The Right to Bare Fangs: Chapter 2


I've almost missed my flight due to my Obaa-san. She was too stubborn, insisting that she's fine and that she didn't need any healing and that her bruise will be fine without my help. Well, there was no way that anyone would leave a big bruise like that on an old lady untreated. I'm sure wouldn't.

This should've been done right after dinner but she kept saying that she was tired and that she needed some rest. The next day, it was so obvious that she didn't want any help with her bump, delaying my pleas with excuses like going to the market, making tea and even cleaning the whole house. It took the entire breakfast to convince her that she shouldn't leave her bruise just like that and another hour after that to convince her that magic wouldn't ruin her soul.

"Magic always had a trade-off of some kind, Atsuko. An arm, a leg, your first born child, a part of your soul..." She laughed it off, but still sounded dismissive of the idea of it. "It's impossible to trust. Especially if it takes some part of my humanity."

I groaned, pointing the tip of my wand towards her bump. Her bruise was already black, looking a bit bigger than the night before.

There was this guilty feeling that settled at the top of my stomach as I was gauging the size of her bump. I'm glad that she's okay. She doesn't seem to have been affected by the fall. Either that or my Obaa-san's a pretty good actress.

"This is a different type of magic, Obaa-san. Those ways of magic are dead and gone. New Age magic's supposed to help you on things like chores, cooking, healing up wounds and bruises ," emphasizing the last part. I couldn't blame her. Magic was different during her time. "I didn't really sacrifice anything to gain control of magic, see?" I showed her my hands, stretching them from behind her then wiggling my fingers. "Ten full fingers, all functional and nothing less."

"I see that, Akko." She laughed again. "But chores can be done without the use of a wand if you're diligent enough. And that applies to cooking as well. As for wounds and bruises, I do remember patching up this young child years ago because she'd always run off somewhere believing she could fly. She's turned into a fine young woman right now," she turned to face me, placing her hand on my cheek. "There's no magic in that."

And it was in the way she smiled that sent this sense of accomplishment coursing through my veins.

She pinched my cheek a bit too hard that my lips parted on the side that she held. "And that fine young woman needs to eat more. How are you going to function normally when you look extremely fragile?"

That feeling of accomplishment was gone at the mention of me being weak; frowning at my Obaa-san making sure she saw my miffed expression. "Ahm not fwagile, Obaa-shan," I was able to answer her despite the fact that she was still pulling on my cheek. "Av got a lot ohf punch in me."

"I know that. You've got some of me in you so you're one feisty girl. But you do need a bit of meat on you," she let go, then patted the side of my cheek she pinched, dropping that smile she had. "I'm not going to stop you from pursuing your dream so do not be angry at me. It simply terrifies me that this is the path your heart truly desires."

"It's not the same, why can't you understand that? Performing magic in front of a big audience is different from using it like a gun or some sick weapon." I couldn't hide the angry tone in my voice.

Maybe it was because she grew up fearing magic. There are so many fairy tales about how manipulative and scary magic used to be in Japan's olden days. I wasn't that aware of what type of magic she's seen. But for her to say that she's scared for me, I'd rather not know myself.

"It all comes from the same energy source, right? This magic you use now and the magic I've witnessed before, correct?" She eyed me, waiting for me to agree with her—which I did with a slight nod. "I've seen many wars erupt from power and magic was a big part of their arsenal. It's corrupted the most honorable of nations. To control magic powerful enough to overturn an entire society always had some sort of price to pay," she then turned her back against me and said under her breath, "Your life isn't worth any sort of powerful magic known and unknown to man. No grand mother should bury their own grand daughter."

"It's not going to happen, Obaa-san. I promise you. I'm going to be okay, and I'm not going to be a soldier, a knight, or a mage sent out to the battlefield," I patted her back, then told her to hold her hair to the side. "I'm going to be like Shiny Chariot! Showing the world happiness through magic shows that inspire children and adults alike."

I heard her huff at the end of my reply, followed by her turning her back against me. But still, even if she was against it, it won't stop me from becoming a full-fledged witch.

I braced myself. Obaa-san held her hair to the side, making the bump a lot more visible than when it was tied.

"Repar Vasaguinos ."

