Losses and gains
Professor Ursula had spent a frantic afternoon trying to track down Atsuko Kagari, but for everyone she'd asked nobody had seen her which was unusual, to say the least as Akko's loud and bubbly personality often meant that she was heard first before she was seen- but today it was almost as if she had vanished off the face of the planet.
"Professor Callistis. Are you still looking for miss Kagari?" Professor Anne Finnelan barked out at the young teacher.
"I am. Yes" Ursula answered
"I saw her and her friends in the library," Professor Finnelan told her. Ursula thanked her and proceeded to head towards the library but was stopped by Anne.
"Give her my best, will you. She may be a poor student but nobody deserves this" She told the blue-haired witch.
"I will, thank you" Ursula answered before walking off towards the library.
Akko wiped the tears out of her eyes as she let out a loud laugh as Amanda concluded her story. She was joined by Lotte, Sucy, Jasminka and Constanze in the enjoyment of Amanda's tale. At the next table to the group of friends Hannah and Barbara rolled their eyes at them while Diana sighed and turned to face the noisy group behind her
"This is a library. Will you please respect your other students using these facilities" She snapped at them
"Chill out Cavendish" Amanda scoffed. Diana tutted at the American's attitude and turned her back to them. Ursula entered the library and made a beeline straight for Akko. She leant in close to the young girl and whispered in her ear.
"Akko can you step outside with me for a moment please?"
"But professor! I haven't done anything!" Akko pleaded in defence
"No, you're not in trouble. I just need to speak to you privately for a moment" Ursula calmed the brunette's fears.
"Oh okay. Sure" Akko stood up and followed Professor Callistis out of the library, they found a bench to sit down on and once Ursula had double checked that they would not be overheard she took Akko's hands in her own and broke the awful news she had received this morning
"Akko. I'm so sorry to tell you this but we received a call this morning from your father. You're mother... She... She had a heart attack and sadly passed away" Akko's eyes filled with tears
"My mum... She's dead?" She choked
"I'm so sorry Akko" as the young girl broke down completely. Before Ursula could offer any more comfort Akko pulled her hands away and looked up at her teacher.
"We can use magic to help?!" Akko sobbed. Clutching at straws as grief took hold of every inch of her heart and soul. Ursula just shook her head, feeling helpless as she watched Akko's heartbreaking in front of her. Akko turned around and ran as fast as she could away from her professor.
A few hours later
"Hey. Has anybody seen Akko?" Amanda asked, noticing that Akko still hadn't returned
"I've not actually seen her since Professor Callistis took her outside" Lotte answered.
"She's probably gone back to our room. We might as well just finish off this chapter before we go and get her again" Sucy reasoned to a mumered agreement.
"Excuse me, girls. I won't be a moment" Diana excused herself from her table. She walked out of the library and made her way towards the nearest bathroom. She was surprised to find it locked. taking her wand from where it hung against her hip she waved it and unlocked the door. She walked in and found Akko sat on the floor in the corner, knees pulled up to her chest, hugging them tightly. She could tell from the way Akko's shoulders heaved that Akko was crying.
"Akko?" Diana whispered, Akko let go of her knees and looked up at Diana. The blonde had never seen Akko cry before. She'd seen her disheartened before but never for long but this... This looked like heartbreak. Diana, who would be the first to admit that she and Akko had never seen eye to eye or the fact that they would probably never be the best of friends. Akko would even call Diana her rival, even though Diana was miles ahead of Akko in terms of magical ability and would never reply to Akko's words. Still, Diana couldn't bear to see Akko in this state. Diana sat down next to Akko and gently put an arm around her.
"Akko? What's wrong?"
"M-my m-m-mother... S-she had- had a he-heart at-att-attack" Akko sobbed, stuttering out the news Professor Ursula had broken to her. Diana felt her own heart sink, remember how she felt when she lost her mother.
