Chapter 27: Bickslow's POV:

"Erza?" He'd heard Laxus ask. It was only then that Bickslow looked up from the sight of the steaming ground to see the woman in question sit up. She held her head. "What hit me?" She asked, looking at the two of them. Laxus was the one to answer. "Azuma. Or. I mean, I guess the ghost of Azuma or something." He hypothesized. Bickslow watched the requip mage's eyes harden. She summoned forth a blade and spoke, "Where?" Her tone was low and firm. Very clearly angry of his existence once again. Laxus nudged Bickslow, as if wanting him to explain it once more. He wasn't sure if he had it in him to do it again. But he still put his hand up as if to tell her to stop. "Wait, Erza. It's not really him. Not from our time, anyway. He attacked you cause he fought you." Bickslow explained, "I haven't met anyone else aside from duplicates of myself and L-Lucy." He paused, swallowing her name like it was too big to fit. "I don't think he could do anything to Laxus or I. You, it seems he can. But maybe you could get him again?" Bickslow was guessing. Perhaps the Anomaly was taking those from the past as well. Not just from when they arrived and the future. He couldn't be sure until he saw it for himself, but he knew he didn't want to experience that. He didn't need to experience almost getting beaten to a pulp by the demon's again.

The redhead seemed to keep her sword on her but she sat down once again, eyeing the two of them. "Duplicates?" She questioned. Bickslow didn't blame her. That's what he got stuck on at first, too. "It's a long story. So I'll make it short," Laxus interjected for Bickslow. The seith mage couldn't do anything but silently thank his friend. "Right so. From my understanding. Mavis saved us all those years ago. Achnologia's power left behind an intent to kill us. Malicious and whatnot. But even before we left, this thing. Leo's been calling it an Anomaly. It's sentient and wants the time that Lucy's spirit's - and in turn - her, have been stealing from it. Supposedly. Now it is trying to steal the spirit's time. Which includes killing off her and Bickslow from like a thousand different timelines so it can get to her spirit's directly." He paused, gesturing to Bickslow. "This is our Bickslow, from our timeline." He paused a second time. His voice became much more somber. "The Anomaly has tried once or twice to kill him. As well as Lucy." His tone still got softer, as if trying to soften the blow. "Our Lucy is gone. She drowned in the ocean, it succeeded with her on it's second try."

Bickslow could see this was too much all at once for the requip mage. He didn't blame her. He'd always known that Laxus was blunt, straight to the point, but there were so many bits he missed that were important. Yet, Bickslow couldn't find it in him to retell the tale fully. The images of Lucy gone flipped through his mind again and he felt more tears coming. However, his tears stopped almost immediately as a massive piece of ice shot straight from the tree into the center of where they all sat. It startled him so much he scurried from his spot. Feeling snow on his hands again, he looked backwards. "Gray?" He heard Erza ask, looking up the slide. There seemed to be a line of people following behind him. Bickslow couldn't miss the sight of how large Elfman was. The sight of green hair of Freed. Three women with blue hair, Wendy, Levy and Juvia. The black hair of Gajeel. The closer they got, the more he could see. At first, he didn't want to get his hopes up. At first, he needed to deny it. He couldn't give himself hope that she would be there. That she would somehow miraculously be alive. The Anomaly wouldn't allow that. He watched Gray land before them, looking like he'd seen the death of a friend, too. Then shakily walking out from behind him, holding his hand was her. Lucy. Standing. Alive and… relatively well compared to the last he'd seen her.

But it didn't make sense to him. Bickslow hesitated. Was it her or was it another doppelganger Lucy? Was it his Cosplayer or was it someone else's? It seemed as soon as she got her bearings, her eyes landed on his. Recognition. Confusion. Denial. Confusion again. Then it was disbelief. The same he felt. He watched her die. This couldn't be her. Clearly, she thought the same way but to him. Fear. The circumstances made him feel like this wasn't her. Couldn't be her. But the same look of utter disbelief told him otherwise. Suddenly, Bickslow felt the urge to get up and hold her. To kiss her. To never let go again. He was afraid if he didn't, he would get thrown back into the ocean. Or she would. And this time, neither of them would come back from it. The seith mage stood, his body moving on its own. Whether against his will or not, nothing was going to keep him from this woman that had wiggled her way into his heart so completely. Though as soon as he stood in front of the blonde, he hesitated. To speak, to touch her. Was she the same Lucy he knew? Was she alive, or was this a trick from the Anomaly? Bickslow raised his hands to gently place them on Lucy's cheeks. Wiping away the tears that roll down her face with his thumbs. His eyes locked onto her hers. The beautiful brown eyes that held such life. Love. Compassion. Empathy. Determination. He could see that, but he'd seen more than that. He'd experienced the anger. Anguish. Confusion. Fear.

But now her eyes held doubt and love. "Are you… really you?" Bickslow asked, holding his smile back, holding his frown. He didn't want to be disappointed. He didn't want to be stranded in his own mind again. Void of this new emotion he wanted to explore with Lucy. He watched Lucy's eyebrows furrow in concern. "Me? What… how are you alive? It threw me out and I let go of you." She sniffled. Bickslow shook his head, though he was certain this was the one, his Lucy. "You drowned. I watched you drown and then it spat us both out because I held onto you. I couldn't save you. You were dead. I let go of you and screamed, when I stopped I didn't even need to look to know you were gone. Thrown away from me. I couldn't…" Bickslow trailed off, tears falling down his cheeks again. "I-" He began but Laxus interrupted him. "The man was a mess. I've never seen him so distressed before. Lucy. Is there a way we can fix this before this happens again?"

