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Fairy Tail AU: The Girl Who Wouldn’t Stay Down
Flare thought she had found Destiny’s breaking point. Every strike brought Destiny closer to the ground. Every heated lash left another mark on her arms or legs. Eventually, Destiny could barely stand without leaning against the arena wall. But Flare made one mistake. She assumed that falling meant losing. Flare: “Stay down!” Destiny slowly lifted her head. Destiny: “No.” Flare: “You’re finished!” Destiny: “You keep saying that.” She pushed herself upright. Destiny: “And I keep proving you wrong.” Meanwhile, Natsu is fighting his own battle in the stands. He can see Destiny hurting. He can see her struggling. Every instinct tells him to jump into the arena and protect her. But Destiny doesn’t want him to break the rules for her. She wants him to trust her. Natsu: “I hate this.” Lucy: “What?” Natsu: “Watching her get hurt and not being able to do anything.” Erza looks at him. Erza: “Then do what she needs.” Natsu: “What’s that?” Erza: “Believe in her.” Natsu looks back toward Destiny. She is barely standing. But she’s smiling. Natsu exhales. Natsu: “Yeah…” His fists tighten. Natsu: “I believe in her.” And when Flare raises her flaming hair toward Destiny’s Fairy Tail mark one final time, Destiny doesn’t retreat. She steps forward. Bruised. Exhausted. Barely standing. But refusing to fall. Because sometimes the strongest person in the arena isn’t the one who never gets knocked down. It’s the one who keeps getting back up.
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