Such a Cliché Chapter 6, a fairy tail fanfic

Chapter 6

An hour after the banter with Erza about who is the rightful Maid of Honor saw Mirajane being called by their Guild master Makarov in his second floor office.

The barmaid knocked three times on the wooden door, her kindly smile already prepared for whatever shenanigans their perverted Guild master has come up with. "Master?"

"Come in, child," came a grave voice from inside.

'That's weird,' she remarked internally, now composing herself. From the tone of the Master's voice, there has to be something of grave importance.

She opened the door to see his hunched form. His reddened moist eyes stared unblinkingly to his hands. He was twiddling his fingers absentmindedly with an expression that emphasized all the years he has already lived.

There was a definite silence in the room, save for the heavy downpour hitting each and every outside corner of the Guild's building.

Pitter-Patter. Pitter-Patter. Pitter-Patter.

Crackle! Boom! A flash of light sliced, and a thunderous growl echoed against the darkness of the room. Mirajane's eyes went to the Master's right side. There, standing were their two other S-Class mages – Titania Erza, and Gildarts. They, too, bore the same grave expression.

Mirajane's heart hammered in her chest. It skipped a beat.

"What's wrong?" she asked her fellow S-Class Mages, but they kept their silence. Her eyes immediately darted back to their father figure. "Master?"

Pitter-Patter. Pitter-Patter. Pitter-Patter.

A pause.

A beat.

KRAAKOOOMMMM!

"My son is dying," came the weak voice of their Master. His voice was so helpless that Mirajane could have easily mistaken it as a whisper or a sigh. The Master's figure seems to have grown smaller at that moment, as if he has wilted to the ground.

"Iva-n…Ivan…" he repeated, voice breaking as if he cannot form the words. "...is dying." His eyes watered again, still eyes still focused on his now-open palms. He had stopped his finger from moving. At that moment, the person that they all looked up to as their father seemed like a child lost in the night.

Mirajane walked slowly towards the man, making eye contact with the other two occupants of the room, silently asking them to follow her lead. As if on cue, she and Erza hugged him, while the other male put his hand on the Master's back, patting him.

PITTER-PATTER. PITTER-PATTER. PITTER-PATTER.

The rain seemed to have picked up as Mirajane heard the roof creaking against the force of the howling wind, dampening the agonized cries of the Master.

'Maybe this is for the best,' she remarked inwardly, sending a silent thank you to this weather. The Master may not want the others to find out yet.

"We're sorry, Master," she heard Erza saying. "We're sorry."

It took a few minutes but the Master's cries eventually subsided. He each offered them a silent thank you as he wiped the tear streaks from his cheeks with a napkin.

"Oh, well, now," he began, allowing himself a few chuckles. He coughed a few times, recomposing himself before squaring his shoulders. He sat up straight, assuming formality and authority.

The three of them walked backwards until they are now also formally standing in a straight line in front of the Master. Erza took the middle position, with her and Gildarts flanking her on both sides.

"The reason why I called you three here is," The Master paused, coughing once again to shake off the sentiments from a few minutes prior. "I decided to hold the S-Class Trials a little earlier this year."

Gildarts raised his right hand, and Mirajane did a double take. In all of her years as an S-Class Mage, she had never seen the man being so proactive about formal guild work. Mirajane then glanced at Erza. She, too, wore a surprised expression. Then it clicked. Gildarts is probably pivoting the conversation away from the topic of Master's son.

"Yes, Gildarts?"

"When?"

The Master paused. Perhaps he, too, found this evolved Gildarts a little too strange. If the Master noticed the reason behind Gildarts' sudden change, he did not comment on it. Instead, the Master answered, "About five weeks from now."

Erza made a move to protest but perhaps she caught herself as she sighed before resuming her earlier stance. "Understood, Master."

"Very well. I will be needing five recommendations from all three of you," The Master began before stalling, as if he was trying to remember all of the details he had thought about in the past few days.

This is the reason why he needs to take down notes instead of just thinking of them, Mirajane sighed inwardly. She began patting her dress pockets, trying to see if she had brought a Light Pen with her. The Light Pen is a tool that enables the user to write in the air around them.

There it is! In her left pocket.

