Chapter 1: Heart Attack
Chapter Text
The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silencer lay over the houses of Jingumae. Cars that were usually gleaming stood dusty in their drives and lawns that were once emerald green lay patched and yellowing; the summer heat had been particularly brutal to Japan this year. The inhabitants of Jingumae had retreated into the shade of their cool houses, blasting air conditioners at full power or throwing up their windows in hope of tempting a nonexistent breeze. The only person left outdoors was a teenage girl who was lying flat on her back in a flower bed outside 1-10-4.
She was a skinny, chestnut-haired, red-eyed girl who had the pinched, slightly unhealthy look of someone who had grown a lot in a short space of time. Her jeans were torn and dirty, her the decal on her T-shirt was fading, and her hair was a tangled mess due to a lack of effort to tame it. But Atsuko “Akko” Kagari cared very little about how she appeared at the moment as she hid herself behind a large Tsubaki bush, making her quite invisible to anyone who may pass by. In fact, the only way she would be spotted was if her mother and father stuck their heads out the living room window and looked straight down into the flower bed below.
On the whole, Akko thought she was to be congratulated on her idea of hiding here. She was not, perhaps, very comfortable lying on the hot, hard Earth, but on the other hand, nobody was giving her pitiable looks when they thought Akko didn’t notice, or making some excuse why they should watch anything except the news whenever Akko walked into the living room with her parents.
Almost as though this thought fluttered through the open window, Mr. Kagari suddenly spoke. “Akko hasn’t come to check the news again. Think she’s finally given up?”
“Have you met Akko?” said Mrs. Kagari; Akko could practically hear her frown. “She’ll probably come up with something clever or stupid to listen in.”
“Or both,” Mr. Kagari said with a humorless chuckle. “It’s not that I don’t understand why she’s so insistent, but shouldn’t need to be so obsessed about matters better left for adults. She’s just a child, for Kami’s sake. She doesn’t need to spend her days looking over her shoulder for – “
“Shuichi, shh!” said Mrs. Kagari. “The window’s open!”
“Oh – yes – sorry, dear…”
The Kagari’s fell silent. Akko frowned at her parents even though they couldn’t see. She knew they were just trying to protect her, and Akko is grateful that they care so much for her safety, but keeping her in the dark will only hurt her in the long run, just as it always did. Akko would have hoped that at least Blair, her familiar and guardian, would keep her in the loop on current events, but barely a week after they came home from summer vacation, Blair suddenly up and left.
“Ursula and granny need my help getting everything sorted out,” she told Akko vaguely. “We’ll talk soon, Akko-nyan.”
That had been weeks ago and she still hadn’t received a single letter from Blair.
Akko listened to a jingle about some new Ichiraku Ramen flavor (“Now with more orange!”) while she watched a black cat amble slowly across the Kagari’s low garden wall. The cat was scanning the house like it was looking for something. This was not the first time Akko had seen that same black cat roaming the streets of Jingumae, but she had no idea where it had come from. She had never seen it until the start of summer and she likely would have heard from Mrs. Kagari if one of the neighbors got a new cat. It was probably a stray, but that didn’t explain why it was always hanging around her house. The black cat jumped off the wall and vanished from view before Mr. Kagari’s voice floated out of the window again.
“Have you seen Akko at all today?”
“She left earlier in the afternoon, but she hasn’t come back yet,” said Mrs. Kagari with a worrying edge. “I hope she hasn’t gotten herself into trouble….”
“She’s probably just hanging out with her friends,” said Mr. Kagari. “She’s got so many. She’s surprisingly popular.”
Akko repressed a snort with difficulty. She hardly considered herself popular; the groups of friends she hanged out with were usually an extension of her friendship with Hikari, a popular vampire Demi-Human that has been best friends with since they were in hoikuen. Akko hadn’t spent much time with her friends since coming back for the summer, preferring to spend most of her holidays wandering the streets, lost in her thoughts while scavenging newspapers along the way.
The opening notes of the music that heralded the evening news reached Akko’s ears and her stomach turned over. Perhaps tonight – after a month of waiting – would be the night –
“Princess of Hell engaged in a fistfight with demon news anchor on live television after being publicly humiliated for her idea of a hotel to rehabilitate demons – “
“When did it get to the point where demon princesses from hell become the norm?” said Mr. Kagari exasperatedly over the end of the newsreader’s sentence, but no matter: Outside in the flower bed, Akko’s stomach seemed to unclench. If anything had happened, it would surely have been the first item on the news; death and destruction were more important than punching news anchors.
She let out a long, slow breath and stared up at the brilliant blue sky. Every day this summer had been the same: the tension, the expectation, the temporary relief, and then mounting tension again…and always, growing more insistent all the time, the question of why nothing had happened yet….
She kept listening, just in case there was some small clue, not recognized for what it really was – an unexplained disappearance, perhaps, or some strange accident…but the demon princess fist fight was followed by news on the drought in the southeast; then a helicopter that had almost crashed in a field in Oyama, then a famous actress’s divorce from her famous husband.
Akko closed her eyes against the now blazing evening sky as the newsreader said, “And finally, in the wake of his recent retirement, former #1 hero All Might has opened his own chain of fast food restaurants in the Tokyo Prefecture called All Meats. Shinya Hanazuki went to find out more….”
Akko opened her eyes again. If they had reached retired superheroes opening fast food restaurants, there was nothing else worth hearing. She rolled cautiously onto her front and raised herself onto her knees and elbows, preparing to crawl out from under the window.
She had moved about two inches when several things happened in very quick succession.
A loud, echoing bang broke the sleepy silence like a gunshot; the black cat from before streaked out from under a parked car and flew out of sight; a shriek, a furious curse, and the sound of breaking glass came from the Kagari’s living room, and as though Akko had been waiting for this signal, she jumped to her feet, at the same time pulling the Shiny Rod from her belt as if unsheathing a sword. But before she could draw herself to full height, the top of her head collided with the open window, and the resultant crash made Mr. Kagari scream even louder.
Akko felt as if her head had been split in two; eyes streaming, she swayed, trying to focus on the street and spot the source of the noise, but she had barely staggered upright again when a pair of unbelievably strong hands reached through the open window and grabbed her by the shoulders.
“What – are – you – doing?” Mrs. Kagari hissed into Akko’s ear. “Put that away before someone sees!”
But Akko ignored her mother and stared around, maintaining a firm grip on the Shiny Rod. There was no sign of what had caused the loud banging noise, but there were several faces peering through various nearby windows. Akko stuffed the Shiny Rod hastily back into her belt and tried to look innocent as Mrs. Kagari pulled her hands back.
“Lovely evening!” shouted Mrs. Kagari, waving at Mrs. Otone, who was glaring from behind her net curtains. “Did you hear that noise just now? Sounds like the Professor Shinonome blew up another one of her gadgets again! Gave Shuichi and me quite a start!”
She continued to grin in a maniac way until all the curious neighbors had disappeared from their various windows, then she lurched forward against the windowsill with an exhausted sigh and gave Akko a piercing stare.
“What the hell were you thinking, Akko?” asked Mrs. Kagari is a tired sort of voice that came from years of dealing with Akko’s antics.
“Whaddya mean?” said Akko distractedly. She kept looking up and down the street, still hoping to see the person who had made the banging sound.
“Making a racket like you’re setting off a bomb outside our – “
“I didn’t make that noise,” said Akko firmly.
Mr. Kagari now appeared beside his wife; his glasses slightly askew.
“What were you doing hiding under the window?”
“Yes, that is a good question, Shuichi. What were you doing under the window, Akko?”
“Listening to the news,” said Akko in a resigned voice.
Her mother and father exchanged looks of concern, which irritated Akko.
“Listening to the news? Again?”
“Well, it changes every day,” Akko said with a bit of venom in her tone.
“Don’t you get smart with me, young lady! Look, I understand that you’re a little…concerned after everything that happened last month, but you shouldn’t need to worry about that. You should just leave this Jennifer business – “
“Careful, Kaori!” breathed Mr. Kagari, and Mrs. Kagari lowered her voice so that Akko could barely hear her, “…just leave it to the adults.”
“Leaving it to them is what started this whole mess in the first place!” Akko snapped.
The Kagaris goggled at her for a few seconds, taken aback, then Mr. Kagari said, “Akko, please calm down. It’s okay that your frustrated about all this, but we’re just trying – “
“If you say you’re just trying to protect me, then don’t!” said Akko, her temper rising. “In case you haven’t noticed, keeping me in the dark hasn’t worked out so well in the last four years!”
“No one is trying to keep you in the dark, Akko,” said Mr. Kagari, sounding almost desperate. “We just don’t want you getting hurt – “
“Cause that worked out sooo well with Kirai-obasan, didn’t it?” Akko spat viciously.
Mr. and Mrs. Kagari drew back like they had been slapped across the face. Akko knew she should have felt guilty about bringing up the incident two years ago that caused Akko to run away from hope, but instead she felt a savage sense of vindication when she saw the hurt looks in their eyes. Before either of them could come up with a response, Akko wheeled about, crossed the lawn, stepped over the low garden wall, and was striding off up the street.
She was in trouble now and she knew it. She would have to return home and face her parents eventually, but she did not care very much at the moment; she had more pressing matters on her mind.
Akko needed to find the source of the banging noise, but she couldn’t find anything that gave any indication of what it was. A thought crossed her mind as she remembered Marianna, her junior from school, had snuck into her home almost three years ago. Was it possible that Marianna had caused that noise? Was she somewhere herein Jingumae? Did that mean her master, Andrew Hanbridge, had sent her? Could Marianna be following her right at this very moment? As this thought occurred, she wheeled around and stared back down the road, but it appeared to be completely deserted again. Well, Marianna was a ninja. Akko wouldn’t know if she was there unless she revealed herself.
She walked on, hardly aware of the route she was taking, for she had pounded these streets so often lately that her feet carried her to her favorite haunts automatically. Every few steps she glanced back over her shoulder. Someone magical had been near her as she lay among Mrs. Kagari’s dying Tsubaki, she was sure of it. Why hadn’t they spoken to her, why hadn’t they made contact, why were they hiding now?
And then, as her feelings of frustration peaked, her certainty leaked away.
Perhaps it hadn’t been a magical sound after all. Perhaps she was so desperate for the tiniest sign from the world to which she belonged that she was simply overreacting to perfectly ordinary noises. Could she be sure it hadn’t been the sound of something breaking inside a neighbor’s house?
Akko felt a dull, sinking sensation in her stomach and, before she knew it, the feeling of hopelessness that had plagued her all summer rolled over her once again….
Tomorrow morning, she would be awoken by the alarm at five o’clock so that she could pay the messenger hawk that delivered the daily news – but was there any point in continuing to take it? Akko merely glanced at the front page before throwing it aside these days; when the idiots who ran the paper finally realized that Jennifer was back it would be headline news, and that was the only kind Akko cared about.
If she was lucky, she would also get e-mails from her best friends, Lotte and Sucy, and sometimes, to her excitement, from her girlfriend, Diana Cavendish. A feeling of giddiness welled up in Akko’s chest when she said that word out loud: girlfriend. After hopelessly pining over the beautiful aristocrat for the better part of four years, they finally started a real relationship at the end of last year…. Although there was still the complication of everyone expecting Diana and Andrew to get married by the time Diana graduated from school, but that’s a mess Akko didn’t want to think about right now.
Every day, Akko hoped that her friends would deliver some news about what was going on in the rest of the world. Lotte’s grandmother was the headmistress at Akko’s school, Luna Nova Magical Academy; Sucy’s family ran the Alchemilla Hospital, the top medical facility for Demi-Humans; The Cavendish family was the oldest and most important magical family in the world and had considerable influence over the Demi-Human government, the Magic Council; and Amanda’s mother had a seat on the Council itself. With all of her friend coming from important backgrounds, she would have expected they would deliver something of importance to her, but her expectations have long since been dashed.
“We can’t say much about you-know-what, obviously….” “We’ve been told not to say anything important in case our e-mails get intercepted….” “We’re very busy but I can’t give you details here….” “There’s a lot of stuff going on here, we’ll tell you everything when we see you….”
But when were they going to see her? Nobody seemed too bothered with a precise date. Diana had scribbled, “I expect we’ll be seeing you quite soon” inside her birthday card, but how soon was soon? As far as Akko could tell from the vague hints in their e-mails, all her friends were in the same place, presumably at Amanda or Sucy’s home. She could hardly bear to think of them having fun at Amanda’s ritzy hotel when she was stuck in Jingumae. In fact, she was so angry at them she had thrown their presents of sweets from Ama Usa An and specialty coffee from the Rabbit House away unopened, though she had regretted this after eating the wilting salad Mrs. Kagari had made for dinner that night.
And what were her friends so busy with? Why wasn’t she, Akko, busy? Hadn’t she proved herself capable of handling much more than they? Had they all forgotten what she had done? Hadn’t it been her who had landed in that grassy hillside outside of Annecy and watched Jennifer return and had been nearly killed…?
Don’t think about that, Akko told herself sternly for the hundredth time that summer. It was bad enough she kept revisiting that grassy hillside in her nightmares, without dwelling on it in her waking moments too.
She turned a corner down the street that lead to Nabeshima Shoto Park, the place where she first locked eyes with her maternal aunt. Izetta, at least, seemed to understand how Akko was feeling; admittedly, the letters she sent with Haruka-San, Lotte’s Puchi Familiar, were just as empty of proper news as the others, at least they contained words of caution and consolation instead of tantalizing hints:
“I know this must be frustrating for you….” “Keep your nose clean and everything will be okay….” “Be careful and don’t do anything rash….”
Well, thought Akko, as she approached the entrance to the darkening Nabeshima Shoto Park, she had (by and large) done as Izetta advised; she had at least resisted the temptation to tie her luggage to the Shiny Balai and set off for New York by herself. In fact, Akko thought her behavior had been very good considering how frustrated and angry she felt at being stuck in Japan this long, reduced to hiding in flower beds in hope of hearing something that might point to what Jennifer or the Purifiers were doing. Nevertheless, it was quite galling to be told not to be rash by a woman who had served thirteen years in the Demi-Human prison, Dol Guldur, escaped, attempted to commit another murder for which she is already accused of over a hundred, then gone on the run with a stolen Qilin….
Akko set off across the patched grass. The park was as empty as the surrounding streets. She sank onto a par bench thankfully under the shade of a Sakura tree and stared moodily at the ground. She would not be able to hiding in her mother’s flower bed again. Tomorrow she would have to think of some fresh way of listening to the news. In the meantime, she had nothing to look forward to but another restless, disturbed night, because even when she escaped nightmares about Jennifer, she had unsettling dreams about long, dark corridors, all finishing in dead ends and locked doors, which she supposed had something to do with the trapped feeling she had when she was awake. Often the old scars on her back prickled uncomfortably, but she did not fool herself that anyone would find that interesting anymore…. In the past, her scars hurting had been a warning that the Severn Stars – the seven gemstones of ultimate magic – werein danger, but now that Jennifer was back, they would probably remind her that their regular irritation was only to be expected…. Nothing to worry about…old news…
The injustice of it all well ed up inside her so that she wanted to yell with fury. If it hadn’t been for her, nobody would even know Jennifer was back! And her reward was to be stuck in Jingumae for four solid weeks, completely cut off from the rest of the world, reduced to squatting among dying Tsubaki so that she could hear superhero fast food chains! How could Professor Ursula have forgotten her so easily? Why had all her friends got together without inviting her along too? How much longer was she supposed to endure Izetta telling her to sit tight and be a good girl; or resist the temptation to write to the stupid news and point out that Jennifer had returned? These furious thoughts whirled around in Akko’s head, and her insides writhed with anger as a sultry, velvety night fell around her, the air full of the smell of warm, dry grass and the only sound was that of the low grumble of traffic on the road beyond the park.
She did not know how long she had sat on that bench before the sound of voices interrupted her musings and she looked up. The street lamps from the surrounding roads were casting a misty glow strong enough to silhouette a group of people making their way across the park. One of them was dancing in circles, singing a loud, obnoxious song. The others were laughing.
Akko knew who these people were. The figure in the middle of the gaggle of girls was unmistakably Umaru Doma wending her way home, accompanied by her faithful friends.
Akko didn’t know Umaru personally; they hanged out a few times over the last couple of summers and she came to Akko’s twelfth birthday, but they only knew each other because she and Hikari were in the same class. Based the stories she heard secondhand from Hikari, Umaru was super smart, super beautiful, and the number one mosty popular girl in school – it made Akko wonder how a total airhead like Hikari ever became friends with her. But Hakiri also said that Umaru wasn’t ‘always as she appeared’ and ‘looks different at home than at school’. Akko couldn’t decrypt the vampire’s vague hints, but Umaru made her think of Diana in a way. Though, if she were being honest with herself, a lot of things made her think about Diana these days.
Akko watched the dark figures crossing the grass and found herself wondering what they thought was so funny. Why were they so happy right now when her, Akko’s, world was spinning on its head? How could they be so carefree when Jennifer was lurking somewhere, possibly close by.
They did not see her as they crossed the pathway, they were almost at the park entrance. Akko mastered the impulse to run over and start something…. It wasn’t their fault Akko was miserable…. They didn’t deserve Akko’s anger…. They were innocent….
Umaru’s gang’s voices died; they were out of sight, heading along the road.
There you go, Izetta-obasan, Akko thought dully. Nothing rash. Kept my nose clean. exactly the opposite of what you would have done…
She got to her feet and stretched. It was getting dark and Akko knew she couldn’t avoid her parents forever. There was going to be a lot to talk about Akko’s rudeness earlier this evening, and it was better to face the music than to drag it out. So, stifling a yawn, Akko set off toward the park entrance.
Akko had taken a recent liking to Jingumae at night, when the curtained windows made patches of jewel-bright colors and she didn’t run into anyone that wanted to strike up a conversation when all Akko wanted to do was be alone. It wasn’t that she was trying to be rude, but unless the conversation concerned Jennifer or where her friends were hiding, Akko honestly didn’t care for anything they had to say. She turned the corner at the end of the road when she heard someone hailing her from behind.
“Hey, Kagari, wait up!”
Akko turned. It was Umaru, all alone, running to catch up with her.
“Doma,” said Akko, surprised. “What’re you doing here?”
“I saw you sitting all alone in the park a while ago,” said Umaru, slowly down to walk beside her.
“Oh…I didn’t think anyone noticed,” said Akko, blinking.
“You looked kind of lonely,” said Umaru. “So I thought maybe we could spend some time together. We don’t really hang out much without Takanashi dragging us somewhere.”
“Oh, well, I was just heading home…,” Akko mumbled.
“Then I’ll walk with you,” Umaru said cheerfully.
“What about your friends?” asked Akko.
“I told them to head on ahead without me so I could come with you,” Umaru answered.
“Sorry ‘bout that,” Akko apologized.
“Don’t be,” said Umaru, shaking her head. “I’m glad to get a chance to talk to you, Kagari. Takanashi always talks about you, and you seem like a fun person.”
For the umpteenth time today, Akko felt a fresh wave of guilt in the pit of her stomach. She had been so distracted with everything that happened with Jennifer that she had completely neglected her friends all summer, even canceling on the birthday surprise they had worked so hard to make for her. She needed to make it up to them somehow….
They turned right down a narrow alleyway that served as a shortcut to Akko’s street. It was empty and much darker than the streets it linked because there were no streetlamps. Their footsteps were muffled between the stone wall on one side and a high fence on the other.
“Are you…all right, Kagari?” Umaru asked after a few seconds.
“What?” said Akko, blinking again. “Er, yeah, I feel fine. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just…,” Umaru said, humming to herself, trying to think of the right words. “It’s Takanashi. She’s worried about you.”
“Oh…”
“She says you’ve been acting differently lately,” Umaru continued, staring ahead with a frown. “Normally you’re excited and energetic, but ever since you’ve come back from school, you’ve been…subdued as of late. And it’s not just Takanashi that’s noticed. All of your friends have.”
“I’ve just…had a lot on my mind, that’s all,” Akko muttered, looking away from Umaru.
“I can understand that, but if there’s anything you’d like to talk about, your friends would surely listen.”
“Thy wouldn’t understand,” Akko grumbled.
“That’s because you don’t say anything to them,” Umaru pointed out. “You’ve been shutting them out all summer and don’t give them a chance to help you.”
“What could they do to help me?” said Akko quietly, scowling.
“A lot if you just let them in,” said Umaru insistently. “Talking to people can help more than you think. Instead of keeping your feelings bottled in like this, maybe you should – “
“Maybe you should mind your own goddamn business!” Akko snapped furiously.
Akko didn’t realize she had pushed Umaru into the alley wall until the blonde Human hit the concrete with a surprised gasp and dropped her bag on the ground. She didn’t even remember pulling out the Shiny Rod and pressing the head against Umaru’s chest. All Akko could feel was an entire month’s worth of angry and frustration pounding in her veins, wanting to burst out and strike the unsuspecting girl.
“What could you know?” Akko snarled. “What could you know about anything I’m feeling?! What could any of you possibly know?! You people and your carefree everyday lives, never having to worry about anything!”
“Kagari, please, calm down,” gasped Umaru, eyes staring wide at the Shiny Rod. “I was only trying – “
“Trying to help the charity case, am I right?!” Akko sneered. “Poor lonely little Kagari. Maybe I’ll help her out to make myself feel better, right?”
“No, that’s not it at all – “
“Here’s an idea!” Akko snapped. “Why don’t you go bother someone that actually gives a damn and leave – me – alone!”
Umaru gave an odd, shuddering gasp, as though she had ben doused in icy water.
Something had happened to the night. The star-strewn indigo sky was suddenly pitch-black and lightless – the stars, the moon, the misty streetlamps at either end of the alley had vanished. The distant grumble of cars and the whisper of trees had gone. The balmy evening was suddenly piercing, bitingly cold. They were surrounded by total, impenetrable, silent darkness, as though some giant hand had dropped a thick, incy mantle over the entire alleyway, blinding them.
For a split second, Akko thought she had done magic without meaning to, despite the fact that she had been resisting as hard as she could – then her reason caught up with her senses – she didn’t have the power to turn off the stars. She turned her head this way and that, trying to see something, but the darkness pressed on her eyes like a weightless veil.
Umaru’s terrified voice broke in Akko’s ear.
“W-what are you d-doing? P-please, stop…”
“I’m not doing anything! Stay quiet and don’t move!”
“I c-can’t see! I’m blind! I – “
“Stop talking!”
Akko stood stock-still, turning her sightless eyes left and right. The cold was so intense that she was shivering all over; goose bumps had erupted up her arms, and the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up – she opened her eyes to their fullest extent, staring blankly around, unseeing….
It was impossible…. They couldn’t be here…. Not in Jingumae…. She strained her eyes…. She would hear them before she saw them.
“P-please…stop this,” Umaru whimpered. “W-where are you? What are you d-do – “
“Will you shut up!” Akko hissed, “I’m trying to lis – “
But she fell silent. She had heard just the thing she had been dreading.
There was something in the alleyway apart from themselves, something that was drawing long, slow, rattling breaths. Akko felt a horrible jolt of dread as she stood trembling in the freezing air.
“C-cut it out! Stop doing this! T-this isn’t funny, Kagari!”
“Doma, shut – “
WHAM!
A fist made contact with the side of Akko’s head, lifting Akko off her feet. Small white lights popped in front of Akko’s eyes; for the second time in an hour, she felt as though her head had been cleaved in two; next moment she had landed hard on the ground, and the Shiny Rod had flown from her hand, clattering on the street.
Akko’s eyes watered in pain, watered with pain, as she scrambled to her hands and feet, now feeling around frantically in the blackness. She heard Umaru stumbling away, hitting the alley fence.
“DOMA, COME BACK! YOU’RE RUNNING RIGHT AT IT!”
There was a horrible squealing yell, and Umaru’s footsteps stopped. At the same moment, Akko felt a creeping chill behind her that could only mean one thing. There was more than one.
“DOMA, GET BACK HERE! IT’S NOT SAFE! COME BACK! Damn it!” Akko muttered frantically, her hands flying over the ground like spiders. “Where is it – come on – wait – my wand!”
Akko was so used to using the Shiny Rod as her first line of defense that she completely forgot she had another wand. She jammed her hand in her jean pocket until her fingers gripped the handle and whipped it out. She muttered an incantation under her breath and, to her immense relief, a tiny ball of light formed at the head. The Shiny Rod gleamed just a foot away from Akko’s right hand. She snatched it up immediately, scrambled to her feet, and turned around.
Her stomach turned over.
Someone wearing a long black coat was towering over her, their face completely obscured by the shadow of their hood.
Before Akko had the chance to raise her wand, the hooded figure wrapped a gloved hand around her throat, shoving her back into the stone wall. Akko let out a choked gasp; the hooded figure’s fingers were closing around her windpipe like an iron vice. Her vision was starting to fade in and out. Akko gritted her teeth, forcing herself to focus on the Shiny Rod in her hand.
“Phaidoari Afairynghor!”
But nothing happened. To Akko’s immense fear and concern, she couldn’t feel the magical energy flowing through her fingers like she usually did when wielding the Shiny Rod. She only felt this sensation of emptiness on two occasions: both when Izetta and Jennifer used the deactivation codes for the Shiny Rod. But Akko didn’t hear this hooded strange utter a word. If they did used the deactivation Word, did that mean they worked with Jennifer? Had she finally sent someone to kill her? No, not kill her. Jennifer wanted Akko alive, to join her, but this person in the black coat was choking Akko so fiercely it didn’t seem like they had any intention of letting her live….
The figure in the black coat reaffirmed their grip, shaking Akko out of her thoughts – a feeling of static surged in the back of her brain, and a voice spoke inside her head – “It’s all your fault…. You were not good enough…. You bring suffering to others…. You are a curse…. A burden on your friends….”
Her friends – she was never going to see her friends again –
Their faces suddenly burst clearly into her mind as she fought for breath and raised her wand to the hooded figure’s chest –
“MUWORA!”
An explosion of green light illuminated the dark alleyway. The hooded figure was blasted off the feet and shunted backward into the fence. Akko dropped to her hands and knees, gasping for breath, then quickly looked up at her attacker. But they were gone – vanished the moment she looked away.
“DOMA!” Akko shouted, scrambling to her feet. Wheeling around, she sprinted down the alleyway, holding her lit wand aloft. “DOMA! DOMA, WHERE ARE YOU?!”
She had run barely a dozen steps when she reached them; Umaru was curled on the ground, her arms clamped around her chest as a pair of lanky Neo Shadow Heartless loomed over her. One of them was crouching low, gripping her wrists with its veiny claws, prizing them slowly, almost lovingly apart, bringing its other claw over her area where her heart would be….
“LUMAN MUROWA!” Akko bellowed, and with a rushing, roaring sound, a great ball of pure-white light blasted from the tip of Akko’s want. The Heartless was barely inches away from seizing Umaru’s heart before Akko’s spell exploded against its head, decapitating it completely. The Neo Shadow’s headless body slumped over before it evaporated into nothingness. The second Neo Shadow turned on her, but Akko had already cast another Light Spell that punched a hole in the Heartless’s chest and dissolved it into a cloud of black mist.
Moon, stars, and streetlamps burst back into life. A warm breeze swept the alleyway. Trees rustled in neighboring gardens and the mundane rumble of cars in Jingumae filled the air again. Akko stood quite still, all her senses vibrating, taking in the abrupt return to normality. After a moment, she became aware that her T-shirt was sticking to her; she was drenched in sweat.
She could not believe what had just happened. Heartless in Japan, that strange hooded figure, the Shiny Rod lifeless in her right hand….
Umaru lay curled on the ground, whimpering and shaking. Akko bent down to see whether she was in a fit state to stand, but then heard soft, pattering footsteps behind her; instinctively raising her wand again, she spun on her heel to face the newcomer.
The black cat Akko had seen around the neighborhood came to a stop at her feet. Its hair was rising as its golden eyes cast around the dark alleyway, a deep rumbling noise reverberating in its throat. Akko let out a relieved sigh, thankful it wasn’t another Heartless, and made to stow her wand back in her pocket, but –
“Don’t put it away, foolish girl!” the cat suddenly hissed. “What if there are more of them around? Oh, I am going to kill Urahara!”
Chapter Text
"Huh?" said Akko blankly.
"He left!" said the cat, tail swishing furiously. "Left to see someone about some kind of Reishi conversion machine or whatever he was spouting on about! I told him I would beat his face in if he went, and now look! Heartless! It's lucky you were able to ward them off before I arrived! But we haven't got time to stand around! Hurry, now, we've got to get you back! Oh, the trouble this is going to cause! I will kill him!"
"Um – "
Knowing Blair, who had been posing as her pet cat literally since birth, Akko wasn't all that surprised by a talking black cat barking orders, so she was able to keep a cool head and calmly ask, "Are you a friend of Blair's?"
"Sort of," said the black cat. "I was her alchemy teacher at Luna Nova for the first few years before I retired and handed the position to Finnelan. The name's Yoruichi Shihoin. I was also the one who taught Blair how to turn into a cat."
"So you and this Urahara have been following me around?" asked Akko. "Wait a minute – it was him! He's the one that made that loud noise in front of my house!"
"Yes, yes, that idiot has no value for discretion," said Yoruichi in an exasperated tone. "I was hiding out near your house when I heard him leave and I tried going after him, but when I went back to your house, you were already gone – and now – ugh, what's I can already heard the Sphere chewing me out. Hey, you," he said to Umaru, still supine on the alley floor. "You're not dead, right? Oy, the talking cat is asking you a question."
"The Sphere?" Akko repeated, staring at the cat.
"The Celestial Sphere," said Yoruichi, prodding Umaru's prone form with her paw. "The group that I work for. Don't worry; you'll be meeting them soon enough. But right now, we should get out of here – who knows how many more Heartless are lurking nearby – "
The black cat slipped around Umaru's front, seizing her sleeve with her teeth, and tugged.
"Come on, you unrealistically perfect Human, get up!"
But Umaru either could not or would not move. She was still on the ground, trembling and ashen-faced, her arms crossed tightly around her chest.
"I'll do it." Akko stooped low, facing her back to Umaru, and heaved: with a bit of effort, she managed to hoist Umaru into a piggyback. Umaru seemed to be on the point of fainting: her eyes were rolling in their sockets and sweat was beading her face; she swayed dangerously from side to side until Akko adjusted her against her shoulder.
"Let's move!" said Yoruichi.
Akko hauled Umaru toward the street, sagging slightly under her weight. Yoruichi scurried along in front, peering anxiously around the corner.
"Keep your wand out," she told Akko, as they turned the corner. "There is going to be hell to pay for this; we might as well have stolen for stealing a dragon egg. This is exactly what the Sphere was worried about – hold on, what's that at the end of the street? Oh, it's just that Nano girl from the Shinonome house…. Don't put your wand away. I can't use Light-Based magic, so I can help beyond knocking them around."
It was not easy to hold a wand steady and to keep Umaru from falling over at the same time. Her head was slumped over Akko's shoulder, burying her face into the cook of her neck while her knees dug into Akko's ribs.
"Why didn't you tell me you were a Demi-Human?" Akko asked Yoruichi, panting with effort to keep walking. "All those times I saw you around the neighborhood – why didn't you say anything?"
"I couldn't – not without giving myself away to the Magic Council," said Yoruichi solemnly.
"The Magic Council?" Akko repeated.
"You haven't noticed, but the Magic Council has been monitoring you extremely close since you returned home at the start of the summer," said Yoruichi. "Agents for the Council posing as everyday civilians, watching you from a distance, sometimes even following in secret. And not just you either, but your parents as well. Your father's office suddenly had several new employees on his floor the day after you came back from Luna Nova and they were all 'conveniently' settled right next to your father's desk. And Midori-ya, the café where your mother works, also got a bunch of new regular customers that always come around every day at the same time, like clockwork."
"Why is the Magic Council watching my family so much," asked Akko, worry starting to bubble up in his stomach.
"It's because you're the Star-Born Child – oh, don't look so surprised," said Yoruichi, not even looking back at Akko to know her expression. "Everyone in the Sphere knows who you are."
"Okay…ignoring the fact that your 'Sphere' is starting to sound like a stalker network," Akko mumbled. "What does me being the Star-Born Child have to do with the Magic Council."
"Everything," said Yoruichi severely. "You were the one who came back from the Contest of Champions and reported Jennifer's return, which goes against the narrative that Crawford Seam and the Council are trying to push. The rest of the world doesn't know who you are, but if people find out that the Star-Born Child spoke out against the Council, it would cause them to lose face and disturb the accumulation of power they've built up for themselves. The Star-Born Child is a hero – a legend – everyone would readily side with you over a Council with a long track record of incompetence and failures. That's why the Magic Council seeks to discredit you before that happens. The Council wants to make it so that when people think of Akko Kagari, they think of a troublemaker instead of a hero."
"Well, they don't have far to go," Akko grumbled. "Scaglietti laid out the groundwork during the Contest."
"Yeah, that's a problem," said Yoruichi, "but I'm afraid this will be much worse. The Magic Council is going to jump on this little incident, you can count on that. They'll hang you for using magic on a Human – "
"But I didn't use it on Umaru!" Akko shouted. "I used it on the Heartless!"
"That's a matter of perspective," said Yoruichi solemnly. "And you can bet the Council's perspective is not going to match yours – KISUKE URAHARA, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
There was a loud bang as a lankly, unshaken man in frumpy dark clothes and a striped bucket hat materialized in front of them. He had a general Laissez-faire vibe to him as he smiled quite serenely at the trio with unkempt blonde hair and a lazy look in his eyes.
"Sup, Yoruichi," he said casually, looking from the black cat to Akko and Umaru. "What happened to staying undercover?"
"I'll give you undercover!" Yoruichi hissed. "Heartless, you useless, rundown shopkeeper!"
"Heartless?" repeated, Urahara, blinking slowly. "In Japan?"
"Yes, in Japan!" Yoruichi howled. "Heartless attacking Kagari on your watch!"
"Oh," said Urahara, nonchalantly looking from Yoruichi to Akko and back again. "Well, then it's a good thing you were there."
"I didn't get there in time! Kagari had to defend herself! While you were off buying more useless crap!"
"Hey, it's not useless," Urahara whined. "I'll have you know, a Reishi conversion machine – "
Yoruichi pounced on Urahara's face and started scratching furiously. Akko watched Urahara flail back and forth around the street trying to pry the black cat off his face.
"Ouch – hey – quit it! Someone's gotta tell the Sphere!"
"Yes, they should!" yelled Yoruichi, still scratching at every bit of Urahara's face she could reach. "And it had better be you! And you can tell them why you weren't there to help!"
"Keep your whiskers on!" said Urahara, finally managing to throw her off. "I'm going, I'm going!"
And with another bang, he vanished.
"Sometime I wonder why I put myself out for that guy," Yoruichi grumbled. "Now come on, Kagari, what're you waiting for?"
Akko decided not to waste her remaining breath on pointing out that she was one who held them up. She readjusted the semi-conscious Umaru on her back and staggered onward.
"I'll take you to the door," said Yoruichi, as they turned into Akko's street. "Just in case there are more of them around…. Oh lord, this is a disaster…and you had to fight them off yourself…and now the Magic Council is going to be a problem…. Well, it's no good crying over spilled milk, I guess…."
"So," Akko panted, "these…Celestial Sphere guys…have been following me?"
"Of course we have," said Yoruichi impatiently. "Did you think they'd let you wander around on your own after what happened in June? Jennifer is after you and Minrou both. We needed to keep an eye on you for your protection, while simultaneously avoiding the eye of the Magic Council. I don't think I need to tell you how much trouble we've gone through…. Right…get inside and stay there," she said as they reached the Kagari house. "I expect someone will be in touch with you soon enough."
"What're you going to do?" asked Akko quickly.
"I need to patrol the area for any more Heartless activity," said Yoruichi, staring around the dark street. "Those heartless were Neo Shadows; that breed is only native to European countries. It's not natural. Just stay in your house. Good night."
"Hang on, don't go yet! I wanna know – "
But Yoruichi had already slipped over the low garden wall, her black fur blending into the night.
"Wait!" Akko shouted after her; she had a million questions to ask anyone who was in contact with the magical world. Scowling, Akko readjusted Umaru on her back and made her slow, painful way up the path.
The hall light was on. Akko stuck her wand back inside her pocket, rang the bell, and waited patiently for her mother to answer the door.
"Akko! It's about time you came back! Do you have any – any – oh kami, what happened?"
Akko looked sideways over her shoulder at Umaru and set her down on her feet just in time. Umaru swayed for a moment on the spot, her face pale green, then she opened her mouth and vomited over the doormat.
"UMARU! Umaru, what's the matter with you? Akko, what's the matter with her? Shuichi? SHUICHI!"
Akko's father came galumphing out of the living room, taking in the scene of his daughter holding back Umaru's hair as she expelled the contents of her stomach on the front step. He hurried forward to help Akko negotiate the weak-kneed Umaru over the threshold while avoiding stepping in the pool of sick.
"Akko, what happened?" he asked her immediately.
"I'll explain in a minute," said Akko hurriedly.
"Why are you two covered in dirt?" Mrs. Kagari came up behind them. "Were you lying on the ground? Hang on – you weren't mugged, were you?"
"Just hold on a minute!" Akko said, growing more impatient with the slew of questions.
"This is important, Akko!" Mrs. Kagari snapped firmly. "Taihei! I need to call Taihei! He'll be so worried!"
While Mrs. Kagari called Umaru's older brother on her cell, Akko and Mr. Kagari slammed the door behind them and made their way noisily down the hall toward the kitchen. The clean tiles and counter had an oddly unreal glitter after the darkness outside. Mr. Kagari ushered Umaru into a chair; she was still very green and clammy looking. Mrs. Kagari came surging into the room not long after as she ended the call on her phone.
"Taihei will be here as soon as he can," she announced.
"Then until he gets here, you can start explaining why his sister just threw up on our front door," Mr. Kagari said to Akko.
"It wasn't my fault," said Akko immediately; a reflex she was used to using after years of getting in trouble.
"We're not saying it was," said Mr. Kagari, who was now sponging the sick from the front of Umaru's dress. "We just want to know what happened."
"Everything that happened," Mrs. Kagari added sternly, like she already knew Akko was going to leave out a few details. Like turning the Shiny Rod on Umaru, for example.
But at that precise moment, a large black crow wearing an official-looking hat and collar swooped in through the kitchen window. Narrowly missing the top of Mr. Kagari's head, it soared across the kitchen, dropped a large envelope it was carrying under its wing at Akko's feet, and turned gracefully, the tips of its wings just brushing the top of the fridge, then zoomed outside again and into the night sky.
"OH, COME ON! AGAIN?!" bellowed Mrs. Kagari, the well-known vein in her temple pulsing angrily as she slammed the kitchen window shut. "WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE BIRDS? WHO EVEN USES BIRDS ANYONE? IT'S THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY! SEND AN E-MAIL!"
But Akko was already ripping open the envelope and pulling out the letter inside, her heart pounding somewhere in the region of her throat.
Dear Miss Kagari,
We have received intelligence that you performed a light-based Extermination Spell at twenty-three minutes past nine
this evening in the active assault of a human.
The severity of this breach of the International Charter for the Relations of Humans and Demi-Humans has resulted in
your expulsion from Luna Nova Magical Academy. Magic Council representatives will be calling at your place of
residence shortly to destroy your wand.
As you have already received an official warning for a previous offence under Paragraph D of the International Charter
for the Relations of Humans and Demi-Humans, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary
hearing at the Magic Council in Era at 9 A.M. on August 12
th
.
Hoping you are well,
Your sincerely,
Mest Gryder
Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Magic Council of Era
Akko read the letter through twice. She was only vaguely aware of her mother and father talking in the vicinity. Inside her head, all was icy and numb. One fact had penetrated her consciousness like a paralyzing dart. She was expelled from Luna Nova. It was all over. She was never going back.
She looked her parents. Mrs. Kagari was staring her down like a hawk, waiting for Akko to explain herself; Mr. Kagari was still sopping up Umaru, who had retched again.
Akko's temporarily stupefied brain seemed to reawaken. Magic Council representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand. They were going to destroy her wand – Finnelan's daughter's wand – and they could even try to take the Shiny Rod as well. It was just as Yoruichi had predicted.
There was only one thing she could do. She had to run – now. Where she was going to go, Akko didn't know, but she was certain of one thing: At Luna Nova or outside it, she needed the Shiny an almost dreamlike state, she pulled her wand out and turned to leave the kitchen.
"Where do you think you're going?" shouted Mrs. Kagari. When Akko didn't reply, she stomped across the kitchen to block the doorway into the hall. "We're not done talking, Akko!"
"I need to go," said Akko quickly.
"You need to start explaining yourself right now – "
"Get out of my way or I'll hex you," said Akko, raising her wand.
"Akko, what is going on with you?" said Mr. Kagari aghast. "Threatening your own mother? That's not like you."
"I don't want to, but I will if I have to," said Akko. "I please, just get out of the way or I'll – "
A resounding CRACK filled the kitchen; Mr. Kagari yelled in a fright, Mrs. Kagari flinched and ducked, but for the third time that night, Akko was staring for the source of the disturbance she had not made. She spotted it at once: Haruka-san had smushed her face against the closed kitchen window, stretching her dopey smile farther than it should.
Ignoring Mrs. Kagari's exasperated yells, Akko crossed the room and wrenched the window open again. Haruka-san had a small roll of paper tied to her ribbon. The moment Akko pulled it out, the Puchi bounced away out of sight. Hands shaking, Akko unfurled the second message, which was written very hastily in blue ink.
Akko –
Granny's just arrived in Era, and she's trying to sort it all out. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PARENT'S HOUSE.
DO NOT DO ANY MORE MAGIC. DO NOT GIVE UP THE SHINY ROD.
Lotte
Professor Holbrooke was trying to sort it all out…. What did that mean? How did she even know Akko was in trouble? How much power did Holbrooke have to override the Magic Council? Was there a chance that she might be allowed back to Luna Nova, then? A small shoot of hope burgeoned in Akko's chest, almost immediately strangled by panic – How was she supposed to refuse to surrender the Shiny Rod without doing magic? She'd have to duel with the Council representatives, and even if the Shiny Rod wasn't malfunctioning for some weird reason, she'd be lucky to escape Dol Guldur, let alone expulsion.
Her mind was racing…. She could run for it and risk being captured by the Council, or stay put and wait for them to find her here. She was much more tempted by the former course, but she knew that Lotte had her best interests at heart…and, after all, Professor Holbrooke had sorted out much worse than this before….
"Right," Akko said, "I've changed my mind, I'm staying."
She flung herself down at the kitchen table and faced Umaru and Mr. Kagari. Her parents appeared taken aback at her abrupt change of mind. Mr. Kagari glanced despairingly at Mrs. Kagari. Mrs. Kagari took a deep, calming breath before addressing Akko again.
"Who are all these messages from?" she asked evenly.
"The first one was from the Magic Council, expelling me," said Akko serenely; she was straining her ears to catch noises outside in case the Council representatives were approaching, and it was easier and quieter to answer her mother's questions than to have her start raging and bellowing. "The second one was from my friend Lotte, telling me her grandmother is sorting everything out."
Mrs. Kagari did not respond right away. She took a few carefully measured steps toward Akko, kneeling down so that they were at eye level, and said, "And why have you been expelled?"
"Because they think I used magic on Umaru."
"Did you?" Mrs. Kagari questioned. There was no judgment in her voice, but it sounded like the beginning of one of her lectures that Akko had received over the years. "Did you use magic on Umaru?
"No," said Akko hastily. "I mean, I used it near her – "
"Did," Umaru croaked unexpectedly. Mrs. Kagari raised her hand at Akko to quiet her and bent low over Umaru.
"Go on, Umaru," said Mrs. Kagari softly. "Tell us what happened."
"Pointed her wand at me," Umaru mumbled.
"It was the Shiny Rod," Akko began, "but I didn't use – "
"Akko, enough!" Mrs. Kagari snapped strictly, "Please continue, Umaru."
"All dark," Umaru said hoarsely, shuddering. "Everything dark. And then I h-heard…things. Inside my h-head…"
Mr. and Mrs. Kagari exchanged looks of suppressed fear.
"What sort of things did you hear, dear?" breathed Mr. Kagari.
"I…I heard m-mama's voice," Umaru sputtered, very white-faced and with tears in her eyes. "A-and I h-heard tires and – and a crash and – "
Umaru couldn't bring herself to say the rest as tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Despite the sense of numb dread that had settled on Akko since the arrival of the first letter, she felt a pang of sympathy for Umaru. The Heartless were creatures that fed on the light of people's hearts, leaving only darkness. People who got close to the Heartless were forced to relive the darkest moments of their lives, and Akko knew exactly which memory Umaru had gone through.
Akko heard the story from Hikari. A few years before Akko left for Luna Nova, Umaru and her mother had gotten involved in a car crash. Umaru had survived in the back seat with only a few scrapes and bruises, but Umaru's mother had been severely injured in the crash. The ambulance had arrived in time to pull her out, but Umaru's mother had died mid-transport. That's how Umaru ended up in the care of her older brother. Akko was no stranger to death after four years at Luna Nova, but she had never lost someone as close to her as Umaru did.
"What happened next, Umaru?" said Mrs. Kagari in an unnaturally quiet voice, the kind of voice she would adopt at the bedside of a very sick person.
"I – I ran away," said Umaru shakily. "T-tripped. And then – "
She gestured at her chest. Akko understood: Umaru was remembering the clammy cold that filled the lungs as hope and happiness were sucked out of you.
"Horrible," croaked Umaru. "Cold. Really cold."
Okay," said Mrs. Kagari in a voice of forced calm, while Mr. Kagari laid an anxious hand on Umaru's forehead to feel her temperature. "What happened then?"
"Felt…felt…felt…as if…as if…"
"As if all hope was lost," Akko supplied tonelessly.
"Yes," Umaru whispered, still trembling.
"Akko," said Mrs. Kagari, standing up to her full considerable height. "From what it sounds like, you lost your temper again, pulled out your wand, and cast some kind of spell on her so she'd hear voices and believe she was – was doomed to misery or something. Tell me this isn't true."
"It's not!" said Akko, temper and voice rising together. "It wasn't me! It was a couple of Heartless!"
"Heartless?" Mr. Kagari interjected, taken aback. "Those things that guard the magic prison? What was it call, Dull Girder or something?"
"Dol Guldur," Akko corrected, suddenly goggling at him in astonishment. "Wait, how do you know about that?"
"You think we wouldn't know after that Izetta business two years ago," said Mrs. Kagari coolly. "After you ran away from home and flew all the way to Finland, the Headmistress was kind enough to message us and tell us you were okay. She was also forthcoming about those…Heartless things guarding the school while Izetta was on the loose, for your protection. Why anyone would even consider putting those dangerous beasts within a hundred miles of school children is baffling. I mean, what the hell are those dumbasses on the Council doing?"
Akko was stunned. She supposed it shouldn't have been too surprising that the Kagaris would try to do everything in their power to keep Akko safe, even if they were a continent away. They were overprotective to the point of smothering her, which in a way Akko knew she should be grateful for, but most of the time she just thought it was insufferable.
Mrs. Kagari was still in the middle of her rant about the inadequacy of the Magic Council when another crow zoomed through the still-open window like a feathery cannonball and landed with a clatter on the kitchen table, causing Mr. and Mrs. Kagari jump with a fright. Akko tore a second official-looking envelope from the crow's wing and ripped it open as the crow swooped back out into the night.
"Enough – goddamn – birds!" Mrs. Kagari howled irritably, stomping over to the window and slamming it shut again.
Dear Miss Kagari,
Further to our letter of approximately twenty-two minutes ago, the Magic Council has revised
its decision to destroy your wand forthwith. You may retain your wand until your disciplinary
hearing on the 12
th
of August, at which time an official decision will be taken.
Follow discussions with the Headmistress of Luna Nova Magical Academy, the Magic Council
has agreed that the question of your expulsion will also be decided at that time. You should
therefore consider yourself suspended from school pending further inquiries.
With best wishes,
Your sincerely,
Mest Gryder
Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Magic Council of Era
Akko read this letter through three times in quick succession. The miserable knot in her chest loosened slightly at the thought that she was not definitely expelled, though her fears were by no means banished. Everything seemed to hang on this hearing on the twelfth of August.
"Well," said Mrs. Kagari, recalling Akko to her surroundings. "What now? Was that one of your friends? Or from the Magic Council again?"
"The Magic Council," Akko answered. "I've got to go to a hearing."
"When?"
"In August."
"Then we have a little bit of time, I guess," Mrs. Kagari muttered thoughtfully.
"Well if that's all," said Akko, getting to her feet. She was desperate to be alone, to think, perhaps send a message to Lotte, Sucy, or Izetta.
"Oh no, we are not done here, Atsuko Rukia Kagari!" Mrs. Kagari snapped. "Sit – back – down!"
"What now?" said Akko impatiently.
"Don't you take that tone with me!" roared Mrs. Kagari. "You are going to sit down and explain what happened to Umaru! Because I can guarantee Taihei is going to ask the same thing when he gets here!"
"FINE!" Akko yelled, and in her temper, green sparks shot out the end of her wand, still clutched in her hand.
"Umaru and I were in the alleyway coming back from Nabeshima Shoto Park," said Akko, speaking fast, fighting to control her temper. "Umaru came up to me and I got angry because she wouldn't leave me alone, so I pulled out the Shiny Rod, but I didn't use it. The Shiny Rod isn't even working for some reason. Then two Neo Shadow Heartless turned up with a guy in a black coat – "
"A guy in a black coat?" Mrs. Kagari repeated. "That's the first I'm hearing this."
"I…kinda forgot in all of this," said Akko, frowning. "I tried using the Shiny Rod to knock him away, but like I said, the Rod isn't working for some reason. So I used my normal wand instead. I fell down, but he was already gone by the time I looked up. I caught I to Umaru just as they were about to perform the Heart of Darkness - "
"Heart of Darkness?" said Mrs. Kagari, her eyes popping slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It's what happens when a Heartless steals your heart right out of your chest."
"Your heart?" Mr. Kagari gasped. He seized Umaru by the shoulders and shook her, as though testing to see whether her could hear her heart rattling around inside her. "They didn't take – she's still got her – "
"She still has her heart," said Akko exasperatedly. "She'd have turned into a Heartless herself if they took it."
"I suppose you did something to drive them off?" asked Mrs. Kagari.
"Yeah, I used a light-based spell – "
BZZT! Akko jumped at the sharp chime that cut through the kitchen along with the sudden vibration against her thigh. It took her a moment to realize that it was her smartphone; someone had sent her a text.
"Oh, now someone decides to send a message the proper way," Mrs. Kagari groaned, rolling her eyes as Akko fumbled around her pocket and whipped out her phone. "They couldn't think to shoot a text instead of messing up my perfectly nice kitchen with all those damn birds and…whatever that other thing was?"
But Akko was already scrolling through her inbox. She was so convinced it had to be from Lotte or even Amanda, whose mother was on the Magic Council, to explain everything – the Heartless, Yoruichi, what the Council was up to, how Professor Holbrooke intended to sort everything out – that for the first time in her life, she was disappointed to see that it had been Blair texting her. It had been weeks since her guardian/familiar had chosen to contact her. Akko read the message:
Yoruichi just told us what's happened.
Don't leave the house again, whatever you do.
Akko found this such an inadequate response to everything that had happened tonight that she scrolled up and down looking for the rest of the message, but there was nothing there.
And now her temper was rising again. Wasn't anybody going to say "well done" for fighting off two Heartless single-handedly? Both Lotte and Blair were acting as though she'd misbehaved and they were saving their tellings-off until they could ascertain how much damage had been done.
"Who was it this time?" Mrs. Kagari cut though Akko's burning thoughts.
"It's just Blair telling me to behave," Akko snapped, jamming her phone back into her pocket.
"There's something I'm not understanding about all this," said Mr. Kagari. "If it was those Heartless things that attacked you and Umaru, then why have you been expelled?"
Akko took a deep, steadying breath. Her head was beginning to ache again. She wanted more than anything to get out of the kitchen, to be alone.
"Like I said, I did a light-based spell on the Heartless," she said, forcing herself to remain calm. "It's the only thing that works on them. They were near Umaru when I did it."
"But what were Heartless doing in Jingumae?" said Mrs. Kagari.
"I don't know," said Akko wearily. "I couldn't tell you if I wanted to…."
Her head was pounding in the glare of the strip lighting now. Her anger was ebbing away. She felt drained, exhausted. Her parents were staring at her, while Umaru looked like she was teetering on the edge of sleep.
"It can't just be a coincidence," said Mrs. Kagari coolly. "There has never been a Heartless sighting this close to Shibuya before, especially in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. And they just happened to turn up, right down that alley you were in?"
"I don't know why they were here…."
But Mrs. Kagari's words made Akko's exhausted brain grind back into action. Why had the Heartless come to Jingumae? How could it be a coincidence that they had arrived in the alleyway where Akko was? Like Yoruichi said, the Neo Shadow breed weren't native outside Europe. Had they been sent? Had the Magic Council lost control of the Heartless, had they deserted Dol Gulder and joined Jennifer, as Ursula had predicted they would? Or maybe….
"Maybe…the Magic Council sent them…," Akko muttered.
"…What?" Mr. Kagari spoke after a moment's pause.
"I didn't actually use magic on Umaru, but the Magic Council think I did," said Akko, her voice growing stronger as the thoughts coursed through her head. "Maybe that's what they wanted? Maybe they sent the Heartless so I would use magic. Then they'd have a good reason to expel me and take my wand."
"Akko, you're not making any sense," said Mrs. Kagari, shaking her head. "Why would the Magic Council go out of their way to frame you for something?"
"Because I'm the Star-Born Child," said Akko firmly. "And the Star-Born Child is way more important to the rest of the magic world than the Council. They want to make me look bad; frame me so that everyone thinks I'm some evil witch that goes around attacking humans for no reason! Yoruichi said it herself! It all makes sense!"
"Why do you think the Magic Council is out to get you?"
"Because of Jennifer," said Akko darkly.
She registered dimly the piercing silence that suddenly fell over Mrs. Kagari's surgically clean kitchen, drawing Akko's attention upwards. Mrs. Kagari had her hands clenched around the back of a chair, her fingers threatening to break it, while Mr. Kagari went deathly pale, hardly blinking as he stared straight ahead at Akko. Umaru was the only person who didn't respond to the name of the most ancient and powerful witch of the age, but instead leaned forward against the table, folded her arms under her head, and finally succumb to her fatigue.
"Explain," Mrs. Kagari demanded quietly.
"You remember Crawford Seam?" said Akko.
"The fat blowhard from the Contest – hard to forget," Mr. Kagari spat with a grimace. Akko's father rarely spoke badly about other people, but it seemed that the Chairman of the Magic Council was the exception.
"Apparently, him and the Magic Council are trying to convince everyone that Jennifer isn't back because they're afraid of losing face or something," said Akko, her hands clenching the fabric of her jeans. "They've even been trying to make everyone think that I'm some kind of lunatic so that if it ever gets out I'm the Star-Born Child, no one will believe a word I say."
"And you think the Magic Council set up this whole thing to solidify that you're a threat and take your wand in a way the public can't argue against," Mr. Kagari skillfully summarized. "I can see why you might think that's true, but isn't that a little much? Even the Magic Council wouldn't go as far as putting people in danger."
"Like normal government wouldn't do the same," Mrs. Kagari said dryly. "No, Shuichi, it's sound logic. The Magic Council doesn't want anything to ruin their perfectly established powerbase, so they're getting rid of anything that could tear it down. They don't want to admit that they're wrong about Jennifer and those Purifier cultists working for her, so they're going after our baby. Those mother – they think I'm going to take this lying down, they've got another thing coming!"
"Calm down, Kaori!" Mr. Kagari shouted frantically, chasing his wife out the kitchen. Akko blinked for a second, before jumping out of her seat and following suit. "What do you think you are doing?"
"I'm going to go right up to those Magic Council assholes and slap the beard off that fatass chairman!" Mrs. Kagari raged as she strode down the hallway, stopping at the door to put on her shoes.
"Kaori, there are so many holes in your plan," Mr. Kagari said exasperatedly, running a hand down his face. "For starters, it's the middle of the night and there are probably more of those Heartless things roaming around. We're safer inside the house where we're protected by the barriers."
Akko stared at her father with a strange expression. She knew about the magical barriers protecting the Kagari household from Marianna after she had broken Akko's arm in Chariot Racing, but she didn't know her parents were aware of them.
"Secondly," Mr. Kagari continued, "you don't even know where the Magic Council is. It could be on the other side of the world for all you know. Let's just cool our heads before we do something dramatic – "
"Dramatic? Dramatic? We're beyond dramatic at this point, Shuichi!" Mrs. Kagari bellowed, rounding on her husband, who amazing didn't flinch away. "Do you not remember everything this family has been put through for the last five years? Giant flaming birds in the middle of a parade, letters flooding our house, ninjas coming and going, throwing birthday cakes at guests, birds treating our house like a rest home, my sister turning into a hippo – "
"like anyone could tell the difference," Mr. Kagari muttered out of the corner of his lips.
"- half our living room destroyed, spiders everywhere, and now the Magic Council is after our little girl!" Mrs. Kagari continued. "And that's not even going into all the crap Akko has gone through at Luna Nova!. I've had enough of this bullshit! Enough! It was a mistake to let Akko go to that damn school in the first place! If we had just sent her to a normal school, for normal people, none of this would have ever happened! Akko wouldn't have to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder for some Neo Nazi and her cultists goons, or have to be scared of our own government coming after her! I'm done! I'm not doing this anymore! I'm not letting our daughter – OUR daughter, not hers – go though this hell any longer! And I've had enough – BIRDS!"
Mrs. Kagari ripped the front door open in her rage, but was blocked off by the third crow that evening flapping in place at the threshold. Unlike the black feathered versions in fancy accessories sent by the Magic Council, this crow was ancient-looking with pale-white feathers and a star-shaped crest on its belly. Akko immediately recognized him: it was Alcor, Professor Ursula's familiar.
Akko darted forward, expecting to find some kind of letter from her teacher, but Alcor flew over her head and went straight for Mrs. Kagari. What surprised Akko was that Mrs. Kagari held out her arm for Alcor to perch on, like she had done it many times before. What was going on?
"What do you want?" Mrs. Kagari hissed, leering at Alcor. "Your owner better have a good reason for – "
Alcor leaned in close to Mrs. Kagari's ear like he was whispering a secret no one else should hear. Mrs. Kagari's glare shifted from shocked to uncertainty to mournful in only a handful of seconds. What could Alcor have said to her, Akko wondered. But the wizened crow had hopped off of Mrs. Kagari's arm and swooped out the open door before Akko could move closer.
"…Koari," Mr. Kagari said hesitantly. "Kaori, are you…that is to say…."
Mrs. Kagari said nothing. Without so much as a glance at Akko, she stepped over and closed the front door quietly before removing her shoes. Akko was watching her mother, utterly bewildered, her head throbbing fit to burst.
"Kaori, dear," said Mr. Kagari timidly. "K-Kaori?"
She turned slowly to face them with a blank look in her eyes.
"Shuichi, go check on Umaru," she said tonelessly.
"W-what?"
"Taihei will be along any minute," she said. She was regaining her usual brisk, snappish manner rapidly, though she was still very pale. "If he asks what happened, we'll tell him that Akko accidentally used magic when she didn't mean to. Tell him she will be punished for it. Do not mention anything about the Heartless."
"But Kaori – "
Mrs. Kagari ignored him. She turned to Akko.
"You are to stay in your room," she said evenly. "You're not to leave the house. Now go to bed."
Akko didn't move.
"What did Professor Ursula say?"
"I said go to bed," Mrs. Kagari snapped.
"Have you been talking to my teachers?"
"Go to bed!"
"How come - ?"
When Mrs. Kagari slapped her across the face and demanded Akko to go to be one final time, Akko complied.
Notes:
Next Chapter: The Advance Guard
Chapter Text
I've been attacked by Heartless and I might get expelled from Luna Nova.
I want to know what's going on and when I'm getting out of here.
Akko copied and pasted these words onto several separate e-mails the moment she reached her dark bedroom. She addressed them to all her friends who were capable of using computers (meaning everyone except Diana, who was surprisingly bad with technology). After sending in rapid succession, Akko started pacing the bedroom, expecting them to reply immediately, her head pounding, her brain too busy for sleep even though her eyes stung and itched with tiredness. Her back ached from carrying Umaru home, and the two lumps where the window and Umaru had hit her were throbbing painfully.
Up and down she paced, consumed with anger and frustration, grinding her teeth and clenching her fists, casting angry looks out at the empty, star-strewn sky every time she passed the window. Heartless sent to get her, Yoruichi and Urahara tailing her in secret, then suspension from Luna Nova and a hearing with the Magic Council – and still no one was telling her what was going on.
And what, what, had Alcor been doing here? Why did Professor Ursula send her familiar to her mother? What had the old crow whispered in her ear that made Mrs. Kagari go rigid?
Why was she still trapped here without information? Why was everyone treating her like some naughty child? Don't do any more magic, stay in the house….
She kicked her bedpost as she passed it, which in retrospect was a very stupid idea because the post was made of solid wood and her foot was just flesh and bone. Now she had to deal with a sharp pain in her toe in addition to the pain in the rest of her body.
She heard the front door slam through the open window and looked outside. She caught Taihei carrying Umaru on his back to the car sitting on the street, driving by Taihei's work friend. Umaru still looked very green in the face as Taihei settled her in the backseat. Akko would have felt sorry for her, but that would mean temporarily setting aside her anger, which she did not want at the moment. She wanted to stay angry so that she would be ready to tear at her so-called friends when, and if, they finally decided to start talking to her again.
Akko threw herself down onto her bed without undressing and stared at the dark ceiling. They were bound to write back quickly, Akko thought; they couldn't possibly ignore a Heartless attack. She'd probably wake up tomorrow to an inbox full of sympathy and plans for her immediate removal to the O'Neill's hotel or the Manbavaran mansion. And with that comforting idea, sleep rolled over her, stifling all further thought.
But her inbox was empty the next morning. Akko spent the day in her bedroom, leaving it only to go to the bathroom. Three times that day, Mr. Kagari would walk up to her door and try to convince her to join them for meals, but he might as well have been talking to the doorknob for all the good it did. He eventually gave and just decided to bring food to her door and pick up the dishes when she was finished. Mrs. Kagari, on the other hand, was make no effort to engage her and left Akko to her own devices, which was rather unusual considering the woman had threatened to run straight up to the Magic Council for her sake just the other night. Akko couldn't bring herself to care either way; her mother wasn't going to share what Alcor had said, so there was nothing to talk about.
So it went on for three whole days. Akko was filled alternately with restless energy that made her unable to settle to anything, during which she paced her bedroom again, furious at the whole lot of them for leave her to stew in this mess, and with a lethargy so complete that she could lie on her bed for an hour at a time, staring dizzily into space, aching with dread at the thought of the Council hearing.
What if they ruled against her? What if she was expelled and her wand was snapped in half. The Shiny Rod was safe with its own protective magic, but it had limited power in its current state, currently only possessing four of its seven gems. What would she do, where would she go? Would she be forced to go back to living an average life as she did for her first eleven years? Akko didn't think she could do that now that she knew there was another world out there where she belonged. Or would it even matter? Had her breach of the International Charter for the Relations of Humans and Demi-Humans been severe enough to land her in a cell in Dol Guldur? Whenever this thought occurred, Akko invariably slid off her bed and started pacing again.
On the fourth night after the Heartless attack, Akko was lying in one of her apathetic phases, staring at the ceiling, her exhausted mind quite blank, when Mrs. Kagari entered her bedroom. Akko looked around slowly at her. Mrs. Kagari was dressed like was going somewhere important, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"We're going out," she said.
"Huh?"
"We – your father and I – are going out."
"Fine," said Akko dully, looking back at the ceiling.
"Try not to cause any trouble."
"Okay."
"Make sure you wash your face and put on some clean clothes."
"Whatever."
"And try not to be disrespectful to them."
"Okay – wait, who's them?" asked Akko, suddenly sitting up and looking at her strangely.
"They should be here soon," Mrs. Kagari. Her expression was neutral, but she was making a great deal of effort not to look her daughter in the eyes. "Just…take care of yourself, all right…. Your father and I love you, Akko. I hope you know that."
Now Akko was starting to feel a little concerned; her mother wasn't usually this cryptic unless it was about something really bad. But before Akko could open her mouth to ask, Mrs. Kagari had already closed the door behind her. A few minutes later, Akko watched her parents load up in the car, Mr. Kagari taking once hesitant glance up at Akko's window, and then drove off down the street.
None of this did anything to alleviate Akko's feelings of apprehension. After three days of staunch silence, her parents had chosen to leave quite ominously and without explaining where they were headed. Slowly and hesitant, Akko laid back down on her bed, not even bothering to turn on the lights in her room as the sun began to set over the horizon. The room grew steadily darker around her as she lay listening to the night sounds through the window she now kept open at all times, listening for anything that might come after her again, whether it be Yoruichi or the Heartless.
The empty house creaked around her. The pipes gurgled. Akko lay there in a kind of stupor, thinking of nothing. Suspended in misery.
And then, quite distinctly, she heard a crash in the kitchen below.
She sat bolt upright, listening intently. Her parents couldn't be back, it was much too soon, and in any case she hadn't heard the car.
There was silence for a few seconds, and then she heard voices.
Burglars, or worse, solicitors, she thought, sliding off the bed onto her feet – but a split second later it occurred to her that burglars would keep their voices down, and whoever was moving around in the kitchen was certainly not troubling to do so.
She snatched her wand from her bedside table and stood facing her bedroom door, listening with all her might. Next moment, she jumped as the door suddenly swung open.
Akko stood motionless, staring through the open door at the dark upstairs landing, straining her ears for further sounds, but none came. She hesitated for a moment and then moved swiftly and silently out of her room to the head of the stairs.
Her heart shot upward into her throat. There were people standing in the shadowy hall below, silhouetted against the streetlight glowing through the door window; eight or nine of them, all, as far as she could see, looking up at her.
"Put that away, girl, before you poke someone's eye out," said a low, chilling voice.
Akko's heart was thumping uncontrollably. She knew that voice, but she did not lower her wand.
"Principle Ram? She said uncertainly.
"I'm not a Principle anymore," said the voice coldly. "Not since the Council decided to dismiss me. 'Unhinged', they said. It doesn't matter. Get down here, we want to see you properly."
Akko lowered her wand slightly but did not relax her grip on it, nor did she move. She had a very good reason to be suspicious. Ram was the principle of Black Star Academy, the school where her friend, Mato Kuroi, had gone to before she was taken by Eveline. Ram claimed she wasn't possessed like her student, but there was always the hint of doubt in the back of Akko's brain. But before she could make a decision about what to do next, a second, warmer voice floated upstairs.
"It's all right, Akko. We've come to take you away."
Akko's heart leapt. She knew that voice too, one that she was more than grateful to hear again.
"I–Izetta-obasan?" she said disbelievingly. "Is that you?"
"Why are we all standing in the dark?" said a third voice, this one completely unfamiliar, a man's. "Lumen.
A ball of light popped in the air, illuminating the hall. Akko blinked. The people below were crowded around the foot of the stairs, gazing intently up at her, some craning their heads for a better look.
Izetta Du Nord stood closest to her. Akko still had a poster of Shiny Chariot from her performance days and the resemblance between the sisters was uncanny from the disheveled, apple-red hair to the garnet-colored eyes. The only difference between them was that Izetta was noticeably thinner, due in part to being imprisoned in Dol Guldur for thirteen years. Akko noticed that before Izetta liked to wear earth-toned clothes because she was in hiding, but now she wore a pristine white – and quite revealing – dress that looked more like a costume than casual eveningwear. Nevertheless, she was smiling broadly at Akko, who tried to smile back through her shock.
"Wow, she looks just like I thought she would," said the man who was holding the light aloft. He was notably handsome with groomed brunette hair and a neatly trimmed beard that fitted well with his tailored brown suit. "Good evening to you, Miss Kagari."
"Yeah, I see what you mean, Izetta," said a fair-skinned with flowing black hair that nearly reached the floor; she had a thick set of eyebrows that reminded Akko of someone. "She does kinda look like Finnalan's girl."
"Except for the eyes," said an elven-looking man at the back. "She has the Du Nord eyes."
Ram, who had lengthy platinum-blonde hair and curled horns like her namesake, was squinting suspiciously at Akko. As opposed to the Victorian-styled clothes she wore during the Contest of Champions, her clothes were now shabby and her right side was concealed underneath a tattered cloak, hiding her missing right arm, which had been taken when Eveline made her escape with Ram's students.
"Are you quite sure it's her, Du Nord," she said, leering. "It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back a Council stooge impersonating her. We should ask her something only the real Kagari would know. Unless you prefer doing it the old-fashioned way?"
"Akko, where did we first meet?" said Izetta.
"Nabeshima Shoto Park," Akko answered nervously. "I just ran away from home after turning my aunt into a hippo, then you came skulking out of the trees like a creepy zombie."
"That's her, Ram," said Izetta. "Though I would have appreciated it if she had kept the 'creepy zombie' part to herself."
Akko descended the stairs, very conscious of everybody still staring at her, stowing her wand in her pocket as she came.
"Better safe than sorry," grumbled Ram, stomping off toward the kitchen. "We already have enough to deal with between Jennifer's cultists and those assholes on the Council without a spy in our midst…."
Izetta boldly threw her arms around Akko and pulled her in.
"How've you been, ma niece," she asked softly, looking at Akko closely.
"F-fine…"
Akko could hardly believe this was real. Four weeks with nothing, not the tiniest hint of a plan to remove her from Jingumae, and suddenly a whole bunch of Demi-Humans was standing matter-of-factly in the house as though this were a long-standing arrangement. She glanced at the people surrounding Izetta; they were still gazing avidly at her. She felt very conscious of the fact that she had not changed her clothes in four days.
"You – you guys were who okaa-san was talking about…" she mumbled.
"Ursula had told your parents we were moving you after the attack four days ago," said the handsome man holding the light. "Believe me, it took a while to organize the whole thing. Your parents are pretending to be heading for some charity event at your father's office. That should keep at least half of the Magic Council's spies away from the house – just enough for us to slip through unseen."
So that's why Alcor had shown up, Akko thought. That also explained why Mrs. Kagari had been acting rather distant for the past few days; because if she hadn't, Mrs. Kagari would have likely broke down and done something to prevent her daughter from leaving. Akko suddenly felt guilty about her attitude towards them.
"We're leaving, right?" she asked. "Soon?"
"Almost at once," said Izetta, "we're just waiting for the all-clear."
"Where're we going? New York? The Philippians?"
"No, neither of those," said Izetta, motioning Akko toward the kitchen; the little knot of Demi-Humans followed, all still eyeing Akko curiously. "Too risky. We've set up a headquarters somewhere undetectable. It's taken a while…."
Ram was now sitting at the kitchen table swigging from a murky-looking bottle, her eyes roaming around anxiously.
"You remember Ram, don't you, Akko," Izetta continued, pointing toward the horned woman.
"Hard to forget; the set up an entire investigation about me and Nico," said Akko with a grimace.
"And for good reason," Ram grumbled irritably.
"And this is Professor Philip England," said Izetta, pointing to the handsome bearded man. "He's a Lay Line geophysicist and a teacher at the University of Oxford."
"It's a pleasure to be making your acquaintance, Miss Kagari," said Mr. England with a polite bow. "I've heard so many things about you from my daughter…though not all of them are good, I admit."
"Your dau – wait, England? Are you…Hannah's dad?" said Akko, gaping. Mr. England nodded with a proud smile. "You are not at all what I expected."
"The Englands specialize in Sensory Magic, which really helps in Philip's field of occupation," said Izetta.
Akko remembered Hannah mentioning this once last year when she had helped Akko sneak a peek at the Xenomorph Queen before the first challenge. Sensory Magic was the ability to detect sources of magic, no matter how small, from considerable distances and with pinpoint accuracy, like a radar. But it was an exceedingly rare gift that less than 0.01 percent of Demi-Humans could use.
"And over there is Angela Parker, Barbara's mother," Izetta continued, indicating to the long-haired woman with thick eyebrows; that explained why she looked familiar, Akko thought. "She's a physical therapist at Alchemilla Hospital. And that is Patolli" – she gestured to the Elven man – "Jellal Fernandes – "
"Heard you about what you did in your first year; impressive," said the tattooed man in the corner.
" – Mii of the Flame Emperors Guild" – a redheaded woman in fantasy-esque armor inclined her head – "Chris Redfield, founder and operative of the BSAA" – a rugged man in tactical gear nodded – "and Shantae, the Half-Genie Guardian of Sequin Land." A tan woman with a long purple hair in a high ponytail waved next to the toaster.
Akko inclined her head awkwardly at each of them as they were introduced. She wished they would look at something other than her; it was as though she had suddenly been ushered onstage. She also wondered why so many of them were there.
"A surprising number of people volunteered to come and get you," said Izetta, as though she had read Akko's mind; the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.
"Yeah, well, the more the better," said Ram darkly. "We're your guard, Kagari."
We're just waiting for the signal to tell us it's safe to set off," said Izetta, glancing at Chris, who had pulled out his smartphone and shook his head. "We've probably got about fifteen minutes."
"Very clean, aren't they, these humans," said Mrs. Parker airily, sounding like she was in a sort of trance. "My dad was Human and he was a downright slob. Then again, I'm not very tidy either. We'd probably be living in a mountain of trash if not for Barbara's trinkets…."
"Angela is good with people, but she's not exactly…all there," Izetta whispered to Akko as Mrs. Parker stared fascinatingly at her mother's blender.
"Er – yeah, " said Akko awkwardly. "Look" – she turned back to Izetta – "what's going on. I haven't heard from anyone in weeks and suddenly you all show up like this was all planned?"
"That's because it was," said Izetta with an amused smirk. "We were always planning to get you out of Jingumae. You didn't really think we were just going to leave you here all by yourself? After everything that happened with Jennifer?"
"Well…yeah…," Akko muttered uncertainly. "But…if you guys were planning to take me away, why did it take so long?"
"Yoruichi told you that the Magic Council was keeping an eye on you since you came home for the summer," said Izetta with a distasteful frown. "We wanted to get you, but we couldn't risk being spotted by the Magic Council and having them trace us back to our headquarters. We've been thinking nonstop over ideas of how we were going to get you out of Japan."
"We had an opportunity to pull you two weeks into the summer," Ram growled, glaring at Izetta, "but somebody screwed up the timetable, so we had to wait longer."
"I was locked in a small, dark cell for thirteen years!" Izetta snapped defensively. "So forgive me if my concept of time is a little wonky!"
"So…if you guys are here, then that means…," Akko muttered.
"We've finally found an opening to move you," Ram finished, taking another swing from her murky bottle. "The Magic Council's spies have become lax as of late, likely because of your upcoming hearing. The Magic Council probably feels confident that you're going to be found guilty, so they're not bothering to keep watch over you anymore. Well, better for us, anyway."
Akko's heart suddenly felt lighter than it had been all summer. They hadn't forgotten her after all; they were just waiting for the right moment to come rescue her. Now Akko was starting to regret her plans of making voodoo dolls of all her friends….
"How're we getting – wherever we're going?" Akko asked.
"Flying," said Izetta. "Only way. It's too dangerous to used the Corridors because you're still young, the Council will be watching the teleportation checkpoints, and it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorized Summoning Stone."
"Izetta says you're a good flier," said Mr. England.
"She's excellent," said Izetta with a soft smile. "Just like her mother. The first person in centuries to ride the Shooting Star. Anyway, we'd better go and get you packed, Akko. We want to be ready to go when the signal comes."
She followed Akko back into the hall and up the stairs, looking around with much curiosity and interest.
"Angela might be right," she said, "your parents are a little too clean to be normal, you know what I mean. Kinda unnatural. Then again, I was in a dank prison cell for over a decade. Oh, this is better," she added, as they entered Akko bedroom and she turned on the light.
Akko's room was certainly much messier than the rest of the house. Confined to it for four days in a very bad mood, Akko had not bothered tidying up after herself. Most of the books she owned were strewn over the floor where she'd tried to distract herself with each in turn and thrown it aside. Her dresser was thrown open, revealing a jumbled mixture of clothes that had spilled onto the floor around it.
Akko pulled her suitcases out of the closet and started throwing books inside them. Izetta paused at her open closet mirror, looking herself over and readjusting her white outfit until she seemed satisfied.
"Uh, hey," said Akko, looking up at her over the top of The Rise of Ooarai. "What's up with that dress? I mean, It's not that I don't like it – it's really cute – but it doesn't seem like something you'd normally wear."
"Oh, this," Izetta blinked, suddenly looking like a shy schoolgirl fiddling with the hem of her dress. "It was a gift…from Finé." Her face cheeks turned a soft shade of pink as she muttered the name so softly that Akko had difficulty hearing it.
"Finé…wait, you mentioned her before," said Akko thoughtfully. "Last time we met outside of Blytonbury. She's a friend of yours, right? She's been letting you stay with her while you're on the run?"
"Yeah, that's her," said Izetta, grinning almost uncontrollably. "She was my best friend ever since we were little. We used to play together all the time in the Fairy Forest. There was this hidden lake deep in the woods that only we knew about. It was like out secret hideaway. We'd spend hours together playing, swimming, sometimes riding on a broom together. Even after all those…terrible things with Amon happened, Finé believed I was innocent without a shadow of a doubt. She's never gave up on me when everyone else did."
"So she's special to you," said Akko matter-of-factly.
"Finé is…so kind and wonderful," Izetta said, staring wistfully at the ceiling. "I don't know what I would do without her…."
Akko didn't say anything as her aunt seemed to drift into her own world. It was clear to Akko that this Finé person was more than just a friend to Izetta, even if she didn't openly admit it. Akko knew the feeling quite well, having been pining over Diana for nearly five years before she finally had the (figurative) balls to confess her feelings, and in front of a large crowd at that. It was both exciting and scary when you fell in love with someone but you didn't know if your feelings would be returned. Whoever this Finé character was, Akko thought she would be extremely lucky to fall in love with an amazing witch like Izetta.
And speaking of whom, the redhaired witch suddenly blinked and seemed to realize that she was daydreaming, looking guiltily around at all the mess on the floor.
"Er, we really should get going, Akko, we're supposed to pack," she said, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.
"Oh – yeah," said Akko, grabbing up a few more books.
"That's going to take too long," said Izetta. "It'll be quicker if I – pack!"
Izetta waved her hand in a long, sweeping motion over the floor. Books, clothes, telescope, and equipment all soared into the air and flew helter-skelter into the luggage.
"It's not very neat," said Izetta, walking over to the suitcases and looking down at the jumble inside. "Chariot and I were never very good at cleaning. Our brother Orion was always the tidy one. Every year before we left for school, we used to beg him to help us pack."
"You have an older brother?" Akko gasped, looking up at her surprisingly. "I have an uncle? How come I haven't heard about him?"
"Well, you won't exactly see him around the magical world," said Izetta guiltily. "Orion is a what the Demi-Human community calls a 'Dud' – a child born into a Demi-Human family without any Demi-Human qualities like magic. It's like the opposite of a 'Half-Breed'. Duds are rare, but they are deeply shamed by the Demi-Human community to the point where most people pretend they don't exist…. But it's not all bad!" she added, quickly changing to an upbeat tone. "Last I heard, Orion accomplished his dream of becoming a professional chef and opened his own restaurant. I wish I could visit it sometime. I miss the dope."
"Maybe you can after we beat Jennifer," said Akko hopefully.
"Yeah, maybe…," Izetta spoke with a loud sigh. "Anyway, we should get back downstairs. Everyone's probably waiting for us."
Izetta closed Akko's suitcases and waved her hand over them. The luggage rose a few inches into the air. Izetta grabbed the handle of one while Akko grabbed the other and they guided them out the door down the stairs.
Back in the kitchen, Ram was staring out the window taking another huge swig from the bottle until she realized it was empty and tossed it over her shoulder with a dissatisfied grunt. Thankfully, Mii caught it before it could smash on the tile and deposited it properly in the recycling bin. Mr. England and Jellal seemed to be in the middle of a spirited debate while Mrs. Parker was laughing at a potato peeler she had come across while rummaging in the drawers. Shantae was sealing a letter addressed to the Kagaris.
"Oh, hey," said Shantae, looking up as Akko and Izetta entered. "Chris said we should be Ret-2-Go in about a minute. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. I left a letter telling Akko's parents that she's fine and that she'll see them again in the winter."
"The winter?" Akko repeated, blinking.
"We don't want you staying at Luna Nova for the holidays this year," Izetta informed her. "So we figured we could invite your parents along. I know it's been a long time since you got to spend Christmas with them.
Akko smiled; it honestly had been a long time since she spent a holiday away from Luna Nova.
"Come here, Kagari," said Ram gruffly, beckoning Akko toward her. "I need to make you transparent."
"You need to what?" said Akko dumbfounded.
"Transparency Spell," said Ram. "Izetta says you've got a Ring of Gyges, but hold little trust in trinkets; this'll disguise you better. Here you go – "
She rapped Akko's skull with her knuckles, hard, making Akko flinch. Afterward, Akko felt a curious sensation as though Ram had just smashed an egg there; cold trickles seemed to be running down her body from the point where her knuckles touched.
"Nice one, Ram," said Patolli said appreciatively.
Akko looked down at her body, or rather, what had been her body, for it didn't look anything like hers anymore. It was not invisible; more like her body had suddenly become as clear as glass as if she were a human window.
"Come on," said Ram, unlocking the back door.
They all stepped outside onto the Kagari's beautifully kept lawn.
"Clear night," grunted Ram, scanning the heavens. "Could've done with a bit more cloud cover. Right, you," she barked at Akko. "we're going to be flying in close formation. Izetta will be right in front of you, so keep close to her tail and – "
"Uh, yeah, problem," Akko interrupted with a nervous chuckle as Ram leered down at her. "I um…I can't exactly…fly…right now."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ram growled. "Izetta told us you learned how to fly – "
"Yeah, with the Shiny Balai," said Akko, taking a step back. "But, you see, the thing is, the Shiny Rod isn't exactly…working right now."
"Whaddya mean?" asked Izetta, alarmed.
"I've been trying for days, but the Shiny Rod won't respond to any of my commands," said Akko. "I don't know why, it's just not working for some reason. Hasn't been since…."
Since the Heartless attack, which Akko couldn't bring herself to say. She didn't want them to think she was weak after everything that happened.
"That's never happened before…," Izetta mumbled. "All right, change of plans. Akko's riding with me. Everyone else, cover around me. Philip, Angela, stay on either side of me. Ram, you're following behind. Patolli, you're up front now. The rest of you will circle around us. Don't break rank for anything, got me? We keep heading east – no distractions."
"Are you really in any position to be saying that, Du Nord?" Jellal said jokingly as he grabbed one of Akko's suitcases and Mii grabbed the other.
"Everyone, mount up, we got the first signal!" said Chris sharply as he smartphone suddenly buzzed.
Izetta summoned her broom from thin air and swung her leg around, waiting until she felt Akko's weight join hers before hovering a foot off the ground. As Akko grabbed her arms securely around Izetta's waist, she noticed that Mr. England and Mrs. Parker were the only other ones who had brooms. Jellal, Patolli, and Ram floated in the air unsupported, all of them shrouded in pale yellow light, while Shantae suddenly exploded in a cloud of smoke and turned into a giant harpy-like creature. Mii allowed Jellal to wrap his arm around her waist to lift her while Chris climbed on Shantae's back.
"Second signal, let's go!" said Chris loudly, as his phone buzzed again.
Izetta kicked off hard from the ground, nearly unseating Akko as they shot into the sky like a bullet leave the chamber. The cool night air rushed through her hair as the neat square houses of Jingumae fell away, shrinking rapidly into a patchwork of dark colors, and every thought of the Council hearing was swept from her mind as though the rush of air had blown it out of her head. She felt as though her heart was going to explode with pleasure; she was flying again, just like the time when she first rode Shooting Star all those years ago…. For a few glorious moments, all her problems seemed to recede into nothing, insignificant in the vast, starry sky.
"Hard left, hard left, someone's looking up!" shouted Mr. England from her right. Izetta swerved and Akko pressed herself against her back. "We need more height…. Give it another quarter of a mile!"
Akko's eyes were watering in the chill as they soared upward; she could see nothing below now but pinpricks of light that were car headlights and streetlamps.
"Bearing south!" shouted Chris somewhere above her over the flapping of Shantae's wings. "Town ahead!"
They soared right, so that they did not pass directly over the glittering spiderweb of lights below.
"Bear southeast and keep climbing, there's some low cloud ahead we can lose ourselves in!" called Ram from behind.
"We're not going through clouds, Ram!" shouted Izetta angrily. "We'll get soaked!"
Akko was relieved to hear her say this; her uncovered arms were growing numb around Izetta's waist. She wished she had thought to put on a coat; she was starting to shiver.
They sailed over the sapphire-blue waters of the Sea of Japan, past the shores of North Korea, and into greater Asia. They altered their course every now and then, flying over humid jungles, arid deserts, and snowcapped mountains. The constant change in climate was starting to make Akko feel lightheaded. The guard around her was circling continuously like giant birds of prey. Akko lost track of time. She wondered how long they had been flying; it must have been hours by now.
"Turning southwest!" yelled Ram. "We're entering the United Kingdom now! Avoid flying over the roads!"
Akko was no so chilled that she thought longingly for a moment of the snug, dry interiors of the cars streaming along below, then, even more longingly, of traveling by teleportation spell; it was nauseating, but at least it was quick and warm…. Jellal and Mii swooped around her, their coats flapping loudly in the wind…. Now Shantae was on her right, Chris saddled on her back, looking left and right with a rifle in hand…. then they too swooped over her, to be replaced by Mrs. Parker….
"We ought to double back for a bit, just to make sure we're not being followed!" Ram shouted.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND?" Izetta screamed. "We're all tired! My niece is freezing! If we keep going off course, we're not going to get there until next week! We're almost there!"
"Correction, we're already here!" Patolli called from the front. "Time to start the descent!"
Izetta followed Patolli into a dive. They were heading for a great moor, a huge, sprawling patch of untouched grassland marked with a few rolling hills and a small lake in the distance. Akko wanted to reach the ground very much, though she felt sure that someone would have to unfreeze her from the broom.
"Here we go!" called Patolli, and a few seconds later he landed.
Akko and Izetta touched down right behind him and dismounted onto the grass, Akko nearly stumbling as she did. The others started landing shortly after. Shivering, Akko looked around. Nothing by long stretches of low glass in every direction. There were no signs of a house or cottage or that anything even lived in these moors; not even a red grouse or a common viper.
"Where are we?" Akko asked, but Izetta said quietly, "In a minute."
Ram was rummaging in her cloak, her hand clumsy with cold.
"Here," she muttered, thrusting a piece of paper toward Akko's concealed hand. "Read quickly and memorize."
Akko looked down at the piece of paper, using the light of the full moon overhead to illuminate the writing. The narrow, looped script was vaguely familiar. It said:
The headquarters of the Celestial Sphere may be found
at the Cavendish Manor in Wedinburgh, Britain.
Notes:
Before anyone says anything, yes, I know Wedinburgh is not an actual place, but that is the confirmed location name of the Cavendish Manor in the eponymous episode "Cavendish" because of Akko's little hitchhiker sign, most likely a parody of the actual location Edinburgh in Scotland.
I particularly like this chapter because it fleshes out some of the world and its characters (Hannah and Barbara's parents, Finé, and the Du Nord family) and because I wanted to dissuade the idea that everyone was intentionally keeping Akko in the dark. A lot of people, myself included, hated the idea that everyone kept the MC in the dark the whole time and treated them like they were helpless. It wasn't that they wanted to leave Akko alone, but they couldn't afford to be reckless when they're up against two powerful forces like Jennifer and the Magic Council.
Next chapter: The Cavendish Manor
Chapter Text
"The Cavendish – "Akko began.
"Not here, girl!" snarled Ram. "Wait till we're inside!"
She pulled the piece of paper out of Akko's hand and passed it to Chris, who set fire to it was a lighter. As the message curled into flames and floated to the ground, Akko looked around the moor again. All she could see in every direction was patches of uncultivated landscape; not a hint of anything that would imply an entire manor was built there.
"Where's – "
"Think about what you've just memorized," said Izetta quietly.
Akko thought, and no sooner had she reached the part about the Cavendish Manor, than a giant set of double oak doors shimmered into existence in front of them, followed swiftly by stone walls and crystal windows of a grand castle. Akko looked around and the entire landscape seemed to wobble, as if reality itself was being twisted into a new shape. They were standing in a large front garden with a circular drive, a stone bridge crossing over the expansive moat that suddenly formed around the estate. A massive statue of a unicorn (or at least how people thought Unicorns looked, Akko thought bitterly, remembering her encounter in the second year) made of white marble stood in the center of the garden, its emerald horn glimmering beautifully in the moonlight.
Akko couldn't be blamed for looking so dumbfounded.
"Come on, hurry," growled Ram, prodding Akko in the back.
Akko walked up the stone steps, staring at the newly materialized door. The surface of the oak was etched with a pattern of seven leaves strung together in a circle with words written on each of them in some forgotten language; Akko swear she saw this sigil somewhere before.
Izetta knocked on the door once. Akko heard many loud metallic clicks and what sounded like the clatter of a chain. The door creaked open.
"Get in quickly, Akko," Izetta whispered. "Don't go far inside and don't touch anything.
Akko stepped over the threshold and winced from the brightness of the foyer by comparison of the dark moor they just came in front. She looked over her shoulder and saw the others filing in behind her, Izetta and Shantae carrying her suitcases. Ram and Chris were hanging back on the top step of the stairs, looking around like they were afraid they had been followed. Chris checked something on his phone, nudged Ram's shoulder, then the both of them stepped inside and closed the front doors.
"Here – "
Ram rapped Akko hard over the head with her knuckles; Akko felt as though something hot was trickling down her back this time and knew that the Transparency Spell must have lifted.
"What are you all standing around for?" Ram huffed. "Move it. Knowing them, the meeting's probably already started without us – again."
As they trotted further into the entrance hall, Akko's eyes finally adjusted to the brightness and took a good look around the place. It reminded her a lot of when she first arrived at the Manbavaran Manor last year, but was many times bright and had an overall regal theme compared to the Manbavaran's gothic style. The walls were painted in a symmetrical pattern of whites and golds with elaborate molding that looked like the branches of trees. A grand staircase led to the second level of the manor with an impeccably clean red-and-gold carpet running down the stairs to the front doors. And while the Manbavaran's decorated their entrance hall with musty tapestries and busts of previous family heads, the Cavendish foyer was lined with shimmering suits of armor made from Orichalcum – one of the rarest and most valuable metal in the world – each of them brandishing Mithril swords. Akko always knew that Diana came from a well-off family, but one look around the hall made it apparent just how ancient and wealthy the Cavendish family really was. If she were being honest, she found it a little intimidating.
There were hurried footsteps and Diana Cavendish emerged at the top of the staircase, leaning over the banister looking down at them. She was beaming with joy as she hurried down the stairs three steps at a time toward them. Akko's felt like her head had been caught in her throat. Even after knowing her for four years, Diana was always beautiful every time she saw her.
"Oh, Akko, it's wonderful to see you!" she whispered softly, pulling her into a tight embrace; Akko thought she would've melted on the spot. Diana pulled her back at arm's length with a soft, warming smile gracing her lips. "I've missed you more than you can believe."
"Aw, nice to know my girlfriend missed me," said Akko teasingly, emphasizing that most wonderful word. Diana flushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears as she looked away shyly; embarrassed Diana wads cut, Akko thought.
"As disgustingly sweet as this," Ram cut in, effectively destroying the mood as she spoke to Diana. "Has the meeting already started?"
"Everyone has just arrived," said Diana, instantly switching to a tone of serious urgency. "They're just waiting on you, Izetta, and Mr. Redfield."
The three people mentioned grunted in affirmation as they began filing past Akko and Diana through the door off to the side. The rest of the Akko's guard were yawning and stretching, clearly tired from the long trip, and started making their way up to the second floor, mumbling about catching up on lost sleep. Akko made to follow Izetta's group, but Diana held her back.
"Sorry, Akko, but the meeting is only for the higher-ups. The others are upstairs. We can wait in my room until the meeting is over and then Anna will have dinner prepared for us. Oh, Anna is our maid, by the way. Now come along and keep your voice down in the halls," she added in an urgent whisper.
"Why?"
"Because I'm sure you don't want to run into Aunt Daryl."
Akko made a disgusted groaned noise at the thought.
Akko had only met Diana's despicable aunt Daryl on two occasions and both of them stood out in Akko's memory. Daryl always had a look whenever she saw Akko like she was something undesirable and would rather gargle a gallon of bleach than be in the same room as her. Daryl was a strong believer of blood purity in ancient magical families and viewed anyone born or raised by Humans like Akko to be worth less than mud. And in their third year, Daryl pushed the Magic Council to execute a Qilin named Qing after Diana was injured for upsetting it and it took all of their cunning (and a bit of time traveling) to prevent the sentence from being carried out. Needless to say, Daryl was one of the few people Akko despised more than Amon or the Purifiers.
"Come on, this way, and keep quiet."
Pressing a finger to her lips, Diana led Akko on tiptoes up the grand staircase and down the hall on the left, past an ancient-looking tapestry of a woman standing next to a unicorn. Over a dozen polished doors lined the immaculate hallway on either side. Much like the Manbavaran home, a few portraits were hung up on the walls between the doors, but there were also several podiums holding various artifacts that looked like they belonged in a museum. Akko felt like she could break something just by looking at them.
"Wow, Diana, this place is incredible," Akko said in awe.
"Maybe, but a little ostentatious for my taste," said Diana with a tone of distaste. "Aunt Daryl had the entire estate refurbished when she became Head of House. Can't help flaunting our wealth and heritage to everyone who comes by. My mother would have hated it…."
Diana went quiet after that, slightly misty-eyed. Akko frowned, looking down at the floor. Diana was born to two powerful witches – both of them friends of Akko's mother, Chariot – but Akko didn't need to guess which one she was thinking of. Bernadette Cavendish died when Diana was still young and it had a monumental impact on her upbringing. But what Diana didn't know was that her mother wasn't killed by an unknown illness as she had believed, but was subjected to the Curse of Souls by Amon's followers, leaving her struggling for years until her death. Akko only knew this because she accidentally discovered the Horologium Clock in Professor Holbrooke's office last year and inadvertently traveled back in time. Professor Holbrooke made her swear not to tell Diana the truth, thinking Diana deserved to know it from her other mother, Athena, but it made Akko's stomach churn with guilt.
"I left our friends in my room while I went to fetch you," Diana whispered, shattering Akko's thoughts as they reached the eighth door on the right. "Hopefully they haven't cause too much damage."
Diana turned the bedroom doorknob and held the door open for Akko to enter, even bowing her it like a chivalrous gentleman.
Akko had barely caught a glimpse of the pristine high-ceilinged room that was the size the Kagari's living room when she felt a freezing-cold stream of water pour down on top of her, soaking her to the bone, and a tin bucket fitted itself on Akko's head. Akko could hear a cacophony of laughter through the bucket as she stood there, dripping all over Diana's clean carpet. She didn't need to guess who was responsible.
Diana removed the bucket with her head when Akko didn't do it herself and thankfully dried the Japanese girl with a flick of her wand. She then turned to the group sitting around Diana's king-sized bed, laughing themselves silly at her misfortune. It was the first time in almost a month since she had seen all her friends in one place. Lotte, the freckled, ginger-haired Finnish girl with glasses that somehow made her eyes bigger. Sucy, the palest Filipino in the world who could somehow make herself thinner than the bedpost. Amanda, the wild-styled American who was likely the one who set the trap. Jasminka, the plump and kindly-faced Russian who was constantly eating from her bottomless bucket. Constanze, the silent and brainy German girl who had now built a small army of miniature robots. And Hannah and Barbara, Diana's designated cheer squad and Akko's newest (and most reluctant) friends.
Amanda fell back onto Diana's bed, her eyes in tears from laughing too hard.
"Did – did you see – the look – on – on her face!" she said between breaths. "Priceless!"
"That wasn't funny, O'Neill!" Dian scolded her, throwing the bucket at Amanda, who deftly caught it in the air. "Akko could've been hurt!"
"Relax, Princess, it was only a prank," said Amanda, her laughter slowly dying down. "And if it makes you feel better, that trap was meant for you."
"It doesn't," said Diana bluntly.
"Akko, are you okay!" yelped Lotte, running over to her best friend in concern. "We didn't know you were arriving so soon! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? You must be so mad at us for not responding to your message well! Oh, I know you are! All our messages were useless! We wanted to tell you everything, but the Sphere was afraid that the Magic Council would intercept them like Marianna did! We've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us – Heartless! In Japan! When we heard – and that Council hearing – it's just not right! We've been looking up way to help with your appeal. They can't expel you for using magic in a life-threatening situation – "
"Breath, Lotte!" Akko yelled sharply, grabbing her best friend's shoulders. Lotte goggled her for a moment before she took a deep breath, visibly calming. "It's all right, I'm not mad at you guys. Izetta-obasan explained the whole thing. You had to keep quiet because you were afraid of the Magic Council finding out."
"You're not mad at us?" Lotte repeated, blinking. "I was so sure you'd be upset with us."
