Happy and his friends congregated under a bunch of bushes near the clearing in the middle of Extalia's main city. The blue Exceed observed what was happening through another telescope he invented ten seconds previously. Azuma and a few Grimoires pushed the villagers in line, compelling them to walk straight into a prison. Azuma barked, "All right, get moving! Get going! Move your tails, now!"
"They're rounding everyone up," Happy indicated.
"Bluenote and his goons didn't waste any time in taking over this floating mass of rock," Gajeel crossed his arms.
Suddenly, a light flickered on a distance to the right. Natsu looked over at Jet and Droy, who were shoving a tied-up Makarov in the back of the circus carriage. Natsu hissed, "Hey! Turn that light off!"
"Oops, sorry," Jet quickly turned off the searchlight. He and Droy, along with the circus troupe's musical composer Cana Alberona, decided to contribute to Happy and his friends' plan to repel the Grimoires. They had to 'convince' the ringmaster of the heroes' desperate return to Extalia, but it was worth it.
"Psst! Hey, kids!" Makarov whispered. "I've been held against my will. Will you be so kind as to release me? I promise to start thinking about increasing your salary."
"Sorry, Boss," Cana shook her head. "We have to help our friends save those kitties. It's nothing personal. It's just business."
With that, the three pushed the hatch and closed it, paying no mind to Makarov's desperate pleas. "Hey, hey, hey! Wait! Wait! I'll double your salary! I'll triple your—" SLAM!
Happy looked over the royal castle, which had just been dismantled and turned into a personal bench for Bluenote, Chagot, Carla, and a select elite Grimoires. Between the famine, the exhausted makeshift dragon effort, the royals' desperate attempt to hold things together, and now the Grimoires' hostile takeover, this paradise had devolved into something only barely above a hellhole. The other thing catching Happy's eye was the line of Exceeds dropping food next to Bluenote. That was the last batch of food reserves in the kingdom. And Happy took this with grim certainty.
"Oh, no!" he spoke worriedly. "They've finished collecting the food! We've got to get Queen Chagot outta here, and fast. When Chagot's safe, we'll move on Erza's signal." The group crept down to the circus carriage, carrying out their plan.
Happy, Lector, and Frosch sneaked around to where the rest of the Catnip Scouts were hiding. Once a Grimoire patrolling the area wasn't looking, the three Exceeds pulled the lever and slid under the tree trunk.
Inside the clubhouse, the Catnip Scouts sat in its cold comfort, shaking with fear and anticipation. Lector and Frosch should be back with help by now… Just then, a rattling noise came from the entrance of the hideout, and the Scouts were made aware of an incoming presence. "Someone's coming!"
Much to their relief, Happy, Lector, and Frosch had arrived. Happy greeted cheerfully, "Hey, guys! You ready to make those Grimoires cry?"
Lector shouted, "It's payback time, Catnip-style!"
Frosch did a chest slam with the lead Catnip Scout and said, "Catnips rock!" The rest cheered in agreement.
Meanwhile with Bluenote and his goons, Carla and Chagot glanced at Kain, who gorged on the spoils of food obscured from the Exceeds. Chagot mused, "This is not good. We should've released the dragon when we had the chance."
Carla said dryly, "So you finally admit it, didn't you?"
Chagot sighed sadly, "You were right all along, Carla. I was supposed to be a fair and wise queen to my people. An inspiration to the younger generation. Instead, because of my hostility towards Happy, I became a lesson of what not to do. I am deeply sorry, my dear."
Carla smiled warmly, "It's alright, Mother. A queen can make mistakes sometimes. If Happy comes back, you can apologize to him yourself."
Chagot nodded in agreement, "You're right. I will." She caressed a warm paw around her daughter's cheek, who reciprocated with another warm smile. The Queen of Extalia vowed to make amends with the blue Exceed she falsely exiled once all the damage was undone.
Bluenote chuckled to himself, "Everything is going according to plan. We'll collect every resource of food in Extalia, and the Grimoire Heart Gang will gain full strength. Nothing could ruin this moment except—"
"AAAAAHHHH… EXTALIA!" a familiar voice boomed in the air, followed by a drum roll. Everyone halted their activities and turned to the source of the voice, which turned out to be Natsu's. "Don't you dare be sour!" The searchlights flicked open and shone into the sky, "Put your hands together for the world's greatest animal circus, and FEEL THE POWER!"