"I'm so sorry Akko" Diana sighed. Akko buried her face into the blonde girl's shoulder while Diana comfortingly stroked her hair and rubbed her back. Trying in some small way to do the impossible- ease the heartache Akko was feeling. After a while, Diana said to Akko
"Your friends were getting worried about you, I think we should head back to the library for a bit, maybe it'll help to take your mind off things?" Diana suggested, thinking back to what she had done when her mother passed- throwing herself into her studies.
"Mmmhmm" Akko mumbled. Diana stood up first and helped Akko to her feet before the two of them left the bathroom.
Akko shuffled back into the library with Diana following close behind her.
"Hey" Akko muttered, coming to a stop in front of her friends
"Woah! Akko... Who died to give you a face like that" Amanda joked. Akko immediately turned around and ran back out of the library.
"Was it something I said?" Amanda mused as Diana saw red. She marched over to Amanda
"Akko was told today that her mother had passed away" She growled into the American's ear. The colour drained from her face as what Diana said sunk in. Her stomach dropped and she felt like throwing up.
"Poor Akko" Lotte whispered, feeling awful for her friend. Amanda jumped out of her seat, pushed past Diana and sprinted out of the library. She found Akko right outside, her forehead pressed up against the cold stone wall.
"Akko... I am so so sorry. I had no idea, you know what I'm like. I'm stupid and I speak and act without thinking first. I'm a terrible friend and I feel so awful. I'm sorry" Amanda apologised to the tiny Japanese witch, reaching out to place a comforting hand on her back before stopping herself.
"It's not your fault. You didn't know" Akko sobbed, using the sleeve of her school uniform to dry her eyes. She turned to face Amanda. Her eyes were red and puffy, her nose was running and her cheeks were shiny from the amount of tears that had rolled down them. Amanda pulled Akko into a tight hug, resting her chin carefully on the shorter witch's head.
"I'm here for you if you need anything" Amanda whispered to her.
"Thanks, Amanda, right now I think I just want to be alone," Akko told her, letting herself out of Amanda's embrace.
"Oh ok, I'll let Lotte and Sucy know"
"Okay, thanks" Akko mumbled before walking away.
Over the next few weeks, Akko refused to leave her dorm unless it was for class or to use the restroom no matter who tried to get her to leave. Be it Lotte or Sucy, Amanda, Jasminka or Constanze. Lotte, who was getting more and more worried as time went by took to bring Akko food from the canteen so she wouldn't starve.
"Akko, you need to go and bath. You're beginning to smell worse than my specially bred putrid mushrooms" Sucy informed her
"I know I need to" Akko replied softly
"I just don't want to face anybody" She admitted
"But Akko, people are worried about you" Lotte answered her back
"But why? Most of the people asking about me all know me as the stupid, clumsy Shiny Chariot wannabe who fails every class she's in"
"I'm sure that's not true" Lotte retorted
"No, I'm pretty sure Akko is one hundred percent right here" Sucy chimed in. Causing Lotte to shoot the pale-haired witch a horrified look. Lotte was about to argue on Akko's behalf when all of a sudden Akko rose to her feet, picked up her wash bag and a towel
"Sucy's right, I need to wash and at this time I'm sure nobody is going to be around," Akko told the pair. She walked off and out of their dorm room without waiting for a reply.
Akko turned both taps on and sat on the edge of the bathtub as she waited for the water to fill the tub, she poured in a little bubble bath from a bottle she took out from her bag. She stood up, turned the taps off, took off her pyjama top and bottoms off before sliding her underwear down her legs and stepping out of them and into the warm bath. She laid back and soaked her hair, running her fingers through it in the same way her mother used to do when she was little. She closed her eyes as she began to wash her hair, feeling slightly disgusted with herself when she realised how greasy it had become. Akko let her mind wander into her own little world as she continued to wash away weeks of grease and dirt from her hair and body.
"Ughh... I'm disgusting" Akko moaned to herself. Despite all of the time she had spent crying over the past number of weeks due to the mess of emotions that she was constantly going through, Akko now found herself being set off by the tiniest of details- this time how unhygienic she had allowed herself to become. Her eyes started welling up again.
