(I messed up a bit. This chapter has been updated cause I had to fix some things!)
Chapter 21: Normal POV:
Gajeel's theory had Lucy feeling uncertain. More so than she already was. The fact that it was her fault… and now Bickslow was part of it too? She'd been partnered with the same man who could help her end this all. Rid the seemingly endless disorientation they all felt. The discomfort. The deceit. The terror in their hearts. "You think it's protecting itself while it tries to catch up with seven years of missing time?" She heard Bickslow ask, his eyes on hers. She watched him carefully, absorbing his words. It… made sense. She knew it did. She gasped from the sudden realization, "If it really thinks that it's my spirits fault, then that's why Loke looked like he was assimilating. Trying to steal their time, even though it seems to be endless." She speculated. Though, her hope didn't last long. Although it was a good start in their joint theory… something still bothered her. Lucy felt her heart's pang in grief for someone that couldn't have a face. "But Loke said there was someone else gone from this timeline, yeah? Why would it kill someone other than me, if I'm the problem against it. Bickslow too?" She questioned the group. It was her fault, so why would the Anomaly kill another from the guild? Why wouldn't it just throw them somewhere far away and deal with her itself? She glared at the snow, as if it was the problem once again. But it wasn't. It wasn't going to be that easy. She couldn't just call for Natsu to melt it all to save them. Nothing was ever that easy for them. The silence between them ate at the words threatening to spill out next. Like they were on the cusp of figuring it all out. And yet, the cliff didn't allow them to make the leap of faith.
Suddenly, in just a few seconds, Lucy heard Juvia speak, "Juvia thinks the souls are a key-" and then was cut off by disappearing. Lucy watched the scene replaying in her mind. She felt afraid again. Herself and Bickslow were alone once more and that spelled trouble for them. Bickslow was her only comfort now. But she was so close. Close to an answer, "No!" Lucy screamed, reaching her hand out to see if she could hit them again. But they were just gone. Gone with her answer. Gone with her hope. She felt distraught, helpless. Grieving for a nameless friend. She wished that Loke could've just told her who it was. But her heart told her it was better this way. Her arm was still out as she heard Bickslow's voice reach her, "Lucy… Lucy," He seemed to pause and look at her. She felt a slow panic rise within her as he let go of her hand, but the panic was quickly replaced by surprise and a welcome distraction as he placed his hands on her cheeks. Her eyes watched his, the red seemed to pierce through her. Like he could see through what she was feeling. "Do you trust me?" He asked with no other explanation. His tone was shaky, she was afraid for him. For her. For everyone else. She'd already said yes to a date… If she didn't trust him now… she never would. Lucy nodded slightly, "I do…"
It was… odd, for the celestial mage to see Bickslow suddenly smiling. But given the question, she understood his response to her answer. This hardly seemed like the time to smile. "I need you to try and summon Leo again for me, okay?" Bickslow cajoled, Lucy was willing, she just didn't know why. She knew it wasn't going to work. She knew Loke was just going to appear and disappear again instantly. Suddenly, however, Bickslow seemed to close the distance between them and Lucy could feel the warmth of his lips on hers. Although it was shaky, Lucy didn't resist. She didn't remove herself from him. She accepted the kiss and it was over before she had a chance to comprehend what it was for. And then - she felt different. But… similar. Oddly similar. She felt herself summon Loke, feel his presence behind her. But she couldn't see him. She could barely feel Bickslow's hand taking hers again as he pulled away from her lips. It was like she was buried under a slab of ice. Jagged with broken pieces. Stuck underwater, voices sounded garbled but she could still understand vaguely what was being said. It… didn't feel like she was drowning, either. It was freezing, but she could breathe. She could see a blurred image of Bickslow and Loke in her vision, but nothing she did made her own body move. She wasn't in control of herself. Confused, she tried to talk to Bickslow. "Hello? Where, what is this?" But got no response. Not even a glance in her way. She only heard Loke speaking, "Care to explain yourself to me, Bickslow?" She heard, wanting desperately to answer. Only this time her mouth was filled with water.
