Chapter 178

Walking to the Swamp

The next day the entire guild had all separated into groups, each going their separate way for their training for the Grand Magic Games. Team Natsu, Team Shadow Gear, and Juvia went to Akane Resort. Laxus and the Thunder Legion headed somewhere north. I even heard about Gajeel and Pantherlily going to the mountains for private training. As for me, the Straus siblings, and Cana, we were about to head out for our training camp.

Cana and I were waiting close to the outskirts of town, waiting for the Strauss siblings to arrive. Despite being so gloomy the other day, I looked forward to this. Not long after, Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna came.

"It's about time you guys showed up," said Cana. "I was starting to wonder if you'll ever show."

"Sorry about that, Cana," apologized Lisanna. "Elfman tried to take a giant bag full of stuff with him, and Big Sis Mira and I had to do some convincing to have him pack lighter."

"Hey, a real man's gotta be prepared," said Elfman. "But then again, a real man can survive with only a sleeping bag!"

"It's been a long time since I've done this. Training while camping out in the wilderness," I said. "It's starting to bring back memories."

"So, Mira, when are we leaving?" asked Cana. "Because I'm ready to get going."

"Not for a little bit longer," said Mira. "We're expecting someone else to come with us, and they should be here soon."

"Someone else is coming with us?" repeated Lisanna. "Well, who is it, Mira?"

Mira winked cheekily. "You'll find out when they get here," she said. "All I can tell you is that it's someone I've personally requested, and they'll be helping us with our training."

"Come on, Mira. Don't leave us in the dark," said Lisanna. "Tell us who it is."

"Or at least give us a hint," said Elfman. "Are they manly?"

"The only thing I can tell you and that they're quite special," said Mira. "They're quite powerful in their own right and will be perfect for training us."

That comment made me curious as well. Who was this mysterious person that Mira invited? Was it someone that we all knew, or maybe it was a random stranger? Either way, I would find out soon enough.

Then, as Mira looked up toward the sky, she pointed. "Oh, look! Here she comes now!"

"She?" repeated Elfman and Lisanna as they looked up.

"Who is it?" wondered Cana.

I looked up and scanned the skies, and I saw two things soaring above coming towards us. My first thought when I saw it was that it appeared to be a creature of some kind, but as they came closer, I saw a familiar pair of wings made of water from one object, and the other was a large green bird.

The bird then swooped towards me and let out a majestic caw as it flew past us, circled around, and landed on my shoulder. Then, I knew what, or rather who, this bird was.

"Jade! It's you!" I gasped as I stroked her head. "But if you're here... Then..."

At that moment, the other figure landed on the ground dispersing her water wings and pulling back the hood, revealing her face. It was Tu Chi.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting," said Tu-Chi. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It's Tu-Chi!" said Lisanna with surprise.

"Now that's what I call making an entrance," said Elfman. "Pretty manly."

"Um, just so you know, Elman, she's a woman," reminded Cana.

"I appreciate you for coming all this way," said Mira. "And we're honored to have you train us."

This made the rest of us look at Mira in surprise and amazement.

"Hold up. Are you meaning to tell us that you're the one who's coming with us for training?" spoke Cana.

"Indeed I am," smiled Tu-Chi. "Mira here told me what you kids were up to and asked me to help. Naturally, I accepted the offer and came as quickly as I could. And I hope you don't mind, but I bought Jade with me too."

Jade let out a caw in response. At first, I was happy to see Tu-Chi, but I couldn't help but feel worried. I hadn't forgotten when we last spoke, and I felt a little guilty remembering how angry I was with her. Then, feeling as though I should apologize, I stepped forward.

"Master, I... I'm truly... Listen, I want to say... Forgive me for my behavior the other day. I was..."

"There's no need for you to apologize, my boy," cut in Tu-Chi. "After all, it was a troubling time for both of us, but that is water past the bridge. I'm happy to see that you're looking better."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say "looking better," Master," I said. "But I appreciate the kind words."

"It's been a long time, Ma'am," said Lisanna. "I honestly didn't expect to be seeing you after all this time."

Tu-Chi looked over to Lisanna and smiled warmly at her. "Lisanna. It's been a long time, my child," she said. "You've grown up quite splendidly along with your other siblings." she then glanced at Cana. "I don't believe we've met before. You're another member of Fairy Tail, correct?"

"Yeah, the name's Cana Alberona," she replied. "And it's an honor to meet you, Ma'am. I've heard a lot of good things about you through Makarov."

