Ever since Diana fixed up that hat for Akko the two of them had grown closer. Or more correctly put, they weren't arguing and butting heads as much anymore. It was a start at least, though Akko still was unsure of what exactly was starting here, a friendship maybe? Or maybe something else? Well, it didn't really matter, she had never been much of a hard thinker anyway and she wasn't going to start being one now either, she had better things to do than focus on Diana.

One of those things was learning to fly. This time, for sure it'd work, though just in case, she left her newest witch hat in her room, that way, it would be impossible she'd lost it in a stupid manner again.

She didn't want to admit she'd grown attached to it over the past week, getting attached to a gift (of a sort) from Diana would be scandalous.

Sucy and Lotte already knew that her friend was more than attached to it, so they left it alone and just in case, Lotte casted a protective spell on their door when they went out, in case something happened in the trio's absence since she could imagine how sad Akko would be if something happened to her off-brand Shiny Chariot hat.

This afternoon was not different for her broom practice, her hat sitting in her bed and her broom in her hand, ready to take off any second now. Or maybe not. Nothing was happening this time either and the lessons of the day had left her too tired to run with it like other times. She took a deep breath and left herself fall into the grass at her feet, broom still in hand.

-Maybe I really got no talent…-, she sighed, staring deeply at the blue sky above. It seemed so far away, unreachable. Her arm stretched out towards the sky, and she pretended to hold clouds with her hands. She closed her eyes, imagining herself high up in the air mounted on her broom, actually touching the clouds.

-What are you doing?- asked suddenly a soft, startling Akko into opening her eyes. Diana was looking down at her. Akko looked at her for a moment, her cheeks feeling a bit hot, probably because of the sun she told herself.

-Nothing. Relaxing.-, she answered, turning onto her side, something she immediately regretted as her nose started to itch because of the grass brushing against it, it felt a lot like that time Sucy turned her nose into a flower last week, that is to say, it was terrible and made her sneeze loudly.

-Relaxing? By giving yourself allergies to grass?-, Diana asked, raising her eyebrows, one look at Akko's broom-holding hand and she knew right away the other girl was lying, it didn't take some genius to figure that much out. Not to mention she was wearing robes for practical cases, despite the fact there were none of those today. Diana herself was wearing her own robe as well, despite the fact they shared a schedule.

Akko, having realized this, asked in her best 'I'm-annoyed-but-not-really" voice: -And what are YOU doing?-

-What-, Diana started, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly due to the sudden hostility, -Am I not allowed to walk the school grounds anymore?-, her eyes were piercing Akko while examining her, it felt like she was trying to take a peek into Akko's soul.

-Er. no, I mean, yes.-, Akko was way too nervous over this She took a deep breath, shook her head many times in an attempt to gather courage and said, -I was wondering if you could, could….-, it was only a whisper but she did manage to add a weak, soft "help me fly" at the end.

Despite how quiet it was and even though part of Akko didn't want Diana to actually hear her, she did.

And she smiled, as softly as Akko had whispered but it was still an unmistakable smile, it kind of seemed like she had been waiting for this, for another chance to talk with Akko, why? Not even Diana, the most knowledgeable student at Luna Nova knew why.

-It'd be my pleasure.-, she answered still smiling and offering Akko a hand to get up.

Akko stared, why was she feeling and being so awkward? It was more than just the fact that she had just asked her number one (and perhaps only) rival for help in the one task she'd failed miserably again and again.

"Whatever!" Akko told herself while taking her new personal teacher's hand to get up, overthinking stuff was dumb and not for her, anyway, besides this could be it. Her chance to actually kick off the ground and onto the sky.

Once Akko was up on her feet once more, Diana told her to repeat the basic spell that would make the broom leave the ground.

-Tia Freyre! Tía Freyre!- Akko was yelling to the top of her lungs while Diana nodded at her with each shout, she appeared to be back on her colder, stricter self, something that brought great relief to Akko.

After a while of straining her lungs, Akko was starting to get tired of it, and if Diana was back to normal, so was her, -Why am I doing this?-, she asked, patting her throat carefully.

-So you learn to focus.-, Diana told her, calmly, closing her eyes in thought, -But maybe that's enough for now. We should move onto the real thing now.-, and with that said, she grabbed Akko's broom, that had been left laying down in the grass while she practiced the spell-casting.

She handled it to Akko with a stern look, she wasn't sure it'd work perfectly but neither of them was a risk just for trying.

-Now Akko, I want you to focus as much as you can. Picture yourself in the sky, and your broom as part of your body, commanded by magic.-

Akko did just that. Actually, no, not really. She did try to, but her thoughts would drift to Diana, the hat she had made her, how nice she felt wearing it, the practice they had, and even small little things like touching her hand for all of three great seconds.

As it was to be expected, that kind of thought didn't manage to make her float even a single inch above the ground, her feet were still firmly on the in a different way, she had started flying, her heart at least had, she was lost on her own happy world.

Until Diana suddenly touched her forehead out of the blue, snapping her back into reality and out of her trance.

-You're all red. Do you have a fever?-, despite the concern being apparent on her voice, Diana's face was as stoic, if showing a bit of curiosity. Akko was more focused on how close she was more than her face as she had to back off a bit to be able to respond.

