Chapter 180

Spring Talk

It was now sunset. Tu Chi was still waiting for the others to return from their mission as she sat by the fire, which popped and flickered. Then, Elfman, Lisanna, and Cana soon burst through the bushes. However, the three of them were utterly disheveled, their clothes slightly tattered and out of place, covered in mud, and also out of breath, panting like dogs as they tried to catch their breath.

"Ah. I see you came back safely," smiled Tu Chi.

Cana then glared indignantly. "Are you freaking kidding me?! Is that all you have to say?! I almost died out there so many times; I've lost count!" she snapped.

"A... A real man never runs from his enemy!" panted Elfman as he collapsed in exhaustion. "Even though the enemy... is large enough to swallow you whole."

"That doesn't even make sense, Elfman!" Cana barked crossly. "So, do me a favor and can it with the "real man" stuff, would you?!"

"This place is like a swamp version of Tenrou Island," panted Lisanna as she sat on the ground. "Only I think this place has many more dangers than just the creatures. I think I almost drowned in quicksand, who knows how many times, and I kept getting tangled by vines."

"You think you had it rough? Try being in my shoes, girl!" gasped Cana. "I almost got eaten by a crazy four-legged monster and a giant flower!"

"Oh, yeah? I barely managed to survive a gang of giant insect things!" Elfman squawked. "Handling one would have been fine, but getting ganged up by a bunch of them isn't manly!"

"Elfman, I swear! Not now!" Cana snapped again, a bit more annoyed. "Or else I'll use my Card Magic to burn you to a crisp!"

"Now, now. There's no need to get so frantic," said Tu Chi. "From what I've heard from Makarov, this should be nothing for wizards like yourselves. After all, you've dealt with bigger threats such as Grimoire Heart and Oración Seis."

"Yeah, but at least they weren't trying to eat us for dinner!" Cana pointed out

Then, the bushes started rustling again, causing the three to jump and tense up instinctively. But much to their relief, Mira came walking through them, who was as disheveled and muddy as they were.

"Bis Sis Mira!" Lisanna gasped. "Guess you had a little bit of trouble too."

"Yeah. I did," said Mira. "Did you guys find the stone?"

"Unfortunately, we didn't find squat," said Cana flatly. "Due to the craziness of this lousy swamp, we were busy trying not to die."

Mira then dug into her cleavage and took out a large stone that was as big as the palm of her hand, colored blue, and shaped like a circular prism. "I did," she said with a smile.

Elfman, Lisanna, and Cana stared at Mira, eyes wide and jaws slacked in disbelief.

"You got to be kidding me!" cried Cana. "How the heck did you manage to find it?!"

"Well, first off, I figured out the location by solving the riddle," explained Mira. "The answer was sunflowers. Sunflowers need sunlight to grow as their source of nourishment, and they're named after a light source. So all I needed to do was find some sunflowers. I eventually found some sunflowers growing just a few miles deep in the swamp. Although I'll admit, I was surprised by a couple of the locals and had a few close calls, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

But then, a small trickle of blood dripped down the eldest Strauss siblings' forehead, causing everyone to pale in horror.

Tu Chi then came over. "Well done, Mira. I'd expect nothing less from an S-class wizard like you," she said warmly.

Mira smiled in thanks but noticed someone had yet to return. "Has anyone seen Willy?" she asked.

Elfman, Lisanna, and Cana shook their heads.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him yet," said Lisanna. "Not since we all went out to search for the stone."

"You don't think he's still out there, do you?" asked Cana. "Or worse yet, you don't think that he-"

"Come on, Cana! This is Willy we're talking about here," said Elfman. "He's probably on his way back, so I'm sure he's fine. After all, he's a dragon slayer and is pretty tough."

"But he's still recovering, Elfman, so he's not fully one hundred percent," pointed out Lisanna. "What if he's in trouble or hurt?"

"Don't worry. Jade's still out there overlooking the swamp," said Tu Chi. "I'm sure she'll let us know he's in trouble."

Then, a bird caw cried out, and Jade came from above, circling over them a couple of times, swooped down, landed on Tu Chi's staff, and chirped a couple of times to her. The old woman nodded and then stood up.

