Onibas was a thriving city with booming commerce, its prosperity even surpassed that of Magnolia.
Like Magnolia, a beautiful canal flowed through the heart of the city.
Once Master Makarov announced free time, Rhodes and Mira opted for a relaxing boat ride down the canal. The boats were the kind used for sightseeing, specifically designed for tourists.
The two sat closely together, listening to the gentle rhythm of oars paddling behind them and watching the fish dart away beneath the water's surface.
After the boat ride, they explored the interesting places they had seen along the way, picked out outfits for each other, and sampled all the tempting local cuisine.
Whenever they found something particularly delicious, they packed some up to bring back for Elfman and saved a portion for Warm.
While browsing the market, they overheard chatter about Erza's upcoming performance.
The Shezad Theater was putting on a play titled Frederick and Yandilica. At first glance, it sounded like a cliché fairy tale, something about a prince rescuing a princess.
But apparently, flyers had been handed out by a flying cat, and word on the street was that real wizards were involved in the show, adding a magical twist that sparked a lot of excitement.
A growing crowd of townspeople expressed interest, saying they planned to attend the show.
"Sounds like it's going to be a hit even before it starts," Mira said with a proud smile, listening to the surrounding buzz. "I'm going to win the bet again."
"I just hope they don't mess it up," Rhodes replied with a sigh. He didn't mind losing the bet, he just wanted his friends to succeed for once.
By the time the show was about to begin, the theater was packed to the brim.
They had no idea what the plot actually involved, but the promotion was clearly effective. Whoever handled it did a fantastic job.
Rhodes and Mira followed the tide of people into the theater. At the entrance stood a large billboard displaying a dashing knight, a fearsome dragon, and a radiant princess.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Rhodes muttered, staring at the dragon on the poster. He already knew who'd be playing that part.
Mira giggled. "It's going to be amazing."
The Fairy Tail group was seated in one large section. From a distance, Rhodes and Mira spotted their guildmates, Master Makarov already tipsy, and Cana slumped beside him, clearly matching his pace.
Mira frowned. "The Master's drinking again? He was drunk yesterday, and now this?"
Rhodes nodded. "I know. He really needs to cut back."
For someone his age, drinking that heavily every day was not a good idea.
The theater was noisy and brimming with anticipation.
When the lights dimmed, the crowd finally quieted down… well, except for the Fairy Tail section, which was still a bit rowdy. Things only settled when the soft, elegant sound of a harp filled the air.
The melody came from Lyra, one of Lucy's Celestial Spirits. As the harp's notes faded into the background, Lyra's singing began, gentle, airy, and mesmerizing. The entire audience fell under her spell.
"It's beautiful…" Mira murmured, resting her chin on her hands. Her heart swelled with warm memories and happiness, as if the music awakened something peaceful inside her.
The magic of the Celestial Spirits was truly remarkable.
"Yeah," Rhodes agreed, voice low. Even he couldn't bring himself to say, "You sing better," before the music ended.
If there was one flaw, though, it was the lyrics, they were terrible.
Aside from naming the prince and princess, the words held no real meaning. As an opera, the play was clearly off to a rocky start. If not for Lyra's beautiful voice, the audience might've started booing already. No wonder the theater had been struggling with attendance.
Then the curtain rose.
Erza stepped onto the stage wearing men's clothes. As Lyra's music came to a close, Erza struck a dramatic pose and delivered her first line:
"My name is…"
And just like that, the confident aura she'd entered with completely vanished.
Erza's delivery was stiff and awkward. Her voice trembled, and her body looked rigid and unnatural. From an acting perspective, it was a disaster.
But the Fairy Tail members in the audience were thrilled. Seeing Erza, the usually fearless and commanding Titania, fumble so nervously on stage? Adorable.
Watching professional actors perform was one thing, but watching your friends and guildmates stumble through a stage play? That was a whole different experience.
Mira was already laughing out loud, clearly enjoying herself. Seeing Erza, normally so stoic and composed, fumble around onstage was just too funny.
Then Lucy made her entrance, suspended by a rope in true dramatic fashion as the damsel-princess. Shortly after, Gray appeared in the role of the villain… but there was an immediate problem: the name he introduced himself with was completely different from the villain's name Lucy had mentioned moments before.
The lines kept changing on the fly, the characters' names shifted randomly, and the audience began to grow confused.
