All Hallow's Eve
Chapter Two: Disaster Strikes
The door to the library slammed loudly closed once it had admitted two girls safe passage inside. One very harried looking, and the other cool as a cucumber.
"Hurry hurry, hurry," Akko muttered out loudly. "Where can we find a book about Yardin?" She ran up and down the aisles, scanning the names on the book spines, flapping her arms up and down haplessly while Sucy watched her progress with one wide eye.
"Sucy! Help!" Akko pleaded and sighing, Sucy lifted her wand and uttered a locating spell. "Findus bookarum Yardinus."
A book surrounded in glowing blue magic floated down to them and Akko stopped her frantic running to grasp onto it. She made way to a table and slammed the book down, flipping through pages frantically.
"Ritual...ritual...ritual...where is the ritual...ah hah!" She pierced the page with her pointer finger sharply. "To send Yardin packing back to his realm, one must perform the highest form of respect for witches in the form of the greatest witch story ever!" Akko nodded proudly at herself for her researching skills before it slowly dawned on her she had no idea what the greatest witch story ever was.
"Sucy!" she called out once more, and the witch, rolling her eye, cast another spell to find the correct book.
"Thank you," Akko grabbed the book and began to read it hurriedly. "The greatest witch story ever is the tale of two witches. One who was of low birth and who had worked long and hard to gain her magic, and the other of high birth whose magic flowed naturally in her veins and who took it for granted. Both used to be mortal enemies and spent many decades fighting each other, all their energies focused on taking the other down. They had different opinions and saw the world in different ways, and had a rivalry among each other to see who was the best.
"Along the way many others were hurt by their squabbles and these two witches soon found themselves to be friendless because everyone was sick and tired of them, until one day a foe arises that threatened both of them. They put aside old grudges for the sake of working against this common enemy and along the way they discovered they actually had many similarities. Once the enemy was defeated, they found they wanted to remain friends, and so did. By working their magics together they were able to do good and soon many came to love and revere them and come to them for help. Together these witches were able to change other witches lives for the better." Akko concluded the summary there. "Aww, what a cute ending." She clasped the book closed. "And it kinda sounds like a Romeo and Juliet story, but without all the romance, and killing. Like the platonic version." She strode over to Sucy who hadn't moved an inch.
"So, in other words, to send Yardin packing, we need to put on a play!" Akko loved plays. Tucking the book under her arm, which had the entirety of the tale held in it, she raced onward to eagerly perform the show even though she didn't know how she would do it, Sucy at her heel.
"Now we just have to find Yardin and draw him near to us."
"Shouldn't we worry about setting up the ritual properly first?" Sucy poised.
"Semantics," Akko waved her hand dismissively. "We can worry about that when it's time."
"Well, it is time," Sucy pointed out but Akko ignored her, running even faster ahead. Sucy suddenly regretted trying to do this ritual with Akko. Maybe they should have left it in Diana's capable hands? But the small sensible part of Sucy died out as quickly as it appeared. Nah, where would be the fun in that. Her lips spread easily in a devious grin.
"Hurry, he's gaining on us," Lotte fretted as Amanda maneuvered the broom this way and that through the woods and over the trees as Yardin howled and ran after them.
"I'm trying but this broom can only go so fast when there's two people on it," Amanda replied, a bead of sweat coming down her brow. How much more time did Diana need? Could Amanda lead him back already to the ritual?
There was a shout from down below next to the forest line and who else could be there but Akko and Sucy. Akko had magically amplified her voice and was shouting to attract the monsters attention. "Hey, big and ugly, come here. We got a little treat for you!"
"Oh no, what are they doing?" Lotte gasped, horrified for her friends sake. Yardin swiveled around, more in the mood to chase down humans who couldn't fly away from his grasp. Trees went crashing as he plowed through them to get to Akko.
"Damn it Akko! Is she trying to get eaten?"
Amanda pressed down on the broom's handle and followed after Yardin who was following Akko and Sucy to some decrepit building.
The two earth bound girls raced to the entrance and made it in before Yardin could snatch them up, the monster howling in anger. "Come out here rude little girlies!"
He shoved his head in to try to bite them but they were already too deep inside.
"How are we going to get in?" Lotte asked because the only entrance was blocked.
"Don't worry, I got this." Amanda led the broom to circle around the stillo shaped building and found an old knocked in window. Inside she and Lotte could hear the sound of many arguing voices.
"Akko, I told you to stay out of this!" Diana hissed, frustrated. "You interrupted the ritual!"
"You weren't even doing anything," Akko pointed out, "beside marking up the floor."
