Chapter 177

A Strange Glitch

The following morning, I felt utterly exhausted, not sleeping a wink, no thanks to that nightmare. I was so tired that it felt like my entire body was heavy. I even had difficulty getting out of bed, wanting to stay in it. However, I managed to muster the strength to get out of bed, going to the bathroom to wash my face. As I did, I looked up at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were bloodshot and had severe bags underneath them, and I couldn't help but look at the bandages wrapped around my neck.

"Damn it. I look like a mess. Well, anybody would look the same way when you've been having the same nightmare for a few days seeing an evil version of yourself. But still..."

I took my time washing my face and got dressed. I wore a green t-shirt, brown shorts, and boots as I left the apartments and walked down the street. As I walked, I couldn't help but feel lost in thought, my eyes trained on the stony ground. But in doing so, I didn't watch where I was going. Before I could react, something bumped into my right shoulder, and immediately, I took a defensive stance letting out a shout, raring to fight whoever it was that bumped me.

I found myself staring at a young man who was a bit frightened, a bunch of boxes scattered around the ground. I quickly calmed down and quickly started picking them up.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized. "I wasn't looking where I was going, and I-"

"I-It's no problem," replied the man nervously.

I'd started to lean down to pick up the boxes for him when suddenly, a strong twang of pain shot through my body as my muscles tensed up and my neck twitched. I couldn't help but cry in pain as I held my head.

"H-Hey! Are you all right?" I heard the man ask me. "You look like you're in pain!"

I shook my head, not responding, trying to pull myself together

Then, as the pain subsided, I noticed someone standing in the opening leading to an alley. The individual resembled me in my berserk state, staring straight at me with glowing green eyes. As soon as I saw it, my eyes couldn't help but widen as fear seized my heart again.

"No... No, not you again!"

The beast-looking me glared as the third eye opened in his chest and brandished his claws appearing ready to strike. But I felt so afraid I did the first thing that came to mind. Run. I immediately turned on my heel, ran a few steps, spread my wings, and took flight, shooting high into the air and going as fast as possible until I was far enough away from Magnolia and in the southern part of the outside.

"What the hell is wrong with me?!" I thought as I gasped heavily. "Why am I seeing things like this?! Am I going insane?! Or maybe it's something else?" Then, I remembered when Satoshi had me captive and talked about the spell he had placed on me. "Now that I think about it, he did say that he had a spell in my mind for a while. Could that be the reason why this is happening? If it is, then I need to know for sure. And I think I know how I can be sure."

As soon as I calmed myself, getting my breathing in order, I headed straight for the tavern to look for a certain someone. Soon enough, I arrived there, and I went straight inside looking for a particular someone. Sure enough, I saw the person I was looking for sitting at a table with Carla looking through her paper booklet.

"Wendy, do you have a moment?" I asked as I came over. "I need your help with something."

Wendy looked up, and when she and Carla saw me, they gasped with surprise.

"W-Willy! What happened to you?!" exclaimed Wendy. "Those are some deep bags!"

"Looks to me that you haven't been getting enough sleep," said Carla. "Is everything okay?"

"I-I'm fine. At least, I think I am," I said. "That's pretty much why I came to see you. To make sure that I am okay. I need you to check something for me, Wendy."

"What's up?" asked Wendy.

"The thing is... Do you remember how I was under a spell? I'm worried that the spell is still inside my head," I said while pointing at my head. "So, if you don't mind, could you please use your healing magic to see if it's still there?"

"Oh, if that's what you're worried about, then I wouldn't be worried," said Wendy. "I removed that spell a long time ago."

I couldn't help but feel surprised. "Wait, you did? When?"

"She did it while you were unconscious," said Carla. "After your battle with Gildarts, you passed out severely wounded and bruised. Wendy had to work overtime for you. And with all the craziness with the Infinity Clock, she learned how to remove spells in the brain."

"S-Seriously?!" I gasped while looking at the white exceed and then back to Wendy. "Is that true?!"