"I know I'd be pissed if I was being kept in the dark," Amanda threw in her two cents.
"Oh, believe me, I was angry for a long time, but it makes sense after Izetta-obasan explained it," said Akko. She moved over to the bed with Lotte and Diana; the others making room for them to sit on the edge. "We all saw the way Crawford Seam reacted when we told him Jennifer was back during the Contest of Champions. He doesn't want to admit that he screwed up, so he's going after anyone who knows about Jennifer. People like Ram and anyone else in this 'Celestial Sphere' thing or whatever it's called. I'm not saying that I'm happy about being left alone all by myself for a whole month, but I understand why you did it."
"So you don't hate us?" Lotte asked hesitantly.
"Hate you?" Akko snickered like she had told some humorous joke. "You're all my best friends. There's no way I'd hate you…except for you two," she added, gesturing to Hannah and Barbara. "I still don't like you two."
"The feeling's mutual," Hannah replied with a blank stare.
"Honestly, sometimes I think you are too kind for your own good," Diana scoffed. But she smiled softly, leaning in to give Akko a quick peck on the check; Akko's face heated instantly. "But that's one of the things I love most about you."
Out of the corner of her eye, Akko saw Amanda pretending to gag and Sucy, Hannah, Barbara, and Jasminka snickered behind their hands. Akko fell back on Diana's mattress, which was ridiculously soft; seriously it felt like she was sitting on a literal cloud. At the head of the bed, she saw a worn-out teddy bear with a faded badge on its chest and a clip on its ear like it was trying to be punk. Akko thought it was adorable. She noticed Diana looking between her and the teddy bear and promptly looked away, embarrassed. Akko chuckled; she was sooo teasing Diana later.
"So, what've you guys been doing while I was in lockdown for the summer?" Akko asked. "Have you all been staying here this whole time?"
An almost jarring silence suddenly fell over the bedroom. Akko shot up into a sitting position and looked around, noticing that all of her friends had the same somber expression. Jasminka stopped eating and Constanze set down her tools; Amanda's leg was twitching irritably and the redhead looked like she was about to punch the first person that spoke up. Even Sucy looked more dreadful than usual.
"W-what happened?" Akko stammered fretfully. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No! No, it's – it's not your fault," said Lotte hesitantly. "It's just, well, things haven't been going well for us back home."
"Whaddya mean?" asked Akko, concerned.
"The Magic Council has been attacking our families," Amanda answered sharply.
"WHAT?!" Akko, shrieked in shock. "Why?!"
"Isn't it obvious?" said Sucy dryly. "It's because we're your friends."
"What? But – I didn't – "
"No one blames you for what's happening," Diana stated quickly, gripping Akko's hand firmly in her own. "It's Crawford Seam and his sorry lot that's to blame."
"But – what happened? Is everyone all right?" said Akko quickly. Her mind flashed to the O'Neill family and their butler, Alphonse; to Professor Holbrooke and Anna the store clerk; to Mrs. Manbavaran, her husband Joe, and the twins, Garie and Sabi. If something had happened to them because her….
"It's not as bad as you think," said Lotte in a lighter tone.
"Don't sugarcoat it, Lotte; it's complete shit, especially for you," Amanda snapped harshly before turning to Akko. "You saw what happened in the paper last week? What a load of crap, right?"
"Er…what? What happened?" Akko asked, looking around at them all. They were all regarding her wearily.
"Haven't – haven't you been getting the news?" Barbara asked strangely.
"Yeah…?" said Akko, not understanding what they're implying.
"Have you…been reading it thoroughly?" asked Hannah, one of her brows quirked.
"Well, not cover to cover," said Akko, scratching her head nervously. "If they were going to report anything about Jennifer, it would be front-page news, wouldn't it?"
Several of them groaned in annoyance; Constanze physically palmed herself; Amanda huffed loudly and said, "Well, if you had read it properly, you'd know that Ministry's been dragging Holbrooke's name through the mud nonstop. They even threw your name in a couple times."
"But I haven't seen – "
"Not if you're only reading the front page, you won't," said Diana, shaking her head exasperatedly. "We're not talking about big articles. They've just slipped you in, like you're a standing joke."
"Whaddya – ?"
"It's very nasty, even for me," said Hannah in a whimsical tone. "They're just building on Scaglietti's stuff."
"But she's not writing anymore, is she?"
"Not possible," Lotte answered with a hint of satisfaction. "She's been in prison ever since Professor Crème turned her over to the American government for stealing their cloaking technology. But she laid out the foundation for what they're trying to do now."
"Which is what exactly?"
"Well, after that article about you and Diana, most of the blood purists already hate you because your parents are Human," said Sucy monotonously. "And then there was that whole mess with Andrew Hanbridge and the whole love triangle deal. And it got even worse after she wrote all that stuff about you collapsing all over the place and saying your scars were hurting and all that."
"Yeah, like I could forget," said Akko, vividly remembering the sheer amount of hate mail she got after the article was released.
"Well, now they're writing about you as though you're this deluded, attention-seeking brat," said Sucy. "They keep slipping in snide comments about you. If some far-fetched story appears, they say something like 'a tale worthy of Kagari' and if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's 'pulling a Kagari – '"
"I would feel insulted by that last one if it weren't true," said Akko bluntly, heaving a great sigh. "Yoruichi said the Magic Council was trying to discredit me in case people found out I was the Star-Born Child, but I didn't know they would go that far."
"It explains a lot, actually," said Diana. "Crawford Seam is scared of you. He knows he's never been popular with the general public, so he's trying to defame you before word gets out of who you really are. He wants as many people to think you're just some stupid girls who's a bit of a joke, who loves getting all the attention for herself. They've even built on Scaglietti's angle that you used a love potion to make me attracted to you – "
"But I didn't!" Akko yelled. "I would never do something like that!"
"I know, Akko," said Diana earnestly, giving her another peck to calm her down. "But that's what Crawford and the Council wants everyone to think. They're trying to go after anyone that might pose a threat to them. That's why they've been slandering Professor Holbrooke nonstop."
"Wait…," said Akko slowly, turning to Lotte. "What exactly have they been saying about your granny."
"They…," Lotte said in a small, hesitant voice, gripping her hem of her shirt. "They reported that she'd been voted out of the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Demi-Humans because she's getting old and losing her grip on reality. But that's just not true! She was voted out by the Magic Council after she made a speech about Jennifer returning. They've demoted her from Chief Magician of the Magical High Court, and they've even taken away her Order of Morgan, First Class."
"My mom said that Crawford is trying to convince everyone that Holbrooke should be removed from Luna Nova, but they haven't made any progress yet," said Amanda.
"Can't your mom do anything about it?" Akko asked her hopefully.
"Not if she wants to lose her job," Amanda answered tonelessly. "Crawford made it very clear that anyone who sides with Holbrooke can clear out their desks. Twenty-nine years working at the Magic Council and she could have it all take away just because the Chairman throws a tantrum. There's also the fact that I'm friends with you, so Crawford's giving her three times as much work these days. Even with stuff that's not in her department. And she can't complain or she'll be fired. It's bullshit!" she snarled, jumping off the bed and kicking the post in anger. Akko had a funny sense of déjà vu watching her jump around on one foot, howling.
"Has…stuff like that been happening to the rest of you?" Akko asked everyone nervously.
"They haven't said anything outright, but the Council implied they'd revoke Ina and Ama's medical licenses if they help anyone associated with Holbrooke," said Sucy, her eye narrowing in a rare show of emotion. "We don't know if they actually have that power, but Ina's scared we might lose the hospital, even though she puts on a brave face."
"Jasminka and Constanze have it just as bad," said Amanda, looking pitifully at her two closest friends, who looked downcast. "Thanks to Scaglietti, everyone already knows Jasminka is a Titan Shift, but the Magic Council likes to keep reminding everyone in the Russian newspapers. Her family's company is facing a financial crisis because they're losing customers by the dozens. And both of Constanze's dads are Human engineers."
"So?" said Akko.
"So, the Magic Council threw out an accusation that they are Purifiers because some of their designs were used in making their Anti-Magic weaponry," said Amanda, snarling. "They don't have any proof, but both of her dads are facing inquiries at work and they took a huge blow to their public reputation."
"That's awful," said Akko sympathetically. She then turned to Diana, Hannah, and Barbara. "What about you three? Has the Magic Council gone after your families, too?"
"The Magic Council doesn't think we're friends – thank the Olde Witches – so they pretty much ignored us," said Barbara coolly. "Not that my mother would've noticed either way. I'm sure you've already met her on the way here, but she's not exactly the…brightest bulb in the bunch."
"And the Cavendish name still holds a significant amount of influence within the magical community," said Diana, flipping her hair in a haughty manner. "It would be social suicide for the Magic Council to attack our family. It's part of the reason why the Celestial Sphere chose our manor to be the central base for their operations. And when it became apparent that the Magic Council was going after our friends, we had to move them here one-by-one in secret. It's the only safe place for them right now."
Akko looked down shamefully, folding her hands in her lap and twiddling her thumbs. A massive boulder of guilt had suddenly formed in the pit of her stomach. She had been so angry about being left alone for a month that she hadn't even considered that her friends were having a hard time as well. And the only reason they were in trouble was because they were associated with her…. Akko's thoughts must have shown on her face because Diana and Lotte both grabbed her hands and offered warm, reassuring smiles.
"None of this is your fault, Akko," said Lotte softly. "None of us blame you."
"Speak for yourself," said Barbara bluntly. Constanze threw a wrench at her head. "OW!"
There was a long pause. And then, hoping to stir the conversation away from this dreary topic, Akko asked, "What is the Celestial Sphere, anyway?"
"It's a secret society, obviously" said Hannah, rolling her eyes. "It was founded by Chariot Du Nord and her friends way back before we were born. It used to be known as Aradia, but given what's happened lately, and because the Magic Council knew what it used to be called, they decided to change it to the Celestial Sphere instead."
"Who's in it?" said Akko.
"Most of the people who stayed loyal in the old group," said Amanda, counting her fingers. "Izetta, Blair, Diana's mom, Ursula, Croix, Ram – Holbrooke, Finnelan, and Elma joined after they rebooted it. You already met some of them while being transported."
"Theresa Apocalypse from Serenity Academy and Team Honnoji from the Contest joined," Diana continued. "John Constantine, Doctor Strange, the BSAA, several members from the Holy Sword, Flame Emperors, and Maple Tree Guilds. We know some heroes from U.A. were asked, but no one responded after All Might's retirement. Batman and several of his partners joined, but they're rarely around – "
"Don't forget about Sucy's girlfriend, Fu," Jasminka added delightfully.
"Shut up…," Sucy mumbled, looking away sharply.
"As far as we know, there are over a hundred members in the Celestial Sphere globally," said Diana. "That's five times the size of the original group, but I suppose having Holbrooke and Ram helped with the recruitment process."
"And what about Jennifer?" asked Akko. "What's happening with her? What's she up to? Where is she? What are we doing to stop her?"
"We don't know," said Lotte honestly. "The Celestial Sphere holds regular meetings about Jennifer, but only the higher-ups know what's going on."
"The higher-ups?" Akko repeated.
"I suppose you could call them the council of the Celestial Sphere," said Diana. "There are sixteen to eighteen of them in total and they keep the most important information to themselves. I suppose they are weary of others after what happened with Amon's coup. Like to keep things close to the vest."
"And who are the higher-ups?" asked Akko.
"Well, we definitely know Professor Ursula's old group is on it," said Amanda thoughtfully. "And I've seen Ram and that Redfield guy attend. I thought I saw Batman come out of a meeting one time. And a couple bunch of men I've never seen before – "
"We've been trying to sneak into their meetings for a while now so find out what they're talking about," said Hannah. "But every time we've come close, they always catch us at the last second. We should've expected nothing less from the best Humans and Demi-Humans on the planet."
"We do know some of the Sphere members have been following people suspected to be Purifiers," Barbara included, "keeping tabs on them, you know."
"Some of them are working on recruiting more people to the Sphere," said Diana. "Maple Tree has been a tremendous help in that regard because their Guild Master is so popular."
"And some of them are standing guard over something," said Lotte. "They're always talking about guard duty."
"Couldn't have been me, could it?" said Akko sarcastically.
"Could've been," said Lotte, humming. "They're always talking about the Magic Council when they do."
"So, if you guys aren't allowed in the meetings," said Akko, looking around again, "then what've you been doing all this time?"
"Ugh, the worst thing you could ever imagine," Amanda groaned dramatically. "Summer homework. Princess over here has been hassling us for weeks to do it."
"If you would stop being lazy and just do it already, I wouldn't have to keep berating you to do it," said Diana, her brow twitching in annoyance. "Honestly, if you put as much effort into your homework as you do in the dance hall, you would alre – AARGH!"
The wall beside the bed exploded without warning. Everyone jumped up and huddled together behind Jasminka, using her as a human shield. As the dust fell away, Sucy's younger twin sisters, Garie and Sabi, appeared through the hole in the wall, both of them wearing hardhats with headlamps while Garie held a sledgehammer over her shoulder and Sabi was looking over a map drawn in crayon.
"I told you we should've hit the south wall!" said Sabi.
"No, you didn't, you're just reading the map upside down!" Garie retorted.
"What – the bloody hell – are you doing!" Diana shouted shrilly.
"Sneaking into the meeting," Garie and Sabi answered in unison like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Through my wall?!"
"Hey, it's not my fault Sabi can't read a map," Garie scoffed.
"A map that you drew," Sabi snapped back. "If anything, this is your fault."
"Theirs is nothing wrong with my map – "
"Oy, you two," said Sucy, who had slid up to her younger sister like a silent shadow. "Stop what you're doing or I'm telling Ina."
In that instant, Garie tossed the sledgehammer back into the hole and Sabi ripped up the crayon map as fast as she could.
Akko cackled. As nice as Mrs. Manbavaran was to her, she was the only person who could scare Sucy and the twins into obedience. Then again, Akko, thought, she is deathly afraid of her own mother, so she understood them a little.
The bedroom door opened not a moment later. Stepping inside was a Japanese girl their age dressed like a punk goth; she had a prosthetic for her right hand made from gleaming-black steel.
"I knew if there was screaming involved, you wouldn't be too far behind, Kagari," said Nico Minoru with a teasing chuckle.
"Nico!" Akko yelped, surprised. "You're here, too?"
"I told you I was being moved overt the summer," said Nico nonchalantly. Turning to Garie and Sabi, she said, "It's a no go with any clairvoyance spells. I've tried nine different words in five different languages, but none of them are getting through. Bet Croix installed some kind of anti-magic field thing or something around the room."
"Aw, man," Sabi whined. "And I wanted to know who that guy in the black coat is?"
"Guy in a black coat?" said Akko quickly.
"Yeah," said Nico, carefully closing the door and leaning against the vanity. "Giving a report. Top secret."
"Who is he?" asked Akko with a bit of urgency.
"No one knows," said Lotte, frowning. "All we could find out was that Croix brought him from Dol Guldur and he was friends with Zeref. None of us have seen his face because he always keeps his hood up."
"I was attacked by a guy in a black coat before the Heartless showed up," Akko said worriedly.
"You don't know if that was the same person," Diana stated calmly. "Those black coats have been worn by dozens of people – both good and bad. It could've been anyone.
"Maybe," said Nico, tilting her head to the ceiling. "But I don't like him. Gives me a bad vibe for some reason."
"You can't judge a person without knowing them," Diana argued.
"I know he went to Dol Guldur," said Nico.
"So did Izetta and Zeref," Amanda countered. "If Professor Croix in the others think he's a good guy, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I did for you."
"You turned half the school against me in a smear campaign because you didn't get picked for the Contest," Nico retorted with a blank stare.
"Oh…right," Amanda muttered, chuckling nervously and looking anywhere but Nico.
Before they could broach the subject any further, a soft knock came from the door before it opened. An elderly woman with graying-brown hair pulled into a bun stepped inside. She cast a cursory glance around the ten teenagers scattered around the room before her thin eyes fell on the twins and the gapping hole in the wall behind them; Garie and Sabi chuckled nervously as they tried – and failed – to cover the hole with their small bodies.
The elderly woman looked up at Diana and asked, "Do I want to know what has happened, Miss Diana?"
"Probably not, Anna," said Diana with a defeated shrug of her shoulders. "Though I would appreciate if you had someone patch the wall before bed tonight."
"As you wish, Miss Diana," said Anna, bowing respectfully. "I wish to inform you that the meeting is over. You and your friends are free to come down to the dining hall for dinner."
"Thank you, Anna," said Diana. "We will be down in a moment."
Anna bowed to Diana once more then closed the door behind her as she left. Amanda jumped to her feet and stretched with an audible groan.
"Well, I think I've had enough conspiracy theories for one night," she said tiredly. "C'mon, I starving."
No one argued; Akko was quite famished herself after several hours of flying from continent to continent.
Nico led the way out the door and down the hall, but before they descended the staircase – "Hold it!" Nico breathed, flinging out her metal arm and accidentally smacking Akko in the gut. "They're still in the hall, we might be able to hear something – "
All of them looked cautiously over the banisters. The foyer was occupied by dozens of men and women, including some of their teachers from Luna Nova. They were whispering excitedly together. Near the front doors Akko saw the billowing cape and lavender hair of Akko's Modern Magic teacher, Professor Croix, talking to a tall man dressed in a black coat. Akko couldn't shake the fact that the coat he was wearing looked exactly like the one worn by the person who attacked him in Japan, but, like Diana said, there were a lot of people wearing similar black coats. Akko wished she had someway of listening in on their conversation.
Unfortunately, no sooner did the thought cross her mind did Croix and the man in the black coat exit through the double doors, along with most of the people in the foyer.
"Dammit," Akko heard Nico whisper, noticing that she had summoned her Staff of One and was holding it like a divine rod with one hand to her ear. "I couldn't hear a thing. Too much chatter."
"He never sticks around for dinner," Lotte told Akko quietly, no doubt knowing what she was thinking. "Always leaves as soon as possible. I think it's for the best. Let's go."
"And don't forget to keep your voice down in the foyer, Akko," Diana whispered.
As they descended the stairs, they saw Izetta, Mr. England, and Mrs. Parker at the front doors, magically sealing its many locks and bolts behind those who had just left.
"The dining hall is this way," Diana whispered at the bottom of the stairs, leading them to one of the side doors. "Just make sure you keep an eye out for Aunt Daryl – "
Ironically enough, when Diana pulled the doors open, the very last person she wanted to see was the first person they met inside.
Daryl Cavendish inherited the same natural beauty that was seemed to pass through all Cavendishes, but it was marred by the nasty sneer on her lips as her narrowed eyes rolled over their group. She seemed to hold all of them in general distaste, but the very instant her gaze fell on Akko, her lips quivered in a silent snarl. Akko couldn't say she was surprised by this reaction given past experiences, but unlike the past two instances where they were in public, Daryl made no effort to hide her loathing for the Japanese girl in private. Akko was almost afraid she would have pulled her wand on Akko if Diana hadn't stepped sideways to get between them, glaring up at her aunt.
"So…," Daryl spoke in a soft, venomous tone. "I see you're still consorting with these social deviants and…" She shot another glance at Akko. "Filthy Half-Breeds."
Akko saw Diana's hand clench at her side, but managed to restrain herself and responded calmly, "Who I 'consort with' is no one's business but my own. And you had best watch what you say, if I were you, Aunt Daryl. Prying ears and all that."
"As if I care for the opinions of criminals," said Daryl, shooting a leer at Izetta, who glared back. "The only reason I even entertained the notion of allowing them to stay in my estate is because 'Sphere' nonsense or whatever has offered up many good connections for the Cavendish family to build off of. I've already been in discussions with that Kiryuin girl about a collaboration between the Cavendish House and her family's company. Something your mother would never have considered."
"That's because my mother had a sense of moral decency," Diana hissed. "Don't get used to your position for much longer, Aunt Daryl, because the moment I come of age, I will undergo the succession ceremony. And when that glorious day comes, you might not be able to stay in my estate for much longer."
That seemed to strike a nerve in Daryl. The current Cavendish matriarch leaned forward into her nose was only inches away from her niece, blasting her with the coldest look she could muster. Akko grabbed ahold of of her wand in her pocket in case Daryl tried attacking.
"Don't be so cocky, Diana," Daryl hissed. "After all, the succession ceremony can be very dangerous. You might have an unfortunate…accident along the way."
"What kind of accident?"
Daryl stood up straight and turned back around, leering at the person who came up behind her. With bouncy, curled purple hair and a curled witch's hat atop her brow, the woman smirked with her hands resting on her hips in a condensing way.
"Please, go on," said Blair challengingly. "I'd love to hear what's on your mind, Daryl."
Surprisingly, the Cavendish matriarch said nothing, only giving Blair a nasty look that nearly rivaled the one for Akko. With a light scoff, Daryl rudely shoved her way through Akko's friend, never apologizing once, and made her way up the stairs where she disappeared down the left corridor.
With an exasperated sigh, Blair, Akko's familiar and guardian, swept the fringes out of her eyes and looked to Akko with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry about her, Akko-Nyan," she said. "It's times like this I remember why Daryl was always my least favorite cousin."
Notes:
Another thing I hated about the original source was how the main character attacked his friends when they were in no position to do anything. He was right to be angry at the adults for keeping him in the dark, but he had no right to attack his own friends, especially when one of them was dealing with issues in his own family. Akko isn't like that. Sure, she can be angry, but she's also sympathetic to the plight of others like when she went as far to defy the Cavendish family to protect Diana's dream.
And yes, as of this chapter, Blair's full name is confirmed Blair Cavendish.
Next chapter: The Celestial Sphere
Chapter Text
“Your - ?”
“Yeah, my dear old, bitter as wormwood cousin, Daryl, yeah,” said Blair, sighed exasperatedly. “She’s been that way ever since we were kids. Bernie – that’s Bernadette, by the way – was the only one who could even get her to mellow out. C’mon, let’s get to the dining hall. Anna will have dinner ready by now.”
“Since when has Diana’s aunt been your cousin?” Akko asked, bewildered, as they walked down the long, decorative corridor, the others just behind them. “Wait, if Diana’s aunt is your cousin, then does that mean you’re a - ?”
“Cavendish? Yeah,” said Blair with a mocking sort of scoff. “I’m a Half-Blood – my mom was a Cavendish witch and my dad was a Human soldier for the British Army. Though Daryl likes to pretend we’re not related since I’m not a ‘pureblooded’ witch like the rest of the family. I haven’t visited the manor since Bernie died….”
Akko noted the somber tone in her guardian’s voice as she stared wistfully into space, like she was seeing something no one else could. She followed Blair to the end of the hall and through a door leading into the dining room.
As Akko had expected, the hall was just as extravagant, if not more, as the rest of the house. A cavernous room with pearl-white walls etched with golden molding shaped like spiraling branches and emerald leaves. Most of the light seemed to be coming from a golden chandelier ornamented with over a hundred glittering diamonds that gave off an ethereal glow. The middle of the room was occupied by a large polished, claw-footed mahogany table that must have seated over thirty people, the surface of which was littered with mounds of paper, crystal glasses, empty wine bottles, and a pile of rags that looked strangely familiar to Akko. Diana’s mother, Athena Cavendish, was talking quietly to a woman Akko had never met before.
Athena had the same face as Diana, only older and with a heavy set of wrinkles under her eyes, no doubt for years of exhaustion. Her blonde hair was so heavily faded that it almost looked white. The woman sitting next to her was young and kindly-faced with flowing blonde hair that looked like golden silk. Her posture and the way she dressed in fine robes gave the impression that she belonged to high society like the Cavendishes – another of their relatives, maybe?
Blair cleared her throat. Athena looked around and jumped to her feet.
“Akko!” Athena said, hurrying forward to greet her and hugging her to the point of suffocation. “I’m so glad you are all right!”
“She might not be for long, mother,” said Diana, pointing out how Akko’s face was turning an interesting shade of blue. Athena quickly released, looking sheepish.
Over Athena’s shoulder, Akko saw the other woman hastily gathering all the papers into one pile.
“A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kagari,” said the woman, trying to gather up twenty sheets at once. “Lady Ram didn’t make you come via Greenland, then?”
“She tried,” said Izetta, striding over to help the woman. “Here, let me – “
The two of them incidentally reached for the same paper with Izetta’s hand landing on top of the blonde woman’s. The two of them pulled away immediately like they had been electrocuted, though neither of them seemed offended. On the contrary, Akko could have sworn she saw Izetta’s face turn the same shade as her hair, which match the equally red face of the blonde woman. In their moment of distraction, Akko caught a glimpse of what looked like the plan of a building.
Athena had seen her looking. She snatched the plan off the table and shoved it at Izetta.
“This sort of thing ought to be cleared Away promptly at the end of meetings,” she said in a quiet voice that Akko had to strain to hear.
Izetta took the papers from the blonde woman’s arms, muttered something under her breath, and they all vanished in a puff of smoke.
“Take a load off, Akko,” said Blair, plopping into one of the chairs and kicking her feet on the table. “You’ve already met my cousin-in-law, Athena, a couple times. And this woman is – “ the cat witch gestured to the blonde, who immediately cut in.
“Ortfiné Fredericka von Eylstadt, Archduchess of the Principality of Eylstadt,” the blonde woman introduced with a well-practiced curtsy. When she stood up, she visibly relaxed and smiled kindly. “But all of my friends call me Finé.”
Akko nearly fell out of her seat from that revelation. This was the Finé that Izetta not-so-subtly was in love with? The same Finé who was apparently to ruler of an entire country (albeit, one Akko had never heard of, but it was still shocking!) Akko had met a lot of powerful people over the years from the Cavendish House to the Magical Council Chairman himself, but this was the first time she had ever met royalty! Akko didn’t know if she should bow, or curtsy, or whatever.
Akko’s thoughts seemed to be written on her face, because Finé giggled lightly behind her hand and said, “You don’t need to give me any special treatment. We’re all equals here. Well, some more than others, isn’t that right, Mr. Urahara?”
The thing that Akko had taken to be a pile of rage gave a prolonged, grunting snore and then jerked away. It was Kisuke Urahara, the man in the bucket hat that Yoruichi had chewed out back in Jingumae. It looked like the black cat had done more since Akko had last seen her given that Kisuke’s clothes were in tatters by what looked like claw marks.
“Someone say my name?” Urahara mumbled sleepily. “I agree with Blair….”
His raised his hand in the air as though voting, his droopy, bloodshot eyes unfocused. Nico snorted.
“The meeting’s over, Kisuke,” said Blair as everyone sat down around the table. “Akko’s here.”
“Oh?” said Urahara, peering balefully at Akko. “Ah, so she is. You all right there, Kagari?”
“Yeah,” said Akko.
“Good, good,” said Urahara, pausing to let out a loud yawn. “I owe you an apology for what happened.”
“Oh, you owe her more than that,” said Izetta, leering. “She almost died because of you.”
“I know, I know, Yoruichi keeps reminding me,” said Urahara, gesturing to his tattered clothes.
Just then, Anna the Maid appeared from a side door. She bowed respectfully to Diana, Athena, and Finé, but made no effort to offer the same courtesy to the rest of them. In fact, judging by the way she was glaring at Akko’s unruly mane of hair and the disheveled state of her clothes, Anna did not seem to approve of people who didn’t meet a certain standard of etiquette.
“Apologizes, Miss Athena, but it would seem that Mistress Daryl has dismissed the cooking staff early tonight,” Anna said to Athena apologetically.
“And on the night of our meeting, too,” said Athena in a dry tone. “How convenient….”
“I could prepare something, but I may nee some assistance,” said Anna. “Not that I am ask you, of course, but – “
“Anything I can do to help?” Finé offered eagerly, bounding forward.
Anna looked taken aback, goggling at Finé.
“Archduchess, I would never ask such a thing! You are an honored guest – “
“No, no, I want to help,” said Finé brightly before rounding to Izetta. “Izetta, would you mind helping? Having a witch could make it go faster.”
“Uh, yeah, sure,” said Izetta, who looked like a lovesick puppy in Akko’s opinion as she followed Anna and the archduchess through the side door.
Soon they heard a soft clattering of dishes and cutlery through the door followed shortly by the faint smell of fried meat. Everyone started talking about whatever on their mind while they waited for dinner to arrive. Akko didn’t feel like joining in at the moment; she was tired and her mind was heavy from everything she had learned upstairs.
Suddenly, Akko felt something cold slide against her ankle and started. She looked down and came face-to-snout with a long, pale albino snake that was slithering up her leg and around her waist. It was Ophiuchus, Diana’s snake familiar. Having faced a number of weird and disturbing things over the years, Akko was not bothered as the snake climbed up to her shoulder and slithered down her left arm. But Sucy, who was sitting on Akko’s left, let out a noise that sounded like a cross between a gasp and a crock and moved to the edge of her chair away from Ophiuchus. Ironically enough, Sucy, a lover of all things poisonous, was deathly afraid of snakes. Akko couldn’t resist laughing out loud. Still, having pity on her friend, Akko lowered her arm onto the table and allowed Ophiuchus to climb down then slithered over to Diana.
“I thought I told you to keep that thing locked up,” Sucy groaned, grimacing as Diana draped the snake over her shoulder.
“This manor is as much Ophiuchus’s home as mine,” said Diana, scratching the snake chin as if it were a puppy. “If you have a problem with him, you are more than free to leave.”
Sucy grumbled under her breath, sliding down her seat.
“So, how’s your summer been, Akko-Nyan?” Blair asked suddenly.
“Do you really have to ask?” said Akko.
“No, but I thought I’d extend the courtesy,” said Blair, shrugging her shoulders. “The Heartless attack took us by surprise. We’re still trying to figure out who sent them. Yoruichi thought it might be the Magic Council, but even Crawford Seam isn’t stupid enough to try something like that himself. It would draw too much attention to himself. Make him the obvious suspect if he refuses to believe it’s Jennifer?”
“Is it Jennifer?” asked Akko.
“No idea; haven’t been around much myself, lately. I’ve been put in charge of the global recruitment for the Sphere – traveling from country to country trying to look for anyone who could potentially help us. I just came back from Death City in America when I heard about the Heartless attack. I should’ve been there – it’s my job to watch over you – but Chariot thought it would be a better use of my time.”
“Chariot?” Akko repeated, perking. “Like Shiny Chariot? She’s in the Sphere?”
“Of course,” said Blair. “Everyone from the old group is with the Sphere. Chariot is one of the higher-ups in charge of planning our counterattack against Jennifer.”
“Then was Chariot here for the meeting?” asked Akko urgently.
“Yeah, she was…,” said Blair, looking at Akko carefully. “But she was the first to leave when the meeting was over. Sorry.”
Akko looked down in displeasure at the news. She had admired Shiny Chariot ever since she was six years old, and held a deep-rooted desire to find her ever since her first year when she came to the realization that Shiny Chariot was Akko’s birth mother. Finding Shiny Chariot was the main reason for Akko’s desire to collect all the Stars of Chariot’s Shiny Rod, hoping that it would, in some way, guide her to her mother. To know that Chariot had been so close without her knowing it, and without bothering to tell Akko, made her stomach turn uncomfortably –
Athena’s motherly instincts seemed to hone in on Akko’s plight as she reached across the table and held the brunette’s hand warmly.
“Don’t take it the wrong way, Akko,” said Athena kindly. “Chariot is working hard to keep you safe from Jennifer, not because she doesn’t want to see you. I can only imagine the stress she must be going through, especially with her ex-husband joining the Sphere – “
“Wait, what?” Akko shot up, eyes wide in surprise. “Ex-husband? You mean my dad? My dad’s in the Sphere, too?”
Athena hissed inwardly, likely not meaning to have said anything out loud.
Akko had only heard about her father once back in her second year when Professor Ursula mentioned how Chariot had tried to use the Shiny Rod to impress him. Besides that, Akko knew absolutely nothing about him – not even his name. Akko was about to press the issue when they suddenly heard a vicious scream coming through the door:
“Miss Du Nord – stop it – NO, JUST CARRY THEM NORMALLY!” Anna’s voice carried through the wall.
The door flew open and everyone looked around before, a split second later, they dived away from the table. Izetta had bewitched several plates of grilled beef, bowls of stew, a wooden cutting board with bread, complete with a sharp knife, glasses of juice, and dozens of cutleries to hurtle through the air toward them. Izetta tripped her way through the door a second later, watching dinner fly across the room in horror, and threw up her hands. Everything stopped in midair, inches above the table surface, as if frozen in time. Izetta let out a sigh of relief before gently lowering her hands, neatly setting the dinnerware in its proper place. Akko would have applauded the spectacle if Anna had come marching in a second later, smacking Izetta over the head with a wooden spoon; Finé came in after, chuckling nervously.
“FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE!” screamed Anna furiously, swatting Izetta between each word. “THERE WAS NO NEED FOR SUCH RECKLESSNESS! WHEN I ASKED FOR YOU TO CARRY EVERYTHING OUT TO THE TABLE, I DIDN’T MEAN ALL AT ONCE! YOU COULD HAVE HURT MISS DIANA!”
“I was just trying to save a bit of time!” Izetta shrieked, trying to shield herself with her arms. “And Diana’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She’s a very talented witch, after all – “
“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!”
Nearly everyone was laughing at Izetta’s expense; Garie and Sabi were practically in tears. Urahara, who had toppled backward off his chair, nonchalantly rose to his feet and brushed himself off. Ophiuchus had given an angry hiss and slithered out the door, but not before leering at Izetta with unblinking pink eyes. Akko had a sneaking suspicion the snake familiar would be plotting his revenge soon enough.
“Now, now, Anna, everything is all right,” said Athena soothingly, gently pulling the maid away from the shrinking redhead. “Nothing bad really happened – “
“But it could have!” Anna raged, slamming a cheese platter onto so hard several cubes flew off. “If it isn’t flying dinner plates and hurtling soup, it’s miscreants blowing up walls and releasing spiders in the study! None of this would have happened if Mistress Bernadette were here – “
She stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at Diana, whose expression was suddenly wooden.
“Let’s eat,” said Finé quickly.
“It looks wonderful, Anna,” said Mr. England, pulling a bowl of stew toward himself.
For a few minutes there was silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food. Then Anna, who was still standing like the dutiful maid she was, said to Athena, “I’ve been meaning to tell you, there is something trapped in the writing desk in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. None of the cleaning staff are willing to look into it because they’re afraid it could be something dangerous.”
“Probably just a wandering bogeyman,” said Athena. “I’ll look into it when I can.”
“Some of the staff have also noticed some items missing from Mistress Ber – I mean, you-know-who’s private study,” Anna lowered her voice, glancing in Diana’s direction. “Nothing too valuable. Just some personal things here and there that Jacob and Elizabeth noticed aren’t there anymore.”
“Wager Daryl sold them off somewhere,” said Athena, the grip on her fork tightening. “I’ll check it out later.”
Opposite of Akko, Constanze and Barbara were pouring over some kind of blueprint being held up by one of Constanze’s Stan-Bots. Akko didn’t know how it happened, but somewhere along the line, Constanze and Barbara had been the oddest pair of friends – a fact Akko only clued in on after switching to Modern Magic last year. This was apparently a regular occurrence at meal times because no one was sparing them a sideways glance and Anna refrained from giving them a tongue lashing despite the look she was giving the tiny robot standing on her nice clean table.
“…transformation configuration? You’re being way too influenced by those mecha animations….”
Blair, Mr. England, and Mrs. Parker were having an intense discussion about dragons.
“They’re not giving anything away yet,” said Blair. “I still can’t work out whether they believe she’s back or not. ‘Course, they might prefer not to take sides at all. Keep out of it.”
“I’m sure they’d never go over to Jennifer,” said Mr. England, shaking his head. “One of her acolytes is Acnologia, and he is responsible for slaughtering hundreds of their kind.”
“That could also be a reason why they would join,” said Mrs. Parker, though apparently staring dreamily into space. “A lot of people can be motivated by fear. If Jennifer promises to keep them safe from Acnologia, then they might be willing to side with her. Have you managed to talk to the Princess of the Avalon Imperial Family, Blair? What was her name again…?”
“Eco Aurora-Christa Pendragon Lena Anherusu-Ilya Roransu Liliane-Muriel-Octavia-Robertine de la Rosa Resuperansu van de Compostela Avalon,” Blair answered easily, smirking at their gobsmacked faces. “And no, I haven’t. And not for a lack of trying. The Lautreamont Knight Kingdom has been extremely tightlipped these days. I even asked Tohru and Elma to go check it out, but took them three weeks to get past the border. And they’re from two of the three Imperial Dragon Houses. The worst part is they both came back empty handed….”
A gale of laughter from the middle of the table drowned the rest of Blair’s words. Amanda, Sucy, Garie, and Sabi were rolling around in their seats.
“…and then,” choked Amanda, tears running down her face, “and then, if you can believe it, he says to me, he says, ‘Hey, O’Neill, where’d you get all them toads from? Cause some son of a Bandersnatch went and stole all mine!’ And I say, ‘Swiped all your toads, Neville, obviously. So you’ll be needing some more, then?’ And get this, the brainless dope buys all of his own toads back from me for twice what he paid in the first place – “
“I don’t think you need to regale us of your long list of underhanded dealings, O’Neill,” said Diana sharply, as Sucy threw her head back, cackling uncontrollably.
“Aw, lighten up, Princess,” said Amanda, wiping her eyes and winking at Akko. “Neville pretty much had it coming to him. I outright told him those were his toads that I stole from him. If he’s stupid enough to pay me after that, it’s his own fault.”
“Why do you even need to sell stolen goods, anyway?” questioned Amanda. “Your family is wealthy. Not to mention four out of five of us gave you our earnings from the Contest of Champions.”
“I don’t need to sell stolen goods,” said Amanda, smirking. “It’s more of a hobby than anything else.”
“Most hobbies don’t come with the risk of being arrested,” said Diana exasperatedly.
“Clearly you’ve never been to the States,” Amanda retorted.
Three helpings of banoffee pie and custard tarts later and the waistband on Akko’S shorts was feeling uncomfortably tight. She lay down her fork in a lull in the general conversation. Lotte was leaning back in her chair, looking replete and relaxed, Finé was yawning in a very unrefined way, and Nico was leaning against her flesh and blood arm with her eyes closed, looking ready to fall asleep at any moment.
“Nearly time for bed, I think,” said Athena on a yawn.
“Not just yet, Athena,” said Blair, pushing away her empty plate and turning to look at Akko. “You know, I’m surprised at you. I thought the first thing you’d do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Jennifer.”
Th atmosphere in the room changed with the rapidity Akko associated with the arrival of the Heartless. Where seconds before it had been sleepily relaxed, it was now alert, even tense. A frisson had gone around the table at the mention of Jennifer’s name. Izetta, who had been about to take a sip of wine, lowered her glass slowly, looking wary.
“I did!” Akko shouted urgently. “I asked Diana and everyone else, but they said we’re not allowed in the Sphere, so – “
“And they’re quite right,” said Athena. “You’re too young.”
She was sitting bolt upright in her chair, her fists clenched upon its arms, every trace of drowsiness gone.
“Since when did someone have to be in the Celestial Sphere to ask questions?” asked Blair. “Akko-Nyan’s been trapped in Japan with no contact from the outside world for a month. She’s got the right to know what’s been happening – “
“Hang on!” interrupted Hannah loudly.
“How come Akko gets her questions answered?” said Barbara angrily.
“We’ve been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you haven’t told use a single thing!” said Hannah.
“’You’re too young, you’re not in the Sphere,’” said Barbara in a high-pitched voice. “Akko’s the same age as us!”
“It’s not my fault you haven’t been told what the Sphere’s doing,” said Blair calmly. “That’s your parents’ decision. Akko-Nyan, on the other hand – “
“It’s not down to you to decide what’s good for Akko!” said Athena sharply. Akko had a sudden shock of déjà vu, vividly remembering her own mother’s outburst back in Japan.
“And it’s not your decision either,” Blair said quietly, but with an air as though readying herself for a fight.
Everyone around the table were turning their heads from Blair to Athena as though following an intense tennis rally. Nico eyes were following along, though the fingers of her prosthetic arm were curling as if intending to grab something. Izetta’s eyes were fixed on Blair.
“Akko has been kept in the dark about everything for too long,” said Blair coolly. “She was the one who saw Jennifer come back and is the only reason we were able to prepare. She has more right than most to – “
“She’s not a member of the Celestial Sphere!” said Athena. “She’s only fifteen and – “
“ – and she’s dealt with as much as most in the Sphere,” said Blair, “and more than some – “
“No one’s denying what she’s done!” said Athena, her voice rising, her fists trembling on the arms of her chair. “But she’s still – “
“She’s not a child!” said Blair impatiently.
“She’s not an adult either!” said Athena, the color rising in her cheeks. “She’s not Chariot, Blair!”
“I’m perfectly clear on who she is, thanks, Athena,” said Blair coldly.
“I’m not sure you are!” said Athena. “Sometimes, the way you talk about her, it’s as though you think you have your best friend back!”
“What’s wrong with that?” said Akko.
“What’s wrong, Akko, is that you are not your mother, however you might act like her!” said Athena, her eyes still boring into Blair. “You are still in school and adults responsible for you should not forget that!”
“Meaning I’m an irresponsible guardian?” demanded Blair, her voice rising.
“Let’s look at the facts, shall we?” said Athena scathingly. “You were with Akko for four years at Luna Nova, and under your watch she went through harrowing trials to get to the Claiomh Solais, had to fight a living plague on her own, chased down an escaped criminal – no offense, Izetta – and then there was that whole mess with the Contest – “
“I admit I might not have been perfect!” Blair snarled. “But I have had nothing but Akko’s best interests at heart!”
“For all the good that has done!” Athena raged. “You don’t get a say in this! You’re not her mother!”
“No, I’m the one who’s been looking out for her since she was less than a day old!” Blair roared.
“Enough!” Izetta snapped, slamming her fists on the table.
Everyone was nearly thrown out of their seats by the magical shockwave of the impact of Izetta’s fists sinking into the wood. Blair and Athena were stunned into silence, like they were the ones who had been hit instead. It had been a long time since Akko had seen Izetta use magic that she had forgotten that was probably the most powerful witch in the entire manor; maybe even more powerful than Shiny Chariot if what Ursula said was true.
Finé gently rested her hand on Izetta’s which visibly calmed the redheaded witch. Izetta pried her fist from the table, taking a deep, cleansing breath, round to both Blair and Athena in turn.
“Everyone can tell that you both want what’s best for Akko, in your own ways,” said Izetta calmly. “Blair, you’re right in saying that Akko deserves to know the facts, but it’s not your place to decide that for her. What Athena says is true: you’re not her mother, no matter how much you see yourself to be. But you are not her mother either, Athena, so you don’t get to have a choice on whether she knows or not. Chariot is not here, and neither are the Kagaris. So, as her aunt, I’m the only one that gets a say in the matter. And I say that Akko should be allowed to decide for herself. She’s earned that much.”
“I want to know what’s been going on,” Akko said at once.
She did not look at Athena. She wasn’t upset at her; Akko understood where she was coming from. She was just trying to do what she thought would keep Akko safe. In a lot of ways, Athena reminded Akko of her own mother. But she was also impatient at her overprotectiveness…. Blair was right, she was not a child.
“Very well,” said Athena, her voice cracking. “Diana, children – I want you out of this room, now.”
There was an instant uproar.
“You can’t do this, mother!” Diana bellowed.
“If Akko’s allowed, why can’t we?” shouted Amanda.
“We want to know, too!” Garie and Sabi wailed together.
“NO!” shouted Athena, standing up, her eyes overbright. “I absolutely forbid – “
“You can’t stop me from staying,” said Nico, leaning back into her seat with her arms crossed defiantly. “I was there when Jennifer came back, too. And I almost died, remember?”
“You’re still in school – “
“Nico is right, Athena,” said Izetta tiredly. “As the owner of the Staff of One, she’s as much a part of this as Akko. She should know as well.”
Athena was now scarlet in the face.
“I – oh, all right then, she can stay, but Diana is my daughter, and – “
“And Akko will tell me anyway!” said Diana hotly. “She’s my girlfriend, and we don’t keep secrets from each other. Isn’t that right, Akko?”
Akko felt like she had been punched in the gut; her mind flashed back to Professor Holbrooke’s office and the Horologium Clock…. Akko, not trusting herself to say anything, just nodded.
“Yeah, well, we’re her friends…sort of,” said Hannah, slightly hesitant as she met Akko’s eyes. “She’ll tell us the same thing. So we can stay, right, daddy?” she asked hopefully to Mr. England.
“I don’t know…,” Mr. England murmured with uncertainty.
“I think they should,” said Mrs. Parker serenely. “It’s better they get the facts from us than garbed versions from others.”
“Yes!” Garie cheered, pumping her fist in the air.
“Finally!” Sabi cried, also pumping her fist.
“You can send Garie and Sabi to their room,” said Sucy. She shot a toothy grin at the twins, who looked up at their sister in abject betrayal. “Since Ina isn’t here, I get to make the decision for them.”
“Traitor!” Garie roared.
“We’ll get you for this!” Sabi shouted.
“Anna, take them away, please,” Athena told the maid coolly.
The Manbavaran twins did not go quietly. They shouted and flailed as Anna plucked them out of their seats and totted them out of the dining hall like sacks of rice. They could hear the telltale signs of something expensive shattering in the corridors. Athena exhaled an exhausted sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. They waited until the twins’ banshee screams were out of earshot, then Blair turned to Akko.
“Okay, Akko-Nyan…what do you want to know?” she asked.
Akko took a deep breath and asked the questions that had been obsessing her for a month.
“Where’s Jennifer? What’s she doing? I’ve been trying to watch the news,” she said quickly, “and there hasn’t been anything that looks like her yet, nothing weird or unusual – “
“That’s because there hasn’t been any suspicious activity lately,” said Blair, “not as far as we know, anyway…. And we know quite a lot.”
“More than she thinks we do anyway,” said Izetta.
“How come she hasn’t done anything yet?” Akko asked. “With Eveline, she controls the Purifiers. Not to mention Amon and Acnologia – “
“Because Jennifer is smarter than that,” said Athena. “Remember, Jennifer was one of the heroes of the Hundred Year War. She has a gift for strategy, and right now her best strategy is keeping a low profile. It’s too dangerous for her to make her presence known. You see, things didn’t exactly go the way she wanted to when she made her big comeback.”
“Why?” Akko asked perplexed.
“Because of you and Nico,” said Blair with a satisfied smile. “You two weren’t supposed to get away, let alone escape with both the Shiny Rod and the Staff of One – both items that Jennifer needed.”
“And because you escaped, you were able to warn everyone,” said Izetta. “And the last person Jennifer wanted alerted of her return was Chariot. And thanks to you, Chariot knows Jennifer is back.”
“Why is Jennifer worried about my mom?” Akko asked.
“Only a handful of people throughout history have ever mastered the Shiny Rod,” said Blair with a Cheshire grin. “And one of them is Chariot Du Nord. She’s the only person in the entire world besides Jennifer who knows all of the Shiny Rod’s secrets, including the Seven Words of Arcturus and the deactivation codes. As long as Chariot is around, Jennifer can’t carry out her plans.”
“And what are her plans?” Akko asked quickly. “I know she wants to use the Shiny Rod for some assimilation plat, but how is she doing it?”
“Well, firstly, she’ll need to build her army,” said Athena. “She’s already got the Purifiers and their anti-magic technology in her back pocket, but that’s not enough for what she needs done. She’ll need magical help, too. Demi-Humans who are delusional enough to believe in Jennifer’s philosophy, or greedy enough for a taste of her power. You heard her planning to recruit the Nine Titan Shifters; it’s a sound strategy,” she glanced mournfully at Jasminka. “Their kind have been persecuted for centuries. If Jennifer offers then true rights and freedom, I imagine many will accept.”
“So the Sphere’s trying to stop Jennifer from getting more followers?”
“We’re doing our best,” said Izetta.
“How?”
“Well, the main thing is to try and convince as many people as possible that Jennifer has really returned, to put them on their guard,” said Finé. “It’s proven difficult, though.”
“Why?”
“Because of the Council’s attitude,” said Mr. England. “You already know Crawford Seam’s position on matters about Jennifer. He’s absolutely refusing to believe it’s happened.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard,” said Akko agitatedly. “Why is he being so stupid. I told him – “
“And that’s the problem,” said Urahara. “You.”
“Crawford is afraid of you,” said Mrs. Parker distantly.
“Afraid of me?” said Akko incredulously.
“Afraid of who you are,” said Urahara. “The Star-Born Child – the savior of Demi-Humans. The girl who single-handed revived the world of magic when it was on the verge of dying out. Crawford Seam is afraid you’re trying to overthrow him. He thinks you’re trying to take his place.”
“I don’t want to take his place! I’d make a terrible leader – “
“No one’s arguing that,” said Amanda, snicker.
“Crawford Seam has always had an inferiority complex,” said Athena. “He’s always gone out of his way to make himself well-loved, but people could only ignore his sheer incompetence for so long. He never forgot how much popular support Holbrooke had to become the next Magic Council Chairperson after David Copperfield retired, even though she never applied for the job.”
“And then there’s you – a living symbol of worship for the magical world; I pretty sure there’s even a religion about you somewhere,” said Izetta. “Crawford is deftly aware of how the public views him. He’s unfit for the position. So much so that in the early days of his administration he was constantly begging Holbrooke for help and advice. He’s become fond of his power and he’s not willing to give it up for anything, even if it means putting the rest of the world in danger. At this point, he’s convinced himself that you’re just trying to stir up trouble for the sake of it.”
“How can he think that?” said Akko angrily. “How can he think I would just make it all up?”
Because accepting that Jennifer is back and is not the hero everyone spent centuries believing would mean trouble like the Council has never had to cope with,” said Blair bitterly. “Crawford just can’t bring himself to face it. It’s so much more comfortable to convince himself you’re lying to destabilize him.”
“You see the problem,” said Izetta. “While the Council insists there is nothing to fear from Jennifer, it’s hard to convince people she’s back, especially as they really don’t want to believe it in the first place. I mean, so many witches grew up idolizing Jennifer. What’s more, the Council is leaning heavily on the news not to report what they’re calling rumor-mongering, so most of the world is completely unaware anything’s happening, and that makes them easy targets for Jennifer’s cultists.”
“But you’re telling people, aren’t you?” said Akko, looking around. “You’re letting people know she’s back.”
“We’re trying, but it has been slow work,” said Izetta. “Everyone thinks I’m an insane mass murderer and the Council put a fifty million credit bounty on my head, so I can’t exactly stroll up the street passing out leaflets.”
“We managed to convince a few in the Council, so we have a few spies on the inside,” said Athena, “but we the Magic Council is keeping a hard eye on anyone they think might be associated with you or Holbrooke, so we can’t start campaigning there. Plus, there’s always the risk that word will leak to Crawford, or worse, Jennifer, because you know she’s bound to have a few eyes and ears on the inside.”
“And it doesn’t help that Crawford is actively trying to discredit Holbrooke,” said Izetta. “I don’t suppose you heard about that?”
“Amanda filled me in on what’s going on,” said Akko. “But…if Jennifer is trying to recruit people, too, doesn’t that mean someone is bound to figure out that she’s come back?”
“You’re forgetting one thing, Akko: Eveline,” said Blair. “A sentient virus with the power to mind control hundreds of people at once is a lot harder to keep track of than physical people. Amon’s group spent an entire year working in secret to control the minds of every Purifier sect in the world, and binding them to silence is simple enough for her. In any case, gathering followers is only one thing she’s interested in, she’s got other plans, too, plans she can put into operation very quietly, and she’s concentrating on them at the moment.”
“What’s she after other than followers?” Akko asked swiftly.
She thought she saw Blair, Izetta, and Athena exchange the most fleeting of looks before Blair said, “Stuff she can only get by stealth. Something she didn’t have before.”
“Before? Before she came to the future?”
“Yes.”
“Like what?” said Akko. “Does it have something to do with the Shiny Rod or – “
“I think that’s enough,” said Athena sharply. “We’ve given Akko plenty of information. Any more and you might as well into the Sphere straightaway.”
“Why not?” said Akko quickly. “I’ll join, I want to join, I want to fight – “
“No!”
Shockingly enough, it wasn’t Athena that objected, but Blair, who turned to Akko looking deadly serious.
“I said you deserved to know what’s going on,” she said sternly, “but that was not an invitation for you to get involved. The Celestial Sphere is comprised of experienced fighters who are willingly and knowingly putting their lives on the line. There are dangers of which you have no idea, any of you…. Athena is right. We’ve said enough.”
Akko looked desperately to Izetta, but her stance seemed just as firm as Blair’s. Athena stood up and beckoned Diana and the girls. One by one they stood up and Akko, recognizing defeat, followed suit.
Notes:
Next chapter: The Ancient and Noble House of Cavendish
Chapter Text
Athena followed them upstairs looking grim.
“I want you all to go straight to bed, no talking,” said Athena as they climbed the grand staircase. “We’ve got a busy day tomorrow. I expect your sisters are asleep,” she added to Sucy, “so try not to wake them up.”
“Asleep, yeah, right,” said Sucy in an undertone, after Hannah and Barbara bade them good night and disappeared into their room. “If Gari and Sabi aren’t lying awake waiting for me to tell them everything they said downstairs, then I’m a troll…”
“Well, you’re certainly a type of troll,” Nico teased.
“All right, Akko, Lotte, Sucy,” said Athena, pointing them to a door on the opposite side of the hall. “You three will be staying here. I better not hear any of you sneaking into each other’s rooms during the night.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Lotte reluctantly.
“Night,” Akko said to Nico and Amanda’s group.
“Sleep tight,” said Amanda, winking.
Athena closed the door behind Akko with a sharp snap. The bedroom was smaller than Diana’s but just as luxurious, if a little on the simple side, three beds side-by-side waiting for their occupants. Akko changed into her sleeping shirt and shorts and climbed into the middle bed while Sucy checking over her mushroom collection that was tucked away in the corner and Lotte was trying to coerce Haruka-san into a dog carrier.
“We can’t let her wander around every night,” Lotte explained as she pulled on her nightshirt. “She might sneak outside. Puchis aren’t native to the United Kingdom and if anyone spots her on a highland in the middle of the night, it could look suspicious. Oh yeah…Almost forgot…. Sucy, could you…?”
Sucy floated over to the door and bolted it.
“What’re you doing that for?” asked Akko.
“Diana’s cousins, Maril and Merrill,” said Lotte as she turned off the light. “They’ve been sneaking into guest’s rooms and taking their things. First night I was here, I came back from dinner to find them trying to make off with my autographed edition of Night Fall. Vol 365. Diana thinks they’re doing it under Daryl’s orders.”
She got into her bed, staring silently up at the high ceiling. A few seconds later, Sucy climbed into her bed on Akko’s opposite side. The room was silent, filled with awkward tense, and nobody looked to be drifting off to sleep any time soon. Then, Sucy turned to look at Akko in the darkness. Akko could see her outline by the moonlight filtering in through the window.
“What do you think?” she asked.
Akko didn’t need to ask what Sucy meant.
“Well, they didn’t tell us much we couldn’t have guessed,” she said, thinking of all that had been said downstairs. “I mean, all they really said is that the Sphere is trying to stop people from joining Jennifer.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Lotte joined in. “We already know nearly everything they told us from our own guesswork. The only thing different was – “
CRASH!
Akko, Lotte, and Sucy practically flew out of their beds, reaching for their wands as the wall exploded on the other side of the room. They relaxed when they saw it was only Garie and Sabi, once again adorned with hardhats and sledgehammers.
“Hah!” Sabi barked, pointing at her twin. “I told you this was the right room!”
“Lucky guess,” Garie grumbled.
“Garie, Sabi, what the hell are you doing?” said Sucy irritably. “If Diana finds out, she’s going to be upset – “
“Oh, believe me, I am plenty upset. But I will overlook it just this once.”
Akko saw the blurred outline of Diana ducked from out of the hole in the wall. A few seconds later, a twinkling ball of light sparked from the tip of Diana’s wand. She stood aside to let the rest of their friends inside, apparently having all been in on this little excursion. Akko tucked her wand away and sat back on her bed, soon joined by Diana as everyone gathered around them.
“So, get to the good part yet?” asked Amanda eagerly.
“The thing that Blair mentioned?” said Akko.
“Let slip, more like it,” said Barbara. “You could tell that nobody else wanted us to know about it.”
“What do you think it is?” said Lotte.
“It could be anything,” said Stan-Bot, sitting cross-legged on Constanze’s head.
“But what could someone like Jennifer need that she didn’t already have before?” asked Hannah. “Maybe it’s one of the Stars that Akko doesn’t have.”
“If that were the case, she would’ve kept the Shiny Rod back on that hill where we fought,” Akko shook her head.
“Maybe it’s something that can kill a whole lot of people,” Jasminka suggested.
“Jennifer doesn’t kill people unless necessary,” Akko rejected.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Nico spoke up, having been leaning against the wall this whole time. “There’s only thing that Jennifer could want: the last book in the Gospel of Aradia – the Book of Dusk.”
“You mean…the book that tells the future?” said Lotte fearfully.
“She mentioned it before, back on that hill,” Nico said to Akko. “She read the first two books, but never read the third.”
“That makes sense,” said Diana, nodding understandingly. “The first book, which was passed down through the Du Nord family, predicted the birth of the Star-Born Child, Akko. The second book, which fell into the hands of Amon, predicted Jennifer’s return. So then it stands to reason that the last book could predict events that had yet to transpire.”
“If that’s the case, why wouldn’t the Sphere tell us?” asked Akko irritably. “If Jennifer is looking for the last book, then shouldn’t we – should I – know about it. I mean, it is about me, after all.”
“I think they had a very good reason to keep you in the dark on this subject,” said Diana plainly. Akko looked at her with a betrayed expression. “I’m sorry, Akko, you have a terrible habit of running into trouble without thinking things through. Look at your track record. In our first year, you went running after the Shiny Rod because you thought someone was going to steal it. But it was only in danger when you showed up.”
“It’s true,” Barbara nodded sagely. “I would never have gotten my hands on it if you hadn’t turned up.”
“But – “
“And in our second year,” Diana cut her off, “you went straight for Professor Croix’s lab instead of seeking help from the teachers, who had vastly more power and experience than you. You rushed in without thinking and allowed Eveline to claim Alessa’s body and regain full power.”
“It worked out in the end – “
“And then there was our third year,” Diana pushed forward, “when you went chasing after Izetta, blatantly ignoring the warnings of everyone who were risking their lives to protect you!”
“Izetta wouldn’t hurt me!” Akko snapped back.
“We didn’t know that at the time!” Diana retorted viciously, making Akko reel back. “If the circumstances were different, she very well could’ve killed you! Do you understand how much that worries me?! Knowing the person I love could’ve died at any moment because she was too reckless to stop and just think for a moment?! How would you feel if myself or any of the others just ran into a life-or-death situation without saying anything?!”
Akko bit her lip, grimacing. A small part of her wanted to bite back, to tell Diana that what happens to her is none of her concern. But that would be hypocritical of Akko. And besides, Diana was, as she usually is, right. With all of those moments laid out before her, Akko couldn’t deny that she had made a lot of stupid choices. Choices that endangered her friend’s lives as much as her own.
There was an uncomfortable pause in the room, until Amanda coughed in her fist and said, “So who do ya think has the book now?”
“I hope it’s on our side,” said Jasminka, sounding slightly nervous.
“If it is, Chariot is probably keeping it,” Akko commented.
“Where do you think it is?” asked Hannah. “Luna Nova?”
“Bet it is!” said Amanda enthusiastically. “That’s where she hid the Shiny Rod last time! Maybe it’s – “
“Shush!” said Barbara, half-rising from the bed. “Listen!”
They fell silent. Footsteps were coming down the hall again.
“Mother,” said Diana, and without further ado, everyone piled back into Garie and Sabi’s hole. Diana repaired the wall with a flick of her wand while Akko, Lotte, and Sucy quickly shuffled into bed, pretending to be asleep. A few seconds later and they heard the footsteps stop outside their door; Athena was plainly listening to see whether they were talking or not.
Haruka-san was snoring quite loudly. They heard the footsteps fade away down the hall.
“They don’t trust us at all, you know,” said Sucy.
Akko was sure she would not be able to fall asleep; the evening had been so packed with things to think about that she fully expected to lie awake for hours mulling it all over. She wanted to continue talking Lotte and Sucy, but Athena’s footsteps were coming back down the hall again, and once she had gone, she distinctly heard others making their way around the manor….
Before she even realized it, Akko was curled in a warm ball under her bedclothes, when the door banged open and a loud clanging noise filled the room. Akko fell out of her bed with a surprised yelp, leering over her bed at the Cavendish head maid, who was banging a couple of frying pans together and scowling as if daring them to go back to sleep.
“Time to get up,” said Anna with a tone that left no room for argument. “If you children are going to be staying here, then you will be helping around the mansion as well. Lady Athena’s orders. Breakfast is served in the dining hall and then I will need you in the parlor room. There is an infestation of black stingers in the walls and Miss Maril and Miss Merrill found a nest of dead rats under the couch.”
“Don’t you have staff that takes care of that sort of stuff?” Sucy groaned.
“We did at one time,” Anna huffed. “Unfortunately, no one has been allowed in there since Miss Diana’s mother…. Never you mind. Just hurry up.”
Half and hour later, everyone was dressed and breakfasted quickly, then entered the parlor room, a long, high-ceilinged room on the first floor with navy-blue walls covered in dusty tapestries. The carpet exhaled little clouds of dust every time someone put their foot on it and the long, royal-purple curtains were buzzing as though swarming with invisible bees. It was around these that Diana, Hannah, Barbara, and Anna were grouped, all looking rather peculiar, as they had tied cloths over their noses and mouths. Each of them was also holding a large bottle of green liquid with a nozzle at the end.
“Cover your faces and take a spray,” Anna said to the girls the moment she saw them, pointing to a box of bottles with green liquid standing on a spindle-legged table. “It’s S-Grade Pesticide. I’ve never seen an infestation this bad – oh, if Lady Bernadette saw how we have neglected this room – “
Diana’s face was half concealed by a baby-blue bandanna but Akko distinctly saw a painful wince in her eyes.
“I’m sure my mother wouldn’t particularly care if – “
“Oh no, she cared a great deal about this room,” said Blair, who had just entered the room carrying a bowl of fruits and vegetables. “Its my turn to feed Qing. Turns out Qilin are vegetarians. Who know?” she added, in reply to Akko’s inquiring look. “We’re keeping him in the in the observatory. Nobody’s been up there for years.”
“This place has an observatory?” Akko asked Diana, surprised.
“My mother liked to look up at the stars when I was little,” Diana mumbled.
“Yeah, she did, didn’t she?” said Blair reminiscently. “And about this writing desk….”
She dropped the bowl of fruits and vegetables onto an armchair, then bent over to examine the locked cabinet which, Akko now noticed for the first time, was shaking slightly.
“I’m pretty sure there’s a bogeyman in there,” said Blair, peering through the keyhole, “probably slipped in over the years when no one was using this room. Sneaky little brats.”
“I’d rather be certain before chancing anything,” said Anna firmly. “I want Miss Croix to examine it before we let it out – knowing Lady Daryl, she might have stored something much worse inside.”
“Can’t argue with that,” said Blair.
They were both speaking in carefully light voices that told Akko they were being mindful of what they said around the children. Blair wasn’t about to let anything slip again.
A loud, clanging bell sounded from the foyer, followed by a loud bang from the floor above them and a rapid scuffling of footsteps.
“Must be the archduchess,” Blair chuckled amusingly, walking back out of the room. “Only she could make could Izetta move that fast.”
“Close the door, pleased, Miss Kagari,” said Anna.
Akko took as much time as she dared to close the drawing room door; she wanted to listen to what was going on outside. She heard Blair talking in a hushed voice with Izetta and Finé. She strained her ears to listen and managed to catch Finé saying, “Bianca’s reported no changes so far. She rotated out with Stephen to avoid suspicion. Thought I’d leave a report for….”
Feeling Anna’s eyes on the back of her head, Akko regretfully closed the parlor room door and rejoined the pesticide party.
Anna was bending over to check the page on Black Stingers on Black Stingers in Guide to Household Pests by Scott Lang, which was lying open on the couch.
“All right, children, you need to be careful, because Black Stingers are poisonous. We have bottles of anti-toxin on the table, but I’d rather nobody needed it.”
She straightened up, positioned herself squarely in front of the curtains, and beckoned them all forward.
“When I say the word, start spraying immediately,” she said. “They’ll come flying out at us, I expect, but it says on the bottle one good spray will paralyze them. When they are immobilized, just throw them in the rubbish bin over there.”
She stepped carefully out of their line of fire and raised her own bottle. “Ready…. Spray!”
Akko had been spraying only a few seconds when a giant insect that looked like an oversized hornet came soaring out of the fold in the material, shiny black wings whirring, a three-inch sharp-looking stinger, its body covered in black, beetle-like armor, and its pointed mandibles snapping with fury. Akko caught it full in the face with a blast of pesticide; it froze in midair and fell with a loud thunk onto the worn carpet below. Akko picked it up and threw it in the trash bin.
“Miss Manbavaran, what are you doing?” said Anna sharply. “Spray that at once and throw it away!”
Akko looked around. Sucy was holding a struggling Black Stinger by the wings between her thumb and forefinger.
“I don’t have to listen to you,” Sucy said bluntly, spraying the Black Stinger in the face so that it faints and pocketed it, purposely ignoring the sour look on the head maid’s face.
“I didn’t think Black Stinger toxin was poisonous enough for your standards,” Hannah commented.
“It’s not,” said Sucy, spraying another Black Stinger and pocketing that as well. “But Garie and Sabi thinks they can use them for their new products.”
“Deftly spraying two Black Stingers at once as they soared straight for her face, Akko asked, “What products?”
“They made a big hit with those Metamorphosis Treat that they decided to expand,” Sucy explained. “They’re working on a range of candies that will make you sick. Not seriously sick, but enough to get you out of class when you feel like it. They’ve been developing them with that Chitose girl over the summer through mail. Based on their prototypes, they’re double-ended, color-coded chews. One side makes you sick, the other half cures you instantly so that you’re free to do whatever you want until the next class period.”
“Sweet,” Amanda praised, punting a Black Stinger across the room accurately into the bin. “They taking pre-orders? I’d kill to get out of Finnelan’s class.”
“While I can’t condone skipping classes,” Diana joined the conversation, “it is impressive that a couple of twelve-year-olds are capable of manufacturing such products.”
“As annoying as they are, they make me proud,” said Sucy with the tiniest of smiles. “But they still need a lot of work. At the moment, their testers are having trouble to vomiting long enough to swallow the cure.”
“Testers?” asked Barbara
“They take turns on themselves,” said Sucy. “Garie ate when that gives nosebleeds and Sabi ate one that makes you faint.”
“Is that what happened?” asked Lotte, bewildered. “I thought they were fighting.”
“I’ll need to make sure to grab me a pack before I head off to France,” said Amanda.
“So dance school is still on?” asked Akko.
“Yeah, I talked with my mom about it over the summer,” said Amanda, spraying a Black Stinger in the face with looking and kicking it in the bin like a hacky sack. “She wasn’t thrilled at first, but she understood. It’s always been my dream to get into the Paris Opera Ballet School, and when I showed her my acceptance letter, she agreed to let me go. On the condition that I take my S.T.A.R.s this year.”
“It always pays to have a backup plan in case things don’t work out,” said Diana.
“Yeah, one more year, and it’s off to Paris,” said Amanda with a huge smile.
Akko grinned. Last year, everyone on the Luna Nova team (minus Fate) have given Amanda the prize money they won from the Contest of Champions to help her realize her ambition of becoming a professional dancer.
Their battle against the Black Stingers took most of the morning. It was past midday removed her protective scarf and declared that they were finished; the girls immediately dropped to the dusty carpet with relieved groans. The curtains were no longer buzzing; they hung limp and damp from the intensive spraying; unconscious Black Stingers were crammed into the trash bin beside a bowl of their black eggs, at which Haruka-san nearly swallowed before Lotte snatched the Puchi up.
“I think we’ll tackle those after lunch.”
Anna pointed at the dusty glass-fronted cabinets standing on either side of the mantlepiece. They were crammed with an odd assortment of objects: a selection of elegant knives and ornate fans, a coil of bronze rope, a number of silver boxes inscribed with languages Akko could not understand, and a crystal bottle with a large opal set into the stopper full of what looked like liquid gold.
The clanging doorbell rang again. Everyone looked Anna.
“Stay here,” she said firmly, picking up the bin of downed lack Stingers. “I’ll bring some sandwiches.”
She left the room, closing the door carefully behind her. At once, everyone dashed over to the window to look across onto the doorstep. They could see the unkempt blonde hair under the ratty bucket hat carrying a large, bulky machine.
“Urahara?” said Diana. “What’s the machine he’s got?”
“It looks like a Reishi conversion machine,” answered Stan-Bot. “Good for transferring spiritual essence into physical matter. Very hard to come by.”
“Isn’t that the thing he was getting the night he was supposed to be watching me?” asked Akko. “I remember him talking about it while Yoruichi was chewing him out.”
“Yeah, you’re right!” said Barbara, as the front door opened; Urahara heaved his machine inside and disappeared from view. “They are not going to be happy about that.”
She and Hannah crossed to the door and stood beside it, listening intently.
“Urahara is talking to Izetta and Blair,” Hannah muttered, frowning with concentration. “I can’t make out what they’re saying…. Think we should risk opening the door a crack?”
“Might be worth it,” Amanda hummed. “Maybe put a silence charm on the hinges so – “
But at that precise moment there was an explosion off sound from downstairs that rendered any further action unnecessary. All of them could hear Anna shouting at the top of her lungs just on the other side.
“WE ARE NOT RUNNING STORAGE FOR YOUR CONTRAPTIONS!”
“And that is why you should never anger Anne,” said Diana with a grimace as she opened the door an inch or so to allow Anna’s voice to permeate the room better.
“ – COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE! AS IF WE HAVEN’T GOT ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT WITHOUT YOU DRAGGING YOUR FANGLED MACHINES INTO THE MANOR – “
“The idiots are letting her get into her stride,” said Amanda, shaking her head. “You’ve got to head them off early, otherwise they build up a head of steam and go on for hours. And she’s been dying to have a go at Urahara ever since Diana got upset when she heard Akko was almost attacked.
From the sound of it, Anna was only just starting her long tirade, somehow managing to drag Blair and Izetta into the conversation. Diana made to shut the door to drown the noise, but before she could do so, two girls edged into the room.
It was Aunt Daryl’s twin daughters, Maril and Merrill. Akko had met them before, both during the International Chariot Racing Tournament and before the final challenge of the Contest of Champions. Both of them were strikingly beautiful as all women in the Cavendish family, though every time Akko had met them, they always had this unpleasant look like Akko was something undesirable.
The twin had not noticed Akko and the rest as they slammed the doors shut behind them; one of the twins was touching her cranium like she had a headache. Both of them were carrying items in their hands. Akko remembered Lotte warning her that Diana’s cousins like to steal things from the others and wondered where they had gotten them. They backed away from the door and one of the twins muttered, “…see the rags that man was wearing. Has he never heard of a shower before?
“Giving the lot they associate with, I’m more astonished they even know dress themselves,” the other twin muttered. “If you can call that dressing. “The kinds of urchins that come crawling around the manor these days. Why does mother allow this scum to come and go as they please?”
“Some are holders of very influential businesses,” the other twin explained. “Mother said we had to play nice until all deals are finalized.”
“Ugh, I hate this. As if Diana dating that Half-Breed wasn’t bad enough without all the criminals and freaks traipsing around the halls – “
“Hello, Maril, Merrill,” said Diana very loudly.
The twins froze in their tracks, stopped muttering, and spun around while quickly shoving their hands behind their backs, trying to hide their stolen goods.
“Oh, uh, Diana, what a surprise?” one of the twins (let’s call her Maril.) “We uh, didn’t see you there.”
“Clearly,” said Diana in a dry tone.
“We didn’t think anyone was using this room anymore,” said Merrill.
“Mother decided it was over-do for a cleaning,” said Diana. “What do you have behind your backs? What did you steal?”
“How dare you accuse us of stealing?” said Maril with an overdramatic gasp.
“If anything, you should be more worried about them stealing,” said Merrill, shooting a sideways glance at Akko and the rest. “We have no reason to – “
Diana was done listening to their lies. She whipped out her wand and waved it with a flick of her wrist. The items behind Maril and Merrill’s backs flew out around them and landed in Diana’s waiting hands. One was a book – a fourth-year alchemy book – and the other was a teddy bear with a baby-blue ribbon around its neck.
“Hey, those are Diana’s book and bear!” Hannah accused loudly.
“You snuck into her room!” yelled Barbara.
“Wha – we never – “
“We didn’t – “
“That’s enough,” Diana spoke softly, though her tone of finality managed to quiet the room effectively. Diana gazed at her cousins, who stared back defiantly…then stepped forward and gave the book and bracelet back to them. “That book may be a little too advanced for you, Maril. But if you’re interested, I have some beginner level texts you could peruse. Maybe I could teach you some spells. And Merrill, you’re free to play with Theodore Bearsworth any time, but please make sure to return him before nightfall. He gets very cranky when he doesn’t get his beauty sleep.”
Surprisingly, Maril and Merrill’s expressions softened and they looked away uncomfortably. Then, Maril clicked her tongue, snatched her sister’s hand, and said, “Whatever. Like we care about your stupid junk. Come on, Merrill. This room stinks of losers.”
Amanda waited until the twins fled the room before rounding on Diana and snickered, “Theodore Bearsworth?”
“I named him when I was six,” said Diana, flushing slightly.
“Why did you let those jerks get away with taking your stuff?” asked Hannah, awestruck. “If it were me, I would’ve hexed those two.”
“They’re not bad people, Hannah,” said Diana. “They may act rude and snobbish, but that’s just the way Aunt Daryl raised them to be. Imagine what it’s like to have someone as strict and overbearing as her watching your every move, deciding every little detail for you. I was lucky to be born to two kind and considerate mothers. This bout of kleptomania is merely them trying to find some freedom away from their mother now that she is distracted by the dealings with the Celestial Sphere.”
“Good grief,” said Barbara, sighing exasperatedly. “Sometimes I worry you’re too kind for your own good.”
“I just believe that there is good in everyone,” said Diana, “no matter how unlikely.”
“You’re definitely Bernie’s daughter,” said a voice behind Akko.
Blair had just entered the room, leaning against the frame of the door. The noise in the foyer had abated; perhaps Anna and Urahara had moved their conversation to the kitchen.
“How’s it looking in here?” she asked, stepping further into the room and shutting the door behind her. She reeled back, her nose scrunching up as she passed the curtains. “Oh, sweet mother of mercy. Sometimes having senses of a cat sucks.”
“At least the worst part is over,” Sucy grumbled. “Getting rid of all those Black Stingers is a real pain.”
“I bet,” Blair chuckled. She scanned the room until her eyes fell on a baby-blue tapestry that covered the length of the opposite wall. Blair walked across the room toward it and the girls followed. “Well, will you look at that. Haven’t seen this since I was a kid.”
The tapestry looked immensely old; it was faded and looked as though moths had gnawed it in places; nevertheless, the golden thread with which it was embroidered still glinted enough to show them a sprawling family tree dating back (as far as Akko could tell) to the Middle Ages beginning with Beatrix Cavendish. Large words at the very top of the tapestry read:
THE NOBLE AND ANCIENT HOUSE OF CAVENDISH
“Affectio”
“You’re not on here, Blair!” said Akko, after scanning the bottom of the tree.
“I used to be there,” said Blair, pointing at a small, round, charred hole in the tapestry, rather like a cigarette burn. “Anna tells me that Daryl blasted me off after Bernie’s funeral – right before she tried to blast my face off in a drunken rage.”
“She was upset?” asked Jasminka.
“Daryl was always a brat, but she loved her sister more than anything,” said Blair sympathetically. “She turned worst after Bernie died. I hardly recognized her when we met last year.”
“It hard to believe she’s changed so much in such little time,” said Diana. “I can’t even remember what she was like before.”
“Grief changes people in different ways,” said Blair, tracing a finger along the threads. “Looks like she blasted off quite a few names since I’ve been gone. Uncle Darris – he was born a Dud, that’s probably why – Alfred and Margaret – they gave up their fortune to live in a Tibetan monastery – the entire Schnee line has been wiped off – honestly, I can’t blame her for that one.”
“How come you never stayed?” asked Akko. “With the Cavendishes, I mean. They’re your family, right?”
“Watching over you was my first priority,” said Blair, smiling bitterly. “But even if that weren’t the case, I wasn’t particularly welcomed by the majority of the family. My grandparents in particular loathed me. They didn’t want any half-bread vermin polluting their blood purity. Bernie was nice enough to me, though. Let me say in the manor for a couple years after everything went down in America.”
She pointed a finger near the bottom of the tree, at the name Bernadette Cavendish. A date of death (some ten years ago) followed the date of birth.
“She was going to change things in the Cavendish House,” said Blair. “Open the doors to the public, become more involved with government, charity projects. That was before…”
“Lunch!” Anna’s voice called.
She had just stepped into the parlor balancing a huge tray loaded with sandwiches and a cake with perfect poise. She was very red in the face and still looked angry. The others moved over to her, eager for some food, but Akko and Diana remained with Blair, who had bent closer to the tapestry.
“Heh, I’m getting flashbacks to when Chariot and Izetta showed me their family tapestry,” Blair commented randomly. “Of course, they kept theirs in the family crypt. Sounds creepy, but it’s actually pretty cool when you see it.
“The Du Nords have one, too?” asked Akko.
“All the older families have a family tapestry that updates magically when someone is born or dies in that particular family.” Diana informed. “I’m certain if you looked, the Manbavarans have one in their home as well.”
“Do you remember any of the names that were on it?” asked Akko, curious to learn more about her own heritage.
“I haven’t visited that place since the whole Grand Triskellion thing,” said Blair, scratching her head with a grimace. “Though a few names did stand out. I remember Mavis Vermillion being one name – she was one of the popular chairmen on the Magic Council – and her son August married into the family. Mavis’s husband was burned off, oddly enough…. Chise Hitose was a famous member for marrying an ancient magus…an American named Jean Gray was disowned when I was a kid – watched Chariot’s mother burn her name right off…Summer Rose was Chariot’s distant cousin – I always liked her…Oh, and Ava O’neill, of course.”
“Me and Amanda are related?” Akko asked, surprised.
“Ava’s mother married your grandfather’s brother, Larcade,” said Blair. “Or was it his uncle. Bah! It’s impossible to keep track of these things!”
“All pure-blood families are interrelated in some form or another,” said Diana. “If you’re only going to let your sons and daughters marry purebloods, your choices are limited, there are hardly any of us left. Sucy and I are second-cousins by marriage, though Aunt Daryl sorely wishes we weren’t. I’m surprised she kept their names on here,” she added, pointing out Sucy, Garie, and Sabi’s names written in the corner.
But Akko as Akko’s eyes wandered to the left side of the tapestry, she noticed there was a sizable hope much larger than the others. It wasn’t just a wand blast – it looked as if someone had tried to burn the whole thing away.
“What happened there?” asked Akko, pointing to the burn.
“Hmm…I believe that used to be Cinder Falls spot,” Blair hummed.
“Cinder…,” Akko repeated softly. The name had stirred something in her memory; she knew it from somewhere, but for a moment she couldn’t think where, though it gave her an odd, creeping sensation in the pit of her stomach.”
“She’s in Dol Gurdur,” said Blair shortly.
Akko looked at her curiously.
“From what I remember, she was adopted into the family,” said Blair in the same brusque voice. “Though adopted may be a stretched – she was basically my dear auntie’s servant. She was one of the traitors that joined Amon’s side during their coup. I saw a few years after that, being dragged past my cell. That’s probably why Daryl blasted her name off. Though it was a bit excessive…”
And Akko remembered: She had seen Cinder Fall through the Horologium Clock, the strange device that flings people through time: a tall, dark-haired woman mangled beyond recognition who stood at her trial and proclaimed her continued allegiance to her master, who Akko now knows meant Jennifer.
She was also the person that cursed Bernadette Cavendish, dooming her to a slow and painful death.
“You never said you were related to her,” Akko muttered softly.
“Hardly seems like a thing to mention,” said Diana. “She’s a criminal who betrayed my mothers and sided with Amon. As far as I am concerned, she is not my family. A sentiment that Aunt Daryl seems to agree upon.”
“Sorry,” Akko apologized. “It’s just …I was surprised, that’s all.”
“Come to think of it, how do you know about Cinder Fall?” asked Diana, raising a curious brow. “I doubt you have any reason to know anything about a hardened criminal.”
That put Akko in a precariously difficult position, having been sworn to Professor Holbrooke not to mention a word about what she had seen in the Horologium Clock. She hated the idea of lying to her girlfriend, but Akko couldn’t just say that she had witnessed Cinder trial firsthand, nor the nature of the crime for which she was sentenced. She needed an excuse. And, as Akko just remembered, she had a convenient excuse ready, along with a crushing sense of dread in the pit of her stomach.
“Lotte was helping me look up case for my upcoming trial,” Akko muttered. “We just happened to find Cinder’s name among them.”
“When did you have time to do that?” asked Diana curiously.
“I couldn’t sleep last night – too nervous – so Lotte stayed up with me,” said Akko. “Sucy was super annoyed and shoved a mushroom up my nose.”
“Make sense,” said Diana, nodded appreciatively. “I suppose anybody would be apprehensive, considering the severity of the situation. The Magic Council will be gunning for you. They’re clinging to any excuse to discredit you before your identity as the Star-Born Child comes to light. You’ll be facing an uphill battle.”
Akko felt as though her stomach had sunk through the dusty carpet. She had not thought about the hearing since dinner the previous evening; in the excitement of being back with her friends, of hearing everything that was going on, it had completely flown her mind. But now it was back with a vengeance. She stared at her friends, all stuffing their faces and flicking pieces of bread at each other, and thought how she would feel if they went back to Luna Nova without her.
“Don’t worry,” said Blair, clapping her shoulder. Akko looked up and realized that Blair had been watching her. “I’m sure they’re going to clear you, they’ve got no evidence that you attacked anyone.”
“But if they expel me – “
“They won’t,” said Blair firmly, kneeling to Akko’s level of sight. “I promise, everything will be fine. If it makes you feel better, I’ll be coming along in cat form as moral support. Does that sound good?”
“Are you going to wear the hat?” asked Akko with a small tease in her voice.
Blair chuckled loudly.
“Of course. Whether human or feline, I always have to look fabulous.”
“Then maybe we can grab those booties that okaa-san made – “
“Don’t push your luck, brat.”
“Hurry up, you three, or there won’t be any food left,” Anna called.
Blair practically skipped over to join the others, only to have her hand slapped away by Anna, followed shortly by Diana. Akko cast a dark look at the tapestry’s burn mark before joining them.
Akko did her best not to think about the hearing while they emptied the glass cabinets that afternoon. Fortunately for her, it was a job that required a lot of concentration, as many of the objects in there were reluctant to leave their dusty shelves. Blair sustained a bad bite from a pearl jewelry box, leaving a long red mark between her index and middle finger where the lid had snapped shut.
“It’s okay,” Blair hissed, shaking her hand with a wince. “It’s a defense mechanism to keep out thieves. Only opens for the owner. But since Bernie isn’t around anymore….”
She threw the box aside into the cardboard box that would be eventually be put into storage.
They found a silver mirror that yelled at Akko to fix her hair, something like a many-legged pair of tweezers, which scuttled up Diana’s arm, and attempted to puncture her skin; Anna seized it and smashed it with a heavy book entitled Nature’s Nobility: A Magical Genealogy. There was a bronze flute that emitted a faintly pleasant whistling noise when played, and they all found themselves becoming curiously weak and sleepy until Stan-Bot slapped it out of Barbara’s hands. A silver ring encrusted with a green opal that Diana fondly remembered her mother always wearing. A number of ancient seals and, in a dusty box, and Order of Morgan, First Class, that had been awarded to Bernadette Cavendish in “Advances in Modern Medicine.”
“They awarded it to her for inventing the Covid vaccine,” said Anna nostalgically, gently laying the medal in the box.
Anna kept them all working very hard over the next few days. The parlor room took three days to decontaminate; everything had been cleared out except for the Cavendish Family tapestry, which they learned had been hexed with a permanent stick charm by one of Diana’s ancestors, and the rattling writing desk. Croix had not dropped by headquarters yet, so they could not be sure what was inside it.
From there, they had been moved to the greenhouse in the back of the manor where they found the entire place choking with overgrown plants and invading pests. According to Anna, Bernadette used to tend to the greenhouse personally while developing new types of medicines with herbs. But since she died, no one had bothered to tend it, allowing the place to be overrun. They waged war with giant flytraps, spiders the size of saucers, and poisonous slugs that had made their home in the corner for four days straight.
No one wondered why Athena had suddenly wanted these places cleaned up or why she wanted them to be the ones to tend to them. It was obvious that she was trying to keep them distracted, away from the Celestial Sphere’s business, but it did little to sway them from trying.
The doorbell rang several times a day, which was the cue for Akko and the others to attempt to eavesdrop on the visitor, though they gleaned very little from the brief glimpses and snatches of conversation they were able to sneak before Anna recalled them to their tasks. Professor Finnelan flitted in and out of the house several time, and whenever her eyes met Akko’s there was a twitch of sadness in them before she shuffled out the door.
Sometimes, however, the visitors stayed to help; Shantae joined them for a memorable afternoon in which they found a murderous old ghoul lurking in the cavernous basement, and Mrs. Parker, who was also staying at the manor but left for long period to do mysterious work for the Sphere, helped them repair a grandfather clock that had developed the unpleasant habit of shooting heavy bolts at passersby. Urahara redeemed himself slightly in Anna’s eyes by rescuing Diana from a thicket of creeping vines in the greenhouse that had tried to strangle her.
Despite the fact that she was sleeping badly, still having dreams about corridors and locked doors that made her scars tingle, Akko was managing to have fun for the first time all summer. As long as she was busy, she was happy; when the action abated, however, whenever she dropped her guard, or lay exhausted in bed watching blurred shadows move across the ceiling, the thought of the looming Council haring returned to her.
Fear jabbed at her insides like needles as she wondered what was going to happen to her if she was expelled. The idea was so terrible that she did not dare voice it aloud, not even to Diana, who followed her lead in not mentioning it and silently comforted her with gentle touches. Sometimes she could not prevent her imagination showing her face Council officials who were snapping her wand in two and ordering her to Dol Guldur…
She felt as though a brick had dropped into her stomach when Anne turned to her during dinner on Wednesday evening and said, “I’ve set some nice clothes for you in your room for tomorrow, Miss Kagari, and i recommend you wash your hair tonight. A good first impression works wonders.”
Everyone stopped talking and looked over at her. Akko nodded and tried to keep eating her steak, but her mouth had become so dry she could not chew.
“How am I getting there,” she asked Anna, trying to sound unconcerned.
“Professor England is taking you,” said Anna.
Hannah’s father smiled encouraging at Akko across the table.
“I need to turn in some paperwork from Oxford, so I figured I might as well,” he said.
Akko looked over at Blair, but before she could say anything, the cat witch spoke up.
“Sorry, Akko, but Chariot and Croix need me on an assignment in America,” she said mournfully. “They need a representative to convince the DWMA to join the Sphere. Since I have friends there, well…”
“Wait…when did Shiny Chariot tell you that?” asked Akko staring at Blair.
“She came last night, when you were in bed,” said Blair.
Akko lowered her gaze down to her plate. The thought that Chariot had been in the house on the eve of her hearing and not asked to see her own daughter made Akko fell, if that were possible, even worse.
Notes:
Yeah, it’s been over a year since this last updated, hasn’t it? Back when I stopped, Covid was just starting out and had been found positive at the time, which caused an understandable amount of worry at the time. Since then, I have been vaccinated, moved to a new place, and started a relationship with a nice girl.
It was actually my girlfriend who found this and convinced me to finish it since she liked it so much. And, admittedly, I always regretted never completing this series after all the work that went into making it.
But this is the only thing I will be working on. All other stories are officially canceled, and when this series is over, I’m quitting for good. Updates will be inconsistent, so don’t expect them weekly or even bi-weekly.
Next Chapter: Era
Chapter Text
Akko awoke at half-past five the next morning as abruptly and completely as if somebody had yelled in her ear. For a few moments, she lay motionless as the prospect of her upcoming trial filled every node in her brain, then, unable to stand it for much longer, she jumped out of bed. Anna had laid out a freshly laundered formal dress at the foot of her bed. Anna had mentioned pointedly that it was a dress that Diana had received for her eleventh birthday (that fact that it fit Akko’s frame so well was a little humiliating.) Akko reluctantly changed into it.
Lotte lay on her side snoring softly while Sucy lay stiff as a cadaver and her arms crossed like a vampire. Neither of them stirred as Akko crossed the room, stepped out into the hall, and closed the door softly behind her. Trying not to think of the next time she might see them, when they might no longer be fellow students at Luna Nova, Akko walked quietly down the grand staircase and into the dining hall.
She had expected it to be empty, but it was not. When she reached the door, she heard the soft rumble of voices on the other side and when she pushed it open, she saw Mr. England, Mrs. Parker, Izetta, Athena, and Anna gathered around the table almost as though they were expecting her. All were fully dressed except for Mrs. Parker, who was wearing a thin silken night gown that did little for the imagination. Anna clicked her tongue disapproving at the woman and ushered Akko into her seat.
“Breakfast,” she said sharply.
“M-m-morning, Akko,” yawned Mrs. Parker, stretching her arms exaggeratedly over her head. “Sleep all right?”
“Yeah,” said Akko, looking around again. “Where’s Blair?”
“She had to leave early for America,” said Athena.
“Oh,” said Akko, disappointed her guardian couldn’t at least see her off before her trial.
“I’ve b-b-been up all night,” she said, with another over the top yawn, then splayed herself out on the table. “Sleepy time…”
“Show some decorum – this is the dining area!” Anna snapped. “What would you like, Miss Kagari. Porridge? Mufffins? Kippers? Oh, what is it you Japanese eat? Fish, right?”
“Despite how anime portrays us, we eat normal breakfast like anyone else,” said Akko. “Just bacon and eggs are fine. Though I wouldn’t mind a bowl of rice if you have any.”
Izetta glanced at Akko, then said to Athena, “What were you saying about Gran Doma?”
“Oh…yeah…well, we need to be a bit more careful, he’s been calling up Daryl often recently, asking funny questions. I doubt Daryl would say anything that would endanger the Cavendish name, but we should still watch what we say….”
Akko felt grateful that she was not required to join in the conversation. Her insides were squirming. Anna set a plate of bacon and eggs and a bowl of steaming white rice in front of her; she tried to eat, but it felt like she was swallowing rocks. Anna hovered around Akko and fussed with her dress, smoothing out the creases along the shoulders. Akko wished she wouldn’t.
“….tell the higher-ups I can’t do night duty tomorrow, I’m just t-t-too tired,” said Mrs. Parker, yawning hugely again.
“I’ll cover for you,” said Mr. England. “I’m okay, I’ve got a report to finish anyway…”
Mr. England was dressed in a formal, light-brown suit with a red tie that enforced his image as an academic scholar. He turned from Mrs. Parker to Akko.
“How are you feeling?”
Akko shrugged.
“It’ll all be over soon,” Mr. England said bracingly. “In a few hours’ time, you’ll be cleared.”
Akko said nothing.
“The hearing is on the sixth floor, in Karen Traer’s office. He’s Head of the Department off Magical Law Enforcement, though Fubuki is usually the one that handles all the paper work. He’ll be the one who’s questioning you.”
“Karen is okay, Akko,” said Izetta earnestly. “He doesn’t mince words, so he can come off as rude, but he’s a fair man. He and Fubuki tried to give me a fair trial, but Org ignored them and shipped me straight to prison. He’ll hear you out.”
Akko nodded, still unable to think of anything to say.
“Don’t lose your temper,” said Athena suddenly. “Be polite and stick to the facts.”
Akko nodded again.
“The law is on your side,” said Mr. England quietly. “As long as you stick to your story, they will realize you were acting in self-defense.”
Something very cold trickled down the back of Akko’s neck; for a moment, she thought someone was putting a Transparency Spell on her again, then she realized that Anna was attacking her hair with a wet comb. She pressed hard on the top of her head.
“Doesn’t it ever lie flat?” she said desperately.
“You’re fighting a losing battle, Anna,” Izetta chuckled. “The Du Nord hair is untamable.”
Mr. England checked his watch and looked up at Akko.
I think we’ll go now,” he said. “We’re a bit early, But I think you’ll be better off there than hanging around here.”
“Okay,” said Akko automatically, dropped bacon and getting to her feet.
“You’ll be all right, Akko,” said Mrs. Parker serenely, patting her on the arm.
“Good luck,” said Athena. “I’m sure it will be fine.”
“And if it’s not,” said Izetta, smirking, “I can always pay Karen Travers a visit. Then again, he might like that.”
Akko smiled weakly.
“Try not to cause Miss Diana any further distress,” said Anna.
“Right,” said Akko. “Well…sayonara.”
She followed Mr. England into the foyer. She could hear doors opening and shutting upstairs; the others must have woken up and noticed Akko was already gone. Mr. England unbolted the front doors and stepped out into the cold, ray dawn.
“The Magic Council is in Australia, right?” Akko asked him, as they set off briskly across the front lawn.
“Yes, the area it is located in is called Era,” said Mr. England. “Shortly after the world reformation, when magic became free, the magical community needed a central headquarters for the convenience of the humans. Truthfully, it’s more like giving them a place to run to when they want to complain. It’s deep in the Australian Outback, far from most modern civilization.”
“So, how’re we going to get all the way to Australia from a British highland?” asked Akko. “We’re not going to walk over ten thousand miles there, are we?
“Of course not, that would be ridiculous,” Mr. England chuckled amusingly. “We’re already here?”
Akko blinked, tilting her head in a dumbfounded way, until she looked up and realized the entire environment had completely changed around her. What had been a sea of grassland had transformed into a arid wasteland of red stone as far as the eye could see, sparse patches of plant life dotting the terrain.
Akko looked quickly over her shoulder quickly, spying a golden energy ring floating in the air behind them. It was seemingly tearing a hole into space itself, showing a vision of the Cavendish Manor before the ring collapsed inward and exploded in a shower off golden particles.
“Who – wha – when – why – huh?!” Akko gapped, unable to process what just happened.
“Oh, I suppose that’s your first time traveling by Sling Ring, isn’t it?” Mr. England chuckled heartily while removing a brass ring from his right hand. “Much more convenient than broomstick or Summoning Stones, but far more temperamental and dangerous to use if you’re not careful. That’s why no one underage is allowed to have one. Still, it’s much safer than the Corridors, that’s for sure. Come along, Akko, we need to get you signed in.”
Akko had been so wrapped up in the suddenness of their travel that she had somehow missed the massive building that laid out in front of them. It looked more like a palace than a government building, easily grander and more imposing than Buckingham, made from solid-white bricks and pale-blue rooftops with halo-like protrusion. Despite being in the middle of a barren wasteland, a grand courtyard stood in front of the Magic Council building with neatly trimmed hedges around a row of intimidating statues of knights riding horseback. And all around them, Demi-Humans would come and go through golden portals every few seconds.
Mr. England lead Akko up to the expansive white marble double doors etched with a gigantic magic circle written in unreadable rune symbols and an Egyptian Ankh in the center. He veered off to the right as they ascending the staircase and walked over to a small booth off to the right. A bored-looking goblin wearing a uniform two sizes too small was flipping through an outdated magazine. He didn’t look up at Akko or Mr. England when they stepped in front of his book; he didn’t even seem to notice they were there. Mr. England coughed loudly to catch his attention and the goblin barely rolled his eyes at them.
“Ugh…welcome to the Magic Council,” he groaned. “Please state your name and business.”
“Professor Philip England here to escort Atsuko Kagari, who has been asked to attend a disciplinary hearing - ” Mr. England explained.
“Yeah, yeah,” the goblin interrupted uncaringly. He reached under the counter and pulled out a pair of bronze badges. “Visitors are to attach these badges on the front of their clothes.”
Akko picked up one of the badges and looked it over; the words Atsuko Kagari, Disciplinary Hearing were scratched on the surface. She pinned in on the front of her dress as the goblin spoke again.
“All visitors are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the atrium. The Magic Council wishes you – ah, whatever,” he finished lamely, returning to his magazine.
“Cheerful fellow, isn’t he?” Mr. England muttered to Akko. “Let’s head on in, Akko.”
They didn’t actually go through the giant double doors – there was a smaller door in the corner instead. They stepped inside the building and Akko stopped in her tracks, taken aback.
They were standing at one end of a very long and splendid hall with highly polished, white linoleum floor. The sky-blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming gold symbols that were continually moving and changing like some enourmously heavenly bulletin board. The walls were lined with sterling suits of steel knight armor that were times Akko’s size, each carrying a ten-foot-long broadsword. It might have been her imagination, but Akko thought their helmets were following them.
