"Huh?! What do you mean you're not gonna be in school on your birthday?!"
Diana took a steady sip of tea, completely unfazed by Akko's sudden outburst. She gently placed the cup back onto the plate in front of her and looked up at her friend, who had shoved herself just inches away from across the tea table.
"Unfortunately, Aunt Daryl and my cousins are using my eighteenth birthday as some excuse to hold a huge ball of sorts," Diana sighed. She felt her heart twist the slightest bit as Akko deflated back onto her chair, sporting an obvious pout. "Personally… I'd prefer not to go-"
"Just skip it."
Diana turned towards Amanda, who was leaning back on a chair.
"Amanda, I can't just skip it."
"Why not?" Amanda leaned forward, bringing her chair back completely onto the ground. "It sounds like you don't wanna go. Besides, a party full of spoiled rich kids? Sounds lame."
"Unfortunately, my house staff also appear to be rather excited to have some life back at my estate once again," Diana said. "And I'd prefer to not disappoint them. After everything my Aunt puts them through, I'm sure they would appreciate a joyous occasion of some sort."
"Still, do you haaave to go?"
Diana looked back at Akko. Her heart broke when she saw Akko's wide eyes pleading her to stay.
"Akko I-"
"Akko, you can't just turn on the waterworks whenever something doesn't go your way."
"But Su-"
"Akko, I'm sure Diana would stay if she could," Lotte intervened.
"But Lotteeee" Akko whined.
Diana groaned, having been interrupted again. She looked to Hannah and Barbara, who were standing behind the red team. They were smirking at her, but encouraging her to continue. She took a quick peek at Amanda and rolled her eyes upon seeing the almost smug grin on her friend's face.
Diana then turned to Akko, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
"Akko." Diana opened her eyes and looked sharply at Akko. When Akko flinched in front of her, Diana chuckled and softened her gaze. "I apologize… I'm sure you and everyone here had something undoubtedly wonderful planned."
"Yeah…" Akko mumbled as she flopped onto the table.
"But-" Diana grinned mentally when Akko's whipped up at her, "I truly did want to spend my birthday with all of you… which is why I demanded that you all be invited."
"Wait! Really?!" Akko all but screamed, slamming her hands on the table and bolting off of the table.
"Yes Akko, really." Diana confirmed, her smile turning almost smug.
"But, but wait-" Akko leaned back in her seat and looked up at Diana with concern in her eyes, "It's gonna be full of rich people… will it really be okay if we go?"
Diana only continued smiling at Akko, softening her gaze. Slowly yet confidently, almost naturally, Diana reached out and placed her hand atop Akko's.
"Akko… there is nothing I want more than for you be there." Diana turned to look at the rest of their group. "For all of you to be there." Then she moved to look at Akko, straight into her eyes. "Okay Akko?"
Akko gaped at Diana. Her cheeks dusted with pink, and the sound of choked air escaped her throat.
Diana raised a brow at Akko's silence until Amanda jumped in and wrapped her arm around Akko's shoulder.
"Don't worry Diana, we'll definitely be there. Right guys?" Amanda said with a grin.
A chorus of "Of course"s and "Definitely"s sang through the group, with one reluctant acceptance and one thumbs up accompanying it. Which left just one answer left.
"Isn't that right Akko?" Amanda had a mischievous grin on her face as Akko nodded slowly.
Diana chuckled as she lifted herself off of her chair.
"Very well, I will inform you all of the details soon."
"Are you going somewhere Diana?" Lotte asked.
"Yes." Diana pushed her chair into the table. "I need to meet with Headmistress Holbrooke to discuss our leaves of absence, as well as tie up some loose ends." Diana then turned to her roommates and smiled. "Hannah, Barbara. Could you two please bring the table and tea set back to our room?"
"Sure Diana."
"Yes, we will!"
"Thank you very much," Diana said. Then she turned to the entire group. "I will see you all again later." Diana dismissed herself before making her way to campus.
Getting permission from the Headmistress was simple. Considering everything she and her friends have done for the school, Headmistress Holbrooke was all too happy to grant them some time off.
Professor Finnelan also seemed rather relieved to hear both Akko and Amanda would be away at some point in a couple of weeks. Diana almost giggled when she saw the obvious sigh her professor had let out when she mentioned both of their names.
The only caveat was that they select a chaperone of sorts from among the professors to go with them, but finding one was also easy enough to do. She had already planned to invite Professor Ursula, with an optional plus one of course.
With permission granted, Diana happily returned to her room. She chuckled when she saw her roommates sitting together on the couch.
"Oh Diana! Welcome back," Barbara greeted as she looked up from her book.
