An amulet must carry emotional value.
/-/
The first time Chariot heard about amulets was when she was a child, she was sitting in her bedroom staring at the stars with Miranda softly brushing her hair. She was a curious child, often prone to adventure and anywhere magical which left her walking around the Luna Nova Campus even when she wasn't supposed to.
"Can I ask a question?" Chariot asked, her eyes still fixated on the stars in the sky. Behind her, she heard a soft hum of acknowledgement before turning when she no longer felt the brush against her hair. "What's an amulet?"
Miranda gave a soft smile as she relaxed in her chair. "Are you talking about the safety amulet I gave a talk about in the auditorium?" Chariot's cheeks flared with heat as she shook her head wildly, she really wasn't supposed to be in their with all the big kids and she really didn't want to get into trouble with her new mum. Though when she saw that Holbrook wasn't going to get mad at her, Chariot slowly started to nod her head.
Miranda chuckled at Chariot before holding her closer. She then glanced down to her walking stick near her and the amused grin fell to a soft smile as she remembered her father giving it to her before he had to leave. "An amulet is something to make sure witch's find a way back home," she explained. "It first came about in the middle ages, where we witches had to hide deep in the forests in order not to get burnt."
"Can my amulet be my bed? I feel really at home there," Chariot asked with a cheeky grin on her face that exploded to a fit of laughter when Miranda poked her in a ticklish area.
"No silly," Miranda laughed as she lifted her wand to bring her walking stick closer. Curiously, Chariot stopped her giggling and stared in awe at her walking stick as it sat between the two of them. With a sigh, Miranda moved her hand across the length of the stick with such care and hidden longing. "An amulet must carry emotional value, do you understand Chariot?"
Chariot's face shifted to pure determination as she nodded firmly at Miranda, patiently waiting for her to explain further. "It's a charm to get you home safely," Miranda continued after seeing she got chariot's full attention. "You leave it at a place called home and just the thought of it should be compelling enough for you to return."
"Just a thought huh?" Chariot whispered, her small mind blown by the idea of having such a thing.
"Yes my child," Miranda assured as she glanced down at her staff again. "It's often something really important to you."
Chariot looked at her, "Can humans be an amulet?"
Miranda blinked. "I never thought about it, but I highly don't think so," she said before she gave Chariot a curious stare. "Why?"
"Because I want you to be my amulet."
A soft gasp of awe left Miranda's lips as the smile on her face began to wobble. She quickly held Chariot close to her chest just so that she could hide the small tears trickling down her face. "You're a sweet girl Chariot," Miranda murmured into her hair. "I love you."
"I love you too mum."
It's a charm to get you home safely.
/-/
The second time Chariot heard about the amulets, it was in her first year where she was supposed to be given the talk about it. Apparently, it was a mandatory thing that happened every year, though it only happened for the first years and if there were any new transfer that came in the first couple of days of the new school year.
"So, the amulet is probably something from home huh?" One of Chariot's classmates asked her group of friends. Though it wasn't fully intended for her, Chariot still heard it since she was lingering behind them. She would've walked around them but the friendship group was too big for her to move around without going through them which is something she really shouldn't do.
"As if I would put something from my home in there," a person scoffed. "Someone could steal it." Chariot glanced at the person and her eyes widened with worry when she saw who was talking. It was Emilia Valentine and she made it her personal goal to make Chariot's life hell since the start of the year, especially when she found that she was a commoner orphan. Maybe… it's best if she lingered back a bit more, sure she might be a bit more late to her personal lessons but that's fine. She was sure Croix would understand… hopefully.
"Oh yeah you're right," one of Emilia's cronies agreed. "One of the weirdos might 'mistake' our one for their pathetic little trinkets." She shuddered at the thought and Chariot winced as she started to slow her pace.
"Even if they do," Emilia said with a slight mocking smirk on her face. "I, being the generous and kind person that I am." Chariot found herself making a face at those seriously wrong declarations. "I would let them hold it after justice has happened."
A collection of gasps circulate Emilia and even Chariot paused in her retreat, though it was more from confusion instead of elite shock. "After all, it will be the first time they held something of actual value," Emilia laughed, covering her mouth with her hand as Chariot rolled her eyes and continued making her retreat. So much for thinking she was doing a good deed for once.
"Would you even let Charity Case Chariot hold it?" Another one asked and everything froze. Chariot winced at the horrible nickname, her stomach twisted against itself when she looked up and saw Emilia Valentine stare directly at her with a taunting, sickening smirk.
"Of course," She said smoothly, ignoring the second round of gasp as she sauntered over to Chariot. "Mother always said to give to the unfortunate." Now Emilia was right up against her, towering over her petite height like a goliath or another more fearsome creature that froze her movement with fear. "Besides I don't think she can get an amulet to begin with."
Despite every part of her screaming not to say anything or just walk away, Chariot's face grew hot with anger as she glared at Emilia with all her might. "I do have an amulet!" She snarled.
Emilia scoffed and that was the first sign that Chariot should just calm down and walk away yet she ignored it as she glared back twice as fierce. "Oh really?" She snickered as her friends began to crowd the two of them. "As far as I'm concerned Charity Case," Once more, Chariot flinched at the nickname as Emilia leaned closer into her personal space. "You don't have a real home." Now she continued to walk towards Chariot, forcing her to retreat until her back was against the cold stone pillar, fear resonating in her watery red eyes. "That's why you're staying with the headmistress isn't it?"
She leaned in closer and crouched so that they were face to face even when Chariot tried to make her smaller. "You have nothing that could be an amulet. And even if you do you can just do the school a favour and get lost anyway."
"I-" Chariot whimpered before she got cut off with a vicious sneer from Emilia.