Halfway down the hall was a fountain. A group of white marble statues stood in the middle of a circular pool. Nine witches, each in a different robe and pointed hat, were grouped in a circle with their wands in the center underneath a floating stone slab carved to look like seven intersecting leaves. Glittering jets of water were flying from the tips of their wand and splashing down into a small basin glowing with a mysterious pale-green light, the water overflowing and spilling into the bigger pool. The trickling of the fountain water was added to the clatter of footsteps as hundreds of Demi-Humans, most of whom were wearing glum, early-morning looks, strode toward the elevators at the far end of the hall.
“This way,” said Mr. England.
They joined the throng, wending their way between the Council workers, some of whom were carrying tottering piles of paperwork, others battered briefcases, others reading Sorcerer Weekly as they walked. As they passed the fountain, Akko saw hundreds of coins of every shape and make, likely from multiple countries around the world, glinting from the bottom of the pool. A small, smudged sign beside it read:
All proceed from the Fountain of the Nine Witches
will be given to the Alchemilla Magical Hospital.
If I’m not expelled from Luna Nova, I’ll put in my entire allowance,” Akko found herself thinking desperately.
“Over here, Akko,” said Mr. England, and they stepped out of the stream of workers heading for the elevators, toward a desk on the left, over which hung a sign saying SECURITY. A three-horned demon woman wearing too much latex to be legal looked up as they approached and put down her Sorcerer Weekly.
“We’re visiting for a disciplinary hearing,” said Mr. England, gesturing to Akko.
“Disciplinary, huh?” the demon woman repeated with a lecherous grin. “You know, I – “
“She’s fifteen,” Mr. England cut her off.
“…Step over here, please,” she said grumpily.
Akko walked closer to her and the demon woman held up a metal detection wand like the one in airports, passing it up and down Akko’s front and back. When Akko was cleared, she did the same for Mr. England.
“Wands,” grumbled the demon woman, putting down the metal detector and holding out her hand.
Akko and Mr. England produced their wands. While Akko’s was polished metal with a white diamond pattern, Mr. England’s had a leather handle worn from years of use and ended at a scratched metal ball. The demoness set them on a printer-like device. They began to vibrate. A sheet of paper was printed at the base of the device. The demoness looked it over and quirked her brow strangely.
“Huh, that’s weird,” she hummed.
“What’s weird?” asked Mr. England.
“It says the girl is this wand’s second user,” said the demoness. “But that can’t be right. It’s probably a glitch.”
It most certainly wasn’t a glitch, Akko knew. This wand – the one she had been carrying for the past five years – once belonged to Professor Finnelan’s daughter before her death. Wands were only supposed to have one master and then die with their uses, but for some reason, Akko was able to wield a wand of someone how was long dead.
“Oh well, probably nothing,” said the demoness, setting the paper on a pile. “I’ll keep this. You get these back,” she added, thrusting their wands back.
“Thank you,” said Akko.
“You can thank me properly when you turn seventeen,” she said with a seductive wink.
“Thank you, Miss…,” Mr. England read her nametag, “Lily, but we must be going.”
Mr. England grasped Akko by the shoulder, steering Akko away from the demoness’s catcalls and back into the stream of Demi-Humans walking toward the elevators. They joined the crowd gathered around one of them. A big, burly man with a thick beard holding a steel box stood nearby. The box was emitting rasping noises.
“Back again, Phil?” said the burly man, nodding at Mr. England. “Those stuffy old timers are working you too hard.”
“Kind of you to say, Rodrick, but I’m not here for work today,” said Mr. England, glancing at the box. “By the way, what do you have there?”
“Not sure,” said Rodrick, tilting his head curiously. “We thought it was a chicken at first until it suddenly started shooting lightning from its eyes. I think it might be another mutation from that toxic waste dump in Muskoka. Damn that, McLean.”
A sharp ding drew their attention forward as one of the elevator doors opened; Akko and Mr. England moved inside with the rest of the crowd. Several people were looking at her curiously; she stared at her feet to avoid catching anyone’s eye. The doors slid shut and the elevator ascended slowly, shuddering all the while, as a cool female voice rang out.
“Second floor, Department of Sports and Games, incorporating the International Chariot League Headquarters, Magical Dueling League, and Ridiculous Patent Office.”
The doors opened; Akko glimpsed an untidy-looking corridor, with various posters of Chariot Racing teams, including the teams from the championship last year, though Ooarai was unusually absent. A half-human, half-slug Demi-Human carrying an armful of broomsticks extricated himself with difficulty and disappeared down the hall. The doors closed, the elevator rose again, and the woman’s voice said, “Third Floor, Department of Transport, incorporating Extra-Dimensional Travel Authority, Summon Stone Office, Sling Ring Test Center, and Corridor Watch.”
Once again, the elevator doors opened and four or five Demi-Humans got out; at the same time, four different colored roomba and a drone flew into the elevator. There were tiny people that looked like action figures riding them, thought they were strangely more lifelike than any figmas Akko had ever seen. They were all carrying folded notes stamped with The Magic Council on the front.
“Frame Arm Girls,” Mr. England muttered to her. “They were commonly used for infiltrating enemy territory during times of war, but the Magic Council now uses them to carry interdepartmental memos. The Council used to send messages by e-mail until the Head of the Department of Communication accidentally sent some…highly embarrassing pictures to the entire department.”
As they clattered upward again, one of the Frame Arm Girls sneezed loudly in her hand and wiped it on the person next to her.
“Third Floor, Department of International Relations, incorporating the International Trading Standards Body, the International Office of Magical Law, and the International Confederacy of Demi-Humans.”
When the doors opened, the drone and one of the roombas zoomed out with a few more people, but three more drones and two more roombas zoomed in, making the space rather cramped.
“Fourth floor, Department of Magical Wildlife, incorporating Beast, Being, and Spirit Divisions, Orc Liaison Office, and Pest Advisory Bureau.”
“S’cuse me,” said Rodrick, carrying the lightning-eyed chicken out the elevator pursued by two of the drones. The doors clanged shut yet again.
“Fifth floor, Department Magical Catastrophes, incorporating the Emergency Spellbinder Department, the Disaster Relief Headquarters, and the Public Information Office.”
Everybody left the elevator except for Mr. England, Akko, and a dog woman who was reading an extremely long list that was trailing the ground. The elevator climbed again, then the doors opened and the voice said, “Sixth Floor, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Custody Enforcement Office, Hunter Headquarters, and Anti-Entropy – Valkyrie Division.”
“This is us, Akko,” said Mr. England, and they followed the dog woman out of the elevator into a corridor lined with doors. “Karen Traver’s office is on the other side of the floor, past the OSF area. Just around here….”
They turned a corner, walked through a pair of sliding doors, and emerged in a cluttered, open area divided into cubicles, which were buzzing with talk and laughter. An electronic sign on the nearest cubicle read Hunter Headquarters.
Akko looked furtively through the doorways as they passed. The Hunters had covered their cubicle walls with everything from pictures of wanted Demi-Humans and photographs of their families, to posters of their favorite celebrities, most prominently a pink-haired Japanese girl wearing electronic rabbit ears and carrying a chainsaw. A boy in white wearing a golden mask was sitting with his boots up on his desk, dictating a report to a toad. A little further along, a medusa woman wearing a blindfold was talking over the top of her cubicle to a rather handsome, silver-haired man who spotted Mr. England and Akko and flagged them down.
“Oh, there you are,” he greeted pleasantly as they drew near. “You must be Miss Kagari. I’m Fubuki Spring, Karen Traver’s right-hand man.” He introduced himself, shaking her hand. “Though I think I do most of the day-to-day operations around here. It’s nice to meet you, if only it were under better circumstances.”
“Fubuki is with the Celestial Sphere,” Mr. England whispered quietly in Akko’s ear. “Karen doesn’t know about it, so it’s best to act like you don’t know anything.”
“Karen is currently out of his office at the moment,” Fubuki explained, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. “That man comes and goes as he pleases. You can stay with me until he gets back. Right this way.”
They followed Fubuki along the row to the very last cubicle. Akko received a slight shock when she walked in; Mato Kuroi’s face was blinking down at her from every direction. Newspaper cuttings and old photographs – even the one from her victory at the International Chariot Racing Championship – papered the walls. The only Mato-free space was a map of the world in which little red pins were glowing like jewels. But the oddest part was the small mountain of cushions that had been piled up in the corner of the cubicle.
“That used to be Izetta Du Nord plastered on these walls,” said Fubuki, plopping down in his office chair with an exaggerated groan. “But after the Contest of Champions, Org has shifted his priorities. He’s now placed a sixteen-year-old girl at the top of the international most wanted list. Can you imagine?”
Akko frowned at the wanted posted. It was just last year that Akko had met Mato and they became fast friends. Or at least, Akko had hoped they were friends. It was impossible to tell how much of it was Eveline’s manipulations and how much was genuine.
“I heard you were close to her,” said Fubuki sympathetically. “Don’t worry, I’m sure everything will turn out all right. In the meantime, why don’t you have a seat right over there?” He gestured to the pile of cushions. “My older sister likes to hide here when she’s trying to skip out on work, but I don’t think she’ll mind you using them.”
Akko tried to settle herself into the pile, but only ended up getting swallow by its fluffy embrace. Mr. England and Fubuki grabbed her arms and pulled her out; Akko chose to stand after that.
“Sorry about that; I have no idea how my sister does it,” Fubuki chuckled good-naturedly. “At the very least, can I get you something to drink. One of my squadmates recommends – Ah, Luka, perfect timing.”
A young boy who barely came up to Akko’s chest suddenly appeared in a flash of green light.
“Fubuki, thank goodness I managed to get here in time,” Luka said desperately before acknowledging Akko and Mr. England. “You must be Miss Kagari. You just saved us the trouble of looking for you.”
“Why, is something wrong?” asked Fubuki, concerned. “Have you seen your brother Karen anywhere?”
“Yes, I have, I had just spoken to him a moment ago,” Luka answered anxiously. “He wanted me to pass along an urgent message: they’ve changed the time and venue for Miss Kagari’s hearing. It’s starting at eight o’clock down in Courtroom Thirteen – “
“Courtroom Thirteen?” said Fubuki aghast. “But that is – “
Mr. England looked at his watch, let out a yelp, and yanked Akko by the arm, sprinting down the hall with Akko nipping at his heels
“Quick, Akko, we should have been there five minutes ago!”
“Why did they change the time?” Akko said breathlessly as they hurtled past the Hunter cubicles; people poked out their heads and stared as they streaked past. Akko felt as though she had left all her insides back at Fubuki’s cubicle.
“I had no idea, but thank goodness we got here so early, if you’d missed it, it would have been catastrophic!”
Mr. England skidded to a halt beside the elevators and jabbed impatiently at the down button.
“Come ON!”
The elevator doors opened and they hurried inside. Every time it stopped, Mr. England cursed furiously and pummeled the “B” button.
“Those courtrooms haven’t been used in years,” said Mr. England angrily. “I can’t think why they’re doing it down there -unless – but no….”
“Basement level, Department of Secrets,” said the cool female voice, and left it at that.
“Quick, Akko,” said Mr. England as the elevator doors opened, and they sped up a corridor that was quite different from those above. The walls were bare; there were no windows or doors apart from the plain white one set at the very end of the corridor. Akko expected them to go through it, but instead Mr. England seized her by the arm and dragged her to the left, where there was an opening leading to a flight of stairs.
But before they even reached the first step, Akko felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on her and something pulling at her chest. She glanced sideways over her shoulder and, for the briefest of seconds, Akko spotted someone standing at the end of the corridor that hadn’t been there a moment ago: someone wearing a black coat, staring directly at Akko.
But Akko had no chance to react nor say anything before Mr. England dragged her down the stairs two steps at a time.
“Down here, down here,” Panted Mr. England. “The lift doesn’t even come down this far…why they are doing it there…”
They reached the bottom of the stairs and ran along yet another corridor, which bore a great resemblance to that which led to Professor Hex’s class at Luna Nova, with rough stone walls and torches in brackets. The doors they passed here were heavy wooden ones with iron bolts and keyholes.
“Courtroom…thirteen…I think…we’re nearly…yes.”
Mr. England stumbled to a halt outside a grimy dark door with an immense iron lock and slumped against the wall, holding his side with sharp gasps.
“Go on,” he wheezed, point his thumb at the door. “Get in there.”
“Aren’t – aren’t you coming with - ?”
“No, no, I’m not allowed. Good luck!”
Akko’s heart was beating violently against her ribcage. She swallowed hard, turned the heavy iron door handle, and stepped inside the courtroom.
Notes:
Next chapter: The Magic Council
Chapter Text
Akko gasped; she couldn’t help herself. The large dungeon she had entered was horribly familiar. She had not only seen it before, she had been here before: This was the place she had visited inside the Horologium Clock, the place where she had watched Cinder Fall sentenced to life imprisonment in Dol Guldur.
The walls were made of dark stone, dimly lit by torches. Empty benches rose on either side of her, but ahead, in the highest benches of all, were several shadowy figures. They had been talking in low voices, but as the heavy door swung closed behind Akko, an ominous silence fell.
A cold male voice rang across the courtroom.
“You’re late.”
“Sorry,” said Akko nervously. “I-I didn’t know the time had changed.”
“That is not the Magic Council’s fault,” said the voice. “A message was sent to you this morning. Take your seat.”
Akko dropped her gaze to the chair in the center of the room. On the floor around the legs were a pair of long, rusty shackles. Akko had seen those shackles used on Zeref and others in past trials. Her footsteps echoed loudly as she walked across the stone floor. When she sat gingerly on the edge of the chair, the shackles clicked rather threateningly but did not bind her/ Feeling rather sick, she looked up at the people seated at the bench above.
There were twelve of them in total, each dressed uniquely compared to one another, though they all wore the same four-pointed star medallion on the left-hand side of their chests and all staring down their noses at her, some with very grim expressions, others look of frank curiosity.
In the very middle of the front row sat Crawford Seam, the Chairman of the Magic Council, easily identified by his rotund figure and his bushy bear that scraped the floor. He had dispensed with the indulgent smile he had once worn when he spoke to Akko. A tall and stalwart wizard with thick gray beard sat on Crawford’s left, looking dangerous and foreboding. On Crawford’s right was a man (?) cloaked in white with a golden horned mask stared unblinking at Akko as if seeing into her soul. And seated next to the golden-masked man was Ava O’Neill, Amanda’s mother. Any trace of warmth she usually showered Akko with was replaced by a mask of cool indifference. Right, Akko reminded herself, Ava couldn’t openly support her anymore….
“Very well,” said Crawford Seam. “The accused being present – finally – let us begin. The Disciplinary heading of – “
A loud scoffing noise filled the chamber, stopping Crawford mid-speech. It came from a surely-looking man who looked like he belonged in a warzone instead of courtroom.
“Is there a problem, Councilman Travers?” said Crawford Seam indignantly.
“What is this farce, Seam?” said Travers. “What are we doing here?”
“If you had allowed me to finish,” Crawford Seam rumbled, “this is the disciplinary hearing for Atsuko Kagari – “
“If this were a simple hearing, I would’ve handled it on my own in my office, as it is my department,” Travers cut in sharply, crossing his arms with a note of hostility. “Instead, you gathered all twelves seats on the Magic Council to put a fifteen-year-old girl on trial.”
“It does seem rather excessive,” a man with a star tattoo on his forehead added.
Several members of the Council hummed suspiciously. Sounds like not everyone on the Magic Council was on the same page. That was a small relief to Akko.
“Well, she is being investigated for the crime of using magic on a human – “ Crawford noticeably stumbled over his words; he likely wasn’t expecting anyone to question him.
“For a bit of light magic?” A caped man with a goatee joined in. “Hardly seems like a crime for the whole council. And we’re not even sure if she used it on the human – “
“Thank you for your input, Councilman Strange!” Crawford snapped in frustration. “We can determine her guilt or not if we proceed! Any further questions?!” The rest of the council went mute, staring gravely down at Akko. “As I was saying, the disciplinary hearing of the twelfth of August into the offenses committed under the International Charter for the Relations of Humans and Demi-Humans by Atsuko Kagari, resident of 1-10-4 Jingumae, Shibuya.
“Interrogators: Crawford Seam, Chairman of the Magic Council; Karen Travers, eighth seat and Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Light Spinner, nineth seat and Head of the Department of Magical Catastrophes – “
“- Acting for the defense, Andrew Augustus Hanbridge!” a sharp voice shouted from behind Akko, who turned her head so fast she cricked her neck.
Unbelievably, Andrew Hanbridge was striding across the room with purpose, his three-piece suit impeccable and a perfectly calm expression. He came to a stop at Akko’s side, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder and offering a kind smile that made Akko feel a strange sense of relief. Akko knew Andrew – he was a good friend and a craft opponent. If anyone could help her out of this situation, it was him.
The members of the Magic Council were muttering. All eyes were now on Andrew. Some looked annoyed, others awestruck; Ava O’Neill, however, gave him a secretive wave.
“Er, what can I help you with, Sir Hanbridge,” said Crawford, who looked thoroughly disconcerted. Makes sense; Andrew’s father was a very influential man. “I-If you don’t mind, we’re are in the middle of a trial – “
“I’m aware,” said Andrew cheerfully. “That’s why I’m here. I will be acting as Miss Kagari’s defense attorney.”
“Er – well – nothing against you, Sir Hanbridge,” Crawford stammered. “But you’re not really – “
“I graduated from Appleton with a degree in law last year,” said Andrew. “Though I am still under an apprenticeship, my credentials should be sufficient enough to act on Miss Kagari’s behalf…. That is, unless you have already provided her with a lawyer, that is.”
“Um…,”
“You do know that the Magic Council is legal obligated to provide defendants with legal defense if they don’t have their own following the Court Reformation Act established ten years ago? An act you passed, if I recall, Chairman Seam. Because if you didn’t, it would look very bad in the public eye if the Magic Council believed themselves to be the exception of their own rules.”
Akko covered her mouth to hide her smirk; Andrew had just backed the freakin’ chairman into a corner in the first two minutes!
“Yes – well – I suppose we’ll be needing another chair – I – Councilman Doma, if you could – “
The man on Crawford’s left looked annoyed, slammed the butt of his staff on the ground, and a squashy chintz armchair appeared out of nowhere next to Akko. Andrew sat down, steepling his fingers together like a movie villain, and surveyed Crawford Seam over them with an expression of polite interest. The Council member were still muttering and fidgeting restlessly; only when Crawford spoke again did they settle down.
“Yes,” said Crawford, shuffling his notes. “Well, then. So. The charges. Yes.”
He extricated a piece of paper from the pile before him, took a deep breath, and read, “The charges against the accused are as follows: That she did knowingly, deliberately, and in full awareness of the illegality off her actions, having received a previous written warning from the Magic Council on similar charges, produced a light-based spell in the deliberate attack of a human, on August the second at twenty-three minutes past nine, which constitutes as an offense under Paragraph D of the International Charter for the Relations of Humans and Demi-Humans, 2007, and also under section thirteen of the International Confederacy of Demi-Humans.
“You are Atsuko Kagari, of 1-10-4 Jingumae, Shibuya?” Crawford said, glaring at Akko over the top of his paper.
“Yes,” Akko said.
“You received an official warning from the Council for attacking a human three years ago, did you not?”
“Yes, but – “
“And yet you conjured a light-based spell on the night of the second of August?” said Crawford.
“Yes,” said Akko. “But – “
“Fully aware that you were in close proximity to a human at the time?”
“Yes,” said Akko angrily, “but I only used it because we were – “
The man in the golden-horned masked on Crawford’s right cut across her in a low, raspy voice.
“Permit me to interrupt, Chairman.”
“What is it, Councilman Belos?” asked Crawford impatiently.
“You keep saying ‘light magic’ without going into greater detail,” Belos pointed out. “Light magic is a very broad term and from my knowledge, most are harmless to humans. What is the spell that you produced that night, Miss Kagari?”
“Er, Lumen Murowa,” said Akko, struggling to recall exactly what she did back then.
“I’ve never heard of that spell,” Belos hummed.
“It’s a combination of the extermination spell with a light element,” Akko xplained.
“You combined magics?” said Belos, sounding impressed. “At fifteen years old?”
“Yes, and – “
“You learned this at school?”
Yes, er, one of the teachers taught me,” said Akko, deciding it was best not to mention that it was Amon who taught her the elemental combination technique.
“Impressive,” said Belos, staring down at her, “combining magics at that age…very impressive indeed.”
Some of the Council member were muttering again; a few nodded, but others maintained a stony expression.
“It’s not a question of how impressive the magic was,” said Crawford in a testy voice. “In fact, the more impressive the worse it is, I would have thought, given that the girl used it to attack a human!”
Those who had been frowning now murmured in agreement. Anger flared in Akko’s chest, no longer able to stand going unheard.
“I only did it because of the Heartless!” she said loudly, before anyone could interrupt her again.
She had expected more muttering, but the silence that fell seemed to be somehow denser than before.
“Heartless?” said Karen Travers after a moment, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean, girl?”
“I mean there were two Neo Shadows down that alleyway and they went for me and my friend!”
“Ah, said Crawford again, smirking unpleasantly as he looked around the council, as though inviting them to share the joke. “Yes. Yes, I thought we’d be hearing something like this.”
“Heartless in Japan?” Travers said in a tone of suspicion. “I don’t understand – “
“Don’t you, Karen,” said Crawford, still smirking. “Let me explain. She’s been thinking it through and decided Heartless would make a nice little cover story, very nice indeed. Humans can’t see Heartless the way that Demi-Humans can. To them, they only appear as mere shadows. Highly convenient, highly convenient…so it’s just your word and no witnesses….”
“I’m not lying!” said Akko loudly, over another outbreak of muttering from the court. “There were two of them, everything went dark and cold and Doma felt them and ran for it – “
“Enough, enough!” said Crawford with a very contemptuous look on his face. “I’m sorry to interrupt what I’m sure would have been a very well-rehearsed story – “
Andrew cleared his throat. The Magic Council fell silent again.
“We do, in fact, have a witness to the presence of Heartless in that alleyway,” he said, “other than Umaru Doma, I mean.”
Crawford’s plump face seemed to slacken, as though someone had let the air out of it. He stared down at Andrew for a moment or two, then, with the appearance of a man pulling himself back together, said, “We haven’t got time to listen to more tall tales, I’m afraid, Sir Hanbridge. I want this dealt with quickly – “
“I may be wrong,” said Andrew smoothly, “but I am sure that under the Charter of Right, the accused has the right to present witnesses for his or her case? Isn’t that the policy of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Councilman Travers?”
“Yes, the accused may present any evidence or testimony to defense their case,” said Traver plainly, shooting a sideways glare toward Crawford. “The Chairman should have known that.”
“Oh, very well, very well,” snapped Crawford. “Where is this person?”
“I brought her with me,” said Andrew. “She’s just outside the door. Please enter, Miss Shihōin!” he called over his shoulder in a loud voice.
The courtroom door opened a moment later and Yoruichi stepped inside. She wore a black kimono underneath a white, long-sleeved haori and carried herself like a refined lady; a true contrast to when Akko met her last time.
Andrew stood up and offered Yoruichi his chair, relocating himself over Akko’s shoulder.
“Full name?” said Crawford loudly.
“Yoruichi Shihōin,” Yoruichi answered with an even tone, looking up at Crawford as if he were an overgrown mouse. “22nd Head of the Shihōin Clan, former Captain of the 2nd Division of the Gotai 13, Onmitsukidō Commander-in-Chief, Corrections Corps Commander, and Executive Militia Corps Commander.”
“Impressive resume,” Ava O’Neill complimented.
“Wait just a moment,” Gran Doma rumbled. “I remember this one. Was she not charged as a criminal and a fugitive a hundred years ago?”
“A-ha!” Crawford cried as if he had just won some grand prize. “I;m sorry, Sir Andrew, but you can’t expect this council to take the words of a criminal as testimony.”
“If you know about Miss Shihōin,” said Andrew calmly, “thern you know that she was found innocent of all charges against her when the true perpetrator of her so-called crimes was brought to justice. She is no more a criminal than I am.”
“What he says is true,” said a councilman wearing a golden helmet, levitating a sheet of paper. “It says here that Shihōin’s charges were retracted along with a formal letter of apology.”
“Grr…thank you, Councilman Nabu,” Crawford growled in clear frustration
“We don’t have any record of your living in the Shibuya area, Miss Shihōin,” said Travers, flipping through his papers. “And the council keeps a close eye on that area due to…past events.”
“I don’t own my own residence,” Yoruichi announced with a Cheshire grin. “I’m a traveler by nature. I don’t spend more than a couple weeks in one area, so I never bothered getting my own place.”
“Very well,” said Crawford, glaring at Yoruichi vindictively. “What’s your story?”
“As I said, I’m a traveler by nature,” Yoruichi explained with an amused smirk on her lips. “I had just arrived in Shibuya on the night of the incident and was on my way to crash with a friend I know that lived in the area. As I was walking along the street, I heard a crash and a pair of screams. It sounded like girls. It was nighttime, so I assumed the worst and rushed over to help. When I had arrived, the Heartless had already cornered one of the girls – “
“And what did these Heartless look like?” asked Travers.
“Tall – taller than me – muscular build with blue veins on their skin, a pair of jagged antennae on their heads, and those eyes – this expressionless, gold eyes that can pierce into your soul. And not just that, but the feeling as well.”
“Feeling?” Travers repeated curiously.
“Yes, the feeling I got when I was near them,” Yoruichi continued with a deep, contemplating look. “The air was bone-chilling, even though the day had been unbearably humid. It felt as…as if all the happiness in the world had been sucked out of me…and I remember…remember things I wish to forget….”
Many of the council members looked shocked, some horrified. Akko could see the man with the goatee wrapping himself in his cloak like a security blanket.
“What did these Heartless do?” Travers asked, and Akko felt a rush of hope.
“They went for the girls,” said Yoruichi, her voice sounding stronger and more confident now. “One of them had fallen. The other was a little further away. She appeared to be struggling with something, but I couldn’t see what it was. There was a flash of green light and the other girl suddenly came running at the Heartless. It was Miss Kagari. She produced a ball of light and destroyed one of their heads. She shot the other one in the chest and they both died, turned to ash. After that, I escorted the pair to Miss Kagari’s house and went on my way.”
Travers looked down at Yoruichi in silence; Crawford was not looking at her at all, but fidgeting with his papers. Finally, he raised his eye and said, rather aggressively, “That’s what you saw, is it?”
“That was what happened,” said Yoruichi in a defiant tone.
“Very well,” said Crawford. “You may go.”
Yoruichi cast a heated glare at Crawford, glanced sideways at Andrew, then got up with a loud scoffing noise and shuffled off toward the door again. Akko heard it slam shut behind her.
“Not a very convincing witness,” said Crawford loftily.
“I beg to differ,” said Travers in a leveled tone. “Not only did she give a perfect description of a Neo Shadow Heartless, but she accurately described the effects of a Heartless attack. I can’t imagine why she would say they were there if they weren’t – “
“But Heartless wandering into a Japanese suburb and just happening to come across Kagari of all people in the middle of the night,” snorted Crawford. “The odds on that must be very, very long, even the Grandmaster wouldn’t have bet – “
“Oh, I don’t think any of us believe the Heartless were there by coincidence,” said Andrew lightly.
The woman sitting next to Gran Doma with her face in shadow moved slightly, but everyone else was quite still and silent.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” asked Crawford icily.
“It means that I think they were ordered there,” said Andrew.
“I think we might have a record of it if someone had ordered a pair of Heartless to go strolling through Shibuya!” barked Crawford.
“Not if the Heartless are takin orders from someone other than the Magic Council these days,” said Andrew calmly. “I believe you have already been made aware of what has happened in recent events.”
“Yes, I have,” said Crawford forcefully, “and I cannot fathom why you would believe in Holbrooke’s bilge, Sir Hanbridge.”
“I believe in Miss Kagari,” said Andrew, squaring his shoulders like he was ready to challenge the chairman.
“Whatever your reason may be,” Crawford spat, “the Heartless remain in place in Dol Guldur and are doing everything we ask them to.”
“Then,” said Andrew, quietly but clearly, “we must ask ourselves why somebody within the Council ordered a pair of Heartless into that alleyway on the second of August.”
In the complete silence that greeted these words, the woman next to Gran Doma leaned forward so that Akko saw her for the first time.
The lower half of her face was concealed behind a maroon veil, but her eyes gleamed like a hungry snake ready to lodge its fangs in Akko’s throat. Out of everyone on the council, she gave off the most menacing aura that made Akko squirm in her seat, trying to distance herself from the woman as much as possible.
“The Chair recognizes Light Spinner, nineth seat and Head of the Department of Magical Catastrophes,” said Crawford.
The witch spoke in a low, unnervingly calm voice that made Akko’s skin crawl; did the room suddenly get dimmer?
“I’m sure I must have misunderstood you, Sir Hanbridge. But it sounded as though you were suggesting that the Magic Council ordered an attack on the girl.”
“If it is true that the Heartless are taking orders only from the Magic Council, and it is also true that two Heartless attacked Miss Kagari and her friend a week ago, then it follows logically that somebody at the council might have ordered the attacks,” said Andrew politely. “Of course, these particular Heartless may have been outside council control – “
“There are no Heartless outside council control!” snapped Crawford, who had turned brick-red.
Andrew inclined his head in a little bow.
Then undoubtedly the Magic Council will be making a full inquiry into why two Heartless were so very far from their prison and why they attacked without authorization.”
“It is not for you to decide what the Magic Council does or does not do!” snapped Crawford, now an unhealthy shade of magenta.
“Of course it isn’t,” said Andrew mildly. “I was merely expressing my confidence that this matter will not go uninvestigated.”
He glanced at Karen Travers, who stared back at him, frowning.
“I would remind everybody that the behavior of these Heartless, if indeed they are not figments of this girl’s imagination, is not the subject of this hearing!” said Crawford. “We are here to examine Atsuko Kagari’s offense under the International Charter for the Relations of Humans and Demi-Human!”
“Actually, this changes a great deal if the testimony is to be believed,” said Travers coolly, who boldly ignored the chairman’s snarl. “The charges made against the accused is that light-based magic was used to attack a human. But if there were Heartless – creatures who can only be defeated with light magic – present at the scene, then evidence suggests that Kagari may not have attacked the human at all – “
“If there were Heartless, which I doubt – “
“You have heard from an eyewitness,” Andrew interrupted. “If you still doubt her truthfulness, call her back, question her again. I am sure she will not object.”
“I – that – not – “blustered Crawford, fiddling with the papers before him. “It’s – I want this over with today, Sir Hanbridge!”
“But naturally, you would not care how many times you heard from a witness, if the alternative was a serious miscarriage of justice,” said Andrew.
“Serious miscarriage, my bottom!” said Crawford at the top of his voice. “Have you bothered to count up the number of cock-and-bull stories this girl has come out with, Sir Hanbridge? I suppose you’ve forgotten her attack on a human three years ago – “
“That wasn’t me, it was a ninja – er, ninja-witch!” said Akko.
“YOU SEE?” roared Crawford, gesturing flamboyantly in Akko’s direction. “A ninja-witch! Of all things! I ask you – “
“The witch in question is actually my personal maid,” said Andrew. “She went to Miss Kagari’s home under my orders, though the attack on the human was unintended. You can ask her yourself if you wish. Marianna.” He called softly.
“Yes, Master Andrew?” said Marianna, bowing politely.
It took all of Akko’s will not to jump and shout by how suddenly Marianna appeared; it was like she had just popped out of thin air. She was in her maid uniform instead of her personalized ninja outfit, though.
“Marianna, would you be okay with giving a testimony for the events that transpired three years ago?” asked Andrew.
“Yes, Master Andrew,” said Marianna dutifully. “If it is what you desire, I shall prostrate myself before the Magic Council and reveal the shame I have brought upon you and Kagari-dono. And as proof of my sincerity” – She suddenly pulled out a knife, pointing it to her stomach – “I shall commit seppuku as recompense for my transgressions.”
“Why is that the only Japanese thing you get right?” Akko remarked with a blank stare.
“I – not – I haven’t got time to listen to your maid! Anyway, that’s not the only – she turned her aunt into a hippo for Nine Witches’ sake!” Crawford shouted, banging his fist on the judge’s bench.
“And the Magic Council very kindly decided not to press charges on that occasion, accepting, I presume, that even the best witches cannot always control their emotions,” said Andrew calmly.
“And I haven’t even started on what she gets up to at school – “
“ – but as the council has no authority to punish Luna Nova students for their misdemeanors at school, Miss Kagari’s behavior is not relevant to this inquiry,” said Andrew, politely as ever, but now with a suggestion of coolness behind his words.
“Oho!” said Crawford. “Not our business what she does at school, eh? You think so?”
“The Magic Council does not have the power to expel Luna Nova students, Chairman Seam, as Headmistress Holbrooke was kind enough to remind you on the night of August the second,” said Andrew. “Nor does it have the right to confiscate wands until charges have been successfully proven, again, as Headmistress Holbrooke reminded you. In your admirable haste to ensure that the law is upheld, you appear, inadvertently I am sure, to have overlooked a few laws yourself.”
“Laws can be changed,” said Crawford savagely.
“Of course they can,” said Andrew, inclining his head. “And you certainly seem to be making many changes, Chairman. Why, in a few short weeks, it has already become the practice to hold a full criminal trial to deal with a simple matter of a disciplinary hearing.”
Karen Travers and more than half the council were now craning their heads toward Crawford, many of them looking rather dissatisfied, if not outright angry. Crawford turned a slightly deeper shade of puce. The veiled woman, however, merely gazed at Akko, expressionless.
“As far as I’m aware, however,” Andrew continued, “there is no law yet that say’s this court’s job is to punish Miss Kagari for every bit of magic she has ever performed. She has been charged with a specific offense and she had presented her defense. All she and I can do now is to await your verdict.”
Andrew put her fingers together again and said no more. Crawford glared at him, evidently incensed. Akko glanced sideways at Andrew, who reassured her with a small, but confident grin; she was not entirely convinced it was the right idea to tell the Magic Council, in effect, that it was about time they made a decision. But she trusted Andrew knew what he was doing; more than she did anyway.
Akko looked at her feet. Her heart, which seemed to have swollen to an unnatural size, was thumping loudly under her ribs. She had expected the hearing to last longer than this. She was not at all sure that she had made a good impression. She had not really said very much. She should have explained more fully about the Heartless, about how she had fallen over, about how both she and Umaru had nearly been stripped of their hearts –
About that figure in the black coat….
Twice she looked up at Crawford and opened her mouth to speak, but her swollen heart was now constricting her air passages and both times she merely took a deep breath and looked back at her shoes. The second time this happened, Marianna somehow produced a cup of tea for her to drink. Akko didn’t know if it was appropriate to bring beverages in court, but the council didn’t seem to take notice and it certainly helped calm her nerves a bit.
Then the whispering among the council stopped. Akko wanted to look up at the judges, but found that it was really much, much easier to examine her feet.
“Those in favor of clearing the defendant of all charges?” said Travers.
Akko’s head jerked upward. There were hands in the air…nine of them!
“And those in favor of conviction?” said Travers.
Crawford raised his hand; so did Grand Doma and the veiled witch, but they were the only ones.
Crawford glanced around at them all, looking as though there was something large stuck in his throat, then lowered his hand. He took two deep breaths and then said, in a voice distorted by suppressed rage, “Very well, very well…cleared of all charges.”
“As it should be,” said Andrew, smirking victoriously. He rose to his feet, gesturing for Akko to do the same. “If you don’t mind, we shall be taking our leave.”
Crawford seemed determined not to notice them leave and everyone else was busying themselves collecting their papers. The only one watching them was the veiled witch, who stared at Akko the whole way. Akko was glad to leave the chamber, appearing at the stairway with Andrew as Marianna closed the door behind them.
“Congratulations, Kagari-dono,” Marianna said immediately once the door snapped shut.
“Thanks, Mari-chan,” said Akko, then rounded to Andrew. “And thank you, Andrew. You really saved my butt back there.”
“I told you I would always be there for you, Akko,” said Andrew, dropping all formality and smiling genuinely. “And in all honesty, it’s was child’s play compared to the cases my mentor takes. My only regret is not shouting ‘Objection’ during the trial. My mentor always makes it look so fun.”
For the first time since that night with the Heartless, Akko boomed out a hearty laugh.
Notes:
Just Andrew being best bro. Nuff said.
Next chapter: The Badge and the Burden
Chapter Text
Akko climbed the stairs with Andrew and Marianna, and almost collided with Mr. England, who was waiting at the top step, looking pale and apprehensive.
“What happened? Is everything all right?” he asked quickly. “Yoruichi didn’t say – “
“Cleared of all charges,” Andrew announced happily, clapping Akko on the back.
Beaming, Mr. England seized Akko by the shoulders.
“Akko, that’s wonderful! Well, of course, they couldn’t have found your guilty, not on the evidence, but even so, I can’t pretend I wasn’t – “
Mr. England broke off because the Magic Council were climbing the stairway behind them.
“By the nine,” said Mr. England wonderingly, pulling Akko aside to let them all pass. “You were tried by the whole council?”
“I think so,” said Akko quietly.
One or two of the council members nodded to Akko as they passed, and a couple, including Ava O’Neill, said “Good day, Sir Hanbridge,” to Andrew, but most averted their eyes. Crawford Seam and the veiled witch were the last to leave. Crawford acted as though Akko and Andrew were part of the wall, but again, the veiled witch looked almost appraisingly at Akko as she passed.
“I’m going to take you straight back to the manor so you can tell the others the good news,” Mr. England said, beckoning Akko forward as Crawford disappeared around the corner. “Would you like to join us, Sir Hanbridge. You of all people deserve to celebrate your victory.”
“As delightful as that sounds, I must decline,” said Andrew, walking alongside with Marianna in tow, “My mentor is expecting a report on the results of this trial. Then he has some cases he wants me to take over. Nothing major – just a few minor trials. One of which apparently includes an exploding toilet.”
“What’s that about?” Akko asked, grinning. Everything suddenly seemed five times funnier than usual. It was starting to sink in: She was cleared, she was going back to Luna Nova.
“Ugh, I’d rather not think about it,” Andrew grimaced. “Someone decided that it would be funny to booby trap a toilet at a shopping mall in Texas, North America, and largely suspected that the vandal used magic to do it. My client obviously did it, which begs the question whether I should – “
Andrew broke off mid-sentence. They had just reached the end of the corridor, and Crawford Seam was standing a few feet away from them, talking quietly to a tall man with slick black hair wearing a badge with the Chinese character for ‘Peace.’
The second man turned at the sound of their footsteps. He too broke off in mid-conversation, his pale-blue eyes fixed on Akko and a small grin on his lips.
“Well, I heard you cause for celebration, Miss Kagari,” said Master Noah with a tine of amusement.
Akko found herself frozen in her steps. The last time she had seen that face was at the end of her third year, when Amon threw the mask on the floor in the Tree of Woodward. Akko could not believe Amon would appear so brazenly like this; she could not believe that he was here, in the Magic Council, or that Crawford Seam was talking to him, when Akko had told him two years ago that Noah was Amon, Jennifer’s right-hand.
“The Chairman was just telling me about your marvelous trial, Miss Kagari,” Master Noah said pleasantly. “I am so relieved that Sir Hanbridge was there to have you cleared. It would have been…dreadful if something were to happen.”
Andrew took a step forward as a warning.
“I’ve always been good at escaping bad situations…,” said Akko.
“Yes, I remember quite well,” Master Noah chuckled. “In any case, I’m happy to know that you are all right. I suppose my trip to Era was all for naught.”
“Why are you here?” asked Andrew.
“I was concerned for Miss Kagari’s sake,” said Master Noah, putting a hand to his chest. “I had heard through the grapevine that Miss Kagari was to be put on trial. As her former teacher, I felt it was my duty to help. And, if necessary, I would have…intervened. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case…. But while I am here, there is another matter I would like to discuss with you, if you don’t mind, Chairman. Shall we take it to your office?”
“Certainly,” said Crawford, turning his back on Akko. “This way, Master Noah.”
They strode off together, talking in low voice. Mr. England did not let go of Akko’s shoulder until they disappeared into the elevator.
“How is Amon able to walk around the Magic Council like that?” Akko burst out furiously. “He’s working for Jennifer!”
“But the Magic Council doesn’t know that,” said Mr. England coolly. “He was able to maintain a convincing story by pretending that Master Noah left Luna Nova on the same night that Amon appeared. And the only testimonies against him came from people who were either close to you or Izetta. Amon covered his tracks well. I’ll have to write up a note to the Inner Circle when I drop you off, they ought to know Amon’s been talking to Crawford.”
“What private business have they got together anyway?”
“Money, I imagine,” said Andrew angrily. “For the past few years, the Magic Council has been receiving a steady sum of donations…most of them are from anonymous sources, but it’s not too hard to imagine Jennifer’s people are supplying the funds…. That puts them in with all the right people…asking for favors…delaying laws they don’t want passed…They are a very well-connected group.”
The elevator arrived; it was empty expect for a few FA messengers riding a roomba around their feet as Andrew pressed the button for the atrium and the doors clanged shut.
“If Crawford is meeting Amon,” said Akko slowly, “if he’s meeting him alone, how do we know they haven’t put him under Evelyn’s control.”
“Don’t think it hadn’t occurred to us, Akko,” muttered Mr. England. “But the Inner Circle thinks that Crawford is acting of his own accord. Jennifer wants you to join her willingly, so having the Magic Council against you would not benefit her.”
“Then why hasn’t she taken over yet?” asked Akko. “It would be easier to – “
“It would likely be best to stow this conversation for now,” said Andrew.
The doors slid open and they stepped out into the now almost deserted atrium. Lily the security demon was hidden behind her Sorcerer Weekly again, They walked straight past the fountain before Akko remembered.
“Wait…” she told them, and pulling out her wallet from her dress pocket, she turned back to the fountain.
She looked up at the statues depicting the Nine Olde Witches, though she had no idea who they were other than by name. She thought it hilarious that one of them had flowering horns growing from their head and wondered if they watered them regularly. The witch across from her drowned themselves in animal furs, which did not look very comfortable in Akko’s opinion. The one to the animal witch’s right definitely it the bill for the “evil witch” stereotype. And a couple of them were literally no older than Akko. They were certainly an odd bunch, Akko thought with a grin; it reminded her of her own friends.
As she had promised, Akko dumped her entire allowance into the water at the statues’ feet.
“I knew it!” yelled Amanda, punching the air. “You always get away with stuff!”
“They were bound to clear you,” said Lotte, who had looked positively faint with anxiety when Akko had entered the dining room and was now holding a shaking hand over her eyes. “There was no case against you, none at all…”
“You all seemed very relived, though, considering you all knew I’d be cleared,” said Akko, smiling.
Sucy scoffed and rolled her eyes, but were still grinning, and Garie and Sabi were doing a kind of war dance to a chant that went, “She got cleared, she got cleared, she got cleared – “
“That’s enough, settle down,” said Mr. England, though he too was smiling. “Listen, Izetta, Amon was in Era – “
“WHAT?!” said Izetta sharply.
“She got cleared, she got cleared, she got cleared – “
“Be quiet, you two! Yes, he was wearing his old Noah disguise and talking to Crawford in the basement level, then they went up to Crawford’s office together. Chariot ought to know.”
“Absolutely,” said Izetta. “We’ll tell her, don’t worry.”
“She got cleared, she got cleared, she got cleared – “
“That’s enough, you two!” Anna snapped, irritated. “Miss Kagari, come and sit down, have some lunch, you barely had anything for breakfast….”
Everyone sat themselves around the long dining table looking happier than they had been since Akko first arrived at the Cavendish manor, and Akko’s feeling of giddy relief, which had been somewhat dented by her encounter with Amon, swelled again.
“Of course, once Andrew turned up on your side, there was no way they were going to convict you,” said Diana happily as Anna dished out great mounds of mashed potatoes on everyone’s plates. “That man in infuriatingly good and getting anything what he wants. Well, almost anything,” she added, resting her hand on top of Akko’s like she is reaffirming her territory.
“You should’ve seen him work the Council over,” said Akko humorously. “I thought Crawford was going to cry when he brought out Yoruichi and Marianna. But how did he know to be there?”
“I asked him,” said Diana. “I knew he was practicing law, so I thought he could help you in court. It’s not like anyone else was willing to defend you.”
Akko was about to reply when she suddenly felt a sharp sting in her head, like someone had jabbed a white-hot wire at her brain. It had taken her by surprise, she clapped her hand over head forehead with a hiss.
“What’s wrong?” asked Diana, looking alarmed.
“Headache,” Akko winced. “Probably just stress…I’m fine, I promise….”
None of the others had noticed a thing; all of them were now helping themselves to food while gloating over Akko’s narrow escape. Gari and Sabi were still singing, now with Amanda providing a chorus. Diana looked rather anxious, but before she could say anything, Nico said, “Maybe Chariot will finally turn up this evening to celebrate with us. I mean, Akko, is her daughter, isn’t she?”
“I don’t think she’ll be able to, Sucy,” said Athena as Anna set a huge roast turkey in the middle of the table. “She’s very busy at the moment.”
“SHE GOT CLEARED, SHE GOT CLEARED – “
“SHUT UP!” roared Anna.
Over the next few days, Akko could not help noticing a considerable change in one person’s mood as the day Akko and her friends returned to Luna Nova drew near. Izetta had put up a very good show of happiness on first hearing thew news, clapping Akko’s back and beaming just like the rest of them; soon, however, she was more subdued and dejected, talking less to everybody, even Finé, and spending increasing amounts of time shut up in in the observatory with Qing.
“She’s probably just missing Akko,” said Lotte, after Akko had confided some of her feelings while everyone was cleaning out the manor’s dusty root cellar a few days later. “Akko’s going to be gone for months, so Izetta might be sad about it.”
“It’s not like she’ll be lonely,” said the Stan-Bot on Constanze’s shoulder while she remotely controlled the rest into scrubbing the floor. “It’s the headquarters of the Celestial Sphere. She’ll have lots of company, including Archduchess Finé.”
“It’s different with family,” said Lotte, wringing out her cloth. “Chariot is constantly running around that hardly anyone sees her. And with Akko leaving for Luna Nova, she’ll be stuck in the manor while her family is out therewhere she can’t reach them.”
“That’s not something Akko should feel guilty about,” said Nico. “Akko can’t stay behind just to make her feel better, especially after all the trouble she went through to avoid getting expelled. Personally, I think she’s being selfish.”
At this point, Anna came down the stairs behind them.
“Still not finished?” she said, doing a sweep of the cellar.
“I thought you might be here to tell us to have a break!” Hanna complained. “Do you know how much mold we’ve gotten rid of since we got here?”
“You were so keen to help the Sphere,” said Anna, “you can do your bit by helping keep things tidy around here.”
“Because that is mother’s orders?” said Diana, disgruntled.
“Actually, the root cellar was Lady Daryl’s idea,” said Anna. “But Miss Athena offered no complaints.”
Akko found herself daydreaming about Luna Nova more and more as the end of the holidays approached; she could not wait to see Professor Ursula, to play a game of Chariot Racing, even to stroll across the vegetable patches to the Herbalism greenhouses. As fun as it has been to be able to live in a grand mansion for several weeks, Akko was looking forward to leaving.
The fact was that living at the headquarters of the anti-Jennifer movement was not nearly as interesting or exciting as Akko would have expected before he’d experienced it. Though members of the Celestial Sphere came and went regularly, sometimes staying for meals, sometimes only for a few minutes’ whispered conversation, Athena made sure that Akko and the others were kept well out of earshot and nobody, not even Izetta or Blair, seemed to feel that Akko needed to know anything more than she had heard on the night of her arrival.
On the very last day of the holidays, Akko was helping Sucy with her latest batch of poisonous mixtures. After years of exposure, Akko had developed an immunity to all poisons, but Sucy was determined to find something that would break her. Akko was gulping down her latest concoction when Lotte entered their room carrying a handful of envelopes.
“Booklists have arrived,” she said, tossing one to Akko and Sucy each. “I was starting to worry they had forgotten, they usually come earlier than this….”
Akko set aside the now empty glass beaker that was once filled with poison and started opening her letter; Sucy clicked her tongue, disappointed Akko wasn’t writhing on the floor in agony. Her envelope contained two pages, one the usual reminder that term started on the first of september, the other telling her which books she would need for the coming year.
“Only two new ones,” she said, reading the list. “The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, by Minerva Cavendish and Defensive Magical Theory by William Borrin.”
“You got the list, too?” Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka had entered the room, carrying their own booklists. “We were just discussing who assigned the boring book.”
“You mean Borrin,” Stan-Bot corrected.
“I know what I said,” quipped Amanda. “Doesn’t sound like something Professor Croix would assign. Guess that means we’re getting a new Defensive Magic teacher.”
“I don’t think they had a choice,” said Amanda.
“What do you mean?” asked Akko.
“I overheard Blair and Athena talking the other day,” said Amanda. “And from what they were saying, the Magic Council forced the teacher on the staff.”
“But Andrew said that the council can’t do anything about what happens at Luna Nova,” said Akko.
“Apparently, the rules have changed after Akko managed to make a clean getaway,” said Amanda, scowling. “They couldn’t touch Akko in court, so now they’re going to Luna Nova.”
“They’re really that desperate to discredit her, aren’t they?” Sucy commented.
“They want to bury her before word gets out that she’s the Star-Born Child,” said Stan-Bot.
“Lotte, are you feeling all right?” Jasminka asked suddenly.
Lotte did not answer. Akko looked around. Lotte was standing very still with her mouth slightly open, gapping at her letter from Luna Nova.
“What’s the matter?” said Amanda impatiently.
“I…,” Lotte said softly, turning around slowly. “I made prefect….”
Silence filled the bedroom. It wasn’t the kind of silence that came from hearing shocking news, but one of baffled confusion. Amanda scratched her head with a quirked brow, Jasminka and Constanze exchanged bewildered expressions, and Sucy just stared apathetically.
“…Okay, I give up,” Amanda finally said. “What the hell is a prefect?”
“Y-You know,” Lotte sputtered, not expecting to be asked such a question. “They’re in charge of keeping people in their houses in line and enforcing the rules. Akko, you used their bathroom with Diana to solve that puzzle box last year.”
“Wait, that’s a real thing?” said Akko, astonished. “I thought Diana was just making that up to get alone.”
“Prefects are real!” Lotte shouted indignantly. “They’re a very important part of the school!”
“How come I’ve never seen one before?” asked Amanda.
“You’ve met them before,” said Lotte. “Remember Blair?”
“Akko’s cat?” asked Jasminka.
“No, the other Blair!” shouted Lotte. “Italian girl? long blonde drill hair? Same year as your sister? Liked to pretend she was an aristocrat? Is any of this ringing a bell?”
“Wait, wasn’t she the one that kept reporting you to Professor Ursula every time you pranked someone?” Stan-Bot said to Amanda.
“Oh ye-e-e-eah,” said Amanda, nodding thoughtfully. “I thought she was just a nosy tattletale. Huh, I guess we did have one of those prefect things. Though they’ve done a pretty crappy job over the years.”
“I think they just gave up trying after the second year?” said Sucy. “But I guess if anyone was going to keep this group of weirdos under control, it would be Lotte.”
Wordlessly, Lotte turned the envelope upside down and Akko saw something white and green fall into her palm. She stared at it for a moment, tilting her head like she didn’t quite believe it herself. She then held it out to Akko as though asking mutely for confirmation that it was genuine. Akko took it. It had the circular crest of Luna Nova with the four-point star of Polaris House superimposed in the center. A banner along the top of the badge said in “PREFECT” in bold letters.
The door banged open. Diana came tearing into the room, her cheeks flushed and her hair flying. There was an envelope in her hand.
“Akko! Akko, you won’t believe what happened?”
“Could you guys help us out here.” Akko tilted her head around her girlfriend; Nico was leaning against the threshold, her arms crossed. “Could you tell her there’s no such thing as a prefect.”
“Prefects are real!” Diana shouted indignantly. “And they’re super important!”
“If they were so important, how come we’ve never seen one in the four years we’ve gone to Luna Nova,” Nico retorted. “It’s like a poorly planned plot hole in a shitty fanfic.”
“Turns out they are real,” Akko confirmed. “We just got one, too – “
“WHAT?!” Diana and Nico yelped in shock, whipping around toward Akko so fast, they nearly broke their necks. They spotted the badge in Akko’s hand and Diana gapped dumbfoundedly.
“How did – “ she sputtered, rubbing her eyes to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on here. “I mean, that is – not that there’s anything wrong with it, but – they would they give it to….”
“Wha – no,” said Akko quickly, pushing the badge back into Lotte’s hand. “It’s Lotte’s, not mine.”
“Oh, okay, that makes sense,” said Diana, sighing in relief. “For a minute there, I was afraid the world had gone mad.”
“Your faith in me is touching,” said Akko sarcastically.
“Oh, come off it,” said Diana, rolling her eyes. “No one in their right mind would put you in a position of power.”
“…Yeah, that’s true,” Akko agreed.
“Wait, so these prefects are a real thing?” asked Nico, flabbergasted. “Then they’ve been doing a shitty job all these years.”
“That’s what I said!” Amanda chortled.
Someone knocked on the bedroom door, startling Nico from her place, and Athena walked in while buttoning her traveling coat.
“I heard from Hannah and Barbara that your booklists had come at last,” she said, glancing around at all the envelopes in their hands. “I’m heading into London with Daryl on business, not that I have much of a choice, so I thought I would stop by Westfield while I’m out. Diana, I noticed that your uniforms is getting a little short – I’ll have to get you a new set while I’m out. Any preferences?”
“I’m fine with anything as long as there’s space to pin my badge,” said Diana, smirking.
“Your what?” said Athena, facing her daughter with a quirked brow.
“My badge,” Diana repeated with a hint of pride. “My new prefect badge.”
Diana’s words took a moment to sink in to Athena’s head.
“…that’s a real thing?” she asked.
“OH, COME ON!” Diana complained loudly, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
“I’m just teasing you, Diana!” Athena guffawed. She crossed the room, nearly knocking Akko out of the way, and threw her arms around her daughter. “Ooh, I am so proud of you, Diana! Not that I’m surprised. You know, both your mother and I were prefects back in the day.”
“You were a prefect?” said Diana, slightly surprised. “Even though you with Chariot’s group.”
“Yeah, I thought it was a mistake at first, too,” said Athena, snorting amusingly. “Our prefect duties were how your mother and I became close, even though she was dating Chariot at the time. Oh, what a thing to happen in the middle of all this worry, I’m just thrilled for you, Diana!”
Amanda was rolling her eyes and making a gagging motion behind their backs, but Athena nor Diana noticed. Athena was hugging Diana so tightly; she was starting to turn blue in the face.
“M-mother…please…I need to breathe…” she murmured, trying to push her away. “It wasn’t just me…. Lotte has one as well….”
“Is that true?” Athena gasped. Lotte smiled sheepishly, holding up her own badge. “Oh, how wonderful! Charlotte would be so proud of you! That’s it. We simply must celebrate!”
“Y-you don’t have to…,” Lotte said shyly.
“Nonsense; you both deserve it,” said Athena fondly. “We’ll have a big celebration and invite everyone. Most of your friends are already here. Andrew might come if we ask him; hopefully he’s not too busy with work. What about that boy you’re with? What was his name?”
“Frank,” Lotte offered.
“Yes, of course, Frank!” said Athena, clapping her hands cheerfully. “We must absolutely invite him! He should celebrate with his girlfriend!”
Another knocking came at the door, once again startling Nico (she really should find another place to stand, Akko thought.) This time it was Anna, bowing respectfully before she entered the room.
“Miss Athena, Lady Daryl is waiting impatiently in the foyer for you,” Anna informed them.
“Oh, that’s right, I had forgotten,” said Athena, frowning like she wished she could do anything but spend time with her sister-in-law. “Well, I suppose I’d better be going…. Hand me your lists, will you – have to get your things, after all. Oh, if only Charlotte was here to see her daughter like this. Perfect! I almost can’t believe it….”
She gave Diana a loving kiss on the forehead, smiling proudly, and bustled from the from with Anna in tow.
Amanda sneered.
“You don’t mind if we don’t kiss you, princess,” said Amanda in a falsely anxious voice. “We could curtsy, if you like.”
“I would suggest you start showing us a little more respect from now on,” Diana threatened.
“Or what?” said Amanda, an evil grin spreading across her face. “Going to put me in detention. I’ve gotten the better of dozens of authority figures in the past.”
“True,” said Diana with a smug grin. “But unlike them, I know you and I have power to do something about it if you ever step out of line.”
“….Shit,” Amanda cursed.
Diana smirked triumphantly at the redheaded rebal, who understood well enough that the Cavendish heir was in a completely different league. Amanda turned with a huff and stomped out of the room, headed down the hall. Constanze and Jasminka chased after her.
“As fun as this has been, I’ve gotta pack my things,” said Nico.
“I think I’ll go call Frank…,” Lotte muttered softly, checked flushed as she gazed at her own badge. “I want to be the one to tell him the news…. I hope the Sphere lets him come.”
“Then I guess I should check on Garie and Sabi to make sure they packed their luggage,” said Sucy dryly. “It’s always such a pain when they procrastinate until the last minute.”
They all left one by one until Akko and Diana were alone in the room. Akko watched her girlfriend smile fondly as she traced a finger over her new badge and couldn’t help smiling herself. She could imagine that, to Diana, this badge was not only a confirmation to all of her hard work paying off, but it was another thing that connected her to Bernadette Cavendish. Knowing that both of her mothers had held the position in the past made it that more important in her heart.
Akko quickly stepped behind Diana, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend’s waist and resting her chin on her shoulder, fondly embracing her. Diana quietly leaned into the hug, resting her hands on top of Akko’s.
“I’m so proud of you, Diana,” Akko whispered lovingly in her ear.
“I can hardly believe it myself,” Diana murmured softly. “Prefect…just like my mothers….”
“You deserve it,” said Akko proudly.
Diana titled her head to face Akko, smiling in adoration, and leaned forward for a tender kiss….
Athena returned from London around six o’clock with Anna in tow, the maid’s arms laden with books. She also handed Diana and Lotte each a bundle wrapped in thick brown paper.
“As Prefects, you’ll be wearing new uniforms, so I took the liberty of getting some while I was out. Oh, don’t worry about it, Lotte,” Athena cut the bespectacled girl off before she could argue. “Your mother was one of my closest friends. She would want you to have it. Now hurry up and get changed; people are arriving for dinner. I want you all downstairs.”
Their new clothes looked similar to the school’s uniforms, but were pure-white that it was almost saintly; according to Diana, they were enchanted with a permanent clean spell so that they were impossible to get dirty. They also had hoods instead of the traditional witches hat and the Luna Nova crest emblazoned over their left breast, which was apparently where the badges were supposed to go. Honestly, you’d think Akko would remember seeing prefects around the school is this was how they dressed. Then again, Akko didn’t have much of an attention span.
Down in the dining hall, Anna had hung a lime-green banner over the heavily laden table, which read: Congratulations Diana and Lotte – New Prefects.
“I thought we’d have a little party, not a sit-down dinner,” she told Akko and the others as they entered the room. “Andrew and Frank said they were on their way now. From the sound of it, Frank was absolutely thrilled for you, Lotte.”
Lotte smiled, her cheeks hued pink.
Blair, Izetta, Finé, and Ram were already there. Even Maril and Merrill stopped by to offer their cousin a word of congratulations, though they acted cheeky about it, which Akko supposed was their way of showing affection. Daryl never showed, to no one’s surprise. To Akko’s delight, Croix turned twenty minutes after the party had started.
“Professor Croix, so glad you could make it,” said Akko happily.
“And pass up the chance for free food?” said Croix jokingly, ruffling Akko’s hair. “I heard about the trial from Andrew. I knew that fat bastard wouldn’t be able to pin anything on you.”
“That makes one of us,” said Akko.
“Oh, Croix, so glad you’re here,” said Athena brightly, as Croix shrugged off her cape. “We’ve been wanting to ask you for ages – could you have a look at the writing desk in the drawing room and tell us what’s inside it? We haven’t wanted to open it just in case it’s something bad.”
“Not a problem…”
Croix pulled out her phone, tapping the screen, and one of her pixel cubes materialized in the air, flying out the room.
“Drawing room…” she murmured, tapping her phone animatedly. “Desk in the corner? Yeah, I see it…. Yeah, it’s a boogeyman…. Want me to go and get rid of it, ‘Thena?”
“No, no, we’ll get it later,” beamed Athena. “Grab yourself a drink. We’re having a little celebration, actually….” She gestured at the green banner. “Runs in the family, doesn’t it?” she said fondly, ruffling Diana’s hair.
“No surprise that Finnelan would pick Diana once she made it to her fifth year,” said Croix with a humorous tone. “She was already an unofficial prefect. Though I wasn’t expecting Ursula to pick Lotte of all people. Then again, all the other choices are a danger to society.”
“You really get us,” said Amanda teasingly.
“Sorry you didn’t make prefect,” Croix apologized to Nico. “But Priscilla was just…more fit for the job.”
“I would totally have abused my authority,” Nico admitted.
“At least you’re honest about it,” Croix snickered.
Andrew, Frank and Marianna arrived at the party fifteen minutes later with Marianna’s magic. Frank – a kindhearted and charming young man – was bouncing with joy as if he had been made prefect. Lotte looked embarrassed, but still found herself holding Frank’s hand for the rest of the evening. Andrew and Diana even spared a few polite, yet clipped, words of congratulations. The heated rivalry was still there, even if most of their issues were resolved last year. Athena was in such a good mood that she didn’t even complain when Urahara showed up; he was wearing a long overcoat that seemed oddly lumpy in unlikely places and declined the offer to remove it.
“I think a toast is in order,” said Andrew, when everyone had a drink. He raised his glass. “To Diana and Lotte. Best of luck to you both. You’re going to need it with this one running around,” he added jokingly, gesturing to Akko.
Everyone shared a laugh and drank to Diana and Lotte.
“I was never a prefect myself,” said Izetta brightly from behind Akko as everyone moved toward the table to help themselves to food. “My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities.”
“Like what?” said Finé, who was choosing the grilled chicken.
“Like the ability to behave myself,” said Izetta.
Finé laughed; Izetta watched the archduchess fondly as if Finé were an angel sent from heaven. Akko knew exactly what her aunt was going through, having been in her position for years.
“What about you, Blair?” Finé asked, rounding to the cat witch that had an entire fish in her mouth.
Blair threw her head back and laughed so hard, she dropped her fish on the floor, much to Anna’s chagrin.
“No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with Chariot. Athena and Croix got badges. They were good girls.”
“I think Holbrooke might have hoped that we would be able to exercise some control over our friends,” said Athena amusingly. “I need scarcely say that we failed dismally.”
“I got expelled in my sixth year, so you were pretty much on your own,” said Croix.
Akko loved hearing stories about everyone’s time in Luna Nova; it made her feel better knowing that Chariot wasn’t perfect either. She loaded up her plate and wandered around the room, listening in on everyone’s conversations.
Frank was telling Lotte about his new job in government.
“ – only doing small things right now like filing paperwork and such, but I hope to one day work in Demi-Human Relations. All of this strife we have going on now is because we’re not making an effort to reach out – “
Diana was talking very earnestly to Andrew about their arranged engagement.
“ – getting Aunt Daryl to call it off is like trying pull a Mandrake by the roots. I’m hoping things are going better on your side of things. God knows your father isn’t particularly fond of me – “
Sucy was talking about relationship of all things with Maril and Merrill of all people.
“ – Long distance relationships can be stressful, but so much more worth it when you finally see each other,” one twin said.
“If this Fu girl is still faithful to you by the time you graduate, then you know it’s true love,” said the other twin.
Garie and Sabi were huddled in the corner with Urahara. Urahara stopped talking when he saw Akko, but Garie winked and beckoned Akko closer.
“It’s okay,” she told Urahara. “We can trust, Akko. She’s not gonna rat us out.”
“Look what the old timer got us,” said Sabi, holding out her hand to Akko. It was full of what looked like shriveled black pods. A faint rattling noise was coming from them, even though they were completely stationary.
“Devil’s Breath seeds,” said Sabi. “We need them for our Sick Snacks, but they’re a Class-3 Non-Tradable Substance so we’ve been having trouble getting our hands on them.
“Five thousand credits for the whole pot, then?” said Garie.
“After all the trouble I went to get them?” said Uruhara, peeking at them from under his bucket hat. “I like you kids, but I’m not taking a credit under ten.”
“The old timer likes to make jokes,” Garie said to Akko.
“Yeah, his best one so far was eight hundred credits for a bag of blue hedgehog quills,” said Sabi.
“Be careful,” Akko warned them quietly.
“What?” said Garie. “Miss ‘Thena’s busy fawning over Diana, we’re okay.”
“But Ram could have her eye on you,” Akko pointed out.
Urahara looked nervously over his shoulder.
“Good point,” he said. “All right, kids, five it is, if you’ll take them quick.”
“Smart man,” said Garie delightedly, when Urahara had emptied his pockets into the twins’ outstretched hands and scuttled off toward the food. “We’d better get these upstairs….”
Akko watched the twins sneak through the forest of legs and scrambled out of the dining room when she heard her own name. Ram voice, sharp as a razor’s edge, was audible even over the surrounding chatter.
“…why wasn’t Kagari made a prefect?” said Ram.
“You’re kidding, right?” replied Blair. “That girl causes too much trouble.”
“But it would’ve shown confidence in her,” persisted Ram. “Especially with the news having a jab at here every few days.”
“It was Ursula’s decision,” said Blair. “She has her reasons.”
Akko did not look around; she did not want Blair or Ram to know she had heard. She followed Urahara back toward the table, though she suddenly wasn’t feeling hungry. She hadn’t really thought about it. Not that she would’ve been good for the job, but Akko did wonder if Ursula had even considered her as a prefect. Akko admired and respected Ursula since her first year, but over the past couple years, she was starting to realize that Ursula was keeping more and more secrets from her. Whether it was about the Sphere, the Shiny Rod, Chariot, or her own illness. Akko was starting to wonder if Ursula even trusted her….
“You all right there, Akko?” asked Croix, coming up next to her.
Croix took a swig from her glass, staring at Akko in the corner of her eye.
“Come here, I’ve got something that might interest you,” she said.
From her pocket, Croix pulled out pulled a very tattered old photograph.
“The original group from back in the day,” said Croix. “Found it last night when I was cleaning out my closest looking for something – honestly forgot what it was halfway through…. Thought people might like to see it.”
Akko took the photo. A small crowd of people looked back at her.
“There’s me,” said Croix unnecessarily, pointing at herself. The Croix in the picture had longer hair, still wore square glasses, wore sweats instead of dressing up like everyone else. “And there’s Chariot beside me, Otto Apocalypse on the other side…. That’s Oliver Queen, he died two weeks after this was taken, choked on a chicken bone if you can believe it. There’s Athena and Bernadette – “
Akko’s stomach clenched as she looked at Bernadette Cavendish; she was beautiful, smiling happy and healthy, nothing like the sickly woman Akko had met through the Horologium Clock.
“Poor Bernie,” murmured Croix. “Tried every method I could think of to help her, but…. that’s, Chris Redfield, back before he founded the BSAA, and that there’s Blair, obviously… Makarov Drayer, he’s gone now, gave his own life to protect his family, good man…. There’s Ram, damn, I forgot she knew how to smile….
“That’s A2…she was an android working for us on the sly, all we found were pieces of her…. Alice Ichijo with Karen Travers and Fubuki Spring; Alice disappeared six months later, Karen never spoke to us again…. Max Tennyson, great man, one of the best, decided not to join us this time around…. Patolli, you’ve met him, used to go by Licht back then…. Lucoa, a bit ditzy, but very powerful, no idea what happened to her…. Oh, this might interest you….”
Near the corner of the picture, Croix pointed out a tall, well-built man with short dark hair and finely trimmed beard and mustache.
“Orion Du Nord, Chariot and Izetta’s older brother, only time I ever met him, great cook…. That’s Agent 47, kinda creepy, Amon killed him personally…. Izetta, back when she had long hair…and…there you go, this is what I wanted to show you. Recognize her…?”
Akko’s heart turned over. She stared at the face of a young woman, in her early 20s, with her brunette hair tied up in an elaborate bun wearing square glasses on her narrow nose. What struck Akko was how much she and this woman looked so much alike; they could practically be mother and daughter. Akko knew who this woman was because Ursula had told her only months ago after escaping Jennifer’s trap. It was Professor Finnelan’s daughter.
It was a kick in the gut to see her again, but even more so when she was flanked by both Cinder Fall and Master Noah, the people responsible for betraying their order and causing so much death. They are the reason Jennifer returned, the reason why Akko’s mother left her….
“Eh?” said Croix.
Akko looked up at Croix, fighting off a grimace. Evidently, she was under the impression she had just given Akko a nice treat instead of a haunting reminded of their past failures.
“Yeah,” said Akko, attempting to grin again. “Er…listen, I’ve just remembered, I haven’t packed my….”
She was spared the trouble of inventing an object she had not packed; Izetta had just said, “Whatcha got there, Croix?” and Croix turned toward her. Akko crossed the dining hall, slipped through the door, and up the stairs before anyone could call her back.
She didn’t know why she had received such a shock; she had seen pictures of Chariot and her friends, after all, and she had met Amon…but to have them sprung on her like that, when she was least expecting it…. No one would like that. she thought gloomily….
And then, to see them surrounded by all those other happy faces…A2, who had been found in pieces, and Makarov, who died protecting his family, and Bernadette Cavendish, who had been tortured to death…all smiling happily out of the photo forevermore, not knowing that they were doomed…. Well, Croix might find that interesting…she, Akko, found it disturbing….
She shuffled along the hallway and dragged her feet into the bedroom she shared with Lotte and Sucy, shutting the door behind her. She flopped forward into Lotte’s bed, her groans muffled by the sheets. She just wanted to lie there until she needed to leave for Luna Nova.
“Tired?” someone asked behind her.
Akko snapped up in attention, panic racing through her heart when she didn’t recognize the voice. She flipped around and tried swinging her arm, only to be caught by the wrist. Akko was able to look back at the intruder and came to a horrible realization: it was the person in the black coat, from the night the Heartless attack.
“How did you get in here?” Akko gasped.
“That should be the least of your concerns,” said the black coated intruder, their voice distinctly feminine.
Black Coat (which is what we’ll call her for now) flipped Akko over the edge of the bed, throwing her flat on the ground with a thud. Akko hoped it was loud enough to get somebody’s attention.
Akko tried to push herself up by her elbows, but Black Coat grabbed her by the back of the head and pressed her down to the floor. Akko tried flailing, but Black Coat was holding her down with a knee pressed against Akko’s spine. This was bad, Akko thought. Why didn’t she think to have her wand on hand?
“I heard you managed to make a clean getaway at your trial and decided to offer my congratulations,” said Black Coat with a voice like venomous honey. “Must be nice to have all those people to clean up your messes.”
“They didn’t…clean my mess?” Akko grunted, struggling.
“Didn’t they?” said Black Coat. “The way I understand it, you were floundering until Hanbridge saved your skin.”
“What’s…you’re point?”
“That you’re a curse,” Black Coat said seriously. “That everywhere you go, you drag others into your problems and they have to suffer the consequences of your failings. How many times did your friends almost die chasing after the Shiny Rod when you could’ve left well enough alone? Who brought the plague into Luna Nova that nearly killed everyone? Who dragged her friends in the middle of the night chasing a would-be murderer and let Amon escape? And who was it that almost got Nico killed and let Evelyn escape with all of Ram’s students? Who was it that allowed Jennifer to return?”
“…How do you know all of that?” asked Akko hesitantly.
“I’ve been watching you for years, Atsuko Kagari,” said Black Coat. She lifted Akko’s head up and slammed it back down on the floor; Akko’s became momentarily dazed. “Everywhere you go, you cause nothing but grief to everyone around you. One day, they’re all going to die, and it will be all – your – fault.”
“I…I don’t…I never…,” Akko stammered, her breath hitching.
“Akko-nyan!” Blair’s voice came from the door, knocking on the other aside. “Are you all right in there? I heard a noise.”
All at once, the pressure on her head and spine vanished with the sound of flapping fabric. Akko flipped around on her back, but Black Coat had already vanished without a trace. She raised herself on her elbows when Blair, growing impatient by Akko’s lack of response, shouldered her way into the room, closely followed by Izetta with Croix lurking behind them. All three looked down at Akko lying on the floor strangely.
“Did you trip over your own feet again, Akko-Nyan?” asked Blair teasingly.
“No, no, there was someone in here,” said Akko. “Someone wearing a black coat.”
“A black coat?” Izetta repeated curiously. “Was an older man?”
“No, it…it sounded like a woman,” said Akko after a moment of thought.
“Then it wasn’t your father…,” Blair mumbled.
“My what?” Akko asked quickly.
“I’m going to have a look around,” said Croix seriously. “You stay with her until I’ve made sure the manor is clear.”
She stalked off down the hall. Blair crossed the room and pulled Akko to her feet while Izetta closed the door behind them. Blair led Akko over to her bed and sank into the mattress beside her while Izetta walked around to the window to make sure it was locked.
“Have you met this woman before, Akko?” asked Blair.
“Uh, once, I think,” said Akko, sounding uncertain. “Just before the Heartless attacked in Japan.”
“Think she could be with Jennifer?” asked Izetta, now checking the walls.
“No, I don’t think so,” Akko mumbled. “I got the impression that she wasn’t happy that Jennifer was back…. She said it was my fault.”
“What was?” asked Blair.
“That Jennifer came back,” said Akko, staring at a spot on the floor to avoid meeting her guardian’s eye. “If I hadn’t grabbed that stupid trophy in the Contest, maybe Jennifer wouldn’t have come back. Then Nico wouldn’t have got her throat cut open, and Mato would still be – OUCH!” she yelped when Blair smacked her over the head.
“Are you stupid or something – don’t answer that, it’s a trick question,” said Blair.
“But – “
“Akko-Nyan, there was nothing you could’ve done to prevent what happened,” said Blair firmly. “Amon already had the Star of Time, so he could’ve brought Jennifer back whenever he wanted. The only reason he waited for you was to convince you to join them, which they failed. And you didn’t cut Nico’s throat – Ruvik did – so there’s no point in blaming yourself.”
“And Evelyn already possessed Mato and her classmates long before they arrived at Luna Nova,” said Izetta. “There was nothing you could’ve done to change that.”
“I could’ve saved them – “
“And you will, someday, but not now,” Blair interjected. “It’s easy to place blame on yourself after everything you’ve been through, but you have to realize that there are some things beyond your control. If you let yourself be weighed down by every little setback, you’re going to find yourself crushed.”
“But I’m the Star-Born Child – “
“And you think that makes it your responsibility to fix the world?” Izetta cut in. “You might be the Star-Born Child, but you are still a child. You should be more concerned with passing your classes and going on dates with Diana, not trying to fix everyone’s problems.”
“But I – “
“That’s enough, Akko-Nyan,” said Blair sternly. “Stop trying to be everyone’s hero; it’s not your responsibility. Once we get back to Luna Nova, you’ll have plenty to distract you, especially since S.T.A.R.s are coming up this year. You focus on that and leave Jennifer and the rest of her followers to the Sphere.”
But Akko, laying in her bed ten minutes later after Croix gave the all clear, did not think Blair was right. She could still see the people beaming up at her from the tattered photograph, unaware that so many of their lives were drawing to a close. The words of the woman in the black coat pounded against her mind like an angry drumbeat.
Without warning, she felt another sharp sting in the back of her brain and her stomach churned horribly.
“Why is this happening to me?” she grimaced, rubbing her knuckle against her skull as the pain receded.
Akko felt older that she had ever felt in her life, and it seemed extraordinary to her that barely an hour ago, her biggest concern was Garie and Sabi purchasing illegal Devil’s Breath seeds.
Notes:
Next chapter: Molly McIntyre
Chapter 10: Molly McIntyre
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Akko had a troubled night’s sleep. Chariot and Bernadette wove in and out of her dream, never speaking; Lotte and Diana sat upon thrones with golden crowns, the woman in black peeking over their shoulders, and yet again Akko found herself walking down a corridor ending in a locked door. She awoke abruptly with her head pounding to find Lotte already dressed and talking to her.
“.,.better hurry up, Anna’s going crazy, she says we’re going to miss the train….”
There was a lot of commotion in the normally quiet manor. From what she heard as she dressed at top speed, Akko gathered that Garie and Sabi had bewitched their luggage to fly downstairs to save the trouble of carrying them, with the result that they hurtled straight into Jasminka and knocked her down the grand staircase in the foyer. If Jasminka wasn’t so resilient, Akko would’ve been concerned. Anna, on the other hand, was screaming at the top of her lungs:
“ – COULD HAVE CAUSE SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE, YOU DIMINUTIVE BUFFOONS!”
Nico came hurrying into the room looking harassed just as Akko was putting on her shoes.
“Diana is on warpath,” she warned, leaning against the door. “She nearly bit my head off when she found out I hadn’t packed my socks yet. You ready yet?”
“Almost – Jasminka all right?” asked Akko.
“She’s a Titan Shifter – I bet she didn’t even notice anything,” said Nico. “But now Ram is complaining that we can’t leave unless Angela is here, otherwise the guard will be one short.”
“Guard?” said Akko, “we have to go to the station with a guard?”
“Specifically, you and me,” said Nico. “Or did you forget that there’s a century’s old madwoman after both our hides? After the scare last night, they’re not taking any chances.”
“They really never found anything?” asked Akko. “About that woman who attacked me?”
“If they did, they never told me anything about it,” said Nico, looking at her watch. “But we can worry about that later. If we don’t leave, we’re definitely going to miss the train – “
“WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!” Anna bellowed and Nico jumped as though scalded and hurried out of the room. Akko hurriedly grabbed the last of her things, stuffed them unceremoniously in her luggage, and set off downstairs after Nico.
The foyer was in total chaos. Akko’s friends were running around with their luggage while trying to shove what little bit of breakfast they could grab in their mouths; the adults were even less helpful, shouting over one another so often no one could make out what the other was saying. Daryl had briefly appeared from the dining room, took one look at the room, and wisely ducked out.
Blair climbed the banister – in cat form – and jumped onto Akko’s shoulder, thankfully calmer than her companions.
“Like cockatrice with their tails cut off,” Blair said with a Cheshire grin. “Akko-nyan, you’ll be going with me and Chris. Leave you bags by the door, Phil’s going to deal with the luggage and – oh, really, Izetta, gonna pull the puppy dog eyes here?”
A clever-looking red fox had appeared at Akko’s side as Akko clambered over the various bags cluttering the foyer to get to the door.
“You know you’re not supposed to be seen…,” said Blair. The fox tilted its head and let out a little whine. “Ugh, you’re such a brat. Fine, but if you get caught, you’re on your own.”
Anna wrenched open the front door for Akko and she stepped out into the weak September sunlight. Akko and the fox strode across the front lawn. The door slammed behind them and the chaos inside was cut off instantly.
“Where’s Chris?” Akko said, looking around as they went down the drive toward the front gates.
“He’s waiting for us just up ahead,” said Blair with an exaggerated yawn, stretching herself out on Akko’s shoulders.
Chris Redfield was waiting for them at the front gates next to a not at all suspicious-looking black car. He was wearing a black suit that made him look he worked for the American Secret Service (Akko wouldn’t be surprised if he did.)
“Good morning, Kagari,” Chris greeted courteously. “We should be hurrying along. Don’t want to be late,” he added, checking his watch.
“I know, I know,” said Blair, leaping onto the car roof, “but Ram wanted to wait for Angela…. It’s strange that she hasn’t come back yet. I thought to would have wanted to see her daughter off. Then again, Angela has always been a…special snowflake…. She probably wandered off somewhere and forgot where the manor is….
But the sly red fox gave a joyful yip and gamboled around them, snapping at butterflies and rolling around in the grass. Akko couldn’t help laughing. Izetta had been trapped inside for a very long time.
It took them forty minutes to drive to the Wedinburgh Waverly railway station and nothing more eventful happened during that time than Blair hacking up a couple hairballs on Chris’s leather seats. Once inside the station, hurried over to platform six just as the Mystic Rail pulled into the station. There was a crowd of students and family waiting to get on, though not as many as the normal crowd back in Shibuya. Akko felt her spirit soar when she saw the bullet train…. She was really going back….
Nico arrived a few minutes later escorted by Ram and Shantae, the latter hauling Nico’s luggage while the former looked around the station shiftily.
“All okay,” she muttered to Chris and Blair. “Don’t think there’s anyone that followed us….”
They were just unloading Akko and Nico’s luggage when Diana, Lotte, and the others turned up with their own escort teams. It must have been a strange sight, seeing so many strangers grouped around a large number of students. Avery Buckland seemed to think so by the way she was staring at them through the train window.
“No trouble?” growled Ram.
“Nothing,” answered Athena.
“I’ll still be reporting Angela to the higher ups,” said Ram, shaking her head. “That’s the second time she’s not turned up in a week. Getting as unreliable as Urahara.”
“Knowing my mother, she probably got ‘lost on the road of life’ or something equally dumb,” said Barbara exasperatedly.
“Blair, we’re counting on you to watch over them at school,” Athena said sternly to the cat. “If I hear they’ve gotten in any sort of trouble – “
“Athena, it’s them,” said Blair teasingly. “They’re probably blow up the bathrooms on the first day.”
“…I hate that I can’t refute that possibility,” Athena mumbled.
“Just keep your heads down and your eyes peeled,” said Ram, looking specifically between Akko and Nico. “And don’t forget, all of you – careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don’t write it down at all.”
“It’s been lovely having you all,” said Athena, hugging Diana. “We’ll see you soon, I expect.”
A warning bell sounded; the students still on the platform started hurrying onto the train.
“Quick, quick!” said Anna distractedly, shoving them roughly onto the train. “Write…. Be good…. If you’ve forgotten anything send it later… Onto the train, now, hurry….”
For one brief moment, the large red fox reared onto its hind legs and placed its front paws on Akko’s shoulders, but Blair swiped at her paws and hissed, “For Woodward’s sake, when was the last time you ever saw a fox do that, Izetta!”
“Bye!” Akko called out before the doors shut and the train began to move, while Diana and the others waved beside her. The figures of Athena, Chris, Ram, and Anna shrank rapidly, but the sly red fox was bounding alongside the window; blurred people on the platform were laughing to see it chasing the train, and then they turned the corner, and Izetta was gone.
“I told her she shouldn’t have come with us,” Blair grumbled, curled across Akko’s shoulder. “Damn idiot is trying to get herself caught, I tell you.”
“Oh, lighten up,” said Amanda. “She hasn’t seen daylight for months, poor girl.”
“Well,” said Garie, clapped her hands together, “can’t stand around chatting all day, we’ve got business to discuss with Chinatsu. Later, losers,” and she and Sabi disappeared down row to their right.
“The train was gathering more speed; the world outside had faded away in a blur of random colors and they swayed where they stood.
“I guess we’re going to our usual seats in the back, right?” Akko asked.
“Sorry, but we can’t join you,” Diana said, catching Akko by surprise. “Lotte and I, I mean. We’re supposed to head to the front car for orientation with the other prefects.”
“Oh,” said Akko, disappointed. “Right, yeah, I get it…”
“I don’t think we’ll have to stay there all journey,” said Lotte quickly. “Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Prefect and then patrol the train from time to time.”
“Hah, sucks to be you!” Amanda laughed.
“But as prefects, we can get anything off the service trolley free of charge,” Diana mentioned smugly.
“…You suck, Cavendish,” Amanda grumbled.
“Well, then you guess we’ll see you later,” said Akko, putting on a small smile. “Can’t say I’m disappointed…bu-u-ut, if you can swing me some free stuff, it would really make me feel better.”
“Guilt trip,” said Blair with a hint of pride. “Nice.”
“You are incorrigible,” said Diana, rolling her eyes with a tiny grin. She leaned forward, gave her girlfriend a quick peck. “We’ll see you later. Try not to cause too much trouble while we’re gone.”
“Then what am I supposed to do with this flask of corrosive acid?” said Sucy, holding up said flask. Everyone took a quick step back. “Tch, babies.”
But as Lotte and Diana dragged their suitcases, Haruka-san, and Ophiuchus the snake (Sucy noticeably standing a good distance away) off toward the front of the train, Akko felt an odd sense of loss. She had never travelled on the Mystic Rail without Lotte before (Her second year didn’t count because she never boarded the train.)
“Come on,” Barbara took charge. “If we get a move on, we’ll be able to save them places.”
“I’m pretty sure our seats have been permanently reserved over the last four years,” Amanda commented. “I think they even commissioned a plaque.”
They struggled off down the aisle, passing through dozens of rows of seats, all of them already full. Akko couldn’t help noticing that a lot of people stared at them with great interest and that several of them nudged their neighbors and pointed her out. After she had met this behavior in five consecutive cars, she remembered that the news had been telling everyone all summer what a lying show-off she was. She wondered dully whether the people now staring and whispering believed the stories.
“Just ignore them, Akko,” Jasminka offered, patting her on the shoulder kindly. “It might hurt at first, but just remember that you have friends supporting you the whole way.”
Oh, that’s right, Akko remembered. Jasminka was exposed as a Titan Shifter last year. There had been a huge uproar over the news breaking out, including death threats and demands for her expulsion from people who had read Scaglietti’s scathing article. They were able to pull Jasminka out of her depression well enough, but it had been a hard time for all and Jasminka had nearly considered leaving for good. By comparison, Akko knew she had no reason to complain.
They walked to the very back of the train (which was lacking the aforementioned plaque) when they noticed someone was already sitting there beside the window. She had rich mocha-brown skin, wavy teal-blue hair that fell past her shoulders and covered her right eye. As they approached the seats, the unknown girl looked up from her book (The Passage of Time by Edgar Chrono) and immediately locked gazes with Akko. In that moment, Akko felt a strange sensation of…familiarity. She couldn’t explain it, but Akko had a feeling that she was forgetting something important.
“Excuse me, but do you know you’re sitting in our seats?” said Hannah rudely.
“Oh, these are your seats?” the girl, looking around like she was searching for the nonexistent plaque as well. “I didn’t know you could reserve seating on the train. That would’ve made searching for a place to sit a whole lot easier.”
“You don’t,” Stan-Bot answered, to Hannah’s annoyance. “Don’t worry about it. There are plenty of seats here; just pick one.”
Hannah huffed and crossed her arms, but nevertheless plopped herself in the window seat across from the new girl, Barbara taking the seat beside her. Akko was loading her luggage into the overhead when she noticed the girl was looking at her with a glazed look in her eye. Then, without warning, she grabbed Akko by the arm and pulled her into the seats, shouting “Watch out!”
Akko barely had the sense to act bewildered before the train suddenly gave a mighty lurch. Amanda, who had been stowing her baggage next to Akko’s, stumble and dropped her suitcase on the exact spot where Akko had been a moment ago. Akko stared at the suitcase, knowing how close it had come to dropping on her head. Then she spun around to the girl, who offered a friendly smile.
Akko knew she should have said thanks, but when she opened her mouth, the words that came out were, “How did you do that?”
“Well, I just pulled you and – “ the girl began.
“No, she means,” Barbara interrupted, staring dumbstruck, “how did you know that was going to happen?”
“Oh, well, I saw it,” the girl answered nonchalantly like she was discussing the weather.
“You…saw it?” Barbara repeated cluelessly.
“Oh, where are my manners; I forgot to introduce myself,” said Molly, closing her book politely and setting it aside. “My name is Molly McIntyre, fourth-year Twilight student. And the reason I saw that was…well, because I’m a Seer.”
“That explains it,” said Sucy, nodding sagely.
“I thought that might be the case,” said Jasminka serenely.
“I’ve never actually met a Seer before,” said Stan-Bot while Constanze whipped out a notebook from out of nowhere and started scribbling furiously. “This could be a good chance for productive experimentation….”
“Uh, sorry for sounding like a clueless moron, but…,” said Akko, scratching her head sheepishly. “What’s a Seer?”
“You don’t know what a Seer is?” said Hannah, looking affronted. “Have you been living under a rock your whole life.”
“Well, sorry if I didn’t grow up with a magic family like you,” Akko huffed, puffing out her cheeks angrily, but ended up looking like an oversized chipmunk.
“Well, let me break it down for you,” said Amanda, jumping into the middle seat Across from Akko and Nico after storing her luggage. “You know that Foretelling class you have. Seers have a rare gift to see into the future. They were all the rage back in ancient Greece like the Seer Witch Cassandra and others like her.”
“But where wars started up, Seers were conscripted into their armies and forced to give the leaders their visions,” Sucy continued in her usual grim tone. “When they refused to say anything or gave a vision they didn’t like, they were executed for treason. Most of them died out before the nineth century. Those who were still alive went into hiding after that. I doubt there’s little more than a handful left.”
“I heard a rumor that one of the Nine Olde Witches was a Seer,” Nico added.
“Wow, so you can see the future, Molly?!” Akko said in awe, spinning around to her new friend with starry eyes. “Can you tell me if I become a cool stage witch like Shiny Chariot?!”
“It…doesn’t work like that,” said Molly, leaning away from Akko awkwardly. “Seers might’ve been able to control their visions in ancient times, but it fell out of practice when they went into hiding. I can only see a few minutes into the future and I don’t really control when they happen. They just…come to me from time to time.”
“Aw man, so that means you can’t see into the future to know what the answers are on tests?” Amanda groaned.
“Even if I could, you think I would tell you that?” Molly replied blandly; Amanda clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“still, it’s amazing you can see into the future,” said Hannah, suddenly gaining a newfound respect for Molly.
“Just don’t tell Diana,” Jasminka reminded them peacefully.
“Yeah, I still remember when she blew up in our third year,” said Akko jokingly.
Lotte and Diana did not turn up for nearly and hour, by which time the service cart had already gone by. Akko, Amanda, and Barbara had finished their pastries and were busy swapping Chocolate Dragon cards when they came up the aisle, accompanied by a hyperactive Haruka-san and Ophiuchus (and Sucy “magically” teleported to the righthand seats.)
“I never knew orientation could be so mentally exhausting,” Lotte groaned tiredly, flopping into the seat on Akko’s left side. She looked so exhausted that she didn’t even realize she was sitting on a Chocolate Dragon, despite it’s shrill cries for help.
“Well, there are three prefects in each house – one for fifth, sixth, and seventh-years,” said Diana, looking thoroughly disgruntled as she took her seat next to Barbara.
“Anybody we know?” asked Amanda.
“Well, we already knew Priscilla Vasquez was a prefect – Professor Croix told us,” said Diana. “Verde Shidariza is prefect for Corona. We also saw Hayate Yagami and Fate Testarossa respectively, though one year above. Oh, and Makoto Kowata for Twilight.”
“Figured as much,” said Amanda. “She’s always struck me as a goody-two-shoes.”
“Makoto was in the Contest of Champions last year, right?” Molly cut into the conversation.
Everyone turned to look at Molly, who was staring unblinking in Diana’s direction. Like Akko, she felt a strange sense of familiarity in the back of her brain, but she couldn’t explain why.
“Um, yeah,” she said, looking mildly surprised. “There was a champion from each house. Makoto was the champion for Twilight…right?”
It came out as more of a question than a statement
“Yeah, she definitely was…I think,” said Nico, sounding equally uncertain, pressing a finger to her forehead as if trying to push the information out of her skull. “Yeah…yeah, I definitely remember her being chose during the selection…maybe? I…. My memory tells me that at least, but…which event did she do again?”
“It was…the fourth, I think?” said Sucy, humming with a furrowed brow. “Well…someone did, at least….”
It seemed odd that none of them clearly remembered Makoto’s participation during the Contest of Champions, and Akko was about to say so when she realized…she could barely remember it herself. Her brain was telling her that it was definitely Makoto who competed in the Contest…. So why did Akko get the feeling she was forgetting something important? Before she could ponder further on the subject, Lotte distracted them as she checked her watch.
“We’re supposed to patrol the train every so often,” she told them, “and hand out punishments to anyone that is misbehaving…. Maybe you should handle that, Diana.”
“Lotte, you’re a prefect now,” said Diana, shaking her head. “It’s your responsibility to keep troublemakers in line.”
“I don’t think I’m cut out for it,” said Lotte, grimacing. “I don’t like confrontation.”
“You’re five years late to be saying that,” Hannah commented.
“Well, you’ll have to get used to it,” said Diana comfortingly, rising out of her seat and pulling Lotte to her feet. “I’ll help you the first few rounds, but you’ll need to learn to do this on your own. Now, the first thing you have to remember is that if someone is doing something wrong, you need to be able to your foot down – on their head is preferable….”
And Diana dragged the poor bespectacled girl down the aisle, offering up advice on how to be more authoritative. Lotte suddenly turned pale and looked to Akko for help. The Japanese girl just raised her hand in surrender. Lotte may have been her best friend, but there was no way she was standing up against her girlfriend.
The weather changed frequently as they traveled to different parts of the world. It was a scorching inferno when Rajani and Rashmi boarded in India, then a torrential downpour when Wangari climbed on in Africa, then a howling gale as Wendy joined them in Germany. When darkness fell and the overhead light came on, Molly stowed her book away in her bag, stretched her arms with an exaggerated yawn, and curled up comfortably in her seat, deciding to nap before they arrived at Luna Nova.
Akko rested her head on her fist, staring at the window past Hannah and Barbara trying to catch the first distant glimpse of Luna Nova, but it was a moonless night when the train slowed down in England and the rain-streaked window was grimy.
“You kittens better get changed,” said Blair from the top of Akko’s headrest, and everyone opened their suitcases with difficulty and started changing into their school tunics and pointed hats. Akko remembered how awkward it was to change in front of the whole train back in her first year, but years of practice (and Blair’s constant expose) made her numb to the embarrassment. Diana and Lotte joined them around ten minutes later, both in uniform with their prefect badges carefully pinned on their chests.
At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everyone scrambled to get their luggage, ready for departure. Diana and Lotte were supposed to supervise this; they disappeared again leaving Akko and the others to look after Haruka-san and Ophiuchus (Diana was particularly mean-spirited when she draped her snake familiar over Sucy’s shoulders.)
They shuffled out of the car feeling the first sting of the night air on their faces as they joined the growing crowd on the platform. Akko could smell the pine trees that lined the path toward the hidden gate for the first-year pilgrimage. She looked and listened for the familiar call of “First years over here…first years, please….”
Only…it wasn’t as she had hoped for. Instead, a quite different voice, a louder, higher-pitch woman’s voice was calling, “First years line up over here, please! All first years line up!”
A lantern came swinging toward Akko and by its light, she saw the short chestnut-brown hair and bright-red bow of Professor Kiki. This was the second year in a row that Professor Kiki had taken over for the first year’s journey instead of Ursula.
Akko’s stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch. She knew she shouldn’t have expected Ursula to be here. She was one of few people who were privy to Ursula’s condition; that she was slowly dying from some unknown disease. Croix had tried her best to stem the rate of the disease and they had gone to the best medical professionals in the world, but there was no apparent way of stopping it. If memory serves, Ursula only had two more years before the disease finally took its toll….
“Akko, are you hurt?” asked Blair in conern.
“No, why?” said Akko.
“Because you’re crying,” said Blair.
Oh, she hadn’t even realized it, Akko thought, wiping the stray tear from her cheek with unnecessary roughness.
“I’m fine,” said Akko. “Let’s just…get on the bus.”
Akko and Blair became separated from the others as they moved off the platform and out through the station. She shuffled slowly through a narrow doorway onto the road outside with the rest of the crowd. She looked around for Lotta or Sucy, wanting the company of her friends in the wake of Ursula’s absence, but neither of them was anywhere near her, so she allowed herself to be shunted forward onto the dark rain-washed road outside Glastonbury Station.
Here there were a dozen double-decker buses painted purple with the Luna Nova crest that always took the students above first year up to the Glastonbury Tor, where they would fly the rest of the way through the Lay Line Terminal. Akko glanced quickly around them, turned away to keep a lookout for her friends, then did a double take.
It was nearly invisible in the moonless night and could only be faintly seen by the light of a nearby streetlamp, but there was someone standing in the alley across the street. Someone wearing a black coat. And they were staring at Akko through the crowd with their sightless gaze. Akko felt a cold chill run up and down her spines, flashes of vicious sneers coming to the forefront of her mind: “It’s all your fault.” “You are a curse.” “You cause nothing but grief.” Akko gripped the sides of her head with a pained grimace.
“Akko, do you have Haruka-san?” said Lotte’s voice, right behind Akko.
And just like that, the voice’s stopped shrieking; the throbbing in her head subsided. Blinking the daze out of her eyes, Akko looked across the road again to the back alley, only to find it empty of any mysterious black coated figures.
“Akko, where’s Haruka-san?” Lotte asked again, not noticing Akko’s troubles.
“Er, I think Molly has her,” said Akko, still staring across the road.
Curious by Akko’s intense stares, Lotte looked over her shoulder, following her gaze to the alleyway.
“…What’re you looking at?” she asked.
“I though I saw that woman in the black coat,” said Akko.
“What? Where?” Blair said quickly, looking alarmed.
“Over there, in that alley,” said Akko, pointing to the darkened street.
“Hmm…,” Blair hummed, narrowing her eyes with intense focus. “Well, I don’t see anyonme there now. Are you sure there was someone there?”
“I…think so…?” said Akko, now feeling uncertain. Did Blair really not see anybody there. With her night vision, it should’ve been quite easy to spot someone in the darkness.
A few seconds later, Diana emerged panting from the crown.
“First and second-years are an absolute nightmare,” Diana complained. “I already had to tell off six different students in as many minutes. There’s no way we were that bad when we were younger.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” said Blair, snickering.