"Huh?" Hannah lifted herself slightly off of Barbara to sleepily turn towards the door. "Oh you're back. How did it go?"
Diana smiled as she sat beside the couple.
"It went well. Headmistress Holbrooke and Professor Finnelan were quite open to my request."
Hannah turned towards Diana and grinned.
"So what you're saying is… Akko can go?" Hannah teased.
Immediately, Diana's heart leapt into her throat, and warmth began to fill her face.
"W-well, yes- yes sh–" Diana cleared her throat– "yes Akko can go, along with everyone."
Hannah chuckled, much to Diana's chagrin. However, Hannah seemed to relax back onto Barbara's shoulder, allowing Diana a sigh of relief.
"Still, I have to admit, you're getting pretty bold Diana," Hannah said. "I'm pretty sure Akko will figure out you like her if you keep acting like you're acting."
Diana raised a brow towards her roommate.
"What do you mean Hannah?"
Hannah and Barbara chuckled together. Then, after a brief moment, Hannah lifted herself off of the couch and moved to the chair on the other side of the coffee table.
Diana watched curiously as Barbara and Hannah turned towards each other. Then, her eyes widened when she saw Barbara slump and place her hand on the table.
"Barbara… what're you–" Diana froze when Hannah reached out to meet Barbara's hand… almost like she had done earlier– "Oh." Diana muttered, her face flaring red.
Hannah sent Diana a smirk before looking back towards Barbara.
"Akko," Hannah began, in her best impression of her roommate as possible. Diana's hands clenched into a fist as the scene from earlier played itself both in her head and right in front of her. "There is nothing I want more than for you to be there." Hannah then turned back up to Diana and grinned, clearly trying to stop herself from bursting into laughter. "For… all of you to be ther–"
"That is not how I meant it!" Diana erupted, causing her roommates to lose their composure and fill the room with laughter.
"Di-Diana," Hannah struggled to say through laughter, "You– You looked right into her eyes! How else could you have meant it?"
Diana felt her face grow almost unbearably warm. Her hands shook as she tried to formulate any sort of defense for herself… but found no words came to mind. Not that it would matter though. A year of experience had taught her that anything she said in her defense would only serve to make the situation worse.
Instead, Diana just fell back onto the couch and allowed her friends' laughter to continue. All the while, the events from this morning had continued to play itself in her head… Over and over she recalled reaching out for Akko's hand… looking deeply into Akko's eyes.
At the time, she was focused solely on trying to invite Akko along with her friends to go with her to her family's planned birthday celebration, as well assuaging any fears, worries, or frustrations Akko may have had. Looking back on it now though… there were so many things she hadn't realized.
How adorable the way Akko reacted was.
The soft feeling of Akko's hand under hers… one that she could still feel a whisper of if she focused enough.
Akko… there is nothing I want more than for you to be there.
And only now, after having her teammates stage a little play for her, did she realize just how those words sounded. Diana buried her inflamed face in her hands and groaned as, now, just the words she spoke replayed itself, over and over... and she said them in front of everyone too.
"Aw, come on Diana, it wasn't that bad!"
Diana peeked through her fingers to look to Hannah. She was still grinning, but her eyes were softer, that mischievous glint completely gone.
"Yeah, it really wasn't!" Barbara agreed. Diana looked to her side and relaxed seeing the reassuring smile on her roommate's face. "We might be teasing a bit, but it was, like, kind of romantic."
Diana sighed and relaxed back onto the couch.
"But that was not at all how I intended to make it seem." Diana gripped the edge of the cushions beneath her. "What if she thought I was being too forward?"
"Pfft, please," Hannah dismissed. "Did you see her face?"
Diana giggled as the look of utter shock on Akko's face flashed through her memory.
"Yes, it was rather adorable," Diana said with a dreamy sigh.
"Gosh Diana," Hannah chuckled as she fell back onto her chair, "you must really be looking forward to your birthday."
Diana smiled. "Certainly a lot more with everyone being a part of it."
"And Akko too?" Hannah teased.
"That… goes without saying," Diana chuckled.
"Is Akko going to be alright though?" Barbara asked.
Diana turned to her left and tilted her head.
"What do you mean Barbara?"
"You said your Aunt Daryl planned this whole thing?"
"Yes? As I said this morning, she'd been thinking about throwing a party for some time and decided that my birthday would be the perfect excuse," Diana sighed. "Why do you ask?"
"Well… doesn't that mean the party will actually be full of noble and high society magic families?" Barbara nervously shifted her eyes to the coffee table. "Do you think the others will be okay?"