"Don't go lying Charity," she sneered. "It's not becoming of young witches to lie."
"And it's not becoming as well to crowd around in a hallway," A cool collected voice declared from the crowd. Like the sea, the crowd split in two creating a clear path for the person. Chariot's eyes widened and she couldn't stop the hopeful look on her face at the sight of a young witch with rectangle glasses and messy lavender hair.
Croix didn't look up at Chariot, her eyes were solely focused on a book in her hand, she didn't even look up as she walked between the crowds. It's only when she got close enough Croix peered above her book, glanced at the situation and frowned. "It's also very unbecoming for students to harass each other," As if to prove her anger, Croix shut her book with one hand and the low thud it made echoed through the tense silence.
"Harassing?" Emilia scoffed as she flipped her hair over her shoulder to face Croix. "I don't know who you are, but I can tell you now that none of that is happening here?"
Croix raised an eyebrow at Emilia and the corners of her lips twisted to the faint curl of amusement. "Oh really? So you're just really close to her face to kiss her, instead of scaring her?"
Chariot blushed at the accusation, though she was secretly amused at Emilia's stammers and stutters as she stared at Croix as if she grew an extra head or two. "I- We- I was not-"
"So if you weren't planning on kissing her, the other option is clearly to threaten or scare her is it not?" Croix said before she looked around. "Especially with a crowd like this, people are often expecting a show."
Emilia's scarlet face turned sour and she pulled a face like she just ate a rather large lemon. "No, I," She took a deep breath and exhaled with a horrified shudder. "I- I was… planning to kiss her."
Ignoring the gasps around the scene and the fact that Emilia looked like she swallowed a pile of nails, Croix pressed on forward. "Do you admit this then?" With another disgusted shudder, Emilia nodded her head and stared directly into Croix's eyes whilst doing so. Croix chuckled as the curls on the corner of her face twisted to a tight-lipped cunning smirk. "So you admit that you were harassing her then, finally. "
"WHAT?" Emilia shrieked, she wasn't expecting that twist but then again neither was Chariot.
"Well obviously if you're trying to kiss her whilst she was looking like the human embodiment of uncomfortable then surely you're harassing her," Croix stated as if they were discussing the weather. "Regardless of your orientation, you need to see and understand the body language of the word no, or at least give her the chance to verbally say it without cutting her off."
"But I wasn't trying to kiss her!"
"So then what were you doing then?"
"I-" Emilia took a deep breath to calm herself down, before scowling at Croix with a bitter snarl. "I don't have to say anything to you!" She hissed before she turned her heel and stalked away from the scene, her group of friends following her.
"Idiots," Croix muttered before she looked around, the majority of the crowd still lingering as they stared at her lost. "Well? Don't you have lessons to get to?"
At her reminder, the crowd dispersed into small groups and the loud bustle of talk and gossips. Still rooted to her spot, Chariot let out a shuddered sigh of relief as she slid down to the ground and buried her face with her hands. She tried her hardest not to cry in the public but her mind just kept on repeating on the scenario over and over again. By the nines it was horrible.
"Don't you have lessons to get to too?" Chariot looked up before wiping her tears away with the palm of her hand. Croix was in front of her, shadowing her small frame with a hand outstretched. Though most of her face was calm and showed no emotion, Chariot could tell she was worried about how close they were. Her lips had a small frown and her eyes narrowed slightly from concern.
"Yeah," She said quietly as she took her hand and let herself to get back to her feet by Croix. "Sorry for being late."
Croix shrugged as she began to flip through her book again, "It's fine. I'm still getting my extra credit after all."
"Yeah…" Chariot sighed as they started to walk back to their usual spot in the fields where they would practise Chariot's magic. They walked in silence, Croix didn't seem too bothered about what happened and was more focused on the book in her hand. Which was fair, to be honest, it wasn't like they were friends or anything… Croix was just the smartest person in the year above, no the entire school. She was just her personal tutor her mothe- the headmistress assigned since she was looking for extra credits so that she can excel further. She really wouldn't wish to be friends with a….. charity case like her.
Chariot's deprecative thoughts fell apart as she heard a loud thump. Startled, she looked up only to find that they were already in the designated area already and that Croix was just staring at her, her book once again shut. "Are you listening Chariot?"
"Um yes!" Chariot said quickly to cover up that she was in a daze earlier. "I was, totally listening, yep. Fully focused." She then turned away from Croix when she saw no change in her deadpan expression that just screamed doubt.
"Then what question did I just ask?"
"Um…." Chariot said with a nervous laugh, she looked around to try and find any objects to give her clues and hints on what they were planning to do, unfortunately, there was nothing in sight. "How much I practised, since last week?" She asked, her voice rising an octave as Croix shook her head.
"I asked if you were okay."
Chariot stared at Croix, her eyes dazed from shock as a soft gasp left her lips. "Oh…." She then looked away, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment before she looked again at Croix as she rubbed her arm subconsciously. "I mean, I'm better now," she mumbled quietly. "It hurts a bit but it won't distract me from the lesson if that's what you're wondering."
"Okay…" Croix said, though with the look on her face Chariot could tell she didn't really believe her. "If you have any questions, even if they don't relate to the current lesson, I'm always here to answer the best I can."
"Okay…" Chariot said as one question began to whirl on her mind. "I um," she stuttered as she struggled to look at Croix. "I have, um, one question."
Croix placed her book down, before sitting on a rock near to her. "Go on."
"Can an amulet, like the safety amulet, be an animal?"
Croix looked at her she hummed, staring at the sky in a contemplative manner. "Hmm, that depends. How big is it?"