Outside Diana Cavendish heard the noise Akko was making and, not knowing the young witch was simply having a bath went to go and see what was the source of the noise.
"Hello?" Diana asked as she opened the door into the bathroom causing Akko to yell out in surprise
"Diana! What are you doing"? Akko demanded, quickly covering herself with her arms
"My apologies, nobody is normally bathing at this time of night, so I assumed that someone might be up to no good" Diana answered, silently noticing Akko's tears
"I'll just give you a moment" Diana added, stepping back and closing the door behind her, waiting for Akko to finish.
Five minutes later Diana heard the bath being empty and footsteps approaching. Akko opened the door and walked past Diana. She grabbed Akko's arm to stop her from leaving before apologising for disturbing her
"It's fine" Akko muttered
"Akko? How are you?" Diana asked
"I'm okay" Akko lied. Her stomach though decided to tell the truth by growling loudly
"Do you wanna get something to eat?"
"I'm not hungry" Akko lied again
"There will be nobody else around" Diana reassured her, having guessed at the reasons why Akko was bathing so late at night. Akko pondered the offer before nodding.
"Okay," She agreed. Allowing Diana to lead the way. Instead of going to the canteen, Diana lead Akko back to her dorm, opening the door quietly as to not disturb any of her neighbours.
"Come in" Diana invited. Akko followed her in and around the corner to Diana's bedroom.
"Take a seat" Diana offered, indicating her bed. Akko sat down on the edge of Diana's bed in the spot the blonde had pointed to.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" Diana asked
"Yes please" Akko replied quietly, looking around at Diana's room.
"Here you go" Diana smiled handing Akko a cup as she sat down beside her, she placed her cup down on her bedside table and picked up a plate of biscuits and offered it to Akko.
"I'm sorry it's nothing more substantial, Lotte had mentioned that you've not been eating properly" Diana apologised
"It's fine. Thanks" Akko whispered, taking one and biting into it. The two girls sat in a comfortable silence for a while, the only noise coming from the sipping of tea until Akko couldn't hold back a question that had been bothering her about Diana since the day she found out her mother had died.
"Diana..."
"Hmm?"
"Can I just ask... Why are you being so nice to me? We're supposed to be rivals but you were the first person to comfort me on the day my mum died and Lotte's told me you've been asking about me when I've not been up to facing class" Akko questioned
"Akko, I have never said that we are rivals..." Diana began before she was interrupted by Akko
"But we always seem to fight and compete in class, and you always seem to have everyone on your side cause you're the best student to ever go to school here and I'm the worst"
"You are not the worst witch to ever go to Luna Nova, you are a more talented witch than you give yourself credit for and as for why I've been 'nice' to you... I lost my mother at a young age so I know what you're going through, I know how horrible and lonely it can feel. I never had anyone really there for me, apart from my family's wonderful staff but no real other family members and you're so far away from home. I guess I just felt like nobody should be alone in times like these" Diana admitted.
"Oh, I never knew. I'm sorry"
"Thank you" The girls then agreed to turn over a new leaf and getting to know each other properly. Diana enchanted Akko by describing the beautiful English countryside she had grown up in and Akko, in turn, told her about the history and culture of Japan before both of them recounted their most cherished memories of their mothers. For Diana, her memory was of her curling up into her mother's lap while her mother read to her and Akko's most treasured memory was whenever she was sad, frightened sick or angry her mother would always calm her down and make her feel better by cuddling up to her and playing with her hair.
Akko yawned loudly as she finished her story.
"Tired?" Diana asked
"Exhausted" Akko answered.
"I'm not surprised, it is three am after all," Diana told her, glancing at her watch
"Wow, that late? I'd better head back. Thank you for tonight. I had fun" Akko told her, smiling for the first time in weeks.