Diana sighed at the thought. She'd dealt with nobles for much of her life… especially those that her aunt had chosen to associate with. People who were self-serving, seeking out nothing more than to add more status to their names. A facade of charm and politeness put up for the sole sake of garnering favor with those who had something they deemed of worth… and those who did not were utterly disregarded.
While not all those of nobility Diana had met in her life were like that, with Aunt Daryl likely having planned the party in its entirety… she did not have much hope for most of the attendees.
Still, she had confidence in her friends.
Amanda surely knew how to handle herself, given her own experiences with, in her words, "spoiled rich kids". Knowing how tightly knit the green team was, Constanze and Jasminka were not likely to be far removed from her.
As for Sucy and Lotte… well, truthfully Diana was far more worried about guests who would try to come into contact with those two, given the sort of mischief Sucy was willing to cause.
And Akko could surely handle herself. After all, she'd gone through so much, was the chosen wielder of the Shiny Rod, the one who unlocked the Grand Triskelion, the savior of magi-
Diana stiffened, and her heart shuddered.
Akko, the savior of magic, still considered a hero of sorts in both the magical and non-magical world… was going to a party full of those seeking nothing more than accolades and status to add on to their names.
"... Oh."
"Why did Diana have to have a ball for her birthday?" Akko whined, "I already had this huge party set up too! With balloons, magic, and a huge cake!"
"Akko, stop whining," Sucy said as she looked at her hand of cards. She placed one down with a grin before continuing. "I doubt you could plan anything bigger than whatever we're going to is going to be."
Akko took the pillow from under her head, groaned into it, and tossed it at Sucy, hitting her right in the face.
"Woah! Watch the cards!" Amanda quickly reached out, grabbing the pillow before it could mess up the cards on the floor. "I woulda thought you'd be happier with Diana inviting you and all."
"That's not the point!" Akko complained, though she couldn't hide the dusting of pink that immediately colored her cheeks.
"She's just mad because she wanted to impress Diana by throwing her a huge party," Sucy grumbled.
"That's not why I was planning it!" Akko denied. Sucy sent Akko a stare, and Akko immediately looked back onto her bed. "... Well not the only reason anyway."
"Just ask her out already. I doubt you'd need to do anything big like that for her to say yes," Amanda added, rolling her eyes.
"How would you know?!" Akko asked. "I can't just... ask her out! I have to do something amazing so she'd say yes!" Akko fell back onto her bed and groaned. "What am I gonna do now?"
"Well, you've been working on your present for a while right?" Lotte asked.
Akko turned back to her left to where the hers and the green team were playing and saw Lotte smiling at her.
"Well… yeah." Akko said. "It's so close to being done too!"
"Heh, see! Just use that!" Amanda grinned, "Dress all fancy and sweep Cavendish off of her feet!"
"But, the party's gonna be full of super rich people!" Akko grumbled. "I can't just give her my gift and dress fancy and hope that's enough! Those other people could probably do that ten times better than I can! I don't even know if I can afford to dress fancy!"
"Akko, trust me. Diana is not at all interested in some stuck-up rich kids." Amanda said. "I can honestly say you have nothing to worry about."
Akko smiled at Amanda and let out a breath.
"Yeah… yeah, you're right! Thanks Amanda."
"Heh, no problem," Amanda said before sending Akko a wide smirk. "But I swear, if you don't ask her out on her birthday, me, Cons, and Jas are doing it for you."
"It would certainly make for a delightful evening," Jasminka said as Constanze nodded beside her.
Akko groaned.
"You guys!"
"Akko, could you please stop bouncing?"
Akko immediately tried to keep herself still as Chariot worked to zip up the back of her dress.
"Sorry Professor Ursula!" Akko replied sheepishly.
"It's fine Akko," Chariot said as she reached for the pink ribbon hanging off of the bed, "just try to keep still so I can help you put this on. We wouldn't anything to be out of place."
"Yeah! Everything needs to be perfect!" Akko agreed.
Still try as she might, Akko couldn't stop the slight bouncing of her legs or the repeated tapping of her fingers. Her heart was hammering way too quickly for that.
While she originally thought she'd have enough time to get over her nerves, two weeks just flew by. Between trying to find a dress, working on her present, and trying to build all the courage she would need to even think about trying to tell Diana how she felt, she almost felt like no time had passed at all. One minute, Diana was inviting them to the party and the next, Chariot and Croix were waiting at the front gates of Luna Nova for Akko and her friends… with one exception.
Unfortunately, none of the Luna Nova group had seen Diana all day. Diana left the school a day ahead, and from what they were told, Diana was busy getting the ball ready, adding on her own touches and making absolutely sure Daryl didn't have anything out of the ordinary planned… which really stunk.