Chariot's eyes widened as she thought about Arcas' growth over the years. He has grown, fairly big, he's even larger than the big fae workers. "Um…. What's the limit?"
"If it's in a secure cage and is still able to fit a large cauldron then sure, with permission from the headmistress of course."
Chariot sighed at her answer and began to lie down on the grass as a result. Well, there goes that plan to have Arcus be her amulet. "Well then I guess, she's right," Chariot laughed with a bittersweet smile on her face. There was water building up in her eyes as she stared at the blue sky, her mind transporting her to moments ago. "I can't get a real amulet."
"Why not?"
"BECAUSE HE'S THE ONLY THING I GOT FROM MY HOME!" Chariot cried as she sat up, tears flowing without restraint. She didn't bother wiping her tears away when her vision got blurry, she didn't give a damn when she saw Croix staring at her with a shocked and pitiful expression. "I can't- I don't." She couldn't speak, any words, any explanations she wants to say is drowned in her deep sorrow and is replaced by the ugly sounds of bitter crying.
"I don't remember anything else," She explained with her voice hoarse between the heartbreaking sobs as she felt her body be pulled away. She didn't recognise that Croix moved around to her and tried her best to give her a hug that she deserved. Soon enough Chariot was resting against her chest with her breath fast, heavy and desperate for air. "I can, I can only, I can only remember-" She repeated like her voice was a broken record.
"Shhh," Croix said as she brushed Chariot's hair. "You don't have to say anything Chariot, you don't need to explain anything either."
"I, I'm, I'm so, I'm so sorry," Chariot sniffled as she pushed her head closer to Croix's uniform to hide her face from the world.
"Shhh," Croix murmured as she held the crying girl closer. "It's okay, you don't need to apologise as well. Just try to calm down okay?"
Chariot nodded as she wept into Croix's shirt, her hands clutching so desperately at the seams as she focused on the rolling circles pressed against her back and the soft mutters under Croix's breath. They stayed like this for awhile, even when the blue sky turned amber and not once did Croix pause, get annoyed or even ask to leave. She just stayed there, rubbing her hand against Chariot's back as she waited for Chariot's sobs turn into lingering whimpers, till the heavy desperate gasp of air returned to normal regulated inhales and exhales.
"I'm sorry," Chariot repeated when she found herself back to normal. She then shifted herself out of Croix's grasp and began to stand up.
"What did I say Chariot? You don't need to apologise for anything."
Still, a heavy amount of guilt was against her heart and Chariot couldn't even find herself the strength to look at Croix. "But you, and the time-" She stopped herself when she caught Croix's stubborn green eyes before looking away again with an embarrassed flush against her cheeks. "Thank you then…."
"It's... no problem," Croix said, her fingers brushing against the back of her neck in an embarrassed rub as she looked away, a thoughtful look on her face. "Look Chariot-" Chariot turned to her and her eyes widened as Croix gave her a serious expression. "The whole thing about the amulet being from home is bullshit." Chariot gasped at the foul language that she didn't expect from Luna Nova's brightest student.
She was shocked! Even more so when the said student just brushed it away with a casual dismiss from her hand. "An amulet is supposed to be something of emotional value, not some small trinket from home. It could be something you made, it could be something you found on the ground several years back, by the nines it could be from the school!"
Chariot stared at Croix's exasperated expression as she vented her frustration to the air with her arms raised up high. It was strange seeing the usually cool and collected student be up in arms at a simple thing like where an amulet came from. "As long as the thought makes you want to come back to where you left it then it's good enough."
"What's your Amulet Croix?" Chariot asked before she could stop herself.
"I'm sorry!" Chariot repeated when Croix looked at her, "That was really invasive for me to ask and you don't need to answer-"
"A page from a book."
Chariot blinked, she really didn't expect an answer and from what she can see from Croix's expression, she genuinely meant it. Still, she still has to make sure she heard it properly. "A what?"
"A page from a book," Croix repeated before nudging her head behind Chariot to where her book was. "More specifically, it was the last page from that book."
Curious, Chariot walked over and picked it up and read the cover. "The Trials and History OF THE NINE WITCHES!" Chariot's jaw dropped as Croix rolled her eyes and collected the book easily from her hands. "That's from the school! You ripped a page from a school book!"
"I repair it every time when I come back!" Croix defended but that didn't stop her cheeks burning bright red at Chariot's truthful statement. She huffed in annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest with a muttering grumble. "Besides there was barely anything on the last page."
"Wow..." Chariot said as she took in this whole new side to Croix. She never thought she had a wild streak to her, nor did she expect her to be that dedicated to something as boring as history. "The stuff in the book must mean a lot to you since you carry it everywhere."
To Chariot's surprise, the colour on Croix's face deepened as she looked away from Chariot. "Yes, well, I don't want it to be taken by mistake do I?" Her eyes grew wide at the sudden rise of the pitch from her voice and Chariot giggled as Croix cleared her voice. "It's very important to me after all."
"What's inside it?" Chariot asked a second later, earning a shocked look from Croix who didn't expect any more questions. "Like, what is so important and special that even a single page would be enough for you to come back to Luna Nova?"
"I- uh…" Croix said before clearing her voice again. This time, she spoke in a quiet voice as if she was making a confession. "It's um about, a story really, no a legend. I don't really want to bother you with it, it's childish."
"Not really," Chariot countered as she sat down on a nearby rock, not really focusing on the owlish blinking of surprise from Croix who stared at with her mouth slightly hung open. "My mother always said that legends have a grain of truth to them."
"Well," Croix said as she looked down to the ground, the blush still on her face as she adjusted her glasses. "Knowing who your mother is, that validates me a bit for believing the legend is true."
"Which Legend?" Chariot asked again, this time with a grand smile on her face since she saw Croix go through an array of emotions she never thought she would see.
