Fairy Tail Rewind (Completed)

Chapter 8 Part II -- Natsu VS Erza

As Erza was being handcuffed away, roars of protest rose hither and thither.

"Everyone, quiet! We shall wait for the Ministry's verdict at the assembly hall, that is." Master Makarov hopped down the stool and walked into the building with his hands at his back.

Seconds later, sitting on the bar counter, the old man folded his arms; his eyes closed. Mirajane made a honey-milk tonic for the mages to calm their anxiety. Gray paced around like an ant on the brim of a hot cauldron. Sweat pooled on his bare chest, which had slowly transformed into mistletoe. Elfman blabbered something like "The Ministry isn't a real man". Apart from the agitation, the hall sounded normal, the kind of suspicious quietude which wasn't normal.

Master Makarov's eyelids flung open. "Where's Natsu?"

Heads began to turn around when the entrance door burst open.

Romeo bolted towards Master Makarov, holding a gecko by its tail. "Master, look! Papa caught Natsu when he tried to sneak out to rescue Erza. Papa had transformed him into a gecko."

Romeo showed the creature to everyone. It had a body of a gecko and a face of Natsu.

The gecko struggled menacingly. "Let me out! Let me out! I have to go save Erza!"

"You are too noisy." Gray snatched the gecko and covered it with a glass. "We're dealing with the Ministry of Magic now, and no magic could be done on them. We shall wait patiently."

Happy flew to the bar counter, where the glass containing Natsu was placed. "Natsu, are you hungry? Do you want to eat some potato chips?"

"Stop mocking me! Let me out! I'm-- I'm going to burst!"

Violet light assailed everyone. The glass burst apart. The gecko enlarged, taking the form of--

"Makao! What the heck is going on?" barked Master Makarov. He hopped down from the bar counter so quickly that he almost knocked into Romeo.

"Guys, I'm sorry. I owed Natsu one for saving my life. Shame on me, my Take Over Spell isn't strong. If only it'll last for ten minutes more... I wonder where he is now."

"Lucy, you're able to travel to the Belt of Parallel Timeline, right?" Gray turned to her.

"Ah, right. Wait a minute. Let me check the timing." Lucy stole a look at her wristwatch. "Alright, twenty-four hours had passed since I last visited it to check on Natsu's fight with Eligor."

"If Reddus could grab your hand when you travel to the Belt, he could draw out the picture for all of us to see," Gray suggested. Light of hope twinkled in many of their eyes.

"No! Only Lucy and I will travel to the Belt," commanded Master Makarov. "No one is allowed to approach Lucy when we're away. Did I make myself clear?"

Perplexed, the mages nodded.

"Uhm, shall we hold hands then, Master?" Sweat coated Lucy's palm. Master Makarov was about to enter her secret world. She wished she could disobey him though.

"No, I can do it myself. See you later." Master Makarov closed his eyes, and his body went rigid.

Lucy did likewise and had soon arrived at the spread of dark sky, where rails of stardust scattered around. The Cloned Version of Lucys was nowhere to be seen.

"Uhm, Master, we had some dispute previously. I guess my other halves are still angry--"

"No, they're avoiding me." Master Makarov let out a long sigh that he didn't know he'd been holding. "After all these years, she still couldn't face me."