Diana shouldn't have to work today!
… And that also meant that the first time Akko would probably be seeing Diana today… was when she was going to try and confess to her...
"Jeez Akko, could you keep still?" Amanda asked from the side. "I'm getting a headache just watching you."
"Hey, cut her some slack," Croix said from beside Chariot and Akko, "she's got a lot on her mind tonight."
"Yeah! I have a lot on my mind!" Akko whined, but still willed herself to stop all movement, noticing her Professor was having a lot of trouble knotting the ribbon around her waist.
"Well, that's definitely different," Sucy said nonchalantly.
"And there!" Akko felt the sash fully tighten against her waist. "All done!"
"Thanks Professor Ursula!" Akko cheered. She spun around and hugged Chariot's waist before stepping back and giving a quick twirl. "So how does it look?"
"Still can't believe you went with the ribbons and bows," Amanda snorted. "Like a perfect little present for little Miss Cavendish to unwrap."
"Amanda!" Akko whined, heat immediately filled Akko's face as giggles escaped from Hannah and Barbara from the other side of the room.
"Don't worry about it Akko," Chariot said, "you look wonderful."
"Yeah!" Lotte agreed. "You look really pretty!"
"Yeah, yeah, you look adorable," Amanda relented. "I'm sure Diana will love you."
"Ehehe, tha-"
Three knocks echoed around the room, interrupting everyone's preparation.
"I'll get it!" Barbara called out, walking to the door with Hannah in hand.
Akko smiled and twirled around towards the bed and then sat down on it. She grabbed a small box wrapped in a red ribbon and smiled down at it.
"Diana?!" Hannah and Barbara gasped. Akko's eyes widened, and her heart immediately jumped into her throat. In a split second, Akko hid the box behind her and whipped her head towards the door. "Happy birthday Diana!"
"Thank you both," Diana's voice hit Akko's ears, and her heart raced even more quickly. "Is everyone decent?"
"Nah, Akko ain't dressed" Amanda called out, "Come in if ya wann-"
"Amanda!" Akko yelled, her face instantly burning hot.
"Ignore Amanda," Hannah said with a wave, "everyone's dressed up… except for Amanda but she's just planning to use a spell so it's fine."
"Ah, thank you Hannah," Diana said. "And might I say, you two look wonderful."
"Aww thanks Diana!" Hannah and Barbara both said, moving forward to hug Diana from outside.
After that quick hug, Hannah and Barbara brought Diana inside. The second Diana walked into the room, Akko's breath hitched.
Diana had yet to change into a dress, still in her blue nightgown, but her hair had already been fixed. Those fluffy blonde and tea green tresses seemed even wavier than usual as it cascaded down her shoulders.
Akko's heart hammered against her ribs, its sound filling her ears, as she watched Diana slowly move across the room, complimenting the others on their dresses. Quickly, she looked down at her dress and, for a brief second, she felt heat in the back of her neck, doubts filling her head.
Before she could dwell on any of them, however, those same doubts were broken by a sharp breath.
Akko's eyes widened, and she looked up. When she did, she was immediately transfixed on widened crystal blue eyes, staring at her.
"A… Akko?" Diana breathed out.
Akko tried to speak, but her words immediately died in her throat. She immediately coughed, trying to clear it, before giving Diana a shy smile.
"Hey Diana… Happy birthday" Akko greeted.
"Thank… you." Diana muttered.
Akko slowly felt the heat in her face grow warmer and warmer. Seconds felt like hours as Akko found herself more and more lost in the deep blue of Diana's eyes, in the flowing waterfall of Diana's hair.
"Are you two just gonna keep staring at each other or is Diana gonna open up her 'present'?" Amanda asked.
"Amanda!" Akko shrieked, her ears now in flames.
"P-Present?" Diana mumbled.
"Ignore her!" Akko said, now completely aware of the rapid drumming of her heart and the laughter filling the room. Akko let out an animated breath, before looking up to Diana. "Soooo, what brings you here?"
Diana blinked at Akko for a moment, before suddenly stiffening up.
"Oh right, of course. Why I'm here…" Diana mumbled before her eyes darted downwards. Akko followed her gaze to Diana's hand, which held what looked like a unicorn pin in her fingers.
"Oooh, what's that?" Akko asked.
"This… this is a… broach I found around my room." Diana brought her hand up and undid the pin. "I would like for you to wear it."
"Oh, cool!" Akko said. "What's it for?"
"Yeah Diana!" Hannah yelled out from across the room. "What's it for?"
For some reason, Diana's face pinkened slightly, but she quickly shook her head and knelt down in front of Akko.
