A play in which everyone gets played.

Summer. A word that means so much to children. To them, it was an excuse to let loose and be absolutely free of school and work. To let loose and to enjoy themselves. To him, it was just another of season of work. If he didn't work, he couldn't get the money necessary to gamble. Or worse, to smoke. He was a very cynical man, he disliked those that seemed to have fun, those that seek to enjoy life to it's fullest. To him, it seemed very fake. Something that he dislikes greatly. Even worse was that it was only the beginning stages of summer, that means that while kids still had school, they were all excited to leave. With each passing day making them happier and happier.

And now Hachiman found himself talking to one of those kids. Romeo, Macao's little brat. It had been a long time since he saw him, with the boy still being a baby in his recollection of memories. It was a warm and sunny day, lazy gentle clouds moved slowly in the skies and a cool breeze blew past them. Upsetting the swings in the park that they were both in a little bit. The creaking from the playground equipment, the warmth and the kids pleading gaze made Hachiman ridiculously uncomfortable.

"No." Hachiman said simply.

"Wha? Why?" Romeo whined.

"The job description asked for for help in your play. Not for Magic. Besides, i'ts above my pay grade."

"Come on, please?" Romeo asked.

"No."

"Come on-"

"Well well well, if it isn't Romeo. Why are you talking to some random guy here instead of your dad? Oh that's right! because he's a lame deadbeat washed up mage!" A shrill voice cut in.

Turning his head to the uninvited participant of the conversation, Hachiman saw a group of boys. He presumed that the one in the front spoke in as he was the one with the shit eating smirk whilst the rest of the boy snickered and laughed.

Narrowing his eyes at the slight, he couldn't help notice Romeo do the same.

"...Kyle." Romeo spat out venomously with such contempt and disgust that Hachiman couldn't help but feel a little proud. He really was Macao's son after all.

"Hey loser, still trying to make your little play work out? here some advice, drop it. It'll never work. Your pathetic idea will fail, you'll never succeed. So just give up, you'll only fall face down in this little project of yours."

"..." Romeo said nothing as he balled up his hands into fists, gritting his teeth all the while.

"Nothing to say? well what a coincidence, i having nothing else left to say also. I only stopped by to tell you that this play of yours will never work, you'll only fail." The snotty nosed kid said with a smirk as he and his little group walked away.

The whole situation looked like something out of a comic or a novel, something that slightly amused Hachiman. After all, in these situations those kids always got their just desserts. And he was gonna let them have their desserts, even if he had to force it down their throats.

"...Kid."

"...Y-yeah?" Romeo said some what dispirited.

"You play is gonna is gonna knock those kid right on their as-butts." Hachiman said as he corrected himself quickly.

"R-really?"

"Yeah, they made fun of Macao, I don't much appreciate respectable men being insulted like that. As he is your father I'm quite sure you don't want to see him belittled like that either."

"Eh? You knew my father? how? and how do you know i'm his son?" Romeo asked, shocked.

Crap.

Hachiman thought as he quickly began to fix his little slip up.

"I... Ran into him during a job once. Saved my hide. We drank together later that night and the whole time he held out a picture of you and constantly bragged. This is my son! the brightest boy in all of Fiore!... It was kind of irritating really." Hachiman managed to say, telling a some what true story whilst not telling him that he was actually a fairy tail member. It would have been tiring to explain.

"Oh!" Romeo exclaimed.

"Yep, your the old man was quite the fighter. Quite strong if i must say so my self...If the guild master of fairy tail were to kick the bucket, i have a feeling that Macao would be the next guild master." Hachiman replied with a mirth of a smile.

"Really?" Romeo asked jovially.

"Yep, no doubt in my mind what so ever."

"Heh heh!" Romeo chuckled with a mixture of happiness and pride.

"Well, that's that, lets move on to business..." Hachiman started. Thank god kids are so gullible.

"And for our next performance, Romeo Conbolt!" The announcers voice proclaimed. With only a couple claps following his announcement.

