Chapter 31: Master Makarov POV:

While he was there, on the island for no more than what felt like a few hours, he felt something was wrong. Anytime Makarov tried to move, he would get placed back where he was, stuck watching his brats fight each other for the title of S-Class. Though it was over before he knew it, he was able to get back to the part of the island that housed the ship in the ocean in front of it. There he could see glass shards falling from the sky. He hadn't noticed before. He watched as the rest of the guild ran to him from further into the island. He stood still until he saw Laxus carrying Bickslow and Natsu carrying Lucy.

The group of them expeditiously made their way back to the ship and lay the two beside each other, Makarov could see how exhausted the two looked. Starved of more than just food. But of happiness and sleep. Of anything positive. From the time he watched them wake and interact, he could see they'd been through something the rest of them had clearly missed. That he had clearly missed and felt ashamed that he had. He wished he could've helped. Makarov moved himself towards them on the ship, clearing his throat, interrupting their moment together. "I'm told you know what happened here. More than anyone else. Please explain to me." He asked, about as gently as he could muster. He was surprised to know it was Bickslow doing the explaining. At least at first. The seith mage seemed hesitant but he spoke of their entry on the island. Into the maze where things were simply just weird. Getting scary when they saw another Bickslow, dead. His helmet that rusted from being there. That almost immediately after he started the team battles, everyone disappeared. Himself and Lucy were sent back to Hargeon and he lost his souls. Repeating the fact that he still didn't have them. That he understood why they had said what they said. They saw it all around them. As did the two of them. How it was darker for them far before it was for himself and Lucy. Getting lost before they had even been taken away from Bickslow. Confused as to where their Master had gone. Bickslow expected to never see them again.

Makarov remained standing as Lucy took control of telling their story. The events that happened. They had landed in Hargeon and realized that they were hearing voices of the guildmates but not seeing them. This was their first encounter of the separate timelines. She then explained how she thought he was there. That she tried to get his attention but the waves caught the boat and she tumbled, nearly drowning in the water if it hadn't been for Bickslow's quick thinking as her spirits couldn't come through without their life force being threatened. She talked about how he possessed her to get her to take them both out from the cold shock. It was a miracle they had survived it. Makarov would've said good thinking on Bickslow's part but there was obviously more. Bickslow picked the story back up, wondering how many times he would have to tell people what he'd done to survive. How he helped Lucy strip down, as well as himself to keep each other warm. Bickslow told of how they both passed out and woke up, fully dressed and back on the island. Leo had somehow managed to be around long enough to dress them both. Bickslow realized he was still wearing the matching clothing with Lucy. Just with a ripped up sleeve.

Lucy continued to tell everyone including Makarov what Leo had said about the Anomaly. Giving it a name. The one stealing, or trying to steal the time from her spirits. She revealed to them that the Anomaly thought the spirits cheated away the time they spent locked on the island, asleep, for seven years. That this Anomaly was created from the Fairy Sphere and the malicious intent from Acnologia. The both of them told Makarov what happened in the time they were both there and not at the same time on the beach. How Bickslow had stood there for months, watching Lucy leave and return. When Lucy was only seeing Bickslow be frozen, almost in time, calling for her.

Makarov continued to listen as they described Leo talking about how the Anomaly was rejecting Lucy, in an attempt to kill her. Take her spirits. Their time. How there were more than one of them on the island. That there were multiples of them. Then as Leo was about to tell Lucy she was the key to destroying it, he was sent back.

Bickslow picked it up again and explained how they needed to stick together, desperately. How they settled on the Anomaly being sentient. Able to hear them. Only making things that incredibly harder to deal with. Any wrong move, wrong words, would send them back to Hargeon. He told them of how Leo sensed one less life force than what started on the island, at least, in their timeline. Soon after they had found Gajeel and Juvia. Makarov watched as the two mages nodded along to the story. As if confirming what they saw was real. What they heard was real.

By the time Bickslow and Lucy began talking about going through the maze the second time, the guild master felt restless. To see so many of themselves, watching her doppelganger drown, and hearing the doppelganger of Bickslow get turned into two. Lucy reiterated that she was thankful Gajeel stepped in the way. She wasn't sure at this point that she could bear watching Bickslow die. Even if it wasn't from her timeline. As it seemed important, they talked about their promise for a date, if they got out alive. Then Juvia spoke of how the souls were a key. To what, they didn't know at first. But had figured out it was the soul magic. The kind that got the seith mage called creepy. Eventually they tried possession again, learning that Leo didn't nearly fade away the moment Bickslow took control.

Then they had a plan. But the plan was pushed back and forth. Gajeel filled in the part where Cana had died. Been ripped to shreds. Makarov now understood why Gray was so distant, sitting on the edge of the ship, glaring at them all. He felt like his guild had been put through the meat grinder. Specifically that Bickslow and Lucy had been chewed up and spat back out when the Anomaly decided they weren't worth anything more than what time they could give it. Bickslow began explaining the next time they were in Hargeon. Thrown back, but only for a minute before they were moved into the ocean, further down. Lucy having actually drowned. Makarov could hear the pain in Bickslow's voice. Going through seeing it again. How they were moved back to the island after seeing so many of them, drowned or otherwise killed, sinking in the ocean. Thousands of them. If Makarov wasn't feeling apprehensive about asking them more before, he was now. A wave of sadness hit the master with enough force that he sat on the ship's floor with the two of them. Holding back his tears as he watched most of his children appear shocked. Afraid. Sad. More confirmation on their faces as Lucy spoke about how she'd been dead for a minute before she slammed into Freed and Wendy. The only reason she was alive was because of the small girl. Lucy's desperation to find Bickslow again.

While listening to Bickslow explain his meltdown after finding Laxus, Makarov kept an eye on everyone else. The imagery in his own mind, he was certain wasn't enough. Everyone was shaken up by the minimal experience they had with disappearing and reappearing. But the state of the couple in front of him had him on edge. They'd gone through so much time and he was none the wiser. He was stuck watching not them, but another timeline of them. While it was on repeat, that wasn't what bothered him so much. His lack of ability in helping was his problem. The cuts and bruises on his children made his blood boil. Where was he? Unable to leave. Makarov watched Lucy look nearly mortified as Bickslow described just how badly he had lost hope after she died and left him. He turned his gaze towards his son, Laxus. Who stood there with a grimace, not wanting to nod. They'd met up once again, the couple. Denying to themselves it was the one they knew until they had some kind of proof. Makarov felt like they'd done a good job. Even if they had stuck their hands with Lucy's spirits inside the sphere, causing them to lose more blood than he felt like should have been shed.

The tale was crazy, start to finish, but Makarov had no reason not to believe a word they said. He'd been trapped in his own loop, after all. He could see the damage done to them. All of them. The fact that Cana was gone and Elfman had returned badly injured. A large shard of glass in his back. The man was lucky to be alive. It seemed they all were. The old man wondered if Mavis had any other helping hand in them making it out alive.

Out of all the things that could have gone wrong, he was glad to have most of them alive. Returning home. Having gotten rid of the issue, the Anomaly. Nonetheless, he was proud of all of them.