“Where’s Ophiuchus?” asked Diana, looking around for her white serpent companion.
“Sucy’s still got him,” said Akko. “There she is….”
Sucy emerged from the crowd, stiff as a statue, being carried over Jasminka’s shoulder, who was following Amanda and the others.
“Thanks,” said Diana, relieving the snake from Sucy’s shoulders. “Come on, let’s hurry onto the bus before all the seats are filled up….”
“But I haven’t found Haruka-san yet?” Lotte cried, but Diana and Amanda’s groups were already boarding one of the buses. Akko remained behind with Lotte, Sucy, and Nico.
“You okay, Kagari?” asked Nico, giving her a sideways look. “You’re looking pale. Well, paler than usual.”
“I thought I saw – “
Molly appeared holding Haruka-san in her arms; the big-headed puchi was surprisingly sleeping; animated snot bubble and all.
“Here you are,” she said. “She’s a sweet little thing.”
“Apparently only with stranger,” said Lotte exasperatedly, taking the slumbering Haruka-san in her arms. “Well, come on, we should get in before Diana gets mad at us.”
“What was it you were going to say, Akko?” Nico asked as she, Akko, Lotte, Sucy, and Molly made for the bus in which Diana and the others were waiting.
“It’s…it’s nothing,” Akko said lamely. There wasn’t any point in tell them, she figured, if neither Blair nor Lotte had seen the figure in black. Nico, however, gave her a critical stare before mutely stepping onboard the bus. Akko sighed tiredly.
“That woman bothers you,” said Molly from beside Akko, causing the Japanese to freeze in her tracks and allow other students to board ahead of them. “She plagues your mind, her words shaking your resolve.”
“Wait, you know about her?” said Akko desperately, turning on Molly. The Seer had a look that gave Akko the impression that she was wiser than most, possibly more than the teachers.
“Nothing more than you do,” said Molly, shaking her head. “That woman is close, closer than even you and I can believe. She’s after you, Akko, and she wants something. Something important.”
“What?” Akko asked earnestly.
“Only you have the answer to that,” said Molly matter-of-factly.
Offering a sincere smile, she climbed onto the bus as the last of the students boarded. Not altogether reassured, Akko followed her.
Notes:
Next chapter: The Magic Mirror's New Song
Chapter 11: The Magic Mirror's New Song
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Akko didn’t know what to make of Molly McIntyre as she boarded the bus and sat in the open seat beside Constanze. The girl knew more than she let on, and that was reason enough to suspect her, but there was something in her gut that told her she was trustworthy. It was like that moment when they first met on the train where Akko instinctively knew Molly despite never having met before. She couldn’t make sense of this feel, which is why Akko chose not to say anything to the others as the buses started moving.
“Professor Ursula didn’t show up again this year,” Lotte noticed. “That’s two years in a row she hasn’t taken the first years on the journey through the woods. You think she’s sick or something?”
“It not like she has to do it every year,” said Blair offhandedly, curling up in Akko’s lap. “She probably just got tired of doing it and passed it off to someone else. There doesn’t need to be any conspiracy theory about it.”
“I guess,” Lotte murmured with uncertainty.
Akko was the only one who saw the glint of worry in Blair’s gaze before she lowered her hat over her eyes. Akko absentmindedly started petting her fur, staring off into the distance and hoping that Ursula would be there when they arrived at the school and find that they had nothing to worry about.
Rattling and swaying, the buses moved in convoy up the road through Gastonbury. They reached the hill of the Glastonbury Tor in short time where the Lay Line Terminal lay hidden inside the tree-infused tower. They departed from the buses in rows and received their brooms from the goblins standing guard at the entrance. From there, they used magic to fly through the portal at the top of the tower that pulled them to an alternate plane of reality from the rest of the world. When the ethereal green light faded from Akko’s eye, Luna Nova was laid out before her: a towering mass of turrets, pale in against the dark sky, here and there a window blazing fiery bright like a beacon.
They descended near the fountain, which Akko eyes immediately fell over the statue of the Great Witch Jennifer, which loomed over them like a dark angel. For years, Akko must have walked by that statue a thousand times over and it was only after meeting the real thing that she thought the artist had misinterpreted her appearance, lacking the many scars that mangled her face and the mismatched hair. She glared at the statue, wondering why such a thing was still allowed to exist on Luna Nova grounds. A part of her wanted to take the Shiny Arc to it….
“Are you coming or what?” said Nico beside her.
“Oh…yeah,” said Akko quickly, and they joined the crowd hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.
The entrance hall was ablaze with torched filled with green flames and echoing with footsteps as students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Assembly Hall.
Thousands of rainbow-colored spirits swam across the ceiling in slow circles above the five rows of bleachers underneath the banners that represented the five Houses. The seats were filling up with students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greets at their friends from other Houses, eyeing one another’s new haircuts and clothes. Again, Akko noticed people putting their heads together to whisper as she passed; she gritted her teeth and tried to act as though she neither noticed nor cared.
Diana, Hannah, and Barbara were spirited away by their fellow Lunar classmates and left to sit with them. Nico wandered to the far end of the hall where she was hailed by the Eclipse House. And Molly drifted away from them at the Twilight benches. Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka found seats together halfway up the stand next to the twins, Rashmi and Rajani, whom gave Akko airy, overly friendly greetings that made Akko quite sure they had stopped talking about her a split second before. She had more important things to worry about, however. She was looking up the raised stage where the staff was lined up.
“She’s all right,” she exhaled a relieved sigh.
Lotte scanned the staff too and became as equally relieved as Akko. Professor Ursula was having an animated conversation with Annabel Crème, looking no worse than when they last saw her.
“Told you there was nothing to worry about,” said Blair from her perch on Akko’s shoulder.
“I guess Professor Kiki is handling the first-year trips from now on,” said Lotte.
“Not like it’s such a big deal, anyway,” said Sucy dispassionately. “You got worked up over nothing.”
Akko bit her lip, stopping herself from blurting out that it wasn’t over nothing. But then that would require explaining about Ursula’s illness, which no one else was supposed to know. Luckily, Jasminka provided a useful distraction when she looked back and forth across the row of teachers.
“Hey, does anyone notice something different about the teachers?” she said in his usual dreamy tone, her head tilted and her brow furrowed with confusion.
“Whaddya mean?” asked Amanda.
“I think some of them are missing,” said Jasminka.
Akko looked up at the staff again and understood what she meant. Ursula may still be there, but a good number of the teachers weren’t Professor Hex, the Pharmaceutics teacher, was gone, as was their Herbalism teacher, Professor Cosmo, and their History of Magic teacher, Professor Lenz. It was strange to see them gone when Akko had known them since her first year, but in their stead was a whole slew of, who Akko assumed, were the new teachers.
Professor Holbrooke’s head was inclined toward a young blonde woman who looked barely older than the students wearing a witch’s three times bigger than average, apparently swapping jokes by the way the headmistress snorted behind her hands. The woman next standing between Ursula and Professor Akane was decked out in silver armor embellished with blue cloth, coming off more as a hardened soldier than a teacher. Then there was the woman talking to Professor Croix, who was strangely different from the other teachers. She looked like a normal British woman, though her exposed arms were littered with tiny scars and burns. It took a moment for Akko to realize why this woman was different – she was human! A human teacher in Luna Nova!
But it was the last newcomer that threw Akko for a loop when she saw the veiled face of the pallid, gray-skinned woman with her pointed, narrowed eyes staring back.
“It’s that Light Spinner woman!”
“Who?” said Lotte.
“She was at my hearing, she works for Crawford!”
“She works for Crawford?” Amanda repeated, frowning “That son of a bitch. He actually did it.”
“Guess we found that replacement from the Council that Nico mentioned,” said Sucy.
“Be on your guard around her,” Blair warned everyone, narrowing her slitted eyes on the woman. “I’ve heard some rumors about Light Spinner and none of them are good. You’re going to have to watch yourselves extra carefully this year.”
“Well, Akko’s screwed,” Sucy snickered.
Akko didn’t have a chance to retort – not that she could – before her attention was stolen by Professor Kiki, who had just slipped in between Professor Croix and the Human woman. That meant that the first years must have made their journey through the forest and reached the castle, and sure enough, a few seconds later, the doors to the entrance hall opened. A long line of scared-looking first years entered, led by Professor Finnelan, who levitating a large, ornate mirror, excessively dusty with innumerable scratches cutting through the glass.
The buzz of talk in the Assembly Hall faded away. The first years lined up in front of the staff facing the rest of the students, and Professor Finnelan placed the down in front of them, then stood back.
The first years’ faces glowed palely in the light of the spirits above. A small girl right in the middle of the row looked as though she was trembling. Akko recalled, fleetingly, how terrified she had felt when she had stood there, waiting for the unknown test that would determine which House she belonged.
The whole school waited with bated breath. Then, the mirror turned black and a featureless face appeared, bursting into song”
“In times of old when I was new
And Luna Nova barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world’s best magic school
And pass along their learning.
“Together we will build and teach!”
The Nine Olde Witches decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided.
How could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Salem and Rita,
“We’ll Teach those who have drive.”
Said Chaika and Arqchne,
“We’ll teach the strongest to survive.”
Said Beatrix and Zero,
“We’ll teach those who wish to learn more.”
Said Maria and the Time Witch,
“We’ll teach those who will endure.”
And then there was Woodward,
Who agreed with none.
“We’ll teach those with dreams.”
And all was said and done.
These differences caused little strife,
When first they came to light,
For each of the nine founders had
A House in which they might,
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Eclipse
Only took those with great ambition
While Corona taught those
With a strong conditions.
And those taught in Lunar
Were of the sharpest mind,
While the patient Twilight
Would always find their kind.
And then one house remained
Who those who sought their dream.
For those of Polaris House
Were more than what they seem.
Thus the Houses and their founders
Retained friendship firm and true.
So Luna Nova worked in harmony.
For many happy years.
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The houses that, like pillars five,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed like the school
Must meet an early end,
What with dueling and with fight
And the clash or friend on friend.
And at last there came a morning
When old Woodward departed
And though the fighting died out
She left us quite downhearted.
And never since the witches nine
Were whittle down to eight
Have the House been united
As was once their fate.
And now the magic mirror is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I’m for,
But this year I’ll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it’s wrong,
Though I must fulfill my duty
And must divide every year
Still I wonder whether sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For Luna Nova is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we’ll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you…
Let the Sorting now begin.”
The face faded into the black backdrop once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured, for the first time in Akko’s memory, with muttering and whispers. All across the Assembly Hall, students were exchanging remarks with their neighbors and Akko, clapping along with everyone else, know exactly what they were talking about.
“Branched out a bit this year, hasn’t it?” said Sucy dryly.
“That’s putting it mildly,” said Stan-Bot.
The Magic Mirror usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the five Luna Nova Houses and its own role in sorting them; Akko could not remember it ever trying to give the school advice before.
“I wonder if it’s ever given warnings before?” said Lotte, sounding slightly anxious.
“It has, indeed,” Akko, Amanda, and Lotte jumped when Elma, the Keeper of the Castle, suddenly appeared beside them, looked quite serious with her arms crossed. “The mirror feels itself honor-bound to give the school due warning whenever it feels – “
But Professor Finnelan, who was waiting to read out the list of first years’ names, was giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches. Elma placed a finger to her lips and stood primly upright again as the muttering came to an abrupt end. With a last frowning look that swept the five Houses, Professor Finnelan lowered her eyes to her long list and called out:
“Blight, Amity.”
And elf-like girl with moss-green hair sauntered up to the front, knocking over the terrified girl that Akko noticed earlier, and stood before the mirror. The mirror considered her for a moment, the featureless face appeared again and shouted, “ECLIPSE!”
The Eclipse House clapped loudly as Amity Blight marched to their bleachers and sat down on the end of the row next to Elfriede Coch. Though the moment she sat down and everyone attention was on the next first year, Amity visibly deflated, looking frankly relieved to be done with the sorting.
Slowly the long line of first years thinned; Akko lost interest after “Noceda, Luz” was sorted into Polaris because her stomach was rumbling so loudly. Those train sweets weren’t very filling, she thought. Finally, “Yarrow, Alexandrea” was sorted into Corona, and Professor Finnelan dragged the mirror away as Professor Holbrooke climbed the small set of steps to the podium.
“To our newcomers,” said Professor Holbrooke in a ringing voice, her arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on her lips, “welcome!” To our old hands – welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it! Let us all make out way to the dining room for our start-of-term feast. And do try the bouillabaisse; it’s simply divine!”
There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Professor Holbrooke stepped down from the stage and led the procession to the double doors across the entrance hall.
The hundreds of round tables with their mismatched furniture were a welcomed sight for Akko, but none more than the lengthy row of tables filled to the brim with food from all over the world. The kitchen goblins were running in and out with more dishes as the students lined up and started piling their plates with meat, vegetables, breads, sauces, and juices; they had extra helpings for when Jasminka came back for fifths and sixths.
“Finally,” said Akko, with a groan of longing, and she started piling a small stack of quesadillas on her plate. She carried it across the hall to two tables being reserved by her usual group of friends when she noticed they were joined by Wendy Marvell from Corona.
“Hello, Akko, had a good summer?” she asked when Akko sat down across from her.
“Well, it’s definitely been eventful,” said Akko.
“Yeah, Master Makarov – that’s the master of my guild – told me the Magic Council was giving you trouble,” said Wendy, scratching her cheek sheepishly. “But you’re here, so that means everything turned out all right.”
“For now, at least,” mumbled Sucy.
A few minutes later, they were joined by Elma, who was a regular guest at their table during lunches and dinners. Like Jasminka, her plate was piled high, but with more sweets and desserts.
“Ah, I always love the start-of-term feasts!” Elma sighed happily, packing her cheeks with cupcakes. “The staff always makes the food extra tasty during special events!”
“Elma, what were you saying before the Sorting?” Blair asked the gluttonous dragon. “About the mirror giving warnings?”
“She said what now?” asked Diana curiously.
“Oh yes,” Elma spoke through a full mouth, spraying crumbs everywhere; the girls, far too accustomed to this, moved their plates out of spittle range. Elma swallowed and wiped her mouth, saying, “Yes, I have heard the mirror give several warnings before, always at times when it detects periods of great danger for the school. Last time it gave a warning, it was during the Aradia scare. Well, before we knew the truth, that is. And always, of course, its advice is the same: Stand together, be strong from within.”
“How can it l know if the school’s in danger if it’s a mirror?” asked Stan-Bot while Constanze slurped on some noodles.
“The mirror is capable of more than just selecting what house to sort students in,” said Elma vaguely. “Let’s just say that there’s a reason no one has ever made a successful attack on Luna Nova.”
“What about when Evelyn infected everyone a few years ago?” Barbara remarked.
“…There’s a reason no one has ever made a successful attack on Luna Nova from the outside,” Elma corrected embarrassingly. “Whatever the case, the Headmistress is wise to heed any advice the mirror might give. And considering the current state of affairs, you would be wise to follow it as well.”
“That might be easier said than done,” said Wendy, taking a sip of her tomato soup. “The Magic Council has done a good job trying to make everyone believe that Akko is a liar and that Jennifer really isn’t back – “
“But you believe me, right?” Akko asked hopefully.
“Of course, I do – I know you wouldn’t make up something like that,” said Wendy earnestly. “Especially after how Nico almost died in the last challenge. But the Council controls the flow of information in the magical community. There are even some in the guild who think Akko is making it up. Not a lot, but still a few.”
That didn’t make Akko feel any better as she ate her way through the stack of quesadillas, though was grateful to know she had Wendy and several others in her corner.
When all the students had finished eating and the noise level was starting to creep upward again, Professor Holbrooke got to her feet once more. Though she was small in stature, she commanded a presence that snuffed out all the chatter and drew everyone’s eyes on her. Akko was feeling pleasantly drowsy now. Her bed was waiting somewhere above, wonderfully warm and soft….
“Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg for a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices,” said Professor Holbrooke. “First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students – and a few of our older students ought to know that by now too. (Akko and Amanda fist bumped.)
“Miss Elma, the caretaker, has asked me, for what she tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Miss Elma’s office door.
“Now, I’m sure many of you have noticed that there has been a great number of changes to our staff this year. For those who must know, Professor Ymir has chosen to take a leave of absence for personal reasons – “
“Probably for whatever mission Professor Ursula wanted to talk to her about last year,” Hannah whispered.
“But on a happier note, I am proud to announced that Professor Hex and Professor Cosmos have engaged in holy matrimony over the summer and have mutually decided to settle down somewhere abroad to start a family.”
“Way to go, Hex,” said Amanda proudly.
“I thought they would never get together,” said Wendy.
“With that being said, I am pleased to announced four new teachers to our staff,” Professor Holbrooke announced. “First, I am proud to present the famous Witch of the Highlands, Azusa Aizama, who has delightfully agreed to fill in for Professor Hex as our Magical Pharmaceuticals teacher. Next, we have Miss Charlotte Roselei, who previously served in the Magic Knights, will be taking over Herbalism and overseeing the Twilight House. Over there, we have Dr. Lara Croft, who will be upholding Professor Ymir’s class until her return. And finally, we are delighted to introduce Professor Light Spinner, our new Self-Defense teacher.”
There was a round of enthusiastic applause, particularly when Professor Azusa and Professor Charlotte were mentioned, but there was a hint of nervous tension shared between Akko and her friends when Holbrooke announced Light Spinner would be teaching them self-defense.
Holbrooke continued, “Tryouts for the House Chariot Racing teams will take place on the – “
She broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Light Spinner. There was a moment when nobody understood why Professor Holbrooke had stopped talking, but then Professor Light Spinner said, “Hem, hem,” before rising to her feet and was intending to make a speech.
Professor Holbrooke only looked taken aback for a moment, then she sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Light Spinner as though she desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of the staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Akane’s eyebrows disappeared into her flyaway hair, and Professor Finnelan’s mouth was as thin as Akko had ever seen it before. No new teacher had ever interrupted Holbrooke before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Luna Nova.
“Thank you, Headmistress,” said Light Spinner smoothly, “for those kind words of welcome.”
Her voice was low, crisp, but it carried with it an air of authority not unlike Professor Finnelan. But where as Professor Finnelan was strict but fair, this woman seemed…dangerous. The way her narrow eyes traveled across the dining hall made Akko think of a snake lurking in the grass, ready to bury its fangs into its next victim. She gave another little throat clearing cough (“Hem, hem”) and continued: “Well it is lovely to be back at Luna Nova, I must say. And to see so many happy faces looking back at me.”
Akko glanced around. None of the faces she could see looked happy; on the contrary, they all looked like they had the same sensation of wariness toward the veiled woman as Akko did.
“The Magic Council has always considered the education of young Demi-Humans to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born with may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skill unique to the magical community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever and become no better than…other kinds.” She seemed to glance toward Professor Croft when she said that. Great, Akko though drearily, she’s a racist, too. “The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching.”
Light Spinner paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Croix’s eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Akko distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Ursula as Light Spinner went on with her speech.
“Every headmistress of Luna Nova has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress’s sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation….”
Akko found her attentiveness ebbing, as though her brain was slipping in and out of tune. The quiet that always filled the hall Holbrooke was speaking was breaking up as the students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. A few tables away, Nico was making some sarcastic remark that caused her friends to snicker. To their left, Garie and Sabi were whispering something to their co-conspirator, Chinatsu. Meanwhile, Makoto Kowata was one of the few still staring at Light Spinner, but she was glassy-eyed and Akko was sure she was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect’s badge gleaming on her chest.
Light Spinner did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Akko had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have plowed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Diana seemed to be drinking in every word Light Spinner spoke, though judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.
“…because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be reorganized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability. Intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited.”
She sat down. Holbrooke clapped. The staff followed her lead, though Akko noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Professor Holbrooke had stood up again.
“Thank you very much, Professor Light Spinner, that was most illuminating,” she said, bowing to her. “Now – as I was saying, Chariot Racing tryouts will be held…”
“Yes, it certainly was illuminating,” said Diana in a low voice.
“You’re not telling me you enjoyed it?” Amanda said quietly, turning a glazed face upon Diana. “That was about the dullest speech I’ve ever heard, and mom works in the Magic Council.”
“I said illuminating, not enjoyable,” said Diana. “It explained a lot.”
“It did?” said Hannah in surprise. “I kinda zoned out almost from the start.”
“Let me put it in a way that you numbskulls can understand,” said Diana exasperatedly. “The Magic Council is interfering at Luna nova.”
“Which we already knew,” said Sucy. “You know why they’re doing it, right?”
“Because of Akko?” said Diana.
“Because of Akko,” Sucy nodded solemnly. “They’re trying to take down the Star-Born Child to save their own asses.”
There was a great clattering and banging all around them; Professor Holbrooke had obviously dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the dining hall. The Heads of House were calling the first years to lead them to their dormitories, which meant Akko wouldn’t have a chance to talk to Ursula. Well, Akko supposed it could wait one more day. She didn’t look very sick; maybe she got better, Akko thought optimistically.
“I suppose we should get going,” said Diana, rising from her seat. “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
“See you in class,” said Wendy, also getting to her feet.
A group of new students walked shyly between the tables, all of them trying hard not to lead the group. They seemed very small in Akko’s eye; Akko was sure she had appeared that young when she had arrived here. She grinned at them. A girl with three eyes next to Amity Blight looked petrified, nudging Amity, and whispered something into her ear. Amity Blight looked equally frightened and stole a horrified look at Akko, who felt the grin slide off her face.
“Let’s head on upstairs,” said Blair cooling, turning Akko’s head away with her tail.
Akko was glad Blair had said something; Akko might have done something that would only damage her already abysmal reputation further. She, Blair, Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka made their way out of the dining hall, doing everything they could to ignore more whispering, staring, and pointing as they passed. Akko kept her eyes fixed ahead as they wove their way through the crowd in the entrance hall, then hurried up the spiraling staircase, took a couple of concealed shortcuts, and had soon left most of the crowds behind.
Akko had been stupid not to expect, she thought angrily, as they walked through much emptier corridors. Of course everyone was staring at her: She had emerged from the Contest two month ago clutching Nico, who was bleeding profusely from the throat, and claimed that an ancient hero to magic kind had returned to erase free will. There had not been time last term to explain herself before everyone went home, even if she had felt up to giving the whole school a detailed account of the terrible events on that hill.
They had reached the end of the corridor to the Polaris common room and had come to a halt in front of the marble-studded wall before she realized something:
“Does anyone know the passcode?” Jasminka hummed cluelessly.
“Lotte, you’re a prefect,” Blair reminded the bespectacled girl, who jumped skittishly at being called out. “Shouldn’t the older prefects have told you the code beforehand.”
“O-Oh yeah,” Lotte stammered, fumbling to the front. “They showed it to me on a diagram…I think this is it…?”
Each dormitory had its own unique way of getting inside their House dormitory. The Lunar House, Akko learned in their second year, had to located a specific point on 3D portrait of the moon using only a set of coordinates, while Polaris, on the other hand, had to make constellations out of specific marbles on the wall. Luckily, Lotte guessed the code correctly and the wall parted down the middle, moving sideways to reveal a wrought-iron archway, through which they walked.
The Polaris common room looked as welcoming as ever, a cozy circular tower full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and a ceiling enchanted to look like the twinkling night sky. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and a few people were warming their hands before going up to their rooms; on the other side of the room, Garie and Sabi were pinning something on the noticed board; Sucy immediately moved to intercept, muttering about “avoiding trouble with Ina.” Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka broke off and joined the procession warming up by the fire. That left Akko, Blair, and Lotte alone.
Akko was considering going up to their room just to end the day when she caught a strange sight of her Chariot Racing teammate, Avery Buckland, slumped in her chair laying flat across the table. She looked to be holding a badge between her hands, but Akko knew she wasn’t a prefect like Lotte. It was odd seeing Avery, who rarely showed any sort of emotion other than determination, looking so downcast. Against her better judgment, Akko walked over to join her. Lotte followed.
“Hey, Avery,” said Akko gently, not wanting to startle her senior.
“Huh?” Avery mumbled, blinking like she was coming out of a daze. She gave Akko a sideways glance and muttered, “Oh, hey, Akko? You have a good summer?”
“It was…eventful,” said Akko, taking the seat across from her; Blair hopped down onto the table. “You?”
“Well, it started out great,” Avery muttered. She flipped the badge around for Akko to see. She bore the emblem of the Polaris house with the words “CAPTAIN” printed diagonally across the face. “I got this in the mail along with my school stuff. I’ve been promoted to captain of the Chariot Racing team.”
“Avery, that’s wonderful!” Lotte cheered.
“Yeah, it totally makes sense,” said Akko, grinning proudly at her new captain. “Next to Amelia, you were the best player on the whole team. Professor Ursula had to make you captain.”
“Yeah, I was over the moon when I found out,” said Avery, though her smile didn’t meet her eyes.
“You said it started out great,” Blair noted, licking her paw while her beady eyes were locked on Avery. “I imagine things didn’t stay great.”
Avery did not answer immediately, she was turning the badge in her hand slowly tracing her thumb like she was trying to memorize the shape. Then she said, with a thousand-yard stare, “My parents disowned me.”
“WHAT?!” Akko yelled, drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the common room.
“That took an uncomfortable turn,” Blair commented.
“But – why?” said Lotte, astonished.
Avery did not answer until she set the badge on the table and rested her chin on her folded arms.
“It’s…well…,” she said in a measured voice, glancing across to Akko. “It’s because of you.”
“What do you mean?” asked Akko, confused. She couldn’t comprehend how she could be the reason why Avery can no longer go back to her family.
“It…well, my parents didn’t want me coming back to Luna Nova,” said Avery again, avoiding Akko’s eye. “Not just because of you…but because of Holbrooke, too….”
“They believe the news?” said Akko. “They think I’m a crazy liar and Professor Holbrooke is an old fool?”
Avery let out a humorless chuckle and said, “Yeah, something like that.”
“And I’m guess you didn’t share your parent’s opinion,” said Blair.
“I’m smart enough to form my own opinions, thank you very much,” said Avery. “I told them that I believed Akko; I’ve known her long enough to know she’s not a liar and that she would never make up something as big as the Great Witch Jennifer coming back as a big bad. Honestly, it’s too wild not to believe, considering all the crazy shit this school has seen since Akko got here.”
“And your parents didn’t like that,” said Lotte, frown.
“That would be understating it,” said Avery. “My father physically threatened me, though the great lump wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me; he’s a human, unlike my mom and I. They kept screaming at me that I wasn’t allowed to come back to Luna Nova, but I reminded them that I’m of age and that I don’t have to listen to a damn thing they say. Eventually, it came down to an ultimatum: if I went back to Luna Nova, then I was no longer their daughter and that I would cast out from the family. Guess you know which one I chose….”
“I’m…I’m sorry, Avery,” Akko stammered, guilt bubbling in her stomach. This was just like what Lotte and the others were talking about when she first arrived at the Cavendish Manor. Everyone was getting hurt because of her….
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Kagari,” said Avery, waving the sentiment away like an annoying fly. “I made my choice and I don’t regret it. Besides, what kind of captain would I be if I abandon my team?”
“Where’re you going to live now?” asked Lotte worriedly. “You graduate from Luna Nova this year, right?”
“I’ve got a few mates in Canada that will let me shack up with them until I can get on my feet,” said Avery, rising from the chair. “Really, it’s nothing for you to worry about. I’ll be fine. You girls should get up to bed, especially you, Kagari. You’re not getting off easy just because Amelia isn’t here to push you anymore. If anything, I’m going to work you twice as hard.”
And then Avery climbed the stairs to her shared room before Akko had a chance to say anything.
Akko, Lotte, and Blair went up to their room minutes later, not feeling up to chatting with anymore people. Sucy was already in bed when they arrived, giving her best impression of a corpse. Akko set her wand on the bedside table, the Shiny Rod propped against the wall, a changed into her sleep clothes. She was sick of it, Akko thought viciously. She was sick of being the person who was stared at and talked about all the time. But even worse, she was sick of being the person for causing everyone around her to suffer.
She got into bed, all but slamming her face into the pillow. She felt Blair curl up next to her, which for many years had been a source of comfort for Akko, but not tonight.
She felt shaken by Avery’s story, whom Akko always looked up to as an amazing witch and broom rider. How many more people were going to suggest that she was lying or unhinged? How many of her friends were going to be hurt simply by association. Akko lay miserably on her side, staring out the moonlit window as Lotte got into bed and exstinguished the last candle in the room. But she wondered how many more lives would be destroyed before everyone realized that Akko was telling the truth.
Maybe you should have been kicked out, a sneering voice in the back of her head told her. Then you wouldn’t hurt anyone else.
Notes:
Next chapter: Light Spinner
Chapter 12: Light Spinner
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Akko barely caught a glimpse of Avery’s muted expression as departed from the common room before Akko made it downstairs.
“I wish there was something I could do for her,” Akko said remorsefully as the hem of Avery’s clothes whipped out of sight. “It’s my fault – “
“You didn’t do anything, Akko-Nyan,” Blair said defiantly, clinging to Akko’s shoulder. “You didn’t make her parents do anything. It’s their fault, not yours.”
“She’s right, you know,” said Amanda, adjusting her shoulder bag. “Her parents are the assholes here. But they’ll be sorry when they find out you were right.”
But that didn’t console Akko much. Even if they say otherwise, Akko told herself that she was at the center of everyone’s problems.
Five minutes later, Akko and her friends were walking down the halls toward the stairs headed for breakfast when Diana, Hannah, and Barbara came striding from the opposite direction.
“Hey, Diana, good mor – “ Akko started, but when Diana cut her off.
“Have you seen this?!” She suddenly snapped, nearly making Akko trip backward. “I found this on the Lunar common room bulletin board this morning?!”
She thrust a purple sheet of paper under Akko’s nose, which was written in crude letters and the margins were covered in familiar cartoon figures.
MAGICAL MISCHIEF MAKERS (MMM) INC.
Not enough cash to keep up with your everyday life?
Like to earn a little extra money?
000==========000==========000
Contact Garie/Sabi Manbavaran or Chinatsu Kuramoto,
Polaris and Twilight common rooms,
For simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs!
(MMM Inc. is not responsible for any injuries, diseases, loss of limbs, or
death of any applicants. All work is to be undertaken at your own risk.)
“Wow, those girls work fast,” said Jasminka, impressed.
“Don’t praise them!” yelled Diana. “Besides the fact that they are clearly conducting unsafe experiments of school grounds, they also snuck into the Lunar dorms without permission. We’ll have to talk to them, Lotte.”
Lotte looked positively alarmed.
“We will?”
“We’re prefects now,” said Diana firmly as they walked down the spiral staircase. “It’s up to us to stop this kind of thing.”
“It’s funny how you think you can stop them,” Sucy cackled tauntingly. “But by all means, stop them. I eagerly await to see the results.”
“Anyway, what’s up with you, Akko?” said Hannah, opting to change the subject before Diana could respond. “You look more depressed than normal. And you’ve been depressed pretty much all summer.”
“Avery, one of her upperclassmen, got disowned by her parents because she stood up for Akko,” Stan-Bot supplied, when Akko did not respond.
Barbara sighed heavily and said, “At least she believes you. Our dormmate, Gaëlle, thinks you’re lying about Jennifer and called you an attention-seeker.”
“And what did you say?” asked Amanda, her brow furrowed in anger.
“We didn’t get a chance to say anything,” Hannah replied. “Takamachi had already punched her in the face before we had the chance. Needless to say some literal lines have been drawn.”
“Ugh, I hope things didn’t get too out of hand,” Lotte grimaced.
“I hope they did,” Amanda scoffed. “How could they think Akko was lying?”
“Do you remember what Professor Holbrooke said at the end-of-term feast last year?” said Diana. Everyone looked at her blankly, and Diana sighed. “About Jennifer. She said, ‘Jennifer’s greatest strength is her understanding of people, of how they think and feel in times most dark. She will use that to her advantage. We can fight it only by showing a strong bond of friendship and trust – ‘”
“How do you remember stuff like that?” Sucy groaned in annoyance.
“I listen, Manbavaran,” said Diana with a touch of asperity.
“We do to, but even I couldn’t remember someone that far back – “ said Stan-Bot.
“The point,” Diana pressed on loudly, “is that this sort of thing is exactly what Holbrooke was talking about. Jennifer’s only been back for two months, and we’ve started fighting among ourselves. And the Magic Mirror’s warning was the same – stand together, be united – “
“Hard to do that when half the school buys whatever crap the council puts out,” Amanda spat.
“And the other half is on our side,” said Diana coolly. “We just have to convince the other half to see our side of things.”
They reached the foot of the spiral staircase. A line of fourth-year Eclipse students were crossing the entrance hall; they caught sight of Akko and hurried to form a tighter group, as though frightened she might attack stragglers.
“Well, I wish you kids the best of luck,” said Blair, leaping off Akko’s shoulder.
“Where’re you going?” asked Barbara curiously.
“I have to meet an old friend in Blytonbury,” said Blair as she sauntered to the doors. “I’ll be back later tonight.”
Akko frowned, suspecting that Blair was keeping secrets from her again, but didn’t say anything. Their group shambled into the dining hall. Akko instinctively searched for Ursula. She was chatting animatedly with the new history teacher, Professor Croft. She looked pale in comparison to two months ago, appeared healthy enough to go about her day as normal. At least was some good news, she thought….
“I wonder when Professor Ymir will be back,” said Jasminka suddenly, snapping Akko out of her daze. She looked anxious, which noticeable by the lack of eating. “They never mentioned how long she would be gone.”
“Oh yeah, you two are close, aren’t you?” said Hannah. “You know, with your um….”
“Maybe,” Stan-Bot piped up before Hannah could put her foot in her mouth, “they didn’t want to draw attention to Professor Ymir not being here.”
“What does that mean?” asked Lotte, quirking a curious brow.
Before Stan-Bot could respond, a pair of Indian twins marched up to either side of Akko.
“Hey, Rashmia. Hey Rajani,” Akko greeted them.
“Hello, Akko,” Rashmi (?) said briskly. “You heard about Avery?”
“You mean that she’s captain?” said Akko. “Or about her parents?”
“The first one; Avery doesn’t want to talk about the other thing,” said Rajani (?)
“We’re looking for a fifth player for the team now that Amelia’s left,” Rashmi (?) continued.
“Tryouts are on Friday at five and she wants the whole team there,” Rajani (?) finished.
“I’ll be there,” said Akko. They smiled at her and departed.
“I forgot that your sister had left, O’Neill,” said Diana vaguely, pulling a plate of scones toward her. “I suppose that will make quite a difference to your team?”
“I guess,” said Akko, taking a huge bite of waffled. “She was good….”
“Why don’t you try out, Amanda?” asked Lotte. “You’re the best flier in the school.”
“Nah, I don’t fly competitively,” Amanda waved the idea off.
With a whoosh and a clatter, dozens of students on broomsticks came soaring in through the open doors. They descended all over the dining hall, dropping letters and packages to their recipients and showering the breakfasters with droplets of water; it was clearly raining hard outside. Nothing came for Akko, but she was hardly surprised; her parents and friends back in Japan rarely wrote to her unless it was an emergency, and Akko doubted Izetta would have anything new to tell her after only twenty-four hours apart. Diana, however, had to move her tea aside quickly to make room for the sodden roll of newspaper that slapped on the table.
“What are you still getting that for?” said Akko irritably. “Those jerks in the paper have been badmouthing me all summer. At least be more considerate of your girlfriend’s feelings….”
“I am,” said Diana, unfurling the newspaper. “It’s best to know what the enemy is saying in order to protect ourselves. Now, shush!” She disappeared behind it not emerging until they had finished eat.
“Nothing,” she said simply, rolling up the newspaper and laying it down by her plate. “Nothing about you or Professor Holbrooke or anything.”
The Heads of Houses were now weaving between the tables handing out schedules.
“Sweet! I get to work with most of the new teachers today!” said Akko brightly when Ursula handed her schedule. “Seventh-Year Advance History of Magic with Professor Croft. Double Pharmaceuticals with Professor Aizawa. Urara Lessons with Professor Ursula – “
“Urara – what the hell kind of language is that?” questioned Sucy strangely.
“Its an advance course in Foretelling.” Wendy suddenly appeared over Akko’s shoulder, startling her. “It’s usually reserved for sixth and seventh years, but looks like Akko did a good job impressing the teacher. I’m in that course, too, you know.”
“Oh, good, I was worried I was gonna be by myself since Jasminka’s taking the normal course,” said Akko, relieved.
“Bumped up to two advance courses,” said Diana admirably. “Your talent for the literary subjects really shines through. I’m so proud of you.”
“Ooh, don’t celebrate just yet,” said Wendy grimacing as she pointed to the last class of the day. “We all got self-defense classes with that Light Spinner woman.”
“Crap I can’t believe we got her on the first day,” Hannah complained. “This year is already starting out in the toilet.”
“Oh, it’s only gonna get worse from here.” Akko really did jump out of her seat this time when Nico seemingly popped out of thin air beside her. “We’re starting our fifth year, remember? By the end, you’ll be begging to be put out of your misery.”
“And why would starting fifth year mean I want to be put out of my misery?” asked Diana.
“Fifth year is STAR year,” said Nico.
“So?”
“So we’ve got exams coming up. They’ll be keeping our noses so hard to the grindstone, they’ll be rubbed off,” said Nico with dread.
“Half the fifth years students from last year had mental breakdowns during the exams,” said Wendy, grimacing. “Tears and tantrums…screaming and hysteria…it got so bad that Porlyusica called in all the healing students to help out. I had a patient that was submitted to Arkham Asylum because the exams drove her mad. Poor Harley….”
“Anyway, it’s gonna be a nightmare this year,” said Nico.
“Is fifth year really that bad?” Akko asked Lotte. “Because of the exams?”
“Oh, yes,” said Lotte. “They’re the most important exams in Luna Nova. STARs can affect the kind of jobs you can apply for when you graduate. And we have career advice with our Head of House later in the year. They help you decide with Marks of Mastery you want to do next year based on what you want to do.”
“Does everyone know what they want to do when they graduate?” asked Akko as they left the dining hall and said their good byes to Wendy and Nico.
“You already know I want to be an author,” said Lotte, smiling sheepishly. “In fact, Professor Crème said I could apply for an apprenticeship next year, provided I earn enough STARs.”
“I headed to Paris next year to join to do ballet,” said Amanda. “One day, you’ll see me performing onstage at the Palais Garnier.”
“I’ll just end up going into the family business,” said Sucy, shrugging nonchalantly.
“Me too,” Jasminka added.
“I’m aspiring to be a doctor, so I’ll probably end up working at the Alchemilla Hospital at first,” said Diana.
“Constanze and I are planning to go into business together,” said Barbara, fist bumping her diminutive counterpart; they struck up an odd friendship, Akko thought. “We wanna take techno-magic to the next level, but we don’t want the council telling us how to run things.”
“What about you, Hannah?” Akko asked. “What do you want to do?”
“I um…,” Hannah mumbled, suddenly turning red-faced. “I…want to be a wife and mother.”
“…That is surprisingly innocent,” Amanda remarked.
“So precious!” Akko cooed teasingly.
“Shut up!”
Everyone went their separate ways on the staircase. Akko and Diana once again ended up in the same advance History of Magic. While most students complained that it was the most boring subject, Akko, who grew up in a non-magical household, soaked up everything with keen interest. It was even better now that their new teacher was the famed Tomb Raider, Professor Lara Croft, whose discoveries revolutionized history on many occasions. Akko and Diana quickly grabbed front row seats (which wasn’t hard because nobody wanted to sit next to the teacher.) Professor Croft came striding in at the last bell, tossing her satchel on the desk, and faced the class.
“Welcome to History of Magic,” Professor Croft greeted, her accent surprisingly thicker than Diana’s, another British elite. “I’m sure you all have plenty of questions for the famous Tomb Raider – which is a horribly offensive name in my line of work – but we’re not here about that, are we?” She held up their history book in emphasis. “We’re here to learn. This month, we will be going into the Titan Wars; the bloody battle between humanity and the Titans in the early seventeen century; not to be confused with the Mad Titan Thanos – “
For an hour and half, Professor Croft covered the events the led to the Titan War. Within ten minutes, the interest that Professor Croft once held over her students waned and most had either fallen asleep or were covertly playing on their phones. Professor Croft didn’t stop her lesson, though; she made marks on a clipboard that would likely affect their final grade in this class.
“How could it be,” Diana said to Akko as they left the classroom for break, “that we, the underclassmen, were the only ones who were awake that whole time.”
“Doesn’t make sense, does it?” Akko remarked. “I mean, if they hated History of Magic so much, why would they sign up for classes. Sixth and seventh years choose their courses, right?”
“They were probably hoping Professor Croft would tell them exciting tales of her adventures,” Diana scoffed, rolling her eyes as she led the way out into the damp courtyard.
A fine misty drizzle as falling, so that the people standing in huddles around the edges of the yard looked blurred. Akko and Diana chose a secluded corner under a heavily dripping balcony, pulling up their hoods against the chilly September air and talked about what to expect in their first pharmaceutical lesson now that Hex was no longer around to torment them. They had just agreed that it was likely to be a practical lesson, to see if they had kept with their studies after a two-month holiday, when someone walked around the corner toward them.
“Akko, Diana, good morning.”
It was Makoto Kowata, fifth year Twilight student and Professor Akane’s younger sister. Judging by how harassed she looked, Akko assumed she had just come from Charms class. Professor Akane always enjoyed teasing her baby sister in front of her students no matter how older she got.
“Hello, Kowata,” Diana greeted formally while Makoto wrung her clothes. “Rough morning?”
“Onee-chan spent the first twenty minutes of class telling everyone how I got stuck in a tree during my first broom ride and the fire department had to get me down,” Makoto sighed exasperatedly.
“Family can really suck at times, huh?” Diana commented.
“Mou, I wished one-chan would stop treating me like a baby!” Makoto whined. “I’m fifteen – about to turn sixteen in a couple months. I’m the best charm-maker in our class, darn it!”
“And you were a champion, too, right?” Akko popped in.
“Champion?” Makoto parroted with confusion.
“From the contest last year,” said Diana.
Makoto seemed to take a few seconds to understand what they were talking about, then she said, “Oooh, oh yeah. I was a champion, wasn’t I?”
“You forgot?” said Akko, staring at her strangely.
“It’s not that I forgot,” said Makoto, scratching her cheek sheepishly. “I just don’t think I did anything that would have made it memorable.”
“I would think getting chosen as a champion would be memorable enough,” said Diana. “It was a big deal for everyone.”
“I…guess it didn’t matter that much to me,” said Makoto, chuckling awkwardly.
“But what about the photo – “
Diana words were cut off when the first bell for the next classes rang out and everyone started herding back inside.
“We should be heading to classes now,” said Makoto. “I have pharmaceuticals with Professor Azusa next.”
“Same with us,” said Akko. “We’ll walk with you.”
They talked more on the subject of last year’s contest as they walked together down to the school basement level. Akko found it strange how they were all able to recount the events of the other champions with great clarity, but when it came to Makoto’s participation, there was a lot of hesitation and temporary confusion. It was almost as if those specific moments were purposely blurred. Come to think of it, Akko told herself, it felt very similar to someone else….
Akko did not dwell on the thought for much longer as they joined their friends queuing in front of the door to Pharmaceuticals. Amanda immediately started complaining about her new classes and Sucy was lurking near the door trying to catch a whiff of potion fumes; so business as usual. They only had to wait before Professor Azusa opened the doors for them and Akko followed Lotte and Sucy to their usual table on the right-hand side next to Diana’s group.
“Settle down, class!” Professor Azusa called over the ruckus the students were making, shutting the door behind them. If it had been Hex, everyone would’ve been frightened into silence. But Professor Azusa generated a friendly aura that made people listen out of respect.
“Before we begin today’s lesson,” said Professor Azusa, sweeping over to her desk and staring around at them all. “I feel I should remind all of you that next June, you will be taking a very important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical chemistry. I sympathize with most of you – I remember taking my STARs back when I was a student three hundred years – “
The students looked at each other wildly. Did she say “three hundred years?”
“Anyway,” Professor Azusa coughed embarrassingly. “After this year, I imagine most of you will drop this course. Typically, only students interested the medical profession continue their Mark of Mastery classes. But we have another year to go before you have to decide what you want to do. So whether your interested in advancing to your Mark of Mastery courses or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts on maintaining the high-pass level I would expect from STAR students. Today, I want to go over a review of what you have learned from your old professor….”
Just as Akko and Diana had predicted, Professor Azusa set them out of mixing multiple potions that they would have learned last year before the summer break. For geniuses like Diana and Sucy, this was nothing short of a cakewalk. But the rest of the students weren’t so skilled. Most of them forgot to add one or two ingredients and ended up with something completely different (Jasminka’s potion came alive and slithered out of the room through the drainage pipe), or completely missed a couple steps and ended up blowing up in their faces. Even with Professor Hex gone, they could still imagine him breathing down their necks with scathing commentary. This must be what PTSD is like, Akko thought dryly.
It was fortunate that Professor Azusa was so patient. She swept around the classroom much in a similar manner tox Professor Hex, but instead of criticizing them, she gently told them what they did wrong and how to correct their mistakes until everyone had made a successful potion. By the time the bell rang, most of the students were crying tears of happiness, so unaccustomed to such kindness in pharmaceuticals class.
“Do you think she would adopt me if I asked?” said Amanda.
“I heard she already has two kids – I doubt she needs a bad influence like you corrupting them,” Barbara retorted.
“What’re you talking about; I’m a great influence!” Amanda proclaimed.
“You stole an illegal broom during our first flight class and nearly got yourself and Akko killed,” said Barbara, counting off with her fingers, “started no less than thirty-six food fights in our third year – a record, by the way – not to mention all the times you’ve been sneaking into the kitchen and leaving school grounds in the middle of the night.”
“See, those kids could learn a lot from me,” said Amanda proudly.
“I pity the person who ever has children with you,” Sucy commented.
Hannah sneezed loudly right there.
After a quick lunch, Akko climbed the spiraling staircase alone to the north tower headed for her new Urara class. Despite going to classes there before, Akko still found herself getting turned around. She had never committed the route to memory; last year she had just trailed behind Jasminka, and Diana the year before that. Her laziness was coming back to bite her – again. She had only just made it in time for the trapdoor to open and the ladder to descend, allowing the students to climb up to the classroom.
Akko had a love-hate relationship with foretelling classes. The class was taught by her favorite teacher in the whole world, Ursula Callistis, and she was actually good at the subject – good enough to be bumped up to the advance class. But every year, there always seemed to be some kind of prediction or prophecy that turned Akko’s year into crap. Almost like a jinx.
Ursula was busy putting copies of battered, leather-bound books on each spindly little table that her room was littered with, but the room was so dim with its curtains pulled shut and starry constellations marking the ceiling, it was next to impossible to see where anyone was going. Most had to feel their way around the tables and plopped themselves into the fast, squashy beanbag chairs. Akko knocked her shin against two tables before joining Wendy Marvell at the front of the class, slumping across the table exhausted.
“Nice of you to join us,” said Wendy teasingly.
“I got lost somewhere on the fifth floor,” Akko groaned.
“Shouldn’t you have the route memorized by now?” asked Wendy. “We’ve been taking classes for three years.”
“It’s not my fault this school has a terrible floor plan,” said Akko, grimacing. “They should really get one of those ‘You are here’ signs, or at least put it up on Noodle Maps.”
“Or you could memorize it like a normal student,” said Wendy, sweatdropping.
“Good day, everyone,” said Ursula while accidentally bumping her knees into a table, crouching with a childish whimper. Akko felt somewhat relieved; at least her disease didn’t affect Ursula’s clumsy personality. She took a moment to compose herself and pretend nothing happened. “Ahem – as I was saying, welcome to Urara, a specialized course in Foretelling for advanced students.
“You will find on the tables before you copies of Channeling the Divine. This year, we will be going over a number of different divination methods – from pendulums and doll divination, to spirit channeling and dream interpretation – until we find one that is right for you and hone it. Your will be tested on your STARS and Marks of Mastery by how well you can perform your particular crafts. I must warn you, there will be professional Seers hosting this portion of the exams, so don’t think you can just make up stories and get away with it.”
She seemed to be eyeing a few individuals in the back row that were trying to make themselves as small as possible. Guess they took this class because they thought it would be easy, Akko thought.
“Please open your books to the introduction and read the general premise of Urara as well and the important rules that are involved. Believe me, you do not want to break these rules – under any circumstance. We will move on to our first practical lesson next class: shooting star divination. So be sure to read the next chapter before class starts. Carry on.”
The introduction was practically a novel itself. It went over nearly a hundred rules – don’t divine the unseen gods, don’t divine into people’s personal lives, don’t divine the power ball number. When it reached the part on the consequences of these actions, the words were strangely blurred, which did not sit well with Akko. By the time she had finished reading, the bell had already rung for the end of class. Most of their classmates slumped in relief, until Professor Ursula assigned them a three-page essay on the pro and cons of Urara as well as the mortal legality of predicting the future.
“Do you realize how much homework I’ve got already?” Akko complained to Wendy as they walked down the ladder. “Professor Croft set us with a four-page essay on the Titan Wars. Professor Azusa wants three pages on the use of moonstones, and now Professor Ursula wants an essay, too! Nico want’ kidding about STAR year, was she?”
“It’s only gonna get worse,” said Wendy, grimacing. “You’ve still got class with that Light Spinner woman. Thank the nine I don’t have her until Thursday.”
When Akko entered the Self- Defense classroom, she found Professor Light Spinner already seated at the teacher’s desk, hands folded patiently. Akko could feel Light Spinner’s eyes on her as she seated herself between Lotte and Sucy in the middle row, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She felt like a large fly in the maw of a Venus flytrap.
The class was quiet as it entered the room; Light Spinner was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew yet how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be.
“Well, good afternoon,” she said when the whole class sat down.
A few people mumbled “Good afternoon,” in reply.
“Tut, tut,” said Light Spinner. “That won’t do now, will it? I would like you, please, to reply ‘Good afternoon, Professor Light Spinner.’ One more time, then. Good afternoon, class.”
“Good afternoon, Professor Light Spinner,” they chanted back at her.
“There, now,” said Light Spinner self-pleasingly. “That wasn’t too difficult, was it? Wands away and notebooks out.”
Many of the class exchanged gloomy looks; the order “wands away” had never yet been followed by a lesson they had found interesting. Akko shoved her wand back into her pocket and pulled out her pen and notebook. Light Spinner rose from her desk, gliding across the classroom to the blackboard, and snapped her fingers intimidatingly; words appeared on the board at once:
Magical Self-Defense
A Return to Basic Principles
“Well now, you teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn’t it?” stated Light Spinner, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. “It is to my understanding that most of you have only had two years’ worth of lessons spaced far apart from one another instead of being done regularly like they are supposed to be. The teachers in question, who do not seem to have followed any Council-approved curriculum, haver unfortunately resulted your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your STAR year.
“You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Council-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following.”
She snapped her fingers again; the first message on the board vanished and was replaced by:
Course aims:
- Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic.
- Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.
- Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.
For a couple of minutes, the room was full of the sound of scratching pens on paper. When everyone had copied down Light Spinner’s three course aims, she said, “Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by William Borrin?”
There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.
“I think we’ll try that again,” said Light Spinner. “When I ask you a question, you will respond ‘Yes, Professor Light Spinner,’ or ‘No, Professor Light Spinner.’ So, has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by William Borrin?”
“Yes, Professor Light Spinner,” rang through the room.
“Good,” said Light Spinner. “You will turn to page five a read chapter one, ‘Basics for Beginners.’ There will be no need for talking.”
Light Spinner left the blackboard and settled herself in the chair behind the teacher’s desk, observing them all closely with those hollowed narrow eye. Akko turned to page five of her copy of Defensive Magical Theory and started to read.
It was desperately dull, even worse than listening to her father talk about work over dinner. She felt her concentration slipping away from her; she had read the same line half a dozen times without taking in more than the first few words. Several silent minutes passed. Next to her, Lotte was absentmindedly turning her pen over and over in her fingers, staring at the same spot on her page. Sucy made no effort to conceal herself as she blatantly fell asleep with her face in the book. Akko looked forward and received a surprise to shake her out of her drowsiness. Diana had not even opened her copy of Defensive Magical Theory. She was staring fixedly at Light Spinner with her hand in the air.
Akko could not remember Diana ever neglecting to read when instructed to, or indeed resisting the temptation to open any book that came under her nose. She looked at her questionably, but Diana stared firmly ahead at Light Spinner, who was looking just as resolutely in another direction.
After several more minutes had passed, however, Akko was not the only one watching Diana. The chapter they had been instructed to read was so tedious that more and more people were choosing to watch Diana’s mute attempt to catch Light Spinner’s eye than to struggle with “Basics for Beginners.”
When more than half the class was staring at Diana rather than their books, Light Spinner seemed to decide that she could ignore the situation no longer.
“Did you want to ask something about the chapter, Miss Cavendish?” she asked Diana, as though she had only just noticed her.
“Not about the chapter, no,” said Diana.
“Well, we’re reading just now,” said Light Spinner. “If you have any other queries, we can deal with them at the end of class.”
“I have a question about your course aims,” said Diana.
Light Spinner raised her eyebrows.
“Well, Miss Cavendish, I think the course arms are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully,” said Light Spinner in a voice of rigid firmness.
“Well, I don’t,” said Diana bluntly. “There’s nothing written up there about using defensive spells.”
There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard.
“Using defensive spells?” Light Spinner repeated with a little laugh. “Why, I can’t imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Cavendish. You surely aren’t expecting to be attacked during class?”
“We’re not going to use magic?” Amanda cried.
“Students raise their hands when they want to speak in my class, Miss - ?”
“O’Neill,” said Amanda, thrusting her hand into the air. “You know, your superior’s daughter?”
Light Spinner narrowed her eyes, but didn’t comment as she turned her back on Amanda. Diana and, surprisingly, Lotte immediately raised their hands too. Light Spinner’s eyes lingered on Diana for a moment before she addressed Lotte.”
“Can I help you with something Miss - ?”
“Jannson,” said Lotte. “Shouldn’t the whole point of a self-defense class be to practice protective magic?”
“Are you a Council-trained educational expert, Miss. Jannson,” asked Light Spinner.
“No, but – “
“Well then, I’m afraid you are not qualified to decide what the ‘whole point’ of any class is. Men and women much older and wiser than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way – “
“What’s the point of that?” said Amanda loudly. “If we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be in a – “
“Hand, Miss. O’Neill!” shouted Light Spinner.
Amanda thrust her fist in the air. Light Spinner promptly turned away from her again, but now several people had their hands up too.
“And your name is?” Light Spinner said to Nanoha.
“Takamachi Nanoha.”
“Well, Miss Takamachi?”
“It’s like Akko-chan said,” said Nanoha. “If we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be risk-free – “
“I repeat,” said Light Spinner in a very irritating fashion to Nanoha, “do you expect to be attacked during my class?”
“No, but – “
Light Spinner talked over her.
“I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school,” she said, “but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible teachers, very irresponsible indeed. Condemned criminals, children younger than the students, humans who are clearly unqualified to teach magical subjects – not to mention, “she gave a nasty little laugh, “extremely dangerous monsters posing as people.”
“If you mean Professor Ymir,” Jasminka piped up angrily, “she’s a better person than – “
“Raise your hand before speaking! As I was saying – you have been introduced to magic that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet attack every other day – “
“No, we haven’t,” said Diana, “we just – “
“Your hand is not up, Miss Cavendish!”
Diana put her hand up; Light Spinner turned away from her.
“It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you – “
“We still learned more from him than we expect to from you – “ said Nanoha hotly.
“Your hand is not up, Miss Takamachi!” trilled Light Spinner. “Now, it is the view of the council that a theoretical knowledge will be more sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?” she added, staring at Gaëlle, whose hand had just shot up.
“Gaëlle Müller, and isn’t there a practical portion of the exam? Are we not supposed to show that we can perform countercurses and the like?”
“As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spell under carefully controlled examination conditions,” said Light Spinner dismissively.
“Without practicing beforehand?” said Gaëlle incredulously. “Are you telling us that the first time we will be able to perform spells will be during our exams?”
“I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough – “
“And what good is theory going to do us in the real world?” said Amanda loudly, his fist in the air again.
Light Spinner looked up.
“This is school, Miss O’Neill, not the real world,” she said softly.
“So we’re not supposed to be prepared for what’s waiting out there?”
“There is nothing waiting out there, Miss O’Neill.”
“Are you serious?” said Amanda scathingly. Her temper was reaching a boiling point, and Akko couldn’t blame her. Akko had stayed silent the whole time, forced to listen to this ignorant woman with her fists balled up in her lap, shaking irately.
“What do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?” inquired Light Spinner.
“How about Amon?” Akko snapped, finally having enough. “What about Ruvik? Acnologia? The Purifiers? Evelyn? You know what they all have in common? They work for Jennifer, you stupid witch!”
The entire classroom turned in unison on Akko. Some like Amanda looked impressed; Dana face-palmed and groaned; Lotte gulped nervously and tried to hide under her desk. Light Spinner, however, did not flinch. She was staring at Akko with a grimly satisfied expression.
“Ten points from Polaris, Miss Kagari.”
The classroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring either at Light Spinner or Akko.
“Now, let me make a few things clear.”
Light Spinner stood up and leaned toward them, her bone-thin fingers splayed on her desk.
“You have been told that a historical hero has returned from the dead – “
“She wasn’t dead,” said Akko angrily. “She traveled through time!”
“Miss. Kagari, you have already lost your House ten points,” Light Spinner hissed coldly. “Do not make matters worse for yourself. As I was saying, you have been informed that our kind’s greatest hero has returned. And as a villain, no less. This is a lie.”
“It’s NOT a lie!” said Akko. “I saw her, I fought her!”
Akko felt a hand settle on her shoulder and suddenly her whole body felt numb. Before anyone had realized it, Light Spinner had crossed the room and was looming over Akko like a lion preparing to feast on a wounded antelope.
“I believe” Light Spinner spoke in a low, hauntingly-cold tone, “that an example must be made. You will join me in my office tomorrow evening at five o’clock for detention. I repeat, this is a lie. The Magic Council guarantees that you are not in danger from anyone. If you are still worried, by all means, come and see me outside of class hours. If someone is alarming you with tall tales about reborn witches, I would to hear about it I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, ‘Basics for Beginners.’”
Light Spinner removed her hands and Akko slumped across her desk, finally regaining movement. Light Spinner swept back to her desk, but Akko, however, stood up. Everyone stared at her half-scared, half-amazed.
“Akko, no!” Lotte whispered in a warning voice, tugging at her sleeve, but Akko jerked her hand out of her reach.
“So, according to you, Nico cut her throat open and died for several minutes on her own?” asked Akko, her voice shaking.
There was a collective intake of breath from the class; no one had talked about the incident where Nico had temporarily died since that day, not wanting to dredge up traumatic memories. They stared avidly from Akko to Light Spinner, who as staring at her without a trace sympathy.
“Miss Minoru’s brush was a tragic accident thankfully avoided,” she said coldly.
“It was attempted murder,” said Akko. She could feel herself shaking. She had hardly talked to anyone about what happened that night. Even Lotte and Diana only know bits and piece because Akko couldn’t bring herself to relive everything again and again. “Jennifer attacked us, and we almost died. Not that the council would care. Too afraid of losing face.”
Light Spinner’s face was blank. For a moment, Akko thought she was going to scream at her. Then she said, in her softest, most chilling voice yet, “Come here, Miss Kagari.”
Akko kicked her chair aside, strode around Lotta and the still snoozing Sucy and up to the teacher’s desk. She could feel the rest of the class holding its collective breath. She felt so angry she did not care what happened next.
Light Spinner pulled a slip of paper out of her desk and started scribbling, hunched over so that Akko could not see what she was writing. Nobody spoke. After a minute or so, she folded the paper and held out the note to Akko.
“Take this to Professor Callistis,” said Light Spinner.
Akko took it from her without saying a word, turned on her heels, and left the room, not even looking back at Lotte or Diana, and slammed the classroom door shut behind her. She walked very vast along the corridor, the note for Ursula clutched tightly in her hand, and climbed the stairs to the observation tower where Ursula resided. Once reaching the top, she banged the door with her fist as if she were trying to break it off its hinges. In a few moments, Ursula threw the door open, dressed in her dowdy track suit looking harassed.
“What happened? What’s going on? Who caught on fire this time?” Ursula shouted wildly until she noticed Akko. “Oh, it’s you, Akko. Why aren’t you in class?”
“I’ve been sent to see you?” said Akko stiffly.
“Sent? What do you mean, sent?”
Akko held out the note from Light Spinner. Ursula took it from her, frowning, unfolded the slip, and began to read. Her eyes zoomed from side to side behind their round spectacles as she read what Light Spinner had written, and with each line they became narrower.
“Inside, Akko. Now.”
There was an unfamiliar tone of harshness in her voice. Akko followed her into her room. The door closed automatically behind them.
“Well?” said Ursula, rounding on her. “Is this true?”
“Is what true?” Akko asked, more aggressively than she had intended. “Professor?” she added in an attempt to sound more polite.
“Is it true that you shouted at Professor Light Spinner?”
“Yes,” said Akko.
“You called her a liar?”
“Not directly, but yes.”
“You told her Jennifer is back?”
“Yes.”
Ursula sat down on one side of the table, watching Akko closely. Then she said, “Have some cookies, Akko.”
“Have – what?”
“Have some cookies,” she repeated impatiently, indicating to a tartan bin of cookies on the right-hand side of the table. “And sit down.”
Akko sank into the chair opposite of her and helped herself to a hazelnut madeleine, feeling confused and wrongfooted for the occasion.
Ursula set down Light Spinner’s note and looked very seriously at Akko.
“Akko, you need to be careful.”
Akko swallowed her mouthful of madeleine and stared at her. Ursula’s tone was low and anxious, but not in the normal sense where she was afraid of making a fool of herself. This was much more serious, more fearful.
“Misbehavior in Light Spinner’s class could cost you more than House points and a detention.
“What do you - ?”
“Use your common sense, Akko!” snapped Ursula. “You know where she comes from, you must know who she is reporting to! You have to be – “
Her tirade was broken by an erratic fit of coughing. Ursula doubled over, covering her mouth looking like she was in a great deal of pain.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Professor! I didn’t mean – “
But Ursula raised a hand to quiet her as the coughing fits stopped. She took a moment to collect herself, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. It as difficult to tell over the redness of her track suit, but Akko feared there might be blood splatters on it.
“…It says that she has given you detention every evening this week starting tomorrow,” Ursula said in a raspy voice, looking down at Light Spinner’s note again.
“Every evening this week?” Akko repeated, horrified. “But, Professor, can’t you –“
“No, I can’t,” said Ursula flatly.
“But – “
“She is your teacher and has every right to give you detention. You will go to her room at five o’clock tomorrow for the first one. Just remember: Tread carefully around Light Spinner.”
“But I was telling the truth!” Akko cried. “Jennifer’s back, you know she is – “
“For the nine’s sake, Akko!” said Ursula angrily. She clutched her chest with a momentary grimaced, and exhaled a deep breath. Akko immediately felt her stomach churn with guilt. “Do you really think this is about truth or lies? It’s about keeping your head down and your temper under control. Light Spinner is on the council, which means she knows who you are. And you can be sure that she’ll look for any reason – any reason at all – to remove the Star-Born Child out from under the Magic Council’s foot.”
Ursula stood up, using the back of the chair to support herself, and Akko stood too.
“Have another cookie,” said Ursula, thrusting the tin at her.
“No, thanks,” Akko mumbled.
“I insist,” said Ursula forcefully.
“Thanks,” said Akko grudgingly.
“Did you listen to Light Spinner’s speech at the start-of-term feast, Akko?”
“Yeah,” said Akko. “Yeah…she said…progress will be prohibited or…well, it meant that…that the Magic Council is trying to interfere at Luna Nova.”
Ursula eyed her closely for a moment, then sighed, walked around the table, and held open the door for her.
“Well, I’m glad you listen to Diana at any rate,” she said, pointing her out the office.
Notes:
Next chapter: Detention and the Deal
Chapter 13: Detention and the Deal
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Dinner that night in the dining hall was not a pleasant experience for Akko. As with any gossip in an all-girl’s school, the news about Akko’s shouting match with Light Spinner had spread all over Luna Nova within the hour. She heard whispers all around her as she sat eating between Lotte and Jasminka. The funny thing was that none of the whisperers seemed to mind her overhearing what they were saying about her – on the contrary, it was as though they were hoping she would get angry and start shouting again, so that they could hear her story firsthand.
“She says she dueled with the Great Witch – “
“She thinks she tried to murder Minoru….”
“Yeah right….”
“Who does she think she’s kidding?”
“Puh-lease….”
“What I don’t get,” said Akko, showing a remarkable amount of restraint (built from years of mockery for her lack of magical talent), “is why they all believed the story two months ago when Professor Holbrooke told them….”
“The thing is, Akko, I don’t think they did,” said Diana grimly. “Ugh, let’s get out of here.”
She rose from her seat and the rest of their tightknit group followed; Jasminka looked sadly at her half-finished cranberry pie but followed suit. People stared at them all the way out of the hall.
“Whaddya mean they didn’t believe Professor Holbrooke?” Akko asked when they reached the first-floor corridor.
“No offense, Akko, but you have no idea what it was like after it happened,” said Hannah tactlessly. “You dropped out of nowhere in the middle of the field, Minoru with her throat cut open before she literally died for several minutes…. No one saw what happened in the maze. We just had Holbrooke’s word for it that Jennifer had come back and fought you and Minoru.”
“Which is the truth!” said Akko indignantly.
“We know that, so stop trying to bite her head off!” Barbara shouted defensively on Hannah’s behalf. “You don’t get it. It was just before the truth could sink in, everyone went home for the summer, where they spent two months reading about how you’re an attention-seeking nutjob and Holbrooke has gone senile!”
Rain pounded on the windowpanes as they went their separate ways back to their dormitories. Akko felt as though her first day had lasted a week, but she still had a mountain of homework to do before bed. A dull pounding pain was developing in her temple. She glanced out of a rain-washed window at the dark grounds as they turned to into the Polaris corridor. A numb part of her wondered in the figure in the black hood was out there, watching her from a distance.
The common room was almost empty when they entered; nearly everyone was still down at dinner. Blair uncoiled herself from an armchair and trotted to meet them, purring loudly, and when they took their favorite seats at the fireside, she leapt into Akko’s lap and curled up like a furry purple cushion. Akko gazed into the flames, absentmindedly stroking Blair’s fur, feeling drained and exhausted.
“How can granny have let this happen?!” Lotte cried suddenly, making them jump; Blair bounced onto the floor with a startled screech. Lotte pounded the arms of her chair in fury, so that bits of stuffing leaded out the holes. “How can she let that terrible woman teach us?! And in our S.T.A.R. year too!”
“Wow, even Lotte can get angry,” said Jasminka astonishingly.
“Kinda hot,” said Amanda teasingly.
“Well, we haven’t had a great string of teachers over the past few years,” said Sucy. “We’ve had everything from child authors to immortal death gods.”
“Yes, but to employ someone who’s actually refusing to let us do magic?! What is granny thinking?!”
“It’s not like she has a choice,” said Blair, climbing onto the back of the couch. “The Magic Council are trying to assert their authority by any means necessary. Granny has to play along for the sake of the school.”
“And she’s trying to get people to spy for her,” said Stan-Bot; Constance had a dark look in her eyes. “Remember when she said she wanted us to come and tell her if we hear anyone saying Jennifer’s back?”
“No point in worry about it,” said Sucy listlessly. Lotte opened her mouth to retaliate, but Sucy cut her off, “Even if we wanted to, what could a bunch of teenagers do? If we cause trouble, it’ll just hurt Luna Nova.”
“I hate to say it, but she’s right,” Amanda sighed in defeat. “Nothing we can do but grin and bear it…. Let’s just…get to working on our homework, get it out of the way….”
They collected their schoolbags from a corner and returned to the chairs by the fire. People were coming back from dinner now. Akko kept her face averted from the entrance, but could still sense the stares she was attracting.
“Shall we do Professor Azusa’s stuff first?” said Amanda, scribbling messily at the top of the sheet. “’The properties…of slime goo…and its uses…in medicine….’ There.” She underlined the title, then looked up expectantly at Sucy.
“So what are the properties of slime goo and it’s uses in medicine?”
But Sucy was not listening; she was squinting over into the far corner of the room where Garie and Sabi were now sitting at the center of a knot of innocent-looking first years, all of whom were chewing something that seemed to have come out of a large paper bag that Sabi was holding.
“What are those two munchkins up to this time,” she said distractedly, tilting her head for a better look.
“Huh, wha – “ Akko babbled, looking around for what Sucy was referring to. “You mean Garie and Sabi? Looks like they’re giving out candy – “
“You know perfectly well that those aren’t candy,” said Sucy with a hint of curiosity. “They’re experiment with their illness treats. Either for nosebleeds or vomiting or – “
“Fainting, apparently,” Blair commented languidly.
One by one, as though hit over the head by invisible mallets, the first years slumped unconscious in their seats; some slid right onto the floor, others merely hung over the arms of their chairs, their tongues lolling out. Most of the people watching were laughing; Sucy, however, held a neutral expression as she rose from her chair and glided over to where Garie and Sabi now stood with clipboards, closely observing the unconscious first years. Akko and the others turned to Lotte – the Prefect – to see if she might intervene, but the bespectacled girl muttered “She’s got this” and sank as low in her chair as her tiny frame permitted.
“Not bad, not bad,” Sucy complimented her siblings, both of whom looked up in mild surprise. “Let me guess: ground pixie bones and honeysuckle?”
“You know us so well, ate,” said Garie, grinning. “We threw in a little a little artificial sweetener to make it easier to go down. No one likes a bitter pill.”
“You know that changes the chemical composition completely,” Sucy remarked. “The revival pill won’t work unless you add ginger root.”
“What do you take us for, amateurs?” Garie scoffed. “Of course we added the ginger root, right, Sabi?” But her twin was startlingly silent. “I said, ‘Right, Sabi?’”
“Er…,” Sabi muttered weakly.
A few seconds of awkward silence passed before the twin scrambled to shove the second piece of the sweets into the first year’s open mouths. But when they did not stir, Garie and Sabi glanced at one another before turning to their older sister with sheepish grins.
“I figured as much,” Sucy sigh exasperatedly. She reached inside her sleeves and pulled out a pair of chemicals from god knows where and started mixing them. “Move aside. If they don’t wake up, I’m the one getting an earful from Ina.”
Naturally, it only took a few drops to rouse the first years. Several looked so shocked to find themselves lying on the floor, or dangling off their chairs, that Akko was sure Garie and Sabi had not warned them what the sweets were going to do.
“Feel all right?” said Sabi kindly to a small dark-haired girl lying at her feet.
“I – I think so,” she said shakily.
“Excellent,” said Garie happily, jotting a quick note on her clipboard before Sucy snatched it up. “Hey! Get your own!”
“Nothing is ‘excellent’ about this,” said Sucy disapprovingly.
“Course it is, they’re alive, aren’t they?” said Garie angrily.
“Only because I cleaned up your mess,” said Sucy, her lip curling into a frown. “You should’ve tested the new formula before handing them out.”
“Since when do you care about what happens to other people?” Sabi snapped.
“Yeah, you experiment on your friends all the time,” Garie pointed out.
“That’s because I know how to fix a problem if something goes wrong,” said Sucy. “You two don’t even think about the consequences. If these kids didn’t wake up, the teachers would – “
“What, put us in detention?” said Garie in an I’d-like-to-see-them-try voice.
“Make us write lines?” said Sabi, smirking.
“Yes,” said Sucy evenly, “after they wrote to Ina.”
“They wouldn’t,” said Sabi, horrified, taking a step back from Sucy.
“Oh, yes, they would, because I would tell them to,” said Sucy grimly. “I can’t stop you from taking those things yourself, but if you even think about handing those out to other people, I better know about it first.”
Garie and Sabi looked thunderstruck. It was clear that as far as they were concerned, Sucy’s threat was way below the belt. With a last threatening look at them, she thrust Garie’s clipboard back into her arms and stalked back to her chair by the fire.
“What was that all about?” asked Amanda strangely.
“What, I stopped them from causing trouble,” said Sucy calmly.
“Which is the weird part,” said Amanda. “They’re right – you’ve never had any problems with experimenting on people before.”
“You’ve shoved potions down my throat while I was asleep,” Akko pointed out.
“And weren’t you the one that helped them get the ingredients for those treats?” asked Stan-Bot.
“That’s none of your – “
“Actually…,” Lotte chimed in, “I did notice that Sucy was spending a lot of time with Garie and Sabi over the summer. When we stayed at Sucy’s house last year, she never wanted to spend any time with them; she always kicked them out whenever they were in the same room.”
“Oh yeah,” said Jasminka thoughtfully. “That was right around the time Jennifer came back – “
Sucy suddenly slammed her textbook shut, causing everyone to jump. She stuffed the book and homework in her back, shot up, and practically glided up the stairs to their dorm, slamming the door shut behind her. There was a silent pause before the girls began to snicked and chortle.
“Aw, that’s cute,” Akko giggled. “She’s worried about her sisters.”
“I guess even Sucy is capable of affection,” Amanda commented.
“Doesn’t she have a girlfriend?” said Jasminka.
Amanda looked at her homework and closed her book with a sigh, saying, “There’s no point in trying to finish now, we can’t do it without Sucy. I haven’t got a clue what you’re supposed to do with slime goo, do you?”
Akko shook her head, noticing as she did so that her headache was getting worse. She thought of the long essay on Titan wars and the pain stabbed at her sharply. Knowing perfectly well that she would regret not finishing her homework tonight when the morning came, she piled her books back into her bag.
“I’m going to bed, too.”
The following day dawned just as leaden and rainy as the previous one. Jasminka was the first to point out that, again, Professor Ymir was absent.
“But on the plus side, no Light Spinner today,” said Amanda bracingly.
Double Charms was succeeded by Double Alchemy. Professor Kowata and Professor Finnelan both spent the first fifteen minutes of their lessons lecturing the class on the importance of S.T.A.R.s.
“What you need to remember,” said Professor Kowata, acting uncharacteristically serious, even dressing her proper and combing her hair rather than the sloven mess she usually was, “is that these exams can, and will, influence your futures for the years to come! If you have not already given serious thought to your careers, now is the time to do so. And in the meantime, I’m afraid, we’ll be working hard than ever to make sure you all don’t fail tragically!”
They spent more than an hour reviewing Summoning Charms, which according to Professor Kowata were bound to come up in their S.T.A.R.s, and she rounded off the lesson by setting them their largest amount of Charms homework ever.
It was the same, if not worse, in Alchemy.
“You cannot pass a S.T.A.R.,” said Professor Finnelan grimly, “without serious application, practice, and study. I see no reason why everybody in this class should not achieve a S.T.A.R. in Alchemy as long as they put in the work…. Today we will be starting Vanishing Spells. These are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until your Mark of Mastery level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be test on in your S.T.A.R.”
She was quite right; Akko found the Vanishing Spell horribly difficult. By the end of a double period, no one but Diana had successfully vanish their newts on which they were practicing, though Lotte said hopefully that she thought hers looked a bit paler. Diana was also the only one not given homework; everybody else was told to practice the spell overnight, ready for a fresh attempt on their newts the following afternoon.
Now panicking slightly about the amount of homework they had to do, Akko, Hannah, and Amanda spent their lunch hour in the library looking up the uses for slime goo in potion-making. Still angry about being teased the previous night, Sucy refused to help them. By the time Akko reached Modern Magic in the afternoon, her head was throbbing again.
Professor Croix classroom was similar to her mind – cluttered and always active. Akko lost count of how many times she had fallen flat on her face because her foot got caught on a cable, or bumped her knees into one of Croix’s discarded projects. And the constant flashing lights were an epileptic nightmare. Akko trudged her way to the workbench she shared with Constanze and Barbara, both of whom had already pulled out their tools and waited intently for Croix’s instruction. The Modern Magic teacher was without her flashy cape, her work goggles hanging around her neck, and covered in grease. She looked like she just came directly from her workshop without freshening up.
“All, simmer down while I take attendance,” called Croix. Unlike other teachers, she used her phone to mark down who was present, finishing within a minute. “All right, let’s get cracking – who can tell me what these are?”
She indicated to a pile of what looked like gray sand laden on the table in front of her. Barbara’s hand immediately shot into the air a full minute before Constanze, a fact that seemed to annoy the shorter witch. The rest of the class had no idea what Croix was going for, and Akko couldn’t blame them. What could a bunch of grains have to do with modern magic.
Her answer came almost immediately when the “sand” suddenly sprang into the air, swirling in place, and molded into a great gray eagle. The creature swooped over their heads, circling around the classroom while the entire class in awe. Croix held out her arm and the “eagle” landed on her forearm, where it altered its form again into a hanging sloth. The whole time Croix was grinning smugly.
“Impressive, right?” said Croix, dropping the “sloth” on the table, where it collapsed back into a pile of gray sand. “So – anyone want to tell me what these are? Miss Parker?”
“Nanobots,” said Barbara. “Microscopic machines capable of assembling and disassembling together.”
“Five points to Lunar,” said Croix. “Yes, these are nanoscopic robots, as Miss Parker has correctly pointed out. But before you get your hopes up, no, I am not teaching you how to make nanomachines – that’s a little above your skillset. This is simply an example of what I will be teaching you this year: Artificial Intelligence. I think anyone who has watched a movie or anime can tell me what that is. Miss Kagari?”
“Er, machines that can think for themselves?” Akko answered lamely.
“You’re half right,” said Croix. “There’s a lot of technical jargon that goes into what defines artificial intelligence, but to put it in simple words: Artificial intelligence is a program that can think and learn without human interference. There have been many examples of artificial intelligence since the turn of the century, most of them prominent in America. While the idea seems fantastic, there is an underlying danger of programs becoming too intelligent, as known by the whole Ultron fiasco over a decade ago.
“This year, your year-long project will be to develop a machine with a simple A.I. program. You’ll be spending the first term studying programming, then you will use the second term to develop you’re A.I. program using computer systems that I will provide for you. And in the third term, you will create your machines that will run the programs. And instead of turning them in to me at the end of the year, you will present your final products for your S.T.A.R. exams, who will determine your final grade.
“I am texting you all a link to the e-book that you will be reading for the year,” Croix announced, tapping her phone. Akko felt her own smartphone buzz in her pocket and pulled it out, finding a link to an online textbook called ‘A.I. Programming and How to Prevent a Robot Uprising by Tony Stark.’ “You will spend the rest of the class period reading the first chapter. Please do so quietly.”
“Professor Croix,” said Stan-Bot suddenly while Constanze raised her hand. “May I be excused.”
“Oh, yes, you’re exempt from this project since you’re already done the work,” said Croix referring to the tiny robot. “You’ll be presenting your…other project for the exams?” Constanze grunted and gave a thumbs-up. “Good girl. You’re excused.”
Constanze nodded in confirmation, packing up all her things and making her way out the door. The rest of the class didn’t notice her leave, trying to bully their brains into reading the programming guide. Curiosity made Akko wonder what this other project she was working on. She knew, at least, that Constanze had received a grant for her work and even had her own workshop, which Akko had not seen yet. Akko desperately wished that Constanze would have stayed to help, because when Akko opened the link on her phone, she spent the rest of the class reading the same paragraph without understanding a lick of it.
Everyone groaned in relief when the bell called for the end of classes; Akko never thought she would find anything worse than the Borrin book, but she had been wrong. As she dragged herself out of the classroom, her head was pounding even worse from information overload. She massaged her forehead as she made her way down to ground level headed for Herbalism when she ran into Lotte and Sucy.
“Rough day?” asked Sucy, though she likely wasn’t interested in an answer.
“Horrible,” Akko groaned. “Professor Croix is making us read a bunch of techy book stuff for the whole term.”
“A class where you actually have to learn stuff? The madness,” said Sucy sarcastically.
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” said Akko, grimacing. Together they traipsed across the school grounds. The sky still appeared unable to make up its mind whether it wanted to rain or not.
“Constanze left at the beginning of class,” Akko brought up. “Professor Croix said she’s working on some big project. Know anything about that?”
“We don’t really interact with Constanze all that often,” Lotte admitted shamefully. “But she’s usually working on some project every day, isn’t she? Maybe you should ask Amanda or Jasminka. The three of them are best friends, right?”
“Bet Constanze wants to be more than friends with Amanda,” said Akko teasingly.
“Not so much these days,” said Sucy. “She doesn’t seem as interested in Amanda as she did before.”
“But I thought Constanze had a crush on her,” said Akko surprisingly.
“It’s natural for people to grow out of crushes,” said Lotte as they crossed the vegetable patch. “I guess Constanze finally decided to move on.”
“Huh, guess so,” Akko mumbled.
The door to the nearest greenhouse opened and some fourth years spilled out, including Molly McIntyre.
“Hello, Akko,” she said brightly, sidestepping to let her classmates pass. “Having a good year so far?”
“Not exactly off to the best start,” Akko answered, scratching the back of her neck when she remembered the piles of homework on top of her confrontation with Light Spinner.
“Yes, I imagine so,” said Molly. “But for what it’s worth, I believe you. I believe that Jennifer is back and you fought and escaped her.”
“Thanks, Molly,” said Akko appreciatively. After the week she had been having, it was nice to know that there was someone outside her group of friends that didn’t think she was a liar.
“Just a word of caution before I go,” Molly lowered her voice suddenly, whispering close to Akko’s ear as several fourth-years eyed them wearily while passing. Akko got the sense they weren’t just looking at her. “It may seem difficult at first, but don’t rise to her provocation. It’s better to endure and wait for a better opportunity than to make things worse when you know you are at a disadvantage. Trust me, she will get what she deserves.”
Suddenly, Akko got the sense that they weren’t talking about Jennifer anymore, but before Akko could follow up on it, Molly patted her back reassuringly and trotted away.
“What was that all about?” asked Sucy strangely.
“You think Molly might have had another vision?” asked Lotte curiously.
“I haven’t known her long enough,” said Akko, “but I get the sense that she’s the type to never give a straight answer.”
“Straight is the last thing you would find in Luna Nova,” Sucy snorted; Lotte gave her a withering look.
They stepped into the greenhouse, which was always fully of strange and (more often than not) toothy plants. The Sonnentreppe that they had planted back in second year had been completely removed from its usual corner in the back, which, considering the origins behind it, Akko wondered why they took so long to get rid of it. There was an entire plot on the left side dedicated to large blue roses with sharp-looking thorns that seemingly moved to follow anyone that got close. Akko was setting up at her usual plot when her childhood friend, Nanoha Takamachi, took the plot across from her.
“Hey there, stranger,” said Nanoha teasingly. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Not even back home.”
“Hey, Nanoha-chan,” Akko greeted. “Yeah, I’ve been…busy.”
“I can imagine,” said Nanoha understandably. “The whole school is talking about you.”
“And they made no effort to hide it,” Akko grimaced. “Thanks, by the way. Hannah told me what you did to Gaëlle, how you defended me.”
“We’ve known each other since we were babies, Akko-chan,” said Nanoha, smiling softly. “I like to think I know you better than anyone. If you say that Jennifer is back, then I have no reason not to believe you. And just so you know, Fate-chan and Hayate-chan believe you, too. Hayate-chan’s even putting together a group, though I’m uncertain about the name.”
“What’s the name?” Akko asked curiously.
“Hayate’s Lesbian Army.”
Akko could feel herself sweatdrop; her friends were nice, but definitely had some…interesting personalities.
To no one’s surprise, Professor Roselei started their lesson by lecturing them about the importance of S.T.A.R.s. Akko wished all the teachers would stop doing this: she was starting to get an anxious, twisted feeling in her stomach every time she remembered how much homework she had to do, a feeling that worsened dramatically when Professor Roselei gave them yet another essay at the end of class. Tired and smelling strongly of chimera manure, the Polaris students trooped back up to the school an hour and a half later, none of them talking very much; it had been another long day.
As Akko was starving, and she had her first detention with Light Spinner at five o’clock, she headed straight for dinner without dropping off her bag in Polaris Tower so that she could bolt something down before facing whatever she had in store for her. She had barely reached the entrance of the dining hall, however, when a loud, shrill voice said, “Oy, Kagari!”
“What now?” she muttered wearily, turning to face Avery Buckland, who looked as though she had been told Christmas was cancelled.
“I’ll tell you what now,” she said. “How come you’ve landed yourself in detention for five o’clock on Friday?”
“What?” said Akko. “Why…. Oh yeah, the team tryouts!”
“Please tell me you didn’t forget,” groaned Avery, running a hand down her face. “Didn’t I tell you I wanted to do a tryout with the whole team, and find someone who fit in with everyone? Didn’t I tell you I booked the race track specifically? And now I find out you’re not even going to be there!”
“I didn’t decide that!” said Akko, stung by the injustice of it all. “I got detention from that Light Spinner woman, just because I told her the truth about Jennifer – “
“Well, then go and ask her to let you off on Friday,” said Avery, “and I don’t care how you do it, tell her Jennifer’s a figment of your imagination if you have to, just make sure you’re there!”
She turned on her heels and stormed away.
“You know what?” Akko said to her friends as they entered the dining hall. “I think we’d better check in with the Magic Council whether Amelia’s been killed or not, because Avery seems to be channeling her spirit.”
“What do you think the chances are of Light Spinner letting you off on Friday?” said Amanda skeptically, as they sat down at their favorite table.
“Less than zero,” said Akko glumly, slurping her ramen. What? It’s her comfort food! “Better try, though, right? I’ll offer to do two more detentions or something, I don’t know. I just hope she doesn’t keep me too long. Do you realize I’ve got to write four essays, practice Vanishing Spells for Finnelan, workout a countercharm for Professor Kowata, and read up on that programming book for Croix’s class?”
“Welcome to the real world,” said Barbara. “It sucks. You’re gonna love it.”
At five to five, Akko bade the others good-bye and set off for Light Spinner’s office on the third floor. When she knocked on the door, Light Spinner beckoned her in with a raspy voice that always made Akko’s hair stand on end. She entered cautiously, looking around.
She had been in this office once before when Zeref was the self-defense teacher. It had been packed with various instruments and artifacts associated with dark magic, most prominently a self of demon-bound books that could cause untold havoc if released. Akko wondered what happened to them after Zeref was turned into a Heartless.
Now, however, it seemed a thousand times worse than what a Dark Wizard would live in. The room was painted in dark, muted colors – even darker with all thick, heavy curtains covering the windows – giving it a suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere. Akko could only made out the few outlines of objects hidden in the darkness, silhouetted by the small, glowing-red gemstones that hanged in the air. It was such an unpleasant place that Akko stopped at the door, almost afraid she was be swallowed by the shadows, until Light Spinner spoke again.
“Good evening, Miss Kagari.”
Akko started and looked around. She had not noticed her at first because she was draped in the darkness and only became visible when she snapped her fingers and another red gemstone illuminated over her desk.
“…Hello,” Akko mumbled timidly.
“Well, sit down,” she said, pointing toward a small table beside which she had drawn up a straight-backed chair. A piece of blank paper and a seemingly ordinary No. 2 pencil on the table, apparently waiting for her.
“Er,” said Akko without moving. “Professor Light Spinner? Um – before we start, I – I wanted to ask you for a…a favor.”
Her sharp eyes narrowed.
“Well, I’m…I’m on the Polaris Chariot Racing team. And I was supposed to be at the tryouts for the new player on Friday and I was – was wondering whether I could skip detention that night and do it – do it another night…instead….”
She knew long before she reached the end of her sentence that it was no good.
“Oh no,” said Light Spinner in a way that gave Akko the impression that she was smiling most vindictively behind her veil. “This is your punishment for spreading evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories, Miss Kagari, and punishments certainly cannot be adjusted to suit the guilty one’s convenience. No, you will come here at five o’clock tomorrow, and the next day, and on Friday too, and you will do your detentions as planned. I think it is a rather good thing that you are missing something you really want to do. It ought to reinforce the lesson I am trying to teach you.”
Akko felt the blood surge to her head and heard a thumping noise in her ears. So she told evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories, did she?
Light Spinner was watching her with her head slightly to one side with that look of delight in her dark eyes, as though she knew exactly was Akko was thinking and was waiting to see whether she would start shouting again. With a massive effort, Akko looked away from her, dropped her schoolbag beside the straight-backed chair, and sat down.
“There,” said Light Spinner in a voice of sweet triumph, “we’re getting better at controlling our temper already, aren’t we? Now, you’re going to be doing some line for me, Miss Kagari. I want you to write ‘I must not tell lies.’”
“How many times?” Akko asked, with a creditable imitation of politeness.
“Just until the end of detention,” said Light Spinner. “Off you go, then.”
Light Spinner reached down into her desk and pulled out a book – “How to Emotionally Traumatize your Cat Girl” – and began to read under the light of the glowing gemstones, seemingly ignoring Akko.
Akko stared at her for a moment before picking up the provided pencil. She placed the point of the pencil on the paper, but paused before she started writing.
This seemed way too easy, she thought. Writing lines as a punishment after it was clear that the Magic Council was out for her blood? There had to be some kind of trick. The first thing that came to mind was a memory back in second year when Sucy casually mentioned instruments that drew blood from it uses as a form of self-inflicted torture. Given who is handing out the punishment, Akko wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. But if she said anything, there was also the likely chance that Light Spinner would force her to do it anyway or come up with something worse. So, steeling herself, Akko moved the pencil and wrote: I must not tell lies.
…and nothing happened.
That in itself made Akko pause in confusion. Noticing that she had stopped, Light Spinner looked up from her book and asked, “Is there a problem, Miss Kagari?”
“Er – no, ma’am,” said Akko awkwardly.
“Then please continue writing,” said Light Spinner.
Akko looked back at the paper, place the pencil upon it one more, wrote I must not tell lies, and stopped once again, waiting for the other shoe to drop. But once again, nothing happened.
And on it went. Again and again, Akko wrote the words on the paper without any word from Light Spinner. And again and again, Akko paused between lines, her eyes sweeping around anxiously as if expecting to be ambushed by something hidden in the darkness. And again and again, nothing came to Akko as she wrote the next line.
Akko did not know how long she had been in that office. She did not dare ask when she would be allowed to stop. She didn’t even check the time. She knew Light Spinner was watching her for signs of weakness and she was not going to show any, not even if she had to sit here all night….
“That’s enough, Miss Kagari,” said Light Spinner, making Akko jump in her seat. “You are free to leave. Be sure to return tomorrow at five o’clock to continue where you left off.”
Akko looked up at Light Spinner, locking eyes with her as she slowly rose from the straight-backed chair. They maintained their stare down as Akko collected her bag and did not break eye contact until Akko shut the office door behind her.
The school was quite deserted; it was surely past midnight. She walked slowly up the corridor then, when she had turned the corner and was sure Light Spinner would not hear her, broke into a run.
She had not had time to practice Vanishing Spells, had not read a single page of the programming guide, nor had she written her essays. She skipped breakfast next morning to rush a scrawled mess of an essay for Urara, her first lesson, and was surprised to find a disheveled Wendy keeping her company.
“What happened to you?” Akko asked, as Wendy, eyes bloodshot and her hair a tangled mess, scribbled her pencil across the paper so fast, it was in danger of catching fire.
“Do you even have to ask?” said Wendy frantically. “They said that fifth year was supposed to be brutal, but it overkill.”
“I thought you were supposed to be a genius,” Akko remarked.
“The smarter you are, the worse it get,” said Wendy. “Have you seen Diana lately.”
In truth, Akko hadn’t spoken to her girlfriend for a few days outside of lunch and dinner – if she ever turned up at all. Hannah said she was usually in the library studying. Akko’s memory flashed back to third year when Diana took on took much work and nearly had a mental breakdown as a result. Akko thought she should take Diana on a relaxing date next Blytonbury visit.
When they both had a semi-coherent report ready, Akko and Wendy hurried off to the North Tower together.
“I heard you had detention with Light Spinner yesterday,” said Wendy, frowning in concern. “Are you okay? What did she make you do?”
“She made me write lines,” said Akko.
“That it?” asked Wendy, appearing just as surprised as Akko had been. “I thought it would’ve been way worse, given how the Magic Council had been treating you.”
“I know, it’s weird, right?”
It was another bad day for Akko; she was one of the worst in Alchemy, not having practiced Vanishing Spells at all. She had to give up her lunch hour to force her way through the first chapter of the programming manual, and meanwhile, Professor Finnelan, Croix, and Ursula gave them yet more homework, which she had no prospect of finishing that evening because of her second detention with Light Spinner. To cap it all, Avery tracked her down at dinner again and, on learning that she would not be able to attend Friday’s tryouts, slammed her fists on the table, causing several dishes to clatter on the floor, and stalked away yelling at Akko’s lack of commitment to the team.
“I’m in detention!” Akko yelled after her. “Do you think I’d rather be stuck in a room with that creep or racing?”
“Don’t let it get to you,” said Amanda with a surprising amount of understanding. “She’s lashing out, but it has nothing to do with you. I heard from one of our upperclassmen that Avery started taking several jobs in Blytonbury to pay for her tuition since her parents disowned her. Add that on top of Chariot Racing responsibilities….”
Akko opened her mouth, closed it again, and nodded. It was a painful reminded that once again that so many lives are being ruined because the Magic Council didn’t want to admit they were wrong, and all of them were related to Akko. She didn’t say anything to her friends because she knew they would tell Akko it wasn’t her fault and that she shouldn’t feel guilty for what’s happening. But how could she not? All of this started because Akko told the truth and now the whole world was punishing them for it. It really put her less-than-punishing detention with Light Spinner in retrospect.
Halfway through the second detention, Akko lost all sense of apprehension and became lost in the boring tediousness of writing the same line for hours on end. Once again, Light Spinner busied herself – grading essays that looked suspiciously like her class – never paying Akko any mind. From the moment of entering the room to the moment of her dismissal, again past midnight, they said nothing but “Good evening” and “Good night” to each other.
Her homework situation, however, was now desperate, and when she returned to the Polaris common room, she did not, though exhausted, go to bed, but opened her books and began Professor Azusa’s slime goo essay. It was half-past two by the time she had finished it. She knew she had done a poor job, but there was no helping it; her brain felt like it was on the verge of a nuclear explosion. She had then dashed off answers to the questions Professor Finnelan had set them, and strained her eyes on her phone screen until she finished the first chapter of programmer guide until she had a semi-understanding of the material. She staggered up to bed afterward, where she fell fully clothed on the bed covers and fell asleep immediately. Sometime in the middle of the night, Blair tucked her in properly, which Akko was thankful for.
Thursday passed in a haze of tiredness. Akko’s third detention passed in the same way as the previous two, forced to endure endless hours of painful silence where the only sound came from the scratching of Akko’s pencil.
“I think that will be enough for today,” said Light Spinner, closing her book – A Guide to Emotionally Manipulating a Magical Girl – with a snap. “You may leave for tonight.”
“Do I still have to come back tomorrow?” asked Akko, picking up her schoolbag and slinging it over her shoulder.
“Oh yes,” said Light Spinner. “You will come for your last detention as scheduled. But don’t worry, I promise I won’t keep you too long.”
Akko didn’t like the implication behind those words. So far, Light Spinner hadn’t done anything that would cause Akko to be on her guard, but as tomorrow was the last day, she figured then would be her last opportunity to strike. But Akko wasn’t going to give Light Spinner the satisfaction of knowing she was getting to her. She kept her mouth shut tight as she left Light Spinners office and climbed the staircase to the seventh floor –
“Blair?”
She had reached the top of the stairs where she found her guardian sitting on the railing, looking deep in thought while taking a drag of a cigarette. Akko didn’t even know that Blair smoked – maybe it was a recent habit? Blair glanced sideways at Akko, took one last drag, and snuffed it out on the railing.
“Out early, Akko-Nyan?” asked Blair
“Er – yeah,” said Akko. “What’re you doing here?”
“Waiting on you,” said Blair. “You’ve been coming back to the dorm past midnight the past couple of days. Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“Yeah, I’m fine, mostly just tired,” said Akko.
“That Light Spinner woman” – Blair spoke with obvious disdain – “she hasn’t done anything, has she?”
“No, not really,” said Akko, shrugging. “She just been making me write lines all day. She hasn’t harmed me so far. I was so sure she’d whip me or cut me or something.”
“That’s not Light Spinner’s style,” said Blair, frowning. “She doesn’t need to physically harm you to hurt you.”
“What do you mean?” asked Akko curiously.
“I asked the Sphere to look into Light Spinner,” said Blair. “And trust me, they found a lot. Do you know how she got a seat on the council?” Akko shook her head. “Through years of mental and emotional manipulation. She has a long history of exploiting or blackmailing anyone that could be of use to her. And she plans them years in advance. More than half the people with any influence in the Magic Council were all helped by Light Spinner and she takes advantage of them with careful planning and precision so that no one escape her claws without serious repercussions. One time, she manipulated her own apprentice in getting rid of a political rival and it left him unable to trust people for years.”
“Well, she hasn’t done any of that so far,” said Akko. “She barely speaks two sentences to me.”