Bickslow watched as the celestial wizard hardly flinched until she heard Laxus speak about how distressed he was. But she didn't look away from him. The both of them seemed to be locked in place, this time by their own free will. But Bickslow's fear crept up on him again. What was he meant to do now. He'd gotten Lucy back. His hands on her beautiful face. But she didn't let go of Gray and the others. All of them, holding hands. He wondered if Lucy had figured something else out. The fear continued to strike Bickslow like a knife attached to a piston. Puncturing his back everytime he felt a short rush of relief with Lucy. He couldn't feel it. His fear was relentless. Feeling like he was never going to have a moment to relax again if he ever let go of Lucy. Here. While the Anomaly was around them. The worst part was feeling like he was being watched, too. Not just by his guildmates. He knew they were watching from the moment he placed his hands on Lucy's cheeks. But time seemed to slow. "I have an idea, but I can't put anyone else in danger. So no one else try to help." She said, still staring at Bickslow.

The seith mage gave Lucy an expectant look. Like he was exempt from that condition. Having figured out how to stop her spirits from melting away. But there was nothing. Bickslow stood still as Lucy turned to face where the ice slide smashed into the middle of those who were here before they arrived. Perhaps this really was where the Anomaly was. Where it all began, where it would end. Bickslow hoped it would end. But he couldn't hold onto Lucy. Afraid of being thrown elsewhere once more, he quickly held Laxus' arm and Gray's. Motioning for Erza to hang on as well. He was certain if he didn't develop separation anxiety from this, then he would be impressed with himself. Would this be the end of it, though? His view seemed to tunnel vision on Lucy. Watching as she tried to summon Leo. Doing so, but with mild success. Bickslow saw the celestial wizard's mouth move, but no verbal words came through. Then Leo's mouth moved, but still no sound. It was like he had suddenly become deaf. He watched in slow motion, as all at once, three things happened. A bright light flashed, revealing a red broken sphere the size of Lucy. The celestial wizard fell to her knees and appeared to be screaming. Then Elfman's body shaking the ground as he seemed to topple over. It was like a flashbang had been set off and Bickslow was deaf and stuck watching this while his eyes adjusted.

He tried to call out Lucy's name, but wasn't certain his voice was projecting. The only confirmation he got was Lucy whipping her head around to look back at him. Tears in her eyes. She looked mortified. The sight was burned into Bickslow's mind. The next thing he felt happen was being knocked into the ground with Gray and Laxus. Suddenly the noise was back and he could hear Lucy crying on top of him. Yelling for Bickslow. The seith mage turned to see Laxus on the ground to his left and Gray to his right. Both of them were still being held by Bickslow. He'd noticed now, that the sky had turned dark. Far darker than it had been before. Nearly pitch black, void of stars. That wasn't a good sign and he knew it. Leo was gone again and the only light around them was the shattered sphere, looking as though it was made of glass. Glowing with a dull red from the center. Bickslow knew this was the Anomaly. This is what was watching him. Watching them. Now it was angry, whatever Lucy had done, angered the thing. He needed more answers now more than ever before. But he wasn't going to get them unless he managed to calm Lucy down. But as he sat up, the only people that remained near them were himself, Lucy, Gray and Laxus.

Feeling fortunate that he wasn't alone with just Lucy this time, they hopefully wouldn't get sent back to the cold abyss. "It won't work, Bicks… It's never going to work. I tried to disable it. It showed me… things. It showed me how we ended up in another life. It's not alone." Bickslow heard Lucy explain. He didn't quite understand, but he knew he would eventually. It seemed like it was now or never. They made their stand here, now, before the Anomaly decided their time was out. Before it had the chance to finish them off for good in a more effective way. Whatever the way was, Bickslow didn't want to stick around to find out. "Do you still trust me?" Bickslow questioned the blonde sitting on his lap, tears rolling down her cheeks. Fear in her eyes. Bickslow had to concentrate. He couldn't do it if Lucy didn't trust him.

Receiving a slow nod from Lucy, Bickslow did his best to give her a reassuring smile. He needed his hands back from his friends but couldn't lose them, either. Disabling the Anomaly wasn't enough. It needed to be destroyed. "Lucy, look at the stars." He told her to do so. He waited until she did and quickly caught the attention of the other two and used his controlling magic eyes to possess them. He then let go with his hands and brought his attention back to Lucy. He hoped Gray and Laxus would forgive him, but he didn't have time to go through what he and Lucy did to get here. He felt like he had no time. No time to do something that might not even work. He watched as Lucy turned to him again and frowned. "There are no stars… Bickslow… that's n-" She was cut off by Bickslow's lips pressing against hers. The seith mage cupped her cheeks again, then he pulled back and did his best to smirk. "Screw the date, Cosplayer. If we get out of here alive, we're going on a long ass vacation together." He decided. Only when Lucy managed to pull a smile did Bickslow take control of her again. For the third time in that theorized day. Or month, or year. His internal clock was lost, just as lost as he was. Bickslow was guessing. Hoping this would work. Hoping he wouldn't die in the process of summoning spirits through Lucy from his own power. It was going to hurt, he knew that much.