Gray's voice echoed through the microphone, "It's Fairy Tail! Yes, it is!"
And thus, the circus carriage drove into view, pulled by the Wyverns as usual but being controlled by Gray. The rest of the circus troupe smiled and waved to the surprised crowd, whilst Jet and Droy moved the searchlights in separate directions. As the carriage entered, rap music was heard, thanks in no small part to Cana's masterful composing, and a gospel choir echoed in the background.
Choir: Oh oh oh oh oh oh ohhhhh...
Stop looking for who you gotta pay
Let it go, it's not worth the pain
Give the world a fresh coat of paint
Looking in the mirror at who you got to change
Get back on the right road
On the right track, on the right flow
Paint a picture that we all know
Can't keep it back, gotta let it all go
The time is now, the moment is here
Get rid of your fears, no time for the tears
Because we gonna make it
The future is ours, cuz we got the power
In the palm of our hands, given the chance
You know you gotta take it
And when it seems everything's wrong and the pressure is on
That's when it's time to be strong
Just look in the mirror and wipe your face
Step up to the plate, cuz it's time to be great
So c'mon and embrace the new day
C'mon and live life a new way
Don't stop til you reach the top
And while them haters keep hating, you'll be winning the race!
Oh oh oh oh oh oh ohhhhh...
Oh oh oh oh oh oh ohhhhh...
It's a new day, a new way of living
You see it and want it, you believe you can get it
Open your eyes and see your dreams in the distance
No more hoping and wishin'
We are the privileged
Through faith all things are possible
And with the power inside, ain't no stopping you
We won't hesitate to fight for a better day
Until we inevitably claim our victory
No more time for depression and stressin'
Repair despair with the power of blessin'
No fear in here, we use faith as our weapon
For a new day, a new way with no half-steppin'
Stop looking for who you gotta pay
Let it go, it's not worth the pain
Give the world a fresh coat of paint
Looking in the mirror at who you got to change
Get back on the right road
On the right track, on the right flow
Paint a picture that we all know
Can't keep it back, gotta let it all go
"WAIT A MINUTE!" Bluenote bellowed, suddenly interrupting the music with a record scratch. The carriage stopped, and the Fairy Tail Troupe froze at the sheer anger in Bluenote's voice.
Lucy said meekly, "I think I'm going to wet myself."
Natsu gritted his teeth, "Steady…" They had to keep the Grimoires distracted long enough for Happy, Lector, Frosch, and the Catnip Scouts to get to the makeshift dragon, Extalia's last hope for freedom.
"What's going on here?" Bluenote eyed Carla suspiciously.
"Well, you see, I…" Carla began nervously.
Gray made a quick comeback, "Oh, yeah. We've been invited by Princess Carla…" He gestured to her, "…as a surprise for your arrival."
Unfortunately, Bluenote was having none of it. "Squish 'em."
The Troupe's facial expressions instantly turned to ones of horror. The Grimoires rose and were about to go for the kill.
"Not good…" Gajeel backed away, unknowingly stepping his foot on the cannon, firing two small cannonballs that bounced off the carriage and landed in front of Bluenote. The balls popped, revealing themselves to be Wendy and Romeo, who began to dance with each other while speaking in Japanese. During the dance, Wendy slipped on a rock and collapsed to the ground, with Romeo following suit.
"Ouch…" Romeo groaned. "That smarts…"
"I'm sorry…" Wendy said meekly. "I should've watched where I was going."
The crowd remained quiet for a few seconds. Bluenote broke the silence, "Now that's funny!" The other Grimoires sat down, laughing at the Rabbit Cannonballs' incomplete act. Bluenote relaxed, putting both of his feet up, "I guess we could use a little entertainment. Looks like you did something right for once, Princess." Carla didn't say anything.
Natsu jumped down from the carriage and announced, "Let's get this party started!"
The Fairy Tail Troupe's next act involved Levy using her whip to motion Gajeel to run around the streets in his Iron Beast Four-Foot Walk Mode. He carried Wendy and Romeo on his back as they posed and waved. Kain sang happily, "The circus, the circus! I love the circus!"