“Then she’s waiting for the moment to strike,” said Blair. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes, pulling one out with her teeth and lighting it. She took a long drag and exhaled a white cloud in a moment of thoughtfulness. “Light Spinner is just as much of a threat as Jennifer. Her organization manipulates from the shadows, but Light Spinner does it in the open. Be careful, Akko-Nyan.”
Friday dawned sullen and sodden as the rest of the week. Akko had hardly made a dent in the mountain of homework she had to do and she still had another detention with Light Spinner.
Two things sustained Akko that day. One was the thought that it was almost the weekend; the other was that, dreadful her final detention with Light Spinner was sure to be, she would no longer before forced to spend another night with that unnervingly quiet hag. These were very feeble rays of light, it was true, but Akko was grateful for anything that might lighten her present darkness; she had never had a worse first week at Luna Nova.
At five o’clock that evening, she knocked on Light Spinner’s office door for what she sincerely hoped would be the final time, was told to enter and did so. The blank paper and pencil lay ready for her on the table.
“You know what to do, Miss Kagari,” said Light Spinner.
Akko picked up the pencil and glanced toward the window, wishing there was even the slightest crack in the curtain through which she could see the racing stadium. The Polaris team auditions should be starting now. Akko wished she could be there instead of numbing her brain writing the same five stupid words repeatedly:
I must not tell lies.
I must not tell lies.
She wondered audition process was like. The last person to join the team was Akko herself and she had skipped the tryouts owing to special circumstances.
I must not tell lies.
I must not tell lies
What would Avery be looking for in the new player? Speed was an important factor, but Polaris’s main strategy was collecting points during the first four rotations so that Akko – the anchor – could focus on reaching the goal. Maneuverability was another thing; the track changed shape every circuit and some of them were treacherous. And of course, there was also aiming and spellwork that was useful for knocking down the other teams.
I must not tell lies.
I must not tell lies.
“That will be enough, Miss Kagari,” said Light Spinner, giving Akko pause. That was the shortest detention yet – it couldn’t have been more than a few hours. “Hopefully this will be the last time I see you in this office. Ah, before you go – “ Light Spinner stopped Akko as she stood up, reaching for her schoolbag. “There’s something we need to discuss.”
Here it is, Akko thought to herself. The moment that Blair warned her about. She cautiously sat back down while maintaining steady eye contact with Light Spinner. The veiled witch reached down into her desk drawer and produced a folder, tossing it on the table in front of Akko. The younger witch recognized it from Elma’s filing cabinet with Akko’s name written in fancy looped handwriting.
“I…procured this from Miss Elma’s office,” said Light Spinner smoothly. “She keeps a very detailed record of all student activities. At least, those worth keeping track of. You have quite the ledger, Miss Kagari. Entering out-of-bounds corridors, running into the forest – repeatedly – found in association with criminals, leaving the school without permission, and not to mention the hundreds of other violations you’ve committed. In all honestly, it is alarming how these offenses have been allowed to go unpunished. If I were in charge, I would have expelled someone like you. To make an example.”
“Is that your big play?” Akko scoffed. “Threatening me with my past mistakes? Good luck with that. In case you’ve forgotten, the Council failed to expel me last month.”
“Oh, I’m well aware,” said Light Spinner coolly. “You may have been able to escape justice last time. But can the same be said for your friends?”
Light Spinner reached down and pulled out several more folders, tossing them on the table. Akko withheld a startled gasp as the names jumped out at her: Lotte, Sucy, Amanda – even Nico and Wendy’s names were among them.
“You have a nasty habit of dragging your friends down with you, Miss Kagari” said Light Spinner in a maliciously soft voice. “I have no doubt that if the Magic Council were to attempt expelling you again, you would find a way to worm yourself out of trouble. But I do not think your friends would be so lucky. Any one of these offenses would be just cause for the Magic Council to…coerce the school into expelling these troublemakers. And even if they managed to avoid expulsion, I wonder how their families would be able to survive the scandal. Like Dr. Manbavaran at Alchemilla Hospital or Councilwoman O’Neill.”
“Leave them alone!” shouted Akko, who had jumped to her feet without realizing it, knocking the chair over.
“Temper, Miss Kagari,” said Light Spinner calmly. “I’m not as heartless as you like to believe. I am willing to negotiate a deal.”
“What kid of deal?” asked Akko apprehensively.
“I promise not to get your little friends in trouble,” said Light Spinner. “Provided you stop spreading those terrible lies about the Great Witch Jennifer and keep in line like a good little girl. As long as you remain polite and civil, your friends will be able to graduate without incident. But one more outburst like before, and I may be tempted to…mislocate these files where the wrong people may come across them. Do we have a deal?”
Light Spinner held out her hand expectantly.
Akko wanted to scream. She wanted to argue. She wanted to slap the hand awaya and punch Light Spinner in her stupid, ugly face. But before she could let her worst impulses take command, Molly words strangely came to the forefront of her mind.
“It may seem difficult at first, but don’t rise to her provocation. It’s better to endure and wait for a better opportunity than to make things worse when you know you are at a disadvantage. Trust me, she will get what she deserves.”
Ah, this must have been what she meant. Molly had seen Light Spinner’s threat and warned Akko before she made a mistake.
And so, begrudgingly, Akko grumbled and low “Deal,” and took Light Spinner’s hand. At once, Akko felt a sharp pain searing across the length of her spine, tracing over the pattern of her scars. At the same time, she felt the back of her brain throb painfully, her ears pound in a disorienting haze.
Akko wrenched her hand out of Light Spinner’s grip and leapt away, staring at her. Light Spinner looked back at her, giving her a most peculiar look. Whether she was offended by Akko’s sudden actions was unknown.
“Well, I think I’ve made my point,” she said coolly. “You may go, Miss Kagari.”
Akko snatched her schoolbag and left the room as quickly as she could.
Stay calm, she told herself as she sprinted up the stairs. Stay calm, it doesn’t mean what you think it means…
Akko nearly broke her knuckles punching the sequence for the Polaris common room. A roar of sound greeted her as she entered. Avery, Rashmi, and Rajani – the other members of the Chariot Racing team, were surrounding a small Latina first year that Akko had seen during the Sorting.
“Akko!” Rashmi (?) shouted once she spotted her, waving her down. “Come meet our newest member!”
“What? Oh – right,” said Akko, trying to smile naturally, while her heart continued to race and her head throbbed.
“Meet Luz,” said Rashmi (?), pressing a soda onto her. “She’s a first-year, just like you were when you joined. Funny how that works, huh?”
“Yeah,” said Akko distractedly. “Have you seen Blair?”
“She’s there,” said Rajani (?), pointing to an armchair by the fire when Blair was curled up in her cat form.
“Let her sleep,” said Rashmi (?). “Fifth year is brutal. I remember all the late nights we had to work.”
“Not that out upcoming Marks of Mastery are any better,” said Rajani (?), grabbing Luz by the shoulder. “Come on, Luz, let’s see if Amelia’s old uniform fits you. We can take her name off and put yours on instead….”
As they twins took their newest member away, Avery came striding up to Akko.
“Sorry I lost my temper with you,” she said apologetically. “I’ve…been under a lot of stress, what with my family crisis and this captaining crap, you know, I’m starting to think I was a bit hard on O’Neill sometimes.”
“It’s okay, I get it,” said Akko understandingly. “You’re only a year older than me and you’ve having a tougher time than I am. At least I have a home and family to go back to….”
“Yeah, well, it still wasn’t right for me to take my frustration out on you,” said Avery, watching Luz as she took a swig of soda. “Look, Noceda is good, but she’s not great. She’s got potential and the right attitude, and with a bit of training she could turn out all right. She’s a decent flier, at least, knows how to make sharp turns and dodges like a pro. I’m banking on her turning out to have a bit more talent than she showed today, to be honest. Regina Vega and Elaine Mallory both flew better, but Mallory’s a real whiner, she’s always moaning about something or other, and Vega’s involved in all sorts of clubs, she admitted herself that if training clashed with her Charm Club, she’d put Charms first. Anyway, we’re having a practice session at two o’clock tomorrow, so just make sure you’re there this time. And do me a favor and help Noceda out as much as you can.”
Akko nodded and Avery strolled to back to the team. Akko moved over to sit next to Blair, who awoke with a jerk as she put down her bag.
“Oh, Akko-nyan, it’s you…,” she said blearily. She shifted around in the chair, morphing into her human form. “Sorry, sorry, I’m just so – so – so tired,” she yawned. “I was up until one o’clock scouting the town for Jennifer’s spies. You never know where they might be hiding.”
“Right,” said Akko distractedly; if she didn’t tell somebody soon, she would burst. “Listen, Blair, I was just in Light Spinner’s office and – “
Blair listened closely. When Akko had finished, she said slowly, “You’re worried that she might be involved with Jennifer?”
“Well,” said Akko, dropping her voice, “it’s possible, isn’t it?”
“I suppose,” said Blair, though she sounded unconvinced. “But last year your scars hurt when nobody was touching you, and didn’t granny say it was because your scars can sense when the Seven Stars are under threat. I mean, maybe this hasn’t got anything to do with Light Spinner at all, maybe it’s just a coincidence it happened while you were with her?”
“She’s evil,” said Akko flatly. “Twisted.”
“She’s horrible, yes, but…Akko-nyan, I think you should go talk to Ursula about your scars hurting.”
“Why her?” asked Akko. “Shouldn’t I talk to Professor Holbrooke? Besides, she’s got enough problems as it is, fighting off her disease. Besides, it’s not a big deal. It’s been hurting on and off all summer – it was just worse tonight, that’s all – “
“Akko-nyan, Ursula would want to know this is bothering you – “
“Maybe I could write to Izetta-obasan, see what she thinks – “
“Akko-nyan, you can’t write something like that!” said Blair, looking alarmed. “Do you remember, the Magic Council could be intercepting our messages!”
“All right, all right, I won’t tell her, then!” said Akko irritably. She got to her feet. “I’m going to bed.”
As Akko stormed off to her room, Blair threw her head back with a groan. She reached inside her pocket and withdrew the carton of smokes that she had taken to carry around lately.
“This is why I picked up this filthy habit…,” Blair grimaced as she lit the stick.
Notes:
Next chapter: Messages at Midnight
Chapter 14: Messages at Midnight
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Akko was the first to awake in her dormitory next morning. She lay for a moment watching dust swirl in the chink of sunlight falling through the gap in her four-poster's hangings and savored the thought that it was Saturday. The first week of term seemed to have dragged on forever.
Judging by the sleepy silence and the freshly minted look of that beam of light, it was just after daybreak. She pulled open the curtains around her bed, making sure not to disturb Blair, and started to dress. The only sound apart from the distant twittering of birds was the slow, deep breathing of her friends. She opened her schoolbag carefully, pulled out paper and pen, and headed out of the dormitory for the common room.
Making straight for her favorite squashy old armchair beside the now extinct fire, Akko settled herself down comfortably and lay the paper flat on the table while looking around the room. The detritus of crumpled-up bits of paper, empty bottles, and candy wrappers that usually covered the common room at the end of each day was gone. Marianna – Andrew's personal maid and Akko's junior – was as immaculate as ever. Akko uncapped her pen and then held it suspended above the smooth white surface of her paper, thinking hard…. But after a minute or so, she found herself staring into the empty grate, at a complete loss for what to say.
She could now appreciate how hard it had been for Diana and the others to write her letters over the summer. How was she supposed to tell Izetta everything that had happened over the past week and pose all the questions she was burning to ask without giving potential letter-thieves a lot of information she did not want them to have?
She sat motionless for a while, gazing into the fireplace, then, finally coming to a decision, she set the pen resolutely upon the paper.
Dear Mikko,
Hope you're okay, the first week back here's been terrible. I'm really glad it's the weekend.
We've got a new self-defense teacher, Professor Light Spinner. She's almost as nice as your cousin. I'm writing because that thing I wrote to you about last summer happened again last night when I was doing detention with Light Spinner.
Please write back quickly.
Love,
Akko
Akko reread this letter several times, trying to see it from the point of view of an outsider. She could not see how they would know what she was talking about – or who she was talking to – just from reading this letter.
Considering it was a very short letter, it had taken a long time to write;' Sunlight had crept halfway across the room while she had been working on it, and she could now hear distant sounds of movement from the dormitories above. Sealing the letter carefully, she walked out of the common room and headed off for the school post office on the second floor.
"I wouldn't go that way if I were you," said Professor Croft, appearing around the corner hauling a huge load of papers under her arm as Akko walked down the passage. "That imp with the impossible name is planning to prank the next person that passes the bust of Medusa halfway down the corridor."
"Does it involve Medusa falling on top of the person's head?" asked Akko.
"Funnily enough, it does," said Professor Croft in a bored voice. "Subtly is not his strong point. I'm off to try and find the headmistress…. She might be able to put a stop to it…. See you, Miss Kagari…."
"Yeah, bye," said Akko and instead of turning right, she turned left, taking a longer but safer route down to the post office. Her spirits rose as she walked past window after window showing brilliantly blue skies; she had training later, she would be back on the race track at last.
The sun was high in the sky when Akko walked into the post office. It occurred to Akko as she looked around the well-furnished room and its polished counter that this was the first time in five years that she ever used the post office. Most of the people she talked to were either at School or available through texting. On the occasion she needed to send a letter, she always had Blair or Haruka-san deliver. But considering the purpose of the letter, she doubted either one of them would be willing to help now.
"Good morning," the student behind the counter – a seventh-year Corona – greeted Akko as she approached. "Need something sent out?"
"Er, yeah," said Akko awkwardly. She had never been to a post office before so she didn't know how she was supposed to act. She fumbled with the letter and held it. "Um, I need this delivered to the Cavendish Manor in Wedinburgh, Britain."
"Cavendish, huh?" said the seventh-year, taking the letter. She held it to the light first, then scrolled her wand over top. When she apparently found nothing dangerous, she said, "Give me a moment to search the address and figure out how much postage will cost."
While the seventh-year typed away at the laptop hidden behind the counter, Akko gazed out the window on her left onto the grounds. The treetops of the forest swayed in a light breeze. Akko watched them, thinking about Chariot Racing later. She spotted a couple of Arrancar leaping over the canopy, apparently chasing some creature…and then she saw them.
Standing on the edge of the forest, half covered in shadow, was a person dressed in a black coat. They were too far away to see what they were doing, but Akko got the distinct impression that they were staring at her. She knew that was impossible – no one could spot her from that distance – but the hairs on the back of Akko's neck stood up, her heart hammering madly in her chest.
The post office door opened behind her. Akko leapt in shock, and turning quickly, saw Diana holding a letter and a package in her hands.
"Hi," said Akko automatically.
"Um…hi?" said Diana awkwardly. "I didn't think anyone would be up here this early…. I was just delivering a birthday present to my cousins." She held up the package. "What are you do here? I don't think I've ever seen you use the post."
"Oh, I was uh – was sending a letter to Mikko," said Akko. She glanced sideways out the window, her heart still thumping in her chest, but the stranger in the black coat was already gone.
"Are you all right?" asked Diana, concerned.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," said Akko, stretching her arms above her head with an exaggerated yawn. "Didn't get much sleep last night. Lots of homework after detention."
"I know how you feel," said Diana understandably. "And I thought my third year was hectic…."
Just then, the post working student looked up from her computer, and said, "All right, I have you set for first-class priority to Wedinburgh. That'll be – "
"I'll pay for it," said Diana, approaching the counter and dropping her letter and package. "We're delivering to the same place, so we might as well share."
"You don't have to," said Akko. "I can pay for myself – "
"Akko, I'm richer beyond your wildest imagination," said Diana bluntly. "Paying for a little extra postage isn't going to put a dent in my wallet."
Akko didn't know if her girlfriend was bragging or showing off; probably the latter.
"Uh, okay," said Akko, knowing there was no point in arguing with her girlfriend. She leaned back against the counter while the postal student added Diana's mail to the delivery. "So…nice weather, huh?"
"We don't have to act like an old married couple…yet," said Diana teasingly, giggling as Akko's cheeks became inflamed. "But I suppose it is good racing conditions. I haven't been out all week. And I doubt you have with your detention."
"Nope," said Akko, sighing.
"I heard Testarossa was made captain of the Corona team," Diana commented.
"Makes sense; she's a beast when it comes to flying," said Akko. "I'm surprised you weren't made captain, Diana. You're the best flyer on your team."
"Oh, I was," Diana informed her, making Akko do a doubletake. "But with the S.T.A.R.s coming up on top of my duties as Prefect, not mention the huge workload this week alone, I simply don't have enough time to run the team. I left that in the hands of my senior. Perhaps I'll try next year when things have slowed down."
"You're so smart, Diana," Akko complimented, grinning.
"Flattery will get you everywhere," said Diana, grinning as well. "By the way, has your team found a replacement for O'Neill yet?"
"Yeah," said Akko. "It's a first year named Luz."
"Another first year, huh?" said Diana curiously. "She must be exceptionally to make it on the team. The last first year to get a spot on a team was – well, you."
"Yeah, I guess so," said Akko. "I didn't get to see her tryouts, though. I was in detention."
"I meant to ask, but are you okay?" asked Diana. "You were left alone in a room with Light Spinner for a whole week. She didn't do anything to hurt you, did she?"
Akko's heart swelled knowing that Diana was concerned for her wellbeing. But just as quickly, her stomach plummeted like a rock when the memory of Light Spinner's threat resurfaced. That woman was a cruel and heartless and Akko knew she wouldn't hesitate to bring down the whole Cavendish family to make Akko suffer. Akko couldn't do that to Diana…. But before she could consider how to reply, the post office door opened again.
Elma, the caretaker, came lurking into the room. Her finned tail swiped across the polished floor, her jagged horn nearly touching her ceiling, and her pointed eyes searched the room suspiciously; she was looking for something. Her focus landed on Akko and Diana and approached with a menacing stance that was reserved for students who were caught doing something wrong, something that Akko was familiar with.
"Kagari, Cavendish," said Elma, stopping in front of the girls. "I received a note in my office this morning that someone was planning to order a mass shipment of mud bombs. Naturally, I came to investigate."
Akko folded her arms and stared at the dragon.
"Who told you we were ordering mud bombs?"
"I have my suspicions," said Elma, shifting her eyes from Akko to the postal student. "Has mail already been shipped out?"
"No, ma'am, I have it right here," said the seventh-year, holding up Akko's letter.
"Then I will need to confiscate it for inspection," said Elma.
The postal student offered up the letter to Elma, who reached out to take it. If Akko's suspicion was correct, she knew that letter was going to end up in the wrong hands whether Elma knew or not. Desperate not to let that happen, Akko spoke without thinking and said, "You can't! That's for my er – relative!"
"Your relative?" Elma repeated slowly, examining the address on the letter. "In Wedinburgh?"
Akko hoped that Elma would pick up on the hint. If she remembered right, the Order Dragon was one of the few people that was aware of Akko and Izetta's relationship and was a member of the Celestial Sphere. If she put the pieces together, she could tell that Akko was trying to send a message to Izetta.
Everyone in the room waited tensely for Elma's next move; the dragon woman seemed to be taking her time thinking things over. Finally, to Akko's immense relief, Elma handed the letter back to the postal student.
"Well, if that's the case, I see nothing wrong here," said Elma cool as can be. Then the caretaker turned with a swish of her tail and shuffled back toward the door. She stopped with her hand on the handle and looked back at Akko. "Tell 'Mikko' that she should consider other means of contacting you. You know how things tend to get lost in the mail."
She slid out of the post office, using her tail to close the door behind her.
Akko and Diana looked at each other.
"That was close," Akko said.
"Thank goodness she's on our side," said Diana, sweeping her hair over her shoulder. "You haven't actually been ordering mud bombs, have you?"
"No," said Akko.
"Then who do you suppose sent Elma that that tip?" asked Diana.
Akko only needed one guess who.
"Uh, okay, so…," the seventh-year interrupted awkwardly. "Who's gonna pay for the postage?"
They left the post office together after paying and headed down the next floor to the Great Hall where all their friends had gathered for breakfast.
"Morning," Akko said brightly, sitting between Amanda and Hannah at their usual table.
"Where have you two been this morning?" Blair asked with a Cheshire grin, a piece of egg on her whiskers.
"Were the princess and the pest meeting for booty call?" said Amanda, grinning devilishly.
"Get your mind out of the gutter," Diana huffed, sitting up straight in a dignified manner. "I'll have you know, we just happened to meet at the post office, that's all?"
"What were you doing at the post office?" asked Blair, eyeing her ward suspiciously.
"Just…sending a letter," Akko mumbled, pretending to be focused on her grilled fish.
"To who?" Blair pressured.
"No one in particular," Akko dodged.
"If you wanted to send a letter," Lotte chimed in before Blair could speak, "you could have asked to use Haru – "
But she broke off when the morning paper arrived, dropped by a postal student, which landed perilously close to the sugar bowl; Diana passed a bill to the student, took the newspaper, and scanned the front page critically as they took off again.
"Anything interesting?" asked Jasminka, instantly swallowing four stacks of pancakes in a single gulp.
"No," she sighed, "just some guff about a bass player from Afterschool Tea Time flashing the audience…."
She opened the paper and disappeared behind it. Akko devoted herself to a bowl of rice and miso soup, staring wistfully up at the high windows, wondering if she could get some practice in before race training.
"Wait a moment," said Diana suddenly. "Oh no…Izetta!"
"What happened?" said Akko, and she snatched at the paper so violently that it ripped down the middle so that she and Diana were holding half each.
"'The Magic Council has received a tip-off from a reliable source that the White Witch Izetta, notorious mass murderer…blah, blah, blah…is currently hiding in Wedinburgh!'" Diana read from her half in an anguished whisper.
"Someone did recognize Izetta at the train station," said Akko in a low voice.
"I told that idiot not to risk it!" hissed Blair.
"…'Council warns the community that Izetta is very dangerous…killed one hundred and fifty-seven people…broke out of Dol Gurdur…' the usual tripe," Diana concluded, laying down her half of the paper and looking fearfully at Akko. "Well, she just won't be able to leave the manor again, that's all," she whispered. "She was warned repeatedly not to."
Akko looked down glumly at the bit of the paper she had torn off. Most of the page was devoted to an advertisement to Aikatsu Dress-Makers for All Occasions, which was apparently having a sale.
"Hey!" she said, flattening it down so the others could see. "Look at this!"
"The next time I wear a dress will beat my funeral," said Sucy sourly.
"No, not that," said Akko, "look…this little piece here…."
Everyone bent closer to read; the item was barely a foot long and placed at the bottom of a column. It was headlined:
TRESPASS AT MAGIC COUNCIL
Angela Parker, 38, has appeared in front of the Magic Council
charged with trespass and attempted robbery in Era on the 31st
of August. Parker was arrested by Magic Council watchwoman
Lilith, who found her attempting to force her way through a
top-security door at one o'clock in the morning. Parker, who
refused to speak in her own defense, was convicted on both
charges and sentenced to six months in Dol Guldur.
"Mum?!" Barbara shrieked, nearly ripping the paper again. "What the hell?! I know she's a bit loopy, but she's no criminal!"
"Barbara, shush!" said Diana, casting a terrified look around.
"Six months in Dol Guldur?!" whispered Hannah, shocked. "Just for trying to get through a door?!"
"It's about more than just trying to get through a door," said Stan-Bot; Constanze huffed angrily. "The Council would know that Angela was Barbara's mom, who is friends with Diana, who is dating Akko. Still, what on earth was she doing in Era at one o'clock in the morning?"
"Do you think she was doing something for the Sphere?" Jasminka muttered.
"Not that I heard of," said Blair.
"Wait a minute…," said Lotte slowly. "Barbara's mom was supposed to take us to the train station, remember?"
The others looked at her.
"Yeah, she was supposed to be part of our guard going to the station. And Ram was annoyed because she didn't turn up, so that doesn't seem like she was supposed to be on a job for them, does it?"
"This is definitely a frame-up," said Barbara fiercely. "It's like Constanze said, the Ministry knows I'm friends with Diana, who is in a relationship with Akko. The Council wants to hurt us, but they're too chicken shit to go after the Cavendishes directly. So trumped up a bunch of fake charges to throw my mum in jail. I bet she wasn't even anywhere near Era at the time."
There was a pause while they considered this. Akko thought it might have been a stretch, even for the Council; Blair, on the other hand, looked rather impressed and said, "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if that were true."
Diana folded up the newspaper thoughtfully. When Akko laid down her knife and fork, she seemed to come out of a reverie.
"Right, well , I think we should tackle the essay for Professor Roselei on Self-Fertilizing Shrubs first, and if we're lucky, we'll be able to start Professor Finnelan's Inanimatus Conjurus before lunch…"
Akko felt a small twinge of guilt at the thought of the pile of homework awaiting her upstairs, but the sky was a clear, exhilarating blue, and she had not been flying for a week…"
"I mean, we can do it tonight," Akko told Lotte and Sucy as they walked down the sloping awns toward the race track, Diana's dire warnings that they would fail all their S.T.A.R.s still ringing in their ears. "And we've got tomorrow. She gets too worked up sometimes. She needs to learn to chill…." There was a pause and she added, in a slightly more anxious tone, "D'you think she meant it when she said we weren't copying from her?"
"Yes," Sucy answered bluntly.
"…Well, still, this is important, too, I've gotta practice if I want to stay on the team. Especially since I can't use the Shiny Balai…."
"You still haven't been able to figure out why the Shiny Rod isn't working?" asked Lotte apprehensively.
"No, it's been out of whack ever since the summer," said Akko, frowning. "Ever since…."
Akko glanced over to her right as they approached the race track, to where the trees of the forest were swaying darkly. No dark-hooded figures lay in wait. Akko had enough to worry about; until the person in the Black Coat presented themselves, Akko decided to push them from her mind.
Akko borrowed a school-issued broom from the supply closet and took it around the around the track for a while. It lacked the speed and flexibility of Shooting Star, and the strength and acceleration of the Shiny Balai. It was like downgrading from a formula one race car to a station wagon. She spent the next few hours being timed by Lotte as they tried different tracks, but no matter how much she tried, Akko couldn't even match half the speed of her other brooms. It was still good enough the match the times of her teammates, which means she wouldn't liability, but now they would have to come up with a new strategy since Akko couldn't blast through the course anymore.
They returned to the school later for lunch, during which Diana made it quite clear that she thought Akko was being irresponsible, then Akko returned to the track alone for the real training session. All her teammates but Avery were already in the changing room when she arrived.
"All right, Kagari?" asked Rashmi (?)
"Been better," said Akko. "Just glad to be out on the track again."
"Well, you better get better soon," said Rajani (?), emerging tousle-haired from her neck of the uniform. "Avery's was on a warpath during the tryouts because you were in detention. More than half the kids ran back to the school in tears."
"Well, at least we got Luz, right?" said Akko, pulling on her own team uniform. "She seems like a strong girl."
"Yeah, not so sure about that anymore?" said Rashmi (?), noting how the Latina girl was unusually quiet as she got dressed, fiddling nervously with the laces of her boots. Luz had been given Amelia's old uniform, which had to be shrunk down and refitted because Amelia had been twice her size.
"Okay everyone," said Avery, entering from the captain's office, already changed. "Let's get to it; Rashmi, Rajani, go set up the controls for the course shift. Let's start with something simple for Noceda's first practice. Kagari, I want you working closely with Noceda, show her the ropes. Oh, and couple of people are out there watching, but I want you to ignore them, all right?"
Something in her would-be casual voice made Akko think she might know who the uninvited spectators were, and sure enough, when they left the changing room, for the bright sunlight of the track, the other four Chariot Racing teams were grouped around the four corners of the stadium, all looking down at them critically, especially Diana and Fate. Akko heard Luz gulp loudly.
"W-what's going on?" asked Luz nervously. "Is this normal? Should we be worried? They're not gonna pick a fight, are they?"
Akko nearly laughed. She almost forgot that despite earning a place on the team, Luz was still an eleven-year-old girl in a strange, unfamiliar environment. Akko clapped her shoulder playfully and said, "No, we're not gonna fight. They're just here to check out the competition."
"Every time a team picks up a new player, the others like to scope out the talent," said Rajani.
"it's their way of intimidating the new blood," said Rashmi. "Like a hazing ritual."
"Oh man, I'm gonna embarrass myself out there, aren't I?" groaned Luz.
"Trust me, you can't be any more of an embarrassment than me," Akko said almost proudly. "Just stick close and you'll be fine."
"Y-Yeah, thanks, Akko – wait, no, you're Japanese," said Luz thoughtfully. "I should call you Akko-senpai – "
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Akko shouted so suddenly, it made Luz lurch back in a terrible fright. Akko to a moment to realize her overreaction, very aware of the others watching apprehensively. She coughed in her fist, taking a moment to collect herself, and said in a softer tone, "Sorry, I didn't mean to explode like that. It's just…I have some bad memories associated with that honorific. Just call me Akko."
"Um, okay…Akko," said Luz timidly.
"All right, we're wasting daylight!" called Avery. "Brooms in the air!"
Akko mounted her broom and kicked off the ground and Luz followed her from behind. The Latina's eyes shifted anxiously between the other teams watching them.
"Ignore them," said Akko, decelerating to fly beside Luz. "Just focus on your flying and you'll be okay. We'll show them what you have to offer…."
"That's exactly the attitude I want, Kagari," said Avery approvingly, soaring around them and slowing to hover on the spot in front of her airborne team. "Okay, everyone, we're going to start with the basic course to gauge everyone's speed and work on our passes. We have to get a feel for out new teammate and Kagari's…special circumstances," she added, glancing at the old worn broom that Akko had been force to right. "Everyone in first position…."
Akko hovered off to the side with Luz and the Twins while Avery moved to the starting line, adjusting the large ring on her wrist. Rajani held the stopwatch and started it up after Rashmi gave the signal to Avery. As expected of their captain, she took off like a missile, zipping around the track like a blur. Of course, Akko knew that it was only the basic track right now and that it would be exceptionally more difficult when the other courses came into play.
After doing a sweep around the track, Avery passed the ring smoothly off to Rajani, who immediately took off once secured on her wrist. After another lap, she passed it off to her twin. On rotation later and Rashmi tossed the ring to Akko as she passed, who thankfully caught it in the air and flew off. Akko circled the track with a good enough time, but when she tried to pass it off to Luz at the starting line, the first-year fumbled with her fingers and dropped it.
The Corona and Twilight teams immediately took notice and talked quietly among themselves while the Eclipse openly roared with laughter; the Lunar Team remained thoughtfully silent. Luz, who had pelted toward the ground to catch the ring before it landed, pulled out of the dive unsteadily, so that she slipped sideways on her broom, and returned to playing height, blushing. Akko saw the twins exchange looks, but neither of them said anything, for which she was grateful.
"Shrug it off, Noceda," called Avery, as though nothing happened. "Everyone makes mistakes."
Luz took her lap at a much slower pace than the others and passed the ring off to Avery, who went for a second lap….
"Ay dios mio, that was so humiliating," Luz groaned into her hands beside Akko.
"Hey, you didn't do anything bad," said Akko comfortingly as Avery passed the baton onto Rajani. "Believe me, I've personally done a lot worse."
Both Rajani and Rashmi took their laps before it was Akko's turn again. She flattened herself against her broom, trying to cut her time even by a few seconds. Without Shooting Star and Shiny Balai, she needed to rely on her own skills. She felt she had done rather well until she made the mistake of throwing Luz the ring, who lunged for it and missed by inches.
"Come on now, Noceda," said Avery crossly, as Luiz dived for the ground again, chasing the baton. "Pay attention."
It would have been hard to say whether Luz's face or her team uniform was a deeper scarlet when she returned again to playing height. The Eclipse's redoubled laughter wasn't helping any.
On her third attempt, Akko managed to smoothly transition the ring to Luz; perhaps out of relief she flew a little faster and ended up throwing the ring at Avery's face when she was supposed to pass it on.
"Sorry!" Luz groaned, zooming forward to see whether she had done any damage.
"I'm fine!" barked Avery, shoving Luz away. "But as you're passing to a teammate, do try not to knock them off their broom, won't you? The other teams do that well enough as it is."
"Sorry…," Luz mumbled pathetically.
"All right, we're going to practice for real now," called Avery. "Rashmi, go change the course – the canyon track should be suitable enough. "Rajani, Kagari go collect the rings and the targets and set them up along the course. Make sure they are well spread out."
Akko zoomed off after Rajani to collect the supplies.
"Noceda's making a real mess of things, isn't she?" muttered Rajani, as the two of them landed and extracted a handful of rings and wooden bullseyes.
"She's just nervous," said Akko. "She'll be fine with a little more practice. I wasn't that great when I started out."
"As hard as it may be to believe, you were never as bad as you think, Kagari," said Rajani.
They twenty minutes to set up the equipment around the canyon track, which was a deep gorge with high stone walls and rock columns in the middle. When Avery blew her whistle, they each took a turn through the course, weaving through the obstacles, blasting the targets with their wands and snatching up the rings that Akko had tucked away in the most hard-to-reach places. Before, Akko never had to worry about these because her primary objective was to reach the finish line as soon as possible. But while the twins were taping their laps, Avery pulled Akko to the side out of earshot.
"I'm changing the game plan up a bit," she told Akko shortly. "I want you racing fourth and putting Noceda as out anchor."
"What, why?" asked Akko. She had always played the same position when Amelia was captain.
"Because right now, you don't have the advantage you had with your other brooms," said Avery. "Which means we can't rely on speed to win this time around. So instead, we'll be focusing on gathering more points than the other teams. So from now on, you're point gathering with the rest of us."
"But then why is Luz last?" asked Akko.
"Uh, captain, Rajani – or Rashmi – are almost done!" Luz called.
"Then go!" Avery snapped. "We're in the middle of something can't you see?!"
Luz made a small whimper and tried to make herself as small as possible, putting over to the starting line to await one of the twins.
"I don't know happened," Avery groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "She was better than this at tryouts."
"You're being too hard on her," said Akko critically. "She's never played before."
"Which is why I thought she was some kind of prodigy after she did so well," said Avery, sighing. "But as things are now, we won't be ready in time when the real competition starts. That's why I want you on point gathering while Noceda focuses on finishing. I can't trust her to perform well under preassure."
"And you think I can?" said Akko. "I've never played any other position besides anchor."
"But you've got a better chance than Noceda," Avery refuted. "And you've been playing longer than she has, so I know you've got the experience and skill necessary to pull it off. You just need practice."
"So does Luz."
"Look, I admire that you're sticking up for your junior," said Avery, frowning. "But we have to think about the team. And what's best for the team is to have you gathering points to make up for – "
"Noceda!"
Akko and Avery turned and saw the twins flying across the course as fast as they could. Akko and Avery followed after them. As they flew over the canyon wall, Akko hissed inwardly and winced, finding Luz on the ground with her arm bending the wrong way. The memory of her first match in the second year made Akko reach for her own arm, remembering how it had been broken by Marianna mid-match.
"What happened?" said Avery, landing roughly.
"She was going too fast on the turn and hit the wall," said Rashmi, grimacing.
Rajani, who had been examining Luz's arm, winced and said, "Yeah, she's gonna need to go to the hospital wing ASAP."
"Well, there's no point continuing practice with just the two of us," said Avery glumly, as the twins zoomed off toward the school supporting Luz between them. "Come on, let's go and get changed."
Only the Eclipse team was still in the stands, jeering as they trailed back into the changing rooms.
"Well, that could have gone better," said Diana rather aloof half and hour later when Akko dragged her feet back up to the school.
"It wasn't that bad," said Akko. Diana quirked her brow questionably. "Okay, it could have gone better. But come on, give the kid a break, It was Luz's first practice, and there were people watching – "
"That's no excuse, and you know it," Diana cut her off. "If she can't hand the other teams watching her every move, how do you think she'll handle the entire school? I overheard Testarossa talking to the other captains about Polaris's chances this year."
"I didn't take Fate to be so nasty," said Akko, frowning.
"She wasn't," said Diana. "She was expressing her disappointment that Polaris wasn't playing up to their usual standards. And I quite agree with her. There's no satisfaction in winning if the other team isn't giving their best."
"So you're a Polaris supporter now?" said Akko.
"I just don't want to hear any excuse when I kick your butt in the tournament this year," said Diana with a challenging smirk.
Akko didn't make much headway that night with her homework, constantly flashback to the disastrous practice earlier that day and wondering if Luz was all right, and not just physically. She hoped one practice wasn't enough to make her consider quitting. She was a good kid and clearly knew what she was doing if Avery could vouch for her; she just had a case of the nerves was all.
The Polaris girls spent the whole of Sunday in the common room, buried in their books while the room around them filled up, then emptied. It was another clear, fine day and most of their classmates spent the day out in the grounds, enjoying what might well be some of the last sunshine that year. By the evening, Akko felt as though somebody was beating her brain against the inside of her skull.
"You know, we should probably try and get more homework done during the week," Sucy muttered as they finally laid aside Professor Finnelan's long essay on the Inanimatus Conjurus spell and turned miserably to Professor Roselei's equally long and difficult essay about Black Mercies.
"Yeah," said Amanda, rubbing slightly bloodshot eyes and throwing her fifth spoiled paper into the fire beside them. "Listen…can't we just ask Princess if we can have a look at what she's done? She's your girlfriend, Akko?"
"And you think that gets me special treatment?" Akko scoffed entertainingly. "Not happening."
And so they worked on while the sky outside the windows became steadily darker; slowly, the crowd in the common room began to thin again. At half-past eleven, Blair wandered over to them, yawning.
"Are you done yet?"
"Not even close," said Stan-Bot.
"Can't we just finish off the rest tomorrow?" Amanda bemoaned.
"You asked the same thing yesterday," said Lotte shortly. "And look where we are now."
"But we've been doing this all day – "
"Amanda – " said Jasminka.
"Maybe we could corner the princess in the library tomorrow and – "
"Amanda – look!"
Jasminka was pointing to the nearest window. Everyone looked over. A beautiful reddish-orange bird with golden plumage was standing on the windowsill, gazing into the room at Amanda.
"That's Asher!" Amanda gasped.
"Who?" asked Akko cluelessly.
"Amelia's pet phoenix," Jasminka informed.
"Amelia has a pet phoenix?!" Akko yelped in surprise. "Aren't those like, super rare?"
"Why would you think that?" said Blair, flicking her tail. "There are literally thousands of phoenixes and all of them are immortal. The Magic Council has a special department on Mount Taixuan just to keep them from overpopulating."
Amanda crossed to the window and opened it; Asher the Phoenix flew inside and landed on Amanda's essay, and stretched its wing to reveal a letter tucked in its joint. Amanda took it and Asher departed at once, leaving claw marks across Amanda's paper.
"This is definitely Amelia's handwriting," said Amanda, sinking back into her chair and staring at the words on the envelope: To Amanda O'Neill, Polaris House, Luna Nova. "Why is she writing me a letter. She could've just texted or e-mailed me."
"Open it!" said Akko eagerly.
Amanda tore open the envelope, unfolded the letter, and began to read aloud:
Dear Amanda,
Wow, it's been ages since I've written a letter by hand. It reminds
me of the times we use to send secret messages to each other as
kids. Man, where does the time go?
I have only just heard from mom that you've been accepted in the
Paris Opera Ballet School and that you'll be attending next year.
I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the news. I knew you liked
dancing, but I thought it was just a hobby. Now I understand that
you're just as passionate about ballet as I am about Chariot Racing
and want to offer my sincerest congratulations. I hope you won't
forget about the little people like me when you're dancing on stage
at the Théâtre du Châtelet.
But I want to give you more than congratulations, Amanda, I want
to give you some advice, which is why I am sending this at night
rather than by the usual morning mail. Hopefully you will be able
to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions.
From something the Councilmen let slip while I was working in the
office, I gather that you're still seeing a lot of Akko Kagari. I must
tell you, Amanda, that nothing could put you in danger of losing
your credibility than associating with that girl. Yes, I am sure you
are surprised to hear this – no doubt you will say that Kagari has
always been Holbrooke's favorite – but I feel bound to tell you
that Holbrooke may not be in charge at Luna Nova much longer
and the people who count will have a very different – and more
accurate – view of Kagari's behavior. I will say no more here, but
if you look at the news tomorrow, you will get a good idea of
the way the wind is blowing.
Seriously, Amanda, you do not want to be counted as one of
Kagari's associates, it could be very damaging to your future
prospects, and I am talking here about life after school too.
As you must be aware, Kagari had a disciplinary hearing this
summer in front of the whole council and she did not come out
of it looking too good. She got off on a mere technicality if you
ask me and many of the people I've spoken to remain convinced
of her guilt.
It may be that you're afraid to sever ties with Kagari – I know
that she can be unbalanced and, for all I know, violent – but if
you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else
in Kagari's behavior that is troubling you, I urge you to speak to
Light Spinner, a really delightful woman, who I know will be only
too happy to advise you.
This leads me to my other bit of advice. As I have hinted above,
Holbrooke's regime at Luna Nova may soon be over. Your loyalty,
Amanda, should not be with her, but to the school and the Council.
I am sorry to hear that so far Professor Light Spinner is encountering
very little cooperation from staff as she strives to make those
necessary changes within Luna Nova that the Council so ardently
desires (although she should find this easier from next week). I
shall only say this- a student who shows herself willing to help
Professor Light Spinner now may be smiled upon by the council,
which will work wonders toward your future.
Please think over what I have said carefully, particularly the bit
about Akko Kagari, and congratulations on getting into the Paris
Opera Ballet School.
Your sister,
Amelia
By the time she was done reading, Akko's jaw was practically on the floor. Did Amelia really write this? In the three years they were on the Chariot Racing team, Amelia had always been kind and supportive; she was the one who introduced Chariot Racing to Akko way back! But to see this letter….
"How could she write something so awful…," Lotte murmured, looking close to crying. "I always thought she was our friend. I never thought she could be so cruel – "
"She isn't," said Amanda without a hint of doubt. "She doesn't mean a word of this crap."
"But she wrote – "
"It's fake, to throw off anyone who shouldn't be reading this," said Amanda firmly, setting the letter on the table and flipping it over so that the blank backside was facing up. "The real message is right here."
"I don't see anything," said Stan-Bot. "Scans aren't picking up anything either. Except that the paper is covered in a lot of citrus juice for some reason."
But Amanda smirked confidently and held her right hand over the paper. In a few seconds, her palm was glowing bright orange and radiating with heat. This heat was part of Amanda's Salem heritage, something only her family was capable of conjuring. She waved her hand over the paper and, sure enough, letters started forming on the page.
"Invisible ink!" Akko gasped.
"There was a hidden message!" said Lotte, surprised. "How did you know?"
"At the start of the letter, she mentioned how we used to send secret messages when we were kids," Amanda explained. "Back when we were little, we used to use invisible ink all the time whenever we were planning to cause trouble and didn't want our mom finding out."
"Clever," Blair complimented. "Wish I had thought of that when I was in school."
"Don't you think the Council's codebreakers might have seen this?" asked Sucy.
"It's an old human trick that uses citrus juice to write out messages," said Amanda, chuckling mischievously. "It doesn't use magic, so the Council is too stupid to figure it out."
"Well, what does the real message say?" asked Akko.
"Let me see…," Amanda mumbled, looking over the letter. "Um, okay…'Crawford is passing a new law that will give Light Spinner more power over Luna Nova. I don't know the details, but it sounds like she'll be in a position to control the school. Keep your head low and your nose clean until we can sort this out. And look out for Akko for me, will you, sis? I'd hate for anything to happen to my favorite anchor.' That's all it says.
Akko felt a flood of relief wash over. Amelia didn't hate her; she was still looking out for Akko even after graduating.
"That doesn't sound good," said Lotte, frowning. "All that talk about granny's 'regime' coming to an end, and the Council passing new laws to make Light Spinner more powerful. This can't end well."
"I never thought I'd say this, but I think my sis is right," said Amanda, frowning. "We need to keep our heads down for when shit hits the fan. You know that old hag will look for any excuse to expel us."
"Not if the teachers don't flunk us for not finishing our homework," said Sucy, returning everyone's attention to the half-finished essays on the table. "C'mon, I wanna go to bed. So let's hurry up and finish this."
The others groaned, but reluctantly agreed.
It was now past midnight and the common room was deserted except for them. The only sound was that of their pens scratching out sentences on their essays and the ruffle of pages as they checked various facts in the reference books strewn across the table. Akko was exhausted. She also felt an odd, sick, empty feeling in her stomach that had nothing to with tiredness and everything to do with the letter now curling blackly in the heart of the fire.
Though the initial message had been fake, it was a reminder that half the people inside Luna Nova thought Akko strange, even insane; she knew the news had been making snide allusions to her for months, but there was something about seeing it written down in her old captain's writing, about advising Amanda to drop her and even snitch to Light Spinner, that made her situation real to her as nothing else had. Even if it was just to cover her true meaning, Akko's heart had nearly dropped at the thought of Amelia betraying her after everything they had been through.
And with a surge of sympathy for her aunt, Akko thought that Izetta was probably the only person she knew who could understand how she felt at the moment, because Izetta was in the same situation; nearly everyone in the world thought Izetta a dangerous murderer and a great Aradia supporter (which she was, technically, just not the way people thought) and she had to live with that knowledge for fifteen years….
Akko blinked. She had just seen something in the fire that could not have been there. It had flashed into sight and vanished immediately. No…it couldn't have been…. She had imagined it because she had been thinking about Izetta….
Akko slid off her chair onto her knees and was now crouching in the singed and threadbare rug, gazing into the flames.
"Er – Akko?" said Lotte uncertainly. "Why are you down there?"
"Better not be thinking of jumping in," Sucy scolded her. "Your organs are worthless if they're burned."
"I just saw Izetta in the fire," said Akko.
She spoke quite calmly; after all, she had seen Izetta in this very fire the previous year and talked to her too. Nevertheless, she could not be sure she had really seen her this time…. It had vanished so quickly….
"Izetta," Blair repeated, frowning. "You mean like when she wanted to talk to you during the Contest of Champions? But even she's not dumb enough to – Izetta?!"
She gasped, gazing at the fire; Constanze jumped in her seat. There in the middle of the dancing flames was a tiny, transparent Izetta, grinning proudly up at all of them.
"I was starting to think you'd go to bed before everyone else had disappeared," she said. "I've been checking every hour."
"You've been popping in every hour?" said Akko, half laughing.
"Just for a few seconds to check if the coast was clear yet."
"What if you had been seen?" said Blair disapprovingly.
"Well, I think a girl – first year by the looks of her – might have got a glimpse of me earlier, but don't worry," Izetta added hastily, as Blair hissed, her hackles raised. "I was gone the moment she looked back at me and I'll bet she just thought I was an oddly shaped log or something."
"That's a risk you shouldn't have taken – " Blair began.
"This coming from the girl who came close to being expelled a hundred times in school," Izetta scoffed.
"I was an irresponsible child back then," said Blair. "I grew up since then so that I could help raise Akko-nyan. She's practically my daughter, which is why I don't want to put her in any unnecessary risk."
Akko was both uplifted and a little embarrassed by Blair's words. She really thought Akko as a daughter to her…well, they had been together since the moment Akko was born, so it wasn't too far off….
"Look, this was the only way I could come up with for answering Akko's letter without resorting to a code," said Izetta defensively. "And codes are breakable."
"So you did send a letter to Izetta after I told you not to," said Blair, leering at her ward accusingly.
"Don't look at me like that," said Akko, crossing her arms in a huff. "There was no way anyone would have gotten secret information out of it, was there, Izetta-obaasan?"
"No, it was very good," said Izetta, smiling. "Anyway, we'd better be quick, just in case we're disturbed – your scars."
"What about - ?" Lotte began, but Blair said quickly, "We'll tell you afterward, go on, Izetta."
"Well, I know it can't be fun when they hurt, but we don't think it's anything to worry about. They kept aching all last year, didn't they?"
"Yeah, and Professor Ursula said it happened whenever the Stars are in danger," said Akko. "Amon and them had the time Star for months, that's why it was always going off. But that means the other three Stars could be in danger."
"No, I confirmed that the Stars Athena and Chariot hid are still safe," said Izetta, shaking her head. "What about the one you hid, Blair?"
"Far away where no one would think to look," said Blair confidently. "If anything did happen, my contacts would inform me."
"So that settles that," said Izetta.
"But my scars – "
"Now that Jennifer is back, the Stars will always be in constant danger," said Izetta.
"So if the Stars are safe, then why did my scars react when Light Spinner touched me in detention?" Akko asked.
"You should probably phrase that better," Amanda commented.
"I have no idea," said Izetta. "I only know her by reputation, so I can't be sure if she's working with Jennifer – "
"She's certainly evil enough," said Akko darkly and Lotte nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Yes, but the world isn't painted in black and white," said Izetta with a wry smile. "Sometimes you can't tell who people are behind their masks. I mean, look at Jennifer. Her intentions may be noble, but her means are anything but."
"Light Spinner doesn't strike me as the noble type," said Sucy.
"And you would be right," said Izetta. "She's a parasite leeching off another to suit her own means. You know she ran an orphanage before joining the Council? From an outsider's perspective, she seemed like a sweet and charitable woman. But behind the scenes, she was psychologically torturing those children, turning them against one another and weeding out those who wouldn't be useful in the future. She favored those with the highest potential and pushed them into influential positions so that she could control things from behind the scenes. Those who were less favored were left…broken."
"Poor Catra…," Blair murmured.
"And no one ever suspected anything?" asked Jasminka, appalled.
"She's good at covering her tracks," said Izetta, shaking her head with a frown. "So what are Light Spinner's lessons like? Anything we should be concerned with?"
"No," said Akko. "She's not letting us use magic at all!"
"All we do is read the stupid textbook," said Amanda.
"Ah, well, that figures," said Izetta. "Our information from inside the Council is that Crawford doesn't want you trained in combat."
"Trained in combat?" repeated Lotte incredulously. "What does he think we're doing here, forming some sort of army?"
"That's exactly what he thinks you're doing," said Izetta, "or rather, that's exactly what he's afraid Chariot is doing. Using Akko – her daughter – to form her own private army, with which she will be able to take on the Magic Council."
There was a pause at this, then Stan-Bot said, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard, and I take Modern Magic classes with Akko."
"HEY!"
"So we're being stopped from learning self-defense because Crawford is scared we'll use spells against the Council?" said Jasminka, frowning.
"That about sums it up," said Izetta. "Crawford thinks Chariot will stop at nothing to seize power. He is becoming increasingly paranoid by the day, aided by the fact he doesn't know where she is or what she's doing. And it's only going to get worse the longer Chariot stays hidden. It's only a matter of time before he has Chariot's associates arrested to draw her out. Starting with those in Luna Nova."
This reminded of Amelia's letter.
"D'you know about any new laws Crawford is passing that'll affect Luna Nova? Amanda's sister said something there might be something coming – "
"I don't know," said Izetta, "I haven't see anyone from the Sphere all weekend. Most of them are out trying to locate Ymir."
"Something happened to Professor Ymir?" asked Jasminka, worried.
"We're not sure," said Izetta. "She was supposed to be back by now, no one knows what happened." Then, seeing Jasminka's stricken face, she added quickly, "But Chariot's not worried, so don't get yourself in a state; I'm sure Ymir's fine."
"But if she was supposed to be back by now…," said Jasminka in a small voice.
"Look, Ymir is a tough old beast – there's nothing to suggest that she's hurt or – well, nothing to suggest she's perfectly okay."
Unconvinced, Akko exchanged worried looks with her friends.
"Listen, don't go asking too many questions about Ymir," said Izetta hastily, "it'll draw even more attention to the fact that she's not back, and we don't want that. She'll be fine." And when they did not appear cheered by this, Izetta added, "When's your next Blytonbury weekend anyway? I was thinking, we got away with the fix disguise at the station, didn't we? I think I could – "
"NO!" said Akko and Blair together, very loudly.
Out of the question!" said Blair authoritatively. "Didn't you see the news today?"
"Oh that," said Izetta, grinning, "they're always guessing where I am, they haven't got a clue – "
"Yeah, but this was way too close to be a coincidence this time," said Akko. "You saw the date you were reported, right? That was the day you came with us to the station. That can't be a coincidence. Someone knew it was you, and if you get spotted in Blytonbury – "
"All right, all right, I've got the point," said Izetta, looking very displeased. "Just an idea, thought you might like to get together – "
I do, I just don't want you thrown back in jail!" said Akko.
There was a pause in which Izetta looked out of the fire at Akko, a crease between her eyes.
"You're less like your mother than I thought," she said finally, a definite coolness in her voice. "The risk would've made it fun for Chariot."
"When we were school kids without a care in the world," said Blair, leering. "But while you were in prison, the rest of us grew up. Maybe you should consider joining us."
Izetta glared back at the purple feline. There was a tiny pop, and the place where Izetta had been was flickering flame once more.
Notes:
Next chapter: The Magic Inquisition
Chapter 15: The Magic Inquisition
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
They had expected to comb through Diana’s newspaper carefully next morning to find the article Amelia had mentioned in her letter. However, the mail witch had barely cleared the table when Diana let out a huge gasp and flatted the paper to reveal a large photograph of Light Spinner staring up at them from beneath the headline
MAGIC COUNCIL SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM
LIGHT SPINNER APPOINTED FIRST-EVER “HIGH INQUISITOR”
“’High Inquisitor’?” said Amanda darkly, her half-eaten bit of toast slipping from her fingers. “What does that mean?”
Diana read aloud:
“In a surprise move last night, the Magic Council passed new legislation giving itself unprecedented level of control at Luna Nova Magical Academy.
“’The Chairman has been growing uneasy about the going-ons at Luna Nova for some time’ said Councilman Gran Doma. ‘He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.’
“This is not the first time in recent weeks Crawford Seam has used new laws to effect improvements at the magical academy. As recently as August 30th, Educational Decree Twenty-Two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current headmistress being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Council should select an appropriate person.
“’That’s how Light Spinner came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Luna Nova,’ said Councilman Gran Doma last night. ‘Holbrooke couldn’t find anyone, so the Council put in Light Spinner and of course, she’s been an immediate success – ‘”
“I’m sorry, WHAT?!” said Hannah loudly.
“Wait, there’s more,” said Diana grimly.
“’ – an immediate success, completely revolutionizing the teaching of magical self-defense and providing the Chairman with on-the-ground feedback about what’s really happening at Luna Nova.’
“It is this last function that the Magic Council has now formalized with the passing of Educational Decree Twenty-Three, which creates the new position of ‘Luna Nova High Inquisitor.’
“’This is a new phase in the Council’s plan to get the grips with what some are calling the “falling standards” at Luna Nova,’ said Councilman Gran Doma. ‘The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are up to scratch. Professor Light Spinner has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post, and we are delighted to say that she had accepted.’
“The Council’s new moves have received enthusiastic support from the families of students at Luna Nova.
“’I can rest much easier now that I know that Holbrooke in being subjected to fair and objective evaluation,’ said Ms. Daryl Cavendish, 41, speaking from her Wedinburgh garden last night. ‘I never felt safe sending my own daughters to Luna Nova because of Holbrooke’s eccentric decisions. I had considered many times pulling my beloved niece, Diana, from that place over the years, but it was my departed sister’s wish that her daughter attends the same school. I have always had my niece’s best interests at heart and I am glad to know that the Council is keeping an eye on the situation.’
“Among those ‘eccentric decisions’ are undoubtedly the controversial staff appointments previously described in this newspaper, which have included the hiring of the Human child author, Annabel Crème, Titan-Shifter Ymir Lenz, and the convicted black wizard, Zeref Dragneel.
“Rumors abound, of course, that Miranda Holbrooke, once Supreme Enchantress of the International Confederacy of Demi-Humans, is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Luna Nova.
“’I think the appointment of the Inquisitor is a first step toward ensuring that Luna Nova has a headmistress in whom we can all repose confidence’ said a Council insider last night.
“The introduction of the post of Inquisitor to Luna Nova was not without criticism. Most prominent among them is Theresa Apocalypse, newly appointed Overseer of Schicksal following her grandfather’s unexplained passing. Overseer Theresa has since severed all relations between Schicksal and the Magic Council in protest to the Magic Council’s laws.
“Luna Nova is a school, not an outpost of Crawford Seam’s office,’ said Overseer Theresa. ‘This is a thinly veiled attempt to discredit those who don’t share the Magic Council’s views of the current state of the world.’ (For a full account of Overseer Theresa’s interview, turn to page 17).”
Diana finished reading and looked across the table at the others.
“So now we know how we ended up with Light Spinner! Seam passed this ‘Educational Decree’ and forced her onto us! And now he’s given her the power to inspect other teachers!” Diana was breathing very fast and her eyes were very bright. “I can’t believe this. It’s outrageous…!”
“Is that the mad kind of outrageous or the fun Aquaman kind?” asked Jasminka curiously.
“The mad kind!”
Surprisingly, a grin was unfurling on Sucy’s face.
“What’re you so cheery about?” asked Barbara.
“I was just imagining Professor Finnelan being inspected,” said Sucy giddily. “Light Spinner won’t know what hit her.”
“Well, come on, Akko,” said Diana, jumping up, “we’d better get going, if she’s inspecting Professor Roselei’s class, we don’t want to be late….”
But Light Spinner was not inspecting their Herbalism class, nor was she in Professor Azusa’s double pharmaceuticals, where Akko’s essay on slime goo was handed back to her with a large, red 3 scrawled in the upper corner.
“I have handed you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your S.T.A.R.,” said Professor Azusa with a deep frown like a disapproving mother, as she swept among them, passing back their homework. “This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in your examination.”
Professor Azusa reached the front of the class and turned on her heel to face them.
“The general standard f this homework was disappointing. Most of you would have failed had this been your exams. I expect to see a great deal more effort for this week’s essay on the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I will have to start handing out detentions until you start taking this seriously.”
Akko realized that Lotte was looking sideways to see what grade she had received; she slid her slime goo essay back into her bag as quickly as possible, feeling she would rather keep that information to herself.
Determined not to get detention for the second week in a row, Akko read and reread every line of the instructions on the blackboard at least three times before acting on them. Her Strengthening Solution was not precisely the clear turquoise shade of Sucy’s, but it was at least blue rather than pink, like Amanda’s, and she delivered a flask of it to Professor Azusa’s desk at the end of the lesson with a feeling of relief.
“Well, that wasn’t as bad as last week, right?” said Lotte, as they climbed the steps to the ground level and made their way across the entrance hall toward lunch. “And the homework didn’t go too badly either, did it?”
Akko offered no response, but neither did Amanda, Hannah, Barbara, or Constanze, so she wasn’t the only one who got a disappointing grade. Lotte grimaced uncomfortably and pressed on, “I mean, all right, I didn’t expect the top grade, not if she’s marking to S.T.A.R. standard, but a pass is encouraging at this stage, don’t you think?”
Constanze clicked her tongue.
“But a lot can happen between now and the exam, we’ve got plenty of time to improve, but the grades we’re getting now are a sort of baseline, aren’t they? Something we can build on….”
They sat down together at their favorite table.
“Obviously, I’d be thrilled if I had gotten a seven – “
“Jannson,” said Barbara sharply, “if you want to know what grades we got, ask.”
“I don’t – I didn’t mean – well, if you wouldn’t mind telling me – “
“I got a two, all right,” Barbara grumbled, stirring her soup around.
“Wow, I thought you were supposed to be some kind of genius,” said their upperclassman, Hayate Yagami, who had arrived with Nanoha and Fate and was sitting on Akko’s left. “How did you score a two?”
“Potions are the same as machines,” said Barbara defensively. “With tech, you can always expect the same outcome. Potions is just…random and chaotic.”
“Still, you should work on bringing that grade up before the exams come around,” Fate advised. “You need at least a four or higher to move on to Professor Azusa’s S.T.A.R. classes.”
“You’re lucky she’s being so lenient,” Hayate remarked. “Back when Hex was still professor, he couldn’t let anyone take his classes without at least getting a 6.”
“I still have wartime flashbacks from all the studying,” Fate groaned, holding her head like she was in pain.
“Um…could I ask you something?” Akko said to Fate and Hayate. “You two already took your S.T.A.R.s, right? I don’t understand how the grading system works.”
“It’s really straightforward,” Hayate explained simplistically. “The grading scales goes between one and seven with seven being the top grade and one being the worst. In order to attend your S.T.A.R. classes, you need to earn a certain grade for that subject. The requirements differ between teachers, but most of them consider a four passing. A three or below is generally failing.”
Akko smacked her forehead on the table with a remorseful groan, making the plates clatter; yet nobody batted an eye at her strangeness. Akko imagined trying to conceal from Lotte that she had received ones in all her S.T.A.R.s and immediately resolved to work harder from now on.
“Anyone had an inspected lesson yet?” Fate asked them.
“No,” said Diana at once, “have you?”
“Just now, before lunch,” said Fate. “Charms.”
“What was it like?” asked Stan-Bot.
“Not that bad,” said Fate, shrugging. “Light Spinner just lurked in the corner making notes on a clipboard. You know what Professor Kowata is like. She treated her like a guest, didn’t seem bothered at all. Light Spinner didn’t say much. Asked Tatiana a couple of questions about what classes are normally like, Tatiana told her they were really good, that was it.”
“I can’t imagine Professor Kowata getting marked down,” said Hannah. “Despite her carefree personality, everyone always gets good grades in her class.”
“Who’ve you got this afternoon?” Nanoha asked Akko.
“Professor Ursula and Light Spinner herself.”
“Well, try to reign in your temper with Light Spinner today,” said Diana. “I can only imagine that Avery would be furious if you missed any more practice.”
But Akko did not have to wait for self-defense class to meet Light Spinner. She was pulling out her text book at the table closest to Professor Ursula when Wendy elbowed her in the ribs and, looking around, she saw Light Spinner emerging through the trapdoor in the floor. The class, which had been talking cheerily, fell silent at once. The abrupt fall in the noise level made Ursula, who had been drifting about handing out black paper lanterns for today’s lesson, look round.
Ursula maintained a surprisingly level expression, seeming neither welcoming nor disapproving. She merely nodded at Light Spinner in acknowledgement, then turned her back and continued to hand out lantern. Unimpressed, Light Spinner grasped the back of the nearest armchair and pulled it to the front of the class so that it was a few inches behind Ursula’s seat. She then sat down, took her clipboard from beneath her robe, and looked up expectantly, waiting for the class to begin.
Ursula did her best to ignore Light Spinner’s presence and surveyed the class. “Today we will be resuming our study into shooting star divination,” she said with a noticeable rigidness in her voice that could only be in response to the clearly unwelcomed guest. “You have each been provided with a black lantern and a stick of burning incense. As you make a wish on the lantern, you will burn twelve holes in the lantern with the tip of the burning incense.”
Silence filled the room as everyone set out to follow their task. Akko couldn’t think of what she wanted to wish for – she was too distracted by Light Spinner jotting something down on her clipboard – and just poked twelve random holes.
“Once you have finished, you will tilt the lantern until it touches the flame of the candle inside and set it alight. Be careful not to burn yourself. Once it catches fire, slowly count to twelve, then smother the flames with the provided fire blanket. If a single star is left on the remnants of the lantern, that means the outlook is good. Supposedly, that is the star which will grant your wish. Now you all try it. And remember to be careful.”
Akko tilted her lantern as instructed, watching Light Spinner covertly. She was making notes on her clipboard now. After a few minutes, she got to her feet and began pacing the room in Ursula’s wake, listening to her conversations with students and posing questions here and there –
“Akko, your lantern!” Wendy cried in a whisper.
Akko looked back at her lantern and realized with a start that the entire thing had been set ablaze. While Akko sputtered like an idiot, completely at a loss for what to do, Wendy had the sense to throw the fire blanket of the lantern and snuffed it out. They waited a few seconds before removing the sheet. The lantern had been completely burned to cinders; only the candle stub in the middle remained.
“I don’t think your wish is gonna come true,” Jasminka remarked.
“Aw, does that mean Light Spinner won’t be crushed by a stampede of centaur?” Akko playfully whined.
“If it’s you, I’m sure it’ll work out,” Wendy giggled. “Its not like you to be distracted in class, Akko. Is something wrong?”
“Take a wild guess,” said Akko, gesturing her chin in Light Spinner’s direction. They were only a table away from them now. Light Spinner was making another note on her clipboard and Ursula looked very much annoyed by the twitch in her right eye.
“Now,” said Light Spinner, looking up at Ursula, “you’ve been at this post how long exactly?”
“I’ve been teaching Magical Astrology for over fourteen years,” said Ursula evenly, folding her hands behind her back so that Light Spinner couldn’t see her fingers curling into a fist. “I’ve been teaching Foretelling and the advanced for three after Professor Nina retired.”
“Quite a period,” said Light Spinner, making a note on her clipboard. “So it was Headmistress Holbrooke who appointed you?”
“That’s right,” said Ursula shortly.
Light Spinner made another note.
“Interestingly, I was looking over the backgrounds of all the teachers, as one should to ensure that the teachers are above board. Yet, when I looked into your background, I noticed significant…gaps in your history.”
“The period between your time at school and your appointment to the teaching staff,” said Light Spinner, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “There are records of an Ursula Callistis attending Luna Nova over twenty years ago, and then you suddenly dropped off the face of the Earth. Then when you resurfaced, you changed your appearance and seemingly dropped your surname, instead preferring to go by your first and middle name instead. Is there a reason behind that?”
“Is it relevant to my ability as a teacher?” Ursula questioned coldly.
“Just simple curiosity,” said Light Spinner.
“Then I am under no obligation to answer,” said Ursula.
Akko perked up curiously at this exchanged. She knew the reason why Ursula went missing between those periods was because she was working alongside Shiny Chariot and their secret organization. But Akko didn’t know that she had altered her appearance or that she had dropped her family name; Akko always assumed Callistis was her last name. Now Akko was curious what Ursula was like before.
“Of course,” said Light Spinner, making another note. “Well, if you could just predict something for me, then?”
She looked up inquiringly, a hint of maliciousness in her gaze. Ursula quirked her brow, like she had just heard something crazy.
“Excuse me?” said Ursula.
“I’d like you to make a prediction for me,” said Light Spinner clearly. “To evaluate your performance as a teacher, of course.”
Akko, Wendy, and Jasminka were not the only people watching and listening sneakily from behind their books now; most of the class was staring transfixed at Ursula, who seemed irritated by the demand.
“That’s not how foretelling works and you know it,” said Ursula coldly. Nevertheless, she walked over to one of the cabinets that lined the walls and retrieved a crystal ball. “But if you want a demonstration, then I would be happy to oblige.”
Ursula walked back to Light Spinner, holding the crystal ball in the air between them. The bespectacled professor seemed to be glaring aa hole in the ball, but Akko got the sense that she was looking through the glass at Light Spinner.
“Well, will you look at that, this prediction is about you,” said Ursula in a mocking tone.
“Is that right?” said Light Spinner, leering.
“I see corruption and failure in your future,” Ursula continued, putting on a false mystical voice with overexaggerated handwaving. “I see you losing control of those you sought to oppress. I see your true nature coming to light. I see your hubris and arrogance becoming your undoing, leading you to a painful and humiliating defeat…. Or you could be making a sandwich. Either one.”
There was a pause. Light Spinner surveyed Ursula.
“Right,” she said softly, scribbling on her clipboard once more. “Well, if that’s the best you can do….”
She turned away, leaving Ursula standing rooted to the spot, burning a whole in the back of Light Spinner’s head. Ursula returned the crystal ball to the cabinet, exhaled an aggravated sighed, and resumed pacing the room until she swooped in on Akko, Wendy, and Jasminka’s table.
“I see you’ve managed to completely incinerate your lantern, Miss Kagari,” she said in a strangely distant tone.
Luckily, I came prepared for such a situation. Please retrieve a new lantern from the desk. And pay attention this time…”
By the time Akko collected a new lantern and restarted the divination, Ursula had returned to her seat and was watching over the classroom like a hawk. All the while, Light Spinner stood a few feet away, making notes on that clipboard, and when the bell rang, she descended the ladder so that she was waiting for them all when they reached their self-defense lesson ten minutes later.
She was humming to herself when they entered the room. Akko told the others exactly what had happened in Urara class while they all took out their copies of Defensive Magical Theory, but before they could ask any questions, Light Spinner had called them all into order and silence fell.
“Wands away,” she instructed them all, and those people who had been hopeful enough to take them out sadly returned them to their bags. “As we finished chapter one last lesson, I would like you all to turn to page nineteen today and commence chapter two, ‘Common Defensive Theories and Their Derivation.’ There will be no need to talk.”
Immensely self-satisfied, she sat down at her desk. The class gave an audible sigh as it turned, as one, to page nineteen. Akko wondered dully whether there were enough chapters in the book to keep them reading through all this year’s lessons and was on the point of checking the contents when she noticed that Diana had her hand in the air again.
Light Spinner had noticed too, and what was more, she seemed to have worked out a strategy for just such an eventuality. Instead of trying to pretend she had not noticed Diana, she got to her feet and walked around the front row of desks until they were face-to-face, then she bent down and whispered, so that the rest of the class could not hear, “What is it this time, Miss Cavendish?”
“I’ve already read chapter two,” said Diana.
“Well then, proceed to chapter three.”
“I read that too. I’ve read the whole book.”
Light Spinner blinked but recovered her poise almost instantly.
“Well then, you should be able to tell me what Borrin says about counterjinxes in chapter fifteen.”
“He says that counterjinxes are improperly named,” said Diana promptly. “He says ‘counterjinx’ is just a name people give their jinxes when they want to make them sound more acceptable.”
Light Spinner raised her eyebrows, and Akko knew she was impressed against her will.
“But I disagree,” Diana continued.
Light Spinner’s eyebrows rose a little higher and her gaze became distinctly colder.
“You disagree?” she repeated.
“Yes, I do,” said Diana, who, unlike Light Spinner, was not whispering, but speaking in a clear, carrying voice that had by now attracted the rest of the class’s attention. “Mr. Borrin doesn’t like jinxes, does he? But I think they can be very useful when they are used defensively.”
“Oh, you do, do you?” said Light Spinner, forgetting to whisper and straightened up. “Well, I’m afraid it is Mr. Borrin’s opinion, and not yours, that matters within this classroom, Miss Cavendish.”
“But – “ Diana began.
“That is enough,” said Light Spinner. She walked back to the front of the class and stood before them, all jauntiness she had shown at the beginning of the lesson gone. “Miss Cavendish, I am going to take five points from Lunar House.”
There was an outbreak of muttering at this.
“What for?” said Hannah angrily.
“For disrupting my class with pointless interruptions,” said Light Spinner smoothly. “I am here to teach you using a Council-approved method that does not include inviting students to give their opinions on matters about which they understand very little. Your previous teachers in this subject may have allowed you more license, but as none of them – with the possible exception of Master Noah, who did at least appear to have restricted himself to age-appropriate subjects – would have passed a Council inspection – “
“Yes, Noah was a great teacher,” said Diana loudly, “except for that part where he’s a mass murdering terrorist working for Jennifer.”
This pronouncement was followed by one of the loudest silences Akko had ever heard. Then –
“I think a week of detention would do you some good, Miss Cavendish,” said Light Spinner sleekly.
Diana met them at the usual table for breakfast the following morning during the tail end of breakfast with a thick textbook in one hand and eggs dripping off her fork in the other. There were signs that she hadn’t slept at all last night; the circles under her eyes were prominent and her hair was slightly tousled. Based on her own experience, Akko could assume that Light Spinner didn’t let her go until close to midnight. And knowing Diana, she forgot sleeping in favor of catching up on her studying. The result was the half-dead Cavendish sitting across from Akko with bits of egg dripping down her front.
Her lethargy did not go unnoticed as the ever-attentive Professor Finnelan swooped down on them like a buzzard, immediately honing in on her prized student.
“Miss Cavendish, what on Earth is the matter with you,” said Professor Finnelan in a harsh whisper so as not to attract attention, waving her wand to clean Diana’s uniform for you. “I have no issue with you make friends with, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like them. As a Cavendish, you must show some decorum.”
“Give her a break, Finnelan,” Amanda defended Diana. “Princess is just tired because she had to spend all night in detention.”
“What is this, Diana?” said Professor Finnelan sharply. “Detention? From whom?”
“From Professor Light Spinner,” muttered Diana, not meeting Professor Finnelan’s beady eyes.
“Light Spinner?” she repeated, blinking dumbfoundedly. “Whatever reason would she have to give you detention?”
“Because I interrupted her class and told her that Amon was a mass murdering terrorist,” said Diana without a hint of shame or regret.
“Oh, for the love of – this is your fault,” said Professor Finnelan, rounding on Akko.
“How is it my fault?” asked Akko, taken aback.
“You’re the one who’s been steadily corrupting Diana over the years,” said Professor Finnelan accusingly. “And it’s only gotten worse since you…paired up, inspiring Diana to follow your foolishness after last week. So help me, Miss Kagari, if Diana’s grade fall because of this, I will hold you personally responsible.”
She strode away to meet with Professor Ursula on the opposite side of the hall, no doubt tell her Diana’s current situation was Akko’s fault.
“You know, I can’t figure out if she hates me or wants to help me,” Akko remarked.
“Professor Finnelan is a complicated woman,” said Lotte understandably.
“You don’t really think I’m ‘corrupting’ Diana, do you?” asked Akko.
“Yes/Yes!” Lotte, Sucy, Hannah, Barbara, Amanda, Jasminka, and Stan-Bot said in unison.
“Yeesh, don’t answer all at once,” Akko grumbled.
A clatter of the tableware informed everyone that Diana had fallen asleep in her porridge.
Diana slept all through charms and scolded everyone for not waking her up when she finally came to, fretting that she had missed something important that might come up on the S.T.A.R. exams. But Professor Kowata, understanding of Diana’s plight, had just done review for the day, for which Diana was relived and thankful for. So by the time they arrived in Alchemy, Diana was fully rested and prepared. And it was a good thing, too, because Light Spinner and her clipboard were lurking in a corner waiting for them.
“Excellent,” said Sucy with the widest, pointy-toothed grin she ever had. “Let’s see that hag get what she deserves.”
Professor Finnelan marched into the room without giving the slightest indication that she knew Light Spinner was there.
“That will do,” she said and silence fell immediately. “Miss Antonenko, kindly come here and hand back the homework – Miss Müller, please take this box of mice and hand one to each student – “
“Hem, hem,” said Light Spinner, employing the same silly little cough she had used to interrupt Holbrooke on the first night of term. Professor Finnelan ignored her. Jasminka handed back Akko’s essay; Akko took it and saw, to her relief, that she managed a four.
“Right then, everyone, listen closely – Miss Albrechtsberger, if you do that to the mouse again, I will put you in detention – most of you have now successfully vanished your snails and even those who were left with a certain amount of shell have the gist of the spell. Today we shall be – “
“Hem, hem,” said Light Spinner
“Yes?” said Professor Finnelan, turning around, her eyebrows so close together they seemed to form one long, severe line.
“I was just wondering, professor, whether you received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspec – “
“Obviously I received it, or I would have asked what you are doing in my classroom,” said Professor Finnelan, turning her back firmly on Light Spinner. Many of the students exchanged looks of glee. “As I was saying, today we shall be practicing the altogether more difficult vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell – “
“Hem, hem.”
“I wonder,” said Professor Finnelan in cold fury, turning on Light Spinner, “how you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking.”
Light Spinner looked as though she had just been slapped across the face. She did not speak, but began to scribble furiously on her clipboard. Looking supremely unconcerned, Professor Finnelan addressed the class once more.
“As I was saying, the Vanishing Spell becomes more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be vanished. The snail, as an invertebrate, does not present much of a challenge; the mouse, as a mammal, offers a much greater once. This is not, therefore, magic you can accomplish with your mind on your dinner. So – you know the incantation, let me see what you can do….”
Light Spinner did not follow Professor Finnelan around the class as she had followed Ursula; perhaps she thought Professor Finnelan would not permit it. She did, however, take many more notes while she sat in her corner, and when Professor Finnelan finally told them all to pack up, rose with a grim expression.
“Well, it’s a start,” said Lotte, holding up a long, wriggling mouse tail and dropping it back into the box Gaëlle was passing around.
“Reminds me of Deadmeat the rat back in our first year,” said Sucy. “Wonder whatever happened to him.”
As they filed out of the classroom, Akko saw Light Spinner approach the teacher’s desk; she nudged Lotte, who nudged Sucy in turn, and the three of them deliberately fell back to eavesdrop.
“How long have you been teaching at Luna Nova?” Light Spinner asked.
“Thirty-six years this October,” said Professor Finnelan brusquely, snapping her bag shut.
Light Spinner made a note.
“Very well,” she said, “you will receive the results of your inspection in ten days’ time.”
“I can hardly wait,” said Professor Finnelan in a coldly indifferent voice, and she strode off toward the door. “Hurry up, you three,” she added, sweeping Akko, Lotte, and Sucy before her. Akko could not help giving her a faint smile and could have sworn she received one in return.
Unfortunately, their day with Light Spinner was not yet over. When Akko and Diana turned up for Advanced Magical History, they found her and her clipboard waiting for them beside Professor Croft.
“You do not usually take this class, is that correct?” Akko heard her ask as they took their seats in the front row closest to the teacher’s desk.
“That’s right,” said Professor Croft, leisurely sitting on the edge of her desk, her notebook in hand ready to begin class. “I am a substitute teacher standing in for Professor Lenz.”
“Hmm,” said Light Spinner, dropping her voice, though Akko could still hear her clearly. “I wonder – the headmistress seems strangely reluctant to give me any information on the matter – can you tell me what is causing Professor Lenz’s very extended leave of absence.”
“I’m afraid I can’t,” said Professor Croft breezily. “Don’t know anything more than you do. Got an e-mail from the school asking if I would like to work a couple weeks of teaching and I accepted – that’s about it.”
“Interesting,” Light Spinner hummed. “But – forgive me – why would the Headmistress ask you of all people. You’re a human. What makes you qualified to teach in a class for Demi-Humans?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” said Professor Croft sarcastically. “It couldn’t be my PhD in Mystic Archeology Studies from University College London, or that I minored in Demi-Human Cultural and Historical Studies. Now, if you’re quite finished, I would like to get started teaching, if you don’t mind.”
“Yes, please do,” said Light Spinner in a low voice, scribbling upon her clipboard.
Light Spinner took a different approach in this class and wandered among the students, questioning them on magical history. Akko grimaced when most people were unable to answer or just made something up to not look stupid; this was really going to hurt Professor Croft’s chances.
“Overall,” said Light Spinner, returning to Professor Croft’s side after a lengthy interrogation of the seventh-years, “how do you, as a temporary member pf staff – an objective outsider, I suppose you might say – how do you find Luna Nova? Do you feel you receive enough support from the school management?”
“Personally, I’ve always wanted to go to school at Luna Nova when I was a child,” said Professor Croft heartily, “but I always lacked the…necessary requirements. So teaching here is kind of like a childhood dream come true. And I have no reason to complain about the staff. Holbrooke was kind enough to let me – a human – work here, and the teachers like Callistis and Kowata are always so helpful. Professor Finnelan can be a little…off-putting, though.”
Looking politely incredulous, Light Spinner made a tiny note on her clipboard and went on, “And what are you planning to cover with this class – assuming, of course, that Professor Lenz does not return?”
“Well, I am currently taking them through the period during Titan Wars,” said Professor Croft. “They’ve already covered most subjects that are bound to be on exams; They’ve already covered the Salem Witch Trials and the witch’s contribution to major world revolutions. I thought we might try to cover the history of the Nine Olde Witches and the foundation of magical society….”
“Well, you seem to know what you are doing, for a human,” said Light Spinner, making a very obvious tick on her clipboard. It came as no surprise that someone as vile as Light Spinner would be racist against base humans if that little comment at the end of her sentence was any indication. “Well, thank you very much, Professor Croft, I think I have everything I need here. You will be receiving the results of you inspection within ten days.”
“Jolly good,” said Professor Croft, and Light Spinner exited the classroom.
It was nearly midnight when Diana left Light Spinner’s office that night, rubbing her stinging eyes caused by a lack of sleep combined with straining her vision in the dark office. She headed off in the direction of the Lunar common room when she heard a soft squeak below and something nudging against her foot. She looked down and spotted a tiny brown mouse with a suspiciously familiar topknot.
“Akko – “
“Shh!” The mouse squeaked. “Keep it down. Don’t want Light Spinner listening in on us!”
“Why are you a mouse?” asked Diana, lowering herself to one knee. “Better question: why are you a mouse in the middle of the night?”
“I got a surprise for you,” said Akko enthusiastically. She scampered across the hall and climbed to the sill of an open window, gesturing with her tiny paw. “C’mon, c’mon!”
Diana took a moment to consider her options. On one hand, she really wanted to drop dead in her nice warm bed. On the other hand, a secret midnight rendezvous with Akko….
Diana whipped out her wand, tapping herself with a quiet “Metamorphie Faciesse,” and disappeared in a puff of smoke, replaced by an elegant white weasel with a mop of blondish-green hair. Weasel Diana hopped onto the windowsill and chased after Akko mouse, who started climbing the bricks of the castle walls with practiced ease. They climbed until they reached the top of the Eastern Tower, hopping over the ramparts and popping back into human form. Diana had to fight back a gleeful giggle when she saw a blanket and a basket stuffed with food on the floor (both provided by Marianna at Akko’s request.)
“A moonlit picnic,” Diana teased, though she still smiled and flushed. “And they say romance is dead.”
“Though you deserved it after being stuck in a room with Light Spinner,” said Akko, taking Diana’s hand and pulling her to be seat on the blanket. She rummaged through the basket and asked, “Whaddya want? We got whole ham and turkey, sausage links, three-layer lasagna – “
“A little heavy for a midnight meeting, don’t you think?” said Diana, sweatdropping. “Anything light in there.”
“Mmm…Marianna made sandwiches,” said Akko.
“That’ll work,” said Diana appreciatively; Akko passed her one of the sandwiches (ham, Swiss, lettuce, and tomato.) “Thank you.”
“So,” said Akko, leaning back against her arm and chewing off a big chunk of her own sandwich. “Light Spinner threaten you yet?”
“First day,” said Diana, taking more delicate bites. “I don’t know how, but she found out what Barbara got up to in our first year and threatened to have her expelled. Then she went on to say how she could easily have Hannah’s father sacked from Oxford.”
“Bitch,” Akko spat.
“I wish we could talk to the teachers about this,” said Diana. “Maybe Professor Ursula – “
“And how long do you think it would take Light Spinner to pass another decree,” said Akko dully, “saying anyone who complains about the High Inquisitor gets fired.”
“Sadly, that seems like a high possibility,” said Diana, frowning.
“C’mon, I didn’t set this up for you to mope around,” said Akko, rummaging through the basket again and retrieving several bottles. “Want any Juice? We apple, orange, cranberry – “
“Apple is fine, thanks,” said Diana, accepting the bottle. And for many minutes, they just sat there in silence enjoying each other’s company; Diana rested her head on Akko’s shoulder in comfort. But Diana could stop herself from voicing her thoughts, “She’s an awful woman.”
“I know,” Akko replied in a small voice. “We were actually talking about what to do about her in the dorms. Sucy suggested poison.”
“She’s probably already too toxin to even notice,” said Diana.
“That’s what Amanda said,” said Akko, chuckling.
“But we do need to do something about Light Spinner,” said Diana. “We’re not going to learn anything to defend ourselves with her in charge of lessons.”
“Well, what can we do about it?” said Akko. “It’s too late, isn’t it? She got the job, she’s here to stay, and Crawford’ll make sure of it.”
“Well,” said Diana tentatively. “I was thinking….” She shot a slighty7l nervous look at Akko and then plunged on, “I was thinking that – maybe the time has come when we should just – do it ourselves.”
“Do what ourselves?” said Akko suspiciously, pulling away from her girlfriend slowly.
“Well – learn self-defense ourselves,” said Diana.
“You can’t be serious,” groaned Akko. “You want to do extra work? Do you realize I’m behind on homework again, and it’s only the second week?”
“This is more important than homework!” said Diana.
Akko’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull.
“I didn’t think there was anything in the universe more important than homework,” said Akko.
“Could you take this seriously, Akko?” said Diana, slapping the Japanese across the back of her head. “It’s about preparing ourselves, like everyone said in Light Spinner’s first lesson, for what’s waiting out there. It’s about making sure we can defend ourselves. If we don’t learn anything for a whole year – “
“We can’t do much by ourselves,” said Akko, though she inwardly agreed with her girlfriend. “I mean, all right, we could go and look up spells in the library and try practicing them, I guess – “
“No, I agree, we’ve gone past the stage where we can just learn things out of books,” said Diana. “We need teachers, proper teachers, who can show us how to use spells and correct us if we’re going wrong.”
“You mean like Ursula or Croix – “Akko began.
“Professor Ursula and Croix would never approve the risk,” said Diana. “And if Light Spinner even thought they were up to something shady, they would be sacked the next day.”
“Who, then?” said Akko, frowning at her.
“Well…I was thinking it could be…us,” said Diana hesitantly.
There was a moment’s silence. A light night breeze brushed through their hair.
“What about us?” asked Akko.
“I’m talking about you and me teaching self-defense, together.
Akko stared, gapping like a fish out of water, then managed to spark a few braincells together to sputter an unintelligible, “Me?”
“Yes, you,” said Diana insistently.
“But….”
Akko couldn’t resist scoffing, sure that Diana was pulling her leg.
“Okay, you make sense, but I’m not a teacher, I can’t – “
“Akko, you’re the best duelist and the most experienced out of all the students in Luna Nova,” said Diana.
“Me?” said Akko, now on the verge of laughing herself silly. “You’re joking, right? You’ve seen my test scores. I’m terrible – “
“I’m talking about more than just tests,” said Diana coolly. “I’m talking about actual experience. Look at what you’ve done!”
“Whaddya mean?”
“You know what, maybe you’re right, you’re too much of an idiot to teach,” said Diana, smirking slightly. “Let’s think for a moment, shall we? Uh…first year – you defeated Barbara and saved the Shiny Rod – “
“But that was luck,” said Akko, “that wasn’t skill – “
“Second year,” Diana interrupted, “you defeated Evie and destroyed the Hive Virus.”
“Yeah, but Professor Crème helped – “
“Third year,” said Diana, louder still, “you fought a hundred Heartless at once – “
“You know that was a fluke, if the Chronal Accelerator hadn’t – “
“Last year,” Diana said, almost shouting now, “you fought Ryuko and Satsuki single-handed in the most epic battle of all-time – “
“I don’t even remember what happened – “
“Later that same year, you fought off Jennifer – “
“Listen to me!” said Akko, almost angrily, because Diana was still smirking. “Just listen to me, okay? It sounds great when you say it like that,, but all that stuff was luck – I didn’t know what I was doing half the time, I didn’t plan any of it, I just did whatever I could think of, and I almost always had help – “
“And you’ll have help now,” said Diana earnestly, taking Akko’s hand in both her own. “Akko, I’m not expecting you to do this alone, and I’m not propping you up like some kind of idol or hero. I can provide all the technical knowledge and know-how, but it’s impossible to translate book smarts into real world practice. Between the two of us, you have been involved in more battles and came out alive – “
“Only barely,” said Akko, looking down cast, clenching the hem of her tunic. “You have no idea what it was like, facing her on that hillside. No one besides Nico understands. The whole time you know there’s nothing between you and dying except your own – your own brain or guts or whatever. You can’t think straight when you know you’re an inch away from being killed, or tortured, or watching your friends die. They’ve never taught us that in class, what it’s like to deal with things like that – and you’re acting like I’m some clever girl because I barely managed to crawl away. You just don’t get it, that Jennifer could’ve killed me anytime she wanted if she didn’t need me, that – “
Akko was suddenly cut off when Diana pressed her lips on her own, silencing the Japanese. All the downwardly spiraling thoughts were drained from Akko’s mind and she allowed herself to sink into Diana’s gentle touch. After what seemed like hours (really, wasn’t more than ten seconds), the two of them separated and Akko physically and mentally calmed.
“Better?” said Diana.
“Very,” Akko replied with a stupid grin.
“Akko…,” said Diana gently, “don’t you see? This is exactly why we need you. I can teach everyone spells, but you’re the only one who knows what it’s really like. To be so close to death armed only with your wits and your will. Only you know what it’s like facing Jennifer. You don’t have to do this alone, Akko. We can do this together.”
Akko could not think of anything to say. She was feeling ashamed of her outburst as Diana rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand. Diana was unreasonably understanding, even when Akko was being difficult. It’s one of the many reasons Akko wondered why she put up with her.
“Just…think about it?” said Diana quietly. “Please?”
Akko nodded, hardly aware of what she was agreeing to.
Diana stood up.
“Well, I’m off to bed,” she said in a clearly as natural as she could make it. “You um…you coming?”
“Yeah,” said Akko. “In…in a minute. I’ll just clean up here.”
She indicated to the almost untouched picnic. Diana nodded and walked down the tower stairs.
Akko spent the next few minutes collecting everything by hand instead of using magic because it would give her time alone, then dragged everything back to the Polaris dorms. She left the wrapped-up picnic on the couch, knowing that Marianna or someone else would collect it later.
She was suddenly tired that she was tempted to sink into the armchair and sleep there, but instead she trudged upstairs into her bed. Her restless night was punctured once more by dreams of long corridors and locked doors, and she awoke the next day with her head throbbing.
Notes:
Next Chapter: Western Restaurant Calico
Chapter 16: Western Restaurant Calico
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Diana made no mention of Akko giving self-defense lessons for two whole weeks after her original suggestion. In that time, Akko occupied herself by bring Luz up to speed in Chariot Racing practice. She was an excellent flyer once she finally got a handle on her nerves and Avery had less reasons to yell at her. Akko had also managed to vanish her mouse (Diana had actually progressed to vanishing kittens) before the subject was broached again, on a wild, blustery evening at the end of September, the two of them were sitting in the library, looking up potion ingredients for Professor Azusa.
“I was wondering,” said Diana suddenly, “whether you had given any more thought about self-defense class, Akko.”
“Of course I have,” said Akko grumpily. “Hard to forget it, with that old hag teaching us – “
“I meant the idea I had,” said Diana, frowning, “about us teaching lessons together.”
Akko did not answer at once. She pretended to be pursuing a page of Asian Anti-Venoms, because she did not want to say what was on her mind.
The fact was that she had given the idea a great deal of thought over the past two weeks. Sometimes it seemed like an insane idea – the kind that Akko would have done in a heartbeat back in their first year, regardless of consequences – but other times, she had found herself thinking about the spells that had served her best in her various encounters with the dark forces – found herself, in fact, subconsciously planning lessons….
“Well,” she said slowly, when she could not pretend to Asian anti-venoms interesting much longer, “yeah, I – I’ve thought about it.”
“And?” said Diana eagerly.
“I don’t know,” said Akko, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. “You remember me saying that most of my wins were just a bunch of dumb luck, right?”
“Yes, Akko,” said Diana gently, “but all the same, there’s no point pretending that you’re not good at self-defense, because you are. You were the only one able to throw off Evie’s mind control when you were only twelve, you’ve managed to successfully combine magical natures in your third year, you can do all sorts of things that evet most adults can’t – “
“You make me sound more amazing than I actually am,” said Akko.
“You are amazing, Akko,” said Diana, gently wrapping her hand around Akko’s. “I just wish you could see it yourself.”
“I think my girlfriend might be a little biased,” said Akko teasingly.
“So what if I am?” said Diana, grinning playfully. “Well, what do you think? Should we teach together?”
“Just our friends, right?”
“Actually,” said Diana, now looking slightly anxious again. “Well…now don’t lose your temper again, Akko, please…. But I really think we should teach anyone who wants to learn. I mean, we’re talking about defending ourselves from Jennifer. It doesn’t seem fair if we don’t offer the chance to everyone.”
Akko considered this for a moment, then said, “Yeah, but I doubt anyone except our friends would want to be taught by me. I’m the crazy one, remember?”
“I think you might be surprised how many people would be interested in haring what you have to say,” said Diana seriously. “Look,” she leaned toward her, “you know the first weekend in October is a Blytonbury weekend? How would you feel if we told everyone who’s interested to meet us in town and we can talk it over?”
“Why do we have to do it outside school?” asked Akko.
“Because,” said Diana, returning to the diagram of the Chinese Super Idol Ai-Chan Cabbage she was copying, “I don’t think Light Spinner would be happy if she found out what we were up to.”
Akko had been looking forward to the weekend trip into Blytonbury, but there was one thing worrying her. Izetta had maintained a stony silence since she appeared in the fire at the beginning of September; Akko knew they had made her angry by saying that they did not want her to come – but she still worried from time to time that Izetta might throw caution to the wind and turn up anyway. What were they going to do if the great red fox came bounding up the street towards them in Blytonbury, perhaps under the watchful eye of the Magic Council or the Purifiers?
“Well, you can’t blame her for wanting to get out for a bit,” said Sucy, when Akko discussed her fears to her and Lotte. “She’s been on the run for over two years, and I know that can’t have been fun, but at least she was free to go where she wanted, right? And now she’s stuck in that mansion all the time with nobody but Diana’s irritating aunt.”
“The trouble is,” said Lotte, “that until Jennifer comes out into the open, Izetta is gonna have to stay hidden. The Magic Council isn’t going to realize Izetta is innocent until they accept that granny’s been telling the truth all along. And once they start catching Jennifer’s real followers again, it’ll be obvious that Izetta isn’t one of them.”
“I don’t think she’s be stupid enough to turn up,” said Sucy. “Chariot’s the one that told her to stay put, right? Izetta would definitely listen to her sister, wouldn’t she? Besides, I think Blair would rip her a new one if she came anywhere close to Blytonbury.”
When Akko continued to look worried, Lotte said, “Listen, Diana told us about what you two’ve been planning and we’ve been helping find people who would want to learn real self-defense, and there were a couple who seem interested. Diana set up a meeting in Blytonbury.”
“Right,” said Akko vaguely, her mind still on Izetta.
“Don’t worry, Akko,” Lotte said quietly. “You’ve got enough on your plate without Izetta too.”
She was right, of course; she was barely keeping up with her homework as it was. Lotte was even further behind with her work than Akko, because she also had prefect duties on top of everything else. Diana was also scrambling to catch up, having to juggle homework and prefect duties on top of Chariot Racing practice twice a week. But as always, Diana was slowly learning to adapt and get better at managing her time, coming off from her dreadful experience with the Chronal Accelerator in their third year.
The morning of the Blytonbury visit dawned bright but windy. After breakfast, they queued up in front of Elma, who matched their names to the long list of students who had permission from their parents or guardians to visit the town. With a slight pang, Akko remembered that if it hadn’t been for Izetta, she would not have been going at all.
When Akko reached Elma, the caretaker gave a great sniff as though trying to detect a whiff of something from Akko. Then she gave a sharp nod and Akko walked on, out onto the stone steps and the cold, sunlit day.
“Er – why was Elma sniffing you?” asked Lotte, as she, Akko, and Sucy set off at a brisk pace down the wide drive to the gates.
“I guess she was checking for mud bombs,” said Akko with a small laugh. “I almost forgot about it….”
And she recounted the story of sending her letter to Izetta and Elma bursting in seconds later, demanding to see the letter.
“It’s lucky she understood who it was for,” said Lotte. “It would’ve been bad if anyone else had gotten that letter.”
“She said she got a note saying you were ordering mud bombs, right?” asked Sucy. “I think we all know who that was.”
“That goes without saying,” said Akko.
“But at least they didn’t succeed,” said Lotte optimistically.
They flew their brooms through the Lay Line terminal between the wrought iron gates and came out on the outskirts of Blytonbury. They left their school-issued brooms with the goblins at the check-in station and made their way onto the road into town.
“Where’re we going anyway?” asked Akko. “The Rabbit House?”
“Uh – no, no, not there,” said Lotte. “It’s always packed there and really noisy. Diana reserved a hole-in-the-wall restaurant for the day on the opposite side of town. It’ll be invited guests only, so we won’t have to worry about being overheard.”
They walked down the main street past the Magical Item Shop, where they were unsurprised to see that Garie and Sabi had snuck out of school with their friend, Chinatsu. They passed the post office, turning the corner on the monument of the sealed Mad Titan, and stopped in front of an otherwise normal bakery that was apparently having a sale on Mont Blanc. There was a set of stairs to the right of the bakery, which lead to a nondescript door with a small sign of a calico cat that read “Western Restaurant Calico.” A chalkboard sign was left outside with a small notice: “Closed for Reserved Party.”
“This is the place,” said Lotte.
“Wow, you really wouldn’t know this place existed if you didn’t look,” said Akko.
“Probably why Diana chose it,” said Sucy. Akko led the way inside.
It was half the size of the Rabbit House, but the décor was similar in taste with it polished tables lined in two rows, an old-fashioned gramophone played cool jazz in the corner, an assortment of knickknacks hanging on the wall that gave it a wholesome feel, and a counter that opened up into the kitchen where they could see the cook at work. It wasn’t anything too fancy, but it was definitely a step above from the family restaurants Akko’s family used to visit as a kid.
As the door closed behind them and the overhead bell rang, a waitress came out of the backroom. She was fairly young – probably in her early twenties – with blond hair tied up in ponytails behind her curled goat horns. She paced across the room quickly to approach them.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, bowing politely, “but the restaurant is closed for a party – “
“They’re with me, Aletta.”
It was Diana. She was sitting at the counter talking to a tall, bearded man in a chef’s uniform. The goat-horned woman named Aletta stepped aside with an apology as Diana waved them down. Akko took the seat directly next to her girlfriend with Lotte and Sucy on her other side.