My pronunciation clearly sounded off. It took a few, long seconds until the tip of my wand gave off a faint, white light like Diana said it would. Her bump receded moments later, and the only reminder of it was the bruise that surrounded it.

Now, to see if the spell really worked, I gave the dark patch a poke. She didn't flinch at all. And from the feel of it, the bump was gone entirely.

A huge sigh of relief escaped my lips.

Thank you, Diana. You're a lifesaver.

Top that incident off with my Obaa-san not allowing me to travel without little send-off gifts from her, I was held back an hour according to my schedule. It took a long time to repack all of my stuff to make room for everything she wanted me to bring—most of those things were food.

But despite her persistence, I still made it to the plane back to Europe with a few minutes to spare.

Broom in hand, my stuff in the other, I made my way to the same broom stop I've used for the past two years. Students were lining up, all going on their way to Luna Nova. Some of them new, others were familiar faces from my batch or a year younger.

The line was long, almost reaching the edge of the small town nearby, when I took my spot at the end. And even though there were so many familiar faces, my friends were nowhere to be seen. It was a bummer since they all said they'd be coming in today. I stood there for roughly half an hour by myself until something snapped me out of my trance.

"Hey there, short stuff!" came a greeting from behind, accompanied by a hand fiercely ruffling my hair and loosening my hair tie.

"Amanda!" I said, pushing her hand away. "Great, now I have to tie my hair all over again!"

"Didn't think I'd see you here this early! I thought you'd make three for three," she said, then snickered. She slapped me in the back, nearly toppling me over. I shot her an irritated pout as I fixed my pony. " Ha , I guess there's no hilarious show this year for everyone to enjoy. Too bad."

"Shut up," I said a bit angrily, still wanting to shove her. "I'm not going to be late this year."

"Sure looks like it. Though, I'm not blaming you. Diana is one scary witch."

Wait… "What? How does Diana fit into any of this?"

Her smirk was intimidating, and I knew exactly what's to come. Even though we've both gotten a bit closer over the years, Amanda's teasing has become a lot worse. "Been hearing that you and Diana talking and hitting up each other all summer. I'm not surprised about the news a bit. The whole year last year, she had you following her around like a puppy," she chortled. "It's kinda cute. How much nagging did she do to convince you to get to school earlier?"

"What!?" I screamed so loud that everyone in line looked towards our direction. "What do you mean I'm her puppy ? I'm not Diana's pet! I'm her friend! She was helping me throughout the entire school year!" My finger was repeatedly poking the middle of Amanda's chest as I said each point clearly. "And there's nothing wrong with calling her over the summer! And she definitely doesn't nag me to do anything!"

"Someone sounds a bit defensive." She tucked her hands in her pocket. She took a step back from me then said, "So, if you guys are friends, what are you guys talkin' about? Care to enlighten me on the subject?"

I couldn't recall any of the things that we've talked about. As much as I tried to remember, nothing was coming to mind at that time and Amanda annoying me wasn't helping me at all. So all I answered was a muffled, "…stuff."

"The word "stuff" isn't as 'jam-packed with information' as you think it is," came her snide remark paired up with that annoying, trademark grin. "So, what did you guys talk about during the summer?"

"Ugh," I crossed my arms. No, I wasn't going to let Amanda's teasing bother me this time. This conversation had to end and ignoring her would make her stop. "You know what? I'm not going to share with you whatever it was we talked about over the summer. So buzz off."

She laughed out loud, the students surrounding us looking our way once more. "Why? Does it contain something explicit ? An episode that isn't supposed to be discussed in the company of others? Those things were supposed to talk about behind closed doors?"

This time she got me gritting my teeth. The urge to tackle her to the ground was getting stronger. But instead of doing what I felt I should have, I turned my back towards her. I was going to be better than this. I am the better person. I could handle Amanda's teasing. All I had to do was ignore her and not let it get to me. She's always doing this. Pulling my strings and pissing me off. I can't understand what sort of enjoyment she gets from annoying me.

So I didn't answer her question and left her hanging. The handle of my bag was marking my palms from my grip as I dragged all of my stuff away from Amanda as fast as I could.

Normal people would've gotten the message. Normal people would've stopped. Or would've changed the subject even . But Amanda didn't behave like a normal person. Her footsteps matched my pace and I could only assume the thing poking my shoulder was Amanda's broom handle, trying to get me to look back.