"I saw it… and simply thought of you." Diana said, raising the pin up to Akko's chest. "May I?"
Akko gulped and nodded. When she felt Diana's fingers brush against the fabric of her dress, just below its neckline, she prayed Diana wouldn't be able to feel how quickly her heart was beating. In a second, the pin was set, and Akko was both thankful and really sad when Diana stood back up and away from her.
"There, perfect." Diana said with a smile.
"Th-thanks Diana," Akko muttered, taking a second to look at the light blue horn of the white unicorn pin Diana had placed on her. When she looked back up, Diana was already making her way back to the door.
Before she left however, Diana turned to face everyone.
"You may all go down to the ballroom shortly. I will be making my entrance soon," Diana said. She then looked to Akko and smiled. "And Akko… you look beautiful."
Akko's face went slack, jaw falling onto the floor.
"Heh, see," Amanda grinned, sliding beside Akko. "You got nothing to worry about."
When Akko finally got her mouth closed, she found a wide grin plaster itself onto her lips.
It seemed like tonight was going to go perfectly.
Akko dropped her head onto the table with a loud groan.
This wasn't going at all like she imagined.
When she imagined the ball, she imagined a huge crystal chandelier hanging overhead, filling the room with light. She imagined a table full of the most amazing food she'd ever seen. She imagined people dancing and talking about… whatever it was rich people talked about.
But most importantly, Akko imagined she'd be able to dance… or at least talk with Diana.
And while everything else was about how she imagined, the most important part was not.
When Diana walked down the stairs, Akko was caught in awe, entranced by the blue dress that danced and flowed with every one of her steps. Before Akko could even think about moving, however, tons of the guests gathered around Diana, effectively blocking her off from… everyone else.
And while, yes, the night was still young… Akko was hoping she'd have been able to spend some time with her already.
"Do you want some food Akko?" Jasminka offered from across the table. 'It's really yummy!"
Akko looked at the food offered, and her stomach immediately grumbled.
The food did look really good…
Akko turned up to Jasminka and sent her a warm smile.
"Thanks Jasminka... but I think I'll get my own plate," Akko said. She lifted herself off of the chair and immediately walked towards the table. She immediately grabbed a plate and started stacking it high with everything she could see, from tiny little appetizers, to huge steaks and slices of cake.
"I see you seem to be enjoying the food selection as well?"
Akko immediately turned around and smiled when she saw Andrew behind her.
"Andrew!" Akko said. "What're you doing here?"
"Well, Diana's family and mine do have a long history after all," Andrew said. Akko raised a brow, and Andrew immediately continued. "But, moreso, I suppose Diana and I have gotten along quite a bit better recently, no doubt thanks to you."
Akko sent Andrew a wide grin as she placed her stack of food onto the table.
"Well, it's nice to see you two getting along!" Akko said. "And it really is nice being able to talk to you here. For some reason, no one wants to talk to me."
"Is that so? I can't imagine why. All things considered..." Andrew said as she looked down at Akko. His eyes widened suddenly. "Where did you get that broach?"
Akko pointed towards the unicorn on her chest and turned her head.
"This thing?" When Andrew nodded, Akko's smiled widened a bit wider. "Diana let me wear it! She said she thought of me when she saw it!"
"Really?" Andrew raised a brow, but a mischievous glint founds its way into his eyes. "I wonder why?"
"Yeah I know," Akko sighed, ignoring it, and leaned onto the buffet table. "I would ask her more about why she put it on… but like you can see."
"Yes, she really is quite popular isn't she?" Andrew said as he turned towards the crowd surrounding Diana. "If things go on like this, her night will likely be spent dealing with the other party guests."
Akko sighed again.
That was true… And Akko wanted to do something about that, but she really didn't want to cause another huge mess at another party.
Akko stared at Diana from afar, wondering when she'd get the chance to be able to talk with her. She really wanted to just stare into Diana's eyes up close and enjoy that wonderful smi-
Akko's eyes widened.
The smile Diana had on was… not the smile she'd come to adore. It wasn't the one she got to see that night the both of them first flew on the Shiney Volley… nor was it the one she wore when they both stood atop the Shooting Star.
It was the kind of smile she'd seen Diana use at Andrew's party over a year ago. The kind that was polite for the sake of politeness… but also showed that Diana would rather be… almost anywhere else.
Well, Akko couldn't have that on Diana's birthday, now would she?
And in minutes, a plan hatched in Akko's head.
Diana sighed, mentally cursing her Aunt's choice in party guests.
If she had to hear another person speak about their obscenely rich parents one more time, Diana swore that that person would be caught flying up ten feet in the air in a matter of seconds.