“If anyone people in Luna Nova uniforms come by, be sure to let them in, Aletta,” Diana requested to the waitress.
“As you wish, Miss Cavendish,” said Aletta, bowing.
“Wow, you really reserved the whole restaurant for the day?” said Akko, whistling impressively. “How’d you manage to swing that?”
“I’m rich; it’s my superpower,” said Diana jokingly.
“Not as rich as Bruce Wayne,” said Sucy tauntingly.
“We don’t talk about Bruce Wayne,” Diana grumbled before Aletta offer them some menus. “Order whatever you like. Everything is on the Cavendish tab.”
“Sweet!” Akko cheered.
“Thank you, Diana,” said Lotte gratefully.
“Food always tastes better when someone else is paying for it,” said Sucy.
“Excuse me for a moment,” the chef suddenly spoke up. “Are any of you by any chance Akko Kagari?”
“That’s me,” said Akko anxiously. Was he another who believed the Magic Council’s lies and report her to Light Spinner? “Why do you ask?”
“I have something for you,” said the chef with a kind smile. She reached below the counter and pulled out a one of the most beautifully crafted parfaits Akko had ever seen, even better than the professional confectionaries in Japan. “Here you go, one strawberry parfait. I hear that the Japanese are big fans of these kinds of sweets and I figured strawberry is something that everyone enjoys. I hope it’s to your liking.”
“Whoa, this is awesome,” Akko said in awe; it looked more like artwork than a dessert. “But, I didn’t order anything yet.”
“It’s on the house,” said the chef, smiling warmly. “Though if I have to give a reason, I suppose I’ve just always wanted the opportunity to spoil my niece a little.”
“Your niece?” Akko repeated curiously.
“Yeah, my niece,” the chef nodded. “Surely Cherri or Izzy told me about me at least once.”
“Chari and Izzy…,” Akko murmured thoughtfully, wracking her brain as she took her first bite; it was unbelievably creamy and delicious. After a few seconds of think, a single memory came to mind: the night when Izetta helped Akko pack up before their departure to the Cavendish Manor.
"Chariot and I were never very good at cleaning. Our brother Orion was always the tidy one. Every year before we left for school, we used to beg him to help us pack."
“WAAAH!” Akko screamed and shot up from her seat, startling everyone. “You’re Chariot and Izetta’s big brother! You’re my uncle, Orion du Nord!”
“So they did mention me,” said Orion, chuckling heartily. “That’s good. I was afraid they might have forgotten.”
“Wait, since when do you have an uncle?” asked Sucy curiously.
“I only found out when we left Japan,” Akko explained. “Izetta-obaasan said she and my mom had an older brother named Orion, and that he became a professional chef and opened his own restaurant. I didn’t know that restaurant was in Blytonbury.”
“I’ve seen you kids walking around town sometimes,” said Orion. “But I never said anything because I didn’t want you to think I was some kind of creeper. Chari and Izzy have sent me lot of letters about you, though, Akko.”
“What about?” asked Akko, taking another bite of her free parfait.
“Only that you are a constant pain in the butt looking for trouble wherever you go,” said Orion jokingly.
“That sounds about right,” Diana giggled along with Lotte and Sucy; Akko huffed, puffing her cheeks out like an angry chipmunk.
“All right, I’ll stop teasing you,” said Orion, ruffling Akko’s hair good-naturedly; Akko tried to act mad, but instead felt giddy since he was her uncle. “Just order whenever you’re ready. Aletta, could you help me in back. I get the feeling we’re going to have a full house today.”
“Right, coming,” said Aletta as she disappeared in back.
“Speaking of which, how many people are coming to this thing?” Akko asked Diana while taking another scoop.
“Just a few people,” said Diana, checking her pocket watch and then looking anxiously toward the door. “I told them to be here about now and I’m sure they all know where it is – oh look, this might be them now –
The door of the restaurant opened and a surge of people suddenly poured inside.
First came Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka, who were closely followed by Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate with Nico Minoru and Wendy Marvell trailing behind them; Marianna shuffled in silently like a shadow, almost going unnoticed if not for her ninja-esque uniform. Then (on her own and looking like she had wandered in by mistake) Molly McIntyre. Then Avery, Rashmi and Rajani flanking fifth-year Sóla Lokisdottir, Luz Noceda holding hands with the moss-haired elf girl from Eclipse, Makoto and her cousin Chinatsu joined by Garie and Sabi; three Twilight fifth-years Akko faintly remembered as Alice little, Chloe Dubois, and Zizi Delevingne; Barbara entered grumpily with Hannah not far behind arm-in-arm with fifth-year Solar Verde Shidariza; Lin-Lin Chang shouldered her way through the crowd for being so short with Sarah Bernhardt and Catherine Ainsworth coming up behind her; the entirety of the Eclipse Fifth-year comprised of Carmen Diaz, Irene Jilani, Priscilla Vasquez, and Elfriede Coch brought up the rear.
The entire restaurant was completely filled to capacity in only a handful of minutes and most of them consisted of everyone in Akko’s year. The only notable exception was Gaëlle Müller from Lunar, who Akko knew wouldn’t be coming because she believed the Magic Council.
“A couple of people?” said Akko hoarsely to Diana. “A couple of people?”
“Yes, well, the idea seemed quite popular,” said Diana happily. She called to the backroom. “Aletta, could we get some more menus out here!”
“Coming,” Aletta replied, walking back out with only a few menus in hand “Welcome to – WHA?!”
The waitress had frozen in place, eyes practically bulging out of their sockets, jaw dropped dumbfoundedly. Doubtful she expected the small restaurant to fill so quickly. Even Orion looked surprised when he came out to see what was keeping Aletta.
“…We’re going to need more ingredients,” he said slowly.
“Please order anything you like, everyone,” Diana announced, snapping Aletta out of her stupor, who proceeded to pass the menus around. “Everything is already paid for by the Cavendish House.”
“Sweet!” Zizi cheered.
“Not about to pass up on a free meal,” said Sarah eagerly.
“I wonder if they have any bamboo dishes…,” Lin-Lin hummed thoughtfully.
Akko watched numbly as the large chattering group perused their menus and flagged down the haggard-looking Aletta to place their orders. She could not imagine what all these people had turned up for until the horrible thought occurred to her that they might be expecting some kind of speech, at which she rounded on Diana.
“What did you tell these people?” she questioned in a low hiss. “What are they expecting?”
“They just want to hear what you’ve got to say,” said Diana soothingly; but Akko continued to look at her so furiously that she added quickly, “You don’t have to do anything yet, I’ll speak to them first.”
“Hey, Kagari,” said Nico, smiling and taking a seat on Diana’s opposite side.
Akko tried to smile back, but did not speak; her mouth was exceptionally dry. Aletta was running ragged between tables trying to fill out the orders of over thirty people at once, nearly tripping over her own feet twice if the students didn’t catch her. Some people looked excited, other curious; Molly McIntyre had a glazed look in her eye that made Akko wonder if she was having another vision. When everyone had placed their orders and Aletta disappeared into the kitchen, the chatter died out. Every eye was upon Akko now.
With the group’s attention now on them, Diana rose from her seat, back straight and shoulders squared like a drill sergeant.
“Good evening, everyone,” Diana greeted politely. Everyone’s attention shifted to her, though eyes continued to dart back regularly to Akko. “You all know why you are here. With the way things are now, we have no hope of learning self-defense from that rubbish Light Spinner and her Council mandated lessons.”
“Preach, sister!” shouted Irene, punching her fist in the air.
“These so-called ‘lessons’ will only leave us vulnerable and unprepared for the real world,” Diana continued, her voice becoming stronger and more confident. “That is why we have considered taking matters into our own hands. By learning how to defend ourselves properly. Not just in theory, but with real spells – “
“You want to pass your self-defense S.T.A.R. too, though, I bet?” said Elfriede, watching her closely.
“Of course I do,” said Diana at once. “But I want more than that, I want to be properly trained to defend myself. Because no matter how much the Council tries to deny it, Jennifer is back and she’s not the hero we all thought she was.”
The reaction was immediate and predictable. Almost everyone sat up a little straighter, some more attention and others skeptical. But all of them, however, looked fixedly, even eagerly, at Akko.
“That’s the plan, anyway,” Diana finished solemnly. “If you want to join us, we need to decide how we’re going to – “
“Where’s the proof any of that is true?” said Chloe in a rather aggressive tone; she seemed to regard Diana with open hostility rather than Akko.
“Well, Professor Holbrooke believes it – “ Diana began.
“You mean, she believes her,” said Chloe, nodding at Akko.
“What’s with you?” asked Amanda, sounding annoyed.
“I just think we’ve got the right to know what makes her say Jennifer’s back,” Chloe responded rudely.
“Because I said so, too,” said Nico, raising her hand. So many seem to forget that she was also involved in the battle against Jennifer, probably because the Council was more focused on tarnishing Akko’s reputation than hers.
“How dare you question, Kagari-dono’s honesty!” Marianna yelled outrageously, slamming her hands on the table. “You shall atone for your insult by committing seppuku!”
“Why is that the only Japanese thing you know how do correctly?” asked Nico strangely.
“Look,” said Diana, intervening swiftly. “That’s not what this meeting is supposed to be about – “
“It’s okay, Diana,” said Akko.
It had just dawned upon her why there were so many people there. She felt that Diana should have seen this coming. Some of these people – maybe even most of them – had turned in hopes of hearing Akko’s story firsthand.
“What makes me say Jennifer’s back?” she repeated, looking Chloe straight in the face. “I saw her. Nico saw her. But Professor Holbrooke told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn’t believe her, you don’t believe me, and I’m not gonna waste the whole day trying to convince anyone.”
The whole group seemed to have held its breath while Akko spoke. Akko had the impression that even her uncle was listening in. There had been a notable pause while he and Aletta were frantically filling out thirty plus orders.
Chloe said dismissively, “All Holbrooke told us last year was that you and Minoru fought Jennifer and came back. She didn’t give us details; she didn’t tell us what happened or how you escaped – “
“I was bleeding all over the stadium grounds that night; I was dead for three whole minutes!” Nico said heatedly. She was unconsciously touching her choker that hid the scar caused by Ruvik’s knife. She probably had nightmares of that traumatic night; Akko certainly did. “If that’s not enough proof, then there’s no point in saying anything. We don’t want to talk about that night, all right? So if that’s what you’re here for, you can clear out.”
Akko cast an angry look in Diana’s direction, who, to Akko’s irritation, seemed wholly unperturbed. This was, Akko felt, all her fault; she had decided to display her like some sort of freak and of course they had all turned up to see just how wild their story was…. But none of them left their seats, not even Chloe, though she continued to gaze intently at Akko.
“Yes, well,” said Diana, clearing her throat. “As I was saying, if you want to learn some self-defense, then we need to work out how we’re going to do it, how often we’re going to meet, and where we’re going to – “
“Is it true,” interrupted the elfish Eclipse first-year sitting beside Luz, looking at Akko, “that you can mix magics.”
“Yeah,” said Akko, slightly defensive.
“And you combined a light spell with an extermination spell?”
That phrase stirred something in Akko’s memory.
“Er – you don’t know Councilman Belos, do you?” she asked.
“My parents have dinners with him and his nephew on occasions,” said the elfish first-year. “I’m Amity Blight. He told us about your hearing. So – it’s really true? You mixed magics when you were only thirteen?”
“Yeah,” said Akko.
“That’s awesome, Akko!” said Sarah, looking deeply impressed. “I didn’t know you could do that! I’ve tried mixing magics for over a year and they always blow up in my face!”
“What do you expect when you combine a fireball with a freezing spell?” said Lin-Lin sarcastically and a couple people laughed while Sarah rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. Aletta was running back and forth anxiously in the kitchen.
“Did you really kill the monster that infected the whole school?” demanded Verde. “They never told us what really happened that year….”
“Yeah, she did,” answered Sucy. “After she let the monster in the school in the first.”
“I said I was sorry,” Akko whined.
Carman whistled, Makoto and Chinatsu exchanged awestruck looks, and Sola said “wow” softly. Akko was feeling slightly hot around the collar now.
“And in our first year,” said Barbara to the group at large, “she saved the Shiny Rod from falling into the wrong hands.”
“Weren’t you the wrong hands?” asked Jasminka innocently.
“That has not been proven in the court of law,” said Barbara quickly.
“And not to mention,” said Molly, startling a few people who didn’t realize she was there, “she survived the first challenge in the Grand Magic Games, against the horde of Xenomorphs and the queen. And she fought the Kiryuin Sisters two-on-one….”
There was a murmur of impressed agreement around the restaurant. Akko’s insides were squirming. She was trying to arrange her face so that she did not look too pleased with herself. She had already heard these things from Diana, but she figured her girlfriend was just being biased. She didn’t think so many people thought that highly of her.
“Look,” she said and everyone fell silent at once, “I…I don’t want to sound like I’m trying to be modest or anything, but…I had a lot of help with all that stuff….”
“Not in the labyrinth last year, you didn’t,” said Priscilla at once. “Seriously, you were awesome….”
“Yeah, well – “said Akko, feeling it would be rude to disagree.
“And nobody helped you fight of the Heartless this summer,” said Amity.
“No,” said Akko, “no, okay, I know I did some things without help, but my point is – “
“Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?” said Chloe.
“I’m not even the one really teaching anything,” said Akko, gesturing to her girlfriend. “Diana’s the one with the brains. I’m just a…what’s the word I’m looking for?”
“Test dummy,” Sucy offered.
“Yeah, test dum – HEY!”
“Well, we’ve all turned up to learn self-defense, and now you’re saying you can’t do anything,” said Chloe.
“That’s not what she said,” sneered Gari.
“Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?” inquired Sabi, pulling out a tube of lethal-looking bubbling black liquid with a skull and crossbones label.
“Or any part of your body, really, we’re not fussy where we stick this,” said Gari.
“Yes, well,” said Diana hastily, “moving on…the point is, do you agree that you want to learn proper self-defense lessons?”
There was a murmur of general agreement. Chloe folded her arms and said nothing, though perhaps this was because she was too busy keeping an eye on the tube in Sabi’s hand.
“Right,” said Diana, looking relieved that something had at last been settled. “Well, then, the next question is how often we do it. I really don’t think there’s any point in meeting less than once a week – “
“Hold on,” said Avery, “we need to make sure this doesn’t clash with our Chariot Racing practice.”
“Or ours,” said Fate.
“Or ours,” added Chloe.
“I’m sure we can find a night that suits everyone,” said Diana, slightly impatient, “but you know, this is important, we’re talking about learning to defend ourselves against Jennifer’s cult – “
“Well said!” barked Hayate, whom Akko had been expecting to speak long before this. “Personally, I think this is of the utmost importance, possibly more important than anything else we’ll do his year, even with our S.T.A.R.s and Marks of Mastery coming up!”
She looked around impressively, as though waiting for people to cry, “Impossible!” When nobody spoke, she went on, “I, personally, am at a loss to see why the Council has forced a useless teacher on us at this critical period. Obviously, they are in denial about Jennifer’s return and her true nature as a villain, but to give us a teacher who is actively trying to prevent us from learning self-defense – “
“We think the reason Light Spinner doesn’t want us trained in self-defense,” said Lotte, “is because they’ve got some…some insane idea that Luna Nova is using students as a kind of private army. They think we’d be mobilized against the Magic Council.”
Nearly everybody looked stunned at this news; everybody except Molly McIntyre, who piped up, “Well, that makes sense. After all, Crawford Seam has always been afraid of Chariot du Nord because of her strength and popularity. That’s why he tried to deny her from staying in Luna Nova.”
“What?” asked Akko, completely thrown by this unexpected piece of information.
“Yes, he’s worried Chariot might rise up against him inside the school,” said Molly.
“Whaddya mean ‘inside the school?” asked Akko.
“I mean, Chariot du Nord is inside Luna Nova,” said Molly like it was obviously.
That got a lot of people talking; the idea that the famous magical entertainer Chariot du Nord was hiding somewhere in Luna Nova was even more wild than an underground self-defense club. Orion visibly paused for a moment before going back to work.
“That’s crazy,” said Hannah. “If someone like Chariot du Nord was in Luna Nova, don’t you think someone would know about it.”
“Diana knows,” said Molly; the aforementioned blonde stiffened in shock. “She figured it out in her first year.”
Akko now rounded on Diana, who nervously met Akko’s gaze and then quickly turned away, biting her bottom lip.
“Diana…,” Akko leaned in close, speaking in a low voice so only her girlfriend could hear. “Is she telling the truth….”
Diana sighed miserably, and answered, “I’m sorry, Akko…I’ve wanted to tell you for so long, but…I couldn’t.”
“I mean you knew where my mom was hiding for the past five years,” said Akko, her temper starting to flare up, “and you never once said anything to me? How could you do that? We’re you the one who said that we shouldn’t keep secrets from each other?”
“It’s not my place to say anything,” Diana retorted harshly. “Chariot made me swore not to say anything. She said she wanted to be the one to tell you when the time was right. And before you lecture me about keeping secrets, can you tell me, with complete honesty, that you’re not keeping anything from me?”
Akko opened her mouth to snap back, but quickly closed it before she did something she could regret.
It suddenly struck her how similar this situation was to the one in Professor Holbrooke’s office last year, just after she had discovered the Horologium Clock. Professor Holbrooke had made her swore not to say anything about the true nature of Bernadette Cavendish’s death, that Diana’s mother would be the one to tell the truth when the time was right. Akko wasn’t about to break her promise to Holbrooke, so it would be hypocritically if Akko blamed Diana for making a similar promise. That didn’t mean she couldn’t be upset about it, though –
“Hem, hem,” said Lotte in such a good imitation of Light Spinner that several people looked around in alarm and then laughed. “Weren’t we trying to decide how often we’re going to meet and get self-defense lessons?”
“Yes,” said Diana at once, “yes, we were, you’re right….”
“Well, once a week sounds cool,” said Makoto.
“As long as – “ began Avery.
“Yes, yes, we know about your training,” said Diana in a tense voice. “Well, the other thing to decide is where we’re going to meet….”
This was more difficult; the whole group fell silent.
“Library?” suggested Luz after a few moments.
“I can’t see Badcock being happy with us doing jinxes in the library,” said Lotte.
“Maybe an unused classroom?” said Nanoha.
“Yeah,” said Amanda, “Ursula might let us use one, she did when we were practicing for the Contest….”
But Akko was pretty certain that Ursula would not be so accommodating this time. For all that Diana had said about study and homework groups being allowed, she had a distinct feeling this one might be considered a little more rebellious.
“Right, well, we’ll try to find somewhere,” said Diana. “We’ll send a message around to everybody when we’ve got a time and place for the first meeting.”
She rummaged through her bag and produced a rolled-up, yellowing piece of paper and an old timey quill – the kind that existed back in colonial days. Now Diana might be more traditional than most students, but this was going a little overboard in Akko’s opinion.
“I think we should write our names down, just so we know who was here,” said Diana. “But I also think that we should agree not to say anything about what we are doing. So if you sin, you’re agreeing not to tell Light Spinner – or anybody else – what we’re up to.”
“The first rule of magic club is don’t talk about magic club,” said Amanda jokingly.
“Exactly,” said Diana, completely missing the reference, which make several people snicker behind their hands.
Amanda was the first to reach out and cheerfully put down her signature, but Akko noticed at once that several people looked less than happy at the prospect of putting their names on the list.
“Er…,” said Chloe slowly, not taking the paper as Chinatsu was trying to pass her. “Well…I’m sure Zizi or Alice will tell me when the meeting is.”
But Priscilla looked hesitant about signing too. Diana raised her eyebrow at her.
“I – well, we are prefects,” Priscilla burst out. “And if this list was found…well, I mean…you said yourself, if Light Spinner finds out….”
“Hayate-chan said this group was the most important thing you’d do this year,” Akko reminded her. “You don’t believe her, even though she’s your senior?”
“I – no, that’s…,” Priscilla mumbled, “that’s not what I meant….”
“Priscilla, do you really think I’d leave that list lying around?” said Diana testily.
“No, no, of course not,” said Priscilla, looking slightly less anxious. “I – yes, of course I’ll sign.”
Nobody raised objections after Priscilla, though Akko saw Chloe give Diana a disapproving look before reluctantly adding her name. When the last person – Sola – had signed, Diana took the sheet back and slipped it carefully into her bag. There was an odd feeling in the group now. It was as though they had just signed some kind of contract.
“Excuse me,” Aletta spoke up, appearing timidly around the door to the kitchen. “Erm – if you’re done with your meeting, we’ve finished preparing your meals if you’re ready.”
“It’s about time!” said Sarah enthusiastically. “We’re starving!”
All the tension in the room seemed to magically disappear at the mere mention of food. Aletta and Orion had to used use three carts to carry everyone’s plate to the main room, and then there was chaos of trying to keep track of everyone’s order since they were shouting over one another. Akko was honestly relieved to be done with the subject of their secret club as her uncle set her pork cutlet rice bowl. One sniff of the delicious smell made Akko’s stomach growl furiously, reminding her just how hungry she was.
“Well, I think that went quite well,” said Diana optimistically as she cut into her tender beefsteak.
“That Chloe girl’s a real brat,” said Sucy, taking a spoonful of her mushroom soup. Apparently, it wasn’t to her taste, so she decided to add her own special ingredient: a drop of venomous-looking liquid that turned her soup a bubbling purple color.
“She was glaring at Diana the whole time,” Lotte noted, sampling her macaroni gratin.
“The Dubois family have a one-sided rivalry with the Cavendishes,” said Diana, sighing exasperatedly. “They seem to be under the impression that they are more deserving of recognition because their family is as old as ours. The Cavenishes never really cared much for their petty grudge, so we just ignore them for the most part.”
“So why’d you invite her,” asked Wendy, taking a bite of fruit jelly.
“I didn’t,” said Diana. “But she overheard me talking to Zizi and Alice and she seemed interested in coming, so what could I say? But the more people the better really – I mean, I doubt Verde, Catherine, or Elfriede would’ve come if Verde wasn’t dating Hannah – “
Akko, who had been taking large gulps of soda when Diana dropped that little bombshell, gagged and sprayed the counter. Good thing Aletta was so attentive and quickly wiped it up.
“Hannah’s dating who?” yelped Akko. “When did this happen?”
“They started hanging out together after the Winter Ball and got together at the end of last year,” said Diana composedly. She subtily looked over her shoulder to the table across the restaurant where Hannah and Verde were feeding each other like a disgustingly sweet couple. Barbara, who was sitting across from them, was stabbing her food unnecessarily hard.
“No wonder Barbara looks so pissed,” said Nico while slurping her carbonara noodles. “She’s been crushing on Hannah since first year.”
“But Hannah is too obvious to notice,” said Lotte sympathetically. “First, she was too infatuated with Diana while Diana was in love with Akko, and now she’s coupled up with someone completely unexpected. I can’t help feel bad for Barbara.”
“It’s probably karma for what she did first year,” said Sucy.
“If we’re going to talk about something unexpected,” Wendy chimed in, “why don’t we talk about you, Diana?”
“What about me?” said Diana, looking slightly apprehensive like she knew what Wendy was going to ask.
“Is it true that Akko’s mom is in Luna Nova?” asked Wendy.
“…yes,” Diana answered after a moment’s hesitation, glancing at Akko, whose eyes were firmly set on her meal.
“And you won’t tell anyone where she is?” Wendy continued. “Not even your own girlfriend.”
“I told you, I was sworn into secrecy,” said Diana shortly, indicating that she was done with the subject. “Though I do wonder how Molly McIntyre found out….”
Akko kept her mouth shut by slowly chewing her food.
Notes:
Next chapter: Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four
Chapter 17: Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Akko felt happier for the rest of the weekend than she had been all term. She spent much of Sunday catching up with all her homework again, and although this could hardly be called fun, the last burst of autumn sunshine persisted, so rather than sitting hunched over a table in the common room, she took her work outside and lounged in the shade of a large beech tree on the edge of the lake.
The knowledge that they were doing something to resist Light Spinner and the Magic Council, and that she was a key part of the rebellion, gave Akko a feeling of immense satisfaction. She kept reliving Saturday’s meeting in her mind: all those people, coming to learn self-defense…and the looks on their faces as they heard some of the things she had done. The knowledge that all those people did not think of her as a lying weirdo, but someone to be admired, buoyed her up so much that she was still cheerful on Monday morning, despite the imminent prospect of her least favorite classes.
Sadly, her relationship with Diana was on edge at the moment.
Knowing that her girlfriend was not only aware of the location of Shiny Chariot – her birth mother – but had been actively keeping it from Akko for years, felt like a huge violation of her trust. But at the same time, Akko couldn’t fault her because she was also keeping a huge secret from Diana concerning her own mother. So the pair of them came to an unspoken agreement not to say anything on the matter, though their interactions now were tense and awkward, like they were walking on eggshells constantly.
Akko pushed these thoughts away as she headed downstairs from the dormitory with her roommates, discussing Amanda’s eventual plans for when she moved to Paris. It was not until they were halfway across the sunlit common room that they noticed the addition to the room that had already attracted the attention of a small group of people
A large sign had been affixed to the Polaris notice board, so large that it covered everything else on there – the list of second-hand spellbooks for sale, the regular reminders of school rules from Elma, the Chariot Racing team training schedule, the offers to barter certain cards for others, the Manbavran Twins’ new advertisement for testers, the dates of the Blytonbury weekends, and the lost-and-found notices. The new sign was printed in large black letters and there was a highly official-looking seal at the bottom beside a neat and curly signature.
---BY ORDER OF---
THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF LUNA NOVA
All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and
Clubs are henceforth disbanded.
An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby
defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.
Permission to re-form may be sought from the High
Inquisitor (Professor Light Spinner).
No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club
may exist without the knowledge and approval of the
High Inquisitor.
Any student found to have former, or to belong to, an
Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not
been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.
This above is in accordance with
Educational Decree Number Tweny-Four
Signed:
Light Spinner
HIGH INQUISITOR
Amanda read the notice aloud over the heads of some anxious-looking second years.
“Does this mean they’re going to shut down the Light Music Club?” one of them asked her friend.
“I bet you’ll be okay,” Amanda said darkly, making the second-year jump. “I doubt we’re going to be as lucky, though,” she said to Akko as the second years ran away.
Akko was reading the notice through again. The happiness that had filled her since Saturday was gone. Her insides were pulsing with rage.
“This can’t be a coincidence,” she said, her hands forming fists. “She knows.”
“She can’t,” said Lotte at once.
“Let’s face it,” said Sucy forebodingly, “we don’t know how many of the people who turned up we can trust. Any of them could have turned tail and ran to Light Spinner.”
And Akko thought they believed her, though they admired her….
“Chloe Dubois!” said Amanda at once, punching her fist into her hand. “It had to be her. She told Light Spinner to get Princess because that family grudge and stuff – “
“I wonder if Diana’s seen this yet?” said Jasminka, frowning and scooping handfuls of hard candy into her mouth.
“Let’s go an tell her,” said Amanda.
They shuffled through the common room archway two at a time and bound down the corridors. They ran halfway across the school, nearly running into Professor Ursula outside her office, and climbed up one floor to West Tower. They stopped in front of the gilded portrait of the full moon that Akko knew was the entrance to the Lunar common. But since Amanda wasn’t part of the expedition to sneak into Lunar Tower back in their second year, she didn’t know the secret to opening the door. Instead, she started banging her fist on the portrait.
“Cavendish, get out here!” she shouted. “We need to talk!”
She was on her sixth knock when it happened. There was a loud, wailing, klaxon-like sound and Amanda was suddenly pulled backwards off her feet and pinned to the ceiling like gravity had been flipped.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’re not allowed in there,” said Akko, trying hard not to laugh.
The portrait flew open and two fourth-year girls stepped outside, tilting their heads back and laughing.
“Did you really try to break into our dorm?” one of the girls giggled condescendingly.
“Yeah, laugh it up, you little brats!” snapped Amanda; the fourth-years laughed harder and left down the hall. “Just wait till I get down from here! I’ve got a new spell I’ve been itching to try!”
“How did you think you were going to get in, exactly?” asked Diana, who had just stepped out of the portrait hole flanked by Hannah and Barbara. “If you had read The History of Luna Nova, you would know that each dorm gateway is designed with an anti-intruder mechanism. You’re lucky you only registered for the level one punishment and not level five.”
“Yeah, yeah, just get me down,” Amanda complained. Hannah rolled her eyes, whipped out her wand, and flicked it at Amanda, who dropped on the ground like a sack of potatoes. “…Thanks.”
“Why are you trying to break into our dorm?” Diana asked Akko.
“Light Spinner posted a new decree in our common room,” said Akko.
“We got one, too,” said Barbara, frowning. “Nanoha ran off to find Fate and Hayate after she saw it.”
“Someone must have blabbed!” Amanda said angrily.
“They couldn’t have,” said Diana in a low voice.
“Don’t be so naive,” said Stan-Bot; Constance crossed her arms and pouted. “Just because you’re all honorable and trustworthy – “
“It’s quite the opposite, in fact,” said Diana grimly. “I didn’t trust any of them not to go running to Light Spinner, so I put a curse of the quill everyone used to sign their names. Believe me, if anyone blabbed, we will know exactly who it is and they will regret it.”
“What’ll happen to them?” asked Sucy eagerly.
“Well, let’s put it this way,” said Diana cryptically. “They won’t be able to show their faces for the next decade. Come on, let’s get down to breakfast and see what the others think…. I can only guess the notice has been put up in all the Houses.”
It was immediately apparent on entering the dining hall that everyone in Luna Nova had seen Light Spinner’s sign. There was a peculiar intensity about the chatter and an extra measure of movement in the hall as people scurried up and down their tables on what they had read. Akko and the others had barely taken their seats when Wendy, Nico, Fate and the Manbavaran Twins descended upon them.
“Did you see it?”
“Do you think she knows?”
“What’re we gonna do?”
They were all look at Akko. She glanced around to make sure there were no teachers near them.
“We’re gonna do it, of course,” she said quietly.
“Knew you’d say that,” said Nico, beaming and patting Akko on the shoulder.
“Prefects, too?” said Fate, looking quizzically at Diana and Lotte.
“Of course,” said Diana coolly.
“Here comes Sarah and Catherine,” said Lotte, looking over her shoulder. “And Verde and Chloe…and no one looks like anything’s wrong with them.”
Diana looked alarm.
“Something’s about to be seriously wrong if those idiots come over here, it will look suspicious – sit down!” she mouthed to Sarah and Catherine, gesturing to them frantically. “Later! We’ll – talk – later!”
“I’ll tell Verde,” said Hannah, swinging herself out of her seat. “Really hoping this doesn’t blow up in our faces….”
But the full repercussions of the sign weren’t felt until Akko and Diana were leaving the dining hall for History of Magic.
“Kagari!”
It was Avery and she was hurrying toward them looking desperate.
“It’s okay,” said Akko quietly, when she was close enough to hear her. “We’re still going to – “
“You realize she’s including Chariot Racing in this?” Avery said over her. “We have to go and ask permission to re-form the Polaris team!”
“What?” said Diana.
“No way!” said Akko, appalled.
“You read the sign; it mentions teams too! So listen, Kagari…I am begging you, for the Nine Olde Witches’ sake…please, please be on your best behavior with Light Spinner again or she might not let us play anymore!”
“Okay, okay,” said Akko, for Avery looked to be on the verge of tears. “Don’t worry, I’ll behave myself….”
Akko could focus on Professor Croft’s lesson today because her mind was still wandering back to the notice on today’s bulletin board. Diana assured her that no one had blabbed to Light Spinner, so was it really just a coincidence? It wouldn’t have surprised Akko if Light Spinner was spying on them somehow.
Akko doodled idly on her paper ignoring Diana’s frequent leers and nudges, until a particularly painful poke in the ribs made her look up in annoyance.
“What?”
She pointed at the window. Akko looked around. Blair was perched on the narrow window ledge, gazing through the thick lass at her with narrowed golden eyes. Akko couldn’t understand it; Blair had been away on another assignment for the Celestial Sphere, so when did she come back, and why was she coming to Akko during class instead of at breakfast? Many of Akko’s classmates were pointing out Blair to each other too.
“Hey, check out the weird cat,” Akko heard a seventh-year say. “Think it got lost or something?”
She glanced around at Professor Croft, who had snapped her book close with annoyed look and was staring down Akko like a wolf stalking a baby deer. Akko gulped nervously and slipped sideways out of her chair, aware that everyone in the classroom was watching her, making Akko feel embarrassed. She hurried along the row to the window, where she slid the catch, and opened it slowly.
Akko opened her mouth to ask why Blair had suddenly stopped by while she was in the middle of class, but the moment the window was open, Blair hopped inside and transformed in a poof of smoke. Akko felt herself shrinking until her familiar piercing stare as she stood over her at her full considerable height. She didn’t even care that her classmates or teacher were watching them; Blair looked positively pissed.
“You are in a lot of shit, Atsuko Kagari!” Blair hissed.
Thought terrified of Blair’s anger, it was only then that Akko realized Blair looked roughed up. The left knee of her jeans was ripped open, exposing the scratch marks, her jacket had a tiny splatter of red that looked faintly like blood, and the makings of a bruise were forming her left eye.
“You’re hurt!” Akko gasped.
“That’s the least of your concerns!” Blair snapped.
“Excuse me, but we’re in the middle of class,” Professor Croft interrupted, annoyed that her lesson had lesson on Titan slayings had been cut off. She addressed Blair and asked, “Who are you? Why are you here?”
“I am Atsuko’s legal guardian,” said Blair, snatching Akko roughly by the arm. Akko knew she was in trouble if Blair referring her by her full name. “And I’m taking her out of class today. Is that a problem with you?”
“It is,” said Professor Croft. “Whatever family issues you both have, they can wait until after lesson.”
“Yeah, fat chance,” said Blair, and she started pulling Akko toward the door, nearly popping her arm out of its socket.
“Hey, I never said you could – “ Professor Croft started, but Blair had already slammed the door behind her.
Blair continued to drag down her the empty corridor until they rounded the corner and near the trophy room. The cat witch then pulled Akko in front, causing her to wince, and glared at her young ward sharply. Akko had never seen Blair this angry before.
“What the hell are you brats think with that stupid stunt of yours?” Blair hissed in a low voice. “Are you trying to get yourself expelled.
“I don’t know what you – “Akko started, but Blair cut her off.
“That meeting of yours at the Calico the other day! What the hell was going through your damn head when you decided to gather a small army of students for the express purpose of rebelling against Light Spinner?”
“How did you know that?” Akko gasped.
“Izetta’s brother is the owner of the damn place, what did you think?” said Blair, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’ve done a lot of dumb shit over the years, but this is by far the worst. Why do you insist on making things worse?”
“It’s Diana’s idea!” Akko snapped defensively.
“Is that right?” said Blair heatedly, grabbing Akko’s wrist again. “Well, then we’ll have to have a word about Miss Cavendish.”
Akko didn’t like the sound of that as they headed downstairs. They arrived at the staffroom door minutes later, which was flanked by suits of armor. As they approached, one of them creaked, “Shouldn’t you ladies be in class.”
“This is urgent,” said Blair curtly.
“Oooh, urgent, is it?” said the other suit of armor in a high-pitched voice, “Well, that put us in our place, hasn’t it?”
Blair slammed her fist on the door, threatening to break it off its hinges. They heard footsteps and then the door opened and they found themselves face-to-face with Professor Ursula.
“You haven’t been given another detention, have you?” she said at once, her glasses flashing alarmingly.
“No, but she’s in big trouble,” said Blair harshly.
“Why? What happened?”
“It’s urgent, apparently,” said the second suit of armor snidely.
“Is Finnelan in there?” asked Blair, peering over Ursula’s shoulder. “I need to talk to her about her prized pupil, Diana.”
“What’s happening with Diana.”
Professor Finnelan appeared at Ursula’s shoulder, nursing a cup of tea in one hand and a copy of today’s newspaper in the other. She looked up and down at Blair and said,” What in the Nine’s name happened to you?”
“I got ambushed near the front gates coming back from Wedinburgh,” said Blair, trying to pass it off as nothing. They didn’t say who they were, but I think we can all guess why they were there.”
Professor Finnelan and Ursula’s eyes met briefly and Akko knew what they were thinking by the way their eyebrows joined in the middle. Blair coming back from Wedinburgh meant she was coming from the Cavendish Manor, headquarters of the Celestial Sphere. It was doubtless in everyone’s mind that the Magic Council would be the only ones to attempt an ambush of a known associate of Shiny Chariot and Izetta.
“Well, then I suppose you’ll have to limit your travels from now on,” said Ursula.
“Oh, believe me, I’m not going anywhere after what I just heard,” said Blair seriously.
She looked up and down the corridors conspiratorially, then over Ursula and Professor Finnelan’s shoulders in the staffroom. Once feeling it was safe to speak, Blair whispered into their ears. Unsurprisingly, Professor Finnelan looked appalled and furious, but Ursula’s face betrayed none of her thoughts. She fixed Akko with a blank stare, as if sizing her up for something Akko couldn’t understand.
“Er – right – well,” mumbled Akko, relieved as the bell rang for break. “I oughta get going – “
“You’re not going anywhere, Miss Kagari,” said Professor Finnelan severely. “We are not done talking – “
“I will deal with Miss Kagari, Professor Finnelan,” said Ursula firmly. “I am her Head of House. It would seem suspicious if you were the one punishing her.”
“Oh…very well,” Professor Finnelan huffed. “Then I will have a word with Diana instead, since she’s in my House.”
“Blair, you should head up to the Hospital Wing and get yourself patched up,” said Ursula.
“I’m fine,” Blair rejected.
“Just humor me,” said Ursula.
“…All right,” Blair sighed defeatedly. “Before I forget anything, Iz – er, Mikko, wanted me to drop something off for you.”
“Er, okay,” said Akko, who was glancing sideways at Ursula nervously. Blair pulled out a crumpled note from beneath her hat, handed it to Akko, and walked away with Professor Finnelan. Now Akko was officially alone with Ursula.
“Akko,” said Ursula.
“Y-Yes, Professor?”
Ursula glanced up an down the corridor the students were coming from both directions.
“I know nothing I say will dissuade you from your current course of action,” she said quickly and quietly, “so I will just tell you this: consider carefully what you’re going to do next. It’s not just you who’s in danger now.”
“I – “ said Akko, but the flood of students rolling along the corridor was almost upon her. Professor Ursula gave her a curt nod and retreated into the staffroom, leaving Akko to be swept out into the courtyard with the crowd. Here she spotted Diana already standing in a sheltered corner, her cloak collar turned up against the wind. Akko uncrumpled the letter from Blair as she hurried toward her and found five words in Izetta’s handwriting:
Today, same time, same place.
“What happened?” asked Diana anxiously, the moment she was within earshot. “Where did Blair take you.”
“To Professor Ursula,” said Akko. “And Professor Finnelan…. Listen….”
And she told Diana what Professor Ursula had said. To her surprise, Diana didn’t look shocked; on the contrary, she looked relieved.
“I knew there was a risk since Chariot’s brother was the owner of the establishment,” said Diana. “It’s good that it was the Celestial Sphere that was watching us instead of Light Spinner’s men. By the way, where did you get that letter?” she asked, seeing the note clutched in Akko’s hand.
“It’s from Mikko,” said Akko quietly, passing her the note.
“’Same time, same place’? What does that mean?”
“I think she means the fireplace in the Polaris common room,” said Akko. “It’s how she’s been communicating with me in the past.”
“You said Blair was ambushed coming back?” said Diana, looking uneasy. “Do you think anyone else might have read this…?”
“Blair still had it when she met me,” said Akko, trying convince herself as much as Diana. “And nobody would understand what it meant if they didn’t know where we talked before, right?”
“I don’t know,” said Diana anxiously, hitching her bag back over her shoulder as the bell rang again. “There are a number of ways someone could have taken the note and slipped it back without anyone noticing. And it anyone was watching communication channels…but I don’t really see how we can warn her not to come without that being intercepted, too!”
They trudged down the stone steps to the lower levels for Magical Pharmaceuticals, both of them lost in thought. They separated inside the classroom; Akko took her usual seat in the back between Lotte and Sucy and took her notebook, pen, and copy of One Thousand and One Herbs and Fungi. The class around them was whispering and glancing back at Akko. She didn’t understand why until Lotte whispered it to her:
“Is it true?” she asked. “Did Blair really pull you out of class and drag you to the staffroom.”
“How’d you know that?” said Akko, doing a doubletake.
“A bunch of seventh-years were gossiping about it,” answered Sucy. “It’s the only time anything interesting’s ever happened in History of Magic.”
“So, what did she want?” asked Lotte.
Akko opened her mouth to respond, but when Professor Azusa closed the classroom door with an echoing bang, everybody fell silent immediately.
“You will notice,” said Professor Azusa in a dry, exasperated voice, “that we have a guest today.”
She gestured toward the dim corner of the dungeon, and Akko saw Light Spinner sitting there, clipboard on her knee.
“We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today. You will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson. If correctly made, they should have matured well over the weekend – instructions” – she point at the blackboard – “are on the board. Carry on.”
Light Spinner spent the first half hour of the lesson making notes in her corner. Akko was keeping an unwary eye on her, so much so, that she was becoming careless with her potion again.
“Salamander blood, Akko!” Lotte moaned, grabbing her wrist to prevent her from adding the wrong ingredient for the third time. “Not pomegranate juice!”
“Right,” said Akko vaguely, putting down the bottle and continuing to watch the corner. Light Spinner had just gotten to her feet and strode between two lines of desks toward Professor Azusa, who was bending over Gaëlle Müller’s cauldron.
“Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level,” she said briskly to Professor Azusa’s back. “Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Council would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus.”
“Well, unless the Council can come up with a justifiable reason why I should,” said Professor Azusa, keeping her back Light Spinner in clear disrespect, “I don’t think I’ll be changing anything.”
Light Spinner glowered and made a note on her clipboard.
“Now…you’re one of Holbrooke’s newest additions to the staff, correct?” she asked.
“That’s right,” Professor Azusa replied. Akko, watching them closely, added a few drops to her potion; it hissed menacingly and turned from turquoise to orange.
“You originally applied for the self-defense post, I believe,” Light Spinner asked Professor Azusa.
“Yes,” said Professor Azusa.
“But you were unsuccessful?”
“You tell me.”
Light Spinner scribbled on her clipboard again.
“Why did you feel you are qualified for the position of self-defense?”
“I think my three-hundred years of experience speaks for itself,” said Professor Azusa. “Plus, I have experience in combatting dragons, demon lords, and the like.”
“It is my understanding that you secluded yourself during those three hundred years,” said Light Spinner. “Why the sudden change.”
“Well, it’s because of my daughters,” said Professor Azusa proudly. “I’ve been teaching them from home, but they’ve shown an interest in attending a real school with classmates. And I can’t say no to my precious babies. So I took this job to guarantee they would be accepted into one of the best schools in the world.”
“Ah, yes, I heard you’ve taken a lot of monsters lately,” Light Spinner sniffed contemptuously.
“Excuse me?” said Professor Azura, finally turning around with a furious glare.
“For your sake, you had best hope you didn’t promise those creatures anything,” said Light Spinner coolly. “I highly doubt the Magic Council would endanger the student body by accepting monsters of questionable nature. You understand I’m sure….”
She turned away, walked over to Nanoha, and began questioning her about the lessons. Professor Azusa looked around and her eyes met with Akko for a second. Akko hastily dropped her gaze to her potion, which was now congealing foully and giving off a strong smell of burned rubber.
“No marks today, Kagari,” said Professor Azusa savagely, emptying Akko’s cauldron with a wave of her hand. “You will write me an essay on the correct composition of this potion, indicate how and why you went wrong, to be handed in next lesson. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Akko timidly. She already had homework and she had Chariot Racing practice this evening; this would mean another couple of sleepless nights. It did not seem possible that she had awoken this morning very happy. All she felt was a fervent desire for this day to end as soon as possible.
But it seemed that Professor Azusa wasn’t the only teacher in a foul mood that day as Akko took her seat in the hot, darkened atmosphere of the Urara classroom half an hour later. Professor Ursula was aggressively handing out copies of Channeling the Divine. She slammed a copy on the table between Akko and Wendy and swept away, her lips pursed; she threw the next copy at Carmen and Priscilla, narrowly avoid Priscilla’s head, and thrust the final one into Lin-Lin’s chest with such force that she slipped off her beanbag.
“Well, carry on,” said Ursula quietly with a tinge of cold fury. “You know what to do. Or am I such a substandard teacher that you have yet to learn how to open a book?”
The class stared perplexedly at her and then at each other. Akko, however, had an idea about the professor’s that had nothing to do with the secret meeting. As Ursula flounced back to her high-backed teacher’s chair, Akko leaned her head closer to Wendy and muttered, “I think she got the results of her inspection back.”
“Professor?” said Carmen in a hushed voice. “Professor, is there anything – er – wrong.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” said Ursula, pinching the bridge of her nose. “The insinuations that woman has made against me. Unfounded accusations at level I never would have imagined. I knew she was out to get me, but I had expected some professional curtesy….”
“Professor,” said Carman, “do you mean…is it something Professor Light Spinner…?”
“Refrain from using that woman’s name while in my class!” snapped Ursula irritably. She had a small coughing fit that drew a lot of concerned faces, but quickly collected herself. “And kindly continue with your work….”
And she spent the rest of the lesson striding among them, muttering what sounded like threats under her breath.
“…might call in a few favors…the scheme wench…on probation…we shall see…how dare she….”
“You and Light Spinner have something in common,” Akko told Diana quietly when they met again in Magical Selff-Defense. “She obviously couldn’t stand Ursula’s lessons either…. Looks like she’s been put on probation. That can’t be helping Professor Ursula’s condition….”
Light Spinner entered the from as she spoke, wearing an expression of great smugness.
“Good afternoon, class.”
“Good afternoon, Professor Light Spinner,” they chanted dully.
“Wands away, please…”
But there was no answering flurry of movement this time; nobody had bothered to take out their wands.
“Please turn to page thirty-four of Defensive Magical Theory and read the third chapter. Entitled ‘The Case of Non-Offensive Responses to Magical Attack.’ There will be – “
“ – no need to talk,” the whole class muttered together under their breaths.
“No Chariot Racing practice,” said Avery in a hollow tone when Akko, Lotte, and Sucy entered the room that night.
“But I kept my temper!” said Akko, horrified. “I didn’t say anything to her, Avery, I swear, I – “
“I know, I know,” said Avery miserably. “She just said she needed a bit more time to consider.”
“Consider what?” said Akko angrily.
“You, obviously,” said Avery drearily. “All the other teams beside Lunar have already been given permission. And that’s probably because of Diana.”
Akko hated how much that was a real possibility. She could imagine how much Light Spinner was enjoying holding the threat of no Polaris Chariot Racing team over their heads and could easily understand why she would not want to relinquish that weapon over them too soon.
“Well,” said Lotte, “look on the bright side – at least now you’ll have time to do Professor Azusa’s essay.”
“That’s a bright side?” said Akko incredulously. “No flying and extra homework?”
Akko slumped down into a chair, dragged her Magical Pharmaceuticals essay reluctantly from her bag, and set to work.
It was very hard to concentrate; even though she knew that Izetta was not due in the fire until much later, she could not help glancing into the flames just in case.
A few minutes into her essay, Blair strolled into the common room in cat form, slinking up to Akko’s chair and perching herself on the backrest like an eagle observing its prey.
“Are you okay, Blair?” Lotte spoke first, much to Akko’s relief. “We heard about what happened. Were you really attacked entering the school?”
“Yes, but I kicked their asses easily enough,” said Blair. “One of them managed to get in a lucky shot, but nothing too damaging. Though I won’t be leaving Luna Nova any time soon, now that they know what I look like in both forms. Which may be a good idea, since Akko-nyan clearly needs better supervision. Honestly, a secret anti-Light Spinner club? It’s like you’re trying to give the Magic Council a reason to lock you up.”
“I keep telling you, it’s Diana’s idea,” Akko grumbled.
“Which you still went along with,” retorted Blair.
Akko grimaced, unable to come up with a response, and went back to her essay, Blair watching her the entire time.
She only managed to make progress by two sentences before another distraction broke her focus: Garie and Sabi appeared to have finally perfected one type of Sick Sweets, which they were taking turns to demonstrate to a cheering and whooping crowd.
First, Garie would take a bite out of the orange end of a chew, at which she would vomit spectacularly into a bucket they had placed in front of them. Then she would force down the purple end of the chew, at which the vomiting would immediately cease. Sabi would then dump the vomit out the window (Akko seriously hoped no one was below them) and put the bucket back for another demonstration.
What with the regular sounds of retching, cheering, and Garie and Sabi taking advance orders from the crowd, Akko was finding it exceptionally difficult to focus on the correct method for Strengthening. Solutions. Lotte was not helping matters; the cheers and sounds of vomit hitting the bottom of Garie and Sabi’s bucket were punctured by loud, uncertain groaning that Akko found, if anything, more distracting.
“Shouldn’t you be stopping them?” asked Blair after Akko crossed out the wrong weight of powdered griffin claw for the fourth time. “You’re the prefect, aren’t you?”
“Well, um, I could, maybe, but they’re technically not doing anything wrong,” Lotte stuttered, glancing anxiously at the twins. “They’re within their own rights eat use themselves as test subjects, and there’s nothing in the rules that says other people aren’t allowed to buy from them, not unless they’re proven dangerous in some way, and it doesn’t look like they are….”
“You’re just scared of them, aren’t you?” said Sucy.
Lotte offered no response as she, Sucy, Akko, and Blair watched Garie projectile-vomit into the bucket, gulped down the rest of the chew, and straightened up, beaming with her arms wide to protracted applause.
“How much of those products did you make for them, Sucy?” asked Akko, watching the twins collect credits from the eager crowd. “They seem way too good for a couple of twelve-year-olds.”
“I only worked on the cures,” said Sucy. “They know their way around disease, but can’t wrap their heads around antidotes.”
“That is concerning,” said Blair.
It was a long while before the crowd around the Manbavran Twins dispersed, and then Garie and Sabi sat up counting their takings even longer, so that it was well past midnight when Akko, Lotte, Sucy, and Blair finally had the common room to themselves again. At long last, Sabi closed the doorway to the second year’ dormitories behind her, rattling her box of credits ostentatiously just to annoy Sucy. Akko, who was making very little progress with her essay, decided to give it up for the night. As she put her books away, Blair, who had slinked down and curled up on the hearthrug in front of the fireplace, stared into the heat and hissed, “Izetta!”
Akko whipped around; Izetta’s transparent figure was sitting in the fire again.
“Hi,” she said, grinning.
“Hi,” chorused Akko, Lotte, and Sucy, all three of them kneeling down upon the hearthrug.
“How’re things?” said Izetta.
“Not that good,” said Akko, shaking her head. “The Council’s forced another decree, which means we’re not allowed to have Chariot Racing teams – “
“ – or secret self-defense groups” said Izetta.
“Yeah, Blair gave me an earful about that,” said Akko, pouting at the curly-tailed cat glowering at her.
“You may want to choose your meeting places more carefully next time,” said Izetta, grinning still more broadly. “In my brother’s own restaurant, I ask you….”
“Well, Diana kind of already knew the Sphere’d be watching,” said Akko. “Apparently, she knew about Orion-Ojisan and about Shiny Chariot being in Luna Nova….”
“Yeah, I’m aware of that,” said Izetta. “She really is the brightest witch of the age. But even if Orion hadn’t told me, Patolli or Jellal would’ve said something.”
“How would they have known?” asked Lotte.
“Because they were in Blytonbury?” said Izetta.
“What were they doing in Blytonbury?” asked Akko.
“What do you think they were doing?” said Blair impatiently. “Keeping an eye on you, of course.”
“I’m still being followed?” asked Akko angrily.
“Yeah, you are,” said Blair, “and just as well, isn’t it, if the first thing you’re going to do on your weekend off is organize an illegal self-defense group.”
“On that note,” said Izetta, “Akko, can I ask you to pass along a message to Diana. It from her mother.”
“Why can’t she pass it Diana herself?” asked Akko, suddenly feeling apprehensive to be hearing from her girlfriend’s mother.
“She would have like to have written something to Diana,” said Izetta, “but with the Council intercepting any messages in and out of Luna Nova, you’d all be in real trouble, and she can’t say it herself because she’s on duty tonight.”
“On duty doing what?” asked Sucy quickly.
“Never you mind, Celestial Sphere stuff,” said Izetta. “Anyway, she says on no account whatsoever is Diana to take part in an illegal self-defense group. She says Diana’ll be expelled for sure and her future will be ruined. She says there will be plenty of time to learn how to defend herself later and that Diana is too young to be worrying about that right now She also” – Izetta gestured at Akko – “advices you not to proceed with the group, though she accepts that she has no authority over you and simply begs you to remember that she has your best interest at heart.”
There was another pause in which Sucy looked away, scoffing, and Lotte fiddled with a hole in the hearthrug.
“So you want me to say I’m not going to take part in the self-defense group?” Akko muttered finally.
“Me? Certainly not!” said Izetta, looking surprised. “I think it’s an excellent idea!”
“You do?” said Akko, her heart lifting.
“You do?” Blair repeated, hissing.
“Of course I do!” said Izetta. “Do you think your mother and I would’ve lain down and taken orders from an old hag like Light Spinner.”
“But – last year, all you did was tell me to be careful and not take risks – “
“Last year, all the evidence showed that someone inside Luna Nova was trying to kill you, Akko!” said Izetta impatiently. “This year, we know that there’s someone outside Luna Nova who’d like to kill us all, so I think learning to defend yourself properly is a good idea!”
“But what if we get expelled?” said Lotte.
“Well, better expelled and able to defend yourselves than sitting safely in school without a clue,” said Izetta.
“You are full of shit, Izetta du Nord!” Blair shouted furiously.
Akko, Lotte, and Sucy all jumped away as Blair suddenly popped into human form, kneeling in front of the fireplace, her teeth gnashing so hard they threatened to break.
“How you could so callously tell your own niece to put herself in harms way!” snapped Blair. “Did you forget what happened this summer? How close Akko came to losing everything because the Magic Council are holding a grudge against her? And now you want her to give the Council a reason to finish the job.”
“Uh, Blair – “ Akko spoke up, but Blair cut her off.
“Stay out of this, Atsuko!”
And she was back to Atsuko….
“Hey, I’m trying to look out for my niece,” Izetta retorted heatedly. “She’s the one who’s organizing the whole thing.”
“And as her aunt, you should be scolding her, not encouraging her,” said Blair.
“Chariot would never – “
“She’s not Chariot!” shouted Blair. It was amazing no one upstairs had woken up from the shouting match. “Akko is her own person!”
“I know that!”
“It doesn’t seem like it!” said Blair. “Sometimes you act like you have your sister back that you don’t give a damn about Akko herself!”
“Of course I care about Akko!” said Izetta, outraged. “I’m her aunt!”
“And I’m her godmother!” hissed Blair. “But unlike you, I dedicated my entire life to takin care of her from the moment she was born while you got yourself thrown in prison for petty revenge!”
“Petty?!” roared Izetta. “Amon killed betrayed us and killed our friends – “
“And because of you, hundreds more died in Zurich, including Lotte’s parents!” said Blair. “Or did you conveniently forget that part?”
“That’s not fair!”
“Neither is throwing your niece into the lion’s den!” snapped Blair. “You were the one that raised Akko, so you don’t get any say in what’s best for her. You can’t just walk back into her life and do whatever you wish with her.”
“Listen, you mangy cat,” Izetta growled, “you have no idea what I have – “
She broke off. Her face was suddenly tense, alarmed. She turned sideways, apparently looking into the solid brick wall of the fireplace.
“Izetta-obasan?” said Akko anxiously.
But she had vanished. Akko gaped at the flame for a moment, then turned to look at Blair.
“Why did she - ?”
Blair made a spitting noise, grabbing Akko by the nape and pulling her away from the fire.
A hand had appeared amongst the flames, groping as thought to catch hold of something; spindly hand covered in gaudy, old-fashioned rings….
Blair pulled them away and urged them upstairs; at the door of the fifth years’ dormitory, Akko looked back. Light Spinner’s hand was still making snatching movements amongst the flames, as though she knew exactly where Izetta’s hair had been moments before and was determined to seize it.
Notes:
Next chapter: The Shiny Corps
Chapter 18: The Shiny Corps
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Light Spinner has been reading your mail, Akko. There's no other explanation."
"I figured that out for myself," said Akko, outraged. "Think she was the one that ambushed Blair?"
"I'm almost certain of it," said Lotte grimly. "Watch your frog, it's escaping."
Akko pointed her wand at the bullfrog that had been hopping hopefully toward the other side of the table, only to be pulled back into her hand with a summoning spell.
Charms was always one of the best lessons in which to enjoy a private chat: There was generally so much movement and activity that the danger of being overheard was very slight. Today, with the room full of croaking bullfrogs and cawing ravens, and with the heavy downpour of rain clattering and pounding against the classroom windows, Akko, Lotte, and Sucy's whispered discussion about how Light Spinner had nearly caught Izetta went unnoticed.
"It was a very, very close call last night," said Lotte. "I just wonder if Light Spinner knows how close it was, Silentium."
The bullfrog on which she was practicing her Silencing Charm was struck dumb mid-croak and glared at her reproachfully.
"If she had caught Mikko…."
Sucy finished the sentence for her.
"She'd probably be back in Dol Guldur by morning." She waved her wand at her cawing raven, which fell quiet as if Sucy had hit its mute button.
"Well, we just don't do that again, that's all," said Lotte. "I just don't know how we're going to let her know now. We can't send a message without it being intercepted, and Blair can't leave the school…."
"I don't think she'll risk it again," said Akko. "She's not stupid, she knows Light Spinner nearly got her. Silentium!"
Her bullfrog swelled up like a warty green balloon and made a high-pitched whistle like a tea kettle.
"Silentium! SILENTIUM!"
The whistling grew higher in pitch.
"It's the way you're moving your wand," said Lotte, watching Akko critically. "You don't want to wave it, it's more like a sharp jab."
She jabbed at the bullfrog so hard that she poked it in the eye; the frog flew through the classroom like a balloon losing air.
It came as no surprise to any o them that Akko was given additional practice of the Silencing Charm for homework.
They were allowed to remain inside over the break due to the downpour outside. They found seats in a noisy and overcrowded classroom on the first floor in which Amanda had started a wastebasket basketball tournament with her team ahead by four points. They had barely sat down when Avery came struggling toward them through the groups of gossiping students.
"I've got permission!" she said. "To re-form the Chariot Racing team!"
"Yatta!" Akko cheered.
"Yeah," said Avery, beaming. "I went to Professor Ursula, and I think she might have appealed to Professor Holbrooke – anyway, Light Spinner had to give in. Ha! So I want you down at the track at seven o'clock tonight, all right, because we've got to make up time. You realize we're only three weeks away from our first match?"
She squeezed away from them, narrowly dodging the three-pointer from Constanze, which bounced on both sides of the wastebasket rim before falling in.
Akko's smile slipped slightly as she looked out the window, which was now opaque with hammering rain.
"Hope this clears up soon," she mumbled. "Last thing I need is a repeat out third-year…. What's up with you, Lotte?"
She too was gazing at the window, but not as though she really saw it. Her eyes were unfocused and there was a frown on her face.
"Just thinking…," she said, still frowning at the rain-washed window.
"About Iz…Mikko?" said Akko.
"No…not exactly…," said Lotte slowly. "More…wondering…if we're doing the right thin…I think…aren't we?"
Akko and Sucy looked at each other.
"Well, that clears that up," said Sucy. "It would've been really annoying if you hadn't explained everything properly."
Lotte looked at her as though she was only realizing that Sucy was there.
"I was just wondering," she said, her voice now stronger, "whether we're doing the right thing, starting this self-defense group."
"What?!" Akko yelled. "Lotte, do you know how much time and effort Diana put into making this work?!"
"I know," said Lotte, twisting her fingers together. "But after talking to Mikko…."
"But she's all four it!" said Akko.
"Yes," said Lotte, staring at the window again. "Yes, that's what made me think maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all…."
Jasminka came steamrolling through the room, being grappled by three third-years to no effect; Akko, Lotte, and Sucy automatically lifted their bags as they ran between them, knocking over the desks.
"Let me get this straight," said Akko angrily, as they put their bags on the floor, "Izetta agrees with us, so you think we shouldn't do it anymore?"
Lotte looked tense and rather miserable. Now staring at her own hands, she said," Do you honestly trust her judgment?"
Yes, I do!" said Akko at once. "She's always given us great advice!"
A paper wad whizzed past them, hitting Lin-Lin Chang squarely in the ear. Lotte watched Lin-Lin leap to her feet and threw the paper wad back, hitting all the players in the face with pinpoint accuracy. It was a few moments before Lotte spoke again and it sounded as though she was choosing her words very carefully.
"It's just…Blair made a lot of good points…. You don't think that Izetta has become…sort of…reckless…since she's been cooped up in the Manor? You don't think she's kind of…living through us?"
"What d'you mean, 'living through us'?" Akko retorted.
"She means that Izetta is using you as an outlet to relieve her own boredom," said Sucy bluntly; Akko nearly gave herself a whiplash, turning on her so quickly. "She'd love forming a secret defense society under the nose of someone from the Council. But she can't do anything because she's stuck in the Manor all the time. She's encouraging us so that she can get a little excitement in her monotonous life."
"Izetta isn't – "Akko began, but Sucy cut her off.
"You're only saying that because she's your aunt. But Blair was telling the truth: Izetta doesn't give a shit about your safety. She's just using you as a replacement for her sister."
Akko, gritting her teeth and gripping her fists until her knuckles popped, jumped up from her seat, grabbed her bag, and stomped out of the classroom just as Amanda dunked on a third-year's head, pushing her into the wastebasket.
The weather did not improve as the day wore on, so that at seven o'clock that evening, when Akko went down to the race track for practice, she was soaked through within minutes, her feet slipping and sliding on the sodden grass. The sky was a deep, thundering gray and it was a relief to gain the warmth and light of the changing rooms, even if they knew the respite was only temporary. She found Rashmi and Rajani debating whether to use one of the Manbavaran Twin's Sickly Sweets to get out of flying.
" – but I bet she'd know what we'd done," Rajani said out of the corner of her mouth. "I heard the twins tried to sell her some Hurling Honey yesterday – "
"Didn't they make that new Fever Fudge the other day," Rashmi muttered. "We haven't tried that – "
"Does it work?" Luz Noceda inquired hopefully, as she entered the locker room, the rain hamming the roof intensely and the wind howling against the building.
"Well, yeah," said Rashmi, "but when you read the warning label, it says your temperature will go up – "
" – but one in four people are likely to develop large pus-filled boils," said Rajani. "You'd think they're work out the kinks before selling them to people."
"These are Sucy's sisters," said Akko darkly. "They probably chose not to fix it for a laugh…."
"All right, everyone, listen up," said Avery loudly, emerging from the captain's office. "I know it's not ideal weather, but there's a good chance we'll be playing in conditions like this, so it's a good idea to work out how we're going to cope with them. Most of us already played in similar conditions a couple years back, so this is mostly for Luz's benefit."
"Oh goody," said Luz sarcastically.
"No point in complaining now," said Avery. "You knew what you were getting into when you joined the team. Everyone got everything? Good. Let's go."
They all shouldered their brooms and followed Avery out of the locker rooms.
They squelched through deepening mud to the middle of the track; visibility was horrendous; light was fading fast and the curtains of rain were sweeping the grounds.
"All right, on my whistle!" shouted Avery.
They collectively chanted, "Tia Freyre!", spraying mud in all directions, and shot upward, the wind pulling them slightly off course. Akko had no idea how she was going to see the targets or rings in this weather; she was having a hard enough time seeing her teammates; a minute into practice she almost collided with Rajani and Akko had to use a barrel roll to avoid her. Unfortunately, Avery did not see this; in fact, she did not appear to be able to see anything; none of them had a clue what the others were doing. The wind was picking up; even at a distance, Akko could hear the swishing, pounding sounds of the rain pummeling the surface of the lake.
Avery kept them at it for nearly an hour before conceding defeat. She led the sodden and disgruntled team back into the locker rooms, insisting that the practice had not been a waste of time, though without any real conviction in her voice. Rashmi and Rajani were looking particularly annoyed. Akko could hear them complaining in low voices as she toweled her hair dry.
"I smell worse than a wet dog," said Rashmi in a hollow voice.
"You look worse than a wet dog," said Rajani. "Think we should take a chance on that fudge next practice?"
"OUCH!" said Akko.
She pressed the towel to her face, her eyes screwed tight with pain. The back of her head was throbbing, more painfully than in months. But why? Why was her head hurting, instead of her scars?
"What's up?" said several voices.
Akko emerged from behind her towel; the locker room was blurred because her eyes were watering, but she could tell that everyone's face was turned toward her.
"Nothing," she muttered, "I – er, poked myself in the eye, that's all…."
Everyone bought the excuse, which really made Akko consider how they thought of her. But that could wait until later. Akko whipped her cloak over her shoulders, pulling down the hood against the wind, and sprinted back to the school. She needed to tell someone about this.
As luck would have it, Nico was sitting in the corner of the entrance hall, trying to get a jump start on her homework while making herself looking as intimidating as possible so no one would bother her. She just about jumped out of her skin as Akko practically dove onto the bench next to her, splattering her clothes and books in water droplets.
"Whoa, Kagari, where's the fire?" asked Nico uncertainly until she got a better look at her fellow Japanese. "Whoa, you okay? You look pale…er than normal."
"Listen, something weird is happening with me?" said Akko.
She went into detail about how her head had been throbbing at random times throughout the year, expressing her concerns how they don't seem related to the scars on her back, nor the Shiny Rod, which had been inactivate since the summer.
"You sure you're not just suffering from chronic migraines?" asked Nico, closing her book. "You've been through a lot ever since that fight on the hillside. And I uh…did kind of hit you with a forbidden curse. Think it might be a side effect?"
"No," said Akko, slumping into the bench and rubbing her forehead. "It's not a migraine. It's not just the random bouts of pain. I also…feel things."
"What do you mean, 'feel things?'" asked Nico, concerned.
"I don't know," said Akko shook her head. "But when I was in the locker room, there was a moment when I felt…angry. But…it wasn't me who was angry."
Akko didn't know what she was saying, nor did she realize that she was saying them – yet she knew at once they were true. She didn't know how she knew it, but she did; someone was in a towering temper, somewhere very far away.
"Did you see anything else?" asked Nico, staring at Akko intently. "Can you maker anything out? A vision, or something?"
Akko sat still, staring at her feet, allowing her mind and her memory to relax in the aftermath of the pain….
A confused tangle of shapes, a howling rush of voices….
"They want something done, and it's not happening fast enough," she said.
Again, she felt surprised to hear the words coming out of her mouth, and yet quite certain they were true.
"But…how do you know?" said Nico.
Akko shook her head and covered her eyes with her hands, pressing down on them with her palms. Little stars erupted in them. Akko could tell without seeing that Nico was staring.
"Has this every happened before?" asked Nico.
"…There was that time in Light Spinner's office," said Akko in a low voice. "That time, both my head and my scars were hurting. But when that was happening, someone else was feeling…happy. Like something had gone according to plan. I didn't notice because my back was burning at the time. The only other times my head hurt was when…. The Black Coat…"
"Excuse me?" said Nico.
"Lately, I've been seeing a person in a Black Coat follow me around, and even attack me," said Akko. "First it happened in Japan, then at the Magic Council, then at the Manor, and in Blytonbury, and the last time was on the grounds…."
"Akko, it sounds like someone is hunting you," said Nico.
"What else is new?" said Akko, rolling her eyes.
"I'm serious, Akko," said Nico, grabbing her by the arm roughly. "You need to tell someone about this."
"I already told Blair, Izetta, and Croix."
"Well, tell them about it this time!"
"I can't," said Akko grimly. "Light Spinner is watching all messages in an out of the school. And Blair was attacked last time."
"What about Croix, or even Professor Ursula?"
"I just told you, Croix already knows," said Akko shortly, pulling her arm free. "She probably already told Ursula, too. There's no point in telling them again."
"They'd want to know," said Nico.
Akko rose to her feet.
"…Got to get to the library…still need to practice my Silencing Charm…."
She hurried away before Nico had a chance to call her back. Akko was thinking hard about who it was that she was receiving these outbursts from. Her first thought was Jennifer. Akko couldn't imagine Jennifer stalking her around the world in a Black Coat. If she could easily break into the Cavendish Manor, why not attack the Celestial Sphere directly. Maybe it was one of her followers? That would make a little more sense. But what was it that they wanted done that wasn't happening fast enough?
"She's got other plans… plans she can put into operation very quietly… Stuff she can only get by stealth…something she didn't have before…."
She had not thought about those words in weeks; she had been too absorbed in what was going on in Luna Nova, too busy dwelling on the ongoing battle with Light Spinner, the injustice of all the Council interference…. But now they came back to her and made her wonder… Whether it was Jennifer or someone working on her behalf, their anger would make sense if they were nowhere near laying their hands on the item they were seeking, which Akko and the others deduced was the Book of Dusk…. Had the Sphere thwarted them, stopped them from seizing it? Where was it kept? Who had it now?
Without even realizing it, Akko's feet had carried her to the library. Given that it was so late into the night, it was no surprise that it was empty. Madame Badcock wasn't at her desk; she must be somewhere deeper in the library rearranging books or whatever she does. Akko was grateful no one was around because she did not want to talk about anything that might lead to a discussion about her head or scars. Akko pulled out her pharmaceutical book and set to work to finish her essay, but she could hardly focus on the passage, and hardly wrote anything in the hour she had been sitting there.
It was closing in on the tenth hour while Akko was reading and rereading a passage about the uses of scurvy-grass, lovage, and wartwood and not taking in a word of it….
These plants are most efficacious in the inflaming of the brain, and are therefore much used in Confusion and Befuddlement Draughts, where the user is desirous of producing hot-headedness and recklessness….
…Lotte and Sucy said Izetta was becoming reckless cooped up in the Cavendish Manor….
…most efficacious in the inflaming of the brain, and are therefore much used…
…the news would think her brain was inflamed if they found out that she was feeling someone else's emotions…
…therefore much used in Confusion and Befuddlement Draughts…
…Confusing was the word, all right; why did she knew what that person was feeling? Akko couldn't think of any reason behind this strange connection.
…where the user is desirous…
…how she would like to sleep…
Akko folded her arms on top of the book and laid her head down, her eyelids growing heavy. She could rest her eyes for a few minutes….
She was walking once more along a windowless corridor, her footsteps echoing in the silence. As the door at the end of the passage loomed larger, her heart beat fast with excitement…. If she could only open it…enter beyond….
She stretched out her hand…. Her gloves fingers were inches away from the knob….
"Wakey-wakey, Akko!"
She awoke with a start. Her pharmaceutical book was stuck to her face by drool. Akko ripped it off with a disgusted grimace.
"Whozair?" Akko mumbled drowsily, sitting upright in her chair.
"You fell asleep, Akko. You need to wake up before Badcock throws you out."
"Molly?" said Akko thickly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Molly McIntyre was standing beside the table carrying a stack of ten books of different colors and sizes. A look at the texts told Akko that they were all about different subjects, and not one of them seemed relevant to schoolwork. 'The End of Time: A Cronus Autobiography,' 'The Homes and Habits of Chronosapiens,' 'Days of Future's Past Tomorrow Yesterday Now,' and 'Foreshadowing for Dummies' to name a few.
"What're you doing here?" Akko mumbled, wiping her drool with her sleeve.
"Just thought I'd pick up some light reading," said Molly, setting the stack of book on the table, which bended slightly under the weight. "I was about to check out when I saw you passed out on the table. Are you okay? I heard you muttering in your sleep. Were you having a bad dream?"
"Not really bad," said Akko, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "I've had worse."
"Is there any way I can help?" asked Molly, surveying Akko with her seemingly bottomless gaze. "If there's anything you need, don't be afraid to ask."
"Thanks for the offer, but I doubt you can help me," said Akko, smiling apologetically. "Not unless you can find a place where thirty-seven people can practice self-defense magic without being discovered by any of the teachers. Especially Light Spinner."
She expected Molly to look disappointed, her gaze crestfallen; she expected Molly to say that this was impossible, or else she would try, but her hopes were not high…. What Akko had not expected was for Molly to clap her hands together with a little skip.
"Oh, I know the perfect place!" she said happily. "We can use the Horologium Chamber!"
"The what?" said Akko, perking up curiously.
"The Horologium Chamber," said Molly enthusiastically. "It's a secret chamber hidden deep beneath the school that has been hidden since the Golden Age of Magic. It is said that the chamber was originally constructed by one of the Nine Olde Witches – the Witch of Time – where she would carry out her experiments on Time Magic. I accidentally discovered it when I was looking for a book on dragon tonics in my first year. I've been using as a sort of secret hideout over the years. There's a huge living space where we can hold meetings with everyone and a giant door that opens portals to various dungeons depending on which key you use."
"…Does the Horologium Chamber have a giant golden hourglass," said Akko, suddenly remembering the Horologium Clock in Professor Holbrooke's office and her story to Ram during the Winter Ball last year.
"It did at one point," said Molly. "But then Professor Holbrooke found it when I was skipping class a couple years back. She took the clock because she said it was dangerous, but promised not to tell anyone where it was. Said it was our little secret."
"How many people know about it?" said Akko, sitting up straighter.
"Very few," answered Molly. "Professor Holbrooke knows about it, but she only visited twice in the last two years. Constanze knows, too. Professor Holbrooke let her use the space that was used for the Horologium Clock as her personal workshop."
"Constanze knows about this?" asked Akko, surprised.
"Kind of," said Molly, scratching her head. "She only goes in and out of her workshop. She never stayed long in the living chamber or used the door."
"If Constanze knows, it should be all right," said Akko, her heart pounding. "I'm sure Diana will figure something out if Professor Holbrooke ever stops by. This is perfect, Molly! When can you show me where it is?"
"I can show you right now," said Molly, looking delighted at Akko's enthusiasm. "The entrance is right here in the library. We could go now, if you like."
For a moment, Akko was tempted to go; she was halfway out of her seat when, not for the first time, a voice very much like Lotte's whispered in her ear: reckless. It was, after all, well past curfew and was no doubt going to be chewed out by Elma for being out of bed. Not to mention she was exhausted and still had to do Professor Azusa's essay.
"Not tonight, Molly," said Akko reluctantly, sinking back into her seat. "This is really important…. I don't want to blow it; it'll need real planning…. We'll talk again when we have everything sorted out, okay?
Their uniforms billowed and swirled around them as they splashed across the flooded vegetable patch to double Herbalism, where they could hardly hear what Professor Roselei was saying over the hammering of raindrops hard as hailstones on the greenhouse roof. To Akko's intense relief, Avery sought out her team at lunch to tell them that Chariot Racing practice had been cancelled.
"Good," said Akko quietly, when she told her, "because we've found somewhere to have our first self-defense meeting. Tonight, eight o'clock, the dragon section of the farthest right corner of the library. Pull the unlabeled purple book on the seventh shelf. Can you tell Luz and the twins?"
She looked slightly taken aback but promised to tell the others; Akko returned hungrily to her grilled fish and rice. When she looked up to take a drink of green tea, she found Diana watching her.
"What?" she said thickly.
"Are you sure you should be trusting this McIntyre girl so blindly?" asked Diana. "We don't know a thing about her."
"Molly's not the only one who knows about it," said Akko. "Professor Holbrooke found it a couple years ago and Constanze has been using it for her workshop all year."
Diana's expression cleared.
"Professor Holbrooke told you about it?"
"Just in passing," said Akko, shrugging.
"Oh well, that's all right, then," said Diana briskly and she raised no more objections.
Together with their friends, they had spent most of the day seeking out those people who had signed their names to the list at the Western Restaurant Calico and telling them where to meet that evening. She had to find a work around to pass the word to the people in other Houses, but by the end of dinner, Akko was confident that the news had been passed to everyone who had turned up at Calico.
At half-past seven, Constanze and Akko left the Polaris common room ahead of everyone else, concluding that traveling in large parties would attract too much attention. Akko was clutching a certain weather-beaten notebook in her hand. Fifth-years were allowed to be out in the corridors until nine o'clock, but both of them kept looking around nervously as they made their way down to the first floor.
"Hold it," said Akko warningly, flipping open the ragged notebook at the top of the last staircase, tapping it with her wand, and muttering, "Makmur Mikmur Mektoral."
A map of Luna Nova appeared upon the blank pages of the notebook. Tiny black moving squares showed where various people were.
"Elma is on the seventh floor," said Akko, flipping the pages as she scanned it closely, "and Light Spinner is in her office. Okay, let's go."
They hurried along the corridor to the ornamental wooden double doors of the library, pushing them open quietly and flinching as the hinges creaked loudly. Thankfully, Badcock did not appear; she must have been out. The pair of them slipped inside quickly, closed the door behind them, and quietly stalked over to the farthest right corner of the library until they were standing in front of a bookshelf against the wall that appeared no different from those around it.
"Okay, get us inside, Constanze," said Akko quietly.
The diminutive witch nodded, approaching the shelf. Because of her short stature, Constanze required her Stan-Bot to stand on her head, but the little robot grabbed hold of a purple-bound book with no label and pulled. A loud, rumbling bang went off and Akko was almost afraid that someone might have heard. Thankfully, nobody came for them as she and Constanze stepped back.
The shelf split down the middle and moved sideways behind the other bookshelves, revealing gigantic stone door pressed with the Luna Nova sigil. The doors opened inward without anyone touching them, leading to a set of curving stone stairs that traveled further below the school.
"Sugoi…," Akko murmured in awe.
Constanze went first, followed quickly by Akko. Akko paused when the doors closed behind them once they reached the fourth step, but Constanze carried on, unbothered. They walked down thirty steps until they reached a highly-polished door at the bottom. Constanze grabbed the brass handles and pushed the doors forward, opening up into a specious room illuminated with fairy lights like those in the Assembly Hall.
One glance told that Molly was telling the truth about her using the chamber as a sort off secret clubhouse. The room was jammed packed with all sorts of seemingly random and unrelated items. A giant scroll next to an encyclopedia of monsters rested on the polished wooden table; an orichalcum eggbeater next to a bulky juicer on the far left table; the entire 365 volume collection of Night Fall on a single bookcase; a trash bin with legs for catching flying paper wads; two (fake) models of the Shooting Star in traditional red and electric-blue; and even outrageous things like an iron maiden and a cannon.
There were two entryways on either side of the room. The entrance on the right had a hanging sign that said "Constanze's Workshop – keep Out (That Means You, Akko.)" And standing at the threshold of the left archway was Molly, who had been rearranging a cursed mirror before she noticed Akko and Constanze walk in.
"Akko, Constanze, glad you could make it!" she greeted cheerfully.
"Molly, this place is amazing," said Akko, walking around the room in awe. "But it's kind of cramped to practice magic."
"I told you, there's another space we can work in," said Molly, gesturing them through the entryway. "Over here."
Akko and Constanze followed in Molly's step as they led them into another chamber. What they found was a massive sealed door emblazed with Luna Nova crest in silver metal. To the left of the door was a stone key cabin, from which Molly produced an orange key with a clockwork motif.
Molly smiled playfully, waving the key in her hand, and said, "This will get us to where we need to go."
Akko and Constanze watched silently as Molly approached the door and inserted the key into a tiny slot that neither of them noticed before. She turned the key and the seal door rumbled to life. The doors automatically pulled inward and Akko leaned forward for a better look.
Beyond the door was what seemed the entrance to a stone castle large enough to fit a Titan, the ticking of many clocks and the turning of gears echoed off the walls. Akko and Constanze walked inside, mouths open in awe at the sheer size of the keep. There was no way they were still in Luna Nova; the door must have used some type of teleportation magic.
"Molly, this is great!" said Akko, throwing her fists up in cheer. "This is exactly what we need!"
"I'm glad you like it," said Molly, smiling. "Anything I can do to help a friend."
As they explored around the entrance, there was a loud knock on a door coming from the room behind them. A moment later, they heard Diana's voice calling out, "Akko, are you there?"
"In here, Diana!" Akko shouted back.
In a few seconds, Diana, Hannah, Barbara, Lotte, and Sucy had arrived. They were just as amazed as Akko had been.
"Holy shit!" Barbara cursed in shock, staring around. "What is this place."
Akko started to explain, but before she could finish, more Amanda and Jasminka turned up, and she had to start all over again. By the time eight o'clock had arrived, there were thirty-eight teenage girls standing in the middle of the stone keep, and all of them were staring at Akko and Diana, who were standing on the steps leading to the next level. Everybody had fallen silent, looking at them.
Diana coughed into her fist, standing up straight and looking humorously formal.
"Thank you all for coming tonight," she said. "It seems that everyone found this place all right."
"This is amazing!" said Sarah Bernhardt, and several people murmured their agreement.
"I can't believe we never found this place," said Amanda, frowning around at it. "I thought we found every secret in this school…."
"Yes, yes, it's all very impressive," said Diana. "We'll we've been thinking about the sort of ought to study first and – er –" she noticed a raised hand. "Yes, Lotte?"
"I think we should elect a leader," said Lotte.
"I thought Akko was leader," said Sóla Lokisdottir.
"Who in their right mind would put Kagari in a position of power?" said Alice Little.
"I kinda agree with her," said Akko, chuckling sheepishly. "Diana's the one who put this whole thing together. She should be leader."
"We should put it to a vote," Lotte suggested. "It makes it forma and gives her authority. So – all in favor of Diana being our leader?"
Everyone put their hands up, even Chloe Dubois, though she did it very halfheartedly.
"Very well, I accept," said Diana, nodding her head shortly. "Now I think we should – yes, Lotte?"
"I also think we should have a name," she said brightly, her hand still in the air. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"
"Can we be the Anti-Light Spinner League?" said Avery hopefully. "Or the Anti-Light for short?"
"It sounds wrong when you put it like that," Amity Blight commented.
"How about the Magic Council are Morons Club?" suggested Irene Jilani.
"Hey, my mom's on the Councils!" Amanda retorted fiercely.
"How about we choose something that doesn't tell everyone what we're up to," said Hayate Yagami, "so we can refer to it safely outside meetings."
"What about the Defenders?" said Makoto.
"Nah, that's already been trademarked and copyrighted," Nico rejected.
"How about…the Shiny Corps?" Akko suggested eagerly. "Because that's what the Magic Council is afraid of, right? That Shiny Chariot is making an army in Luna Nova?"
"Figures you'd make it about Shiny Chariot," said Hannah, snickering.
"I quite like it," said Diana appreciatively. "All those in favor of calling ourselves the Shiny Corps?"
At least two-thirds of them raised their hands.
"That's a majority – motion passed!" said Diana. She pulled out the paper with all their names on it and wrote SHINY CORPS across the top in large letters. "Right then, now that that's out of the way, perhaps we can begin practicing. I was thinking the first thing we should do is the Disarming Charm. I know it's fairly basic, but it can be very useful – "
"Oh please," said Chloe Dubois, rolling her eyes and folding her arms. "I don't think the Disarming Charm is going to help us against Jennifer, do you?"
"If you think it's beneath you, then by all means, you can leave," Diana said.
Chloe didn't move. Nor did anybody else.
"One thing you should understand is that even the simplest of spells can go a great deal," said Diana. "I'm sure you all of you can remember last year, when Akko used the Animal Metamorphosis to overcome the Xenomorphs in last year's tournament. While most witches would use the spell on others, Akko creatively used it on herself with spectacular results."
There as a good deal of appreciative murmuring at this. Akko felt her face burning embarrassingly.
"Okay," said Diana, clapping her hands for attention. "I think we should divide into pairs and practice."
Akko thought her girlfriend was in her natural element. Everybody followed her instructions and divided up. Unfortunately, with the odd number of people, that became a justified reason for Chloe to approach Akko.
"Diana thinks you're so great," Chloe said to her. "Why don't you prove it?"
"Everyone got your partners?" Diana said aloud. "Right – on the count of three, then – one, two, three – "
The room was suddenly full of shouting: Wands few in all directions, missed spells bounced off the walls and hit other people's partners in the butt. Glancing around, Akko thought Diana had been right to suggest that they practice the basics first; there was a lot of sloppy spellwork going on; many people were not succeeding in disarming their opponents, but merely causing them to jump backward a few paces or wince as the feeble spell whooshed over them.
"Pay attention, Kagari!" said Chloe, who blasted her spell while Akko's attention was elsewhere. But from Akko's perspective, driven out of her musings by Chloe's shouts, the spell may as well have been moving in slow motion.
Many people forget that Akko spent nearly the entirety of last year being physically trained by Ursula to the point where her reaction time was three times better than average.
Akko almost casually leaned out of the way, letting the spell fly over her shoulder, and blasted back her own spell. Chloe's wand went spinning out of her hand, hit the ceiling in a shower of sparks, and landed with a clatter near Akko's feet. Akko picked the wand up and handed it back to Chloe, who accepted it grumpily.
"Excellently done, Akko," Diana complimented her as she approached them. "That's exactly what I was talking about. You take dueling almost naturally. Chloe," she addressed the other girl, "good form, but it would've been smarter to keep your mouth shut so as to catch your opponent unawares."
"Whatever," Chloe huffed.
"Listen, can you take turns practicing with Alice and Zizi for a couple minutes so Akko and I can check up on the rest?"
Akko moved into the middle of the room. Something very odd was happening to Priscilla Vasquez; every time she opened her mouth to disarm Elfriede Coch, her own wand would fly out of her hand, yet Elfriede did not seem to be making a sound. Akko did not have to look far for the solution of the mystery; Garie and Sabi were several feet from Priscilla and taking turns to point their wands at her back.
"Sorry," said Garie, not at all apologetic when Akko caught her eye. "Couldn't resist…."
Akko and Diana walked around the other pairs, trying to correct the other pairs who were doing the spell wrong. Hannah was teamed up with Verde Shidariza; Verde was doing very well, whereas Hannah was off by a mile. Catherine Ainsworth as flourishing her wand unnecessarily, giving Fate Testarossa time to get in under her guard; Rashmi and Rajani hadn't even started and were fighting over who would practice with Sóla Lokisdottir. Molly was similarly patchy, occasionally sending Marianna's wand spinning out of her hand, at other times merely causing her hair to stand on end.
"Okay, stop!" Diana shouted. "Stop! STOP!"
Akko brought her fingers to her lips and blew a sharp whistle, for which Diana was grateful for as everyone lowered their wands.
"That wasn't bad," said Diana, "but there's definitely room for improvement." Chloe Dubois glared at her. "Let's try again…."
Akko and Diana moved around the room again, stopping here and there to make suggestions. Slowly the general performance improved, but there were still quite a few accidents to be made. Amity had performed the disarming spell almost flawlessly in only a few turns, but Luz had somehow managed to catch the moss-haired girl's sleeve on fire and spend the last five minutes apologizing repeatedly. It was cute and a little humorous how much they reminded Akko of her and Diana when they were first-years. She would be surprised if they ended up together too….
"Hey, Diana," Barbara called from the other end of the room, "have you checked the time?"
Diana pulled out her fancy pocket watch while Akko checked her smartphone at the same time. Both of them received a nasty shock – it was already ten past nine, which meant they needed to get back to their common rooms immediately or risk being caught and punished by Elma for being out-of-bounds. Akko made another sharp whistle; everybody stopped shouting and the last couple of wands clattered to the floor.
"Well, that was very good," said Diana, "but we've overrun our time, so we'd better leave it here. Same time, same place next week?"
"Sooner!" said Nanoha enthusiastically and many people nodded in agreement.
Avery, however, said quickly, "The Chariot Racing season's about to start, we need team practices, too!"
"Let's say next Wednesday night, then," said Akko, "and we can decide on additional meetings, then…. Come on, we'd better get going…."
Akko pulled out the Shiny Guidebook again and checked it carefully for signs of teachers on the first floor. They all left in threes and fours, watching their tiny boxes anxiously to see that they returned safely to their dormitories: the Twilights to the basement corridor that also lead to the kitchens, the Corona to the east side of the school on the seventh floor, the Lunar to the northern tower, the Eclipse to the floor beneath the Astronomy Tower, and the Polaris along the corridor to the fifth floor and the marble wall.
"That was excellent, Akko," said Diana, smiling brilliantly when it was just her and Akko left.
"That went way better than I thought it would," Akko admitted. "Did you see the way I disarmed Chloe at the beginning?"
"She looked positively embarrassed," said Diana, giggling. "That'll teach her to underestimate you."
"I just had a good teacher," said Akko, laughing sheepishly.
"You're a good teacher yourself," said Diana sweetly. "Let's keep up the good work."
Diana leaned forward and rewarded her girlfriend with a sweet kiss on the lips. The Cavendish girl giggled at Akko's dopey expression before walking out, leaving her girlfriend in a daze….
Notes:
Next Chapter: Final Flight
Chapter 19: Final Flight
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Akko felt as though she were carrying some kind of talisman inside her chest over the following two weeks, a glowing secret that supported her through Light Spinner’s classes and even made it possible for her to smile blandly as she looked into her horribly narrowed eyes. She and the Shiny Corps were resisting her under her very nose, doing the very thing that she and the Council most feared, and whenever she was supposed to be reading Borin’s book during her lessons, she dwelled instead on satisfying memories of their most recent meetings, remembering how Chinatsu had successfully disarmed Makoto, how Sarah Bernhardt had mastered the Impairment Jinx after three meetings’ hard effort, how Lin-Lin Chang had produced a Heat Blast Spell so powerful, it had reduced a statue to ash.
She was finding it almost impossible to fix a regular night of the week for their meetings, as they had to accommodate five separate Chariot Racing teams’ practices, which were often rearranged depending on the weather conditions; but Akko was not sorry about this, she had a feeling that it was probably better to keep the timing of their meetings unpredictable. If anyone was watching them, it would be hard to make out a pattern.
Diana soon devised a very clever method of communicating the time and date of the next meeting to all the members in case they needed to change it on short notice, because it would look suspicious if people from different Houses were seen talking to each other too often. She had each member of Shiny Corps hold at their arms and started marking the insides of their wrists with a strange purple pen embedded with a tiny glowing emerald.
“Oh, don’t be a baby, it’s not going to hurt,” said Diana, dragging the pen across Lotte’s skin at the end of their fourth meeting. The purple ink appeared to mark them before it vanished, seemingly absorbed into their skin. “This is a special ink that crafted based on the secret messaging system used by O’Neill and her sisters. When we have decided on a time, the date will appear on your arm for a brief moment. It responds to body heat, so you’ll feel hot when the date changes. Once we’ve chosen a date, I will mark it down on my own arm, and because I’ve put a Protean Charm on this pen, your marks will all change to mimic mine.”
A blank silence greeted Diana’s words. She looked around at all the faces upturned to her, rather disconcerted.
“Well – I thought it was a good idea,” she said. “I mean, the formula I borrowed from O’Neill makes it completely invisible to magic, so even if Light Spinner tries to find something, she won’t. Most Demi-Humans never consider using basic human methods of secret communication….”
“You can do a Protean Charm?” said Amity Blight.
“Yes,” said Diana.
“But that’s…that’s M.o.M standard,” she said dumbfoundedly.
“Oh,” said Diana, trying to look modest. “Oh…well…yes, I suppose it is….”
Amity stared at her senior in wonder, oblivious to Luz’s attempts to catch her attention.
“So, does that mean everyone consents to the idea?” asked Diana.
There was a murmur of assent and everybody lined up to receive their marks. Akko looked sideways at Diana.
“You know what this kind of reminds me of?”
“What?”
“Evelyn. The way she is connected to some many people at the same time and take control of them.”
“Believe me, this is nothing like Evelyn,” said Diana firmly. “For one thing, this is simply for communicating with people, not taking over their minds.”
“I don’t know,” said Akko with a teasing grin. “With the way you’ve been acting lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were secretly plotting world domination.”
And that little remark earned her a kick in the shin.
As the first Chariot Race of the season was drawing closer, their Shiny Corps meetings were put on hold because very insisted on almost daily practices. The fact that the Chariot Cup had not been held for so long added considerably to the interest and excitement surrounding the forthcoming race. Even the Heads of Houses of the competing teams, though they attempted to disguise it under a decent pretense of sportsmanship, were determined to see their side’s victory. It showed how much Professor Finnelan wanted to win when she abstained from giving Diana homework in the week leading up to the match.
Ursula and Croix were the most obvious couple in Luna Nova, next to Diana and Akko. But like them, when it came to Chariot Racing, all bets were off. Ursula had booked the racing track for Polaris practice so often that other teams had difficulty getting on it to play. And Croix turned a deaf ear to the many reports of Eclipse attempts to hex the other players in the corridors. When Zizi Delevingne from the Twilight team turned up in the hospital wing with her eyebrows growing so thick and fat that they obscured her vision and obstructed her mouth, Croix insisted that she must have attempted a Hair-Thickening Charm on herself and refused to listen to the fourteen eyewitnesses who insisted that they had seen Carmen Diaz hit her from behind with a jinx while she worked in the library.
Akko felt optimistic about Polaris’s chances; even without Shooting Star or the Shiny Balai, Akko was still a considerably good flier after a lot of practice. Admittedly, Luz as still not performing to Amelia’s standard, but she was working extremely hard to improve. Her greatest weakness was a tendency to lose confidence when she made a blunder; if she missed a target or dropped a ring, she became flustered and was therefore likely to do worse. On the other hand, Akko had seen Luz pull of some truly spectacular performances when she was on form: During one memorable practice, Luz had flown directly into a tornado on the storm track, collected all six rings swirling around inside, and escaped unharmed. The rest of the team felt this performance compared favorably to Elaina; a French International player nicknamed The Wandering Witch.
The only thing really worrying Akko was how much Luz was allowing the tactics of the other teams to upset her before they even got onto the field. Akko, of course, had endured their snide comments for more than four years, so whispers of, “Hey, Kagari, I heard Dahlia’s sworn to knock you off your broom on Saturday,” far from chilling her blood, made her laugh. “Dahlia’s aim’s so bad, I’d be more worried if she was aiming for the person next to me,” she retorted, which made Amanda and Sucy laugh and wiped the smirk off of Priscilla Vasquez’s face.
But Luz had never endured a relentless campaign of insults, jeers, and intimidation. When Eclipse and Corona, some of them seventh years and considerably larger than she was, muttered as they passed in the hallways, “Got your bed booked in the hospital wing, Noceda?” she did not laugh, but turned a delicate shade of green.
October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frost every morning and icy drafts that bit at exposed hands and faces. The skies turned a pale, pearly gray, the trees of the surrounding forest became snowcapped, and the temperature in the school dropped so far that many students wore their protective dragon skin gloves in the halls between classes.
The morning of the match dawned bright and cold. When Akko came down to the common room, she found Luz sitting in the loveseat, her arms around her knees, staring fixedly into the fire.
“You good?” said Akko.
Luz nodded, but did not speak. She looked so pale and sweaty, not to mention reluctant to open her mouth as if fearing she might vomit all over the rug.
“You just need some breakfast,” Akko said bracingly. “C’mon.”
The dining hall was filling up fast when they arrived, the talk louder and the mood more exuberant than usual. As they walked through the tables, there was an upsurge of noise. Several of the rivaling houses were pointing and laughing at Luz, and some of them were imitating Luz falling off her broom. Barbara did an especially spirited rendition of Luz’s first practice when she flew into a wall and broke her arm, earning some over-the-top laughter from her fellow Lunar students. When Akko looked to her girlfriend, silently requesting her to stop them, Diana pointedly ignored her. Where Chariot Racing was concerned, Diana can be particularly vicious and cruel. It created a paradoxical feeling of love and hate in Akko’s chest.
They received a rousing welcome from the Polaris students, where everyone was wearing red, but far from raising Luz’s spirits, the cheers seemed to sap the last of her morale; she collapsed onto the nearest chair looking as though she were facing her final meal.
“I must’ve been insane to do this,” she said in a croaky whisper. “Why did I do this? Why?”
“You’re going to be fine,” said Akko firmly, passing her a choice of cereals “It’s normal to be nervous on the first game. I was the same way when I started.”
“I’m trash,” croaked Luz. “I suck. I can’t play to save my life. What was I thinking?”
“Get a grip,” said Akko exasperatedly. “What about practice we had the other day? You flew into a tornado and came out with six rings. Even the twins thought it was amazing – “
Luz turned a tortured face to Akko.
“I didn’t do that on purpose,” she whispered miserably. “I shielding my eyes from the winds and flew into the tornado without realizing it. I was flailing and screaming the whole time. Those rings smacked against my face and I caught them by accident.”
“Well,” said Akko, recovering quickly from this unpleasant surprise, “a few more accidents like that and the game’s in the bag, right?”
Lotte and Sucy sat down opposite them wearing Polaris-colored scares and glove; Sucy more reluctant.
“How’re you feeling?” Lotte asked Luz, who was now staring into the dregs of milk at the bottom of her bowl as though seriously considering attempting to drown herself in them.
“She’s just nervous,” said Akko.
“Well, that’s a good sign, I never feel you perform as well during a test if you’re not a little nervous,” said Lotte heartily.
“Hello,” said a vague and dreamy voice from behind them. Akko looked up: Molly McIntyre had somehow snuck up to their table without anyone the wiser.
“Hey, Molly,” Akko greeted casually. “Looking forward to the big game?”