While the circus animals distracted the Grimoires with their performances, Happy, Lector, Frosch, and the Catnip Scouts flew up the Extalia Tree. Once inside the tree hole, the final phase of their plan would commence.
In the next act, Natsu was dressed up as a baby. After sucking his empty baby bottle, he bawled, "Baba all gone! Baby wants pie!" He tossed the bottle down and kept on crying, never resting until the 'baby' gets the 'pie.'
"Pie?!" Gray smirked, holding a large plate of pie made out of strawberries. "He asked for it! Should I give it to him?"
The Grimoires shouted excitedly, egging the dark blue-haired echidna on. Kain encouraged, "Yeah! Give 'im pie! Give 'im pie!" With a loud SPLAT, Gray mashed Natsu's face with the pie, flitting some of the strawberries across the audience's faces. They didn't care; this was great entertainment.
Next, Lucy juggled a batch of balls. She smiled, "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! It's always a treat to be here. Say, how many roaches does it take to screw in a light bulb? Can't tell. As soon as the lights go on, they scatter!" She finished her juggling act and posed to the crowd, and a drum punch line followed. The Grimoires laughed their heads off at that joke.
During the performance, Carla noticed something entirely different. If the Fairy Tail Troupe returned to Extalia, then that must mean Happy returned, too! Worry turned to absolute relief when she spotted Happy, Lector, Frosch, and the Catnips slowly flying up to the top of the Extalia Tree. Carla's prayers were answered; the Exceed she fell in love with had returned from his exile to set things right.
Happy's group finally approached the hole where the makeshift dragon was sealed. Happy noted, "We made it."
Lector said, "We gotta hurry. Who knows how long they'll keep 'em busy…"
Jellal, dressed in his traditional magician's robe, was about to commence his act, the magic box known as Heaven's Cabinet of Metamorphosis pushed into the center. Jellal announced, "From the most mysterious regions of uncharted Earth-land, I give you Heaven's Cabinet of Metamorphosis!"
As Happy, Lector, Frosch, and the Catnip Scouts clambered up into the makeshift dragon, Gogotora and Kurubushi went behind and prepared to release the rock to knock the prop stick over. Happy urged, "Come on, guys! Quick!"
"Utilizing psychic vibrations, I shall select the perfect volunteer," Jellal continued, closing his eyes and holding his fingers over his head, pretending that he was being psychic.
Kain squealed excitedly; he had never been asked to be part of an act before. The fat Shepard dog raised his paw and shouted, "Oh, oh! Pick me! Pick me! Me! Me! Me! Come on, I'm askin' ya with my brain!" He tried to make psychic vibrations of his own to no avail.
Finally, Jellal stopped where Chagot sat and opened his eyes. He pointed a finger at her and said, "A-ha! Why, Your Majesty!"
"M-Me?" Chagot wondered. She took Jellal's paw, the navy blue-haired cat obviously wanting her to volunteer for his 'magic trick.'
Yakdoriga hissed at Jellal and Chagot, wanting to stop them from doing anything suspicious. Bluenote calmed his pet demon down, "No, no. Yakdoriga, down. Let her go." He chuckled cockily, "Maybe he'll saw her in half."
As Jellal took Chagot to the cabinet, Gajeel lifted her up and took her inside it. Jellal declared, "As you ascend the Iron Beast and into the unknown…" The black-maned lion turned around with his arms behind his back, "…put your trust in the mysterious that are beyond mere mortal comprehension."
Bluenote smiled amusingly, "Ooh, this is gonna be good!"
Happy's group boarded the makeshift dragon, ready to dispatch it. The blue Exceed kicked away the leaning stick and said, "Catnips, ready?"
"Ready!" all the Catnip Scouts complied.
"READY!" Lector and Frosch added, their voices amplifying through the blow-horn. Happy flinched at the loud noise and shushed them.
The final step of the magic trick underway, Jellal twirled the cabinet around. He chanted, "I call upon the ancient Yakuma Spirits to inhabit the body of our volunteer!"
Unbeknownst to all, the rest of the circus troupe was about to make a retreat with Gajeel, who was holding Chagot behind his back. Another step of the plan was to make the audience think that the Queen was inside the cabinet.
Chagot gasped, "My goodness! I'm not in the box?"