"You're welcome" Diana replied, cheeks tinged pink as she smiled back at Akko
"Goodnight Diana"
"Goodnight Akko"
Over the next few months the fact that Atsuko Kagari and Diana Cavendish were growing closer and closer had not gone unnoticed by their teachers who had begun to notice a vast improvement in all aspects of magic from Akko, courtesy of some private lessons from Diana nor was it unnoticed by their fellow students, that meant it was now harder for them to hide their blossoming relationship. Akko flopped down on Diana's bed
"So what's the latest rumour flying around?" Akko asked suppressing her laughter
"So today on 'Diakko' daily news..." Diana began
"Diakko?" Akko questioned
"Amanda thought it would be cute to mash our names up together" Diana explained
"Aw okay, that is kinda cute though" Akko huffed, annoyed that she didn't think of it first
"Apparently we were caught in the New Moon Tower using the Shiny Rod in a number of ahem... Creative ways by the fairies" Diana giggled
"Oh my" Akko laughed
"Do you think we'll tell people soon?" Akko asked
"When the time is right my dear" Diana answered
Akko stood in front of Diana, Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze, her broom at her feet.
"You know I'm not so sure about this" Akko announced to the crowd
"You'll be fine Akko" Lotte cheered
"Just remember what we learned" Diana reminded her.
"Okay, I'll try" Akko replied. She raised her wand and yelled out loud and clear
"Tia Freyre!" but nothing happened
"Picture yourself flying remember" Diana called out to her. Akko looked over to see her encouraging smile and suddenly she felt her feet leave the floor as she rose up ten feet off of the ground
"YAY! I did it! I actually did it!" She beamed out as she leant forward and descended back down to the floor as her friends came running over to congratulate her. First to get to Akko was Diana who surprised Akko by throwing her arms around her and pressing her lips against Akko's before pulling away again.
"Well done" Diana whispered to her, blushing furiously as she realised what she had just done. There was a stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity before it was broken by Amanda
"HA! I knew it! HEY, AUSTYN! YOU OWE ME TWENTY POUNDS" She yelled out to a student across the field.
One year later
Diana took Akko's hand in her own, giving it a comforting gentle squeeze.
"We can always come back another day," She told Akko as they stood outside the gates of the Okinawan graveyard in Japan.
"No. I said I'd come home once school broke up, it's broken up now. I've not been home since before... You know..." Akko let her voice trail off
"I know" Diana nodded, she removed her hand from Akko's and placed her arm around the smaller girl's shoulder. Akko took a deep breath and the pair walked into the graveyard. It didn't take the pair long to find the headstone for Akko's mother. Akko dropped to her knees and placed a bouquet of pink and dark red roses down. Diana placed a hand on Akko's shoulder
"Hi, mum. It's me, Akko. Sorry, I've not visited before now and I'm so sorry I wasn't at your funeral but dad said you'd have wanted me to stay at school and not miss out on anything. My friends helped me to put on my own service for you, you'd have liked it I think. You'd love all of my friends, I've made so many and I'm really working hard and I even have a girlfriend now. You'd approve of her... I love you mum and I miss you so much. I just wish I could see you one last time" Akko spoke to the marble headstone, her voice cracking as her eyes welled up with tears. With Diana's help, she rose back to her feet. She bowed down and kissed the top of her mother's grave, stepping back she allowed Diana to crouch down and place a single yellow rose next to Akko's bouquet. She turned and kissed the top of Akko's head
"She'd be proud of you if she could see you now" Diana whispered.
Later that night Diana was laying on Akko's bed with Akko laying across her, eyes closed as Diana began running her fingers through Akko's sleek brown hair
"Diana?"
"Yes, my dear?"
"Thank you for coming with me today and saying what you said" Akko whispered to her, sitting up and moving her body so she was laying next to Diana, resting her head on the blonde's shoulder.
"It was the truth, you're mother would be proud of the witch you have become," Diana told her
"Still... Thank you" Akko repeated, leaning up and pecking Diana's lips,
"I love you, Diana"
"I love you too"