Croix smiled at her and there was a flicker of trust in her emerald eyes as she walked over and sat down next to Chariot. She flipped the book with such ease as Chariot used her wand to provide some light as the amber sky started to darken. "Have you heard of the Legend of the Grand Triskelion Chariot?" She grinned as she stopped at a page filled with illustrations about 7 different leaves with the Lunar Alphabet scribbled along it.
"No I haven't," Chariot replied with a bit of a giggle as she admired the brilliant eager glow reflected Croix's green eyes and excitement resonating from her wide smile. "But I want to learn about it."
Without further hesitation, Croix began to talk passionately about the story of the nine witches and the Grand Triskelion and just like that, a deep friendship was formed under a vermillion sky and the threads of fate began to spin.
You leave it at a place where you call home...
/-/
The third time Chariot talked about amulets was when she was halfway across the world in a foreign country, where every time she thought of home her heart forced her to look at the direction where the nearest airport was.
She was wearing her white and red performance outfit and was staring at her 18 year old self with a worried grimace on her face and a daunting question heavily weighing against her heart. She sighed as she leant against her dressing room mirror, desperately trying to lie to herself that it was just performance nerves and that she would be better when it's over. Except she knows it was never the case whenever she feels her heart tug at the exit or when she just glances at the mirror itself where a specific picture was stuck in the top left corner.
This was a question that has haunted her for a while and will continue to haunt her till she finds the strength to ask.
"Chariot are you ready, you're needed in 20 minutes," Croix called, voice muffled through the door as she did three taps against it.
Quickly, Chariot stands a bit straighter and her fingers find themselves pressing against her outfit to smooth out the small kinks. "Yeah!" she said with a slightly startled tone to her voice as she accidentally knocked something over when she tried to reach the shiny rod on the counter nearby. "I'm uh, I'm okay!" She reassured though with the pensive look on Croix's face when she opened the door, Chariot knew she didn't fool her.
"Are you sure?" She asked as she closed behind her, her concerned eyes glancing at the mess near Chariot before landing on Chariot herself. "You don't look well."
"It's just a question on my mind," Chariot said with a casual wave of her hand. "It's not too important right now and you can always answer it later," she said hurriedly as she caught a glint from Croix's eyes, the glint that came from when the gears in her head began to twist and turn in tandem.
"Is this a question that will remain on your mind during and after the show?" Croix asked, crossing her arms as she gave a subtle glance towards the shiny rod in Chariot's right hand.
"...yes," Chariot admitted after a moment of silence under Croix's determined gaze. "But's nothing worth-"
"Will it affect your performance with the show?" Croix asked directly.
Chariot was caught off guard at how dire and serious her tone was. "It will be on my mind-" She said with slow caution before she got cut off again.
"Then ask me right now," Croix stated as she looked at her watch, completely missing how Chariot's eyes flickered with light for a moment. "We have 15 minutes to spare till you're needed on the stage and if you were a single bit distracted then the Dream Fuel Spirit won't be used to the best and most effective conditions."
"The Dream Fuel Spirit," Chariot said, her voice dipping a bit as she glanced away from Croix, her mind mentally berating her for thinking that Croix cared a bit more about her than her experiment. "Right…"
"Anyways um," Chariot cleared her throat as she glanced at the photo in the corner of her mirror where it had her and Croix arm in arm smiling at the camera before turning her head to Croix. "So you know the safety amulets right?"
"Yes…" Croix nodded as her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What about them?"
"Well ummm…" Chariot silently took a deep breath as she glanced everywhere but Croix. "Is it possible to have a person be an anchor?"
"An… anchor?"
"Like say if uh a person, was umm, a home... to another person, instead of a place," Chariot explained despite the hesitation and pauses. Chariot's red eyes finally locked themselves at Croix with desperation as her cheeks began to tint red. She knew her best friend was smart but she really wished she could see the hint when it's right in front of her! "Is it possible for the amulet to work? Like can someone guide themselves to another person if they hold something that has a lot of emotional value?"
She watched Croix's brows furrow for a bit as her eyes narrowed as if she was glaring at the ceiling, it was a face that Chariot quickly began to call her 'scheming face'."Like the fabled red strings of fate?" Croix asked after a bit of silent musing and mental scheming.
"YES!" Chariot shouted with a glee and bit of hidden relief. Her shoulders then sagged with relief as a gentle smile appeared on her face. She was really happy now that Croix was thinking like her, or at least similar to her. She was worried that after everything that happened between them that they might grow distant and she thought that even if that is the case, she still wanted to try and find her safely, hence the amulet question. "Yes, exactly like that."
"Well," Croix sighed as she crossed her arms and looked in the distance. "There haven't been any theories about that as far as I'm concerned, nor there was any experimentation done around it."
Her answer dampened Chariot's spirit a bit but Chariot shook it off with a small smile. "Well…" She began shyly and her fingers began to tap against the rod as a way to quickly get rid of her anxiety and feelings. "After the dream fuel spirit experiment, do you mind researching it a bit Croix?"
What Chariot didn't realise with her eyes too focused on her hands tapping against the shiny rod was the sudden agitated flare in Croix's eyes as the colour became a dark poison instead of a shimmering emerald. She also didn't notice the anger rippling through her as she stared at the shiny rod in Chariot's hands. "I'll… think about it," she said curtly, trying her hardest to not hiss or snarl the answer out whilst her palms started to hurt from the stinging of her nails sinking into the flesh.
"Ladies we got 5 minutes to curtain call," someone else called through the door after knocking it a bit to get their attention.
"I'll be out in a second!" Chariot called, her mood, even more, better now at the prospect of Croix going to try and research about the amulets.