But then, Gray suddenly summoned a gleaming ice sword, and floating blades circled Erza mid-scene. The audience, who had been considering walking out and demanding refunds, sat back down in stunned awe.
The script might've been a disaster, but the magic effects? Genuinely spectacular.
Even with all the chaos, it was undeniably fun to watch the Fairy Tail crew having a blast. That joy was contagious.
Two very different groups of spectators, random theatergoers and the guild family watched on, thoroughly entertained but for entirely different reasons.
Then came the entrance of Happy, fluttering onto stage dragging along a very reluctant "dragon" who was clearly Natsu inside a dragon mascot costume.
That's when all hell broke loose.
Natsu, fully committed to the bit, started breathing real flames, completely overdoing it.
And because Happy fumbled with the rope holding the costume steady, Natsu tripped and crashed straight through the stage. In the chaos of falling, he let loose another massive blast of fire.
The set caught fire. Props were demolished. And worst of all, Princess Lucy's dress caught on fire.
Sitting in the front row, Rhodes could feel the actual wave of heat coming off the stage.
This performance had completely spiraled into madness.
Still, he wasn't too worried, Gray was on stage, and there were plenty of capable wizards in the audience if things got worse.
Lucy, panicking with her skirt ablaze, rushed toward Gray for help.
But before Gray could react, Erza stepped forward without hesitation and drew her sword in one swift motion.
SHING!
With surgical precision, she slashed the burning fabric away. The cut was so clean that Lucy's clothes were shredded… but her skin wasn't even nicked.
Rhodes saw it clearly: not a single scratch. Just smooth, pale skin left behind where the scorched dress had been.
"Oh! OH!!!" gasped a section of the audience.
Macao and the other older guildmates had hearts practically leaping out of their eyes. "Best show ever! This ticket was so worth it!"
Pinch!
"Hrk…" Rhodes winced as Mira pinched his waist.
But to his relief, she didn't force him to look away.
After all, Erza was already one step ahead. She quickly swept off her cloak and draped it over Lucy's shoulders.
"Princess! Are you all right?" she asked in her stiffest stage voice.
Still flustered, Lucy snapped, "You guys are the worst actors!"
"Princess, I-I-I... I shall defeat the villain at once!" Erza declared with trembling determination.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the stage, Natsu had fully embraced his role as a dragon, perhaps a little too seriously. He continued to unleash roaring bursts of flame, tearing apart what little remained of the set.
Gray, who had been holding it together up to this point, took a fireball straight to the chest. And being Gray, there was no way he was just going to stand there and take it.
Thus began an all-out magical brawl between Natsu, Gray, and Erza, right on stage.
Back in the audience, sweat beaded down Makarov's forehead. A twitch started in the corner of his eye. His instincts screamed that something terrible was coming.
And sure enough, just as he feared, the entire Shezad Theater began to shake.
Crack—BOOM!
A massive rupture split the stage right down the middle. The elegant building groaned, cracked, and finally collapsed in spectacular fashion, breaking cleanly in half.
Makarov was shaking now, eyes wide, lips trembling. But he still acted fast, throwing up a glowing golden magic circle to shield the audience from debris.
"Aaah... hahaha..." Mira laughed as the dust clouded the air. "It happened again."
"It's hard to fight one's true nature," Rhode said with a sigh. "Erza's… still acting?"
Sure enough, standing in the rubble, Erza hadn't missed a beat. Cloak billowing, sword raised high, she continued her performance as the noble prince. Not even the destruction of the theater could break her focus.
It was clear she wouldn't stop until she'd "rescued" Lucy by thoroughly pummeling both Natsu and Gray, and carrying Lucy off into the sunset.
Back among the ruins, Macao whispered to Makarov, "So… what now, Master?"
Makarov inhaled slowly, his face pale and grim. "We run. Run fast. No one must ever find out we're connected to those maniacs!"
He might be the guild master, and yes, he'd definitely end up having to write yet another self-reflection letter to the Magic Council, but that could wait until after he vanished for a day or two.
And so, the entire Fairy Tail crew launched into a full retreat.
As for the culprits? Well, they'd better find a way to fix what they'd just destroyed.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, the audience was thrilled.
Despite the chaos and destruction, the spectators didn't panic. In fact, they laughed, clapped, and cheered at the utter spectacle. Many stayed to the very end.
...
Bonus @1600
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