jumped into the arena.
"You didn't think we would let these bubble-headed bimbos hog all the attention did you?"
"We have strong and beautiful chicas as well!"
"Team Mermaid Heel is the ultimate in girl power!"
"Oh my," Ara commented.
"They're getting into this huh." Zip laughed.
"Hold it, you guys!" Suddenly Sherry and Sherria jumped in, "All of these girls are missing the most important thing. What's the point of going around in your little swimsuits if you dont have the love to back it up? You want love then you gotta give love." Sherry chanted.
"And we are busting at the seams with it!"
Ara, Levy, Cana, and Lisanna looked at each other in surprise. "That takes guts I guess?" Levy said though it sounded more like she was questioning it herself.
Then Master Mavis jumped in front of them. She smiled "Why are you ladies just watching from the sidelines?"
"You can't mean.." Ara grew redder. Master Mavis wasn't saying...
"You think we should go down there?" Lisanna asked surprised.
Cana who was sitting criss-cross tilted her head. "What are we supposed to always have a swimsuit handy?"
Ara, Levy, and Lisanna all gave her a look, the girl's main attire was a swimsuit top.
Master Mavis's smile grew wider and brighter. "No, but you should always be prepared!" Then she threw a bunch of swimsuit tops out. "I have one for all of you!"
And this was how Ara found herself in a bikini standing in the arena. Her cheeks were redder than Natsu's fire.
"Wardrobe change! School swimsuit!" Ara jumped in surprise when her outfit changed into a dark blue suit.
Before she could become accustomed the outfit changed again to bikinis and thigh highs. "Oh, I should have just run and hid in the bathroom instead of doing this!"
"This covers more skin but it's more embarrassing." Lucy blushed standing next to Ara.
"Who likes girls in glasses?"
Now she was wearing white spectacles.
"Cat ears!"
And now purple cat ears and a tail, this was almost too much for her. The bondage gear about pushing her over the edge with all the leather.
"How about a blushing bride challenge?! Ladies grab a lucky guy and squeeze into wedding dresses!"
Ara was in a wedding dress and held Zip up on her shoulder. "This is much more fun." Zip was wearing a little suit and it was the cutest thing.
"Let's get hitched!"
They both laughed.
For the first time that day, Ara found her eyes wandering to the Sabertooth balcony. She wasn't sure why. Maybe she was just curious because of what happened the previous night. How her heart thumped.
What her eyes found was the Sabertooth members watching in boredom. Except one, whose eyes were trained on her, before looking away. For some reason, this made Ara flush even deeper.
Eventually, they left the arena to Mira and Jenny. Their outfits going back to normal.
...
A/N: Rogue POV
...
"Fuck." He slammed the side of his fist into the brick. Rogue panted leaning his forehead onto the colosseum's wall.
Seeing her like that should not have made him react like this. What was he, a hormonal teenage boy? It was like heaven and hell all at once.
He wanted to see more, yet wanted to cover her up so no one else could see.
"Okay, what the hell is your problem man?" Sting came storming in. Throwing Rogue over by his shoulder. "You've been totally scatterbrained ever since we got here."
Rogue brushed the hand off. "It's none of your business."
Sting let out a mocking scoff. "Not my business? Fuck that. Don't forget our purpose. Beat Natsu and Gajeel and show who the best Dragon Slayers are." He poked Rogue's chest. "Getting hung up over some Fairy Bitch isn't in the books."
"Don't call her that!" He pushed Sting back. "You don't know anything about her."
"So I'm right. That's what's got your panties in a wad. A chick you've been obsessing over for 8 damn years when she didn't remember your existence once." Sting shook his head. "Go fuck her and get her out of your system, seriously."
Sting gave one last look before walking off.
'Go fuck her and get her out of your system ...' as if it was that easy.
As if one time with her would even sedate him. Her violet eyes, soft smile, tender laugh, and silent tears, all drove him mad.
He desired her company. To learn more about her. Her dreams her nightmares. Rogue wanted to understand the woman who saved his life.
Why did she have to show up here? Why now when he had yet to prove his strength? When he wanted to find her and stand strong, to show her the man he'd become. He wasn't a weak eleven-year-old boy anymore. She could lean on him now for protection, safety, and comfort.
She would never want to be a burden like that for someone though. He wouldn't see it like that but she would.
Instead, he would have to pave a path where he could walk beside her.
...
A/N: Ara POV
...
After watching the Yukino and Kagura fight Ara was stunned. To bet your life was careless and arrogant. It frustrated her and she wasn't sure why.
Life was a precious thing, something to be cherished and nurtured, not used as a betting chip.
Ara was walking with Zip in the night, her thoughts lost.
"Hey Ara, do you think things are gonna be okay?" Ara looked down at Zip, his head was bowed making his helmet shift.
"What do you mean?" Ara asked, smiling. "With the games for sure, even if we don't come in first we will have tried our hardest."
Zip stopped his steps making Ara halt too. "Something isn't right. This place, I can feel it, a power of sorts."
This made Ara's heart speed. Few knew about the abilities of Igor Frogs, and the species seemed to be scarce now in Fiore. In truth, Zip and Ara had not come upon another Igor Frog since leaving Mt. Hakobe.
You see, Igor Frogs like many other magical creatures carried pure magic, one of the reasons they were sought after by dark wizards. Their magic ran in their blood and gave them an uninhibited sense of power.
Meaning, that if Zip could sense something ominous here then his intuition wouldn't be far off from reality.
"In truth, " he started, kicking his boot at the cobbled ground. "Carla believes something may be going on too. I heard her talking about it to Miss Porlyusica in the infirmary. She had a vision," Zip then looked up, his vibrant green eyes piercing into Ara's violet ones. "Of Crocus and the Kingdom crumbling."
Ara covered her mouth with her hand. "Are you sure? Hasn't her premonitions been off since we got back from Tenrou?"
Zip nodded, turning to look out towards the waterway. "Well yes. But, on that night I parted from Levy to join them on the castle grounds.. I... as soon as I stepped into that garden, I could feel it. It was almost similar to how your magic feels but stronger, in a larger quantity." he wrung his hands together. "It scared me."
A strong power? Similar to Ara's? What was going on here?
...