She then turned to Croix who hid her usual displeasure with a simple nod and smile. "Good luck Chariot," She grinned as Chariot came over to hug her.
"I will!" she giggled before she opened the door. "Japan here I come!"
Just the thought of it should be compelling enough for you to return.
/-/
The fourth time Chariot talked about amulets, she wasn't Chariot Du Nord anymore, she was in fact, Ursula Callistis, a new teacher in Luna Nova. She was wearing nothing but her red sweatpants and jacket and in her new room, she was just staring at the moon with it's four shaped star mark. In fact, she was staring at the moon so intently that she didn't even figure out that she had company until the said company called out her name.
"Professor Ursula?"
Chariot, no Ursula's eyes widened at the sound as she created a distressed face when she leaned over the balcony. Her face paled even more when she was correct in her assumption that right under her on the ground floor was no one but her boss and headmistress of the school Miranda Holbrook.
"I'll be right there headmistress!" She called frantically as she raced down the stairs with such haste, her feet stomping against the wood loud enough that Alcor squawked from frustration. "Sorry Alcor," she whispered with a wince when she got to his perch and stroke his feathers before she turned to Holbrook with a nervous laugh. "You wanted to see me, headmistress?"
The fond and almost, longing look on Holbrook's face disappeared with a subtle shake of her head and a professional smile replaced the soft frown she had before. "Ah yes, Professor Ursula there seems to be a slight problem?"
"A problem you say?" Ursula asked, her voice dipping into concern as she sat down on her desk chair.
Holbrook nodded, her tone turning a bit more concerned than usual. "Yes Professor Ursula, I understand that as a new teacher, you do a lot of errands for the other more elderly teachers that require out of school travel am I correct?"
"Yes…" Ursula confirmed, her heart racing a bit more as she began to realise where this conversation was heading.
"It turns out that despite doing this, you haven't shown or given your safety amulet to myself or a senior member of the staff."
And just like that, Ursula's already pale complexion grown cold. "I see…"
"Yes, it becomes a slight problem when we ask you to travel to a nearby country or even to a destination 6 hours away," Holbrook explained, her eyes no longer looking at Chariot but were instead looking around the room. "If it's possible, may you allow the school to hold your amulet for safe keeping? I assure you it will be in the uttermost safest place the school could provide."
Ursula gave no reply, her face was deathly pale and the distant look in her eyes made it seem as if she saw a ghost. Under the heavy atmosphere of what seemed to be a cosy room, Holbrook was forced to turn to the new teacher, her face in a somewhat sympathetic frown.
"I understand the request may be a bit invasive," Holbrook said softly as she took in Ursula's grave expression. "Especially since amulets are very special things and are sometimes very private to a witch... but it is mandatory for it to be secured in the school facility for safe keeping."
"I can't," Ursula whispered, her voice so faint and so quiet that Holbrook would've missed the shakiness of if she wasn't paying any attention.
"Professor Ursula," Holbrook repeated, her voice more slowly losing its professional tone in favour of a softer, more parental voice. "If it helps, I will be the only one permitted to see it."
This time, Ursula gave no verbal response, she only shook her head and under the shadows of her hair, there was a faint reflection of teardrops lining her eyes as she moved her arms. The movement was sluggish and her shoulders were hunched as if she held the entirety of the world but despite everything, Ursula opened a drawer and placed a small photograph on the table with such caution like the word fragile was stamped all over it.
With a heavy heart, Holbrook sighed as she stared at the object before glancing at the professor. Her heart twisted against itself as she took in Ursula's hollow face as she did nothing but stare at the photograph. The photograph was nothing but two girls, one with short red hair and one with long lavender hair with their arms intertwined, smiling at the camera without a single care in the world.
Then, after a shuddering exhale of breath, a faint whisper of a hoarse voice left Ursula's lips. "I still can't…" Within seconds, Ursula's navy blue hair started to fade away to reveal a bright yet dimmed shade of red and an exhausted sigh left her lips whilst tears started to hit the wooden desk.
"Oh Chariot…" Miranda whispered as she forgoed the professional attitude entirely to comfort her only daughter. She wrapped her hands around Chariot's body, small soothing hushes leaving her lips as Chariot began to bury her head in her arms. "Shhh, it's okay dear."
Chariot shook her head as she inhaled a shaking breath and exhaled with a shudder of her grieve stricken body. "It's not okay," she murmured. "It's been five years and it's still not okay."
"I know dear," Miranda whispered as she brushed Chariot's long red hair. Even just staring at her, Miranda could just see Chariot's own guilt forming a knife right before stabbing her in the clavicles of her heart.
And it's moments like this where Miranda hated herself, not for anything she did but for that fact there was nothing she could do to help her daughter but just be there for her and listen. It's moments like this she remembered, despite being centuries years old, what complete and utter helplessness felt like.
"I still miss her mum…" Chariot whispered. Her voice was muffled but Miranda could still hear the heartache behind the words and how broken they sound when they leave her lips. "Is it bad that I still miss her? Even after everything?"
"No… never," Miranda whispered as she held Chariot tighter and kissed the top of her head. "Not when a mere thought of her picture is enough to bring you back home."
Don't you have something you never let go?
/-/
The fifth time Chariot talked about amulets was when she was back in her tower, though this time she wasn't alone and despite still hiding under the name Ursula, her hair wasn't blue. Near her, sitting on her couch was Croix who was newly reformed after her misdeeds, the government was taking her tomorrow so Holbrook allowed her to stay with Chariot for the final night. Chariot was upstairs, her eyes fixated on the seared star mark on the moon, quiet as an awkward silence simmered between them.