Well, likely not, but she'd be awfully tempted.
The only thing that was keeping her sanity in check was the absolutely radiant picture of Akko that Diana had burned into her mind's eye. A pink, off the shoulder, ball gown, full of frills and all wrapped up nicely with lighter pink ribbon.
It was absolutely adorable.
Diana quickly scanned the room and saw Akko speaking with Andrew by the buffet table. She smiled, knowing Andrew was not at all like these other nobles who she was currently surrounded by.
Looks like the broach was doing its job well.
"Well Miss Cavendish, I'll have you know that my family is probably the wealthiest in all of the Magic realm."
Diana clenched her fist, willing it to stay by her side and not reach for the wand in her pocket, hidden by the folds of her dress.
She just needed to wait a few more hours…
Akko searched the ballroom, and the second she found Anna, Akko dashed towards her and rambled about what she wanted to do.
"Excuse me?" Anna gasped. "Do you have any idea how much work was put into this… and you want to do what?"
"Pleeease!" Akko begged. "I haaave to! It's important!"
"I will not allow it!" Anna refused.
"But you have to!" Akko cried out.
"And why would I have to do that?" Anna asked. "You've done many things for this family that I am grateful for… but I simply can't have you ruin the young lady's eighteenth birthday party for some simple stunt."
"But Diana doesn't even look happy!" Akko whined, pointing at the girl in question, surrounded and talking to, what was probably, fifteenth person that hour. "I might be ruining the party, but Diana doesn't even seem like she's having any fun! And her party should be full of fun!"
Akko watched as Anna looked to Diana, and her face twisted. The head maid seemed to argue with herself for a moment, before ultimately letting out one big sigh.
"Fine, I'll allow it… but only if you don't cause any property damage."
Akko cheered and quickly gathered her friends around one table.
"Okay everyone! I need your help."
"What is it now?" Sucy asked.
"Glad you asked!" Akko smiled. "Sucy, did you bring any potions with you?"
"Of course" Sucy grinned.
"Perfect! Anything that can cause a lot of smoke? … And just smoke?"
Sucy's grinned dropped a little before she let out a slightly disappointed sigh. "I'm sure I could whip something up."
"Awesome! Thanks Sucy!" Akko smiled, giving her roommate a quick hug. Then she turned to Amanda. "Now, Amanda, you want to cause a little chaos?"
Amanda smirked and leaned forward. "I'm listening."
"Nice! When I give the signal, I need you to call everyone's attention in whatever way you want-" Akko then turned to Sucy- "and then I'll need you to cause the biggest smoke bomb you can make!"
"I can do that," Sucy shrugged, already beginning to mix all of her potions together.
"I'm game," Amanda agreed.
Akko grinned and reached for her own wand. "Awesome. Now Jasminka, Cons, and Lotte, I'm gonna need you three to set the balcony on the second floor ready. Lights, music, food, whatever!"
Jasminka and Lotte nodded and Cons sent a quick thumbs up.
"Alright! Thanks! Now… Hannah, Barbara, Andrew… I'm gonna need you three to keep everyone here calm while everything's happening."
"How come we have to have the boring part!" Hannah complained.
"Because you three know rich people the best!" Akko smiled. With that Akko, got off her chair and looked around the room. "Now, have any of you seen Professor Ursula? I need to tell her what's going on."
"I don't think you need to worry about Professor Ursula or Croix at all," Amanda said.
"Huh? Why's that?" Akko turned back to Amanda, who was grinning back at her.
"Let's just say Croix… had better plans than to stand around a bunch of rich teenagers all night."
"Well, okay then!" Akko said, getting ready to put everything into action. "That makes things simpler for me!"
"Wait Akko!" Lotte called out. "What're you going to do?"
"Oh, that's easy," Akko grinned as she cast a quick spell onto her feet. "I'm getting Diana out of here!"
Diana's patience was wearing thin.
With absolutely no exception, everyone who had come up and talked to her, stopping her from spending time with the people she actually cared about, had shown nothing but conceit and narcissism. Every word she had heard was just someone bragging about how much money they were worth or how "important" their family was in the magic community.
Anyone who had even asked her about, well, her clearly showed disinterest the second the question was said.
If this trend continued for much longer, Diana highly doubted she'd be able to wait until the dancing started. She'd already had to stop herself from grabbing her wand and freeing herself from this crowd of people blocking her off from her friends countless times in the past hour.
"Hey!"
Speak of the devil...
Diana's eyes quickly widened as Amanda's voice echoed throughout the ballroom. She immediately turned towards the noise and saw Amanda standing atop a table, a giant plate of food in both of her hands, and Sucy, sporting a wide grin, standing below her.
