After the OST for the TV series came out today, and I've been listening to Woodwards theme on replay nonstop, I got inspired to write something. This covers a major plot hole in my AU, because now the Years Later AU does cover most of the canon events that happen in the show.
So why did the Shiny Rod come back when it faded into the stars? Well...
A soft knock to the door and Chariot perked up from her paperwork and rose from her seat quickly. She hadn't been expecting any visitors today, but she answered it regardless.
"Can I help you- eh?" She stopped short when she saw who was standing there.
"Hello Professor Chariot! Sorry for showing up without much notice," Akko Kagari-Cavendish stood before the door, smiling sheepishly. Standing next to her was the much smaller Seraphine Grimassi, a first year student that recently became Akko's apprentice. The smaller girl held a staff, seven orbs etched into the magical wood.
Chariot could only come to one conclusion; another lesson and she was so graciously included.
Over the past few months, ever since Seraphine was assigned as Akko's apprentice, the brunette was still very new to the whole mentor thing. Teaching private lessons was much different to teaching a whole class. So, Chariot decided to help Akko in her lessons, and both mentor and apprentice had improved tremendously.
Only, when she saw Akko today, there was a very solemn glint in her eyes.
Chariot could only assume that today's lesson would be very hard for the brunette to talk about. Which is why the two of them are here now.
"O-Oh don't worry! It's perfectly fine! Please come in," Chariot invited them, opening the door more. Seraphine stepped in and scanned the room, having been in the older woman's suite plenty of times before. Chariot's suite had an additional lookout tower, the afternoon sun shining through the large window from above. On her desk, perched quietly was her old white crow familiar, Alcor. The old bird was sleeping, greasy feathers fluffed out.
"So what brings you here today?" Chariot asked, walking over to her desk to prepare tea for them. Akko looked to her student and Seraphine flinched, her grip tightening on the staff.
"I-I was j-just wondering… Why did the Shiny Rod come back? W-Wasn't the world at peace and magic flourishing?" Seraphine stuttered, the anxiety in her voice laced into her words. Now Chariot understood why they were here. Her red eyes glanced to Akko, the young woman's face twisted in an emotion she could not decipher. Today was the day that Seraphine would learn the truth.
"It was. However…" Chariot trailed off, head dipping down. Seraphine blinked.
"Something very bad happened," Akko murmured, Seraphine turning to her in confusion. Chariot gestured for them to sit down and have some tea.
"Allow me to explain," Chariot sat in her own seat, facing them. She reached back to her hip where her wand was and unsheathed it and silently casted a spell. The room grew dark as the window was covered over and a enchanted screen appeared above them.
"Less than a decade ago, the world had its magic restored to all corners of the planet. This was thanks to two particular witches using the Clai- the Shiny Rod. All seven words had been unlocked and the Grand Triskellion was unsealed," Chariot started, images of the aforementioned Shiny Rod and the symbol of the seal flashing on the screen above. Seraphine understood mostly everything, hearing about it and learning it in her classes.
"But… shortly after, the last of the original Nine Olde Witches, Professor Woodward, was reported to have passed away. With magic restored, she no longer had a reason to stay," An image of the ancient witch appeared on the screen, in all her elegance and beauty. Seraphine wondered what all of them looked like, with how beautiful Woodward looked alone.
"However, without her, the Shiny Rod had nobody properly guarding it from darker forces. Even though the rod had returned to the stars, those with evil intentions had ways to getting it back to its physical form," Chariot continued, sensing Akko tense up. Seraphine didn't notice, she was fixated on the screen above them.
"Only two years later, with the world at peace and magic being the strongest it's ever been, a dark force made himself known to the magical world. His presence alone upset the balance, as he was after power to make himself stronger," A lanky, dragon-like creature appeared on screen. Akko hissed and looked away, fearing that her mental state would worsen. Seraphine grew tense, her hands tightening around her cup of tea.
"He eventually came to Luna Nova, as our magic here was very strong. Not only that, but this was the place where the Shiny Rod could be summoned from the stars. While Arcturus Forest was difficult for witches to enter and exit, he made it his temporary home," Another image of the haunting forest appeared.
"He… ambushed us only once, but the attack left many tragedies," Chariot's voice grew quieter. Seraphine had only heard rumors of the ambush, how students had been injured and one even killed.
"We warned students to not seek him out and try to fight him… but…" Chariot glanced over to Akko, and the brunette avoided looking at her. Seraphine followed the redhead's gaze and looked to her mentor, brows furrowing in worry.
"One had attempted to come in contact with him, the urgency in the matter having become serious. He was summoning the Shiny Rod by force alone and planned to absorb its power," Chariot explained, looking back to the screen. Seraphine didn't need to know who that person was, she had heard of the story on how a Cavendish attempted to fight an all too powerful beast.