After a tense moment of silence, the curtains were raised, and the spot light was now on Romeo...Along with a very pretty princess Mirajane.

"WHAT THE F-" One of the announcers yelled out in disbelief.

"Bill!" The other announcers exclaimed with shock, hitting Bill at the back of the head.

"AH!, oh...Right sorry bout that folks. But we have a huge upset! Mirajane Strauss from Fairy tail is here! what an upset!"

Despite the uproar, Mirajane started acting.

"Oh Sir Romeo! knight of the square table, the dragon king Smau-, Igneel shall be approaching this kingdom soon with much haste, what ever am i to do?" Mirajane asked with deceivingly almost genuine like tears in here eyes.

"Wha- Er, no worries princess Mira, I! Romeo guardian of this realm shall defend you! Within a mere fortnight this beast shall lie slain upon the field of battle!" Romeo initially stuttered, taken aback by how realistic Mirajane's acting was.

"Oh! Sir knight, your bravery comforts me so!" Mirajane said as she swooned over Romeo. Grabbing his hands as she looked at him with her wide tearful eyes.

"Y-yes! of course!"(Sir, please tone down the illusion a little, other wise i can't take it!) Romeo desperately whispered into Mirajane's ear.

Hearing this, Hachiman who was in the crowd merely gave an amused smirk.

Sorry Kiddo, you asked for magic, you'll get magic...Thank god Mira is here to see this, she'll kill me!

"Oh sir knight, i can no longer take it! I have helplessly fallen in love with you! Woe is me, if only i was born a commoner then i would beg thee to take me now!" 'Mirajane' swooned over Romeo once again. This time hugging him and shoving his face into her supple bosom.

"AH! THE LUCKY BAST- OW!" Bill exclaimed once again, getting smacked by his co star.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" Roared a thunderous voice.

Appearing from the backdrop was one very...muscular Makarof. With a heavy aura, everyone in the audience could hold their breath in fear as Makarof began to speak.

"YOU! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? GROPING MY GRANDDAUGHTER LIKE THAT? YOU LITTLE PUNK, I'LL KILL YA!" Makarof started, attempting to charge at Romeo.

However, Mirajane stopped him before it was to late and, with herself between the two, she pleaded with her Grandfather with tearful eyes.

"Grandfather! I love him!"

"NO! WE ARE NOT HAVING THIS HAPPEN AGAIN! I LOST MY DAUGHTER, I SHALL NOT LOSE YOU!" Makarof exclaimed with such intensity that even Romeo felt it difficult to breathe.

"But-" Mirajane was cut off.

"Sir! i swore that i would protect her!" Romeo finally managed to stutter out.

"HOH? PROTECT HER? WHAT CAN A SCRAWNY LITTLE BRAT LIKE YOU DO? YOU ARE A CHILD."

"...I...I! I will slay Igneel, King of the dragons! would you then give me you're approval?" Makarof scoffed at that.

"HAH! YOU? SLAY IGNEEL? YOU ARE MUCH TO YOUNG FOR SUCH A FEAT! AND MUCH TO SHORT AS WELL!"

"...Would you give me your approval if i slay Igneel?" Romeo asked, this time with a forced calm.

"...Hmm... I suppose i would totally disprove of you... Very well, try to slay Igneel, Your death shall weigh nothing upon me." Makarof said with a scoff.

As soon as Makarof said that, Hachiman used his magic with much more intensity.

Soon the whole room along with stage was transformed as if they were in a castle itself, with the audience looking around and crying in disbelief. The Igneel, king of the dragons burst in through the castle wall with a roar of fire. Causing bricks and all sorts of things to fly everywhere, making everyone yell is panic, even Romeo was terrified.

Sniff sniff, ugh. Was that piss? Hachiman thought as he looked around him. Sure enough, The boys that made fun of Macao and Romeo were now upon the ground flat on their assess with very noticeable piss stains and pee puddles on their pants and the floor. All of them crying with looks that gave off the impression that they were about to die.

With a primordial roar, Igneel confronted Romeo.

"Makarof! I have come for my tribute! Where is it?" Igneel roared once more.