"Hey, Croix?" Chariot called down below, her gaze finally leaving her mistakes as she peered down the railing. "Do you remember the talk in the dressing room at the night of the Japan show?"
Even from the slight distance, Chariot could see Croix flinch at the memory, her shoulders recoiling before it stopped with a defeated slump. "...What about it?"
Chariot pursed her lips as she trod down the stairs, her words slow and full of caution. "I'm not talking about the one after the show," She said carefully, her eyes focused on Croix alone for any sign to back away from the conversation before it was too late; she found none. "I'm talking about the one before it," her eyes glanced at their picture as kids that sat isolated on her desk. "About the amulets…"
"Chariot…" Croix said immediately, her voice quiet as a guilty expression flickered across her face before she looked down at her feet when Chariot caught her staring. "I can't, I don't think… I am capable of doing the experiment."
Chariot gave her a wry smile. "So you do remember it." Croix glanced at her once more before returning her gaze back to the ground with a slight hesitant nod. Chariot exhaled a tired sigh as she turned to her desk and picked up the picture. She stared at the photo, a wistful look in her eyes as her thumb brushed across the edges absentmindedly whilst she walked to her couch and sat next to Croix with her arm outstretched. "Take it."
"I umm," Croix said as her eyes darted from Chariot to the photo before going back to Chariot again. "I don't need it though." Automatically her eyes widened when a flicker of hurt spread across Chariot's face. "I mean I still have my own copy after all!" She explained frantically, ignoring how hot her cheeks were. "It's not bent or teared up or anything so I don't need yours, even if it is a spare…"
Chariot smiled at her, amusement in her eyes whilst her mind cemented the knowledge that Croix still had her copy. Still, she edged the photo closer. "It's not a spare," she admitted and before Croix could reply she deepened the explanation further. "It's my amulet."
Once more Croix's eyes widened as embarrassed stutters left her mouth in a twisted blushing mess. "But, But I thought your amulet was the small poncho you had when you were little," Croix said, her mind still in a daze that their photo was Chariot's amulet, the one thing that would be enough to convince Chariot to come home. "Y'know like the one back when we were kids."
Chariot shook her head with a slight giggle, "That's still my amulet," she said as the laughter died down and left nothing but a serene look on her face. "This one," she said slowly as she looked at the photo with enough endearment to make the red on Croix's face become darker. "This one is more personal though." Her eyes went back to Croix and soon the red on Croix's face crept to her knuckles and ears. "And I want you to take it."
"I-" Croix gasped, her mind imploding as she struggled to figure out the reason behind all of this. "But why!?"
This time, it was Chariot's turn to blush as her eyes flickered from Croix for a moment before looking at her again, a fiery determination burning in those ruby gems. "Because I want to do the experiment."
Once again, Croix was shot into oblivion, her mind broken in all regards as warm blood burned every part of her skin red. "I…." She managed to say before all forms of communication were gone and her mouth just opened and closed like a stupified goldfish.
Under Croix's awed gaze Chariot blushed and she pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes," she giggled nervously. "I, uh… still, see you as a home." She sighed and looked around the room and soft memories waltzed into her head as she thought about everything after the missile incident and every single word and touch that came from Croix and how safe she felt.
"Despite everything… I somehow still feel safe around you."
"How?" Croix asked, begged even as frustration and desperation loomed in her eyes. "I hurt you Chariot!"
"You apologised and are trying to clean up your mistakes," Chariot interjected straight away. "And I already forgave you."
"I mocked your dreams and desires!" Croix reasoned, her tone became harsher but Chariot knew that the wounds she is trying to inflict are more to herself opposed to her. "I almost killed you several times! I made you lose your flight and mocked afterwards!" Croix looked at her, then at herself as she rubbed her hands over her tired eyes with a sigh. "You shouldn't feel safe around me."
"Tell me Croix," Chariot said cautiously as she locked onto her green eyes. "Would you mock me and hurt me the same way you did in the past again?"
"No!" Croix said with her face transforming to a genuine horrified expression.
"And if something were to occur," Chariot continued, her scarlet eyes never leaving Croix's. "Would you try your best to help and protect me if you were in the nearby vicinity?"
"Of course!" Croix said in an instant and without any hesitation.
"And if you were to go back in time to your past self what would you do?"
"I…. would try my hardest to stop her hurting her Chariot like I did with you," Croix answered and though she paused a bit to think, Chariot could tell every word she said was completely genuine and true.
With a smile, Chariot handed Croix her photo and intertwined her nearby hand with hers. "Then I have no reason to fear you and I have every reason to trust and feel safe around you."
Croix stared at her again, eyes lost with slight shock and wonder before she settled with a lost but disbelieving laugh. "You're unbelievable Chariot. You're really something," she laughed before a bittersweet smile found its way to her lips as she looked at Chariot, then to their hands intertwined. "I really don't deserve you."
Chariot hummed as she closed the distance between them with a small kiss before she rested her head against Croix's shoulders. "You're a good person Croix," she murmured as she gave Croix's hand a tight squeeze. "You just made a few mistakes."
Croix's laugh was nothing but gallows laugh but despite it all, she tucked the photo into her shirt pocket. "Whatever helps you sleep at night Chariot." The awkward silence between the two of them became a soft calmness, where the only thing in the air was bittersweetness that they will be separated tomorrow.
"I love you Croix," Chariot admitted as she pressed herself closer to her body.
Croix shifted a bit and wrapped an arm around Chariot's body before giving her a sweet kiss on her forehead. "I love you too Chariot," she murmured as she created a silent vow in her head, one that she will share tomorrow when their time together is up. For now though, she will just have to hold Chariot tight and pray to whichever of the nine witches are listening and hope that the morning doesn't come any time soon.