"He was stopped before he could do such terrible things, and the Shiny Rod had returned to its previous holder, allowing them to use its magic. It transformed, and was used in the fight against him. The battle itself had left him disfigured" Chariot murmured.
"Wounded and angry, he attacked… and almost took another life..." Chariot knew this was getting too personal for Akko, so she quickly moved on. Seraphine blinked, her lips going down in a sad frown. This was a story that all magical creatures big and small had heard about; the news of a Cavendish almost dying in a fight against something much too strong. Seraphine was very young when it had happened, but she had later discovered it through her family and late night study sessions.
Headmistress…
The professor's beloved wife...
"With the creature causing chaos to the magical world, the Shiny Rod could not return to its original form. Its previous holder kept it out of fear that he would someday return," Seraphine didn't need to see the face of the person that was once the Rod's holder, she already knew who they were.
She glanced over to her mentor, the older woman was hunched over in a state of mental pain. She didn't know the exact details, but this entire lesson had done nothing but cause internal turmoil to her professor, as it involved not only her but her wife. Seraphine's eyes widened as she came to a conclusion.
Akko wasn't mentally strong enough to tell her about the Rod's reappearance herself. It was among one of the darkest times of her life, and she still suffered from it to this day.
Frowning sadly, she hesitantly reached over to her professor and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder. Akko flinched, and rose up to look at her. Her eyes were shined over, tears lining the edges, implying that she was close to crying. Seraphine gave her a small smile and Akko blinked. She then smiled her own gratitude for the girl.
With Seraphine's hand still on her shoulder, the both of them looked back to Chariot. The redhead smiled sadly at both of them, seeing herself and Akko from years ago. She then nodded and continued.
"Under certain circumstances, the Shiny Rod could not stay with its previous holder because they did not have the power to defeat the great beast. Therefore, the rod simply vanished from the old holder and appeared before the new," Chariot explained, looking to Seraphine now, the Rod sitting nicely in the girl's lap.
"W-What… does that mean?" Seraphine asked, her hand sliding off Akko's shoulder and going to the staff. She set her now empty cup of tea down on the table next to her.
"It means you're the one that must awaken the Rod to defeat him," Chariot responded, her gaze trailing back up to the screen with an image of the beast. Despite having the Shiny Rod, Seraphine still hasn't awakened any of the words. And without the power of the rod, the next incident from him could be Luna Nova and ultimately the world's downfall.
"M-Me? There's got to be some sort of m-mistake," Seraphine shook her head, her hands grasping the rod. Not a flicker of light came from the rod, and Akko knew why.
Seraphine's fear and anxiety were overcoming her heart, and the rod could not awaken when it's holder did not believe.
"But you can Seraphine, you are the only hope we have," Akko turned to her, setting her cup down. The woman, who just moments before was in a state of anguish, had perked up to her old self.
"B-But my magic isn't anything special, how do you expect me to take on him?" Seraphine was becoming doubtful and Akko grabbed her shoulders, causing the girl to wince.
"Because! The Shiny Rod chose you! You are the one that it believes the most, the one that can change the world for the better," Akko exclaimed, utmost enthusiasm in her voice. Seraphine shivered, overwhelmed by the emotions in her chest and stomach.
"B-But what if-"
"But nothing! Seraphine, you will be the one that saves the world again. I believe in you and your heart," Akko cut her off, and Seraphine's eyes widened at her exclamation. Akko took her hands away, watching the girl as she looked at the rod in her lap. Now the young girl understood her true reasoning as to why she even had the rod in the first place.
"Is there anything we can learn about him?" Seraphine's voice came out quiet, but not a single stutter, her head still down, her black hair covering her eyes.
"There is some books on him, but the information is very vague. You would have to go to the headmistress to access books and items that are off limits to students," Chariot spoke up this time, remembering the time she had to access the chambers for Akko back then.
"I can help with that!" Akko butted in, a small light of affection in her eyes at the mention of her wife.
"A-And what do I exactly c-call him?" Seraphine stuttered again, looking to Akko and then Chariot.
Chariot was quiet for a moment, and Akko dropped her gaze. The redhead closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before letting out a sigh. She opened her piercing red eyes once more, staring straight at Seraphine.
"Xuihcoatl,"
Classes were over for the day, and Seraphine made her way back to her dorm. She could only imagine that Eddy and Allisandra were patiently awaiting her arrival. But her mind was buzzing with everything that had happened today, the weight on her chest almost suffocating.
I'm… like the Chosen One now, right? The fate of the world is on my shoulders...
If anything, she would need to look deeper into the beast known as Xuihcoatl. Around here, he was dubbed simply as the Sorcerer, but now that she knew he had an actual name...
She looked down at the Shiny Rod, gazing into one of the orbs. But it remained dull and quiet. Seraphine sighed, still unsure on how she would awaken it.
She walked closer to her dorm, her mind and body anxious for the future ahead...