"I see," said Tu Chi. "So, that's where he is." She turned to the others. "It would appear that Willy's having a difficult time."

Mira was now worried. "Is he okay?" she asked. "Is he hurt or anything?"

"Do not worry. Willy's fine," reassured Tu Chi. "But it would seem that he requires help, so I shall go and retrieve him."

"I'll go with you," said Mira.

"There's no need, my dear. I'll be all right," replied Tu Chi. "Besides, something tells me I'd be better by myself. Besides, you all could use some rest. While I'm gone, why don't you get dinner started? It ain't gonna cook itself."

Tu Chi then strolled away, disappearing into the bushes with Jade following close behind.

WILLY'S POV

I was now sitting on a large branch in a tree high above the ground above a marsh area. This was to avoid any creatures that would attack me and somewhere where I could be alone. I stared at the same spot, sitting and watching various creatures swim or fly about, not even bothering to move. I managed to calm myself down after my recent meltdown, but I still couldn't get over what I had seen or what to make of it. So much so that I couldn't even work up the energy to search for the stone anymore. All I wanted to do was sit on my branch and brood.

"So, this is where you've been hiding," said a familiar voice behind me. "You do realize it's sunset, do you?"

Without even looking up, I knew who the voice belonged to. "Sorry, Master Tu Chi. I didn't even notice," I spoke in a quiet voice. "I was too busy losing my mind with visions."

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" asked Tu Chi. "Tell me everything that you saw."

I looked across to Tu Chi, who had now sat beside me on the branch while Jade perched next to her before looking back down towards the marsh, beginning my recollection.

"Well, for starters, I tried looking for the stone using my Aqua Sense, but there was so much magic power I couldn't sense anything. Then, I started seeing visions of all the enemies I'd encountered. After that, I saw myself as this monster that attacked me, and I could actually feel him hurt me, or at least I think I did. Am I going crazy, or is something making me see these things?"

"I do not know," said Tu Chi. "Why do you think you saw them?"

"How should I know? I mean, they've tried to hurt, torment, control, or kill me, along with other innocent lives," I spoke with a hint of frustration. "Not to mention they have a weird obsession of hammering into my brain, no matter how hard I try to be good, I'm gonna get dragged through the gutter with them, even though ending up there wasn't even my fault in the first place."

"It would appear that you've been carrying your enemies the same way you're carrying the toxin inside of you," said Tu Chi. "They made you feel afraid, weak, worthless, and powerless for letting it all happen and believe that you should be like them, becoming as ruthless as they were. Someone having no regard for life or emotions to hold them back from doing what they do."

"I... guess so," I said reluctantly, knowing she was right. "But that still doesn't explain why these visions keep haunting me."

"Perhaps your mind is trying to tell you to face your past enemies, in other words, all of your fears and worries, " Tu Chi spoke sagely. "When you experience tragedy, it can be damaging and traumatic. However, you can let it define you for the rest of your life or learn and move on from it. You can't expect to defeat your future enemies if you're busy fighting your past ones."

I took a minute to process Tu Chi's words. Everything she said was right, but I still couldn't help but feel unsure."But how am I supposed to do that?" I asked pleadingly. "I don't know how to move on from it."

"That is why you're here. To learn how Willy," said Tu Chi. "It will take time, but I promise you will overcome this because I believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourself."

I then fell silent, my eyes returning to the water.

"Come now, Willy. It's getting late, and the others are already getting worried," went on Tu Chi as she stood up. "Some dinner and a good night's rest will perk you up."

Tu Chi and Jade jumped off the branch, landing on the ground with me following, and the three of us started back to camp.

It was nightfall by the time we came close to the camp. A familiar smell wafted into my nose as we went through the bushes, causing me to sniff instinctively. Sure enough, when I looked over by the campfire, I saw fish and mushrooms cooking by it.

"Hey, there you are, Willy!" said Cana. "Looks like you managed to avoid getting eaten or maimed."

"Are you okay?" asked Mira. "We were starting to worry about you when you didn't return."

"I'm okay, more or less," I told her. "Sorry to make you guys worry."

"I hope you're hungry because we got lots of mushrooms and fish ready to eat," said Elfman.