It was a big surprise to Chariot when she found herself no longer looking south when her heart searched for a home, but west where another country was. Even though she gave Croix her amulet, even though she knew in her heart her home was by Croix's side, she never actually expected the experiment to work.
6 months passed when it happened, 6 months have passed since Croix left her to clean up her mistakes and declared that she will find the cure for Wagenda, 6 months since Chariot gave her her amulet and told her that she was a place that her heart called home. And all this time, Chariot has been teaching her students, helping Diana teach Akko how to fly and wait for Croix to arrive with her cure, just like she promised.
It's weird having a home that moved. She realised this when another couple of months has passed and she found herself looking at a different compose point yet again. Some days she would be fixed at one location for a while, other times she would be in one location and be somewhere different in the next hour. The weirdest part is when her eyes moved with Croix whenever her heart yearned for her, it was as if she was a bird and was merely following her from above.
The hardest thing she realised throughout all of this, was how heavy her heart became whenever she sensed that Croix was in the British Isles. In those moments where she was so close yet so far, Chariot debated with herself that she should go visit her whenever she found Croix staying for more than a day. She was left with nothing but heartache when she realised that no matter the outcome Croix has already left the country again and it's there Chariot wondered if Croix was also affected being her home in this personal experiment.
So Chariot just settled for waiting in the end, and for the days where the longing and yearning were suffocating her, Chariot picked up the map of the world and threaded the various places she thinks Croix has been to and where she was currently. Over time, she got used to the little prick in her heart whenever she felt Croix being in the country but not going to her, she learned how to cope with the waiting and she learnt how much she really did love Croix whenever she would receive small packages from said witch detailing about her progress with the cure.
Before Chariot knew it, weeks of waiting became months and months of waiting gradually turned into years. And in two years Chariot found herself hugging a graduated Akko and Diana with soft tears in her eyes and a proud smile on her face.
Although Croix hasn't shown up to the graduation in person, since she was currently trapped in her new lab doing research, she was still there in digital form and even gave gifts to two of them. For Diana, she gifted all the medical information she found about various plants in her journeys. Akko however, rejected her initial gift before she even saw it, instead, she made her gift be the promise that Croix would be there in person for her and Diana's eventual wedding if she didn't find the cure by then. They all laughed at that statement and then died when Croix joked through a pixelated screen that they should learn how to slow down a bit to give her a bit of more time.
Soon enough, the years have passed again and slowly accumulated into another 5 years of waiting. During that time, their relationship was still strong despite the long distance of it all and Chariot found herself holding 2 feathers in her hat as opposed to the singular one. She even dropped her Ursula name after some time, especially since the senior teachers found out that Ursula never really existed in their records. All was well for Chariot as she waited, that was until she felt a familiar tug at her heartstrings and she found the distance between her and Croix was closing very quickly.
"Professor Chariot?" One of her students asked after a moment of silence. Chariot didn't look at the student, her eyes too busy fixated at Croix's closing position. Her eyes were wide with shock and the scarlet colour glistened with excitement as the realisation that Croix was coming home hit her like a train.
"Class dismissed," Chariot said abruptly as she left the classroom she was teaching with a grand smile and skip in her step. She didn't care that her strange actions caused her class to abrupt in slight chaos, nor did she stop and explain when Professor Finneran saw her in the hallway and asked her if she had a class to teach. All she did was rush into Holbrook's office with happy tears in her eyes and a joyous smile on her face and asked for a ride to Glastonbury Tor, a ride that her adoptive mother was gladly able to give.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay overnight?" Miranda asked one more time as readied on her broom. The sky was turning gold as the sun began to set and soon enough the evening chill of a spring night was nipping at Chariot's shivering frame. Croix hasn't arrived yet but judging by the tugging of her heart, Chariot knew she would be here in short bit.
"I'm quite sure mum," Chariot assured as she exhaled a small cloud of smoke. "Worse case scenario, I'll head to town and stay at the local inn."
Miranda gave her daughter one more look over, the frown on her face gradually leaving when she realised again that the person in front of her is no longer a child asking for hugs and always so curious with the world but a grown woman. A woman stubborn enough to stay outside in the cold to wait for the love of her life. "Very well then," She said as she waved her wand. "Metamorphie Vestesse!"
Surprise was evident in Chariot's eyes as swirls of magic surrounded her before disappearing in a sparkling cloud of teal. When she looked at herself, she already noticed that not only was she covered head to toe with a head, scarf, mittens and a long jacket but she was also out of her school uniform and into something more casual.
With a laugh she looked at her mother who joined in with the laughter, "I'll tell Samantha that you're taking a sick leave and will be gone for at least a week." Miranda laughed harder when she saw Chariot's surprised expression before she simmered the laugh to a kind smile. "I can tell when a case of lovesick becomes quite serious dear," she teased, once more laughing at Chariot's now blushing face before she headed inside the tower and started the incantation. "Tia Freyre!" With the familiar sound of a leyline portal opening, Miranda left to head back to Luna Nova, leaving Chariot all alone in the grassy hills of Glastonbury Tor.
Chariot let out a sigh of relief when her mother finally left. She knew she meant well when she asked to stay with her as an emotional support but she really just wanted to be alone with Croix after all this time. It's been 7 years since she last saw her, 7 years since she gave the amulet and everything so it felt right that after so many years, she should be the first person she meets after completing her cure.
Within an hour, the sound of a portal opening appeared again and Chariot stood up, her heart thundering within her chest. "Croix?" She called to the shadows of the tower, her voice hopeful and her expression eager when a figure stepped out of the shadows.