Wendy smiled. "Yep. Long story short, I discovered how to back when I was with Bixlow," she explained. "After that happened, I used my magic to remove the spell controlling the Archbishop and the one controlling you. Although, it was a bit difficult to remove the spell from your brain. It was woven into your brain so much that it took almost all of my magic to get it out without damaging it. But if you think I missed something, I can take a quick look."

"If you wouldn't mind," I said. "Thank you."

I then sat down on the chair and felt Wendy's hands touch the sides of my head. Then, I felt a warm sensation emanating from them, almost to the point of being pleasant. The feeling lasted a few seconds until it stopped, and Wendy removed her hands.

"Well, I took a quick look, and I'm happy to say that your brain is spell-free," said Wendy. "You should be okay."

"Are you sure?" I asked tentatively. "I mean, you sure there aren't any extra fragments in there?"

"Nope. Not a single one," replied Wendy. "Don't worry."

"You seem rather worried, Willy," said Carla. "Is something the matter?"

"Well... you see," I said, choosing my words. "I just wanted to check, that's all." I then stood up. "Thank you for checking anyway. I'll see you around."

I walked away, leaving the tavern and heading outside.

"I guess if even Wendy isn't detecting anything, then I'll have to take her word for it," I thought. "But those instances of seeing an evil me along with that pain I felt and nightmares. If a spell isn't causing those, then what's going on with me? Am I still feeling the toxin's effects after I went berserk? Maybe I should see Porlylusica. She's got to be finished with the antidote by now."

At that moment, I heard a voice call out to me from behind.

"Willy! Willy, wait up!"

I looked back and saw Mira running toward me, prompting me to stop and wait for her.

"Hey, what's up, Mira?" I said. "Did you need something?"

But Mira was worried. "Never mind me. I heard from Wendy and Carla that you weren't looking too good," she said. "And they weren't kidding! Your eyes are bloodshot, and those are some deep bags!"

"Yes. I know," I sighed. "I'm a mess, aren't I? But it's no big deal. I just haven't been getting enough sleep, that's all."

"Don't give me that! You clearly don't look well!" Mira spoke with worry as she inspected my eye. "How long has this been going on?"

"For... about a week now," I hesitantly replied. "Ever since I came back to the guild, actually. But really, I'm okay. I need to get some sleep is all. There's no reason for you to -"

I stopped at midsentence, for Mira was now glaring at me sternly.

"Willy, don't try to tell me you're fine," she spoke firmly. "You're obviously distressed, and I'm not about to let you tell me you're fine when you're not. Don't you remember our promise to each other that night?"

"Y-Yes, I do," I conceded, remembering the other night. "I'm sorry. I guess old habits die hard. I've pretty much gotten used to keeping everything to myself."

"Well, now's the time to break that habit," said Mira. "I get that there are some things you want to keep to yourself, but if something is bothering you enough to get like this, please talk to me."

I looked across to Mira, staring.

I didn't want her to worry about me initially, but I also wanted to be more open. After all, I didn't want to repeat what happened. Plus, talking to her would make me feel better.

"All right then. I might as well tell you," I said. "But, I'd rather not talk about it here. Is it okay if we speak about this privately?"

Mira answered with a nod, and the two of us walked away from the tavern until we were close to the outskirts of the boundary. Then, I told Mira about my nightmares and seeing myself in my berserk form.

"I see. So that explains why you look so tired," said Mira as I finished.

"I asked Wendy to look at my head with healing magic to make sure there weren't any spells in it anymore," I told her. "But... she didn't find anything, so I don't know what's happening with me. So, I was planning on visiting Porlyusica to get the antidote. Although, I'm starting to wonder if I'm going crazy or Satoshi is somewhere out there watching me, and he's attacking me in my dreams or something."

"No. I don't think it's anything like that," said Mira. "I think I might have a rough idea as to why."

I looked over at Mira in surprise. "You do?"

Mira answered with a nod as she looked up towards the sky. "Do you remember when we thought Lisanna was dead before she returned from Edolas?" she said. "When it happened, we all took it pretty hard, especially Elfman. I tried my best to stay strong but couldn't help but start crumbling inside until finally, strange things began to happen."