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Alberona," said Tu-Chi. "Now that introductions are out of the way, what say we get going? We've got a long journey ahead for our training, and we're burning daylight."

"Oh, man! This is gonna be so manly!" said Elfman with excitement. "We're gonna be training with one of the Ten Wizard Saints! I can't wait to get started!"

"Then what are we standing around for?" smirked Cana. "Let's get going!"

"Yeah! Let's go!" concurred Lisanna.

Even I couldn't help but feel a bit eager. Tu-Chi was not only coming with us, but she was also going to train us. If anyone could help me get back into the grove of being myself again, it would be her. I looked at my bandaged wrists and clenched both hands, feeling determined.

"I think things are starting to turn around for me," I thought. "No matter what it takes, I gotta give it my best."

We were soon on our way, leaving Magnolia behind us for our training camp. First, we took the train to Oshibana; then, with Tu-Chi leading the way, we trekked past Mount Hakabe. After a while, to my surprise, we arrived at the last place I expected to be stopping—the town of Shirotsume.

Feeling a bit puzzled, I couldn't help but ask. "Master Tu-Chi, why are we stopping here?"

"Do not worry, Willy," said Tu-Chi. "The place we're going is just a bit beyond and into the mountains."

"So, where exactly are we going?" asked Lisanna. "Is it somewhere close to Shirotsume?"

"All in good time, Ms. Cana," said Tu-Chi. "It won't be long until we get there."

We walked through the town of Shirotsume and hiked along the trail leading up to the region. We passed by trees, walked past creatures, and even some bridges over canyons. Soon, we came to a hill and reached the top of it. Below us, at the bottom of it, was a vast swampy area. From on top, it appeared like any other forest, filled with trees and water.

We continued on the path through the swamp and walked past trees, muddy holes, other vegetation, and other strange creatures I'd never seen before. As we did, I felt something about this place that made me uneasy. To me, it felt as if this swamp had something special about it. I took a few sniffs to smell the odor, but all I could smell was the swamp itself, which didn't have a distinct smell.

Soon, after walking for how long, we came to a clearing heavily overgrown with trees and bushes.

"This way, everyone," she said. "Our destination is just through this thicket."

Tu-Chi then walked into the bushes disappearing inside of them. Cana followed after her, then Lisanna, then Mira, then Elfman, and lastly me. We walked under a strange pathway pushing past leaves and branches, and when we got out in the open, I saw an unexpected sight. Before us was a waterfall flowing from a rocky ravine whose water fell into a basin held up by a dam. Next to it was a large tree whose trunk was pretty hallowed enough for a group of people to fit inside it with no roof, giving a good view of the skies.

"Wow. Check this place out," said Cana with interest. "I gotta say it's pretty nice."

"This is a hidden area only a select few know about," said Tu-Chi. "I used to come here to train all the time before I became a Wizard Saint."

"It looks wonderful, Master," I spoke with amazement as I surveyed the area.

"I'll say it does," said Mira, dipping her hand into the water. "This place pretty much has it all. A view of the skies, shelter, and even clean water."

"It's like something from out of a storybook," said Lisanna, who was also impressed. "The only missing thing is food. I wonder if there are any mushrooms around here. Or maybe we can hunt for some fish."

"I think you'll find plenty of sustenance in this area we can forage," said Tu-Chi. "You're also free to fish wherever you like. Just make sure to avoid any of the creatures in that lurking close by. Some of them look more dangerous than others."

"Well then, why don't we start camp here?" said Cana. "And while we're going that, the boys can look for food."

"Sounds good to me!" Elfman grinned. "After all, it's a man's job to provide food for the family!"

"Well, it's been a while since I've been fishing," I said thoughtfully. "This'll be a chance to brush up on my skills. Although, I do wonder if the water's even safe enough to fish in. Well, we can worry about that later. Now, let's set up camp while dividing the duties.

NO POV

While everyone was making plans to divide the duties while setting up camp, while setting up camp, Mira spoke to Tu-Chi, so that no one else could hear.

"I really appreciate what you're doing for us, Ma'am. It means a lot to me."

"Think nothing of it, child," smiled Tu-Chi. "It's the least I can do. After everything you've told me, this is just what everyone needs. Especially Willy."

"So, do you think this will help him?" asked Mira. "I'm still worried about his condition after everything that's happened. He couldn't even take the antidote without freaking out, and for some reason, he tells me that he keeps seeing mirages of himself in his berserk form. Not to mention he's still worried about Satoshi coming back for revenge."