She took out the pen, uncapped it and began writing the words 5 WEEKS FROM NOW mid air.

"Now," The Master decided, staring at Gildarts.

Gildarts fumbled for a moment, being caught off-guard and all, but began nominating, "Ahm…Natsu, Gray, Evergreen…" he paused before continuing, "If he's still eligible Loke…and I think Romeo's ready."

"Macao's son?" The Master's eyebrow quirked.

"Yeah. Better start them young," he chuckled.

Mirajane quickly wrote the names under the category CANDIDATES.

The Master's eyes went to Erza. The Requip Mage asserted, "Elfman, Lisanna, Freed, Bickslow and Lucy."

Mirajane repeated each name under her breath as she noted them in the air. It was now her turn. She said each name as she wrote them. "Levy, Gajeel, Juvia, Cana and Wendy."

They regarded the glowing list floating before them.

5 WEEKS FROM NOW

CANDIDATES

Natsu

Gray

Evergreen

Loke

Romeo

Elfman

Lisanna

Freed

Bickslow

Lucy

Levy

Gajeel

Juvia

Cana

Wendy

After checking for any mistakes in the spelling, Mirajane remembered something. "Master, what about Laxus' nominations?"

The Master kept silent for a moment. Perhaps he had already considered the question before. "I've spoken to him about this a while ago. He said that whoever was chosen would be strong candidates already." He started at the list again. "Besides, I think he'll have chosen the same people, too."

"Master," It was Erza.

"Yes, child?"

"Isn't it too…I don't know…too many?"

Erza was right. Mirajane had never encountered an S-Class Trial with so many prospective candidates at once. "I think so too, Master," she agreed.

Granted, it was fortunate that both of her siblings were nominated. She could not be more proud and excited for them to participate. Being vouched for by an S-Class proves that one's ability is and potential goes beyond expectations, more so in Fairy Tail since the ranking system here is quite different from the other guilds. It was safe to say that an S-Class Mage in Fairy Tail roughly equals the strength of three or five S-Class Mages in another guild.

However, this is too many.

"This isn't a battle royale …is it, Master?" Mirajane finally asked.

The Master chuckled at that. Oh, well. Whatever takes his mind off of Mr. Ivan Dreyar.

"No, no, no," he wheezed before coughing once again. The Master's been doing that a lot these days…coughing to recompose himself, that is.

Mirajane felt that the other two also chose not to dwell on it any further. They will probably go into different tangents if they comment on it any further.

"There's no big reason. It's just that the Grand Magic Games will also be held earlier this year, and one of the requirements this time to apply is a guild with at least ten registered S-Class Mages."

"Oh," came their response. Now it made sense.

"In fact, it's also under the memorandum sent by the Magic Council," said their Master, handing out a stack of paper to Erza. The younger mage took the document and browsed through it.

The Master fixed his eyes at the scenery outside the windows, then sighed. "While the other guilds have steadily increased the number of their S-Class Mages over the years, we are regrettably understaffed."

"Which means, as of right now, we are not allowed to participate in the Games," Gildarts clarified. "Unqualified, that is."

"Yes," the Master said.

"Does that mean non S-Class Mages are prohibited from joining the Grand Magic Games?" Mirajane spoke, thinking about the number of potential and skilled mages they have that are not S-Class yet due to the strict passing rate of their guild.

"No."

Mirajane let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"Non S-Class Mages can still join, but the guild just needs to accomplish the requirement of ten S-Class Mages. Also, S-Class Mages can opt to not join."

"So, it's just a requirement?" Erza repeated.

"It is just a requirement," Master answered in a calm tone. "Which reminds me, our guild has registered five S-Class Mages, one of which is not in Earthland anymore."

They all knew the person the Master is referring to. Mystogan.

"Erza," the Master addressed the red-haired mage. "We will need to ask Jellal to stand-in again, at least for the duration of the Games. After that, he would have to submit a formal letter as Mystogan to officially resign from his post. Can I trust you on this?"

"Yes, Master," Erza said, a little bit too forceful, complete with an army salute.