"Hmph! You'll have to fight him for it. Little punk thinks he can take you on." Makarof said with a devilish grin.

"Hoh? Is that so?" Igneel now looked at Romeo who at that moment looked like he was about to cry.

"I-Um uh..." Romeo stuttered out, panicking.

"So you? would dare to face me? the king of dragons?" Igneel asked with a snort.

"Yeah that's right! He'll slay you and take revenge for my mother and father of whom you slayed you beast!" Mirajane cut in with an emotionally moving performance.

"Heh, very well. Fight me then. As i pity you, i shall allow you to make the first move child." Igneel said with an amused smirk.

"I-I-uh..." Romeo once again stuttered.

What are you doing kid? drop him! Hachiman informally thought as he looked upon his own work.

"Come on kid, i Don't have all day. I gotta hit up the casin-other kingdoms who have bent the knee to me." Igneel exclaimed, With Hachiman trying to tell Romeo to hurry it up.

"!OH!...I mean...UM, YEAH! PREPARE TO DIE BEAST! FURHYA!" Romeo shouted with a punch of fire. Managing to remember that that it was an illusion.

The punch merely bounced off of Igneel. A second passed, then a couple more. Until finally after what seemed to be a minute, Igneel let out an agonizing howl and much blood and fire came spurting out from his mouth.

"AAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Igneel howled.

"Well done...Kid...you...see..that...Natsu?...someone to...surpass...you..." Igneel managed to utter out his final breath as he died.

Crap, it's been a while since i've made an illusion of Igneel, I've gotten rusty. Hachiman thought with a disappointed shake of the head.

"...Um...wha?" Romeo was cut off as Mirajane ran and once more pulled him unto her embrace.

"Oh Romeo! I knew you could do it!"

"...Humph! Don't think i've fully accepted you yet you little punk!" Makarof reluctantly exclaimed.

"...Wha-?" Romeo asked once more in total confusion as the illusion broke and they soon found themselves in the normal room with the normal stage.

That magic presence...dammit! the authorities! why do they always have to go sniffing whenever someone uses magic? Hachiman looked at Romeo with a neutral face and then proceeded to get out of dodge.

At that, a thunderous applause from the audience brought Romeo back from his stupor.

"Whoo hoo!"

"That was so cool Romeo!"

"You lucky Punk! how did you managed to get Mirajane in your little play, hold up...Where is she-ARGH!"

"Best play ever!"

"I loved it!"

"Awesome!"

"...What...just happened?" Romeo asked to himself with certain disbelief.

"Did you hear? my boy got himself an Award for a play! He's such a genius, like me!" Macao exclaimed proudly to Wakaba as they both drank in the fairy tail guild hall.

"Award? really? how nice." Wakaba grinned as they both guzzled their beer.

"Ah! there's nothing like having a cold one after a hard days work!" Both of them said at the same time with joy in their faces.

Meanwhile at the bar, Mirajane and Makarof had very stiff faces.

"...Guild master..." Mirajane uttered out in a cold voice.

"I know, i felt it at the council meeting. Damn well had to apologize for it to. What the hell does that brat think he's doing? releasing such powerful magic like that? And he makes Illusions of you and me to boot!" Makarof exclaimed grumpily as he leaned against his staff.

"But still..I'm surprised you could even pick up his magic presence just like that Mirajane, it's been what... a few years since you've last seen him?"

"Please Guild master, i would recognize his presence anywhere." Mirajane replied with a mono tone voice.

"...Well you are an S rank mage after all." Makarof stated as he stroked his beard.

"...Yep."

"But still, That Hachiman...what is going on in that head of his?" Makarof asked to himself.

"Come on! 88! fortress of solitude! never fails!" Hachiman growled to himself as he watched the ball spin round and round. With others around him cheering and shouting for the ball to land on their specific numbers..

As he watched the ball roll on an on, a simple thought popped up in his mind.

It wasn't a perfect life, It wasn't happy, but it was still enjoyable.

And Hachiman found that to his liking.