Tu-Chi looked over at Willy, who was busy talking to Elfman before responding. "Unfortunately, that's most likely due to the trauma he has suffered because of that man, and that won't be easy to heal," she said softly. "The poor boy's been experimented on constantly, and then he had to relive the trauma again, which made things worse for his mind. And that drug injected inside him has caused quite a bit of damage based on how he looks now."

Mira looked across to Tu-Chi. "So, is there no way to get him back to how he was before?" she asked tentatively.

Tu-Chi went silent for a pause before responding. "That is entirely up to Willy, I'm afraid," she said. "The road to recovery can be long and hard for someone going through a traumatic experience, but I promise you, I'll do whatever I can to help him. If he dedicates himself to recovering and overcoming his trauma, he'll get better and be stronger than ever." She then smiled. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that he gets well. What kind of Master would I be if I didn't care and help my students to grow?"

Mira smiled back at her. "Thank you, Master Tu-Chi."

Tu-Chi then looked at Mira. "I can see that you truly care for the boy," she said. "And that's truly admirable of you."

Mira adverted her eyes while scratching her cheek. "Well, yeah. Of course, I do. After all, he is a good friend," she said. "I mean, he is my childhood friend."

Tu-Chi could only chuckle.

Cana and Lisanna were inside the giant tree, inspecting the inside.

"Wow! This place is a lot bigger than I expected it to be," said Cana. "We can even set up a campfire here."

"Yeah, and there's plenty of room for the six of us to sleep in," said Lisanna. "And what's more, we got ourselves a perfect opportunity."

Cana looked at Lisanna and grinned, her eyes gleaming like a cat's. "You bet we do," she said with a grin. "An opportunity that only we can take advantage of. It does suck that Erza's not here."

"Don't worry about her," said Lisanna, her eyes glinting mischievously. "We can tell her the fruits of our labor when we get back. But, in the meantime, we must seize this opportunity."

The two locked eyes while shaking hands and glanced towards Mira, who was still talking to Tu-Chi, and Willy, who was discussing plans with Elfman.

"The way I see it, we'll be the only ones in this swamp," said Lisanna. "The goal of this little trip of ours wasn't just to train and get stronger."

"That's right. What the others don't know is that we arranged to camp together to get a certain two closer together," said Cana. "And considering that Willy and Mira made up a while ago, we must guide them along the right path to love."

"I've already got loads of ideas to put into action," said Lisanna. "All we got to do is wait for the right time to execute them. Unfortunately, we are a member short of the Three Cupids due to Erza's absence, but I'm sure we can pull it off. When the three months are over, Willy and Mira will be closer than before, and it'll be all thanks to us!"

"You got that right, silly name aside," said Cana. "So, let's hurry and make a plan while we're setting up camp."

And the two began discussing ideas and plans while ensuring no one overheard them. As they did, Mira and Tu-Chi couldn't help but glance at the two, perplexed and wondering what they could be discussing.

WILLY'S POV

Elfman and I soon finished setting up our places to camp, and we were about to set off to forage for food.

"All right! Time to go hunting!" said Elfman. "We're gonna have a manly feast tonight!"

"Now, just a minute, you two," Tu-Chi called out. "You're both new to this area, so you're going to need a guide, and I know everything there is to know about this swamp. This swamp may seem tranquil, but there are many hidden dangers that you should keep an eye out for. After all, there's something about this swamp that makes it seem... alive."

"Yes, Ma'am!" acknowledged Elfman. "We can handle anything you or this swamp can dish out because we're real men! Right, Willy?"

"Well, I guess you're not totally wrong about that," I replied with a wry smile. "But you do know that Tu-Chi is a woman, right?"

The three of us got ready to head out, Elfman and I eager to start, but at that moment, I sensed something. It was one you would get when someone was watching you in the shadows. I turned around while glancing around and looking up towards the trees, but I didn't see anything, much less anyone watching us. However, I quickly dismissed the feeling believing it to be nothing, as I set off with Tu-Chi and Elfman.

NO POV

As Willy and his group left, they didn't realize that someone was watching them from afar. Someone was sitting on their haunches on one of the branches, watching Willy as he left. They also had piercing green eyes, which looked like a wild beast. A beast that had found its prey, intending to hunt them down and kill them.

Thank you very much for reading, as always, my readers!

I hope to see you in the next chapter, and leave a fav or a follow if you're new!

Until then, Dragomaster, signing off.