"Stop her!"
Elfman, seeing things about to go off the rails at his sister's wedding, leapt onto the roof and charged after Erza.
"Elfman, you're supposed to be badly injured and out of the scene!" Lucy cried in a panic.
Natsu, who'd never been one to play dead for long, barked, "Script change? Fine, I'll be Erza's opponent!"
"Natsu, don't mess this up!" Lucy snapped.
Levy hissed louder still, "Lucy-chan, don't worry about that, stop Erza first! Otherwise..."
Otherwise there'd be two brides. Levy didn't even want to imagine what Mira would do if she thought a double wedding was part of the plan.
Directors and screenwriters were shouting conflicting orders, and everyone was so confused they just followed their own impulses. The fighters, like Gajeel, charged after Erza, while the plot-keepers, Max and Warren, collapsed dramatically on the ground pretending to be dead.
Laxus, curious about Vilemaw's power, used the opportunity to keep up his staged duel with Freed and Bickslow, pretending to truly test the giant spider.
The bridesmaids were in a tug-of-war with Juvia, and the whole rooftop quickly devolved into chaos.
Reedus propped himself up, snatched his sketchbook and brush, and began feverishly sketching the scene, pure Fairy Tail style.
Rhodes rubbed his temples. This mess had arrived earlier than he'd anticipated. He threw up a few extra defensive magic circles around Mira's house, then paused to consider his options.
It was chaotic, but fixable. He knew that leaving everything to Lucy and the others would only make matters worse, thankfully he'd prepared a backup plan.
"Rhodes! Over here!" Mira called, leaning out the window and waving.
Rhodes vaulted up through the window and asked, "What's wrong? Are you getting impatient? I'll go knock them out if I have to."
"No," Mira said, smoothing the hair at his temple, then flattening the crease at his lapel and stepping back to scrutinize him. "You really are handsome up close."
Rhodes blinked. That simple compliment landed far better than any of the syrupy lines they'd just recited. He slipped his hand under her chin and tenderly brushed her cheek. "I'm glad you think so, but it's not exactly the time for flattery. It's still a madhouse out there."
"Don't smudge my makeup," Mira scolded, then asked, "So what are you going to do?"
Rhodes outlined three options calmly: "Option one, use another flashy but impractical spell to scare Vilemaw off and end this early. Option two, charge into the chaos, knock out and drag away the disruptors, and then continue the play. Option three, if everything fails, I grab you, we elope right now, and let Erza chase us; problem solved by default."
Mira's eyes lit up. "Let's elope!"
Rhodes stared at her in disbelief. "That was clearly a joke."
Mira pouted like a child, she honestly thought the elopement idea sounded like the most fun plan of all.
Just then, the window froze over with a thin pane of ice, Gray's magic. He'd even been considerate enough to shape it like proper glass.
Before either of them could react, Mavis's cheerful voice echoed in their minds: "Now listen to my command! The groom carries the bride and breaks through from inside!"
"…."
Rhodes and Mira exchanged bewildered looks.
Mavis urged again, brimming with excitement: "Hurry! Levy, Macao, Wakaba, draw the background with magic! Third, adjust the lighting!"
Mira slipped her arms around Rhodes's neck with a mischievous smile. "Let's do what the First says!"
"Alright." Rhodes decided to trust the First Master. Gathering the folds of Mira's long skirt, he swept her into his arms, shielding her head as he leapt straight at the frosty window.
With a crash, Rhodes, resplendent in his blue prince's suit, burst through, carrying Mira in her crimson princess gown. They soared through the air as purple flames and pink smoke traced two interlocking hearts above them. Levy's magic wove blooming flowers and fluttering butterflies around the glowing shapes.
The shards of ice scattered like stars, catching the gleam of Makarov's light magic until the whole scene shimmered brilliantly.
"Mmm~~~!" Warm obediently thundered into position, his giant crown-like head making a perfect landing spot. Rhodes touched down gracefully atop it with Mira in his arms.
Seeing Mavis drift toward him, he muttered under his breath, "First… what exactly are you doing?"
But Mavis had no time for questions. Hands clasped behind her back, she floated higher, giving rapid-fire instructions with all the enthusiasm of a general orchestrating a battle:
"Laxus, Gajeel, Elfman, and the Thunder God Tribe, hold back the King of Beasts!"
"Natsu, set fire to Erza's skirt! Wendy, shield Natsu!"
"…."
Rhodes twitched. 'Why does this sound exactly like she's calling raid commands in some online game?'
Still, Natsu followed orders instantly, spitting out a burst of flame that singed a nail-sized corner of Erza's flowing white wedding set, the bridal gown she'd stubbornly changed back into, ribbons and flowers still adorning her longsword.
"NASTY...,NATSU! How dare you!" Erza roared, cheeks burning.
"Ahahahaha! Come at me, Erza...waaah!" Natsu managed two seconds of cackling before her fist smashed straight into his face.
Luckily, Wendy's defensive spell cushioned the blow, so Natsu popped right back up, bouncing around with a grin, effectively keeping Erza's fury locked on him.
"Now, the bride and groom begin their escape!" Mavis cried gleefully.
When her sparkling eyes landed on him, Rhodes finally understood. The First wasn't simply helping, she was having the time of her life. Her whole expression radiated pure fun.
"Gray, stop Juvia and escort her after Rhodes!" Mavis commanded.
"Elfman!"
She kept calling out names, assigning roles like pieces on a chessboard. Amid the chaos, her directions slowly spun everything into something that almost resembled order.
Rhodes and Mira, still perched atop Warm, began to retreat in proper storybook fashion, the guild's band trailing faithfully behind them.
Gray scooped Juvia up into his arms, and the moment he did, all her fiery protests melted away. She nestled against him happily, riding obediently in the flower-draped carriage.
The other groomsmen and bridesmaids also withdrew in pairs under Mavis's direction, retreating in surprisingly neat formation, leaving only Erza still locked in hot pursuit of Natsu.
Rhodes slipped an arm around Mira's waist as they waved cheerfully to the roadside crowd. Under his breath, he sighed, "So this is what the Fairy Strategist's talent is best used for?"
Mira leaned against him, her smile radiant. "I didn't expect even the First to come. It's really reassuring."
"…."
Rhodes had thought the same at first, but now he wasn't so sure. Yes, she was the Fairy Strategist, but she was also a Fairy Tail wizard, the founder of Fairy Tail, no less. That probably explained everything.
The audience, of course, was blissfully unaware of the script going off the rails. They clapped and cheered at the spectacle, though murmurs of confusion could be heard here and there:
"Wait, wasn't the groom supposed to lead the groomsmen to rescue the bride and bridesmaids? Why are the groomsmen and bridesmaids fighting each other?"
"And what role is the Fairy Queen even playing? She doesn't look like a bridesmaid, more like the bride's romantic rival!"
"Who cares? The old Magic Parades never had a story this wild. As long as it's entertaining, that's good enough!"
"I never imagined the Fairy Queen's acting would be so… exquisite!"
...
Stones Plzzz
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