-I'm fine! I'm fine!-, it what Akko thought she was saying, but it came out more as incoherent blabbering to Diana, who raised her eyebrows in confusion.

-Calm down.-, she told her, -Maybe we should stop for today.- Diana was now crossing her arms on a pensive way, having also backed away from Akko.

-No, no! Let me keep trying!-

Diana was a bit taken aback, her blue eyes wide open for a moment, but it didn't last. She already knew that Akko's greatest virtue is her determination. Her ability to keep going, to never give up and try, time and time again, not matter the number of failures. She smiled.

They ended up agreeing on taking a short break and sat down by a tree, both of their backs leaning against with its shadows covering them from the afternoon sun. This was enough to calm Akko's nerves, who took out one of her cards, the one with Shiny Chariot on it. She couldn't control herself when it came to thinking of Chariot, her idol, her reason for wanting to be a witch, for her, Chariot was magic herself.

Diana secretly shared some of that passion for Chariot but there was no way she'd ever comment on it, not after what she, Hannah and Barbara had said about her on Akko's first school day, she was too prideful to backpedal on her words against her so instead of commenting on yet another Akko ramble, she just listened, she could grant her that much.

After Akko had talked about marvelous, amazing and perfect Shiny Chariot was for the 10th time, Diana told her, her back still against the tree, her eyes closed and her voice sounding strangely nice:

-You're like her.-

Akko's eyes light up as brightly as stars, her mouth formed a smile faster than it should have been humanly possible

-How so?!-, Akko's excitement could barely be contained, her smile somehow getting wide and with not only her eyes shining but her teeth as well

Diana felt she opened pandora's box, or more correctly put, Akko's fangirling box but she had already decided that just this time once, she'd left Akko random without criticism.

-It's because… like her, your magic comes from your believing heart.-

Akko shoot out in a jump to stand up, started twirling around as if she was dancing while having a look of absolute bliss on her face, Diana seemed quite content of having gotten that off her chest as well.

After Akko had finished her improved dancing session, they returned back to practice. Akko was much more determined this time, and told herself over and over to think of nothing but flying, not of Chariot, Diana or how good breakfast had been that morning, not a single distraction would be allowed in her mind this time around.

But this time, Diana didn't hand Akko her broom, instead, she mounted it herself, and signaled for Akko to do the same.

-Why?-, Akko asked, her nerves starting to act up again.

-It might help you to experience flying without stress.-, she explained, remembering that they had been chased by dragons when they had shared a broom under very different circumstances.

Akko didn't sign up for this and as much as only mere minutes ago she was telling herself how cool she'd be, she once again became fluttered and started flailing her arms around in front of her.

-What's wrong?- Diana asked, increasingly more and more confused by Akko's erratic behaviour. -Hurry up, Akko.-

-Er, yes, right.-, Akko approached the broom carefully, slowly, as if otherwise Diana would change her mind about the ride.

But Diana didn't, she simply waited patiently for Akko to mount behind her, while shooting her one or two side glances.

Once she did, she firmly pulled her arms around Diana's waist, nodded for herself and told her to go. And off they went, kicking hard off the ground, flying with Diana was very different than it was from flying with Lotte or Sucy, her friends had some trouble keeping the broom steady and were a bit slow compared to everyone else, she understood why though, as Lotted had told that before flying with her, she had never flown double, she could guess the same was true with Sucy.

But Diana, Diana had absolute control over her broom, and Akko's weight was doing nothing against her speed either, the air was hitting them both full force as they went against it, it was surprisingly relaxing.

It was even more relaxing when without even paying attention to what she was doing, Ako left her head rest on Diana's back, her eyes closed. If she could have seen the other girl, she would have seen that Diana was red and most flustered than she had ever been but with the biggest smile, too, but Diana had to focus a lot more on making sure her broom remained as steady as always.

They stayed in the air like that for a long while, enough for the sun to start setting, by then they had circled around Luna Nova, its leyline and the town past it a few times.

-What do you think?-, asked Diana absent-mindedly when they started the descend to earth. -Do you think you could you fly after experiencing it a bit?-

Akko didn't answer right away, still embracing Diana with a smile on her face, she was too occupied thinking of how this had been the nicest broom ride she'd gotten so far in all of her flying experience, she already couldn't wait until riding with Diana again, that is, if she ever got a chance for it again.

And Akko, instead of answering her question, she let go of her and jumped into the ground when they were close enough to it (almost landing on her face, but just hitting her knee instead), she asked back:

-Do you think we can do this tomorrow too?-

Diana landed her broom gracefully, looked at Akko with still some hints of blush around her cheeks, -I don't see why not. If you don't think you can't today, we'll just try tomorrow again.-

-So… you're going to help me again tomorrow?-, Akko asked, barely containing her enthusiasm.

-That's what I'm saying, yes.-

Akko smiled widely, -thank you, and….-, she took a short breath before continuing, -thank you for today!-, without waiting for a response, she ran off still smiling, leaving Diana slightly confused and slightly amused but happy as well.

,

Once she was back in her shared room with her best friends, she ran to her bed, hugged the Chariot imitation hat and yelled: -You guys! You wouldn't believe how good today was!.-

Hello! I hope this part was more enjoyable than the first one (although I would say my writing feels very stiff at times and it shows, if you have any suggestions/criticisms, please do mention them!)

As last time, thank you for reading!