Natsu whispered urgently, "It's part of the plan. Don't make a sound, Your Majesty. We're gonna get you outta here."
"Thank you, brave ones," Chagot smiled appreciatively. "I'm glad you have returned."
Lucy giggled, "That's what heroes are for."
Fluttering his hands against the cabinet in the midst of clouds forming overhead, Jellal declared, "Transformation… Transformation… Transformation!"
The circus animals were impressed. For a moment, it would appear that Jellal summoned the clouds. Natsu remarked, "Wow. Jellal's gettin' good."
However, the Exceeds knew what was bound to happen; the storm was coming. Belletokia shivered, "Not now!"
Samuel worried, "If it rains, the dragon will get ripped to shreds!" Panther Lily shushed them.
Happy leaned out of the makeshift dragon's entrance and waved it to Gogotora and Kurubushi waiting by the rock. They gave him the thumbs-up. He then looked through the telescope to check the situation below. Chagot would be out of harm's way by now…
"And now… Ishgaltus… Transformitus!" Jellal spoke those words as loud and clear as the wind. On cue, the cabinet burst open, and out of it flew a certain crimson-haired cat in her Armadura Fairy Armor, leaving a trail of sparkling dust in her wake.
"Ooooooooooh!" the crowd breathed in complete awe.
"Pretty…" Kain marveled.
Sprouting glittering fairy wings from her armor, Erza Scarlet flew around, scattering magical dust across the atmosphere. Upon landing, she held hands with Jellal and bowed with him. "Thank you, thank you." The Grimoires cheered wildly. This had to be, without a doubt, the best performance they ever made!
As Erza bowed, her fairy wings fluttered back and forth. Happy took notice with his telescope. "That's the signal!" He turned to Gogotora and Kurubushi and shouted, "We're on!" Gogotora and Kurubushi pulled back the holding sticks, and the rock began to roll downwards. Happy clambered back to the controls and informed his friends, "This is it, everybody! Get ready to rock!"
However, the makeshift dragon's release was delayed when the rock stopped mere inches from the prop stick. Gogotora exclaimed, "What the… It's stuck!"
The Grimoires kept on applauding and whistling. Kain exclaimed, "That was amazing! I have no idea! How did they do that?! I have no idea where she went!"
"Who cares?" Azuma shrugged. "This performance is off the charts!"
"More! More! More! More! More!" the rest of the Grimoires chanted.
"Thank you. Thank you, thank you," Erza and Jellal kept bowing, as the cabinet was pushed away. Now they had to regroup with the others and…
"WAIT!" Bluenote exploded, noticing something strange after the performance. In an instant, the applause subsided. He asked Jellal and Erza suspiciously, "Where is she?"
"Well, now, actually, uh..." Jellal stammered. He hoped the makeshift dragon would swoop in, but so far, nothing happened.
"I'm sorry, but a magician never reveals his secrets," Erza backed up.
"It's true, Note. I mean, where would the mystery be if we all knew how it was—" Kain began, but he was cut short when Bluenote tossed a peach fruit, hitting his head. "Shutting up."
Gogotora and Kurubushi strained to push the rock further. Happy encouraged, "You can do it! You've got to make it work!"
"Hey!" Kurubushi glanced up and pointed over to a couple of rock hammers lying a few feet away.
"I said, where is she?!" Bluenote demanded, as he and his minions paced over to Jellal, Erza, and their fellow performers. The Grimoires were determined to get answers, and the circus animals' unrelenting courage prevented them to give none.
Grabbing the hammers, Gogotora and Kurubushi kept hitting the support beam as hard as they could. After a few efforts, the prop stick collapsed, and the makeshift dragon began to slip out of the tree hole.
"Hold on!" Happy cried, thrusting the controls forward.
As the makeshift dragon whooshed out, the Catnip Scouts operated the wings, while Lector and Frosch made roaring sounds through the blow-horn. Down below, Bluenote was angrily choking the life out of Jellal, but stopped. The moment he glanced up, Bluenote's eyes widened in complete horror; he had encountered the only thing he feared most in the world. Screaming in fright, the Grimoires ducked, avoiding the object that flew upwards.
"DRAGON!" Bluenote screamed hysterically. "IT'S A DRAGON!"
The makeshift dragon ascended very quickly; Happy pulled the controls backwards, trying to turn the vehicle around amidst the turbulence.