“Oh, definitely,” Molly nodded cheerfully. “Even thought I’m cheering for Twilight, I still want to wish you good luck. And Luz, I’m sorry you won’t get to race. I’m sure you would have done just fine.”
“Uh…okay?” Luz mumbled, looking at her strangely.
“And Akko,” she whispered quietly, leaning close into Akko’s ear. “Please try to keep your cool. Don’t fall into Light Spinner’s trap…. Well, good luck everyone.”
She drifted away. Akko had no time to decipher Molly’s cryptic message before Avery came hurrying toward them, accompanied by Rashmi and Rajani.
“When you’re ready,” she said, “we’re going straight down to the field, check out conditions and change.”
“We’ll be there soon,” Akko assured her. “Luz’s just gonna have some breakfast.”
It became clear after ten minutes, however, that Luz was not capable of eating anything more and Akko thought it best to get her down to the changing rooms. As they rose from the table, the other houses gave Luz another round of heckling that made her shrink in on herself. Akko hurried Luz across the entrance hall, down the stone steps, and out into the icy air.
The frosty grass crunched under their feet as they hurried down the sloping lawn toward the stadium. There was no wind at all and the sky was a uniform pearly white, which meant that visibility would be good without the drawback of direct sunlight in their eyes. Akko pointed out these encouraging factors to Luz as they walked, but she was not sure that Luz was listening.
Aery had already changed and was talking to the rest of the team when they entered. Akko and Luz pulled on their uniforms (Luz attempted to do hers back-to-front for several minutes before Avery one of the twins took pity on her and went to help) and then sat down to listen to the pre-match talk while the babble of voices outside grew steadily louder as the crowd came pouring out of the school toward the stadium.
“Okay, I’ve only just found out the final lineup for the other teams,” said Avery, consulting a piece of paper. “Caster and Tennyson from Luna graduated last year, but they’ve been replaced by Parker and England, Diana’s lackeys. Word is they fly pretty well – England is said to be even better than Diana.”
“That family magic of hers probably comes in handy,” Akko commented.
“They’re not the only ones to worry about,” said Avery, giving the paper another look. “Almost the entire Eclipse team has been replaced except for one, so they’re an unknown quantity. Corona still has the same lineup as last, but now Testarossa is captain, so you can count on her changing things up a bit. And finally, Twilight has one new member: Professor Kowata’s sister.”
“I didn’t know Makoto tried out,” said Akko, surprised.
“From the sound of it, she didn’t either,” said Avery, stuffing the paper in her pocket. “Rumor’s going around that Professor Kowata signed her name and she was forced to try out.”
“Glad I don’t have a sister like that,” said Rashmi (?)
“And what kind of sister do you have?” asked Rajani (?)
“Do you really want to know?” Rashmi (?) responded.
They could hear hundreds of footsteps mounting the banked benches of the spectators’ stands now. Akko was starting to feel nervous, but she knew her butterflies were nothing compared to Luz’s, who was clutching her stomach and staring straight ahead again, her jaw set and her complex pale gray.
“It’s time,” said Avery in a hushed voice, looking at the clock. “C’mon, everyone…good luck.”
The team rose, shouldered their brooms, and marched in single file out of the changing room and into the dazzling sunlight. A roar of sound greeted them in which Akko could hear the chanting of the five houses and the names of their favorite players; Diana and Fate were obviously the most popular.
The other teams were standing waiting for them. Diana stood at the front of the Lunar squad, who stood behind their captain like soldiers at attention; the amount of discipline Diana must have enforced to get them to act like that made Akko wonder. Fate stood out to one side, the sunlight gleaming on her golden-blonde hair. She caught Akko’s eye and gave her a leer of someone looking forward to an intense match. Akko had to search to find Makoto among the Twilights, standing hidden behind her considerably taller teammates.
“Captains, shake hands,” ordered the umpire, Professor Kiki, as the five captains reached each other Akko could tell that Avery and the new Eclipse captain, Dahlia, were trying to crush each other’s hands. “Take your positions….”
Professor Kiki placed her whistle in her mouth and blew.
The first set of racers sped off down the track as the course transformed before their eyes, shifting and molding until it became a darkened, dense forest as tall as the stands. From her place on the sidelines, Akko could faintly see Avery’s midnight-purple hair weaving through the branches. She was trying to collect as many rings as she could before passing them on to Rashmi. They were sticking with the plan to build up points so they would have less to be concerned with when Luz went last….
“And Buckland snags another ring, bringing Polaris’s score up to sixty. What a player that girl is, at least on the racing track. Poor girl still can’t find a date – “
“WANGARI!” yelled Professor Finnelan.
“Just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest – and she ducked Rosemary, she takes a shot at Elusia, she misses – ouch – been hit from behind by a spell from Zephyr. Rosemary goes for a target – it’s intercepted by Velko – and Buckland nails Velko from behind with a summoning charm, pulling her right off her broom – walk it off, Velko – Rosemary and Elusia are fighting for the front, but Buckland is starting to catch up – “
As they rounded the third corner of the track, Rashmi hopped onto her broom and floated over the starting line between the other racers, stretching her arm out. The first wave of fliers were rounding the final turn as the track dissolved behind them.
“ – Buckland knocks Rosemary off course, but Elusia weaves out of the way – Buckland puts on the speed – Buckland removes her rings, Rashmi takes a leading start – Buckland takes a risky toss and – IT’S GOOD!”
Rashmi deftly caught the rings Aery had passed along amid the cheers from the Polaris section, but nearly tumbled over when the next course appeared as a raging snowstorm. The strong winds caught Rashmi by surprise and pushed her back towards the starting line, giving the second racers from Twilight and Lunar an opportunity to pass her.
Akko rubbed her gloved hands together trying to regain some warmth. It was bad enough that they were playing their first game so close to the winter season, but throwing in a blizzard was overkill. Akko could only imagine how Rashmi felt, growing up in India.
But Rashmi seemed to be managing well enough. She managed to overtake the Twilight racer, Lynch, but was still behind the Lunar racer, Marigold. Akko joined the Polaris crowd’s cheers when she weaved around a spell shot by Eclipse’s racer and performed a counter spell that smacked her directly in the face, causing Eclipse to lose two rings. Rashmi doubled back to try grabbing the fallen rings, but only succeeded in snatching one while the other was buried in the snow. After that, she had to catch up with the other players who had passed her, getting into a heated duel with Eclipse’s racer, Deirdre, while everyone else was speeding up to escape the flurry as fast as they could.
“Don’t get distracted, Rashmi!” Avery screamed to Akko’s left. “Focus on the points! The points!”
Akko chanced a look at Luz and the younger witch somehow seemed worse than before, dry heaving into a bucket with tears threatening to spill over. Being in a real game was a lot more stressful than practice, Akko understood, and the weight of her responsibility as anchor was starting to get to Luz. The only thing Akko could do at the moment was rub something circles on the girl’s back.
Unfortunately, Rashmi came around the final corner behind everyone else as the previous course melted behind her. She was ale to pass the rings safely to her twin, but the other teams had gotten a good head start, which meant Rajani had her work cut out to catch them.
The next track turned into a giant hedge maze with indestructible walls that the racers couldn’t fly through, which the Eclipse racer, Creed, had demonstrated by flying headfirst into the first wall and was rebuffed. A chorus of pained groans bellowed from the Eclipse section not only because their player flopped on the ground on her back, but the rings she had been carrying littered the track, including their first. Eclipse’s score immediately fell to zero – they had been eliminated from the race. Eclipse captain Dahlia was screaming a lot of profanities at the unconscious racer.
“Watch your mouth, Dahlia, before I wash it out for you!” Professor Finnelan chastised her over the loudspeakers, which caused a great many student to laugh openly.
“That makes things a little easier,” Avery told her, “but we’re still behind by sixty points. Kagari, you need to get us ahead before Luz goes on.”
“I’ll do what I can, Avery, but you should have a little more faith in Luz,” said Akko. “She might even – hey, where’d she go?”
Luz had seemingly disappeared, and Akko and Avery looked around frantically. They eventually found her hiding under the bench in a fetal position, trying to make herself small. Avery gave Akko a disbelieving look, which Akko nervously tried to laugh off.
Back on the field, Rajani had managed to close the gap by thirty points when Akko wasn’t looking and was flying behind Twilight’s racer, Vandelay, as they turned the third corner through the maze. Akko gave Luz a reassuring pat on the shoulder before grabbing her broom and gliding over to the starting line waiting for her turn.
“Good luck, Akko.”
The little witch looked to her left. Makoto flew in from the benches; Akko didn’t realize they were flying in the same lap together.
“You too, Makoto,” Akko replied politely. “But just so you know, I’m not gonna go easy on you because we’re friends.”
“The same goes for me, too,” said Makoto, making a show of pumping her fist with a determined smile.
Rajani managed to sweep ahead of Vandelay and shot out of the hedge maze, struggling to remove the growing collection of rings from her arm. Akko started floating ahead slowly while Makoto did the same a second later when her teammate shot out of the labyrinth. Rajani finally managed to get the rings loose and slid them over Akko’s extended arm. Akko turned on her broom and shot down the track at top speed; Makoto followed shortly half-a-minute later with her own bundle of rings.
The course once again shifted beneath them. The hedge maze melted and was warped into a tall cliff that rose above the stadium. Spattered across the surface were a number of holes in the bedrock that lead into long tunnels.
“Lumen!” Akko ignited her wand before diving into the upper right tunnel.
The tunnels were rough and narrow, nearly knocking Akko off her broom when an exposed rock bumped her shoulder after diving in full speed. She had little choice to slow her flight when the tunnel led into a sharp right turn, forcing Akko to kick out her legs before she crashed into it. There were no rings or targets to be seen; not that she would be able to go after them after her wand being used to light the path. But before long, Akko saw light at the end of the tunnel and picked up speed as she came up to the exit.
Akko blinked her eyes rapidly to adjust to the change in brightness. When her vision was cleared, she saw nearly two dozen balloons branded with the Luna Nova symbol, all of them dangling targets and rings by thin bits of string. Akko aimed at aimed her wand at the closest target ahead, only form a beam of magic to whiz past her left ear and shoot it down first.
Makoto had emerged from the tunnels behind Akko, followed shortly by Corona and Lunar’s racers. Makoto caught up to her in no time; Akko’s school broom had no chance against Makoto’s custom one in terms of speed. Makoto attempted to reach the ring ahead of them, but Akko threw herself forward and snagged it just inches from Makoto’s fingers. Makoto huffed and pointed her wand at Akko’s face, but the Japanese witch managed a successful barrel roll to avoid the blast. Akko only found out too late that Makoto was intentionally distracting her and used that time to destroy two more targets. In retaliation, Akko stole another ring right out from under Makoto’s nose.
But the stretch of openair was blocked off by another cliffside with more tunnels waiting for them. Akko dived for the hole directly in the middle, unaware that Makoto was trying for the same tunnel and they both flew in at the same time.
The tunnels were already uncomfortably small for one person, but now it was almost suffocating with two. Akko and Makoto were flying shoulder-to-shoulder while scratching their arms and legs against the rough rock walls around them. With some difficulty, Akko was able to get her wand ahead and cast the light spell just in time to see the flat wall coming up. Akko was flying to fast to stop, but Makoto gave her a quick shove and both of them were able to turn the corner at the last second. Makoto saved them from flying head-on into the wall, but it also allowed Akko to pull ahead, her wand light dancing in the dark tunnel like a firefly.
Akko kept her head low as she soared through the twisting loop of the tunnel, hearing Makoto’s broom bristle just behind her. But when Akko caught sight of the end of the tunnel, she heard a sharp shriek and a terrible clatter. Akko flew out of the tunnel and immediately pivoted to a stop, looking back.
Seconds later, Makoto tumbled off out of the tunnel, off her broom, and plummeted toward the ground.
Akko exhaled a sharp gasp and dived for her friend, once again cursing the schools broom for it lacking speed. Thankfully, someone in the vicinity yelled “Subsisto Motus!” and Makoto stopped within a foot of hitting the ground with her face. Professor Kiki came dashing in holding her whistle in one hand and her wand in the other, her broom lay abandoned several feet away. She picked up Makoto and gently lay her on the ground, inspecting her while Akko landed on the ground a few feet away. The rest of the racers that had emerged from the tunnels stopped when they saw Akko and Makoto below.
“Is she all right?” asked Akko, concerned. “Will she be okay?”
“My god…what happened to her?” Professor Kiki gasped in horror.
Akko slowly walked around Professor Kiki for a better look and jumped back with a startled gasp. The upper left section of Makoto’s face, including her left eye, looked like it had been burned with a slab of hot iron. The skin was raw-red and a portion of her scalp had been completely seared off.
The Twilight team ran out onto the field and Professor Akane was not far behind them. They whole stadium suddenly plunged into frightened whispers with many people pointing and glaring at Akko. It wasn’t difficult to imagine that everyone blamed her for this.
Professor Akane lifted her sister and ran out of the stadium with the Twilight team while Professor Kiki marched over to Akko and pulled her away by her upper arm. She was pulling her towards the stadium exit amid the boos and jeers from the crowd.
“Professor, please you have to believe me!” Akko shouted desperately. “I didn’t do anything – “
“I believe you, Miss Kagari, but you’ll have a hard time proving it,” said Professor Kiki stiffly. “I’m afraid I have no choice. We’re going straight to your Head of House’s office.”
Akko kept her head down, understanding there was no point in arguing. As they walked under the benches, Akko could hear the things the crowd was saying.
“You see that! The Council was right about her!”
“She’s mad! Kowata didn’t deserve that!”
“It’s only a matter of time before she comes after us! They should just kick her out!”
Great, Akko thought bitterly as they climbed the front steps of the school, her tarnished reputation had just plummeted further. This incident just further supported the Council’s smear campaign against her. And somehow, Akko had the feeling that was intentional….
They had barely reached the door to Ursula’s office when she came marching along the corridor behind them. She was wearing a Polaris scarf, but tore it from her throat with shaking hands as she strode toward them, looking livid.
“In!” she said furiously pointing to the door. Akko entered and Ursula turned to Professor Kiki. “Thank you for escorting her, Professor. I will take it from here.”
“I’m going to check on Kowata,” said Professor Kiki. “Get her account on what happened. I’ll update you when I can.”
“Thank you, Professor,” Ursula nodded. After bidding her farewell, Ursula slammed the door shut behind her. She strode around behind her desk and faced Akko, quivering with rage as she threw the Polaris scarf aside on the floor. “What – happened?!”
“It wasn’t my fault, Professor!” Akko shouted desperately. “It wasn’t what it looked like – “
“Really?” Ursula snapped. “Because it looked like you had burned Makoto Kowata’s face off in the middle of a race! I understand that tensions are high and people tend to let the adrenaline go to their heads, but – “
Suddenly, Ursula doubled over in an aggressive coughing fit. Though she covered her mouth, traces of blood slowly slipped between her fingers. Akko moved to help her, but Ursula held her hand up to stop her. After another few seconds of coughing, Ursula calmed herself, straightening herself out, and wiping her mouth with her sleeve. She took a deep, calming breath before facing Akko again.
“I am at my wits end, Akko,” Ursula said calmly. “I have never seen such a brazen act of aggression in all my years as a teacher.”
“I didn’t do anything!” cried Akko. “You have to believe me – “
“I find it hard to believe anything the way you’ve been acting this year,” said Ursula sternly. “I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but without any evidence – “
“Hem, hem.”
Akko spun around. Light Spinner was standing in the doorway wrapped in a midnight-purple cloak, and a gleeful look in her eyes that Akko had come to associate with imminent misery.
“May I help, Professor Ursula?” asked Light Spinner in her most poisonous sweet voice.
Blood rushed into Ursula’s face.
“Help?” she repeated in a constricted voice. “What do you mean, ‘help?’”
Light Spinner moved forward into the office, still looking happy as a clam.
“Why, I thought you might bee grateful for a little extra authority.”
Akko would not have been surprised to see sparks fly from Ursula’s nostrils.
“You thought wrong,” she said, turning her back to Light Spinner. “Now, you had better listen closely, Akko. Until we et our facts straight and this mess sorted out, you will be spending the next week in detention. Don’t look at me like that, Akko, because I could do far worse! And if you ever – “
“Hem, hem.”
Ursula closed her eyes as if praying for patience as she turned her face toward Light Spinner again?
“Yes?”
“I think she deserves more than detention,” said Light Spinner.
Ursula’s eyes flew open. “But unfortunately,” she said, with an attempt at a kindly smile that made her look as though she had lockjaw, “it is what I think that counts, as she is in my House.”
“Well, actually, Miss Callistis,” simpered Light Spinner, “I think you’ll find that what I think does count. Now, where is it? Crawford just sent it this morning…I mean,” she gave a little false laugh as she rummaged through her cloak, “the Chairman sent it this morning…. Ah yes…”
She had pulled out a piece of paper that she now unfolded, clearing her throat fussily before starting to read what it said.
“Hem, hem…’Education Decree Number Twenty-Five….”
“Not another one!” exclaimed Ursula violently.
“Well, yes,” said Light Spinner almost giddily. “As a matter of fact, Miss Callistis, it was you who made me see that we needed further amendment…. You remember how you overrode me, when I was unwilling to allow the Polaris Chariot Racing team to re-form? How you took the case to Holbrooke, who insisted that the team e allowed to play? Well, now, I couldn’t have that. I contacted the Chairman at once, and he agreed with me that the High Inquisitor has to have the power to strip pupils of privileges, or she – that is to say, I – would have less authority than common teachers! And you see now, don’t you, Miss Callistis, how right I was in attempting to stop the Polaris team reforming? Dreadful tempers…. Anyway…I was reading out our amendment…hem, hem…’The High Inquisitor will henceforth have supreme authority over all punishments, sanctions, and removal of privileges to the students of Luna Nova, and the power to alter such punishments, sanctions, and removal of privileges as may have been ordered by other staff members. Signed, Crawford Seam, Chairman of the Magic Council….”
As Light Spinner folded the paper back up, something clicked in Akko’s head, and Molly’s earlier words came to the forefront of her mind:
“Please try to keep your cool. Don’t fall into Light Spinner’s trap….”
But she couldn’t; not when she knew the truth. Akko furiously stood up from her seat and pointed an accusing finger at Light Spinner.
“It was you!” she screamed. “You did it! You hurt Makoto!”
“Whatever do you mean?” said Light Spinner, trying to play innocent, yet her eyes still gleamed with delight.
“Pretty big coincidence that the new rule happens to go into effect the same day I get in trouble!” Akko spat. “You set me up! You attacked Makoto when no one could see and pinned the blame on me!”
“That’s enough, Akko!” shouted Ursula.
“Are you hearing this, Miss Callistis?” said Light Spinner calmly. “Such wild accusations. Placing the fault on others rather than taking responsibility for her own actions. Miss Kagari is clearly not well. I think the only proper punishment is to ban this one from Chariot Racing ever again.”
“What?!” Akko and Ursula yelled together.
“Yes, Miss Kagari, I think a lifelong ban ought to do the trick,” said Light Spinner, looking absolutely ecstatic as she watched her struggle to comprehend everything. “It really is for the best. The safety of the other students should be considered. We wouldn’t want another incident like this happening. But I am not unreasonable, Professor Ursula,” she continued, turning back to Ursula, who was now standing as still as though carved from ice, staring at her. “The rest of the team can continue playing, I saw no signs of violence from any of them. Well, good afternoon to you.
And with one last look of the utmost satisfaction, Light Spinner left the room, leaving a horrified silence in her wake.
“Banned?!” That was the reaction of her friends when they found Akko sitting in the corner of the Horologium Chamber an hour later. Like Akko, Diana, Hannah, and Barbara were still in their racing uniforms. The match had been cancelled before the final lap owing to Makoto’s injury and all of them had rushed back up to the school concerned for both her and Akko.
“That’s so unfair!” shouted Amanda, kicking a bench full of tools. Constanze didn’t try to stop her; she understood that the redhead needed to vent. “You’re sure that bitch set you up?”
“She had to have,” said Barbara, scowling. “It sounds like she was just waiting to pull out that new ‘education decree’ to go after Akko.”
“How did the rest of the team take it?” Hannah asked Lotte.
“Avery looked like she had just died inside,” Sucy answered for her. “I saw her dragging her feet to the shower room, but she hasn’t come out since. I think she’s trying to drown herself. The twins looked the same as ever. I don’t think anything phases those two.”
“…What about Luz?” Akko managed to croak.
“I didn’t see her when we were leaving the field,” said Lotte, biting her bottom lip. “I get the feeling that she blames herself for this.”
“How could it be her fault?” said Akko. “She didn’t even get a chance to fly.”
“People tend to think irrationally when bad things happen,” said Diana, sounding like she was speaking from experience. She shook her head with a sigh and grabbed Akko’s arm, forcing her to stand. “Come on, you can’t hide in here forever.”
“I can try,” said Akko miserably.
“Stop,” said Diana sternly. “If you let this get to you, then Light Spinner wins. You can’t let her break you; that’s just what she wants. Come, let’s get you to the showers and get changed. You’re going to face the school sometime.”
Although reluctant, Akko allowed herself to be dragged by her girlfriend and the rest of their group. When they exited through the secret entrance in the library, Akko was relieved that no one else was around other than the librarian, Badcock, who glared at the group for tracking dirt on her pristine floor.
Jasminka poked her head out the door first, checking to see if the coast was clear. After the incident on the field, a lot more people were inclined to believe the Magic Council’s accusation, and Akko didn’t need the stress of her classmate’s ire. Thankfully, the hall was empty and the group was ale to make their way to the spiraling stairs without an trouble.
But as they were walking up the second-floor landing, Jasminka suddenly stopped, causing the rest to bump into her back. Akko walked around her to see what happened when Akko spotted someone walking down the corridor toward them that caused her, and the others, to gasp. This person stopped in front of the group, looking over them with a crooked smile and a lazy wave.
“Hey, kids, how’ve you been?” said Ymir.
Notes:
I really have no excuse for why I put this off for almost a year again other than work and a complete lack of motivation. Playing Hogwarts Legacy renewed my interest, so now this is me trying to bully my brain into finishing this. Wish me luck.
Next chapter: Ymir’s Story
Chapter 20: Ymir's Story
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Ymir braced herself as Jasminka practically bulldozed into the older Titan Shifter with a backbreaking hug. Had it been anyone else, they would’ve been tackled to the floor and had every body in their body crushed to dust, but Ymir just patted Jasminka back with an amused chuckle.
“Missed me, did you?” said Ymir jokingly.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” said Jasminka, smiling brilliant before relenting.
“When did you get back, Professor Ymir?” Diana asked politely.
“I’ve literally been home for three minutes,” said Ymir. “Should’ve known I’d run into you brats right away. You’re always sticking your noses where it doesn’t belong. Some would call it nosy.”
“It’s one of most beloved traits,” said Amanda joking.
“I think we have different definitions of the word,” said Ymir.
“You’ve been gone for a long time,” said Lotte. “The school term started before you came back. They had to find a substitute professor.”
“Yeah, I heard; Professor Croft,” said Ymir admirably. “One of the best in the field, Croft. I don’t know how Holbrooke managed to convince her to teach, but you kids sure are lucky.”
“Yeah, she’s great,” said Akko.
“What took you so long to get back?” asked Barbara.
“Can’t say, kids,” Ymir shook her head. “Top secret. Directly from the headmistress. More than my job’s worth telling you about.”
“Did you run into trouble with the Titan Shifters?” asked Stan-bot.
Ymir sprang forward in record time, hissing and slapping her hand over Constanze’s mouth even though Stan-Bot was the one talking. She looked up and down the corridor and was relieved to find that it was empty. She exhaled a sigh and removed her hand, but stare the girl’s down with a menacing leer.
“Are you out of your goddamn skulls?” she hissed quietly. “You can’t just talk about Titan Shifters out in the open like you’re discussing the weather. That topic draws unnecessary attention. And how did you even know I was looking for the Titan Shifters?”
“I heard Professor Ursula talking about it at the end of last year,” Akko admitted.
“Oh, you did, did you?” said Ymir, fixing her with a stern look.
“It was kinda…obvious, given your…condition,” said Hannah awkwardly; Barbara nodded.
Ymir glared at them, then snorted, and said, “All right, but not here. My office, now.”
The history professor pivoted on her heel swiftly and set of down the corridor at a hurried pace, leaving Akko and the girls to try an keep up with her. Ymir withdrew a set of keys from her pocket as they approached her office door and unlocked the bolt. She held the door open and ushered the girls inside quickly, taking a quick survey of the area before backing inside and closing the door behind her,
It was the first time Akko had ever been in her history professor’s office. As she should have expected, the walls were lined with shelves filled to the brim with books; some off them looked new while others were tattered and faded from centuries of use. The only space without a shelf was occupied well maintained portrait of a regal blonde woman wearing a crown. A queen, perhaps? A thick battered traveling coat lay over the back of a chair and a messenger bag was thrown carelessly on the desk. Ymir opened one of the drawers, which let out a cold mist, and retrieved a bottle of beer before shutting it.
“Never knew kids like you for knowing more than you should,” said Ymir, using her thumb to snap the cap off. She took a quick swig. “And that’s not a compliment.”
“So you were looking for the Titan Shifters?” asked Amanda.
“First off, let me clear one thing,” said Ymir. “I was looking for the Eldians. They have the potential to be Shifters. But, yeah, I went looking for them.”
“And you found them?” asked Lotte.
“It took so doing, but I did,” said Ymir.
“Where are they?” asked Sucy curiously.
“The Pitcairn Islands,” said Ymir. “Went out of their way to find the most isolated place on earth.”
“So what’d you do when you found them?” asked Amanda. Ymir went stoically silent, taking another long draft of her beer. “Oh, come on, prof, you can tell us! If you tell us about the Eldians, Akko can tell you about being attacked by Heartless – “
A large quantity of spit and alcohol was sprayed over the desk as Ymir coughed and sputtered, beating her fist against her chest.
“Whaddya mean, ‘attacked by Heartless?’” yelled Ymir.
“Didn’t you know?” Lotte asked her, wide-eyed.
“I don’t know anything that’s been happening since I left. I went completely underground; no phone, no internet, no papers – nothing. Didn’t want to give anyone a way of tracing me. God damn Heartless. You can’t be serious.”
“Yeah, I am, they turned up in Shibuya and attacked me and my friend, and then the Magic Council expelled me – “
“WHAT?!”
“ – and I had to go to a hear and everything, but tell us about the Eldian’s first.”
“You were expelled?”
“Tell us about your summer and I’ll tell you about mine.”
Ymir gave her a sharp glare. Akko looked right back, an expression of innocent determination on her face.
“…It was right after the last term ended,” Ymir told them begrudgingly. “I had set off after getting my orders from Ursula and Holbrooke. My family cut ties with the Eldians centuries ago,” said Ymir. “But we’ve kept tabs on them to make sure they were staying out of trouble. That’s how I knew they were hiding on the Pitcairn Islands. Like I said they’re pretty isolated from the rest of the world. Took me about a month to get there – “
“A month?” said Hannah, as though she had never heard of a journey lasting such a long time. “But – why didn’t you use grab a summoning stone or something?”
There was an odd expression in Ymir’s eye as she stared listlessly at Hannah; it was almost pitying.
“I was being watched, kid,” she said gruffly, taking another swig.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you get it?” said Ymir. “The Magic Council is keeping an eye on Holbrooke and anyone they think is in league with her – “
“We know about that,” said Diana quickly, keen to hear the rest of Ymir’s story. “We know about the Council watching Holbrooke – “
“So you couldn’t use magic to get there?” asked Hannah, looking thunderstruck. “You had to act like a human all the way?”
“Had to make myself as inconspicuous as possible,” said Ymir cagily. “I was pretending to go on vacation in Tahiti. I spent a few days biding my time, acting like a regular tourist ‘cause I knew I was being tailed by someone from the Magic Council. I had to go slow, since I was outed as a Shifter last year, and the Council would be looking for any reason to throw me behind bars. But I managed to give them the slip in the Papeete Market.
“There weren’t any boats that sailed out to the Pitcairn Islands, so I had to chance a little Titan power and paddle all the way out into the middle of the ocean. Ran into a couple of angry mermaids halfway across and got into a disagreement with Davy Jones and his Kraken, but apart from that, it went smoothly.
“And then when I reached the shores, I started searching the islands, looking for any signs of them. I couldn’t use my Titan powers. Partly because Shifters have an even worse reputation with the Eldians than they do with the rest of the world. And partly because Holbrooke thought Jennifer was going after the Eldians as well. Said there was a chance that they’d sent a messenger to them already. Didn’t want to draw any attention to myself as I got close in case the Purifiers were around.”
Ymir paused for a long draught off beer.
“Go on!” said Stan-Bot urgently.
“Found ‘em,” said Ymir flatly. “Went over a ridge one night and there they were, a tiny village hidden in the forest, little fires burning below.”
“How many were there?” asked Jasminka.
“I’d wager around fifty or less,” said Ymir.
“Is that all?” asked Sucy.
“Yep,” said Ymir indifferently. “There used to be thousands of them, all living on a large island protected by giant walls centuries ago. But they’ve been dying out for ages. All because of one man: Eren Yeager.”
“Amanda and Constanze told me about him last year,” said Akko. “He was some kind of monster who tried to destroy the world, right?”
“He did much worse than that: he damned the Eldians to extinction,” said Ymir gravely. “After the bastard was finally killed and his psychotic plot was stopped, the world combined their forces and wiped out the Eldians only days after Yeager died. Ninety-nine percent of the Eldians were slaughtered in one fell swoop. Those who survived went underground, hiding their Eldian heritage. Those who were caught were killed on the spot – no judge, no jury, just an executioner. Bet Yeager didn’t think of that when he went on his little rampage. Those who were left to inherit the Titan powers created a system so that another Yeager didn’t happen. Like mine and Jasminka’s families.”
“So,” said Barbara, “you found them and then what?”
“I waited until morning,” said Ymir. “They’re already distrustful to outsiders; didn’t want to go sneaking up on them in the middle of the night. Once it as daybreak, I went down to see them.”
“Just like that?” said Lotte, looking awestruck. “You just walked into a Titan village?”
“None of them were Shifters from what I could tell, so I had the advantage,” said Ymir. “But it wasn’t my plan to fight them; just convince them to join us. I even gave the village chief a gift, as a sign of respect.”
“They didn’t try to kill you when they saw you?” asked Diana incredulously.
“It was definitely on some of their minds,” said Ymir, shrugging. “But I did what I was supposed to: hold my gift up high and keep my eyes on the chief and ignore the others. Everyone went quiet and watched me pass as I walked up straight to the village chief. He was an older man – probably in his late fifties. Name’s Garlin. Super paranoid. Didn’t blink once the entire time I met him.”
“What did you give him?” asked Sucy. “Food? Cloth? Poison?”
“I was trying to make peace with the guy, not kill him,” said Ymir. “The Eldians had no need for food or cloth; they could provide for themselves well enough. I gave him magic. Eldians are a simple folk. To them, magic is as valuable as gold. Anyway, that first day I gave him a branch of Hellfire.”
“Hellfire?” asked Akko. “You mean the same kind that Amanda’s family uses?”
“That’s the one,” said Ymir. “Met up with a friend with Salem heritage during my tour across America on the way there. Hellfire can never be extinguished, as you already know. So, I lay it down on the ground at Garlin’s feet and say, ‘A gift to the chief of the Eldians from the Celestial Sphere, who send their respectful greetings.’”
“And what did Garlin say?” asked Jasminka eagerly.
“Nothing,” said Ymir. “He didn’t speak English. Or any language I knew, for that matter.”
“You’re kidding!” shouted Akko.
“The Eldians seemed to have developed their own language in isolation, so no outsiders knew about it,” said Ymir. “But it didn’t matter. Ursula warned me this might happen. Garlin knew enough to yell for someone who knew our lingo. A cutie named Kristy. She was so small and adorable, I just wanted to put her in my pocket – “
“The present?” Sucy reminded Ymir before she wandered off too far into her own fantasy.
“Oh right,” said Ymir, snapping out of it. “Anyway, the chief loved the gift once he knew what it was. Very pleased. So then I said, ‘The Celestial Sphere asks the chief to speak with their messenger when she returns tomorrow with another gift.’”
“Why couldn’t you speak to them that day?” asked Stan-Bot.
“Ursula wanted me to take it slow,” said Ymir. “Let ‘em see we kept our promises. We’ll come back tomorrow with another gift, and then I do come back with another present – gives a good impression. And it gives them time to test out the first present and find out if it’s a good one, and get them eager for more. In any case, I quickly left the village and made myself a small camp out in the woods for the night. And when the next morning came, I went back and I found Garlin waiting for me looking all eager.”
“And you talked to him?” asked Akko.
“Yeah. First, I presented him with a nice protective cloak – woven from Life-Fibers provided by the Kiryuins – and then we sat down and talked.
“What did he say?” asked Diana.
“Not much,” said Ymir. “Listened mostly. But there were good signs. I told him about the Celestial Sphere and that they were willing to offer the Eldians shelter and protection. Garlin seemed to be interested in what the Sphere had to say. And a few of the others, especially the ones who understood a little English, gathered ‘round and listened, too. I was hopeful when I left that day. Promised to come back next day with another present.
“But that night, it all went wrong.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lotte.
Ymir sighed deeply.
“That night, other people came to the island while I slept. They found the village. They tried to talk to the chief, but I’m guessing negotiations went south. Because I was suddenly awoken in the middle of the night by a crack of thunder and a huge earthquake. When I looked up from my campsite, I saw two Titans standing over where the village was. I recognized them right away: it was Carraway and Mostafa.”
“No!” Jasminka gasped in horror.
“Who’re Carraway and Mostafa?” asked Hannah cluelessly.
“Daniel Carraway and Ahmed Mostafa,” Ymir explained. “Like Jasminka and I, their families are responsible for the Titan Powers. More Specifically, the Attack and Beast Titans.”
“Why were two Titan Shifters there?” asked Amanda, looking apprehensive.
“I asked myself the same thing that night,” said Ymir, frowning. “When I went back to the village the next morning, I found a giant footprint with a great red smear in the middle. It was Garlin. Daniel – the Attack Titan – had squashed him without a second thought. I hadn’t expected the chief to get killed two days after making friendly contact. But I couldn’t go back after all the painstaking effort I went through to get there.”
“You went back?” asked Lotte incredulously. “After they killed the chief?”
“Of course I did,” said Ymir. “I had a lot of people counting on me. But I knew it was no good the moment I saw Daniel sitting in Garlin’s chair, wearing the cloak I gave him, Ahmed standing beside him like a good little pet. The son of bitch looked so pleased with himself. He was so smug when I walked into the village. I had a roll of dragon scales to present to Garlin, and I had hoped I could use it to talk to Daniel. But I didn’t even get two words in before he ordered Ahmed to bite his hand and tried to Titan stomp me.”
Lotte clapped her hands to her mouth.
“How did you get out of that?” asked Stan-Bot.
“Fortunately, I was able to shift before Ahmed could,” said Ymir. “My Jaw Titan is smaller and faster, so I avoided him easily enough. I had to leg it out of there and hide in the forest, but I knew there was no way I was going to be able to march into the village again.”
“Damn, prof,” said Amanda quietly.
“So how come it took you so long to get home if you were only there for three days?” asked Sucy.
“Because I didn’t leave after three days,” said Ymir.
“But you just said there was no way you could go back.”
“Not by daylight, I couldn’t. I just had to rethink my strategy a bit. Spent a couple days lying low in the forest trying to figure out why Daniel and Ahmed were there. What I found wasn’t good.”
“What do you mean?” asked Barbara.
“After Daniel took over, he rounded up all the Eldians,” said Ymir darkly. “Put them in cages – killed the ones that stood up to them or ran away. Then, a few days later, a bunch of Purifiers show up, being led by that monster, Acnologia.”
“Acnologia?!” yelped Hannah.
“You’re sure it was him?” asked Akko urgently.
“It was him all right; I’d recognize that face anywhere,” said Ymir grimly. “He and Daniel were acting real friendly when they met. I suppose it makes sense. The Attack Titan was once used by Eren Yeager. Could be that some of his influence was passed down. Such a shame. Daniel was a good man, once.”
“So Acnologia persuaded the Eldians to join Jennifer?” said Jasminka desperately.
“Hold your horses, brats, I haven’t finished the story!” said Ymir indignantly, who, considering how she had not wanted to tell them anything in the first place, now seemed to be rather enjoying herself. “While I do think Daniel and Ahmed joined Jennifer, the rest of the Eldians were being coerced. A lot of them wanted nothing to do with Daniel or Jennifer, like Kristy. I knew if I could get them out, they might consider joining us.”
“You tried to saved the Eldians?” asked Lotte, shocked. “Even with two Shifters and Acnologia there?”
“I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing,” said Ymir patiently. “It wasn’t easy. Had to cover myself in mud and animal piss to conceal myself from Acnologia’s nose.”
“Ew!” Hannah gagged.
“It’s worse than you think,” said Ymir. “Acnologia and the Purifiers knew I was around – Daniel told ‘em about me. They were sweeping the whole forest. They found my campsite and trashed it, but I was long gone. Thankfully, Acnologia didn’t stay long; he flew off after the first night. Said he had some job to do for Jennifer and left Daniel in charge. I spent the next three days hiding around the edges of camp, watching them, scoping the scene. I needed to plan things carefully if I wanted to free everyone.
“But by the third night, everything derailed.”
“What happened?” asked Akko, feeling a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach.
Ymir stared at the ground sadly.
“On the third night, just as I was about to enact my brilliant jailbreak, I found out what Daniel and the Purifiers were doing with the Eldians. The Purifiers shipped in some medical equipment via helicopter. They had cases filled with syringes with chemicals inside them. I didn’t realize it at the time, but they were filled with Titan spinal fluid.”
“WHAT?!” Jasminka gasped in horror.
“I’ve heard of a lot of chemicals – most of them poisonous,” said Sucy. “But I’ve never heard of Titan spinal fluid.”
“That’s because its harmless to everyone except Eldians,” said Ymir. “Titan spine fluid is what turns Eldians into the mindless Titans that humanity has spent centuries trying to stamp out. If an Eldian is ever exposed to it, they would lose all sense of themselves, wandering aimless for all of eternity, eating everything in their path until they either die, or find a Shifter and take their power.”
“And the Purifiers were using this on them?” said Barbara, stunned. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” said Ymir. “I don’t see any point of Jennifer building an army of Titans. Without the Coordinate, they can’t be controlled. Fortunately, old man Giovanni is still in hiding and Jennifer’s goons haven’t approached him. Anyway, that night, they were planning on doing experiments on the Eldians. Their first test subject…was Kristy.”
“That girl you liked?” said Jasminka apprehensively.
“After they stuck her with that needle and I watched her transform into that monster, I just…lost it,” said Ymir lamentingly. “Went full Titan and charged right into their camp without thinking. Broke the cages, killed half their men, smashed their chemical supply. It was a mess. When Daniel and Ahmed realized what had happened, they went Titan and beat me half to death. The Jaw Titan is small and fast, but weak against the more offensive types. I managed to gouge Daniel’s eyes and slip into the ocean. It was the dead of night during the new moon. The water was too dark to see. I stayed under the water and paddled until I reached New Zealand.”
“So…that’s it?” said Amanda, looking disappointed. “There aren’t any Titans coming?”
“Nope,” said Ymir, heaving a deep sigh. “But I did what I was supposed to do. Gave ‘em thee message and some of them heard it. And I any of the Eldian’s escaped, I think they’ll remember what I said. If we’re lucky, some of them might consider coming on our side…we’ll have to see….”
She stared out the window distantly, which was filling up with snow.
“Professor Ymir,” Diana spoke up after a while. “There’s one thing that still doesn’t add up. If you left the island after a week and it took you a month to get there…why did it take you so long to return to Luna Nova?”
Ymir took another swig of her bottle, only to realize that she had emptied it a while ago. Her knee bounced up and down agitatedly and she pointedly ignore their eyes.
“Well…,” said Ymir apprehensively. “The thing is…”
But the rest of her words were drowned in a sudden outbreak on rapping on the door. Several girls let out startled gasps; Amanda and Akko jumped to their feet due to their fight or flight instincts. Hannah put her wand to the side o her skulk, muttered, “Visus Videatur Supra,” and her eyes turned neon-green with star-shaped pupils. She peered through the door and backed away with a frightened grimace.
“It’s her!” she whispered.
“I didn’t bring my ring!” said Akko, panicking. “I can’t get caught! She’ll kick me out for sure this time!”
“I’ll handle this,” said Ymir seriously.
As Ymir walked around the desk and toward the door, Akko and the others huddled against the wall out of the line of sight from the door. Ymir opened the door, immediately stepping outside, and shutting it behind her so as not to give the person a chance to enter.
Then they heard Light Spinner’s venomously sweet voice.
“So,” she said slowly and loudly, as though speaking to someone deaf. “You’re Ymir Lenz, are you?”
“That’s Professor Ymir Lenz,” said Ymir coolly. “I expect everyone to address me by my proper title, whether they are student, teacher, or otherwise.”
“I see…,” Akko could imagine Light Spinner pursing her lips at Ymir’s in-your-face attitude. “May I have a moment of your time? There is something important we must discuss.”
The doorknob suddenly rattled and slowly started to turn as Light Spinner tried to get past Ymir into her office. Akko pressed herself further against the wall, not daring to breathe.
“I don’t mind,” said Ymir; Akko’s entire body tensed up. “I was just about to watch Mindy Kaling’s Velma if you want to join me.”
Light Spinner immediately let go of the handle as if she had been electrocuted; Akko heard her take several steps away from the door.
“No, no, that’s quite all right,” Light Spinner said quickly. “This won’t take long.” Akko heard her clear her throat importantly. “My name is Light Spinner.”
“Light Spinner?” said Ymir, sounding thoroughly confused. “I thought you were one of the seats on the Magic Council – don’t you work for Seam?”
“I was nineth seat and Head of the Department of Magical Catastrophes, yes,” said Light Spinner. “I am now the new Magical Self-Defense teacher – “
“Good for you,” said Ymir sardonically.
“ – and the Luna Nova High Inquisitor,” said Light Spinner, giving no sign that she had heard her
“And now you’ve lost me,” said Ymir, frowning.
“Don’t you worry your tiny little over it,” said Light Spinner brazenly. Akko could just imagine the glare she was receiving from Ymir, because the veiled woman coughed loudly and continued with a more restrained tone. “I just need you to answer a few questions. For starters, where have you been?”
“Where’ve I been?” Ymir repeated.
“Yes,” said Light Spinner. “Terms started two months ago. Another teacher has had to cover your classes. None of your colleagues has been able to give me any information as to your whereabouts. You left no address. Where have you been?”
“I’ve been out of the country,” Ymir answered immediately, as if she had been prepared for this. “After the chaos that went down last year, I needed to get away from it all. Thought I’d go on a tropical vacation.”
“And you didn’t plan to return well after school started?” asked Light Spinner inquisitively.
“That was actually a mistake on my part,” said Ymir, sounding sheepish. “I ended up getting on the wrong ship and found myself in Mexico instead of New Zealand. Then there was issue with the American border and crossing the Atlantic.”
“I you were having trouble getting back,” said Light Spinner, “why did you not requisition transport or a Summoning Stone from the Magic Council.”
“Give the Council’s persecution towards my people,” Ymir spoke in a dangerously deep voice, “I didn’t believe they would have my best interest at heart.”
“I see…,” Light Spinner hummed. “I shall, of course, be informing the Chairman of your late return.”
“Of course,” said Ymir.
“You should also know that as High Inquisitor it is my unfortunate, but necessary, duty to inspect my fellow teachers. So I daresay we shall meet again soon enough.”
“You’re inspecting us?” Ymir echoed with a dangerous tone.
“Oh yes,” said Light Spinner. “The Council is determined to weed out unsatisfactory teachers, professor. Good night.
Akko heard Light Spinner’s footsteps echo out in the empty corridor, steadily becoming more distant. After a minute, the door creaked open and Ymir stepped back into the office before slamming it shut behind her.
“She’s gone now,” she said in a low voice. “Saw her heading down to the lower floors…. Is she really inspecting people?”
“Yeah,” answered Akko. “Professor Ursula’s on probation already….”
“Bastards,” Ymir grimaced. “Luckily, there’s nothing too dangerous or difficult about History of Magic. Just gotta read out of some dusty old books and keep kids awake long enough to write down a few dates.”
“I don’t know,” said Diana uncertainly. “She was giving Professor Croft a hard time for being Human.”
“Figures,” Ymir scoffed. “No point in worry about it right now. It’s been a long day and it’s late. You kids should head back to your dorms before you get caught out of bed.”
“You think she’ll be all right?” asked Lotte a short while later when, having checked that the coast was clear, they walked back up the spiraling staircase, splitting off from Diana, Hannah, and Barbara on the fifth-floor landing. “You don’t think Light Spinner will try to kick Professor Ymir out for being a Titan Shifter, do you?”
“She had better not,” said Jasminka sternly. “Otherwise, I might accidentally bump into her on the way to the kitchen for a late night snack.”
Notes:
Next chapter: The Eyes of Evil
Chapter 21: The Eyes of Evil
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Jasminka went down to Ymir’s office first thing on Sunday morning. Akko wanted to go with her, but as much as she was concerned with Ymir’s upcoming inspection against the obviously prejudice Light Spinner, they had even more pressing matters of their hands. Namely, the mountain of homework that had reached an alarming height again. They grudgingly remained in the common room, trying to ignore the gleeful shouts drifting up from the grounds, where students were enjoying themselves skating on the frozen lake, sledding, and worst of all, bewitching snowballs to zoom up to Polaris Tower and rap hard on the windows.
“Excuse me!” bellow Lotte, finally losing patience and sticking her head out the window. “Would you stop that? I am a school prefect and if one more snowball hits this window – AAH!”
She withdrew her head sharply, her face covered in snow.
“It’s Garie and Sabi,” she said bitterly, slamming the window behind her. “Little brats….”
Jasminka returned to the common room just before lunch, shivering slightly from wandering the drafty corridors.
“So?” said Sucy, looking up when she entered. “Got all her lessons sorted out?”
“Not really,” she said dully, sinking into a chair beside Amanda. “She wasn’t even there when I arrived. I was knocking for at least half an hour Before Professor Kowata said she saw her heading down to the Arcturus Forest – “
Akko and Constanze looked at each other strangely. The Arcturus Forest was teeming with all sorts of deadly creatures. They had visited it several times in the past, once as part of detention with Ymir.
“What’s she doing in there?” asked Akko.
“Couldn’t say,” said Jasminka, shaking her head. “It took an hour before saw her walk out limb and missing her left arm – oh, don’t worry, it grew back.” She added at the horrified looks on their faces. “Titan Shifters are very strong healers. I tried asking her what happened, but she kept brushing me off. I honestly don’t think she was even listening to a word I said. She’s been acting funny since she got back….”
Ymir’s reappearance in the dining hall at breakfast the next day was met with a lot of whispered rumors and speculation between the students. As an outed Titan Shifter, many of student body were already weary of Ymir due in part to her solitary nature, stern personality, and intimidating appearance, as opposed to Jasminka, who was openly friendly with everyone. Many rumors correctly guessed that Ymir had gone in search of the Titans over the summer, but there was no proof to back them up, so they eventually died down.
It was with a certain amount of apprehension that Akko and Diana headed to their Advanced History of Magic classes on Tuesday. Akko was worried, not for Ymir’s lesson, because they have always been informative and professional, but for whatever Light Spinner might come up with to ruin Ymir like she had done to Akko during the last Chariot Race.
Most of the school still blamed Akko for what happened to Makoto during the race, even though Akko vehemently denied everything. Thankfully, Makoto and her sister were much more understanding when she had visited them in the hospital wing on Monday. Akko was relieved that Makoto didn’t have any permanent scarring and that her hair had grown back to Professor Akane’s homemade brew, though there was a noticeable red patch on her face that was unlikely to go away.
When Akko met Akko and explained her side of things, they thankfully believed her.
“I know you would never do anything to hurt me, Akko-chan,” said Makoto kindly. “But now I’m even more worried about how to handle Light Spinner. If she’s willing to attack a student in road daylight, who knows what she’s capable of.
The thought rest in Akko’s stomach like an iron weight as she walked into the History of Magic classroom.
However, the High Inquisitor was nowhere to be seen as she and Diana took their seats at the front of the class close to Ymir’s desk, who was leaning against it going over Professor Croft’s planner. Thankfully, she didn’t have any bruises or missing limbs. Once everyone was seated and the bell to begin classes sounded, she closed the planner with a snap and immediately shot disapproving looks at nearly everyone in the room; a few of them slid down their chairs under their desks.
“I was just review some of the lessons that Professor Croft was going over,” she said sharply. “She already went into detail about the starting years of the Titan Wars. Good, very good. However!” she snapped suddenly, making a few people jump. “I also received notes on your behaviors in class. Sleeping during lectures, failing quizzes, poor quality homework. This is the seventh year for most of you! This class was pure elective! If you weren’t going to take this seriously, you shouldn’t have signed up at all!
“Thankfully, there are a couple of exceptions,” she added, looking in Akko and Diana’s direction.
She dropped the planner on her desk and walked around to the blackboard. She picked up a piece of chalk and started writing at the top in large capital letters, underlining the words when she finished: THE RUMBLING. She turned to face the class, clacking the board with the chalk to get their attention.
“For this lesson, we’ll be discussing the waning years of the Titan Wars,” said Ymir, who began pacing in front of the chalkboard. “More specifically, the Rumbling. For those of you who aren’t aware or just haven’t paying attention – I’m looking at you, Donovar – the Rumbling is widely remembered as the fourth most devastating crisis in human history, after the Second Honkai Eruption, the Snap of Thanos, and the election of Donald Trump. The effects left the world’s population – both Human and Demi-Human – in heavy decline for over a hundred years and signaled the end of the Eldian race, who were hunted and persecuted in the days after the wars.
“Now, I’ve talked quite a bit about the Rumbling, but what was the Rumbling exactly?”
Diana raised her hand.
“No surprise, Cavendish,” said Ymir. “Go on then.”
“The Rumbling was the result of over one hundred sixty-meter-tall Titans called Colossal Titans,” Diana explained, “simultaneously stomping in a row, crushing everything in their path.”
“That’s exactly right,” said Ymir solemnly. “Ten points to Lunar. Now, the Rumbling – “
“Hem, hem.”
Light Spinner had arrived. She was standing near the back of the class, her clipboard at the ready. Ymir, who had never heard Light Spinner’s fake cough before, was drawing up notes on the blackboard, oblivious to Light Spinner’s presence.
“Hem, hem!”
“Oh, there you are,” said Ymir, peeking over her shoulder. “I generally like all people who attend my class to arrive on time.”
Light Spinner glowered briefly, but composed herself.
“You received the note I sent to your office this morning?” she said, in the same loud, slow voice she had used with her earlier, as though she were addressing someone both foreign and dimwitted. “Telling you I would be inspecting your lesson?”
“That why I said I preferred people who were on time,” said Ymir unabashed. “Please take a seat. Today’s lesson is on the Rumbling.”
“I’m sorry?” said Light Spinner loudly, cupping her hand around her ear and frowning. “What did you say.”
Ymir let out an agitated sigh.
“The Rumbling!” she said loudly. “The great conclusion of the Titan Wars!”
Light Spinner raised her eyebrows at her and muttered as she made a note on her clipboard, “’uses…unnecessary…loud…tone…of…voice….’”
“Oh for the love of…,” Ymir mumbled, turning her back to Light Spinner. “Great…what was I just saying…?”
“’Appears…to…have…poor…short…term…memory…’” muttered Light Spinner, loudly enough for everyone to hear her. Akko turned scarlet with suppressed rage.
Ymir threw a heated glare at Light Spinner’s clipboard, but plowed on valiantly. “As I was saying, the Rumbling started off on a small island called Paradis, which was located in the middle of the Atlantic. Now, the path that the Colossal Titans took started heading east towards what is now known as the United States – “
“Are you certain,” Light Spinner said loudly, interrupting her, “that this is an appropriate subject to be teaching the students. Speaking as a concerned party, of course.”
Akko’s knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists. She knew what Light Spinner was really saying. Should a Titan Shifter be talking about Titans killing people. Ymir, however, gave Light Spinner an unimpressed stare.
“I am simply continuing the lesson plan that Professor Croft left,” said Ymir coolly. “If you have a problem with the lesson – or me, personally – you can take it up to my office after class.”
“’Shows…signs…of…hostility…towards…any…opposing…views…or…concerns…’” muttered Light Spinner, scribbling on her clipboard again.
“Now you’re just twisting my words!” Your finally snapped, slamming her chalk down.
Light Spinner pretended not to hear her; she finished writing her last note, then looked up at Ymir and said, again very loudly and slowly, “Please continue teaching as usual. I am going to walk” – she mimed walking – “among the students” – she pointed around at individual members of the class – “and ask them questions.” She pointed at her veil-covered mouth to indicate talking.
“…Youi understand you’re only making yourself look stupid, right?” said Ymir dryly. Light Spinner huffed and walked towards one of the seventh-years in the back. “Anyway, the wall of Colossi reached the north American shores, where they carved a path straight through the middle, while leaving the lands closest to Canada and Mexico relatively unharmed – “
“Do you find,” said Light Spinner in a ringing voice to one of the students; Ymir snapped her chalk against the board, “that you are able to comprehend the material Professor Ymir teaches?”
“Er…um…I guess,” they said uncertainly. “Maybe…. I uh…don’t really pay a lot of attention – not that there anything wrong with Professor Ymir! It’s just this class isn’t my – “
But Light Spinner stopped listening as she scribbled on her clipboard. Ymir took a deep breath through her nose and pressed on, trying to act as though she had not heard anything.
“The Colossi then waded through the Pacific Ocean in eight hours before they made landfall in Asia. They cut through Japan and both Koreas before marching through China where they altered course halfway into Mongolia – “
“Are you concerned,” Light Spinner interrupted loudly again, speaking to another student; Ymir’s chalk scrapped down blackboard, making a jarring screech, “about Professor Ymir’s identity as a Titan? Do you feel safe? What do you think of her?”
“Erm,” said the student nervously, with a glance at Ymir. “Well, she’s…er…okay….”
“’Students…are…too…intimidated…to…admit…they…are…frightened….’” muttered Light Spinner, making another note on her clipboard.
“No!” said the student, looking upset, “no, I’m not scared of her - !”
“It’s quite all right,” said Light Spinner, patting them on the shoulder with what was evidently intended to be an understanding gaze, though it looked more like a leer to Akko. “Well, Ymir,” she turned to look at her again, speaking once more in the loud, slow voice, “I think I have enough to be getting along with…. You will receive” – she mimed taking something from the air in front of her – “the results of your inspection” – she pointed at the clipboard – “in ten days’ time.” She held up ten long, gangly fingers, then she bustled out of the room, leaving most students confused and upset, and Akko shaking in anger.
“That stupid, lying, ugly bitch!” stormed Akko half an hour later, as she and Diana exited the History of Magic classroom and made their way down to the ground floor. “You saw what she was doing right? It’s because Professor Ymir is an Eldian – she’s trying to make her sound like some kind of dumb troll – no offense, Doug!” She called back to the janitorial troll that walked past. “It’s not fair! She’s a good teacher, and the lesson was interesting!”
“Unfortunately, the subject was the very thing the professor is persecuted for,” said Diana.
“Okay, so maybe she could’ve picked a better topic,” said Akko. “But that only shows that she’s not scared of what people think of her.”
“Perhaps she should,” Diana remarked as they made their way down the slope to the greenhouses. “Because it’s Light Spinner’s opinion that determines where she stays at Luna Noa or not.”
“…You think there any chance we can trick her into meeting Gora-Chan?” said Akko.
December arrived, bringing with it more snow and an avalanche of homework for the fifth years. Lotte and Diana’s prefect duties also became more onerous as Christmas approached. They were called upon to supervise the decorations of the school, to watch over first and second years spending their break times inside because of the bitter cold, and to patrol the corridors in shifts with Elma, who suspected the holiday spirit might show itself in an outbreak of magical mischief thanks to an unusually large supply of products provided by MMM. They were so busy that Diana started taking her meals to the library, much to Madame Badcock’s displeasure.
In any case, Akko did not want to think about Christmas. For the first time in her school career, she very much wanted to be away from Luna Nova. Between her racing ban, everyone thinking she was unhinged, and worrying about whether or not Ymir was going to be put on probation, she felt highly resentful toward the place at the moment. The only thing she really looked forward to were the SC meetings, and they would have to stop over the holidays, as nearly everyone in the SC would be spending the time with their families. Akko had talked to Blair about going back to Shinjuku to spend Christmas for the first time in five years, when Blair said:
“Didn’t Diana tell you? I suppose she wanted to keep it a surprise. Her mother invited all of us to the Cavendish manor for the holidays. It’s much safer for you that way, and Shuichi and Kaori are looking forward to visiting London again.”
Akko’s spirits soared: The thought of Christmas at the Cavendish Manor with her parents was truly wonderful, especially knowing that Izetta would be there. Izetta had not contacted them at all since her fight with Blair in the fireplace, and although Akko knew that with Light Spinner on the constant watch it would be unwise to attempt to contact her, she hoped that Izetta and Blair would bury the hatchet over the holidays, at least for her sake.
Akko and Diana arrived early in the Horologium Chamber for the last SC meeting before the holiday to prepare their lesson and was taken aback when they saw that Constanze had taken it upon herself to decorate her workshop for Christmas. Akko knew it had to be Constanze; who else would hang color-changing holographic Christmas ornaments from propeller-lifted boxes?
Diana had only just managed to convince Constanze to take them down, citing that they would be a distraction for the lesson, when the door creaked open and Molly McIntyre entered.
“Hello,” she said lightly, looking around at decoration before Constanze remotely recalled them. “These are nice, did you put that up.
“No,” said Akko, “it was Constanze. I forgot how much she loved the holidays.”
“Mistletoe,” said Molly, pointing at a large clump of white berries placed almost over Akko’s head. She jumped out from under it, making Molly laugh. “Don’t worry; I know better than to incur the wrath of Diana Cavendish.”
Gratefully, Akko was spare further embarrassment by the arrival of Avery, Rajani, and Rashmi. All three of them were breathless and looked very cold.
“Well,” said Avery dully, pulling off her coat and throwing it into a corner, “we’ve replaced you.”
“Replaced me?” said Akko blankly.
“For the Chariot Racing team!” Avery said impatiently.
“Who?” said Akko quickly.
“A third-year named Ryza,” said Avery, pulling out her wand and flexing her arm. “She’s good, but nothing compared to you or O’Neill. But seeing as we can’t have you…” she added, throwing her a dirty look.
Akko bit back the retort she was longing to utter: Did she think for a second that Akko did not regret her expulsion from the team a hundred times more than she did? But the arrival of Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, and Jasminka brought the depressing discussion to an end and within five minutes, the room was full enough to prevent her seeing Avery’s burning, reproachful looks.
“Okay, everyone,” said Diana, calling them all to order. “I thought this evening we would just go over the things we’ve done so far, because it’s the last meeting before the holidays, and there’s no point stating anything new right before a three-week break – “
“We’re not doing anything new?” said Chloe Dubois, in a disgruntled whisper loud enough to carry through the room. “If I had known that, I wouldn’t have come….”
“We’re all really sorry they didn’t tell you, then,” said Verde Shidariza, causing several people to snigger.
“We can practice in pairs,” said Akko. “We’ll start with the Disarming Charm for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try the Stunning Spell.”
They all divided up obediently; Akko partnered with Lotte as usual. The room was soon full of intermittent shouts. People’s wands flew out on their hands and clattered on the floor, then would stoop down to collect them and take their turn at the charm.
Lotte had improved beyond all recognition. After a while, when Akko’s wand hit the round three times in a row, she had Lotte join Sucy and Barbara so that she could walk around the room and watch the others. A few minutes later, Diana joined her once she was satisfied with Chinatsu’s wand work and paired her off with Makoto.
After ten minutes on the Disarming Charm, they laid out cushions all over the floor and started practicing stunning again. Space was too confined to allow them to all work this spell at once; half the group observed the others for a while, then swapped over. Akko felt herself swelling with pride as she watched them all. True, Sola did stun Avery instead of Sarah, and who she had been aiming, but it was a much closer miss than usual, and everybody else had made enormous progress.
At the end of an hour, Diana called a halt.
“You’re getting really good,” she said, beaming around at them. “When we get back from holidays, we can start doing some of the big stuff – maybe even some combination magic.”
There was a murmur of excitement. The room began to clear in the usual twos and threes; most people wished Akko a Merry Christmas as they went. Feeling cheerful, she collected up the cushions with Diana and stacked them away neatly. When they were done, they were the last ones alone in the Horologium Chamber (well, except for Constanze, who usually locked herself away in her workshop after every meeting.)
“Things are moving along better than I could have hoped for,” said Diana optimistically. “Everyone has gotten so much better. Especially Lotte.”
“Yeah, she’s not usually one for combat spells,” Akko agreed. “But when she uses them, I’m a little for myself.”
Diana’s adorable giggle sounded like windchimes to Akko’s ears. The Japanese witch was now realizing that this was the first time she had spent a moment with her girlfriend in months. They were constantly bogged down with mountains of homework, plus Light Spinner actively targeting them, they hardly had a moment to breath. But now it was just them – alone together.
Feeling bold, Akko approached Diana from behind and wrapped her arms around the blonde’s waist, resting her chin on the other’s shoulder. Diana leaned into the touch.
They enjoyed a moment of comfortable silence together, then Diana said, “Do you suppose…teaching all this stuff…learning it ourselves…. Do you think it will make any difference against Jennifer?”
Akko’s heart sank past its usual spot and settled somewhere around her navel. The last thing she wanted to talk about was Jennifer, but Diana sounded serious and deserved a serious answer.
“I have no idea,” Akko said heavily. “When Nico and I fought her on that hill, it felt like I might as well be shooting spit wads at her. She was toying with us the entire time. Nothing we did worked until Nico scared her with that forbidden curse. It’s a miracle we survived.”
“Well, if we’re being technical, Minoru was dead for two whole minutes,” Diana commented.
“You know what I mean,” Akko mumbled into Diana’s shoulder.
“Well, either way, we’re better prepared now than we were before,” said Diana. “Not thanks in part to Light Spinner.”
“Can we not talk about them, please,” Akko whined. “I just wanna spend time with my girlfriend without talking about Jennifer, or Light Spinner, or anything else before the holiday starts.”
“Fair enough,” Diana smiled, removing herself from Akko’s hold and spinning around to face her. They looked at each other for a long moment, then Diana glanced upward. “Oh look, mistletoe.”
“Oh yeah, forgot about that,” said Akko. “Molly was worried you’d beat her half to death if you caught us standing under it.”
“She couldn’t be more wrong,” said Diana with a teasing tone. “I never do anything halfway.”
“Did I ever tell you how hot you are when you’re possessive,” Akko chuckled.
“You could stand to say it more,” said Diana.
All the terrible things that had happened thus far had been swept away from Akko’s mind in this one perfect moment as she and Diana kissed under the mistletoe….
She returned to the dormitory nearly an hour later to find the common room empty; everyone must have gone to bed. It made sense as it was close to midnight. Akko and Diana had lost track of time in the Horologium Chamber (the irony did not escape either of them.) Fortunately, Akko always remembered to bring the Ring of Gyges to meetings in case of emergencies, and Diana could use her Prefect duties to say that she was patrolling the halls so Elma wouldn’t be suspicious. They had both separated on the staircase, but not before Diana had pulled her in for one last kiss, making Akko feel lighter than air.
Akko climbed the stairs to the dormitory. As she thought, everyone else had gone to sleep except for Blair, who was sitting up right in cat form on Akko’s bed, a Cheshire grin on her whiskered lips. Akko rolled her eyes; she already knew what was coming. When Akko removed the ring from her finger, Blair padded to the foot of the bed to make room for her.
“So, how did it go?” said Blair eagerly.
“It was all right,” said Akko blandly as she pulled off her tunic and put on her shirt and shorts. “Lotte’s really improved a whole lot. And I think Luz is starting to get out of her funk – “
“You know that’s not what I meant,” said Blair, her grin wider. “You and Diana. You were out pretty late. I assume you were with her the whole time.”
“We got a bit…sidetracked,” said Akko, her face flushed with embarrassment.
“Uh-huh,” said Blair teasingly. “Did you remember to use protection?”
“BLAIR!” Akko screamed, but quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. Thankfully, no one seemed to stir, especially Sucy, who would no doubt force acid down her throat. Akko spoke again in a soft whisper. “I wasn’t like that. We just talked and…kissed a little.”
“No need to be embarrassed, Akko-Nyan,” said Blair. “I remember when I was at that age; your hormones running wild, judgement impaired, especially when real love is involved. There’s nothing wrong with a little nighttime romp. I remember in my fifth year there was this sexy witch named Mizune – “
“La-la-la I can’t hear you!” said Akko, covering her ears with her hands.
“SHUT UP!” Suzy snapped, shooting up in her bed. She glared at them before she was satisfied with their fear and laid back down.
Not wanting to invoke Sucy’s anger, Akko finished getting dressed and got into bed, but did not pull the hangings closed around her four-poster bed; instead, she stared at the patch of starry sky visible through the window next to Lotte’s bed.
“Night, Akko-Nyan,” Blair yawned, curling up at Akko’s feet.
“Night,” Akko mumbled.
Amanda snored unbearably loud. Jasminka shuffled in her sleep. An owl hooted somewhere in the night.
Akko dreamed she was back in the Horologium Chamber. She had just managed to solve the latest mystery of Luna Nova, which had turned out to be a magical flying tea kettle, and found another Major Key to the door. Finnelan chewed her out when she found out that Akko wasn’t reorganizing the library. Well, it’s not like she would remember tomorrow. One of the benefits of an endless time loop she supposed….
The dream changed….
She was walking along the cold, black stoned corridor, her footsteps bouncing off the walls…. But she did not fear of being discovered; she had memorized the schedule and knew that no one would be here until morning…. It was dark, yet she could see objects around her shimmering in a strange, poisoned purple…. She was turning her head…. At first glance, the corridor was empty…but no…a man was sitting on the floor ahead, his chin drooping onto his chest, his outline gleaming in the dark…. He was alive but drowsing…sitting in front of a door at the end of the corridor….
Akko wanted to kill the man…but she must master the impulse…. She had more important work to do….
But the man was stirring…a silvery cloak fell from his legs as he jumped to his feet; and Akko saw his blurred outline towering over her, saw a wand withdrawn from his belt…. She had no choice…. She pressed her palm over the man’s lips, silencing his words…. She felt the warm ichor running over her fingers and she thrust her blade through his middle, puncturing his skin and tear through his ribs….
The man wanted to scream, but her hand kept him quiet…then he fell silent…. He slumped backward against the wall…. Blood was splattering on the floor….
Then she took a step back…and the woman in the black coat stepped into view…. She stared down at the dying man…then she met Akko’s gaze…. The Black Coat extended her hand toward Akko…. Her head hurt terribly…. It was aching fit to burst….
“Akko-Nyan! AKKO!”
She opened her eyes. Every inch of her body was covered in icy sweat; her bed covers were twisted all around her like a straightjacket; she felt as though a white-hot poker was being applied to the back of her brain.
“Akko!”
Blair was standing over her looking extremely frightened. There were more figures standing at the foot of Akko’s bed. She clutched her head in her hands; the pain was blinding her…. She rolled right over and vomited over the edge of the mattress.
“She’s sick!” said a scared voice. “Should we call someone?”
“Akko! Akko!”
She had to tell Blair, it was very important that she tell her…. Taking great gulps of air, Akko pushed herself up in the bed, willing herself not to throw up again, the pain half-blinding her.
“Mr. England,” she panted, her chest heaving. “Mr. England’s…been attacked….
“What?” said Blair uncomprehendingly.
“Mr. England! Someone’s attacked Hannah’s dad, it’s serious, there was blood everywhere….”
“I’m going for help,” said the same scared voice, and Akko heard footsteps running out of the dormitory.
“Akko-Nyan,” said lair carefully, “you were having a nightmare….”
“No!” said Akko furiously; it was crucial that Blair understand. “It wasn’t a dream...not an ordinary dream…. I was there, I saw it…I did it….”
She could hear Amanda and Sucy muttering, but she didn’t care. The pain in her head was subsiding slightly, though she was still sweating and shivering feverishly. She vomited again and Blair leapt backward out of the way.
“Akko-Nyan, you’re not well,” she said shakily. “Lotte’s one for help….”
“I’m fine!” Akko choked, wiping her mouth on her arm and shaking uncontrollably. “There’s nothing wrong with me, it’s Hannah’s dad you should worry about – we need to find out where he is – he’s bleeding a lot – it was – I did something….”
She tried to get out of bed, but lair pushed her back into it; Amanda and Sucy were still whispering somewhere nearby. Whether one minute passed or ten, Akko didn’t know; she simply sat there shaking, feeling the pain recede very slowly from her skull…. Then there were hurried footsteps coming up the stairs, and she heard Lotte’s voice again.
“Over here, Professor….”
Ursula came hurrying into the dormitory in her tracksuit, her glasses perched lopsidedly on the bridge of her nose.
“What is it, Akko? Where does it hurt?”
“I’m not hurt,” Akko argued. “It’s Mr. England – Hannah’s dad. He’s been attacked and it’s serious, I saw it happen.”
“What do you mean you saw happen?” said Ursula, her eyebrows contracting.
“I don’t know…I was asleep and then I was there….”
“You mean you dreamed this?”
“No!” said Akko angrily. Would none of them understand? “I was having a dream at first about something completely different and then this interrupted it. It was real, I didn’t imagine it, Hannah’s dad was sleeping on the floor and he was attacked by someone, there was a lot of blood, he collapsed, someone’s got to find out where he is….”
Ursula was gazing at Akko through her lopsided lasses as though horrified at what she was seeing.
“I’m not lying, and I’m not crazy!” said Akko, her voice rising to a shout. “I tell you, I saw it happen!”
“I believe you, Akko,” said Ursula curtly. “Get your coat – we’re going to see the headmistress.”
Notes:
Next chapter: Alchemilla Hospital
Chapter 22: Alchemilla Hospital
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Akko was so relieved that she was taking her seriously that she did not hesitate, but jumped out of bed at once and pulled on her jacket.
“You, too, Blair,” said Ursula. “We’ll need a full account of what happened.”
They followed Ursula past the silent figures of Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka, out of the dormitory, down the spiral stairs into the common room, the archway, and off along the moonlit corridor. Akko felt as though the panic inside her might spill over at any moment; she wanted to run, to yell for Holbrooke. Mr. England was bleeding as they walked along so sedately, stabbed by someone (Akko tried hard not to think “me”) in a dark corridor where no one could see him. They passed Elma, who stood by with her eyes asking the silent question to Ursula, but the astronomy teacher passed by silently, and in a few minutes, they had reached the door leading to the headmistress’s office.
Though it was well past midnight, there were voices coming from inside the room, a positive babble of them. It sounded as though Holbrooke was entertaining at least a dozen people.
Ursula rapped her knuckles on the door three times and the voices ceased abruptly as though someone had switched them off. The door opened off its own accord and Ursula led Akko and Blair inside.
The room was in half-darkness; the Magic Mirror stood in alone in the corner, half covered under a thick quilt, silent and empty. The nines statues representing Luna Nova’s founders cast ominous shadows in the moonlight peeking through the window. On the left side between two shelves of books was a large aquarium where Professor Pisces swam lazily through the water.
“Oh, it’s you, Professor Ursula…and…ah.”
Professor Holbrooke was sitting in a high-backed chair behind her desk; she leaned forward into the pool of light from her lamp illuminating the papers laid out before her, her bleary eyes fixed intently upon Ursula.
“Professor Holbrooke, Akko had a nightmare,” said Ursula, sounding quite serious. “She says….”
“It wasn’t a nightmare,” said Akko quickly.
Ursula looked around at Akko, frowning slightly.
“All right then, Akko, tell the headmistress about it.”
“I…well, I was asleep…,” said Akko, trying not to stumble over herself in her terror and desperation to make them understand. “But it wasn’t an ordinary dream…it was real…. I saw it happen….” She took a deep breath, “Hannah’s dad – Mr. England – has been stabbed and he’s bleeding out right now.”
The words seemed to reverberate in the air after she had said them. There was a pause in which Ursula were sharing a silent exchange with their eyes. Blair was grasping Akko’s shoulders tightly, as if afraid she might start going wild.
“How did you see this?” Holbrooke asked quietly.
“Well, I don’t know,” said Akko, rather angrily – what did it matter? “Inside my head, I guess – “
“No, Akko,” Ursula interrupted, staring at Akko deeply with her deep-crimson eyes. “What she means is, where were you when you watched this attack happen? Were you standing beside the victim, or looking down at the scene from above?”
This was such a curious question that Akko gaped at Ursula; it was almost as though she knew….
“I was the attacker,” she said. “I saw it from the attacker’s point of view….”
Akko chose to leave out the mention of the woman in the Black Coat. She still didn’t understand that part herself.
Nobody else spoke for a moment, then Professor Holbrooke said in a new and sharper voice, “Is Philip seriously injured?”
“Yes!” said Akko emphatically – why were they all so slow on the uptake? Did they not realize how much a person bled when a sword pierced their side?
Professor Holbrooke reached under her desk quickly and pulled something out. It looked like a hexagonal jewelry box with a faded logo etched into the bleached wood, but when she flipped the top open, several mirrors-like discs appeared in the air in front of her. From where she stood, Akko could faintly make out several people in the mirror images.
“Change of plans, everyone?” Professor Holbrooke said sharply. “I need to Mr. Spring. And you too, Mrs. Manbavaran.”
“Whatever you need,” answered Fubuki Spring from the OSF office.
“Did something happen?” asked Susan Manbavaran, Sucy’s mother.
“Philip England is in danger,” said Professor Holbrooke. “Mr. Spring, you will need to raise the alarm, make sure he is found by the right people – “
Both nodded and moved sideways out of their frames. Professor Holbrooke began speaking to the other people in the floating mirrors, but did so in a hushed tone, as if purposely trying to keep Akko out. This theory was supported by Blair, who kept her hands steady on Akko’s shoulder, holding her in place. Ursula, meanwhile, approached the window and threw it open, putting two fingers to her lip and blowing a sharp whistle that echoed outside.
“Fubuki works in the Magic Council, in the Department of Law Enforcement,” Blair whispered into Akko ear, rubbing her wards shoulders in a futile attempt to sooth her. “And you know that Susan is the head of Alchemilla Hospital, one of the greatest medical institutions in the world. Everything will be fine with them around – “
“But Hannah’s dad could be anywhere!” said Akko.
“Please sit down, Akko-Nyan,” said Blair insistently. “Fubuki and Susan may not be back for several minutes…. Just try to trust us.”
Blair twirled her finger around and conjured a (pumpkin-themed) chair out of thin air. Akko sat down reluctantly, watching Ursula and Holbrooke over her shoulder. Ursula held out her arm and her familiar, Alcor, landed on her forearm.
“We will need,” said Ursula very quietly to the bird, “a warning.”
And with that, Alcor took off as quickly as he appeared.
Ursula now buried her hand in her tracksuit pocket pulled out her smartphone, which had a cracked screen from the numerous accidents she’s had over the years. She hurried punched in the number, pressing the phone to her ear, and turned her back to Akko. When whoever was on the other side answered, she spoke in a hushed voice, covering her mouth with her free hand. Based on her posture, Ursula seemed upset with whoever she was talking to. Occasionally, her voice raised and Akko could make out few words.
“ – said that it wouldn’t happen this quickly!” Ursula hissed under her breath. “This will need to be dealt with shortly…. Because she’s your daughter – “
Those words made Akko perk up. Was Ursula talking to Shiny Chariot? Have they been in contact this whole time? Akko wanted to ask if Chariot was on the other end of the call, but before she could get a word in, there was a shout from Holbrooke’s desk; Fubuki had reappeared in the mirror, panting slightly.
“Holbrooke!”
“What news do you have?” Professor Holbrooke asked at once.
“I had one of my men search the area,” said Fubuki, who was mopping his brow on his sleeve. “Said I heard something moving downstairs. They reported in two minutes later. Philip England was found lying on the floor in the middle of the corridor. He had been stabbed in the abdominal. It was a large wound – the size of the weapon must have been enormous. I ordered my men to deliver him to Alchemilla straight away – “
“Good,” said Professor Holbrooke as Akko made a convulsive movement. “I take it Susan will see him when he arrives, then – “
And moments later, Susan Manbavaran had reappeared in her mirror too, saying, “Yes, they just delivered him to Alchemilla, Holbrooke. There’s something sinister about this wound. I think it might be Dark Magic. This isn’t something that can be fixed by waving a wand. He’s going to need emergency surgery.”
“Look after him, Susan,” said Professor Holbrooke. He looked around at Blair. “Blair, I need you to go wake Professor Finnelan. Tell her what has happened and have her wake Miss England.”
“Of course….”
Blair jumped up, transforming into a cat, and bound out of the room down the corridor; Akko remained rooted in her chair, squirming uncomfortably.
Professor Holbrooke was now rummaging in a cupboard behind Akko. She emerged from it carrying a blackened misshapen stone, which she placed carefully upon her desk. She raised her wand and murmured “Portus”; for a moment, the stone trembled, glowing with an odd pink light, then it quivered to a rest, now covered in pink runes.
Ursula paced past Holbrooke’s desk and was pressing a new number into her phone; she must’ve ended her previous call when Akko wasn’t looking. She brought the phone to her ear and tapped her phone impatiently for the person on the other side to answer. It was almost a full minute before she got a response.
“Izetta, I need you do something for me,” said Ursula urgently. “…Yes, I know what time it is, but this is an emergency. Philip England has been attacked…. I’ll explain how I know later. We’re sending Hannah and Akko to the manor at once, so be sure that you’re ready to receive them…. Yes, Akko is involved. Like I said, I’ll explain later. All right, bye.”
Ursula hanged up the phone at the exact moment that the office door flew open again. Hannah had arrived and she was escorted by Diana and Barbara and being ushered in by Blair. The girls were looking disheveled and shocked, still in their night things. When he eyes landed on Akko, Hannah ran up to her and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, looking frightened.
“Akko, what’s going on?” she asked. “Blair said you saw my dad hurt – “
“Your father has been hurt in the course of his work for the Celestial Sphere,” said Ursula before Akko could speak. “He has been taken to Alchemilla Hospital. I’m sending you back to the Cavendish Manor. I assume you two will be joining her?” she asked Diana and Barbara.
“Of course we’re going!” said Barbara fiercely. “She’s our friend. She needs our support.”
“I understand,” said Ursula, nodding.
“How are we getting there?” asked Diana. “Teleportation circle?”
“No,” said Professor Holbrooke. “Teleportation is not safe at the moment; the network is being watched. You will take a summoning stone.” She indicated to the rune covered rock lying on her desk. We are just waiting for Izetta to report back…. We wish to be sure that the coast is clear before sending you – “
There was a flash of light in the middle of the office, leaving behind a single white feather that floated gently to the floor.
“It’s Alcor’s warning,” said Ursula, catching the feather as it fell. “She must know you’re out of your beds.”
“I will go and head her off,” said Professor Holbrooke, pushing out of seat and marching out the door. “Professor Ursula, see these children off safely.”
And she was gone in a swish of her cloak.
A moment later, Ursula’s phone buzzed as a text message was received.
“Izetta says they’re ready for you,” Ursula said to the girls. “Quickly, before anyone else joins us….”
Akko and the others gathered around Professor Holbrooke’s desk.
“You have all used a summoning stone before?” asked Ursula, and they all nodded, each reaching out to touch some part of the black rock. “Good. On the count of three then…one…two….”
It happened in a fraction of a second; in the infinitesimal pause before Ursula said “three”, Akko felt a blistering heat in the back of her head, as those her brain had suddenly caught fire – and unbidden, unwanted, but terrifyingly strong, there rose within Akko a rage so powerful she felt, for that instant, that she would like nothing more than to strike down everyone around her –
“…three.”
She felt a powerful jerk behind her naval, the ground vanished from beneath her feet, her hand glued to the rock; she was banging into the others as all sped forward in a swirl of colors and a rush of wind, the rock pulling them onward and then –
Her feet hit the ground so hard that her knees buckled, the rock clattered to the ground and somewhere close a pair of young shrieks were heard simultaneously.
“Calm down, calm down, it’s just Diana!” a new voice shouted over the screams.
Akko scrambled to her feet and looked around; they had arrived in the foyer of the Cavendish Manor. Maril and Merrill Cavendish were halfway up the grand staircase, a plate of macarons and bowls of ice cream fallen on the steps beneath them; they had been trying to sneak a midnight snack before Akko and the others arrived. Izetta brushed past them and toward the girls, looking anxious. Her hair was disheveled and she was in her nightgown, though she was wearing it backwards for some reason.
“What’s going on?” she said, stretching out a hand to help Hannah while the twins assisted Diana and Barbara. “Ursula said Philip’s been badly injured – “
“Ask Akko,” said Barbara.
“Yes, I would like to hear this for myself,” said Diana.
She, Hannah, and Barbara were staring at Akko now.
“It was – “Akko began; this was even worse than telling Ursula and Holbrooke. “I had a – kind of – vision….”
And she told them all that she had seen, though she altered the story so that it sounded as though she had watched from the sidelines, rather than from the eyes of the attacker…. Diana gave her a fleeting look, but did not speak. When Akko had finished, Diana, Hannah, and Barbara continued to stare at her for a moment. Akko did not know whether she was imagining it or not, but she thought there was something accusatory in their looks. Well, if they were going to blame her for just seeing the attack, she was glad she had not told them that she had been inside the attacker at the time….
“Where is mother and Aunt Daryl?” said Diana, turning to her cousins.
“They’ve been London with Anna for the past two days,” said Maril(?)
“They probably doesn’t know what’s happening,” Merrill(?) continued.
“That explains the late-night snacking recently,” Izetta commented, noting the mess left on the stairway. “The important thing is that you were able to get away before Light Spinner could interfere.”
“We’ve got to go to Alchemilla,” said Hannah urgently. “Izetta, can you lend us a crystal – “
“Hang on, you can’t go running off to Alchemilla!” said Izetta.
“Of course we can go if we want,” said Barbara, with a mulish expression, “Hannah’s dad was attacked!”
“And how are you going to explain how you now that before the hospital even contacts anyone?”
“What does it matter?” said Hannah hotly.
“It matters because we don’t want to draw attention to the fact that Akko is having visions of things that are happening on the opposite side of the world!” said Izetta angrily. “Do you have any idea what the Council would make of that information?”
“Well…,” muttered Barbara defiantly. “Somebody else could’ve told us…. We could have heard it somewhere other than Akko….”
“Like who?” said Izetta impatiently. “Listen, Philip has been attacked while on duty for the Sphere and the circumstances are fishy enough without his daughter knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could serious damage the Sphere’s – “
“I don’t give a damn about the Sphere!” shouted Hannah. “My dad is dying!”
“Your father knew what he was getting into, and he won’t than you for messing thing up for the Sphere!” said Izetta angrily in turn. “This is how it is – this is why you’re not in the Sphere – you don’t understand – there are things worth dying for!”
“Easy for you to say!” bellowed Hannah. “I don’t see you risking your neck, hiding in Diana’s house!”
The little color remaining in Izetta’s face drained from it. She looked as though she was about to hit Hannah, but when she spoke, it was in a voice of determined calm. “I know it’s hard, but we’ve all got to act as though we don’t know anything yet. We’ve got to stay put, at least until we hear from the others, all right?
Hannah looked mutinous. Diana, however, walked away through the double doors on the let into the dining, the through the door leading to the kitchen on the opposite end. Barbara took Hannah’s arm and tried to steer her into the dining hall. Hannah glared at Izetta for another minute, then allowed herself to be dragged into a chair at the table.
“That’s right,” said Izetta encouragingly. “It’s been a trying night for everyone. Let’s…let’s all have a cup off tea while we wait.”
“Already ahead of you.” Diana reappeared from the kitchen, using her wand to levitate a steaming tea pot and seven sets of cups and saucers. “Chamomile. Good to relieving stress. Anna showed me how to make it.
Akko and Izetta took their seats; surprisingly, Maril and Merrill joined them as well. Diana set the cups and saucers neatly in front of everyone and poured the tea for them. They all drank, and for a while the only sounds were those of the clinking of the tea sets.
Akko was only drinking to have something to do with her hands. Her stomach was full of horrible hot, bubbling guilt. They would not be here if it were not for here; they would all still be asleep in bed. And it was no good telling herself that by raising the alarm she had ensured Mr. England was found, because there was also the inescapable business of it being her who had attacked Mr. England in the first place….
Don’t be stupid, you didn’t do anything, she told herself, trying to keep calm, though the hand on her teacup was shaking. You were lying in bed; you weren’t attacking anyone….
But then, what happened in Holbrooke’s office? She asked herself. I felt like I wanted to attack everyone….
She put her teacup down a little harder than she meant to, so that it slopped over onto the table. No one took notice. Then a burst of light illuminated the dining hall and as they gave cries of shock, a folded piece of paper fell gently on the table, accompanied by a single white feather.
“Alcor!” said Izetta at once, snatching up the note. “That’s not Ursula’s writing – it’s from Finnelan – here – “
She thrust the letter into Hannah’s hand, who practically ripped it open and read aloud, “Your father is still alive. Susan Manbavaran is operating on him now. The headmistress is sending Blair out to Alchemilla now. Stay where you are. She will send news as soon as she can.”
Hannah looked around the table.
She did not need to finish the sentence. It sounded to Akko too as though Mr. England was hovering somewhere between life and death. Hannah looked up at Akko, who felt her hand shaking her teacup again, her tightening grip threatening to break the handle.
If Akko had ever sat through a longer night than this one, she could not remember it. Izetta suggested once that they all go to bed, but without any real conviction, and Hannah’s look of disgust was answer enough. They mostly sat in silence around the table, now and then taking small sips of their tea, speaking only to check the time, to wonder aloud what was happening, and to reassure one another that if there was bad news, they would know straightaway, for Blair must have already arrived at Alchemilla.
The twins fell into a doze, leaning against one another. Barbara was curled up like a cat on her chair, but her eyes were wide open. Diana went back to refill the teapot even though no one had finished their cups. Hannah was sitting with her head in her hands, whether awake or asleep, it was impossible to tell. And Akko and Izetta looked at each other every so often, waiting…waiting….
And then, at ten past five in the morning according Akko’s phone, the front door swung opened and shut with a bang, and Blair came barreling into the dining room. She was extremely, but when they all turned to look at her, Hannah, Barbara, and Akko half-rising from their chairs, she gave a wan smile.
“He’s going to be all right,” she said, her voice weak from tiredness. “He’s sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Susan’s staying with him to monitor his progress.”
Hannah fell back into her chair with her hands over her face; Diana and Barbara were immediately at her side, hugging her reassuringly. The twins sputtered awake, looking around wondering what happened.
“This calls for a celebratory breakfast!” said Izetta loudly and joyfully. She jumped to her feet, dash to the door into the foyer, and shouted up the stairs. “Finé! Finé, wake up!”
It was a couple of minutes before Ortfiné Fredericka von Eylstadt appeared at the top banister, yawning widely, and rubbing her eyes; her hair was equally disheveled as Izetta’s.
“Mmm…what’s all the noise…?” Finé mumbled sleepily.
Now that she no longer had to be concerned with Mr. England’s health, Akko was able to put the pieces together. The messy hair, Izetta’s backwards clothes, Finé’s being at the manor – it all led to one conclusion, and Akko gave her aunt the smuggest grin imaginable.
“Shut up,” Izetta glowered at her nieces silent teasing, then said to Finé, “We’re having an early breakfast. Come down and join us. Since Anna’s not here, maybe something simple…. Bacon and eggs are easy enough, and some toast and orange juice….”
Akko rose from her seat to help. She did not want to intrude upon their happiness, and she dreaded what would happen if Hannah confronted her about the vision. However, she had barely crossed the dining hall when Hannah shot up from her chair, ran at Akko, and threw herself into a strong, nearly backbreaking hug. Akko was stunned; she and Hannah haven’t been enemies for years, but this was the first time Hannah ever hugged her.
“I don’t know what would’ve happened if it hadn’t been for you, Akko,” she said thickly, sniffling. “They might not have found my dad for hours, and then it would’ve been too late. But he’s alive thanks to you. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
Akko could hardly stand her gratitude, but fortunately Diana seemed to detect Akko’s discomfort and pulled Hannah away to sit back at the table while Barbara went to help Izetta and Finé in the kitchen.
Unable to stand it a moment longer, Akko walked to Blair and muttered, “Can I have a word with you? Now?”
Blair gave a small nod that would go unnoticed by anyone who weren’t looking. They silently slipped back into the foyer and partially hid behind the grand staircase.
“I assume there’s something you left out about your vision?” said Blair immediately, her voice low.
“No, I told you everything,” Akko replied impatiently. “It’s about what happened after…. Back in Professor Holbrooke’s office, just before we took the summoning stone…for a couple of seconds, it felt like there was something in the back of my head; a moment when I didn’t feel like myself – Blair, I wanted to attack everyone – “
Blair gave her a hardened stare and peered deep into her eyes as if looking for something in them.
“Then I’m afraid,” Blair said slowly, “there’s a possibility that Eveline may be aware of your connection now.”
“Eveline?” said Akko, surprised. “You think that – that what I saw was Eveline? How?”
“Remember what she said last year; there is still a lingering link between the two of you from the time when you were bonded,” answered Blair. “But I don’t think she realized how strong that bond was until now. None of us really did.”
“And you knew about this?” asked Akko, feeling a sense of betrayal.
“I know what you are thinking, Akko,” Blair said seriously. “The reason we never said anything is because we didn’t have proof. There was no reason to worry you over something that might end up being nothing.”
“Well, it’s definitely something now,” said Akko.
“Yes, and I imagine Ursula will want to take measure to counteract it,” said Blair.
“What kind of measure?” asked Akko.
“That, I don’t know,” answered Blair. “We will just have to wait and see. For now – “ she clapped Akko’s shoulder “ – you need sleep. All of you do. You’re going to have breakfast and then go upstairs to bed, and then you can go and see Philip after lunch with the others. You’ve been through a stressful ordeal, Akko. You’re blaming yourself for something you only witnessed, and it’s lucky you did witness it or Philip might have died. Just stop worrying, at least for today….”
With that last sentiment, Blair steered Akko back toward the dining hall.
Everyone but Akko spent the rest of the morning sleeping. She went up to the bedroom she had shared with Lotte and Sucy over the summer, sitting hunched against the wooden bedframe, keeping herself deliberately uncomfortable, determined not to fall asleep, terrified that Eveline might take over while she slept as she had in the past, and wake up to find that she had attacked Diana….
When Diana came to see her, Akko pretended to have enjoyed a refreshing nap too. Their luggage arrived from Luna Nova while they were eating lunch, so that they could dress proper for their trip to Alchemilla Hospital. Everyone but Akko was riotously happy and talkative as they changed and greeted by Athena and Anna, who had cut their trip to London short after receiving the news, and Ram, who had turned up to escort them to the hospital.
Ram was very interested in Akko’s vision of the attack on Mr. England, something she wasn’t remotely interested in discussing.
“So it really is Eveline, isn’t it?” she inquired in a somber tone as Athena began setting up the crystal ball for the teleportation spell. “Did you…see Kuroi or the others?”
“No,” Akko mumbled, vividly remember how Eveline had stolen Ram’s students and how devastated the former headmistress had been.
“No…,” said Ram, hanging her head slightly. “Well, I suppose, in a way, that’s a good thing. That means they’re not in any trouble….”
Akko did not say anything; fortunately, Athena finished drawing the circle around the crystal ball and gathered everyone around. Akko settled herself between Barbara and Diana, Hannah stood on the opposite side next to Athena while Ram hovered over the older woman’s shoulder, and Blair, in cat form, circled around their legs. Maril and Merrill chose to stay behind with Anna – they weren’t as close to the England family as Diana was.
“Is everyone ready?” asked Athena; they collective nodded and braced one another. “All right then, on the count of three. One…two…three… Vera Gurasare!”
The familiar sensation of being pulled in every direction at once washed over Akko, but she was accustomed to it by now and steadied herself by hold Diana and Barbara’s hands. They traveled through the haze of greenish-white mist, thousands of voices melding together as they passed hundreds of checkpoints at once –
And then they landed on solid ground, Akko’s knees nearly buckling. Blinking the daze from her eyes, she looked around and found that they had arrived in what seemed to be a crowded reception area where rows of people – both Human and Demi-Human – sat upon wooden benches and metal chairs. Some looked perfectly normal and perusing out-of0date copies of Sorcerer Weekly, others sporting gruesome disfigurements such as elephant trunks or extra hands stick out of their bellybuttons, and many patients were making strange noises that sounded like bird calls. A sweaty-faced woman in the center of the front row, who was fanning herself vigorously with a copy of the daily news, kept letting off a high-pitched whistle as steam came pouring out of her mouth, and a grubby-looking dwarf in the corner clanged like a bell every time he moved, and with each clang his head vibrated horribly, so that he had to seize himself by the ears and hold it steady.
People in lime-green uniforms were walking up and down the rows, asking questions and making notes on clipboards like Light Spinner’s. Akko noticed the emblem embroidered on their chests: a fan-like plant with a yellow flower in the center.
“Are they doctors?” she asked Diana quietly.
“No, those are the trainees,” said Diana. “You can tell by their uniforms. Green are medical students, purple are nurses, blue work in administration, and white are the doctors.”
“Over here!” called Athena over the renewed clanging of the dwarf in the corner, and they followed her to the queue in front of a plump orc woman in a blue uniform seated at a desk marked INQUIRIES. The wall behind her was covered in notices and posters saying things like A clean cauldron keeps potions from becoming poisons and Antidotes are anti-don’ts unless approves by a qualified doctor.
There was also a large portrait of a witch with unhealthy pale skin that was labelled:
Salem “The Grimm” Manbavaran
Member of the Nine Olde Witches
Founder of Alchemilla Hospital
So Sucy was descended from one of the Nine Olde Witches. That somehow didn’t surprise Akko.
Meanwhile, at the front of the queue, a young man was performing an odd on-the-spot jig and trying, in between yelps of pain, to explain his predicament to the orc behind the desk.
“It’s these – ouch – shoes that my brother gave me – ow – they’re eating my – OUCH – feet – look at them, there must be some kind of – AARGH – curse on them and I can’t – AAAARGH – get them off – “
He hopped from one foot to the other as if he were dancing on hot coals.
“The shoes don’t prevent you from reading, do they?” the orc woman grunted irritably, pointing at a large sign to the left of her desk. “You want Spell Damage, fourth floor. Just like it says on the floor guide. Next!”
The man hobbled and pranced sideways out of the way; their party moved forward a few steps and Akko read the floor guide:
ARTIFACT ACCIDENTS – Ground Floor
(Cauldron explosion, wand backfiring, broom crashes, etc.)
CREATURE INDUCED INJURIES – First Floor
(Bites, stings, burns, embedded spines, etc.)
MAGICAL AILMENTS – Second Floor
(Contagious diseases, spell fever, vanishing sickness, etc.)
POTION AND PLANT POISONING – Third Floor
(Rashes, regurgitation, uncontrollable giggling, etc.)
SPELL DAMAGE – Fourth Floor
(Hexes, curses, jinxes, incorrectly applied charms, etc.)
VISITOR’S LOUNGE AND HOSPITAL SHOP – Fifth Floor
If you are unsure where to go, incapable of normal speech,
or unable to remember why you are here, our welcome
desk will be pleased to help you.
A very old, stoop moose-man with a hearing trumpet had shuffled to the front of the queue now.
“I’m here to see my pal, Rocky!” he wheezed.
“Ward forty-nine, but I’m afraid you’re wasting you’re time,” said the orc woman dismissively. “He’s completely addled, you know, still thinks he’s a beaver…. Next!”
A harassed-looking man was holding his small daughter tightly by the ankle while she flapped around using the immensely large, feathery wings that had sprouted from her ears.
“Fourth floor,” said the orc in a bored voice, without asking, and the man disappeared through the double doors beside the desk, holding his daughter like an oddly-shaped balloon. “Next!”
Athena moved forward to the desk, pulling Hannah up front.
“Hello,” she said. “This girl’s father was brought in for emergency treatment. His name is Philip England; she was supposed to be moved to a different ward this morning – “
“Philip England?” said the orc woman, running her finger down a long list in front of her. “Yes, fourth floor, second door on the right, Gainsborough ward.”
“Thank you,” said Athena. “Come along, children.”
They followed through the double doors and along the narrow corridor beyond, which was lit by soap bubbles filled with glowing crystals that floated up on the ceiling. Dozens of men and women in white and purple uniforms walked in and out of the doors they passed with a few in lime-green shadowed them. A foul-smelling yellow gas wafted into the corridor as they passed one door, and every now and then they heard distant wailing. They rode the elevator at the end of the hall up to the fourth floor, where the second door on the right bore the words “DANGEROUS” GAINSBOROUGH WARD: SEVERE STABBING. (Akko got the sense that this was referencing something.) Underneath this was a card in a brass holder on which had been handwritten Doctor-in-Charge: Susan Manbavaran, Nurse-on-Duty: Mimosa Vermillion.