"What kinds of things?" I asked.

"I started having frequent nightmares, all about the same thing repeatedly," continued Mira. "I kept seeing the beast that Elfman turned into attacking and killing Lisanna, and then..." she paused, closing her eyes and looking at the ground. "Well, let's say it kept getting worse by the day. Because of them, I started not getting enough sleep, and my eyes started playing tricks on me. It got to the point where I was about to lose my mind with grief."

"What did you do?" I asked. "I mean, how did you get better?"

Mira looked up towards the sky once again with a smile. "I saw something that inspired me to move forward," she said. "It was a few years ago when Elfman and Natsu went over to Lisanna's gravestone that Natsu made."

13 years ago...

Mira wandered on the dirt road, trying to get her mind off Lisanna, having gone through many sleepless nights. Her arm was still wrapped in a cast in a sling due to the recent event of her brother going berserk with Beast Soul. Then, she heard the sound of familiar crying. This made her follow the sound until she saw Natsu and Elfman standing in front of the straw hut where Natsu and Lisanna played as kids with a gravestone in front of it. Mira stood behind a tree, not wanting to be caught while listening to the two talking.

"I-I'm so sorry, Lisanna! It's all my fault that you're gone!" Elfman sobbed, holding a hand to his eyes as he cried. "If only we had taken you with us, Natsu, this never would have happened! She'd still be alive!"

"Would you shut up?!" Natsu suddenly barked. "Quit your blubbering already!"

Elfman jumped in surprise.

"Do you really think Lisanna would want you to go through life carrying that guilt?!" Natsu went on. "How's she supposed to smile if her brother keeps crying like this?!" His shoulders began to tremble. "She always had a smile on her face! Even at the very end, she never lost her smile! If she were here right now, she'd say, "Whenever you're feeling sad, that's when you need to smile the most." " He then faced Elfman, revealing that tears were streaming down his face too. "So buck up, and show her a smile! That's what a real man would do!"

Elfman stared at Natsu, stunned by his words. Then, his face filled with determination as his sadness was replaced with pride.

"A real man..." Elfman repeated, letting the words flow out of his mouth.

Mira could only stand behind her tree, not saying a word. However, she felt just as spurred by Natsu's speech, amazed as her eyes filled with tears.

"S-Seriously? Natsu said all of that?" I asked.

"Yes, he did. Believe me, I was as surprised as you," said Mira. "But, thanks to what he said, I was inspired to smile because if I didn't, then Lisanna would be disappointed in me. Then again, that was before I knew she was still alive."

I didn't say anything more, feeling better hearing Mira's story.

We soon made it to Porlyusica's house. When we arrived, Mira knocked on the door.

"Good morning, Porlyusica," called out Mira.

Porlyusica answered it, scowling a bit, but when she saw that it was us, her glare lessened a bit. "So, you're back again, I see," she said gruffly. "I take it that you're here for the antidote?"

"Yes, ma'am," I nodded. "I was wondering if it's been finished yet."

"Come inside," said Porlyusica opening the door. "I can give it to you right now. I just need to get it upstairs."

Mira and I went inside, and I walked over to the bed and sat down on it. The two of us then waited for Porlyusica to come back down until she eventually did, holding a vial with a white liquid. She walked over to her desk with her back turned, and when she turned around, I saw something in her hand that made my eyes snap open. In her hands was a syringe. When I saw it, memories flooded my head when Satoshi experimented on me, filling me with fear and terror.

"No! No! Not that! Anything but that! Get that thing away from me!"

The next thing I knew, a powerful shock of pain went through my head as I held it in agony.

NO POV

"Willy! What's the matter with you?!" exclaimed Mira as she rushed over. "Calm down!"

But the boy held his head in agony as he started to twitch while backing away. "Stay back!" he growled. "Stay away from me!"

Willy then turned on his heel and bolted straight through the doors to the outside, with Mira and Porlyusica chasing him in pursuit. Willy then stopped holding his head in agony as his eyes began to flicker back and forth between brown and green.

"Willy! What's wrong?!" cried Mira as she rushed over.