"Come to think of it, Diana never teaches anyone else privately. 'Cept for you, of course. You're her only exception. Her only private student. Like, not even Hannah or Barbara gets an hour to them alone and they're her dorm mates." I could literally feel her smirking at me even with my back towards her. I was clenching my fist on my broom tight, my teeth biting down hard on my lips. She knew exactly which buttons to push to annoy me, and she wasn't going to slow down any time soon. "Did she teach you things besides school work? All those late nights in the library last year must've gotten sensual, right?"

That's it.

In one swift motion, I let go of everything on hand and I lunged myself towards her to tackle her to the ground. Her hair was within reach but she was quick, holding me at arm's length before I was even able to grab her. Instead, I grabbed her shirt and yanked it towards me. She was strong, but I was determined to wipe that stupid grin off of her big mouth. I pulled back an arm, ready to punch her, but she clutched my arm swiftly before I could snap my fist. She rolled me over, gripped me around my neck and pinned me to the ground with a tight chokehold.

"Why do you have to be so defensive, Kagari?" She snickered. I couldn't get her arm off my neck, but I was still persistent to try to get out of her grasp, biting and scratching her forearm trying to make her let go of me.

"Amand—"

"When will the both of you ever stop fighting? There's still the option to talk about your differences, you know." I heard someone sigh from behind. I recognized who that worried voice belonged to even if she wasn't within my sight.

"Oh hey, Lotte!" Amanda greeted, her grip still strong around my neck. "For the record, she started it. She tackled me first." Amanda then pulled my head towards her chest tighter, causing me to gawk. "So, I'm teaching her a lesson."

"They can't help it, Lotte. Birds of the same feather tear each other apart," came another familiar voice. This one deadpan, almost dreary and gloomy.

"I don't think that's how that saying goes," Lotte said.

"Sucy! Lotte!" I pushed Amanda one more time. "Let me go, Amanda!" After she wouldn't, I kicked her blindly from the front, hitting her in the shin which caused her to let me go.

I pushed her off, leaving her on the ground as I bolted towards Sucy and Lotte to pull them both into a tight hug.

"You guys!" I know it's only been a month but it felt like I haven't seen them in years.

"Akko, stop. You're cutting off circulation to my brain," Sucy pleaded as she squirmed underneath my grip. I knew she missed me too. No way was I going to let her go. I'm going to hug her because I missed her and she just has to deal with it.

"I missed you so much!" I hugged them tighter. This time, Lotte was the one squirming trying to get out of my grip, so I let go of the both of them.

"So, how was your summer?" I asked them.

Amanda finally stood up from behind us, murmuring some curse words under her breath. She patted down her uniform and straightened it out before walking towards us.

"I was able to take over the shop a few weeks. I didn't think I could handle it but I did, although I was a bit nervous at first," Lotte sounded excited. "My mom and dad's finally able to rest since they've taken shop duty off their minds for a few days. I've never been happier to see them like that."

I smiled at her. This was the reason she came to Luna Nova in the first place. To be able to obtain a license to continue running her parents shop and it's finally coming true.

I turned towards Sucy. She still had the weird looking broom they had in her country. It didn't look like the standard issued one. Its bristles look softer and were fanned out unlike ours. This was the broom she used every time she's going back to the academy straight from her country. "What about you, Sucy? I bet you had tons of fun during the summer."

She tilted her head, letting out a yawn before she answered me. "Nope. Everything was definitely boring. I couldn't wait for school to start to get out of the house," Sucy said. "Nothing exciting ever happens where I live. Except maybe when there are families bickering outside. Those are really fun to watch." She looked upwards, her focus dropped to Lotte right beside her. "The fun only picked up when Lotte came to visi—"

"Whaaaat!? You guys went on a trip without me!?" My face dropped to the floor. I didn't even let Sucy finish her sentence. How come they never told me that there was this little get together at Sucy's place? We would've done so much! I've always wanted to have a fun vacation with the both of them. "Why didn't you call me up!? Why didn't you invite me!?"

The both of them looked puzzled. Sucy was the first to speak up. "We did, remember? You said you were going on a road trip with your family. You tripped all the way down the stairs because you were on the crystal ball with us. It was a fun thing to watch," she answered, smirking.