“I’ll wait outside, Athena,” said Ram. “Philip won’t want to many visitors at once.”
Ram walked opposite of the door and leaned her back against the corridor wall, her eyes shifting from one side to the other. Akko drew back too, but Hannah reached out a hand and pushed her through the door, saying “Don’t be silly, Akko, dad will want to thank you….”
The ward was small and slightly dark as the only window was narrow and set high in the wall facing the door. Most of the light came from more shining soap bubbles clustered in the middle of the ceiling. There was a portrait of a beautiful woman with a basket of flowers on the wall, captioned AERITH GAINSBOROUGH, INVENTOR OF OVER ONE THOUSAND PLANT-BASED REMEDIES.
There were only three patients. Mr. England was occupying the bed at the far end of the ward beside the tiny window. Akko was pleased and relieved to see that he was propped up on several pillows and reading the daily news by the solitary ray of sunlight falling onto his bed. He looked around as they walked toward him and, seeing who it was, beamed.
“Hello!” he called, throwing the paper aside. “Susan just left – some fool ate a box of nails as a dare – but she says she’ll drop by later….”
“How are you, Philip?” asked Athena. “You’re still looking a bit peaky….”
“I feel absolutely fine,” said Mr. England brightly, holding out his arm to give Hannah a hug. “If they could only take the bandages off, I’d be fit to go home.”
“Why can’t they take them off, dad?” asked Hannah.
“Well, I start bleeding every time they try,” said Mr. England cheerfully, reaching across for his wand, which lay on his bedside cabinet, and waving it so six extra chairs appeared at his bedside to seat them all; Blair, however, made herself comfortable on Akko’s shoulder. “It seems that whatever they ran through me had a type of Dark Magic that keeps wounds open…. Susan is sure she’ll find a counter curse, though, she said she’s seen much worse cases than mine, and I believe her. In the meantime, I just have to keep taking a Blood-Replenishing Potion every hour.”
“So, you gonna tell us what happened, dad?” asked Hannah, pulling her chair closer to the bed. “
“Well, you already know, don’t you?” said Mr. England, with a significant smile at Akko. “It’s very simple – I’d had a very long day, dozed off, got sneaked up on, and got stabbed.”
“Did you see who is was?” asked Diana.
“Unfortunately, no,” said Mr. England, shaking his head. “I was half-asleep and it was dark – impossible to see anything. Though I do remember faintly seeing a small bit of purple fire. No sure if there’s anything significant about that or not.”
“Is it in the news, you being attacked?” asked Barbara, indicating the paper Mr. England had cast aside.
“No, of course not,” said Mr. England, with a slightly bitter smile. “The Council wouldn’t want everyone to know that someone got – “
“Philip!” said Athena warningly.
“ – got – er – me,” Mr. England said hastily, though Akko was quite sure that was not what he had meant to say.
“So where were you when it happened?” asked Barbara.
“That’s my business,” said Mr. England, though with a small smile. He snatched up the newspaper again, shook it open, and said, “I was just reading about Straw Hat Luffy’s arrest when you arrived. He’s a pretty famous criminal. He tried to pick a fight with Durandal from Schicksal and was soundly defeated in one punch. His team tried to intervene, but they were all effortlessly captured by Miss Rossweisse – “
“What were you doing when you were attacked?” Hannah interrupted in a low voice.
“You heard your father,” whispered Blair, “we are not discussing this here! Go on about the Straw Hats, Philip – “
“Well, the Overseer was willing to make a deal with them,” said Mr. England. “But then Luffy called her a midget and Theresa left him half-dead on the floor – “
“You were guarding it, weren’t you?” said Barbara quietly. “The weapon? The thing Jennifer is after?”
“Barbara, be quiet!” snapped Blair.
“Anyway,” said Mr. England in a raised voice. “Later that same day, Miss Hancock tried to break into Schicksal headquarters and break Luffy out, but then she had a run-in with Major Murata and ended up turning herself to stone – “
“Was it one of Jennifer’s followers who attacked you?” asked Hannah. “Was it Amon? Ruvik? Acnologia? Wait, it was Eveline, wasn’t it?” she gauged her father’s reaction. “It was. Then that means she was possessing someone when she attacked you. Who was it?”
“That’s enough,” said Athena crossly. “Ram is outside, Philip, she wants to come and see you. And you children can wait outside,” she added to the girls. “You can come and say good-bye afterward. Go on….”
They trooped back into the corridor. Ram went in and closed the door to the ward behind her.
“Well, now what do we do,” Diana sighed in annoyance.
“We eavesdrop on them, naturally,” Barbara answered with a knowing grin. She pulled out her smartphone and started running through the dozens of apps. “I had feeling this would happen, so I planted a listening device on his bed before they kicked us out.”
“Barbara, you’re a genius!” Hannah praised.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” said Barbara with a hint of self-satisfaction in her voice. “Gather ‘round, ladies, let’s see what they have to say on the other side….”
Barbara held up her phone as they gathered around it. For a few seconds, Akko could hear nothing, then she heard Blair whispering as clearly as though she were standing right beside her.
“…they searched the whole area, but they couldn’t find anyone suspicious. They seem to have just vanished after attacking you, Phil. But how did they get inside in the first place?”
“I think Jennifer sent a lookout,” said Ram, “because she hasn’t had any luck so far. She’s trying to get a clearer picture of what she’s facing and if England hadn’t been there, they would’ve had much more time to look around. So Kagari says she saw it all happen?”
“Yes,” said Mr. England. He sounded rather uneasy. “I told her about our theory on Eveline. We all knew it was a possibility, but for Akko to actually establish a connection directly into Eveline’s mind and see it so vividly….”
“Ursula seemed worried about Akko when I spoke to her this morning,” whispered Athena.
“Of course she’s worried,” said Ram. “The girl’s seeing things from inside one of Jennifer’s generals…. If there’s a chance that Eveline is possessing Kagari like last time….”
Akko backed away from the phone, her heart hammer very fast and heat rushing up to her face. She looked at the others. They were all staring at her, looking suddenly fearful.
Notes:
Next chapter: Christmas in the Closed Ward
Chapter 23: Christmas in the Closed Ward
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Akko had to wonder I this was the reason why Chariot was never around when she stayed with the Sphere. Did she expect to see Eveline in her eyes instead of Akko’s. She remembered how well Eveline had hidden inside Akko’s body for ten months without any of them being aware of her presence. When she had first defeated Eveline in Croix’s old lab, Akko had asked Diana multiple times to check if Eveline’s mold was still inside her, but each result came back clean. Now Akko couldn’t stop feeling like Eveline might burst out of her chest at any moment.
She felt dirty, contaminated, as though she were carrying some deadly germ, unworthy to among the innocent people in the hospital whose minds and bodies were free of the taint of Eveline…. She had not merely seen the attack, she had been the attacker, she knew it now….
And then a truly terrible thought occurred to her, a memory bobbing to the surface of her mind, one that made her insides writhe and squirm like serpents….
“What’s she after other than followers?”
“Stuff she can only get by stealth. Something she didn’t have before.”
I’m the weapon, Akko thought, and it was as though poison were pumping through her veins, chilling her, bringing her out in a sweat. Of course it’s me. Jennifer wants me to use World Reconstruction Magic. That’s why the order’s got guards around me everywhere I go, it’s not for my protection, it’s for other people, only it’s not working, they can’t have someone on me all the time at Luna Nova…. I did attack Mr. England last night, it was me, Eveline made me do it and she could be inside me, listening to my thoughts right now….
“Are you all right, Akko?” whispered Athena behind Diana as they made their way back to the lobby. “You don’t look very well. Are you feeling sick? We are in a hospital.”
They were all watching her. She shook her head violently and stared ahead.
“Akko, dear, are you sure you’re all right?” said Athena in a worried voice, as they exited the teleportation room back into the main foyer of the Cavendish Manor. “You look pale…. Are you sure you slept this morning? You go upstairs to bed right now, and you can have a couple hours’ sleep before dinner, all right?”
She nodded; here was a ready-made excuse not to talk to any of them, which was precisely what she wanted, so she hurried up the grand staircase and swept down the hall until she reached the guest room she had shared with Lotte and Sucy.
Here she began to pace up and down past the three beds, her brain teeming and seething with questions and even more dreadful ideas….
How had she gotten to Australia and back in the space of about five minutes? But when she thought about it, Eveline was working with Jennifer, and Jennifer was one of the most powerful witches in history, apart from Woodward herself. It’s probably no problem for her to transport people halfway around the world. But where had the blade come in? Maybe it was something she found when wondering the Magic Council? She had certainly never seen it before. And what about the woman in the black coat? She had made yet another appearance, though she had been clear that she was not in league with Jennifer. So how was she involved?
And then, with a terrible stab of panic she thought, but this is insane – if Eveline’s possessing me, I’m giving her a clear view into the headquarters of the Celestial Sphere right now! She’ll know who’s in the Sphere and where Izetta is…and I’ve heard lot of stuff I shouldn’t have, everything Izetta told me the first night I was here….
There was only one thing to do: she would have to leave the Cavendish Manor straightaway. She would spend Christmas at Luna Nova without the others, which would keep them safe over the holidays at least…. But no, that wouldn’t do, there were still plenty of people at Luna Nova to main and injure, what if it was Nico, Wendy, or Nanoha next time? She stopped her pacing and stood staring at the wall. A leaden sensation was settling in the pit of her stomach. She had no alternative: she was going to have leave, go somewhere far away where she could hurt no one….
Well, if she had to do it, she thought, there was no point hanging around. Trying not to think of where she might end up, Akko strode over to her suitcase and zipped it shut. She seized the handle and dragged it halfway toward the door when a sneaky voice whispered in her ear:
“Running away, are we?”
She had no chance to yell before a glove-covered hand slapped over her mouth. Akko glanced sideways, her eyes bulging in shock. For the second time, the person in the black coat had bypassed the Cavendish Manor’s security without anyone noticing. The black-coated intruder chuckled amusingly for a moment before letting Akko go. The Japanese witch swiveled around to face her, reaching for her wand…when her hand stopped short, her mind unconsciously recalling the last time they encountered each other in this very room.
“Smart choice,” said the black-coated woman, who casually strolled over to the nearest bed and took a seat. “Wouldn’t wanna cause a scene now, would we? Most of the people downstairs wouldn’t exactly welcome me with open arms. Especially Blair. Phew, that cat is feisty when she’s mad, let me tell you.”
There was something alarming different about the person wearing the black coat than last time. They were much taller and broad-shouldered, and their voice was distinctly male as opposed to the woman Akko encounter the previous two times. It was a simple conclusion: this was a completely different person. That didn’t make Akko feel less on edge.
“Who are you?” she asked suspiciously.
“Sorry, no spoilers,” said the black-coated man humorously. “It’s not the right time yet. And I love keeping people in suspense at the last minute.”
“Then why’re you here?” Akko continued. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“As if!” said man laughed, making wild, exaggerated gestures with his arms. “Your mom would have my ass if anything happened to you. No, I was just wondering why you were trying to run away.”
“I’m not running away,” said Akko defiantly.
“Well, obviously,” said the man joking, gesturing to the luggage in Akko’s hand. “Clearly bravery isn’t a prerequisite for Polaris House. House of freedom they called it, right? Though I guess choosing to abandon everyone to save your own skin is freedom in its own way. I can totally understand that.”
“It’s not my own neck I’m saving,” said Akko tersely.
“Oh, I get it,” said the man in a mocking sort of tone. “This isn’t a cowardly flight – you’re being noble.”
“If you’re just here to make fun of me – “
“Relax, squirt, no one’s making fun of you,” said the man. He rose from the bed and crossed the room until he stood in front of Akko. Then, without warning, he started petting her head like she was a puppy. “I’m just looking out for you. Gotta make sure you don’t do anything stupid. Like running off on you own, waiting to be picked off by Jennifer’s goons.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?” Akko shouted, throwing the man’s hand off. “Just sit around and do nothing while the grown-ups fix everything for me. They won’t even tell me anything – “
“You sure about that?” the man interrupted with a startling calm that it snapped Akko out of her potential rage. “Because the way I see it, everyone’s been strangely forthcoming about everything. Sure, they won’t tell you every detail, but they’ve been keeping you in the know about Jennifer’s movements. They told you what her plans might be and how they intend to stop her. Blair even told you about your connection to Eveline the first time you asked. Other people would’ve kept you in the dark, but Blair and the others have been as honest as they can be with you. Maybe if you would stop with this ‘woe-is-me’ act, you might see that people have been helping you the whole time.”
Akko felt a little smaller the longer he went on; it felt an awful lot like she was being scolded by her mother. In a sense, it reminded Akko of her first night in the Cavendish Manor when Diana and the others confronted Akko about her terrible habit of running in blindly to danger. And as much as she hated to admit it, this strange man had a point.
“…So what am I supposed to do now?” asked Akko in a small voice.
“Just stay where you are,” said the man, patting her on the shoulder. “And trust that everyone can handle it. Don’t worry, everyone in the Sphere is tough. And your old man is no slouch either.” He added, pointing to himself.
It took only a few seconds to register what he had just said before Akko snapped her head up, wide-eyed, and said, “Wait…are you my – “
“Whelp, gotta run,” said the black-coated man in a would-be casual tone, walking across the room again. “Places to go, bad guys to punch. Heh, as if, am I right? Catch ya later, kiddo.”
Before she could stop him, the man was swallowed by a vortex off darkness and disappeared.
The room was silent. Her mind racing with a million questions, Akko dragged herself back to her bed, then threw herself facedown upon the covers, her eyes shut, her body heavy and aching….
She felt like she had journeyed thousands of miles…. It seemed impossible that less than twenty-four hours ago, she had shared a moment with Diana under the mistletoe…. And now, against all likelihood, Akko may have just met her father….
She was so tired…. She was scared…. He told her to stay…. That must mean she was allowed to sleep…. But she was scared…. What if it happened again…?
She was sinking into shadows….
It was as though a film in her head had been waiting to start. She was walking down a deserted corridor toward a plain black door, past rough stone walls, torches, and an open doorway onto a flight of stone steps leading downstairs on the left….
She reached the black door but could not open it…. She stood gazing at it, desperate for entry…. Something she wanted with all her heart lay beyond…. A prize beyond her dreams…. If only her head would stop throbbing…then she would be able to think more clearly….
“Akko,” said Diana’s voice, from far, far away, “mother says dinner is ready, but she’ll save you something if you wish to stay in bed….”
Akko opened her eyes, but Diana had already left the room.
She doesn’t want to be on her own with me, thought Akko. Not after what she heard….
She supposed none of them would want her there anymore now that they knew what was inside her….
She would not go down to dinner; she would not inflict her company upon them. Sher turned over on her other side and after a while dropped back off to sleep, waking much later in the early hours of the morning, with her insides aching with hunger, and Blair snoring lightly on the bed next to her. It occurred to Akko that the Sphere probably set Blair to watch over her, in case she attacked somebody else.
The feeling of being unclean intensified. She half wished she had not listened to the man (who might be her father) and stayed…. If this was how life was going to be in the Cavendish Manor from now on, maybe she would be better off on her own.
Everybody else spent the follow morning putting up Christmas decorations. Akko had never seen her aunt in such a festive mood, prancing around the hall singing carols at the top of her lungs, sometime coercing Finé into joining, much to the princess’s embarrassment. Akko could hear voice all the way from the empty drawing room where she was sitting alone, watching the sky outside the windows growing whiter, threatening snow, all the time feeling a savage pleasure that she was giving the others the opportunity to keep talking about her, as they were bound to be doing. When she heard Blair calling her name around lunchtime, she retreated further into the manor and ignored her.
It was around six o’clock in the evening that the doorbell rang and a lot of yelling could be heard from downstairs. Assuming that Urahara or some other Sphere member had come to call, Akko merely settled herself more comfortably against the wall of Qing’s room where she was hiding, trying to ignore how hungry she felt as she fed Qing bits of cabbage. It came as a slight shock when someone hammered hard on the door a few minutes later.
“We know you’re in there, Akko,” said Lotte’s voice. “Will you please come out? We want to talk.”
“I could just gas her out,” Sucy’s voice joined in. “I just invented this new form of mustard gas – “
“No committing war crimes!” yelped Lotte.
“Tch, spoilsport,” Sucy clicked her tongue.
“What’re you guys doing here?” Akko asked, pulling the door open.
“We basically live here now, remember, stupid?” Sucy answered unabashed. There was snow in their hair and Lotte’s face was pink from the cold while Sucy remained as cold-pale as usual. “Let’s go back to the room already. Despite my appearance, I’m still Filipino and we hate the cold.”
Akko wasn’t given much of a choice because Lotte grabbed her by the wrist and forcefully dragged her down the hall. She was shockingly strong for her size. When they entered their shared bedroom, Akko was surprised to see all her friends scattered around the room, including Nico, who had removed her prosthetic hand so that Constanze could tinker with it.
“What’re you all doing in my room?” Akko repeated.
“Never heard of an intervention before?” said Amanda sarcastically from the window.
“Professor Ursula told us what happen first thing yesterday morning,” Jasminka answered helpfully, “but we had to wait or the term to officially end before we could come here. Light Spinner was already angry that you all disappeared right under her nose, even though Professor Holbrooke told her Hannah’s dad was in Alchemilla, and he gave you all permission to visit. So…how’re you feeling?” she finished lamely.
“Fine,” said Akko stiffly.
“Bullshit,” Nico called her out without hesitation.
“Don’t lie to us, Kagari,” said Amanda impatiently, gesturing to Diana, Hannah, and Barbara. “These three say you’ve been hiding from everyone since you got back from Alchemilla.”
“They did, did they?” said Akko, glaring at her girlfriend and her groupies, who glared right back, startling Akko.
“Well, you have!” said Hannah. “And you won’t look at any of us!”
“It’s you guys who won’t look at me!” said Akko angrily.
“That’s because you always run away before we get a chance,” said Barbara matter-of-factly. “Stop acting like the main character in some crappy third-rate teen drama. We told them what we heard last night when we went to visit Hannah’s dad – “
“Then you get why I didn’t want to talk to anyone,” Akko huffed, her hands deep in her pockets as she watched the snow now falling thickly outside. “You have no idea what I’m going through – “
“Oh yes, there’s no way for any of us would possibly understand what it’s like to be possessed by Eveline,” said Diana angrily. “It’s not likely any of us lost control of our bodies and forced to do things we didn’t want. Like being Eveline’s puppet to help her get into Croix’s old lab.”
Akko remained quite still as the impact of these words hit her. Then she turned on the spot to face her, looking ashamed.
“Sorry,” she said. “I forgot.”
“Lucky you,” said Diana coolly.
“It’s just…this isn’t the first time Eveline possessed me,” said Akko. “Remember when she used me to infect the whole school – “
“You think the Sphere didn’t think about that?” said Sucy. “My mom does routine check ups of everyone. Not a single person is infected. Not even you.”
“But the dream I had about Hannah’s dad, though – “
“Akko, you’ve had these dreams before,” said Lotte. “You had flashes of what Amon’s group was up to last year.”
“This was different,” said Akko, shaking her head. “I was there. In that hallway. I was the one who attacked Hannah’s dad. What if Jennifer somehow transported me to Era – “
“One day,” said Diana, sounding thoroughly exasperated, “you’ll read The Complete History of Luna Nova, and perhaps that will remind you that you can’t teleport in or out of Luna Nova. Even Jennifer couldn’t just make you fly out of your dormitory, Akko.”
“But I was – “
“Constanze, show her the video,” said Amanda impatiently.
“What video?” Akko asked, confused, as the short German girl set Nico’s arm aside and pulled out her smartphone.
“After the Izetta scare in our third year,” Amanda explained, “Constanze installed surveillance cameras all over Polaris House in case someone tried anything like that again.”
“That feels like an invasion of privacy,” Lotte commented.
“Shush,” Amanda hushed her. “Constanze, show her.”
Constanze flipped her phone arounds and showed them the screen. It was a video of the Polaris fifth-year dormitory with everyone sleeping soundly in their bed. The camera angle showed Akko and Lotte’s bed on either side. For a moment, everything was still…. Then Akko suddenly started thrashing around, starling Blair off the bed. Blair switched into human form and turned on the light, waking everyone in the dormitory, before trying to shake Akko awake.
“You never left your bed,” said Amanda. “You just spazzed out for a minute before we could get you up.”
Akko started pacing up and down the room again, thinking. What she had seen was not only comforting, it made sense….
I’m not the weapon after all, thought Akko. Her heart swelled with happiness and relief, and she felt like joining in as they heard Izetta tramping past their door towards Qing’s room, singing “God Rest Ye Merry, Quillins” at the top of her voice.
How could Akko have dreamed of leaving on Christmas. Izetta’s delight at having Akko back was infectious, though she was noticeably more well behaved when Mr. and Mrs. Kagari were escorted by Jellal and Maple on Christmas Eve morning. Akko only realized that it was the first time Izetta had been formally introduced to her parents since the last time they met was in the hospital wing, and only for a few minutes. She seemed to be trying to make a good impression with them, working tirelessly to help clean and decorate the manor while Anna was still away with Daryl. Finé and Mrs. Kagari had a little fun at Izetta’s expense, not-so-subtly mentioning matching rings and in-laws while Izetta and Mr. Kagari were helping Diana and the Cavendish Twins set up the massive fifteen-foot tree in the foyer. Izetta ended up dropping many of the ornaments on Mr. Kagari’s head, her face brighter than Rudolph’s nose.
Akko awoke on Christmas morning to find a stack of presents at the foot of her bed and Lotte and Sucy were already halfway through their own piles.
“Good haul this year,” Sucy informed Akko through a cloud of paper. “Ina sent me a rare Indonesian skull crawler toadstool – a single whiff of its spores can cause permanent and painful brain damage. Beats Diana’s – she sent me a homework planner – “
Akko sorted through her presents and found one with Diana’s handwriting on it. She had also given her a book that resembled a diary, except it said things like “Do it today or later you’ll pay!” every time she opened a page.
Ursula and Croix had sent her a combined gift that contained an excellent set of magical self-defense books, which contained superb, colorful illustrations of all the countercurses and hexes it described. Akko flicked through the first volume eagerly; she could see it was going to be highly useful in her plans for the S.C. Izetta had sent her a black, dragon skin wallet with an anti-theft device that heated up and burned when someone other than the owner tried to open it. Blair’s present was makeup compact with a mirror that could secretly peer through solid objects while the owner pretended to powder their nose. Hikari and her friends back in Japan sent her a jar full of pickled plums; Akko’s favorite snack that made her nostalgic for home. Mr. and Mrs. Kagari bought her a new jacket that Mrs. Kagari personally sowed the Luna Nova crest on the back. And Marianna sent her a haiku that somehow ended with her threatening to commit seppuku due to her own inadequacy. Andrew added a post-it note saying he stopped her.
She was about to open her present from Wendy when, with a loud bang, Garie and Sabi burst into the foot, making a beeline for Sucy’s bed.
“Merry Christmas,” said Sabi. “Don’t go downstairs for a while.”
“Why not?” said Sucy.
“Diana’s sucky aunt is back,” said Garie nonchalantly. “She had a few things to say about Akko’s mom and dad.”
“That doesn’t bode well for anyone,” said Akko.
“Akko’s mom had a few things to say herself,” said Garie. “Nothing PG-13 – Blair kinds pushed us out before we could hear any of the juicy stuff.”
“Akko’s dad was just hiding in the corner, pretending he wasn’t there,” said Sabi.
“Sounds about right,” said Akko.
They waited until they had opened the last of their presents before getting dressed and heading down for breakfast. They could hear the various inhabitants of the manor calling “Merry Christmas” to each other. On their way down, they met Diana in an ugly Christmas sweater with a unicorn. “Thanks for the book, Akko!” she said happily, kissing her girlfriend’s cheek. “I’ve been wanting that New Theory of Numerology for a while now! The pies were very…thoughtful, Lotte. Though I didn’t appreciate the poisonous perfume, Manbavaran.”
“You could’ve at least tried it,” said Sucy. “What with the ugly horse?”
“It’s a unicorn, I’ll have you know,” Diana huffed defensively. “The symbol of the Cavendish House. And as for why I’m wearing…this,” she gestured to the sweater, “it’s a bit of a family tradition.”
“I’m guessing it’s not for the whole family,” said Akko, watching Blair nonchalantly walk into the kitchen buck naked before being frightened off by Mrs. Kagari with a spatula.
“Who’re the flowers for?” asked Lotte, gesturing to the bouquet of forget-me-nots Diana was holding.
“They’re for…my mother,” said Diana in a somber tone. “It was around this time that she died. Merrill, Maril, and I always make it a point to visit her around this time when we’re home for the holidays.”
“What about your aunt?” asked Lotte as they climbed down the grand staircase.
“That’s actually the reason why she and Anne weren’t here when we arrived the other day,” said Diana. “Aunt Daryl pretends that she’s on business around this time, but we all know that she’s actually visiting mother. One time, a year before I went to Luna Nova, my cousins and I secretly followed her all the way to Glastonbury when she’s was payin respects to my mother’s tree – “
“Her tree?” asked Akko, doing a double take.
“Oh, right, I suppose you wouldn’t know – different cultures,” said Diana. “For English witches, instead of a gravestone, we plant trees over the bodies off the deceased. The bodies become nutrients for the trees, helping them grown and prosper. The idea behind it is that even in death, life goes on.”
“We have something like that in the Philippines,” said Sucy. “But instead of planting trees, we just stuff the bodies in tree hollows and leave them to rot.”
“Why is everything about you so creepy?” said Akko.
As they reached the bottom of the staircase, they found Merrill and Maril trying to pee through a crack in the double doors leading to the drawing room. Like Diana, they were also in ugly Christmas sweaters with a horrible unicorn motif. Suddenly, the sound of breaking lass could be heard coming from inside the room, and the twins exhaled mutual disappointed sighs.
“Aunt Daryl is drinking again?” Diana asked her cousins, sounding startlingly accustomed to this occurrence.
“She made sure to restock her whole supply before shutting herself in,” said Merrill(?)
“That was the fourth bottle she threw at the family tree,” said Maril(?), shaking her head. “And just cracked open the fifth. And any minute now, she’ll start yelling at the wall.”
“Wow, she sounds like a real mess,” said Sucy, sounding genuinely surprised.
“Contrary to popular belief,” said Merrill(?), “our mum cared a great deal about Aunt Berny.”
“She wasn’t always like this, you know,” said Maril(?) defensively. “Sure, she was still proud and a little arrogant, but she was much nicer and much more charitable. There was a time she even worked at the hospital with Aunt Berny. I mean, she worked in reception, but that still counts.”
“Really?” asked Lotte, shocked by this new information.
“It’s true,” Diana confirmed. “It was a long time ago, but Aunt Daryl was a much kinder person. When my mother fell ill, she nearly squandered the entire Cavendish fortune trying to find a cure. But when she died…Aunt Daryl became closed off, cold, and generally unpleasant. It’s likely she blames the everyone for what happened to mother and is doing everything in her power to punish them for it. Though she can be quite unreasonable; my mother’s illness was nobody’s fault.”
Akko didn’t trust herself to say anything and wisely kept her mouth shut with Mrs. Kagari called them for breakfast. Anna looked none too pleased to have someone else bustling around in her kitchen, but she learned the hard way that when Mrs. Kagari wants something, she gets it, as evident by the spatula-shaped red spot on her wrist. It was probably the first time any of her friends had an authentic Japanese breakfast consisting of grilled fish, miso, rice, and pickles. Jasminka and Lotte had no trouble downing everything, but there were some who couldn’t get past the cultural difference such as Hannah and Amanda. At least Diana was trying, Akko thought proudly.
“So what’s everyone doing today?” Mr. Kagari asked in between bites. “Any holiday plans?”
“My cousins and I are going to visit my mother’s grave,” Diana informed. “We might not be back until later this evening.”
“Probably gonna have to watch these brats so they don’t poison the whole house,” Sucy gestured to Garie and Sabi, who were sword fighting with their chopsticks.
“I’m just gonna curl up in a nice dark corner and send depressing texts to my girlfriend wishing I could e with her or Christmas,” said Nico blandly.
“Mood,” Amanda quipped.
“Barbara and I are gonna visit my dad at the hospital,” said Hannah.
“Can I come with you?” asked Akko.
“You sure?” said Hannah, surprised.
“Yeah, I wanna see how he’s doing,” said Akko. “Even though it’s not my fault – I know that now – I still a little responsible. I just wanna make sure he gets better.”
“Aw, thanks, Akko,” Hannah said with a grateful smile. “I’m sure my dad would love to have you. I know I do.”
But while Hannah bravely tried to scarf down the meal Mrs. Kagari worked so hard to make, Akko was taken aback by the burning glare that Barbara was sending her way. Apparently, Barbara had hoped to be alone with Hannah and Akko just made her shit list – again.
Once they had finished their Christmas breakfast, Akko, Hannah, and Barbara were getting ready to visit Mr. England at the hospital, escorted by Athena, Blair, and Ram again. Mrs. Kagari tried to bundle Akko in several layers of clothing to combat the winter chill until Akko told her that the hospital was in the Philippines and was likely to be twenty-five Celsius. Thankfully, Mrs. Kagari agreed and saw fit to remove the extra layers…only to lather her in ten more layers of sunscreen and bug repellant. Akko leered and her so-called friends laughing in the background, swearing to get revenge later.
Thankfully, the teleportation spell to Alchemilla Hospital went smoothly and Akko was able to land on her feet without losing the contents of her lunch; she was starting to get used to teleporting. The reception area looked pleasantly festive: the soap bubbles that illuminated the hospital had been turned to red and gold so that they became gigantic, glowing Christmas baubles; holly hung around every doorway and shining white Christmas trees covered in magic snow and icicles glittered in every corner, each topped with a gleaming gold star. It was less crowded than the last time they had been there, although halfway across the room Akko found herself shoved to one side by a goblin with an acorn jammed up his left nostril.
“Family argument, eh?” smirked the orc woman behind the desk. “You’re the third one I’ve seen today…Spell Damage, fourth floor…”
They found Mr. England lying in his bed with his eyes rolled back and foaming at the mouth. Mrs. Manbavaran was standing by his bedside making a note on her clipboard, seemingly unconcerned with her patient’s current state.
“What did you do to my dad?” yelled Hannah, dropping the present meant or her father on the floor and running to his side.
“Just an experimental treatment using a new form of fungi discovered in American crops,” said Mrs. Manbavaran. “Some loons over in the states were raving about how it would infect everyone and turn the whole planet into a fungus-based zombie apocalypse in twenty years; like that would ever realistically happen. Thought I could experiment with a few strains to see if there were any medicinal properties.”
“You can’t experiment on your patients like that!” snapped Barbara.
“Of course I can,” said Mrs. Manbavaran unabashed. “Being the director off this hospital means I have the power to abuse my authority any way I want without any consequences.”
“I’m fairly certain that’s not true,” said Blair, sweatdropping.
“Put him back to normal!” shouted Hannah impatiently.
“Relax, relax, it’s not like he’s in any real danger…,” said Mrs. Manbavaran airily. “To be honest, I was kind of hoping he would sprout some new kind of spore or mushroom once exposed, but I guess it takes a while like anything else – calm down, Miss England, I’ll put him back,” she answered to Hannah’s silent glare. “I just need to remove the fungus from his system and we’ll be good…. Now where did I put my scalpel?”
“Can’t you just remove it with magic?” asked Athena.
“Where’s the fun in that?” said Mrs. Manbavaran playfully.
“It might be a good idea if you girls head on up to the lounge and get a drink,” Blair whispered subtly in Akko’s ear. “I know that look in Susan’s eyes. Things are gonna get messy and it won’t be for the faint of heart.”
Sucy was a menace on her own; Akko didn’t want to imagine what her mother was capable of. She, Hannah, and Barbara almost sprinted out the door. As it swung closed behind them, Akko caught a glimpse of Susan whipping out a bone saw before she was tackled by the combined force off Blair and Athena.
“The whole family is screwed up in the head,” said Hannah, shaking her head as they set off up the corridor.
“We’ve known Sucy Manbavaran for five years and you’re just figuring that out now?” said Barbara. “If I ever end up needing to go to this hospital, do me a favor and just kill. It would be a mercy by comparison…. Now where’s that lounge at?”
“Fifth floor,” said Akko, remembering the sign over the receptionist’s desk. “I think we can go back the way we – “
But Akko’s voice became lost in her throat when a man in one of Alchemilla’s white doctor coats walked behind Hannah and Barbara, staring intently at a clipboard, and being badgered an elf in a purple nurse’s uniform. She had seen this man before; many times in her dreams, but only once in person. All those occasions had been dark, but she could recognize the severe burns that littered his face, giving him the appearance of a walking corpse.
Akko was dumbstricken, her mouth fallen open like an idiot as she watched the man pause in the middle of the corridor, saying something to the elf nurse with a look off annoyance while handing her the clipboard.
“Akko?” Barbara’s voice broke Akko out o her stupor. “You okay? You look like you’ve been stupified.”
“It’s him,” Akko said in a hushed tone while the doctor continued to berate his nurse.
“Who’s him?” asked Hannah, following her line of sight.
“Ruvik!” Akko hissed. “One of Jennifer’s goons.”
Ruvik raised his head as sensing that his name had been called and looked around. When his eyes landed on Akko, a small, smug smile stretched across his chapped lips. He waved away the elf nurse and approached them with his hands tucked in his pockets. Akko, Hannah, and Barbara made to reach for their wands –
“That would not be wise, Miss Kagari,” said Ruvik, his voice a harsh rasp. “We have a strict policy against wands in the hospital. And it would not be wise to make a scene.”
With a grimace, Akko lowered her hand and said, “What’re you doing here, Ruvik? Spying for Jennifer?”
“I work here, Miss Kagari,” said Ruvik. “Come up on nineteen years this April. Not everything I do revolves around her. I do have a life of my own, you know.”
“Did you come to finish my dad off?” said Hannah, leering.
“Who?” said Ruvik, tilting his head.
“Philip England,” Barbara supplied.
“I can honestly say I have no idea who that is,” said Ruvik. And as much as she hated to admit it, Akko thought he sounded sincere. “But if he’s on this floor, he’s probably one of Susan’s victims. The poor man may be worse than dead.”
“Like you care,” Hannah spat.
“I won’t deny that I’ve had a…troubled history,” said Ruvik, taking a firm tone. “And I’ve done things that can’t be forgiven, but I’m not the monster I’m sure your mentors have painted me. Susan Manbavaran trusts me enough to oversee the psychiatric ward. I heal people now.”
“Hard to believe when you work with monsters like Evelyn and Amon,” said Akko.
“There are two sides to every story, Miss Kagari,” said Ruvik sternly. “I thought meeting her would’ve taught you that.”
Before Akko had a chance to say anything back, another nurse came running up behind Ruvik and said, “Dr. Victoriano, you’re needed in the – oh, I’m sorry, was I interruptin something.” She added, only realizing that Akko, Hannah, and Barbara were standing there.
“Just speaking to some old acquaintances,” said Ruvik casually with a calm expression of satisfaction. “Did you need something, nurse?”
“Oh, yes, it’s Mr. Wake, I’m afraid,” said the nurse. “He’s started growing anxious again. We’ve been giving him the journals to write in as you instructed, but I’m afraid he’s already filled all of them out in a matter of days. When he didn’t have any more pages, he started writing on the walls. The nurses took his pen away, but he’s become twitchier without something to do. I’m worried he might have another violent episode.”
“Hmm, it’s a lot sooner than I had anticipated,” Ruvik hummed. “But perhaps it would be best to move on to the next stage. Can you retrieve the item from my office? It should be in the lower righthand drawer of my desk.”
“Right away, doctor,” the nurse said briskly before running off.
“Would you care to join me, Miss Kagari?” Ruvik asked suddenly.
“Why? So you can lure me into a trap?” said Akko, narrowing her gaze.
“Always so suspicious,” Ruvik scoffed. “Not that you’re wrong, but it’s entirely unnecessary. I was hoping that watching me work with my patient will give you a better idea of who I really am. And maybe you’ll give me the chance to explain my side of things instead of just blindly following everything the adults tell you. You’re old and smart enough to make your own decisions, aren’t you?”
Ruvik was smart, Akko realized. He knew how to play on Akko’s insecurities and was taking advantage of her feelings about being. Akko knew this…but it didn’t stop her from wondering. Because Ruvik was right; the most she knew about Ruvik was their brief encounter on the hillside. For all of their intentions, Jennifer and Eveline had their reasons for how they turned out, and it was hard for Akko not to sympathize with them on some level.
Maybe…maybe this was a chance to learn more about the people the Sphere was fighting, Akko thought, and why they insisted on keeping her out of it.
“…If this turns out to be a trap…,” Akko threatened slowly.
“Excellent,” said Ruvik brightly, which made his disfigured face even more twisted. “Right this way, ladies. I work in the psychiatric ward. It’s closed off from the rest of the hospital. For their own safety, of course.”
Akko trailed carefully behind Ruvik as they set off down the corridor; Hannah and Barbara were close behind, sharing uncertain glances. Ruvik stopped at the door of the Charles Xavier ward and pulled out a set of keys. He unlocked the door and ushered the girls inside.
“This is one of our long-term resident wards,” Ruvik informed them in a low voice. “This ward is for patients who suffer from permanent mental damage, namely psychosis and memory. Or course, with intensive medical treatments and magic and a bit of luck, we can produce some improvements…. Mr. Alan Wake, a once famous writer, sadly suffered a mental breakdown due to some unknown creature of unexplained origin. Now he thinks everything he writes becomes reality. We’ve been letting him write in notebooks to help him realize the difference between delusion and reality. Today, we’ll be taking it a step further…. Now where is that nurse already?”
Akko looked around; this ward bore unmistakable signs of a permanent home to its residents. They had many more personal effects around their beds than in Mr. England’s ward; Mr. Wake, for instance, had a flashlight and a thermos on his bedside table, and standee of himself to promote his book, and dozens of loose pages strewn all over the floor. Mr. Wake was sitting in his chair, jittery like he was on two dozen cups of coffee, typing his next novel on an imaginary keyboard.
A mournful looking man lay in the bed opposite, staring at the ceiling; he was mumbling to himself and seemed quite unaware of anything around him. Two beds along was a woman who was sitting on her bed, panting and barking like an excited puppy. At the far end of the ward, an rotund, mustached man was rocking back and forth with his knees against his chest, staring into nothingness and singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” over and over again in a small voice.
“Ah, there you are,” said Ruvik impatiently as the nurse returned, carting an old fashion typewriter through the door. “Have Mr. Wake type something – anything will do – but be sure he doesn’t do more than three pages. We want to ease him into it. If he starts to become violent, use the sedative. Now, I need to check on the other patients.”
He started walking around the ward, leaving Akko, Hannah, and Barbara to watch his every move. They still didn’t trust him and their hands were ready to whip out their wands at the first sign of trouble.
“How are things, Goldie,” Ruvik asked the dog woman, checking his charts. “I see that you haven’t had any accidents lately. That’s good. Though I heard you it your speech teacher. Not so good. He’ll need to start wearing protective padding now.”
Goldie gave several loud barks.
“And Mr. Forger, I see that your wife and daughter have been by recently,” said Ruvik, bustling along to the mumbling man and checking his charts. “There was also someone named Miss Frost who claimed to be your…mistress? I’m not even going to get into that…. But more social interaction is good for you. With any luck, you’ll be able to have a conversation in a language we understand…. Ah, Dr. Robotnik, you haven’t had any more delusions about blue hedgehogs, have you?” he asked, moving on to the mustached man.
“He looks like he’s actually doing his job,” said Barbara apprehensively.
“Maye he’s just trying to get us to lower our guard,” said Hannah suspiciously.
“You guys have been with the Sphere longer than I have,” said Akko, watching Ruvik’s back as he gave Dr. Robotnik a wind-up ladybug. The mustached man lit up like a boy of Christmas morning, turning the key on the toy’s back and watching it scoot around on his table. “What do you know about him?”
“Nothing much really,” Hannah answered honestly. “If the adults aren’t talking about Jennifer, they’re usually talking about Amon or Eveline. They don’t really say anything about him.”
“All I know,” said Barbara, “is that he was s member of the original group and that he worked closely with Amon and Otto Apocalypse.”
“Not exactly a good track record,” Hannah mumbled.
After finishing his examination of Dr. Robotnik, Ruvik walked back to the girls and said, “Well, everything appears to be in order. So, what do you think? Any questions? Feel free to ask.”
“Why are you working for…you-know-who?” Akko asked immediately, purposely keeping Jennifer’s name out. She had little doubt that most people in this hospital already thought she was a loon thanks to Crawford Seam’s articles. She didn’t need to give them a reason to lock her up in Ruvik’s ward.
“Straight to the point – I can appreciate that,” said Ruvik, his expression suddenly turning dark. “My story isn’t a pleasant one. When I was young, I was brilliant, if a little disturbed. I didn’t see the world like other did. I was fascinated with the concept of the mind from an early age. My dissection was of a baby deer I found in the woods near my family’s home.”
“Not exactly selling yourself,” Hannah grimaced.
“My sister was the only one who held my worst impulses at bay,” Ruvik continued. “I loved her. Possibly more than society would have accepted. We did everything together. She meant the world to me. Then one day, we were play out in the barn when the villages came to torch it with us trapped inside.”
“Why did they do that?” asked Barbara, shocked.
“My greedy bastard of a father had been purchasing large plots of land and removing anyone who lived there,” said Ruvik with a hint of spite in his tone. “Most of transactions were illegal, but he managed to sweep it under the rug with his ‘donations’…. The villagers burn down our barn in retaliation. I don’t now if they were aware we were inside. My sister managed to get me out in time, but she did not make herself. The incident left seventy percent of my body covered in burn scarring, as you can clearly see,” he gestured to himself.
“I was scarred and traumatized by the event,” he continued. “But rather than get me the help I needed, he locked me away in the basement like I was something to be ashamed of. He pretended that both of his children were dead and moved on with his life. I spent a year down in that dark cellar until I finally freed myself. And once I did, I murdered my father in his sleep. It was one of the best moments of my life.”
“You escaped and the first thing you did was kill your dad?” said Akko aghast.
“I told you I was disturbed,” said Ruvik nonchalantly. “After I inherited my father’s fortune, I continued working on my experiments with the mind. That is when I met Dr. Marcelo Jimenez, who saw value in my experiments and encouraged my scientific pursuits; even offered test subjects from his own hospital. We were good friends until I discovered that he had been publishing my research under his own name, claiming that I would never be able to publish anything because I was never ‘formally trained.’”
“What an asshole,” Barbara remarked.
“It gets worse from there,” said Ruvik. “Jimenez convinced me to join an organization called MOBIUS, who had provided substantial sums of money so that I could complete my lifelong project: STEM.”
“STEM?” Hannah repeated curiously.
“The idea behind STEM was to connect multiple minds together, allowing for multiple applications,” Ruvik explained. “Interrogating criminals, sharing memories, and even curing mental illnesses. But MOBIUS had different ideas. They wanted STEM to connect all minds in the world, putting everyone under the absolute authority of MOBIUS.”
“Sounds like them and you-know-who have a lot in common,” said Akko sharply.
“MOBIUS wanted world domination,” Ruvik argued with a hint of an edge in his voice. “You-know-who wants to end war and hatred. And, if you remember correctly, she wanted you to be the one to do it. Not her.”
“Like that’ll happen,” said Akko.
“When I found out what MOBIUS had planned,” Ruvik continued, “I changed the schematics so that it only worked for my brainwaves. But that didn’t deter MOBIUS. After they found what I had done, they captured me and threated to remove my brain from my skull and use it for the core of STEM.”
“Why is everything so disturbing with you?” asked Hannah, visibly disgusted.
“Have you met the director?” said Ruvik jokingly. “Either way, I would’ve been used as MOBIUS’s pawn if Du Nord and her lot hadn’t arrived when they did.”
“Du Nord? My Mom?” asked Akko, perking up with interest.
“It was her, Amon, Tennyson, and Redfield,” said Ruvik. “They had fought their way through MOBIUS just to rescue me. I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t or them. I will always be grateful.”
“They why did you betray them?” questioned Akko harshly.
“I didn’t want to at first,” said Ruvik. “But when I realized that everyone in my life – my father, Dr. Jimenez, MOBIUS – had betrayed for their own greed, it made me wonder what my life would’ve been like I they hadn’t been so corrupt. Maybe I could’ve used STEM for its intended purpose. Maybe Dr. Jimenez could’ve been friends and partners. Maye would still be alive.
“When I think about all that I had lost because of other people’s corruption, I can’t help but agree with her. And world without individual thoughts and feeling – one without that taint of selfishness, greed, and hatred – is better than the world we have now. I will always be thankful to Chariot Du Nord, but if she really wanted to help the world, she would’ve done it herself. At the very least, she could’ve kept her own child instead of abandoning her at the doorstep of some random couple.”
This last statement struck a chord in Akko that she had tried for years not to think about.
When she had learned that Chariot was her mother, her first thought was excitement and joy knowing that she was the daughter of her idol…. The second thought was, why had she abandoned Akko in the first place? If Chariot had managed to hide this long, surely she wasn’t worried about anyone finding Akko. They could’ve lived a normal life outside the spotlight, away from prying eye, until Akko was old enough to go to Luna Nova. And what was the point of separating the Shiny Rod and the Stars if they were intended for Akko to begin with? What was the point of making it so needlessly complicated? Why couldn’t they ever give Akko a straight answer for once? Why was Chariot still hiding from Akko when even her own father had visited her at least once?
Akko thoughts continued to spiral further down until a loud banging noise broke her train of thought.
“I said ‘sedatives,’ not adrenaline, nurse!” Ruvik shouted urgently, moving to subdue Mr. Wake, who was swinging the typewriter around like a bludgeon.
Notes:
Next chapter: Mind of the Matter
Chapter 24: Mind of the Matter
Chapter Text
(Written by: J aytia85976)
Hannah and Barbara chose not to say anything about their encounter with Ruvik, probably for the same reason Akko didn't say anything to Blair and Ram. Akko's mind was still in the middle of processing what she had learned. Ruvik was an enemy – that much had not changed – but now she understood his motives and why he turned to Jennifer's cause. It made Akko wonder how many like him were among Jennifer's followers; people who felt they had been wronged and that Jennifer's method was the only solution.
Akko tried to put these thoughts out of her head for the rest of the holiday to enjoy what time she had left with her family. Mr. and Mrs. Kagari were thrilled to spend Christmas with their daughter for the first time in years and started sharing embarrassing holiday memories with the adults, aided by Blair, much to Akko's grief. But Izetta's festive cheer was evaporating fast now that Christmas was reaching its end. As the date for their departure drew near, she became more and more prone to what Blair called "fits of moppiness," in which she became more taciturn and grumpier, often withdrawing to Qing's room for hours at a time. Her gloom seeped through the house, oozing under doorways like some noxious gas so that all of them became infected by it.
Akko didn't want to leave Izetta behind. In fact, for the first time in her life, she was not looking forward to returning to Luna Nova. Going back to school would mean placing herself once again under the tyranny of Light Spinner, who had no doubt managed to force through another dozen decrees in their absence. Then there was no Chariot Racing to look forward to now that she had been banned; there was every likelihood that their burden of homework would increase as the exams drew near. In fact, if it had not been for the S.C., Akko felt she might have gone to Izetta and begged her to leave Luna Nova and stay with her.
Well, the S.C. and the fact that Mrs. Kagari would beat her to within an inch of her life if she dropped out.
Then, on the very last day of the holidays, something strange happened – about as strange as everything else this year.
"Akko, sweetie," said Mrs. Kagari, poking her head into the guest room, where Akko and her friends were watching Constanze and Nico have a heated duel in Mega Crush Sisters Omniverse, "could you come down to the dining room? Professor Croix would like a word with you."
Akko did not immediately register what she had said; she was watching Nico's Roman mechanic engage in a violent tussle with Constanze's blue knight, and cheering them on enthusiastically.
"Go for the downslide – downslide, don't let her get behind you – gomen, Okaa-san, what did you say?"
"Professor Croix. In the dining room. She'd like a word."
"Croix?" said Akko surprisingly. Everyone seemed just as interested in this strange turn of events and paused the game. Croix wasn't by any means a stranger, but it was rare she sought out anyone other than Nico or Constanze.
"Professor Croix," said Mrs. Kagari reprovingly. "Now come on, quickly, she says she can't stay for long."
"What's she want with you?" asked Lotte as Mrs. Kagari withdrew from the room.
"You haven't done anything, have you?" said Diana.
"Why would you think I did anything – don't answer that," Akko replied quickly to everyone's blank stares. Akko tried to wrack her brain to think of what she might have done that would require Croix to track her down in Wedinburgh. Had her last piece of homework scored a zero. In all honesty, that wouldn't surprise her.
She pushed open the dining room door a minute or two later to find not only Croix seated at the long table, but Izetta sitting on the opposite side, looking sullener than ever. The silence between them was heavy; a letter lay open on the table in front of Izetta.
"Er," said Akko to announce her presence.
Croix looked around and said, "There you are, Kagari. Please, sit."
Akko walked around the table and sat down in the chair beside Izetta, facing Croix across the table.
"I was supposed to speak to you alone, Kagari," said Croix. "But Izetta – "
"I am her aunt," said Izetta loudly.
"And Blair is her godmother," said Croix. "And Shuichi and Kaori are her parents. But they all agreed to a private chat. Chariot orders were very clear. You can't just ignore what others say because you want to feel involved."
"What's that supposed to mean?" said Izetta, glowering.
"Exactly as it sounds," said Croix levelly. "I understand that you're frustrated by your limited involvement with the Sphere, but we all have our roles to play and jobs to fulfill. Just like my job is to teach Kagari mental shielding techniques this term."
"Mental what?" said Akko cluelessly.
"Mental shielding," Croix repeated. "The ability to defend your mind from external penetration. An obscure branch of magic, but a highly useful one."
Akko's heart began to pump very fast. Defense against external penetration? But she was not possessed, they had all agreed on that….
"Why do I need to study this mental shielding stuff," she blurted out.
"Because you saw into Eveline's mind the day she attacked England," said Croix smoothly. "And after what happened, Eveline is bound to realize a connection still exists between you and take advantage. You will receive private lessons once a week, but you will not tell anybody what you are doing, least of all Light Spinner. You understand?"
"Yes," said Akko. "So…who's going to teach me? Professor Ursula?"
"No, I will," said Croix. "Rest assured, I have years of experience in training to defend the mind, thanks to Wesker and his scum." She got to her feet. "I will expect to see you in my office at six o'clock on Monday evening, Kagari. If anyone asks you are taking remedial lessons. Anyone who knows you won't find it suspicious in the least."
She turned to leave, her cape billowing behind her.
"Wait a moment," said Izetta, sitting up straight in her chair.
Croix turned back to face them, exasperated.
"I'm in a bit of a hurry, Izetta. I have other obligations to fulfill and I don't have the luxury of time."
"I'll get to the point, then," said Izetta, standing up. She looked rather taller than Croix who, Akko noticed, had balled her fist in the pocket of her cloak over what Akko was sure was the handle of her wand. "If you think I'm just going to stand by and let you probe Akko with that twisted machine of yours, then you have another thing coming."
"It's good to see that you care for your niece," Croix said evenly. "But have you forgotten how strong your sister is?"
"Of course I haven't," said Izetta proudly. "To me, Chariot is one the most powerful witches in the world."
"Well then, have that same faith for Akko," roix stated after letting out a heavy sigh. "She's Chariot's daughter; I'm sure she can handle it.
Izetta pushed her chair roughly aside and strode around the table toward Croix, aiming her dominant right hand towards her, which emitted a green magical aura. Croix whipped her wand in response. They were squaring up to each other. Izetta looking livid; Croix calculating, her eyes darting from Izetta's hand to her face.
"Izetta-obasan!" said Akko loudly, but Izetta appeared not to hear her.
"I'm warning you, Meridies," said Izetta, her face barely a foot from Croix's. "I don't care if Holbrooke or the Sphere is okay with this, Akko shouldn't have to—"
"Do you think that we—that I want to do this?" Croix retorted. "If it's true that Eveline is psychologically connected with Akko, she needs to learn how to ward off the mental attack. If not, she could be helpless to whatever scheme Jennifer has in store for her. And I'm honestly surprised you're suddenly against Akko doing anything dangerous despite you being completely okay with her and the rest of the girls creating an illegal training club."
"They should all know basic defense!" Izetta snapped. "To make sure Akko and the rest are prepared if Luna Nova is under threat! But what you're suggesting could actually damage Akko beyond repair if you're not careful! I've said this a thousand times!"
"Oh? So that's what it is. You don't trust me," said Croix, whose voice became deep and sharp. "I find that to be pretty hilarious given the fact that it has been you who have caused all of us trouble. You barely make any effort to hide yourself and in the end, one of the Council members—Captain Lahar – spotted you. If anything, you shouldn't be anywhere near Akko right now to ensure her safety—"
The light in Izetta's palm became brighter.
"NO!" Akko yelled, vaulting over the table and trying to get in between them, "Izetta-obasan, don't—"
"How dare you say I'm unsafe for Akko!" roared Izetta, trying to push Akko out of the way, but Akko would not budge.
"You cannot deny the fact that your recent decisions have not negatively impacted everyone," said Croix. "I know you care for Akko, but all you have done so far is use her as a long-distance weapon against the Magic Council—against Amon. Because you still can't—"
"Akko—get—out—of—the—way!" snarled Izetta, pushing her out of the way with her free hand.
The kitchen door opened and all the young girls, plus Professor Ursula, a naked Blair, and Mr. Kagari and Mrs. Kagari (who were barking at Blair to put some clothes on) burst through. In the front of them all was the giddy pair of Hannah and her father, Mr. England, who was dressed in a pair of striped pajamas covered by a mackintosh.
"Healed!" Mr. England announced brightly to the kitchen at large. "Completely healed!"
He and everyone else froze at the threshold, gazing at the scene in front of them, which was also suspended in mid-action, both Izetta and Croix looking toward the door with their respective weapons pointing at each other's faces and Akko immobile between them, a hand stretched out to each of them, trying to force them apart.
"By the Nine," said Mr. England, the smile sliding off his face, "what's going on here?"
Izetta lowered his hand and extinguished the magic on her hand while Croix lowered her wand. Akko looked from one to the other. Each wore an expression of utmost contempt, yet the unexpected entrance of so many witnesses seemed to have brought them to their senses. Croix pocketed her wand and swept back across the kitchen, passing everyone without comment. At the door, she looked back.
"Six o'clock Monday evening. Bring the Shiny Rod."
She was gone. Izetta glared after her, her hand clenched.
"What's going on?" asked Professor Ursula who walked past everyone and went up to Izetta.
"Nothing, Ursula," said Izetta, who was breathing heavily as though she had just run a long distance. "Just a little disagreement is all…." The red-haired witch then walked up to Mr. England and with what looked like an enormous effort, she smiled. "So…you're healed? That's great news, really great…."
"Yes, isn't it?" said Hannah, leading her father forward into a chair. "Sucy's mom worked her magic in the end, and made a potion that sealed the wound right up! I'm just hoping she didn't perform any weird experiments on him." she said with a worried expression as if she saw her father as a bomb that might explode.
"If she did, I wouldn't remember," said Mr. England with a shrug.
"That…can't be legal," Mr. Kagari replied.
"That's my mom for you," Sucy commented. "Also, she told me to let you know if your skin starts changing color and your poop looks white with purple spots to contact her immediately."
"W-white poop!?" Mr. England screamed.
That night's meal should have been a cheerful one with Mr. England back amongst them. Akko could tell Izetta was trying to make it so, yet when her aunt was not forcing herself to laugh loudly at the sight of Garie and Sabi's antics as they poured strange elixirs onto the food to make it come to life and cause a massive ruckus, her face fell back into a moody, brooding expression. Akko was separated from her by Mr. and Mrs. Kagari. She wanted to talk to Izetta, to her that she would be safe with Croix, that she would persevere through mind shielding training, that she did not think Izetta was a danger to her, but she had no opportunity to do so, and wondered occasionally, eyeing the saddened look on Izetta's face, whether she would have dared to even if she had the chance. Instead, she told all the girls after dinner about having mind shielding training with Croix.
"Holbrooke wants you to stop having your mind linked with Eveline," said Diana at once. "Well, you won't be sorry not to have those weird visions anymore, will you?"
"You get to have extra lessons with Professor Croix?" said the Stan-bot as Constanze pouted. "Lucky!"
Akko and Nico were to return to Luna Nova on the Space Patrol Ogikubo Ship the following day, escorted once again by Blair and Chris, both of whom were eating breakfast in the kitchen when the girls arrived there the next morning. The adults seemed to have been midway through a whispered conversation when the door opened. All of them looked around hastily and fell silent.
After a hurried breakfast, they pulled on jackets and scarves against the chilly gray January morning. Akko had an unpleasant constricted sensation in her chest. She did not want to say goodbye to Izetta. She had a bad feeling about this parting; she did not know when they would next see each other and felt that it was incumbent upon her to say something to Izetta to stop her from doing anything stupid (Akko was aware of the irony of that thought). Akko was worried that the argument with Croix had triggered Izetta so badly she might even now be planning some foolhardy trip beyond Cavendish Manor. Before she could think of what to say, however, Izetta had beckoned her to her side.
"I want you to take this," she said quietly, thrusting a badly wrapped package roughly the size of a paperback book into Akko's hands.
"What is it?" Akko asked.
"A way of letting me know if things go wrong at Luna Nova. No, don't open it in here!" said Izetta, with a wary look at Anna, who was trying to persuade the Manbavaran Twins to wear hand-knitted mittens. "I doubt that maid will keep her mouth shut. And if she tells Athena, she definitely wouldn't approve. But I want you to use it if you need me, all right?"
"Okay," said Akko, stowing the package away in the inside pocket of her jacket, but she knew she would never use whatever it was. It would not be her, Akko, who lured Izetta from her place of safety, no matter how horrible things got at Luna Nova.
"Let's go, then," said Izetta, clapping Akko on the shoulder and smiling grimly, and before Akko could say anything else, they were heading to the front door, stopping before the giant two-way doors surrounded by all the other girls.
"Goodbye, Akko, take care," said Mr. Kagari as she and her husband hugged their daughter.
"Bye Hannah, and Akko keep an eye out for any insane teenage girls with a sword for me!" said Mr. England jokingly, and immediately after Anna slapped him across the back of his head.
"Right — yeah," said Akko distractedly. It was her last chance to tell Izetta to be careful. She turned, looked into her aunt's face, and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could do so, Izetta was giving her a brief, squeezing hug. She said gruffly, "Look after yourself, Akko," and the next moment Akko found herself being shunted out into the icy winter air, with Blair (in her cat form) chivvying her down the walkway.
The massive doors slammed shut behind them. As they got further down the road, the witches then split into two groups. As the others went down the normal path where their ride was waiting, Akko and Nico followed Chris and Blair down the other walkway. As she reached the roadside, Akko looked around. The manor was shrinking repeatedly from her view as they walked further and eventually, it vanished behind the trees.
"Come on, the quicker we get on that spaceship the better," said Blair, and Akko thought there was nervousness in the glance she threw around the road. Chris held up his right arm.
BOOM!
A shabby spaceship, covered in an incomprehensible mass of junk, appeared out of thin air in front of them, knocking over a few trees that mimicked the sound of thunder as they fell over.
A young Japanese girl leaped out of the porthole on the side of the ship and said, "Hello there! We are from the space–"
"Yes, yes, we know, thank you," said Blair swiftly. "On, on, get on—"
She turned back into her human form and shoved Akko forward towards the porthole, past the young girl, who goggled at Akko as she passed.
"Hey — it's Akko—"
"If you shout her name, I will blow you to smithereens," muttered Blair menacingly, now shunting Nico forward.
"I've always wondered what riding a spaceship would be like," said Nico curiously, joining Akko on board and looking around.
It had been evening the last time Akko had traveled on the Space Patrol ship full of shabby chairs. Now in the early morning, it was crowded with a lot more people in handcuffs and forced to sit. Some of the criminals appeared to have fallen over when the ship stopped abruptly near the Cavendish Manor; a few people in long black robes with the design of red clouds on them were still getting to their feet, grumbling, and somebody's sword had slid the length of the ship, a strange white tentacle-like creature emerging from the inside of the blade.
"Ah! Kensuke!" yelled some knight who was handcuffed at the very back of the ship.
"Looks like we'll have to split up," said Blair, briskly looking around for empty chairs. "Nico, if you just take that seat in the back…Chris can stay with you…"
She and Akko proceeded up to the near front of the ship where there was a single folded chair behind the driver's seat. Luluco, the young space patrol girl, followed Akko and Blair eagerly to the front. Heads turned as Akko passed and when she sat down, she saw all the faces turn away, trying to pretend as if they weren't looking before.
As Akko and Blair handed Luluco some yen, the spaceship set off again, swaying ominously. It rumbled around the area, weaving from one end to the another, then, with another tremendous BOOM, they were all flung backward. Akko's chair toppled right over and Blair, who had been on her lap in cat form, fell on the floor and dug her claws onto the floor to avoid being pushed all the way to the back of the ship. Akko, who managed to get back up by grabbing the wall, looked out of the window. They were now speeding down what appeared to be a dirt road in some weird-looking and colorful rural town. Right next to the ship standing on the street staring right at Akko was a little girl with purple hair and glasses. She wore a pink cape that read the words "ARALE" and gave Akko the peace sign while smiling. Without really any reason, Akko returned the peace sign with her own.
"Just outside Penguin Village," said Luluco happily, answering Akko's unasked question as Blair struggled up from the floor. "Have you been doing well Akko? I saw your name in the paper a lot over the summer, but there wasn't exactly anything good being said about you…. I spoke to Nova and Midori about it, and honestly, you don't seem like a bad person to me!"
She helped Akko get to her feet and continued to gaze, enthralled, at Akko. Apparently, Luluco did not care if somebody had loads of drama circling them if they were famous enough to be in the paper. The Space Patrol ship swayed alarmingly, overtaking a line of cars and what seemed to be another UFO outside. Looking toward the back of the ship Akko saw Nico cover her eyes with her hands while Chris did not move an inch from his seat while folding his arms.
BOOM!
Chairs slid backward again as the Space Patrol ship flew out of Penguin Village to some giant city full of lights. Akko looked down at the window and instantly recognized the setting.
"Is this Shibuaya?"
As Akko said that, multiple explosions and buildings being cut in half was happening. The brunette witch was confused and frightened as she saw a teenage boy with pink hair and black markings all over his face fight some strange white monster with a strange wheel on its back, engage in some godly battle.
"Oh, hell no!" Midori's face turned pale. "Nova, get us out of here!"
Nova replied, "As members of the Space Patrol, don't you think we should deal with–"
"NOW!"
BOOM!
"This sucks," muttered Nico, picking herself up from the floor for the sixth time, "I'm never riding on a spaceship again."
"Listen, it's Luna Nova after this," said Midori. "We should arrive there in just a few—"
"Excuse me?"
Everyone turned around to see a small blue cat who wore a cute smile on his face. He walked over to Midori and Nova who were in the driver's seat.
"What are uncuffed for, criminal?" Midori cried. "You and your friends are still in a whole lot of trouble for destroying three-quarters of a city.
"Aye, we know, but could you please just let Natsu off for a second? I'm pretty sure he's reaching his limit."
Midori scoffed, "Why should we go out of our way for – "
Then, on the chair next to Nico and Chris, there was a chained pink-haired boy who wore a white scarf and looked very sickly. A second later there was retching, following a horrible splattering sound, and Nico's screams.
"Oh geez," Midori groaned. "Luluco, go clean that up."
"ME?!" Luluco screamed as she pointed at herself.
A few minutes later the Space Patrol Ship halted outside next to some small stand for ramen noodles. By the stand working by themselves is what looked to be a young green haired teenager with a mean look, but a tough spirit.
"Welcome to Yusuke's Noodle & Spirit Detective Work! If you want some ramen or have a supernatural case—"
However, the young man was ignored as Luluco ushered the unfortunate Natsu out of the ship and allowed him to release more stomach acid right next to the stand.
"Hey!" The young man yelled. "Do that somewhere else! I got customers!"
After that was done, the spaceship moved again, gathering speed, until —
BOOM!
They were hovering through a snowy Blytonbury, flecks of snow hit the large window at the front of the ship. At last they stopped outside the gates of Luna Nova.
Blair and Chris helped Akko and Nico off the ship with their luggage and then got off to say goodbye. Akko glanced up at the Space Patrol ship and saw some of the passengers staring down at them, noses flat against the windows.
"You'll be safe from those prying eyes once we're in the grounds," said Blair, casting a careful eye around the deserted road. "Let's have a good term, okay?"
"Look after yourselves," said Chris, shaking hands all round and reaching Akko last. "And listen…" He lowered his voice so that only the brunette witch could hear. "Kagari, I know you're scared, but trust Croix. She is skilled in the art of understanding the Sea of the Unconscious. She will help you. Hell, maybe you might get out of the experience and become stronger than before. So work hard, all right?"
"Yeah, all right," said Akko heavily, looking up into Chris' prematurely lined face. "See you, then…"
After Chris had left, the three witches struggled up the slippery walk towards the castle dragging their trunks. Nico was already talking about making some hot chocolate the moment they got to the rooms. Akko glanced back when they reached the way to the leyline terminal. The Space Patrol Ship had already gone, and she half-wished, given what was coming the following day, that she was still on board.
Akko spent most of the next day dreading the evening. Her morning Astronomy lessons with Professor Ursula did nothing to dispel her trepidation, and Akko's mood was further lowered by the fact that members of the S.C. were continually approaching her in the corridors between classes, asking hopefully whether there would be a meeting that night.
"Ask Diana," Akko said over and over again, "but I can't do it tonight, I've got to go to —er — extra lessons with Professor Croix?"
"You are taking extra lessons?" asked Chloe Debois superciliously, having cornered Akko in the entrance hall after lunch. "By the Nine, you must be terrible. Professor Croix doesn't usually give extra lessons, does she?"
As Chloe strode away in an annoyingly buoyant fashion, Akko glared after her.
"If you keep telling people that, your reputation might take a hit," saying those words was Sucy, who walked up to Akko with Lotte by her side.
"Honestly, what's new?" said Akko tiredly. "This year is like the universe decided to host a game 'How Far Can We Drag Atsuko Kagari's Name Through the Mud!' Whoever wins gets a million yen!"
"Hey, look on the bright side!" said Lotte, trying to cheer her best friend up. "The next Blytonbury trip is coming up next month! And you know what day it's on?"
"I didn't get a chance to check," mumbled Akko, scratching her chin. "What's special about that day?"
"It's Valentine's Day, you nitwit," said Sucy, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, it's Valen…WHA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-AT!" Akko screeched, forcing Lotte and Sucy to cover their ears.
Akko's hands flew to her hair, eyes bulging in panic. She had forgotten Valentine's Day – the most romantic date in the world! Ever since their relationship started, Akko had dreamed of going on a romantic date with Diana on Valentine's Day – a proper one. They had been so busy with the Sphere, and Jennifer, and Mr. England, that they deserved at least one normal day. And she completely forgot!
"Wah! Lotte!" Akko cried, shaking her best friend by the shoulders. "I forgot about Valentine's Day!"
"That's – o – kay – Ak – ko!" Lotte yelped. She managed to pry her best friends hands off, breathing a relieved sigh. "The trip isn't until next month. You have plenty of time to think it over."
"Yeah, yeah, okay," said Akko, taking a deep, calming breath. "I've still got a month. I have plenty of time to ask Diana."
"Ask me what?"
Akko and Lotte jumped with a start as Diana's voice came from behind; Sucy was as listless as ever. Diana had approached them, flanked, as usual, by Hannah and Barbara. Akko was literally petrified, her limbs wrapped around herself haphazardly with her jaw open dimwittedly.
"Are you all right, Akko?" asked Diana, concerned.
"Uh…." Yeah, real smooth, Kagari.
"We'll uh…be in the library," said Lotte anxzziously, seizing Sucy by the elbow and dragging her off to the spiral staircase.
"Uh, us too!" Hannah suddenly yelled, catching on to what happened.
"Didn't we just come from – ow! What was that for?" Barbara whined after Hannah kicked her in the shin.
"Just come on!" Hannah hissed, grabbing her best friend's hand (Barbara physically flushed) and pulled her away.
"Is everything okay?" Diana asked again.
"Uh, yeah," said Akko, finally lowering her arms. Well, she's here now, she thought. It's do or die time. "Hey, Diana, you hear about the Blytonbury trip next month?"
"Oh yes," said Diana thoughtfully. "I believe it's on the fourteenth…. Oh…"
"Yeah…," Akko mumbled, both of them looking down embarrassingly. Akko rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "I know we've been…together for a while now, but we've never really gone out on a date. So…I was thinking…."
"You'd like this to be our first," Diana offered.
"Yeah," Akko nodded. "Un – Unless you have something else."
"Well, actually, this works perfectly," said Diana brightly. "There's something I wanted us to do in Blytonbury that day. Maybe we could go after our date."
"Yeah, that's be fine," Akko said, almost too eagerly.
"Then it's a date," said Diana, smiling.
"Yeah, a date," Akko agreed, and feeling that the day was not going to be a complete loss after all, she headed off to the library to pick up Lotte and Sucy before their afternoon lessons, walking in a rather bouncy way herself.
By six o'clock that evening, however, even the glow of having successfully asked out Diana Cavendish was insufficient to lighten the ominous feelings that intensified with every step Akko took toward Croix's lab.
With the Shiny Rod in her hands, the brunette witch paused outside the door of the New Moon Tower, wishing she were almost anywhere else. Then, taking a deep breath, she opened the door and descended the dark stairway to the bottom floors of the tower.
The New Moon Tower was one of the oldest structures in Luna Nova's history. Almost every corner of this structure held ancient knowledge that spanned hundreds of years ago. However, the only room that was significantly different from the rest was the basement and that was due to Croix. After Barbara stole her equipment and Eveline infected the school, Croix decided to move her office to the tower where he experiments could be safely locked up and modified one of the floors to her liking.
It was a massive room lined up with long tables filled with tubes and beakers. Inside those glass canisters were either strange steaming liquids or the small cubic fuel spirits that harbored all the colors in the spectrum. And at the very end of the room were bright flickering lights. The source of them was giant computer screens that showcased strange symbols and codes that Akko could never understand. Sitting there with her back to the door was Croix, who was typing at the speed of light.
"Um…Professor Croix?"
The typing stopped and turning around in her rolling chair was Croix Meridies, fully clothed in a lab coat and eating out of cup of ramen noodles.
"Kagari! You're here on time!" said Croix as she swallowed the remainder of her food. "Good! Just wait a second!"
Akko did as she was told with a horrible feeling similar to how a child acts when they need to get a shot from the doctor. When she sat down on the nearest metal chair, Croix walked up to her and pointed over at something in the end of the room. The brunette witch looked over to see a long metal chair with unbuckled straps and three massive screens hovering over it. But what freaked Akko out the most was the massive tube of dark-colored mold swirling around above the seat.
While letting out a heavy sigh, Akko scurried over to the horrifying seat. Her butt felt cold as ice as it touched the metal and she did a bad job of hide her shaking. Croix pulled up a chair and sat right next to Akko, staring at her with bright teal eyes that did not blink for a second.
"Well, Kagari, you know why you are here," she said. "The headmistress has asked me to train you in the ways of mind shielding. I can only hope that you prove to be very good at this so that we never have to go back here again."
"Right," said Akko tensely.
"I get why you are nervous Kagari," said Croix, trying her best to look calming. "But I promise you are in no danger. Izetta might have scared you and that's understandable on her part. The practice of mind shielding isn't exactly…a good one."
"W-what does that mean?" asked Akko.
"Well for starters, it could possibly cause massive brain damage if we go too far."
"B-brain damage!?"
"Don't worry!" yelped Croix, flailing her arms exaggeratedly to get her point across. "I designed this machine above to automatically shut down if your brain waves reach a very dangerous level! There will be no brain damage here tonight or any night!"
"O-okay…but why do Professor Holbrooke and the Sphere think I need this?" said Akko, looking directly into Croix's bright teal eyes and wondering whether she would answer.
Croix looked right into Akko's face and replied, "I'm pretty sure you are well aware, Kagari. Eveline is very skilled in controlling the minds of others —"
"Yeah, I remember the horror show from three years ago," said Akko, fidgeting at the memory of that awful years. "But she was unable to control me. She said that had something to do with the Seven Stars."
"And she's not wrong, Croix hummed. "The Seven Stars are generally safeguard their wielders from those who cast dark magics upon the. But that doesn't make them perfect. If you look hard enough, you can always find a loophole."
"You mean…Eveline could potentially control me?" said Akko quickly, her worst fears escaping from her lips.
"Well…it's not that simple Kagari," said Croix, her eyes glistening. "Eveline's power is that she can overwrite the minds of others and fuse them with her own. Eventually, the person who is under her control will become her. Despite you and Eveline literally being one that year, the Shiny Rod's power protected you perfectly and even stopped a hive mind like her from having any access to your brain. But if you remember three years ago correctly, there were sometimes when Eveline could control you."
Croix paused for a moment, quickly getting up and taking something from the table close by. Once she sat back down, Akko saw that Croix had something like red play-doh in her hands and she stretched it to form a long line. "See this? This will be an example of your mental connection with Eveline. During the time the two of you were together, she couldn't gain any access to your mind. The stars were like a clog — they blocked Eveline's path."
Croix crushed the center of the long red play-doh, making a massive ball.
"As long as the Seven Stars were active, Eveline could do nothing. But the Stars don't work on infinite energy. They depend on you, Kagari. So any moment you lost consciousness, fell asleep, or weren't focused, the path was loosened."
Croix then smoothed out the play-doh, making the line look straight again.
"In that instance, Eveline could control you and use your unconscious body to spread herself amongst everyone."
What Croix was saying was starting to frighten Akko to the greatest degree.
"So…Eveline could control me whenever I go to sleep?" questioned Akko. "But…it's not like before — she's not inside of me now! In that case, how are our minds linked?"
"Despite you two being separated, I think your mind overall had a great impression on the hive-mind," answered Croix. "Eveline has never possessed a being like you before — someone who was unable to be completely controlled. As such is the natural way of this world, the more she spent time inside your body the more, she began to adjust to everything with it. Your blood, your cells, your DNA…she consumed as much data as she possibly could, probably so that she could evolve."
"My DNA…and that's why she was able to use the Shiny Rod last year…"
"Exactly, she is becoming you, which is a problem," said Croix, tossing the play-doh over her shoulders. "But worst of all, she was able to do something worse — perfect the connection between the two of you."
"B-but why would Eveline need me? Isn't she already turning into me on her own?"
"That's true," Croix nodded. "She has copied almost everything about your body, but there is one thing about you that she can't copy…"
"…The Shiny Rod…" Akko mumbled in realization.
Croix snapped her fingers and winked at Akko.
"Exactly! If this was my class you would be on your way to getting an 'A' Kagari!"
Akko ignored the praise from Croix and continued, "Eveline's goal is to find a way to possess me so that she has access to the Shiny Rod…but last year Eveline managed to take the Shiny Rod from me and she was able to use it! She had the power back then so why didn't she just…take it?"
"We – meaning the Sphere – speculate it has something to do with Jennifer," said Croix, leaning back with her arms crossed. "Last year, you said Jennifer wanted you to work with her willingly. That Jennifer believes you are the only one who should be allowed to use the power because, in her view, you are incorruptible. In a sense, that's true, considering Eveline couldn't take over."
"But I would never work with her willingly!" Akko shouted defiantly.
"Which is where Eveline comes in," said Croix, humming thoughtfully. "It's just a theory, but I don't believe that Jennifer is aware of your connection to Eveline. And if she was, I doubt she would use it. Jennifer would never want you to be coerced into going along with her plan. It's likely that Eveline might be going behind her master's back in this scenario."
"You think Eveline might be planning to turn on Jennifer?" asked Akko, surprised.
"Well, she was created to kill Demi-Humans," said Croix pointedly. "Even if she betrayed her creators, it's hard to overwrite programming that's been encoded in you since birth."
"Eveline might want to take the Shiny Rod for herself," said Akko, eyes widening in realization.
"That's the theory," said Croix, nodding. "Which is why we need to strengthen your mind to block her out."
"And how do we do that?" asked Akko.
"By teaching you how to defend yourself from outside intrusion," said Croix. "Both with and without the Claiomh Solais. Once you've mastered the technique with the Claiomh Solais, we'll move on to trying without, until you're able to defend yourself subconsciously – no pun intended. And to do that, we're going to be using – this."
Croix pointed to the mold above Akko's head. The young witch cringed at the sight of the disgusting enzyme.
"What is that?" asked Akko.
"Eveline's mold," Croix answered nonchalantly.
"WHAT!?"
Akko screamed and nearly jumped out of the chair, but Croix held her down.
"Kagari, calm down," said Croix evenly, keeping the flailing girl in the seat with one hand.
"W-why do you have Eveline's mold?" shouted Akko. "Are you gonna put that inside of me? Are you out of your mind?"
"Kagari, listen to me!" Croix grabbed Akko's face. "That is Eveline's mold…but it's not Eveline."
"…Huh?" Akko muttered dimly.
"The mold you see there," said Croix as she pointed at the tube again. "That's the mold that Eveline left in all the students three years ago. Even after you defeated her, we needed to take extra precautions and I extracted all the mold from everyone — including myself. It accumulated to you see right there."
"B-but why do you just…have that?" asked Akko worriedly. "Aren't you afraid it might attack you? It's Eveline!"
"It used to be, but because these fragments of the mold have been away from the host for so long they no longer recognize themselves," Croix explained in a manner like she was teaching basic math. "Plus, I modified the mold with the fuel spirits to erase any fragment of Eveline's consciousness, see?"
As Akko squinted her eyes she could see faint glowing red dots swimming around inside the mold.
"Despite the mold no longer being a part of Eveline, it still works the same way," Croix continued. "It can enter the mind and try to invade the consciousness. Our goal in this training exercise is for you to resist the mold from finding any of your memories or emotions. Those are a leeway into the core of your mind. You need to protect them with everything you got, alright?"
"So…I do that by using the Shiny Rod?" asked Akko, clutching the rod to her chest.
"Yes, Kagari," Croix nodded. "In your subconscious, call upon the Claiomh Solais' power and they should be able to protect you. Are you ready?"
Akko gulped, her eyes glued to the former fragments of Eveline that swam above her. But what she was afraid of was the Shiny Rod not working in her favor. Ever since the attack from the black-coated stranger, the staff was unable to perform any miracles like before—yet Akko refused to mention that anyway.
Even at the critical moment of training, she decided to keep her mouth shut.
"Y-yeah…I've got this," said Akko, forcing herself to sound confident
"Alright then," said Croix.
Croix placed a headset right on Akko that was attached to two plastic tubes that were also connected to the giant tube of mold. The professor then went over to the computer and typed away for a few minutes. After a while, her finger hovered over the spacebar.
"Gonna start in three…two…one…DIVE!"
Once Croix pressed the button, the machine beeped and the mold flowed out of the tube and entered the headset. Through the headset, the liquid spilled through Akko's ears into her brain. It was a truly uncomfortable sensation that mimicked the feeling of water from the pool being stuck in one's earlobes. The brunette witch grimaced as the mold continued to pour into her, she hugged the Shiny Rod close to her chest.
Once the mold had stopped flowing, Akko opened her eyes but saw nothing but the pitch-black darkness of the visor.
"Uh…Professor Croix?" Akko called out uncertainly. "I don't think it — WOOOOAAAHHHH!"
Suddenly, as if the floor had been pulled from under her, Akko fell into the deep sea of the unconscious. As she sank deeper and deeper into the waters, image after image raced through her mind like a flickering film, so vivid it blinded her to her surroundings….
She was five, watching Shiny Chariot performing in front of millions on the internet, her heart beating with excitement….She was nine, jumping off the roof of her house with a broom, trying to fly, and luckily being caught Mr. Kagari before hitting the ground….She was standing in front of the Magic Mirror, and it was telling her she would do well in the Eclipse House….Diana was lying on the floor, her face covered in black veins….A hundred heartless were closing in on her beside the dark lake….Diana was drawing nearer to her, lips parted….
No, said a voice in Akko's head, as the memory of Diana drew nearer, you're not watching that, you're not watching it, it's private —
A loud beeping sound rung in her ears. Akko was able to move again and lifted the headset off her eyes. Before her was the scene of Professor Croix's lab but one of the tables seemed to have been broken in half. The contents of the table were scattered and broken all over the floor and there was a strange burn mark in the center of where the table once stood. While breathing heavily and sweating, she looked over at Croix who was still sitting by the computer looking over at the damage in shock.
"Okay, note to self," Croix remarked. "Performing mentally strenuous activity in a lab full of expensive equipment is not a good idea."
"What…What happened?" Akko panted.
"You cast a Destruction Spell, which almost took my face off," said Croix. "Are you all right, Kagari? The mold got a lot farther than I expected it to. I was almost certain it would have stopped before it reached your memories with Diana."
"Did you see everything I saw on the screens?" Akko asked, unsure whether she wanted to hear the answer.
"Flashes of it," said Croix, with a smirk. "You jumped off the roof?"
"I wanted to fly," said Akko defensively, pouting.
"Well, this was just your first attempt," said Croix, turning to the keyboard once more. "You managed to stop the mold eventually, but it's strange that the Claiomh Solais didn't react in time. Did something happen recently."
"Uh, no," said Akko, trying not to meet the proferssor's gaze.
"Hmm, curious," Croix hummed. "Maybe it was just a fluke. Let's try again. This time, focus all of your attention in stopping the mold from getting too far. The Claiomh Solais should do the rest."
Akko made an awkward gulping sound, already knowing the Shiny Rod wasn't going to come to her defense like Croix expected it to. But she couldn't just tell her that the Shiny Rod stopped working. The Sphere already thinks she can't take care of herself. She doesn't need to add fuel to the fire.
"Let's go again," Croix instructed. "On the count of three…one — two — three — DIVE!"
A great horrifying alien creature was rearing in front of her….The scene of her performing in front of millions was shown to her in the Fountain of Polaris….Nico Minoru was lying on the ground, gurgling blood as she was clutching her neck that had a massive gash….Mato with black veins all over her face aiming the barrel of her gun at Akko's chin….
"NOOOOOOO!"
She was shrieking and writhing in her seat. Not being able to take it anymore, Akko threw the headset off, her brain aching as though someone had been trying to pull it from her skull.
"Akko!" Croix shouted worriedly, shutting down the machine and rolling over to Akko, helping the young witch sit up. "Are you okay? The Claiomh Solais didn't react again. What happened?"
"I…I don't know," Akko wheezed, her heart beating against her ribcage and the urge to heave coming on strong. She could still see the flashes of Nico lying in a pool of her own blood, Mato and her classmates being infected by Eveline.
"This isn't going at all how I calculated," said Croix, frowning. "Maybe I should consult Ursula and Holbrooke – "
"NO!" Akko shouted so loud, it made Croix jump. "It's fine! Let's go again! I can handle it!"
"Akko, this isn't – "
"I – CAN – HANDLE – IT!" Akko enunciated forcefully.
Croix gave her student a hard look, seemingly sizing her up. Akko stared back with such intensity, she was worried that glare might burn a hole through her. After a moment's silence, Croix rolled back to the computer. Akko reached down, grabbing the headset, and placed it on her head as Croix's finger hovered over the keyboard.
"One last time," said Croix with a hint of warning. "One – two – three – DIVE!"
She was watching Mr. Kagari hammering the mailbox shut….A hundred heartless were appearing out of the dark portals and coming towards her….She was running along a strange pathway with Mr. England….they were drawing nearer to a plain white door at the end of the corridor….Akko expected to go through it…but Mr. England led her off to the left, down a flight of marble steps….
"THAT'S IT! I KNOW!"
Akko ripped the headset off, jumped out of the chair, spiraled all over the floor. Her head was throbbing unpleasantly, but the voice that had just issued from her mouth was triumphant. She pushed herself to her feet to find Croix staring at her with confusion and fright. It looked as though, this time, Croix had shut down the machine herself before Akko could even try to fight back.
"What happened, Akko?" he asked, eyeing Akko intently.
"I saw — I remembered," Akko panted. "I've just realized…"
"Realized what?" asked Croix worriedly
Akko did not answer at once; she was still savoring the moment of blinding realization as he rubbed her temple….
She had been dreaming about that same pathway for months, but never did Akko realize that it was a real place. Now, compare the dream and the memory, she knew the truth. It was the corridor leading to the Department of Secrets, and Mr. England had been there the night that he had been attacked by Eveline…
She looked up at Croix.
"What's in the Department of Secrets?" asked Akko.
"What did you say?" Croix muttered quietly.
"I said, what's in the Department of Secrets?" said Akko
"And why," said Croix, slowly rising from her seat cautiously "would you ask such a thing?"
"Because," said Akko, watching Croix closely for a reaction, "that door I've just seen — I've been dreaming about it for months — and I think that's what Jennifer – "
"How do you know about the Department of Secrets?" Croix basically shouted. "None of you kids should know!"
"I just told you, I've been dreaming about it!" yelled Akko. "In my dream, Mr. England was running through there! Is there where the Book of Dust is? Where—"
"Kagari! Enough!"
Croix clutched onto Akko's arms and stared right into her eyes. There was a sense of horrible dread in her gaze mixed in with…fear. It was almost like she was…scared of Akko. It was a sobering moment for the brunette witch. After a while, the professor had calmed down and released her hands from Akko. When she spoke again she sounded as though she was trying to appear cool and unconcerned.
"There are many things in the Department of Secrets, Kagari," said Croix slowly and carefully. "Few of which you would understand and none of which concern you, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes," Akko said, still rubbing temple, which was becoming more painful.
"I want you back here same time on Wednesday," said Croix, turning her back and returning to her computer, "and we will continue work then."
"Y-Yeah," said Akko. She got the sense that Croix didn't want to be around her right now, and Akko wanted to find her friends and tell them what she saw. She picked up her schoolbag and threw the Shiny Rod into it as if it was a piece of trash. As she put the bag on her shoulders she hurried toward the door, taking one last glance at Croix who was typing away on her computer. Akko left without another word, closing the door carefully behind her, her head still throbbing painfully.
Akko found Lotte and Sucy in the library, where they were working on Light Spinner's most recent ream of homework. Other students, nearly all of them fifth years, sat at the tables nearby, noses close to books, pencils scratching feverishly, while the sky outside the mullioned windows grew steadily blacker. The only other sound was the slight squeaking of one of Professor Badcock's shoes as the librarian prowled the aisles menacingly, breathing down the necks of those touching her precious books.
Akko felt shivery; her brain was still pounding, she felt almost feverish. When she sat down opposite Lotte and Sucy, she caught sight of herself in the window opposite. She was very white, sweat was running for her face, and her eyes seemed to be a darker shade of red.
"How did it go?" Lotte whispered, and then, looking concerned, "Are you all right, Akko?"
"Yeah…fine…I don't know," said Akko impatiently, wincing as pain shot through her head again. "Listen…I've just figured something out…."
And she told them what she had just seen and deduced.
"So…what you're saying is," whispered Sucy, as Professor Badcock swept past, squeaking slightly, "that the book that Jennifer wants is in Era?"
"In the Department of Secrets, it's got to be," Akko whispered. "I saw that door when I was taken to the courtrooms for my hearing, and it's definitely the same one Mr. England was guarding when Eveline attacked him."
"But why do the Council just have the book in there?" Lotte asked. "Isn't it strange to keep such a book that involves the world's future in lock and key?"
"What if the future written in the book is a bad one?" Sucy stated. "If the whole world knew about it, it would cause a panic."
"Or maybe the Council hasn't seen it themselves," Lotte suggested, "and they're trying to keep anyone from seeing it. Whether it's good or bad, someone might be tempted to tamper with it."
"That sounds boring," Sucy commented. "But since we're talking about doors, wasn't Barbara's mom arrested for trying to get through a door."
"You think it might've been the same one?" asked Akko.
"It's too much of a coincidence not to be," Lotte agreed.
"So what's in the Department of Secrets?" Akko asked Sucy. "I remember your mom mentioning something about it last year."
"I know they call the people who work there 'Nothings,'" said Sucy, frowning. "Apparently, when you join, you have to erase everything about yourself, including your own name. Perfect place to hide a future-telling book, honestly…."
"SHHH!"
Badcock surprised the three who jumped in their setas, suddenly appearing beside their table. She gave them a reproving look, particularly at Akko, and moved on to the next table that was being a bit too loud. Akko leaned against the table on her elbows, grimacing as she rubbed her aching head.
"Uh…Akko?" Lotte called out to her friend with a worried voice. "Are you sure you're all right?"
Yeah…fine…," she said, lowering her hands, which were trembling. "I just feel…I had a pretty rough time at Croix's…."
"Anyone would be a little shaken up about having their mind attacked over and over again," said Lotte sympathetically. "Let's get back to the common room. We'll be a bit more comfortable there…."
But the common room was packed and full of shrieks of laughter and excitement; Garie and Sabi were demonstrating their latest bit of mischievous merchandise.
"Portable Curses!" shouted Sabi, as Garie waved a red box perfectly tied in a ribbon. "Two thousand curses from Israel — watch Garie, now!"
Garie opened the box and exploding out from the box was multiple disgusting creatures with mouths and hands. The girls screamed as they ran away from the monstrosities that were now walking all over the common room.
"Isn't that amazing?" shouted Sabi, and Garie was riding on top of one of the curses as if it was a horse.
"What the heck are you guys doing?" screamed Lotte, doing her best to avoid the curses that were trying to grab her. "Curses are extremely dangerous to mess with! You could seriously hurt someone — including yourselves!"
Akko did not care for the situation; she was still feeling ill.
"I'm going to bed, guys," she muttered, pushing past the curses.
"O-okay! Call us if you need anything!" said Lotte encouragingly.
Akko waved goodbye to Lotte and Sucy as she walked upstairs. She even exchanged glances at Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka who were fighting off curses. They stopped their firing of spells and looked at Akko with worry. And then there was Blair, who was hiding right above the fireplace, who gasped aloud the moment she saw Akko. She tried to call out for her, but the brunette was deaf to their words and she opened the door to the dormitory.
She opened the door and was one step inside when she suddenly experienced a hard strike to the back of her head. The young witch yelped as she rolled on the floor and grabbed the place she was hurt. She quickly turned back and her heart nearly stopped.
Standing right before her was the Black Coat. Whether it was the man or woman was hard to tell.
"You – who are you? What do you want with me?" Akko shouted.
The Black Coat said nothing and instead quietly walked over to Akko, her footsteps not making a sound on the creaky floorboard. Akko flipped around on her back, fumbling with her school bag, and whipped out the Shiny Rod. She aimed it at the Black Coat and started her incantation"
"Noctu Orfei–"
But even as Akko was beginning to recite the words, none of the stars were glowing and no magic seemed to coming off of them. Even when she needed them dearly, the stars did not work. Groaning in frustration, Akko tossed the Shiny Rod as it clattered across the floor.
She reached for her wand and aimed it at the intruder, but the Black Coat effortlessly slapped it from her hand before she could so much as utter a word. Akko scrambled back, flipping to her hands and knees, when the Black Coat grabbed her by the head and slammed her face down on the floor. The throbbing pain in her temple intensified; her vision blurred and started seeing double. She tried reaching for her discarded wand, but the Black Coat grabbed her by the wrist and twisted her arm back, making Akko cry out.
"Always the disappointment, aren't you," said the Black Coat. It was definitely the woman. "No matter How hard you try, everything you do end in failure. How does it feel, knowing that you're always disappointing people? Knowing you can never live up to their expectation?"
"You don't – know anything – " Akko grunted, struggling against her grip.
"I know you didn't tell Croix about the Shiny Rod," said the Black Coat, making Akko tense up. "She's doing everything she can to help you, but you are too stubborn and prideful to admit that the rod no longer works for you. Afraid of admitting weakness? Scared that they won't treat you the same way?"
"No…that's not…," Akko grimaced.
"Then why?" questioned the Black Coat. "Why continue to hide it? What happens at a critical moment where they turn to you for help, only to realize that you have nothing? How many more people have to die before you admit your failure?"
"I…I don't…."
"Akko-Nyan?" Blair's voice cut through the tension. "Akko-Nyan, are you still up?"
The pressure on Akko's head and arms suddenly disappeared as the door to the dormitory opened up. Just like in the Cavendish Manor, the Black Coat had disappeared without a trace, so it was just Akko lying on the floor when Blair walked in. She gasped and ran over to Akko, kneeling beside her and help her charge sit up.
"Akko-Nyan, what happened?" asked Blair worriedly.
"That…it was that woman…in the Black Coat," Akko gasped.
"The one from the manor?" said Blair, eyes wide in shock. She looked around, as if expecting the intruder to be lurking in the corner. "How did she get in here? I've been watching the common room all day?"
"I…don't know…," Akko grimaced, rubbing her arm. She was shaking as badly as she had done after seeing Eveline attack Mr. England. "She's following me…everywhere…. I don't know what she wants. She…she keeps saying…."
"Stop, Akko-Nyan," said Blair severely, holding up her hand. "Whatever she's saying to you, don't listen to her. She doesn't know anything."
"She's been watching me – "
"Enough," said Blair in a low voice, grabbing Akko's elbow and helping the girl to her feet. "You're exhausted from Croix's sessions. Your mind is at its most vulnerable right now. Just put whatever she said out of your head and let's get you to bed. You'll feel better in the morning."
Akko looked doubtful as Blair helped her toward the bed. She nodded without any conviction and slumped back on her pillow, aching from having her head slammed against the floor, which was still throbbing by the way. She could not help feeling that her first foray into mental defense had weakened her mind's resistance instead of strengthening it. And she wondered, with a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, that maybe the woman in the Black Coat might be right….
Chapter 25: Warning
Chapter Text
Hello, everyone. Red here.
No, this isn't a chapter update. It's more like a warning.
As you know, a couple months back, someone (Jaytia85976) offered to write the rest of the Akko Kagari series for me. At first, I was enthusiastic, especially after the first chapter was written. I thought it was the beginning of a great partnership. It was not so.
Even though we both agreed in the beginning that he would write the story according to my vision and notes, Jaytia85976 decided he wanted to take my story and turn it into his own. He was throwing out ideas - some I agreed with, some I didn't - but it started out civil at first. But when he decided to make the executive decision to completely change several key points in Akko's story, that's when I decided to put my foot down. When I made it expressly clear that it was MY story and he had no right to change it, he starts playing the victim card and then threatens me with an ultimatum: do it his way or he won't write.
Naturally, I cut him loose, which is why there has not been an update in two months. And it's unlikely there ever will be.
However, I just received word that he's posting my story without my permission. So to all you loyal readers out there: If you see anyone posting this series and I have not expressly said that they were allowed to do so, please report it. As much as I know you want Akko's story to finish, it's better to let her journey be discontinued rather than warped into something else.
Thank you, and good day.
Pages Navigation
Nakos on Chapter 1 Fri 13 Mar 2020 06:07PM UTC
Comment Actions
redlerred7 on Chapter 1 Fri 13 Mar 2020 06:39PM UTC
Comment Actions
KatTheIndigoWolf on Chapter 1 Fri 13 Mar 2020 09:11PM UTC
Comment Actions
AlondraFlores23 on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Mar 2020 12:32AM UTC
Comment Actions
Pvt_Winters on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Mar 2020 02:19AM UTC
Comment Actions
Red_Reef on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Mar 2020 02:23AM UTC
Comment Actions
elysianempire on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Mar 2020 04:04AM UTC
Comment Actions
grifman275 on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Mar 2020 04:50AM UTC
Comment Actions
Marwile on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Mar 2020 02:46PM UTC
Comment Actions
AuryBros on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Mar 2020 04:09PM UTC
Comment Actions
Anirak (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sun 15 Mar 2020 05:32PM UTC
Comment Actions
Laura_The_Lesbian_Witch on Chapter 1 Sat 26 Jun 2021 07:21PM UTC
Comment Actions
Valten1992 on Chapter 1 Sat 25 Feb 2023 01:46PM UTC
Comment Actions
grifman275 on Chapter 2 Sun 29 Mar 2020 08:46PM UTC
Comment Actions
AlondraFlores23 on Chapter 2 Sun 29 Mar 2020 10:05PM UTC
Comment Actions
KatTheIndigoWolf on Chapter 2 Sun 29 Mar 2020 10:09PM UTC
Comment Actions
haku48 on Chapter 2 Mon 30 Mar 2020 03:22AM UTC
Comment Actions
elysianempire on Chapter 2 Mon 30 Mar 2020 04:44AM UTC
Comment Actions
grifman275 on Chapter 3 Sat 04 Apr 2020 11:27PM UTC
Comment Actions
haku48 on Chapter 3 Sun 05 Apr 2020 01:53AM UTC
Comment Actions
Pvt_Winters on Chapter 3 Sun 05 Apr 2020 03:52AM UTC
Comment Actions
Red_Reef on Chapter 3 Sun 05 Apr 2020 03:57AM UTC
Comment Actions
Pvt_Winters on Chapter 3 Sun 05 Apr 2020 09:00AM UTC
Comment Actions
Red_Reef on Chapter 3 Sun 05 Apr 2020 11:53AM UTC
Last Edited Sun 05 Apr 2020 12:01PM UTC
Comment Actions
Pages Navigation