Year 784, January, Magnolia
The first rays of the New Year's sun fell upon the streets of Magnolia, the snow began to melt, and the air was filled with a fresh scent.
The members of the Fairy Tail Guild gradually awoke from their hangovers, yawning as they pushed open the Guild doors.
"My head hurts so much..." Natsu rubbed his temples, slumping onto the sofa. "Was the alcohol last night mixed with magic potions?"
"You drank too much." Gray rolled his eyes, casually tossing an ice towel onto his face. "And you dragged Happy along to sing 'Fire Dragon's Song' for three hours."
"Aye!" Happy popped out of Natsu's hair, his ears drooping. "Natsu's singing is even scarier than Gajeel's metal rock!"
Gajeel, who was gnawing on an iron plate in the corner, looked up at the remark: "Huh? What's wrong with my music?"
"Alright, alright." Mira smiled, bringing over some hangover soup. "There's a circus performance at City Hall Square today. I heard it's very exciting."
"A circus?" Natsu instantly revived. "Will there be fire-breathing?"
"Not only fire-breathing," Erza said, looking through the flyer, "but also trapeze artists, animal acts, and--"
She paused, "--a cat that can walk a tightrope."
"A cat?!" Happy's ears perked up immediately. "Is it better than me?"
"Where's Yuumi? Let's go together!"
Yukino rubbed her eyes, stood up, and looked around, a little surprised. "I don't see Yuumi, and I don't see Ezreal either."
Cana yawned and chimed in, "They left early. After you all got drunk last night, Ezreal said he was taking Yuumi back to his little island to sleep, opened a portal, and went back."
...City Hall Square, Circus Tent
A long line had already formed in front of the giant red and blue striped tent.
The members of Fairy Tail, by virtue of being a "well-known local Magician Guild," were granted the privilege of front-row seats.
"Wow!" Natsu looked around like a child. "Is that clown's nose real?"
"Natsu, quiet down." Erza pressed his shoulder. "The performance is about to begin."
The lights dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the center stage.
The ringmaster, wearing a top hat, walked out, his voice booming:
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the'Sparkle of Joy Circus'!"
Following his introduction, the first act began—a trainer directed six dogs in little dresses to perform various difficult tricks, and there was even a poodle with a bow tie riding a unicycle in circles.
"How cute!" Cana's eyes sparkled. "Should we go buy one at the pet store?"
(PS: When Cana first joined the Guild, she had a small white dog that she always walked, but it later disappeared.)
"Uh..." Gray scratched his face, reminding her, "The Guild already has Happy and Yuumi..."
The next act was the trapeze artists, who performed thrilling catches and throws thirty meters in the air, eliciting gasps from the audience.
"Next up is our signature act!" the ringmaster shouted, "Miss Flame Spirit's—Dance of Fire!"
The music became more passionate, and a red-haired woman wearing a star mask walked onto the stage.
Dressed in a sparkling costume, she waved her hands, and flames flowed around her like ribbons, finally condensing into the shape of a fire phoenix, circling above the stage.
"Woah!" Natsu excitedly stood up. "That's a good move!"
The woman winked in Natsu's direction, then performed a backflip, and the flame phoenix dissipated into countless sparks.
A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.
After the performance, the members of Fairy Tail, using their "insider" status, snuck backstage.
"Excuse me!" Natsu directly lifted the flap of the largest tent. "Where's the lady who was playing with fire just now?"
Inside the tent, the Flame Spirit, who was removing her makeup, turned her head: "Oh, isn't this the Fire Dragon Mr. from Fairy Tail?"
She looked to be in her early twenties, with a bright smile, and still held a flickering ball of flame in her hand.
"Your flame control is amazing!" Natsu's eyes lit up. "Want to have a match?"
"Natsu!" Erza grabbed him by the collar. "We're here to visit, not to challenge!"
The Flame Spirit—she introduced herself as Lina, and the young woman couldn't help but laugh: "It's alright, I'm Happy to exchange with a fellow practitioner."
Just then, the tent flap was lifted again.
