Chapter 4 beckons you to read. And read you shall, children! Shout out to ErzaDreyar! KEEP BEING AWESOME!

The Big-top was even bigger than it appeared on the outside, much to Lucy's awe. Somehow, Eddie had managed to get front row seats, even though, logically speaking, they should have definitely sold out already. She shrugged it off, figuring it to be nothing more than a stroke of good fortune. As they sat down, a LOUD voice boomed over what Lucy assumed were loudspeakers.

"GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ARE YOU PREPARED TO WITNESS THE MAGIC OF CIRQUE DU FAIRY TAIL?" The owner of the voice had not appeared on stage yet, but I still had to cover my ears to keep them from exploding.

Eddie, however, seemed unfazed by the ear- shattering voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. In fact, she didn't even flinch, almost like she was used to the noise. Lucy yet again did not choose to delve too deep into the matter, because a human figure larger than three, or maybe even four (!) African elephants stomped into the tent and stood in the center ring. The only thing she could tell about him was that the giant was, of course, a giant, because his entire profile was immersed in shadows.

"HOW EXCITING TO HAVE SUCH A LARGE AUDIENCE ON OUR LAST DAY IN TOWN"

Several people around Lucy and Eddie were either screaming, wetting their pants, fainting, and a select few did all three. The giant grinned like the Cheshire Cat and continued speaking.

"OH I'M SORRY. COULD THIS FORM PERHAPS BE SCARING YOU?

Several people screamed their 'Hell Yeahs', and the giant somehow grinned even wider.

"IN THAT CASE, I MUST RECTIFY THAT NOW, SHOULN'T I?"

A continued chorus of 'Yeses!' immediately erupted from the stands. Still, he grinned wide enough to make Lucy worry that his face would split.

Then, the most amazing, unbelievable thing she had ever seen happened.

The giant started. To. Shrink.

The audience's screams were nothing compared to what they were now. They were witnessing something completely unnatural, and there was everything short of a riot.

When the former giant had finished shrinking, he was barely half the size of the average grown man. An assistant ran over to the now- midget and gave him a microphone. He adjusted his blue and orange hat, and spoke in a much quieter version of the giants' voice.

"Now, I bet you all are thinking that was a trick. A bit of slight- of- hand, correct? Well, that's too bad because YOU'RE WRONG! What you just saw was pure, unadulterated MAGIC."

A man from the crowd shouted, "There's no such thing as magic! Everyone knows that"

The little man turned towards the voice and said;

"No, I am quite right and before this show is over, you all will KNOW how right I am!" He turned and addressed the stands on the other side of the tent and spoke with his back to Lucy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Master Makarov and I am the ringmaster of Cirque du Fairy Tail. One by one, you will meet my mages. I give you my children to watch and be enchanted with. Them and their magic." Makarov walked to a curtain opposite of the entrance Lucy and Eddie walked through.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…" He pulled back the curtain with a flip of his hand, not touching it at all "Gray Fullbuster, The Ice Mage!"

**************************************************************Timey- Wimey Skipskip!***

At the end of Erza Scarlet's act, Lucy was breathless. There was no way she could think of to create those acts using anything short of magic, and she had begun to believe what Makarov had said. Eddie, meanwhile, had not moved an inch since Makarov had first come in. She had just sat on the bench, leaning forward intently with the goofiest of grins on her face. Makarov had started to speak again, this time with much more relish than before.

"And now, the GRANDE FINALE! The Cirque's most stupendous, most impossible, and MOST MAGICAL of them all! Please welcome to the ring Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Breather!"

A familiar flash of pink sped from the curtain and skidded to a stop in the middle of the spotlight. He pumped his fists into the air, welcoming the deafening applause he was receiving. Natsu took the mic from the ringmaster.

"I'm all FIRED UP!" He shouted. Then, he tossed the mic back to Makarov. Exaggeratedly, he cracked his knuckles. In a burst of light, he was completely immersed in flames. The panicked crowd screamed. Natsu put his hands up, palms out, by his head, in an act to show that he was alright. Slowly, the crowd settled down once again. He then began his stupendous acts of magic.

First, he stacked his fisted hands-one on top of the other-and placed them over his mouth. He blew a column of fire out of the holes in his fists, and walked in a circle around the ring, lighting up strategically-placed torches, just a yard away from the audience. The crowd applauded louder than Lucy had ever heard before.

Fire around his body still blazing, he made several fireballs, which he promptly pitched to the audience. Fortunately for them, they disintegrated mere inches from audience members, close enough for them to feel the reality of his fire.

After about ten more minutes of more fiery tricks, Natsu took a bow, extinguished the flames surrounding himself, and….. Disappeared.

Lucy was just as confused as the other audience members were. After all, no one can just disappear into thin air. She was confused, that is, until she happened to look up.

She just barely caught Natsu's white scarf waving in a breeze on the highest rafter of the tent, his wide grin a barely discernable dot, due to the height. Somehow, she felt as though she was the one he was smiling at.

'Curiouser and curiouser...' Lucy thought.

Just as she looked back down, the male patron sitting next to her wondered what the blonde could have possibly been looking at and glanced up to find absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. At least, not any more.

Makarov spoke into the microphone, giving an ending speech that Lucy quite honestly had no interest in. She was far too immersed in her thoughts to care.

When he finished, everyone applauded and began to file out of the enormous tent. Eddie turned to Lucy, a look of satisfaction on her young face.

"I swear, even though it don't change up much, it gets better every time."

Now THIS interested Lucy.

"What do you mean? Just how many times have you seen this since it's been here?"

"All of 'em." Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"Devoted, aren't you?"

"You have no idea." Eddie said with a giggle.

The walked out of the tent, talking about who had the best act.

"It was Mirajane by far!" Eddie pouted.

"Nope. Natsu was the best!" Lucy challenged.

"Mirajane!"

"Natsu!"

"Mirajane!" Lucy was about to counter Eddie again, a rough, smoke scented hand clamped itself over her mouth and another one wrapped around her waist as she was pulled back into the semi-darkness of the big- top.

DON DON DON DOOOOONNNNNNNN! See how mean I can be? Now you have to wait for me to feel merciful! MWAH HAH HAH HAAAAAAAA!