"What are you two-"
Before Diana could finish, Amanda tossed the plates in her hands towards the guests, and Sucy dropped the vial onto the ground. The second it broke, a giant plume of smoke filled the ballroom, causing the rest of the guests to panic around her.
And yet, all Diana could do was sigh and smile.
Of course something like this was going to happen. She'd be surprised if it didn't really.
But as much fun as this quick break from monotony was, she'd better end this before it quickly got out of hand.
Before Diana could reach for her wand, however, a hand quickly grasped hers, and her heart filled with dread. Before Diana could attempt to pull away, however, a bright voice cut its way through the dark smoke.
"C'mon Diana! Let's go!"
Fear quickly made way for amusement and relief as soon as she registered that voice. Diana simply shook her head and chuckled, allowing herself to be whisked away by the person who was, probably, responsible for all of this to begin with.
"Alright, Akko" Diana said, "lead the way." Diana could imagine the wide smile on Akko's face as the both of them ran out of the ballroom.
After several minutes of running, Akko finally led Diana outside onto the balcony. The two girls doubled over, completely out of breath.
"You… You can certainly cause quite the commotion. I can't even begin to imagine what sort of chaos and panic is going on downstairs."
Akko looked back at Diana and giggled when she saw the amused smile on her face.
"Well, you did invite all of us," Akko said, as she leaned back on the stone railings of the balcony. "You knew something was going to happen."
Diana just chuckled as she walked forward to stand beside Akko.
"I had a feeling."
"Besiiiides, I have Hannah, Barbara, and Andrew keeping the peace," Akko said. "I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Well, perhaps." Diana said as she rested her arms atop the railings. "Those three are quite used to your shenanigans."
Akko chuckled as she turned around. Her breath hitched when she saw the light of the full moon reflecting off the vast lake.
It was perfect.
And for a moment, Akko and Diana stood quietly, just to take in the sight of the night sky reflected off of the pristine lake.
"So?" Diana asked, breaking the silence.
"So what?"
"So what did you want to do Akko?" Diana said as she turned to look at Akko. "I can't imagine you caused all of that simply to stare at the view."
Akko looked to Diana, and immediately her thoughts froze. Her jaw unlatched, herself caught completely off guard by the beauty in front of her.
Diana's hair shone in the moonlight, and her blue eyes twinkled like the stars in the sky. And the smile on her face… was everything Akko was looking for in the ballroom, and more.
The view of the lake couldn't even compare.
Words failed her as Akko struggled to say… anything. Her silence quickly turned to bumbling and incoherent noises as she reached for anything to say.
Before she could embarrass herself any further, however, Akko felt a push from her side, causing her to lose her balance and trip.
"Akko!" Diana gasped as she reached out to catch her. Diana caught Akko by the arms, stopping her from falling to the ground.
With Akko safe, Diana let out a sigh. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Jasminka chuckling from the side on her broom.
Before either witch could feel any annoyance, however, they both looked up at each other, and their eyes instantly locked onto one another's. Their hearts skipped in sync the second the moment hit. Here they were, in each other's arms, their faces inches away from one another. Both of their faces began to color, cheeks slowly turning red with each passing second.
Then, a soft voice sang a beautiful melody from below the balcony, filling the space around them.
Akko bit her lips and tore her gaze away from Diana's eyes. She looked down to the ground and took in a deep breath.
"D-Diana?" Akko mumbled.
"Yes Akko?"
"W-would you, uh," Akko closed her eyes tightly and took in another deep breath, building up the courage she swore she had when the night started. "Do you… maybe uh, want to dance… with me?"
The both of them stood still for a second, no other words spoken, as Lotte's song continued to play.
And then Diana started giggling.
"Diana!" Akko whined.
"I apologize," Diana said. "It's just… after everything you've done to get us here… I never imagined you'd still be so shy."
"I'm trying!"
"I can see that," Diana said. She smiled down at Akko, who now began to sport the most adorable pout. Diana shook her head and stretched out her palm. "I would love to dance with you Akko."
"R-really?" Akko gasped, whipping her head up to Diana. When Diana nodded, it took Akko everything in her power not to bounce and grab Diana's arm to lead in a quick dance. As much as she wanted to, even Akko knew that the song Lotte was singing wasn't fast enough for that. And so, Akko placed her hand in Diana's and the two of them began swaying in tune with the music.
At first, Akko kept her eyes on the ground. After everything, she really didn't want to end up stepping on Diana's feet and ruining this moment.