"Kyaaa!" Mirajane started teasing. Then, as if to emphasize the cutesy-ness of Erza's expression, the She-Demon dramatically hugged herself, squeaked, trilled and chirped a very lewd-sounding "Jellal-kuuuuunnnn! Yamete Kudasaiii!"

"MIRA!" Erza exclaimed loudly, her face was so red. "HOW DARE YOU TRAMPLE ON A MAIDEN'S PURE HEART!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Gildarts guffawed, so loudly that Mirajane heard him snort like a pig. "She likesss him," he trolled.

Erza's face colored a deeper red.

Master joined in with the laughter, "Jellal-kun, will you marry me?"

That sent another wave of laughter across the room.

"Okay, okay," the Master held his stomach, trying to stop himself from laughing any further. He wheezed. "Any questions?"

Mirajane's laughter gradually subsided. "Just one. What about the missions?"

"Teams with nominated mages will have to alternate. Same with solo missions. Rest days will be specifically spent on training. No exceptions."

"Dibs on missions!" Erza exclaimed, shooting Mirajane and Gildarts dirty smug looks.

"Damn," Gildarts groaned, as the Master facepalmed.

"In a hurry to get some action with Jellal, aren't we?" Gildarts quipped.

Erza blushed again. "Wha-! No! That's not..!"

Mirajane suddenly remembered their earlier banter. "Since you're probably gonna get married sometime soon, then dibs on being Lucy's rightful Maid of Honor!" Mirajane smirked, and put on such a triumphant look.

Erza's left eye twitched, smiling as if to dare Mirajane on a showdown. "Oh, it's on now, bitch."

However, before Mirajane could respond with a challenge of her own, they were interrupted.

"Wait, what? Lucy's getting married?" Gildarts' head popped up from behind Erza' shoulder. "To whom?"

Erza and Mirajane both froze on the spot, unable to speak. They forgot about the other two occupants of the room.

"Is that the reason why we haven't seen her yet?" Gildarts exclaimed.

"Erza…Mira…" The Master said in a stern, chastising tone. "Who is the groom-to-be?"

Oops.

Okay, she can do this. Lucy once again looked at the parchment before her. It had been some time since they arrived at Laxus' father's hospital room. After settling almost anything that she can settle within the tiny space – which is not much – Lucy was itching to do something else.

This left her with…not much.

Instead, she defaulted to continuing the sequel to Iris' Adventure. She had asked Virgo to go back to Laxus' room at the inn to fetch her writing equipment. She had already written nine chapters before dawn. These first few chapters highlighted how the protagonist, along with her trusted comrades, set off to a brand new adventure to defeat five evil gods.

And?

'And then what?' Lucy paused, biting her lips. She considered her own question. Really, then what?

How on Earthland is she going to incorporate the love story between Iris, the protagonist, with her apparent significant other?

Lucy allowed her mind to wander.

Perhaps Iris will fall in love with her trusted comrade Rex after a few chapters. They end up married before they can complete their quest, only to find out that he will be bringing a mistress.

Because Iris loves Prince Rex very much, she will accept this new mistress despite the fact that it hurts too much. Iris' only shred of light came when she found out that she is pregnant with Rex's son.

The mistress, jealous of Iris, orchestrated a series of plots to frame Iris as an adulterer. This is considered as a slight against the Royal Family, so Rex immediately had Iris beheaded using a guillotine in the town square..

'And then,' Lucy continued to scribble. And then, Iris woke up the day before she started the journey. She found that she had returned to the past. She swore vengeance against the mistress, Rex, the Royal Family…all the people responsible for her misery, and the tragic death of her unborn child.

"I shall not have anything to do with him anymore," Iris promised.

"There is no escape. You shall be mine," The Prince said.

Why is it that Rex suddenly has a change of heart…to the point that Iris might just fall in love all over again?

"You know what, that is bullshit," Laxus' voice suddenly boomed beside her.

He caught her by surprise that Lucy could feel her heart jump outside her chest. "Oh, my God!" She huffed, holding her hands to her thumping chest. "Laxus!" She glared at him.

"That's what she said!" The blond jests. He was standing beside the refrigerator, looking at her with a smug smirk. He seemed to be taking something from inside. Perhaps, another bottle of beer?

"What is bullshit?" Lucy finally calmed herself down. "Have I been speaking too loud?"