Several seconds later, the Exceeds witnessed the scene unfolding in front of them. The plan had been put in action! Acting quickly, they screamed and pretended to panic, playing along with the scare. It wasn't long before Carla, the Royal Council, and the Fairy Tail Troupe joined in. Jet and Droy nodded to themselves and turned on their searchlights, signaling directions for the attacking dragon.
The dragon swooped around and straight for Azuma, Abel, D-6, Yomazu, and Kawazu. They ducked, tripped, stumbled and rolled in the dirt in desperate attempts to avoid the fake monster. Happy laughed playfully and enthusiastically. It was working perfectly!
"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! GO!" Azuma yelled fearfully. He, Abel, D-6, Yomazu, and Kawazu flew away from Extalia, chicken to face the wrath of the 'dragon.'
"DON'T LET IT GET ME! DON'T GET IT GET ME!" Bluenote cowered behind Kain in an attempt to avoid the dragon. "HELP ME!" They ducked down to elude it.
During the whole progress, Chagot laughed in amusement as she watched from behind Gajeel. She was right to trust Happy after all!
Inside the makeshift dragon, Lector and Frosch instructed the Catnip Scouts moving the wings. "Up down, up down, and turn!"
As the makeshift dragon continued its assault on the Grimoires, Natsu's lips curled into a sly smirk, deciding it was time to freak out the bad guys even more. He put a tomato in his closed right eye, to make it look like he suffered a bleeding injury. When the dragon passed, Natsu pretended he was hit and in a lot of pain. Standing in front of Bluenote with the 'wound' he received, he cringed, "My eye! It got my eye! Help me!"
Bluenote shrieked, dashing away from the 'injured' Natsu. He shrieked again when he saw a group of Exceeds smothered in bloody injuries (tomatoes they've splattered all over their bodies), and shrieked his loudest when he saw… A HEADLESS LUCY?! Unable to withstand the grotesque horror, Bluenote ran away, unaware that Lucy's head popped back, her tongue tasting the strawberries across her face. She grinned, "Tasty-licious."
The plan was progressing smoothly… until the next swoop brought the makeshift dragon straight towards the circus carriage! "Uh-oh! Not cool!" Happy yelped, pulling the controls in an attempt to change course…
BANG! The dragon smashed the carriage in full force, scattering all its contents and releasing Makarov from his prison. Groaning from the ordeal, the old monkey took a moment to observe his surroundings… and screamed in horror when he witnessed the dragon storming the city. Unaware of the situation, Makarov noticed Jellal with 'wounds' in front of a few Grimoires, with Erza cradling him in her arms.
"Oh, the pain!" Jellal moaned and went limp, scaring away the non-threatening Grimoires.
"There goes my magic act!" Makarov cried. In the midst of this chaos, his sorrow quickly turned to anger and hate. "I can take my body roasted to bits… but I can't let anyone harm my children without taking REVENGE! That dragon will PAY for what it's done!" From the carriage's scattered cargo, he took out a giant matchstick and lit it up, "FLAMING DEATH!"
Natsu's eyes widened with shock, "No, Gramps!" The old ringmaster had no idea he was messing everything up… again!
Not paying attention to the salmon-haired hedgehog, Makarov let out a thunderous battle cry and jumped on top of a gas can, spaying its contents paired with the flaming stick. A small river of flame erupted, making successful contact with the makeshift dragon's body. Makarov smirked, "A direct hit! Ha-ha-ha!"
"RUN!" the Catnip Scouts screamed and abandoned their posts, the fire spreading over the dragon's rear end and almost lashing inside.
Lector cried, "Happy, help us!"
Frosch sobbed, "Please, help us!"
Happy was in a sticky situation; the whole plan was ending up in flames, literally! Concerned for the safety of his friends, he grabbed the release mechanism at the top of the frame and pulled. A second later, the makeshift dragon was losing height. Bluenote, almost pushed to the brink of exhaustion, replaced his fear with fury as he realized the 'dragon' he encountered was a fake.
With a pull of a latch, the makeshift dragon was released from the rope. It crashed into the ground on impact, nearly missing the castle. In the process, its wing snapped off, and several leaves hiding the frame were dislodged.
The fire kept consuming. The dragon remained still.