… Plus, if she had to look up at Diana's moonlit face one more time, Akko was pretty sure her heart would explode.
But despite that, as the dance continued, Akko eventually did look up at Diana's face and found herself entranced by the warm smile being sent her way. At the soft gaze of the glimmering blue eyes.
Slowly… ever so slowly, their eyes closed and the two of them moved closer to one another. With each passing moment, the two of them leaned ever closer, and their lips tingled with each shallow breat-
"Woot! Get it Akko!"
Akko and Diana snapped their eyes opened, and they both immediately pulled back. Immediately broken out of her daze, Akko's eye twitched, and she turned down to the ground below the balcony, where all of her friends were now standing.
"Amanda!" Akko yelled, gripping onto the railings. She grunted and rested her head onto the railing, ignoring the snickers of her friends. "Well, that ruined a moment."
"P-perhaps," Diana mumbled, her face now bright red.
"Oh well, since we're here, I might as wel-" Akko froze. She searched the balcony frantically and almost cried.
She forgot her present.
"Akko!"
Akko snapped her head upwards and saw a Stanbot floating overhead, holding a small box wrapped in a red ribbon. Akko's heart leapt for joy as she reached upwards. She took the box from the hovering robot and then turned back to her friends.
"Thanks Cons!" Akko yelled, receiving a thumbs up in return. Then, Akko took a deep breath and turned around, stretching the present out for Diana. "Happy birthday Diana!"
Akko's warm smile made Diana's heart skip. As much as she wanted to just… stare at that beautiful smile, however, Diana reached out for the box in Akko's hand. Diana turned it in her hand, looking at the box from different angles, before turning up to Akko, who was nodding at her, encouraging her to open it.
Diana untied the red ribbon from the box, taking it and placing it in her pocket, and lifted the lid. She gasped when she saw what was inside.
It was a bracelet. She picked it up from the box and noticed that there were four charms hanging off of it: the Shiny Arc, Chariot's four-pointed star, the Shiny Volley, and the Shooting star.
Diana stared in awe as the soft moonlight reflected off of the pristine silver chain.
"Do you like it?" Akko asked, now nervously fiddling her thumbs together.
"Like it?" Diana asked, now turned to look at Akko. She placed the box onto the rail and used her, now free, hand to hold onto Akko's hands. "Akko, I love it."
"O-oh! Thank goodness!" Akko laughed. "I worked really hard and had to think a lot about the things to put on there! Thankfully everyone else helped m-"
"You made this?" Diana interrupted.
"Well yeah!" Akko said. "It had to be special… After all, it's for you!"
Diana was stunned speechless. She looked at the charms on the bracelet, and memories of their first year in Luna Nova flashed through her minds. Memories of all the things that brought them together as friends.
With a smile, Diana let go of Akko's hand so that she could put the bracelet around her wrist. As soon as it was fastened, Diana turned back to Akko and smiled.
"Thank you Akko, this… I love it."
I love you.
The thought echoed through Diana's mind, and she truly, truly wanted to confess her feelings right there. But more than that...
Diana immediately shifted her eyes to the side, remembering her friends were there… watching their every move. She bit her lip and looked to Akko, whose brows were now furrowed.
"Akko… I… this present was absolutely wonderful… but…" Diana shifted her eyes to the door and took inhaled deeply. "This may sound selfish but… could I… possibly ask for one more thing from you today?"
Akko's eyes widened for a brief moment, but she smiled and nodded her head.
"Anything."
Diana sighed in relief and began to walk towards the door.
"Good… could you please follow me Akko?"
"Oh sure, but why?" Akko asked, walking behind Diana but curious.
Diana took one more look beyond the railings of the balcony before moving her head right beside Akko's head.
"I do not wish for my first kiss to have an audience Akko," Diana whispered, her cheeks, once again, set ablaze.
"Oh," was all Akko could say, her heart now jumping up into her throat.
"S-So, shall we?" Diana asked, now reaching out for the doorknob.
Akko nodded bashfully, and she let Diana to drag her inside, away from the prying eyes of her friends outside.
Omake:
Diana dragged Akko through the halls of her estate. The second she found a room she was sure would not be occupied, she reached for the doorknob. She turned it with a click and let out a deep sigh.
At last, she and Akko could finally have a moment to themsel-
"Hey! Get yourselves a different room! This one's taken!"
"Croix!"
lol, these poor girls never get a break. Oh well, I'm sure Diana gets her birthday kiss eventually!
I know I've posted like nothing recently, but it was Diana's birthday so I had to do something! It's a silly piece, but I do hope you enjoyed reading it! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Please tell me what you think!
And of couuuurse, let's all wish Diana a happy birthday!