(I'm also working on Chapter 17 atm. It will be up soon!)
Chapter 16: Gajeel's PoV:
Almost as quickly as the fight started, it ended with Natsu and Freed disappearing. But Gajeel could feel the air change. Couldn't taste it the way Wendy could, but he knew it felt heavier. Their opponents had vanished. At first, he thought maybe, it was a trick by Freed. But the longer he stood there, silently. Patiently waiting. The more he realized that they were probably really gone. "Bastards. Natsu isn't one to run away. Where did he go?" He asked Juvia, standing three feet behind him. He turned around to face the water mage. He stood silently for a moment before he'd turned around and stuck out a metal pole that was 20 feet long, sweeping the area. Surprised to find he'd not hit anyone. Invisible or otherwise, but he figured he'd try. He returned his arm to normal and faced Juvia. The woman seemed dazed. Gajeel scoffed and lightly tapped her cheek. "Yo, water lady. Earth to Juvia?"
Juvia finally looked up at Gajeel. The iron dragon slayer waited for the woman's reaction. Action. Words, literally anything. "They've gone, but listen, Gajeel." She pointed to behind herself. Then towards the other forested area in front of her. Past both exits of the little grove they were in. Gajeel held his breath to listen harder. He could hear voices, then the beginnings of fights, suddenly, nothing. Like the rest of them had vanished as well. They were left here, alone. He tried to smell anyone that wasn't himself or Juvia. Not even the master. For a moment he'd gotten a whiff of saltwater so strong he could taste it. That wasn't right, either. Perhaps because the air was so heavy. He groaned, finding himself thirsty after that. "I can't smell anyone. We should wait at the ship, see if anyone comes around." He suggested. Juvia didn't seem to disagree. The two of them walked towards the ship, ignoring the maze beside them. "Juvia hopes my Gray darling is well." She spoke suddenly, always within her third person. Gajeel had gotten used to, far before she'd joined with Fairy Tail. But it was eerie, listening to it now with no one else around. He didn't know why. Although the thought of them being alone wasn't something he'd think was bad.. He'd quickened his pace as he thought of Levy.
Though the closer to the ocean the more he could see shapes of people. One of them flickering. Disappearing. Then another disappearing and reappearing. He tried to smell but only got saltwater again. It didn't make sense but he ignored it in favour for walking towards the two figures darkened by the sun setting behind them. One figure, a feminine one, kept walking away from the other, only to seemingly teleport right back. He glanced at Juvia, the woman seeing the same thing. Both appearing very confused. "Juvia does not like this." She worried aloud. Gajeel didn't have to say anything to let her know that he didn't like it either. The closer they got, the more they could both see that it was Lucy and Bickslow. The two of them hugging, but unaware of the fact that Gajeel and Juvia stood next to them. Gajeel watched the two of them hold each other and then move to hold hands. He found himself curious, when it was that they'd gotten together like this. If that's what it was. He couldn't deny it, however. He'd snuck around and done this sort of stuff with Levy all the time. "Lucy? Bickslow?" He tried their names, waving his hand in front of them. No reaction. "Then we won't separate. I promise, okay?" He heard Lucy speaking. It was clear, now, that perhaps himself and Juvia were invisible somehow. He crossed his arms, frustration finally getting to him. He knew that they'd still be able to hear him if he was only invisible.
The two of them stood there for a long time, simply listening, as they could not do much else. They'd learned everything Leo told Bickslow and Lucy. About how something here was rejecting Lucy specifically. Then of Bickslow's dead body. That one got a verbal reaction from Juvia, the woman gasping in surprise. "Juvia really does not like this." She informed Gajeel a second time. Gajeel could feel himself growing angry with the situation. He'd needed to get to Levy and keep her safe. Of course he wanted to make sure everyone else was fine, but Levy took the priority on his list. Selfish or not, that's where he stood on the matter. "Gajeel agrees with Juvia." He said, nearly mocking the woman to try and distract her from freaking out about Gray. He knew it was only a certain amount of time before she'd end up there. Gajeel much preferred Juvia when her head was level.
Eventually Gajeel and Juvia had learned that it was Lucy that needed to fix this impossible time and space problem they apparently faced. That there were more versions of them on this island than they realized. "What the fuck." Gajeel seethed. "Multiples?" He watched the two of them act fairly chummy with each other. They didn't let go. They'd promised not to let go. Then the two walked through himself and Juvia. As if they weren't there. Gajeel quickly turned around and continued to watch the seemingly new couple. Soon, he was watching the duo walk in place. He raised an eyebrow. He motioned for Juvia to follow and he walked close to them, then past them as Lucy saying something doesn't want them in the maze. "Do you think… this… Anomaly has… sentience?" she asked carefully. Gajeel found himself looking up. Looking around, realizing that the sky, despite being orange from the sunset, held shards of blue. Like it was mid-summer. But it was winter, and freezing. These shards held not a single cloud within them. For a good minute, the iron dragon slayer eyed the sky. Watching some shift, some not. Then he looked back down directly at Lucy. "Do you think this could be working against us in every way possible because we're messing it all up? Would it know?" He could hear her fear. It brought him back to the days he used to beat her, just to play. He felt a pang of guilt and shook his head.
The direction of his staring shifted to Bickslow, wondering how this man had been handling a situation like this. If not just head-first. Gajeel didn't know a whole lot about Bickslow, other than the rumours of the man. Playboy, a tease, into cosplay. General pervert. He did know that Bickslow fought for what he believed in, however. He'd shown that the last few years. But Gajeel never got to know him personally. The closest he got was knowing how loyal the man was to Laxus. But he'd never had an interest in Bickslow long enough to learn more. Gajeel watched the seith mage frown at Lucy. Delicate. But it seemed the seith mage wouldn't get to answer before Leo returned. "Loke?" Lucy asked, only to hear "It's not good, Lucy. I don't sense as many life forces on this island from when we started." He confirmed. Gajeel raised a brow. Suddenly anxiety hit him. It could've been anyone and he couldn't try and tell. Everytime he did, all he got was saltwater. Making him crazy thirsty each time. But he worried it was Levy, gone. Gone where? Dead… or sent elsewhere like everyone else. "GRAY!" Juvia shrieked.