"Oh." Now I remembered. I was too busy at that time that I forgot about it. Well, they did call at a bad time. My parents were flustered with the plans and the schedules. They were so engaged in trying to figure out which places to go to that they were making me do their errands left and right. Maybe that's why I don't recall any of it.

"So, what you do over there at Sucy's place?" I turned my attention to Lotte. "Does she live in a mushroom?"

"No, she doesn't live in a mushroom but you can say that her house is made of dried up plants. Her country's a little hotter and more humid than what I'm used to, but it's really nice. The beaches there are great and there are tons of coconut trees!"

"Ow," Amanda mumbled before she stood beside me. Then, without much of a warning, I was hit hard with a slap across my shoulder. "Eye for an eye, Kagari."

I winced, almost retaliated with a slap of my own but Lotte put her hand on my back. "Fine," I mumbled.

"You guys can go ahead," Amanda said, clasping her hands at the back of her head. "I'm going to wait for my group."

"We can stay behind, right guys? It's not like we're going in different places anyway." I said, both Sucy and Lotte agreeing with me by nodding their heads. We let the students behind us ahead as we waited for the remaining members of Amanda's team.

"No worries though, it won't be too long. They said they're pretty close. Knowing Jasminka, she's definitely somewhere in town checking out all the food stops. I'm sure Constanze is with her too. She doesn't have to worry about lugging all her stuff since she's got those Stanbots following her around."

And she was right. It only took around 15 minutes before they both arrived, Jasminka was munching away on some chips from a bag bigger than her own head. Constanze turned up with Stanbot's carrying most of her luggage while she was playing with the little metal control box all the way to the broom stop.

We didn't immediately leave as intended. Although the line was long, we decided that after we made our way through the Leyline, we wouldn't be able to hang out with each other like this anymore, free from the academic responsibilities that we all had to do. So instead, we stayed back a few more hours, sharing our summer stories with each other. Amanda somehow snuck in some scheduling on our free weekends, saying that we should all marathon Mary's movie collection at the green room dorm before the lessons pick up after the first few weeks. We were all up for it except Sucy, who's got reasons she wouldn't share with us, but after a few pokes from Lotte, she'll be reluctantly joining. All we had to do was show up and the green team will take care of everything else.

It was when the line had no more students that we got our stuff to use the Leylines. Amanda was the first on to go, followed by the rest of her teammates. When it was our turn to use it, Sucy turned, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, you don't have anything salty in your stuff right?"

"Nope, I made sure I didn't!"

She mumbled a soft, "Good," then got on the Leylines leaving me and Lotte behind.

It took us a while before we got on, Lotte watching Sucy ascend to the top of the tower before letting out a small huff.

"Lotte? Anything bothering you?" I asked.

"This'll be the last time we'll ever be riding this terminal together as students," she looked at me, her eyes still was soft behind those big, circular glasses she always had on. "The next time we pass through the Leylines, we're graduates."

I let out a big grin. "We'll be full-fledged witches by then! It's going to be exciting!"

"Yes," she hummed, her voice sounding mournful.

"Is there something wrong?"

She shook her head slightly before facing me. "Just thinking about the future. You know, once we all go our own ways, I don't think we'd have time for each other." Her fingers started to play with the loose string on her sleeve. "This may be our last year together as a group. Who knows what'll happen after that?"

She bit her lip but I had my hand on her shoulder. "We don't have to think of it that way. We're always going to stay friends, whatever comes our way!"

"I know it's just…" She trailed off, never finishing her sentence. "I'm getting sentimental again, never mind me." She shook her head before mounting her broom and kicking off into the Leylines. "I'll see you in the dorms, Akko."

In an instant, she was gone and I was all alone at the base of the tower. Broom in one hand, my luggage in the other, Lotte's little reflection dawned on me and sat itself comfortably on the back of my head. We lived in different countries, with different planned futures. But that didn't mean we have to stop talking to each other, right?

I don't think I'm prepared to lose any of them as my friends. I'm making sure that I'm gonna going to reach out to them, even when I'm busy!

Yup, friendship is a two way street after all!

I mounted my broom and kicked off. I was on my way to become one spectacular witch like Shiny Chariot. Magic show after magic show, the smiles painted on everyone's faces, including my friends at Luna Nova, is something to look forward to.