A small blue-Gray cat walked in with elegant steps, still wearing the bow tie from its performance around its neck.
"Ah, Little Star!" Lina bent down and stroked its head. "Your tightrope walk was perfect just now."
"Aye!" Happy immediately flew over. "Can you really walk a tightrope?"
The cat gave Happy a haughty glance, then gracefully jumped onto a nearby chair, flicking its tail—
"Pop!"
A small firework exploded from the tip of its tail, forming the shape of a star.
"Wow!" Happy's eyes widened. "So amazing!"
Lina explained with a smile: "Little Star is a magic cat, born with a few little tricks."
"Do you have any other interesting members in your circus?" Cana asked curiously.
"Of course!" Lina winked mysteriously. "Want to meet our'Strongest Acrobat'?"
...Lina led everyone to another tent.
Pushing open the door, they saw a tall, slender man in a leotard standing on his hands on a thin rope, juggling five throwing knives with one hand.
"This is Jack," Lina introduced, "the king of acrobatics in our troupe."
Jack flipped over and landed steadily, and the throwing knives "swish, swish, swish" plunged into a nearby wooden target, all hitting the bullseye.
"Amazing!" Gray couldn't help but applaud.
"It's nothing." Jack grinned. "Want to try? It's very simple."
"I'll go!" Natsu volunteered.
Five minutes later—
"Natsu! Don't use Fire Magic! The throwing knives are melting!"
"Gray! Ice knives don't count!"
"Erza... Requip Magic is cheating!"
The tent was in chaos, and Lina was laughing so hard she couldn't stand straight.
Just as everyone was having fun, there was a sudden commotion outside.
"Oh no! The ringmaster's 'Magic Bubble Show' is out of control!"
Everyone rushed out to see the square filled with giant colorful bubbles, each containing an animal—the performing dogs, parrots, and even Little Star who had just walked the tightrope!
"What's going on?" Lina asked in surprise.
The ringmaster scratched his head, looking embarrassed: "Uh... I think I got the bubble magic formula wrong. Now the bubbles are floating in the sky and won't pop..."
"Watch me!" Natsu's fist ignited with flames. "Fire Dragon's—"
"Wait!" Lina quickly stopped him. "There are animals in the bubbles! You can't use fire!"
"Then what do we do?" Happy flew around anxiously. "Little Star is still in there!"
Yukino, who had a consistently low presence, quietly raised her hand: "Libra!"
She summoned the Celestial Spirit Libra, who elegantly raised her scales and gently tilted them—
"Gravity Reversal."
All the bubbles suddenly began to descend slowly, finally landing safely on the ground, popping gently with a "pop."
The animals ran out unharmed, and Little Star even gracefully licked her paws, looking composed, as if this wasn't the first time this had happened.
"That's wonderful!" The ringmaster excitedly shook Yukino's hand. "Thank you! As a token of my gratitude, please accept this—"
He handed over a stack of tickets: "Tomorrow we have a special performance in the next town. You are welcome to come and see it!"
...In the evening, the members of Fairy Tail bid farewell to the circus.
"Come play again next time!" Lina waved goodbye. "I'll teach you even more amazing fire tricks!"
"Definitely!" Natsu shouted back.
Little Star squatted on Lina's shoulder, and a small firework exploded from the tip of its tail again, as if saying goodbye.
On the way back to the Guild, Happy flew around excitedly: "Aye! I want to learn how to make fireworks too!"
"You can be friends with Little Star." Cana said with a smile.
"That circus was really interesting." Gray, for once, showed a relaxed smile. "Much more fun than doing missions."
Erza nodded: "It's nice to relax like this sometimes."
As the sun set, everyone's shadows stretched long. The outline of the Guild was already in sight, and warm lights spilled onto the snow through the windows.
"Are we still going to see the performance tomorrow?" Cana rattled the tickets.
"Of course!" Natsu raised his fist. "I still want to compete with Jack in acrobatics!"
"You should practice your throwing knives first." Gray retorted.
Amidst laughter, another day for Fairy Tail came to a close.
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