At first, I was going to say no thanks, but hunger began to creep into my stomach, not to mention the smell of the cooked fish.

"Actually, eating sounds pretty good right about now," I said while eyeing the fish. "I am a bit hungry."

"Well, sit right down," said Cana. "We've made plenty. And by the way, you gotta try these mushrooms. They look weird, but they're actually freaking good!"

I then came over by the fire and sat between Cana and Elfman, and Lisanna handed me a mushroom and a fish. I took a bite out of the fish first and marveled at the freshly grilled taste of its meat on my tongue. Then, I looked at the mushroom. It still looked weird despite being cooked, but then again, Cana did say they tasted good, so I decided to give it a go and bite from it. The moment I did, I felt something spark in my head as a savory taste graced my tongue.

"This is... delicious!" I couldn't help but mumble out as I started scarfing it down.

"I told you," smirked Lisanna. "I guess Tu Chi wasn't kidding about these things. They're delicious!"

"So, Willy, what happened to you?" asked Elfman with a mouthful of fish. "Did you get lost or something? Or were you busy running from all the crazy creatures in this place?"

"Well, I guess you could say that," I spoke, choosing my words carefully. "I couldn't find where I was, and I guess I lost track of time. But, thankfully, Master Tu Chi and Jade were able to find me."

Jade came over to me, landing on my shoulder and chirping while nudging against my cheek. I couldn't help but chuckle and gave her an affectionate scratch on her head. We ate our fill, and when we were finished, Tu Chi addressed us.

"Well, now that we're all here, it's time for me to explain the reward," she said. "As you're all well aware, Mira was able to figure out the riddle and thus was able to locate the stone. To that, I extend my congratulations. However, I noticed that some of you were having trouble locating the area due to... circumstances, so you will all reap the benefits of the reward."

"Seriously? That's nice of you," said Cana. "So, what exactly is the reward?"

"Come, and I'll show you," said Tu Chi. "I promise it's quite the reward."

Tu Chi then led us to the back of the tree to a curtain of vines entering them. As we entered, we were welcomed to the sight of a large spring. It was in a secluded area surrounded by many trees and greenery, with no animal or creature around.

"Oh, wow! Look at this place," Lisanna spoke in awe. "It's beautiful!"

"Yeah. It sure is," agreed Elfman.

"Mira, may I have the stone, please?" Tu Chi asked.

"Sure thing," said Mira as she handed the stone over.

"You've all done a good job searching for the stone," said Tu Chi as she held it up. "Now, as your reward, I will show you the powers this stone possesses."

Tu Chi then walked over to the spring and dropped the stone into the water. When she did, the stone began to glow a bit, then the water began to bubble and pump up while steam started to come out. Feeling curious, I dipped my hand into the water as a test and was surprised to find it warm.

"The water. It's warm," I spoke. "Is this because of the stone?"

"Yes," said Tu Chi. "That stone can turn any water into a soothing bubbling bath."

"A bath? Are you kidding me?!" exclaimed Cana indignantly. "You're telling me that we've risked life and limb over a magic stone that only has the power to be a freaking jacuzzi?!"

"But of course. After all, there's nothing like a hot bath after rigorous training," said Tu Chi. "And considering that you will be training over the next few months, this will benefit you greatly. Unless you'd rather go through three months without bathing and smelling like sweat, Miss Cana."

Cana was about to object, but her words died in her throat, and she said nothing more.

"Well, she's right about one thing. I don't want to be all sweaty," said Lisanna. "Sweat does make a person stinky, after all. Besides, I think it's a wonderful reward. At least we'll have the opportunity to clean ourselves off. I certainly could use a bath after running around."

"I agree," said Elfman. "Even real men need to take baths to smell nice and clean."

"Yeah, no kidding," agreed Mira. "Plus, it'll help us relax for a little while."

"It's just like you to have something like that as a reward, Master," I said as I smiled. "Either way, we appreciate it and will use it well."

NO POV

Lisanna then gasped, realizing something as she whispered something to Cana. "Hold on a minute! Could this be what your fortune-telling predicted? After all, it did say something about water."

Cana then realized. "Hey, you're right!" she whispered back. "This could be the scenario that'll get Willy and Mira closer!" She then frowned. "But isn't a bath too much for the two of them?"