"Not really, but," he answered while pointing at his ears.

"Oh," was all she could say. She forgot about how Dragon Slayers have sensitive hearing. She went back to her earlier question. "What is bullshit?"

Laxus closed the door of the refrigerator and began rounding towards the couch, a bottle of beer in hand. "That romance."

"And what do you know about romance, Mr. Womanizer?" Lucy joked.

"First of all, I am not a womanizer," he defended. "Do not compare me with the likes of Loke."

Oh. He sounded offended by that remark.

"Second, no self-respecting person would repeat that kind of abuse just because of love," he pointed out. "Sounds like this Iris lady has a screw loose."

Lucy nodded. Laxus is right. If that were to happen to her, she might have wrung the necks of those traitors just before she was beheaded. And, oh, my God…what about her unborn child? And to think that she would fall in love with the man who had not just betrayed her, but also killed their own son?! "You know what, thinking about it makes my blood boil."

Laxus arched an eyebrow as if to prove a point. "And what the fuck is wrong with that Crown Prince? Sounds like he's a scumbag for trusting a woman he just met over a comrade he had fought with."

Laxus went around again to sit on the couch, placing himself a respectable distance away from her. "He makes her fall in love, then abandons her. When she doesn't want anything to do with him, suddenly he's obsessed? The fuck?" Then, he took a swig of the beer.

Lucy found herself nodding vigorously. "True. True. He'd be a trashy male lead."

"Not to mention…" Laxus paused for a moment, suddenly aware of the topic of their conversation.

Lucy noticed a slight tinge of blush on his cheeks. She did not comment on it. Maybe Laxus is feeling awkward and embarrassed enough as it is. This is not usually his area of interest. "Please?" She pleaded.

Laxus' eyes seemed to soften for a moment. "Okay," he coughed a few times before asking. "As a former heiress in high society…what is the legal procedure for cases like these? I mean, the case against Iris?"

"How is me being a former hei…" Lucy was about to rant but she caught herself. "Oh! Oh!" Realization seemed to have dawned upon her. "Shit!"

"Shit alright," Laxus agreed, chuckling.

"No, you're right! It doesn't make sense for Iris to be immediately given the capital punishment, especially if the evidence against her came from hearsay and circumstantial evidence. Not to mention, she is considered a hero because she's one of the people responsible for protecting the land against the Dark Dragon in the first book. In cases like these…cases involving people of a certain social standing especially in high society or the Royal Family, an in-depth investigation would have to be conducted first before any punishment can be meted out," Lucy explained, her eyes wide with each information she was able to expand from Laxus' single clue.

She shot him a beaming smile just as he was drinking from the bottle. He raised his eyebrows, gesturing for her to continue,

"And the setting of this book takes place in a world of Magic, so that means there should be a Spell capable of revealing whether the unborn child is of Royal Blood or not," Lucy fired, jotting down her notes on the parchment. "I mean, it would be stupid not to consult a mage that specializes in viewing past memories, or even a mage that specializes in revealing the truth."

Laxus can only look at her with a smile. He caught himself before Lucy could see him.

"Thanks, Laxus," she grinned.

"Couldn't risk you losing your hard-earned reputation," He winked at her. "Anyway…a trashy male lead, a wishy-washy female lead, a setting that does not have proper government, a questionable view of love…Damn, where do you get these ideas?"

Lucy blushed in embarrassment. "Ummm…I am told that this is what's popular with young adult demographic right now."

"I call bullshit," Laxus moved closer, pointing his finger at her using the hand that held the beer bottle. "Even so, this is beneath you. You're one of the best writers out there. You're going to do a disservice for these beloved characters if you go through with that plot."

Lucy considered everything. She then gave the man another smile. "Really, Laxus. You're my savior."

'Wait,' Lucy paused for a moment. 'I never said that Rex is the Crown Prince…how did Laxus…'

Lucy glanced at the man beside her. 'Oh,' Lucy felt the corners of her lips curling slightly, her brows rising slowly, and her eyes widening unhurriedly. Suddenly, it all made sense.

She would have kissed him on his cheeks, but decided not to. She is a dignified lady, after all.

But…

Someday, she might.