The mayor was a man of action. The moment he announced the Festival, preparations kicked off without delay.
The crowd around the Guild dispersed quickly, each person eager to begin their assigned tasks.
If the Harvest Festival had been Fairy Tail's grand show, with the Magic Parade as its centerpiece, then this Festival belonged to the people of Magnolia. It was their turn to show appreciation.
Rhodes and Mira finally managed to squeeze through the crowd and step into the Guild.
As expected, it was just as noisy inside.
The moment they walked in, some voices were already shouting orders for food, others demanding drinks. When they saw Rhodes and Mira, they waved excitedly.
"Get to work already! We're starving!"
But before they could do anything, a sudden outburst interrupted the bustle.
"Lisanna!"
"Wait, is that really Lisanna?!"
"No way! Why is Lisanna here?!"
A group led by Macao and Wakaba pointed and shouted as they spotted the familiar face.
Lisanna blinked, a little confused. "Didn't we already see each other in Edolas?"
Macao scratched his head and laughed. "We did, but… since we heard there was another Fairy Tail over there, we thought you were that Lisanna, not our Lisanna."
They circled her like curious puppies, marveling at her return.
Elfman hesitated, unsure whether to protect his sister from the bizarre welcome or let it happen. After a moment, he decided not to interfere. This was how Fairy Tail greeted family.
Once everyone was sure it was truly their Lisanna, a cheer erupted through the hall.
"Welcome back, Lisanna!"
Lisanna smiled warmly as the Guild gathered around her, showering her with questions and affection.
Mira watched from the edge of the crowd for a few moments, eyes soft with joy. Then she tugged gently on Rhodes's hand.
"Come on, let's grab more food and drinks. Who knows how long the mayor's preparations will take?"
"Right," Rhodes nodded.
They slipped out of the crowd and headed toward the storage area. Once they reached the corner, they both stopped at the same time.
Without a word, they embraced.
Rhodes lowered his head and pressed a kiss into her hair.
Mira buried her face in his chest, breathing him in.
"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered.
"I'm glad you're okay too," he murmured.
When they returned carrying trays of food, they were greeted by another scene of classic chaos.
"Look, look! This is my daughter, Cana!" Gildarts shouted proudly, dragging Cana by the arm.
"Did you know I'm Cana's dad?" he beamed, hugging her close.
"Isn't she adorable? Look at her! My little girl!"
He lifted her as if she were still a toddler, cradling her with an embarrassingly doting grin.
Rhodes and Mira exchanged a look.
Though most of the Guild already knew Gildarts was Cana's father, it clearly didn't stop him from announcing it at every opportunity.
At first, Cana had looked genuinely pleased by her father's affection. But after hearing the same lines three or four times in a row, her smile became more and more strained.
Finally, she planted a hand firmly on Gildarts's face and pushed him back with a grimace.
"Would you please stop with that ridiculous look already?!"
"But I'm just so happy..."
"Go away, I'm going to drink!"
"I'm paying!"
No matter how much Cana tried to shake him off, Gildarts clung to her like taffy. Wherever she went, he followed, proudly boasting to everyone they passed.
Gildarts still couldn't believe it. At forty-five, he had suddenly gained an eighteen-year-old daughter.
"Your drinks," Rhodes said, setting the glasses down before turning to leave.
But Gildarts grabbed his arm with a grin. "Look! My daughter, Cana!"
"Ah, congratulations," Rhodes replied with a neutral smile. Then, after a moment's thought, he added, "If you really want to dote on her, words aren't enough. Girls usually like dolls. Maybe buy her one?"
"Rhodes!" Cana slammed her hands on the table, her face bright red. "What doll?! I'm eighteen!"
But Gildarts lit up as if he'd received divine inspiration. "Ohhh! I'll go right now!"
Cana yanked on his cloak to hold him back as he jogged in place. "You're not going anywhere! Sit down!"
Rhodes chuckled and walked off, empty tray in hand.
Mira watched with an amused smile. "Cana seems... overwhelmed."
"Hm. Probably not used to the sudden fatherly affection," Rhodes whispered, leaning toward Mira's ear. "Just now, I—"
"You're terrible," Mira giggled, gently patting his chest. Then she straightened up. "I'll go deliver their food."
A minute later, Rhodes watched Mira walk up to Gildarts and say something in a low voice. Gildarts's eyes widened. He jumped up, looking like he was about to sprint out of the Guild again.
Cana, still clinging to his cloak, glared at Mira in disbelief.
When Mira returned, Rhodes raised a brow. "What did you say to him this time?"
Mira smiled sweetly. "I told him to buy a pacifier."
"You're even worse than me."
The two burst into laughter behind the counter. When Cana finally managed to calm her dad down, she turned and shot the pair a deadly look.
They simply waved at her with matching grins, then laughed even harder.
Lisanna had finally gotten a moment to breathe and sat down beside Elfman.
"Mira-nee's changed so much," she said, smiling. "She's almost like the Mira-nee from Edolas."
Elfman looked conflicted. After some thought, he decided there was no need to hide anything from his own sister.
"Actually... that's only when she's with Rhodes," he said solemnly. "At home, she's still the same Mira-nee as always."
He began recounting a series of touching stories, about Mira helping him with special training, Mira fixing his posture with a smile, Mira lecturing him about being a 'real man' while holding a frying pan.
"Ehhh..." Lisanna looked skeptical. "Smiling while hitting someone… sounds scarier than before."
Elfman sighed deeply. "You've just come back, so you'll be safe for a while. But give it time. If you ever make Mira-nee mad, prepare for the worst."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, huh?" Elfman froze. That voice... was too familiar.
He turned slowly. Mira stood right behind him, smiling sweetly.
"Sis, wait! I can explain!"
But today, Mira was in too good a mood for sibling revenge.
As Rhodes, Mira, and a few others busily carried food and drinks, the Guild grew rowdier. One by one, people got tipsy. Laughter echoed across the hall.
Master Makarov climbed onto a table, raised a mug of ale, and emptied it in one gulp before breaking into a stiff dance.
That kicked off a wave of wild performances.
Bisca, naturally, took to the floor with a dazzling dance. Wakaba and Macao yelled for more while Max grabbed a mic and shouted, "Who's next?! Show us what you've got!"
Panther Lily, still adjusting to Earth Land, was unceremoniously dragged into a duel with Happy by an enthusiastic Gajeel.
Since arriving, Lily had undergone a strange transformation. The towering warrior from Edolas had turned into a small, rather adorable black cat.
Gajeel only let him go when the next act began. He grabbed his guitar, marched onstage, and announced dramatically, "Now, enjoy my new song, 'Best Partner: Iron Dragon and Cat'!"
"Cut it out, Gajeel!"
"Get off the stage!"
"Let Mira sing instead!"
"Fire Dragon and Cat makes more sense!"
Ignoring the jeers, Gajeel slammed down his first chord and howled into the mic:
"Shoobie do ba!"
A hailstorm of random objects flew toward the stage, mugs, food scraps, a slipper.
And above it all, peals of laughter filled the Guild.
...
Stones Plzz