She couldn't see any expression on either of the men in front of her. "You're not assimilating anymore, are you?" It… was her voice. But Lucy was certain it wasn't her that was talking. Anxiety filled her lungs and made it hard to breathe. That or it was the water. Lucy felt panicked. She could tell she was within herself still, but stuck. Watching herself move and speak as though it was herself. Yet, it wasn't. Her eyes widened. She pounded against the massive ice slab. The water slowed her movements. "What does this mean?" Lucy heard Leo say, then her voice again, "It means… We have a plan." The confidence wasn't from her. It was from someone else. She was panicked, worried. Freezing and afraid. She shut her eyes and tried to scream. Then suddenly her control returned to her. The ice broke and water flooded out. She felt herself return to normal. Bickslow's hand holding hers. Lucy immediately looked at Leo and saw him begin to assimilate again. "Loke?" She worried, moving to try and grab a hold of his shoulder. Her hand passed through. "What's… you were just fine… how?" She implored for an answer, waiting for either of them to answer, "What just happened?" The feeling she had was vague to her now. Like she was slowly forgetting what just happened.
Leo pointed to Bickslow, "He happened, I don't approve, but I know it has to be done…" the lion spirit partially explained, clearly needing to return. Wanting the seith mage to explain himself and his actions. Lucy closed Leo's gate before he had a chance to just blip out. She turned to Bickslow with a look of purely mixed interest and worry. She could see the guilt ridden look. "What just happened? And please… don't avoid it this time…" She begged him. The answer should've been clear, but it wasn't to her. On top of everything she'd experienced in however long she'd been there, this was just another experience that didn't add up. Perhaps it would if Bickslow was truthful this time around. She waited as the man in front of her seemed to sigh heavily. "I… Don't think you're going to like it. Most souls don't." He began to explain, "I… possessed you for a short while… I did it to save us both when you fell off the boat. I wasn't strong enough physically, my body went too shocked. But you were strong enough when your body was possessed." He looked away from her, his tone full of regret, "I'm really sorry… but you would have died otherwise. I hated doing it to you. Loke couldn't grab you." He paused, looking back at Lucy. The blonde's eyebrows didn't remove themselves from being creased in concern. "With my help... I could make sure Loke didn't fade out or get sent back. When I possess you, he's totally fine. But I still don't quite understand why." The celestial mage watched as Bickslow rubbed the back of his head in dissatisfaction. Lucy could see he didn't like this at all. Took no pleasure in possessing her, but did in having a plan. Lucy stared at the seith mage for enough time to make it seem like she wouldn't speak at all. She… had so many words and didn't know where to start them. So instead, she opted for hugging Bickslow. It was only then the words came to her, "I don't care if that's how you saved us… I'm glad you did. But... I remember being panicked when you possessed me just now." She frowned, pulling away to see Bickslow's expressions. "Is… is that normal?" She asked, taking notice that the sun was nearly gone by now.
She returned her point of view to Bickslow's face and watched as the man grimaced, shamefully almost. "Unfortunately, yes." He avoided her eyes. "When I possess a soul the first time, often what they see anytime they're possessed after that is something like when they were possessed the first time. I hate to admit that the first ones are usually in my favour. Not theirs. It's not always pleasant." The seith mage described, and continued to do so about his souls. How they have similar feelings too. Although by now most of them would be used to it. Lucy couldn't find words this time. She knew that Bickslow's magic was creepy… but to this extent was wild to her. She knew she could summon things, living beings. She tried to use them nicely. Work with them. But, she had that choice. It seemed to her that Bickslow didn't have that choice. He was stuck with what the situation gave him. If she was right, then it was her drowning that was her first time. That would be what she saw every time. She wondered if she would be okay if they continued to use her like this, to help her spirits. Would it drain Bickslow? She couldn't be sure. The celestial mage had to be absolutely sure that this was their only option before they went forward with it. She knew it would be uncomfortable either way. She… just didn't like to see Bickslow looking like he hated himself for using her the way he did. Lucy knew if that was the only way, she would do it for him. For everyone. But their next problem was where. Clearly the Anomaly was on the island. Spread from a spot… Something seemed to click in her mind. "Bickslow, we've got to get to where we all held hands all those years ago. It's the only place I can think of to even begin to try aside from the top of the Tenrou tree itself." She suggested.
She watched BIckslow nod slowly, unsurely, "One problem, Cosplayer." He fretted, "How will we get there without it throwing us back?"