"Chariot!?" Croix said with wide eyes as she stared at her in shock. "When did you get here?" Chariot smiled as she took in Croix's new appearance, her hair was still a messy state of lavender hair though it was long enough that a very small ponytail could be tied at the back. To make things, Croix was wearing her glasses again and visible blush on her cheeks made her look adorable.
"You could say I became a bit too excited," Chariot chuckled with a big grin on her face before she ran towards Croix and engulfed her with a big hug.
"Careful of the cure Chariot!" Croix laughed as she quickly shifted her shoulder bag on her as Chariot collided with her. She then wrapped her arms around Chariot whilst tossing Chariot a lopsided grin. "If that gets broken I have to fly all over to South America to get a new batch and explain to my boss why my allocated batch got broken within 5 minutes."
Chariot laughed at her, shaking her head in disbelief before she buried herself in the crook of Croix's neck to hide the tears. "I missed you," she whispered as she held onto Croix's new clothes tightly and secretly blamed her shaking as shivering from the cold.
Croix hummed an apology as one hand began to thread through Chariot's scarlet hair whilst the other rubbed circles on her back before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry it took so long Chariot."
"It doesn't matter," Chariot said, lifting her head up and wiped away her tears. There was a soft smile on her face as she looked at Croix like she's the only thing in the world. "You're here now Croix. You're here now and I'm back home."
Croix laughed as she looked at Chariot with pride in her emerald eyes. "So I'm guessing your amulet experiment worked huh?" Meanwhile, Chariot found herself drinking in Croix's every bit of Croix's laugh.
"Yeah, about that," Chariot said with a blush when she realised she was staring. "Turns out it was practised before in ancient times so we really didn't discover anything new."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, a student of mine talked about how it was part of her cultural history of magic whilst I was substituting Magic History. She's a really smart girl, she uh noticed it straight away apparently." She also talked about how it was in the story of the red string of fate which was a Chinese Legend and how if it worked, it meant that the two people involved were destined to interact one way or another… as well as get married. But she wasn't going to drop that bomb on Croix right away.
"Did your student talk about how it was part of the red string of fate legend?" Croix asked with her voice smooth and her grin smug.
Chariot blushed under her gaze and she started to feel warm underneath all of her layers of clothes. "How did you know all that?"
Croix chuckled again as she gave Chariot another light-hearted grin. "I found out about it when I went to China to study medicine there," she explained. "Needless to say I was surprised about the legend and how wrong I was thinking it was just a story or a myth."
"Well, Holbrook always did say legends have a grain of truth to them," Chariot laughed before pausing when Croix didn't join in with the laughter and just stared at her with a lopsided grin and endearing eyes. "What?"
"You know you said that sentence, or something similar when we first became friends Chariot," she mused as she looked at the sky. "The sky is a similar shade too."
"I never noticed," Chariot said as she too looked at the sky. "It's been so long ago that I can't really remember."
"Yeah…" Croix agreed as her voice became more wistful as she still stared at the sky, Chariot looked at her and there was an expression on Croix's face that she couldn't quite read. Then with a loud sigh, Croix looked at her with an apologetic smile and eyes filled with nothing but love and endearment. "Chariot I'm sorry that you have to wait a bit longer for the cure but I want to make another legend come true."
"Croix what are you talking-" Chariot stopped herself as her hands flung to her open mouth and tears began to flow freely from her eyes. In front of her, Croix got down on one knee and produced a velvet box with a diamond ring tucked in the cushion from her pocket. "By the nines…" Chariot cried as she shook her head slightly from disbelief.
"Chariot," Croix began as she eyes started to tear up too. "7 years ago, I left you with the promise to return with the cure and today I have done just that. But 7 years ago you left me a photo I already owned and cherished deeply and told me that it was your amulet and that I was someone your heart called a home."
"And I thought about it a lot ever since I left, I don't know if you knew but I could tell when you were looking for me, I could tell when you wished you could go home but couldn't cause you had to stay at Luna Nova. So I started our long distance relationship to help you stop missing me and to help me remind myself why I'm stuck in the jungle looking for a plant that apparently didn't exist till I found it again." Croix found herself laughing at the memory and through her happy tears Chariot joined in too.
"And talking to you, no matter the time and day reminded me of home. It reminded me of the past before I messed it up, it reminded me why I cared so much about a girl who was just only someone I had to help for extra credits in the first place and why I put so much effort trying to help her feel better after someone bullied her."
" You're so good to me Chariot… You're so good that sometimes I don't know how I deserve you, even after everything I did," Croix said with a bitter laugh as she looked to the side before returning her gaze back to Chariot. "But you've been fighting me every time I say that to the point where I'll just give in and believe you, even when they're days where it's hard to."
"Okay I'm rambling again," Croix laughed nervously as she took in a deep breath and stared into Chariot's teary crimson eyes. "Look the point that I'm trying to make is that I love you Chariot and if the amulet experiment you did meant that we're two people tied together by an invisible but legendary red string then I want to make that legend come true and marry you, so will you-"
The sentence was cut off with a sudden attack on her lips and Croix's eyes widened before the familiar smell of inked hands and cinnamon washed over Croix and forced her eyes to close as she drank in the taste of Chariot's soft lips.
"Sorry," Chariot said with an excited giggle and a bashful smile when they finally parted. Croix just stared at her, still trying to quietly catch her breath from such an intense kiss. "You were rambling a lot and I was too excited so I kinda jumped the gun a bit, but yes, I will marry you Croix."
And just like that, the second round of intimate and passionate kissing began. Croix leant in without a second to spare and she pulled herself to her feet when they took a short breath of air before reuniting her lips once again, in a slow but passionate kiss. Not that Chariot cared, Croix was home now and now that they were getting married, it seemed like they have all the time in the world.