"Don't be so sure," Lisanna spoke while wagging her finger. "As Sieri says, a bath is a great way to deepen the bonds and trust between people, and this is the perfect chance for Willy and Mira to get closer!"

"Then I'd say it's time we make this happen," Cana spoke with a mischievous grin. "You game?"

"Oh, you know I am," Lisanna grinned back.

Later, everyone was getting ready for bed and taking turns in the spring. Master Tu Chi and Elfman had already taken theirs and turned in for the night, and now the girls were having their turn in the spring. On the other hand, I tried to get to bed early to start training early in the morning. Despite being the first time sleeping in such a location, small insects chirping could be heard, echoing throughout the area. A peaceful rhythm that could lull anyone to sleep, but it didn't for me.

I was lying on my back with my eyes closed, trying to drift off to sleep, but I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried.

What happened today was still racing through my mind, having no intention of stopping.

All those visions of me looking weak and vulnerable, the anguish and pain I suffered at the hands of those I've seen in them, and the fear of turning into that berserk form. It still made me terrified to even think about it happening again. And yet, despite it all, I couldn't help but feel that it was my fault. After all, I was foolish to think I could control the toxin's effects despite doing more harm than good to me and everyone else. Now all of this was happening.

Tu Chi was right about what she said before. The trauma was wreaking havoc inside me, and if I didn't do something soon, it would never end. I would continue being a burden to everyone, and I would never be able to move on. But, like with everything else in life for any human being, it was easier said than done.

"Hahh."

As I let out a sigh, I heard a voice.

"Willy? Whatcha doing over there?"

I then sat up and saw Cana and Lisanna walking past me.

"Oh, hey, guys. I was trying to get to bed early, but I suppose that's not happening.."

"Yeah?" suggested Lisanna. "Well, why don't you take a dip in the springs? You haven't had your turn yet."

I shook my head. "Nah. I think I'll pass. Besides, I can wait until tomorrow."

At that moment, Cana and Lisanna suddenly appeared before me, their faces almost a foot away.

"Sorry, kid, that ain't gonna fly," said Cana. "No offense, I'm ain't sleeping next to someone who smells like sweat and fish."

"Yeah. Besides, you gotta give it a try," said Lisanna. "The water feels so amazing and does wonders with your skin; you can use a good soak."

Knowing that the two weren't about to leave me alone, I decided to take their advice.

I got out of my sleeping bag, walked over to the back of our tree, went through the vines, and came over to the spring. Thankfully, the stone was next to the bank if we wanted to use it. I looked back, making sure that no one was behind me. I dropped it into the water, and it warmed up and started bubbling. Then, I stripped down, folding and setting my clothes into a pile, and stepped into the water, sitting close to the bank.

I sighed contentedly as I felt the tension release from my body.

"This feels way nicer than I expected. Way better than anything I felt back at home."

As the temperature of the water and the massage of the bubbles continued to soothe my body, I let myself go, letting myself sink into the water until I was below the surface, keeping my eyes open while breathing normally. It was probably because I've been around water all my life, but I always felt at peace whenever I immersed myself in water. If this weren't a training camp, this would be the perfect place for a vacation.

But as I let myself continue to lay in the water, I heard two muffled splashes from just above my head. This made me sit up from the water, breaking the surface, believing that there was an intruder. But as I wiped the water from my eyes, I stopped, going still as a statue and my eyes going wide as a pair of saucers.

In front of me was a girl completely naked, save her silver hair covering her chest and the water hiding the rest of her. Her eyes were wide, her blue pupils had shrunken to half their usual size, and her body was frozen. It was Mira.

A few seconds of silence passed between us as we stared at each other unable to say a word. Then, I could feel my cheeks heat up immensely as Mira's face turned red like a cherry. At that moment, my wings sprung forth, breaking the tension, and both of us screamed in surprise as I instinctively crouched down, covering myself up.

"Mira! What the heck are you doing here?!" I exclaimed shrilly.

"What am I doing here?! That's my line!" Mira screeched back. "Why were you hiding the water?!"

"I wasn't hiding!" I cried. "Besides, you're the one that walked in on me!"