Amanda and Lotte dismounted their broom and went inside the chamber where the others were. Diana and her close friends were standing in the middle of a red circle filled with shapes and such. A book was propped in the middle with two lit candles on the sides.
"Well, I-I was getting started on it!" Diana sputtered. "And now he's here and I'm not at all ready!" She waved a hand at Yardin who was clacking his teeth hungrily and still trying to force his way through the entrance.
"That's fine, because you need my help to do this anyways!" Akko pointed out. "We need to throw on a play for Yardin." She held out the book she had found. "We have to show him the greatest witch story ever told!"
"Did you even bother to read what the rest of the steps of the ritual were or did you just see this one clue and think that was it?" Diana fumed and Hannah and Barbara behind her nodded their head in mutual support.
"There's more to it than just that. And it's not a play, but a reading," Hannah filled in.
Akko's enthusiasm wilted at this. "I was only trying to be helpful."
"You can be helpful by not helping," Diana shot back and Amanda crossed her arms over her chest, not at all liking how rude the blonde was being right now to Akko. "Akko was only trying to do good because she cares about us and wouldn't want to step back and do nothing while we do something," she defended. "So lay off of her and get on with the ritual if you have one."
Diana sniffed at this, but didn't say anything more disparaging to Akko. "Very well, I will. But all of you need to be quiet."
Akko mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key before she sat down cross legged as did Sucy, Amanda and Lotte on the cold floor. Hannah and Barbara sat in the circle with Diana, holding hands and closing their eyes as the blonde took a deep breath and situated herself behind the open book, one that held the original manuscript to the tale unlike Akko's shortened version.
In order to banish Yardin Diana would have to read the whole tale without stumbling over her words (and this was like a 294 page book) before apologizing to Yardin with offerings of cake and tea, both which she had stashed into her bag. Clearing her throat, she flipped open to the first page.
"Yardin, we seek to appease your anger by offering up the greatest witch story ever."
As if under a spell, Yardin calmed down, no longer seething and spitting but sitting down and tilting his head to listen. Seeing she had his attention, Diana began.
"Once not so long ago, there were two witches by the name of Dina and Acco. They were constantly at odds with each other..."
Diana's voice was beautiful as she read. Words clear and cut and tone of voice not boring. But even she couldn't keep the story from dulling Akko. It was so long and detailed and reminded Akko too much of being in a lecture. Her head began to droop and her eyes flutter when Diana got into the part about Dina's family traditions of cleaning silver spoons on holiday's. Was that even necessary in the story? Where was the action? The summary had sounded more exciting than this.
Despite all her efforts to stay awake, Akko ultimately failed, light snores coming from her mouth. She was nudged awake a second later by Amanda none too gently but it was too late.
"You dare slumber during the telling of the best witch story ever?" Yardin yowled, rising to his feet. "I will ruin you for that! I will teach you respect!" He began to swirl, winds rapidly rising around him.
"What's going on? Did we send him away?" Lotte asked, holding onto her glasses before they could be flung away.
"No, we've only pissed him off more!" Diana exclaimed over the loud roaring of the wind. The candles went out, and she lost her page in the book as pages fluttered loose. "We need to leave, now!" But before anyone could so much as move a toe, Yardin shrunk into his spirit form and cannon balled right into the room, straight at Akko.
She didn't even get a chance to scream before his spirit over took her and she collapsed to the floor, spent.
The winds calmed down and Lotte and Sucy rushed to Akko's side, checking to see if she was still breathing. She was but lightly.
"Is she...is she going to be okay?" Lotte asked uncertainly, looking to Diana for an answer. But the blonde didn't have one for the first time in a while. "I don't know. His spirit went into her..." she trailed off, moving back when she saw Akko's eyes flash open, a glowing red. "Lotte, Sucy, move back now!"
The two girls did so, watching as Akko got up, lips sneering. "You girls seem to think this holiday is a joke. Well, I believe I must teach you a lesson about it, one you will never forget." Her voice was deep and not her own. Yardin was in her body, controlling it, and as they watched with frightened eyes, he morphed. Akko grew taller, her body stretching unnaturally, spikes protruding from her shoulders.
"Oh no, Akko," Lotte gasped in worry and shook. What was happening to her friend?
Sucy merely shook her head. She knew something like this would happen. Never could they have a simple misadventure- no, it always had to get complicated.
"You give her body back, you monster!" Amanda shook her fist at it, but Diana pulled her back roughly.
"Stop that, don't fight her! That's not the plan."
"Then what's the plan?"
Diana took one look at the possessed girl and a single plan came to mind.
"Run!"
And on Diana's word they did, rocketing out of there as Yardin chased them once more, howls on Akko's lips.
A/N: Next up, a way to finally salvage the situation with some Diakko interactions.