"Mira! Get away from him now!" Porlyusica shouted. "He's not in his right mind!"

Before Mira could ask what Porlyusica meant, Willy's eyes turned green as he growled menacingly at her. Mira quickly took a defensive stance, preparing to fight, while Porlyusica grabbed her broom, standing behind her. Willy then looked at the two and growled in a voice that wasn't his own.

Then, as Willy prepared to lunge, his eyes began to flicker again as he twitched again. His body convulsed as he shook his head, trying to regain his sense of reason. After a few seconds, his eyes returned to their standard color as he fell to his knees, managing to regain control.

WILLY'S POV

When I was aware again, I found myself looking at the ground, my heart beating like a drum and the pain gone.

"Willy! Are you all right?" I heard Mira speak.

I looked up and found Mira and Porylusica in front of me, looking unnerved.

"Wh-What happened to me?" I wondered. "Why am I standing out here?"

"You mean you don't remember what happened?" asked Mira. "You went berserk when Porlyusica was about to give you the antidote."

"No... not again," I spoke, shutting my eyes and holding my head. "I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean-"

"Never mind that," said Porlyusica. "Obviously, something's still amiss with you. We might need to hold off on the antidote."

"What?! But why?!" I protested with shock. "I'm fine! I just freaked out, is all!"

"You did much more than just freak out," Porlyusica spoke firmly. "Seems to me that you want that toxin inside you."

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded. "Why would I want this junk inside of me?"

"I don't know. Perhaps you've still got some mental problems to work out," said Porlyusica. "Or maybe you're looking for an excuse to use that toxin that made you crazy to keep you safe, and because you think you still need it, you won't get hurt again. "

I was at a loss for words for a second before responding. "Wh-what? You're not making any sense!" I denied a little less than forceful. "Th-that's not true at all!"

"Porlyusica, please don't blame Willy," said Mira. "It wasn't his fault."

Porlyusica then sighed. "Then, I can't be the one to give you the antidote," she said huffily. "So, waiting until you get your ducks in a row would be best." She then handed the syringe to Mira. "Until then, you hold onto it for the time being and take it when you stop turning into a crazed beast."

And with that, Porlyusica stomped away, shutting and banging the door. Silence fell briefly until I stood back up, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry about that," I apologized to Mira. "I don't know what came over me or why that happened. I just... freaked when I saw that needle."

"It's okay," said Mira. "But... you're not really coming up with a reason not to take it, are you?"

"No! I'm not!" I immediately said. "At least, I don't think I'm not. I mean, I..."

But the words wouldn't come out of my mouth for some reason.

Mira then touched my shoulder, squeezing it for comfort. "It'll be all right," she soothed. "If you don't want to take the antidote right now, you can take it whenever you're ready."

"I guess, but now I don't know what to do now," I said. "If I can't take the antidote, how am I supposed to get better if I go nuts over a tiny needle?"

Mira paused a bit. Then, she came up with an idea. "I know! Maybe a little time away is what you need! A change of scenery!" she suggested. "Elfman, Lisanna, Cana, and I were going to train in the mountains for the Grand Magic Games. You can come with us!"

"I don't know. I hate to cause any more trouble," I said. "Then again, maybe a little time away is all I need. It actually sounds good."

"Come on, Willy. It can't hurt to try," pleaded Mira. "I hate to see you like this, and I want to do whatever I can to help you feel better. But I won't push you if you don't want to."

I took a few seconds to think about it. This may be something I needed. I did need to get my body back into gear for the Grand Magic Games, so some training away from Magnolia would do me some good.

"All right then," I said. "I'll come."

Mira then gave me a gentle hug wrapping her arms around me. "It'll be okay, Willy," she said. "You will get through this."

I returned the hug while smiling bravely, trying to be reassuring, but inside, I couldn't help but feel all the more unsure and negative, wondering if I could get through my problems.

If you want to give me any pointers, feel free to point them out!

And as always, thank you very much for reading! And I'll see you at the next chapter!

Until then, Dragomaster, signing off for the week!