"What're you talking about?! Lisanna and Cana told me that the spring was free!" Mira squeaked indignantly. "They didn't tell me that you were in here!"

"Well, they told me to go ahead, too!" I squawked. "How was I supposed to know that you'd be coming?!"

Mira huffily glared at me in embarrassment while I looked away, shutting my eyes.

"Look, I wouldn't come here to cause trouble or anything like what you're thinking, OK?" I said calmly. "I'm sorry if I startled you. I only wanted to clear my head a bit, so.. I'll just... go ahead and leave."

I carefully saw my way out while being careful to cover myself, but just as I went past Mira, I felt a hand grab hold of my wrist, causing me to stop.

"Please, wait a minute," I heard Mira say. "I know that I barged in unannounced, but... since you're here anyway, you can stay here if you want to."

"A-Are you sure about that?" I asked. "I mean, I don't mind waiting for you to come out."

"I-It's fine. As long as you don't look at me," said Mira. "Besides, it's pretty much my fault, so we... might as well make the most of it."

At first, I couldn't believe my ears, but for some reason, a tiny little voice inside me said this was fine since Mira said it was. However, my heart wouldn't stop beating as I hesitated. Then, after swallowing some air, I mustered up the courage to speak.

"A-All right then. If you're okay with me being here," I said, trying not to croak. "I promise I won't look. If we sit back to back, it's fine, right?"

"Y-Yeah," I heard Mira say.

I then sat back down into the water while facing away from Mira, hearing the sound of her sitting down behind me. We sat there in awkward silence, neither saying a single word.

"Damn it. I feel so self-conscious right now. I know I used to bathe with my parents as a kid, but this is the first time I've ever done this with a girl! And with Mira, no less! I gotta try breaking the ice somehow!"

"So... um... the water... feels pretty nice, doesn't it?" I spoke, unsure of what to say.

"Y-Yeah. It does," said Mira. "It's almost like a hot spring and a jacuzzi. That stone works wonders, doesn't it?"

"I-It sure does," I said, trying to smile. "I should ask Master Tu Chi if I should get one for my place."

I immediately felt like slapping myself in the face. "What kind of a response was that?!" I mentally screamed at myself. "That was the worst thing I could have said!"

Then, Mira spoke up. "So, what happened to you out there?" she wondered. "You were late in coming back, and Master Tu Chi had to go looking for you."

This immediately snapped me out of my flustered state, bringing me down to reality. After taking a breath to calm down, I explained everything.

"So, along with seeing yourself in your berserk state again, you saw visions of your past?" wondered Mira.

"Yeah, and Master Tu Chi believes that it's because of my mind and body telling me to face my fears as well as my past enemies, but I know it's not that simple," I said. "I still can't help but honestly can't help but feel a bit scared. I've been trying to bear with it on my own for so long, and having to face them still seems like a tall order."

"Yeah, that's true, but that's what makes it a worthwhile challenge, don't you think?" said Mira. "And yes, the past has a way of hurting us in some way or the other. But the way I see it, no matter how hurt someone is or how much they're in pain, they're meant to overcome it and try to move forward. That's how I became the woman I am today. And since I know you're not the kind of guy that would run away from fear, I believe you can do it."

"You really think I can?" I asked.

"Of course I do," said Mira. "I always have and always will. You just need to have some confidence to believe in yourself too."

I started to glance back toward Mira but quickly kept my eyes forward, remembering that she told me not to look. But I felt better and all the more determined.

"Thanks a lot, Mira," I said. "I promise, I'm gonna do my best tomorrow and train as hard as I can until I get past my fears."

"Glad to hear it," Mira spoke, a smile evident in her voice. "Let's both give it our all until we're strong enough to make our guild number one."

I smiled while chuckling lightly. "Yeah."

NO POV

While Willy and Mira continued to sit together in the spring, Lisanna and Cana watched from afar outside. They had seen and heard everything, and they were pleased. So much so that they gave each other a thumbs up, feeling happy with themselves.

I figured I'd add a bit of Willy x Mira fluff at the end before the training begins.

As always, thank you for reading my story, and I hope you continue to support it!

Until then, Dragomaster, signing off!