Hey guys! Thanks for all the cool support. I ended the chapter shorter than I original plan was as it already went over 3k. Whoops! Anyways onto answering the reviews:
8ytan: "God knows where I would be if you haven't found me sitting all alone in the dark..." It's nice to know someone knows the song I based the title on and where I found the inspiration write this fanfiction. Seriously its so good but I think you already know that. Thanks for your opinion, I too am quite interested on where I'll take this and how I'll execute it.
Anon: Thanks for the advice! As you can tell I think I've taken it to account with my writing. I'll see where I can Elizabeth in the future, I quite like her too as well also I don't think Diana can do that just yet, its quite advance in magic teleportation but that would be funny to imagine.
Anyways thanks guys for reviewing now onto the story!
There was darkness, swirls of purple and white tarnished the tiled floor. The hollow sound of feet echoed around her, each step sending another jump in her heart. Red was scattered across the ceilings, shards of white danced around the black pillars ruined with grime and fear. Maybe it was her own, maybe it was the collective fear of all those who came before her.
A loud bang destroyed the eerie silence. The muffled scream followed as she turned around, the lime green colour of sparks and fire flew at her before black filled the space between. The screaming stayed in her ears when Diana woke up in the morning darkness of her room.
Her skin was red, her golden hair frazzled into a bush of sweat and knots. She moved her hand across her eyes, feverishly wiping the tears that came with the dream that's drifting away with every waking second. Her body heaves, air taken from her lungs as the rapid pacing of her breath slows to long inhales and exhales.
Her eyes close slowly as she rests her head back on her pillow. She listens in to the morning sounds, the soft rustling of Hannah in the other side of the room, moving in the bottom bunk, Barbara's soft snores on the top. Her mind focuses on it, the subtle distractions to anchor her to the ground, that she isn't in some fabrication that her mind made up to scare her.
When she opens her eyes, the voice becomes quiet. The world around her becomes more lighter and whatever she thought of last night are now whispers of the past. Luna Nova's spell is taking its slow needed effect and under the rise of dawn. Diana smiles as she casts the usual masking spell with the knowledge that she can hide her words once again.
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Cafeteria was more spacious than usual Diana notes as they sat down in their usual seats. The green team was seating with Akko's team once again and seemed to be in a tight discussion. Similar to them, Hannah and Barbara were discussing something she seemed to have missed in class though she knows the basics well enough. "I'm just saying, Hannah, Joan of Arc could've lived under the ruse of a Sparrow." Barbara sighed, leaning into her palm as she takes another bite.
Hannah huffs, taking a sip of her cup as she looks at Diana. "What do you think Diana, do you think Joan of Arc lived or did she die like the books said?"
Diana paused, her head titling up to recall something Elizabeth has told her. "There could be a chance, my cousin Elizabeth told me that the Snow-finches, who in spite of the name is a sparrow, wasn't seen until a few years after the French were aware of the news that their beloved witch died." She mused, causing Barbara to lighten up with a smug look towards Hannah. "On the other hand, it's extremely difficult to for a human transformation into an animal without any repercussions and it is considered illegal a few centuries ago." The moods of the Hannah and Barbara switched before they both balanced to a glare and smile.
Diana was about to conclude the argument till Amanda rose from her chair with a shout, the chair itself falling back as she moves closer to someone's face. "Oh here we go…" Hannah sighed into her cup but she noticed the excited gleam in her eyes that something was happening.
"You don't know what the Words are?" Amanda asked, clearly unaware of the silence in the room. Diana's eyes widened as her posture peeked up, who didn't know what the words are? It's a fundamental base of history, millions of things happened just because of words defined by fate to be printed on their skin. Who on earth would be that ignorant of one the biggest things in Witch cultures.
When she registers Akko's frazzled look and uncertainty she bites back the nerve to sigh in exasperation. Who else would it be but her?
Akko, gives a small sheepish glance at her and everyone else around who was looking in. It might have been an illusion created by her stumped mind but Diana swears she glanced at her too. "Um… is it that bad?"
Amanda bursts into laughter, falling back to her seat before her eyes widened. The sudden realisation that she can't sit on an empty space hits her as she tumbles back to the ground causing everyone to laugh. The scene causes Hannah and Barbara to snicker, sending whispers to each other's ears before laughing again. She is even aware that the corners of her lips perk up a bit.
"Lotte don't bother describing it," she hears Amanda speak again, grinning despite her fall as she steps up, undoing the cuffs of one of her sleeves. "It's better to show her what it means than some textbook drivel." This time the spoon in Diana's hand clatters to the tray. Hannah and Barbara and maybe others gasped at the implication. Diana's face was wide open in utter disbelief and shock.
She couldn't believe it, Amanda O'Neil was showing her words. How reckless was she!? Anyone can pretend to be your lover if you know what the words say, it caused chaos time and time again when it goes wrong before you even found the bearer of the words.
"This o dunce, are the words." Amanda grins, putting her arm on table with a flex. The words shimmering in red and hints of navy blue near the edges as everyone, including her gasped.
"Red hair and a fiery attitude, you remind me a lot of an ancestor of my Dunbroch clan."
"Woah," Akko gasped as she moves closer to stare at the words, one of the only few people not shocked by the entire ordeal. "That's so cool." Amanda smirks more, a slight tinge of embarrassment on her skin that she doesn't acknowledge as she flexes the arm once again before she starts to pull down her sleeve.
"Yeah it is isn't it, though my dad isn't happy with the idea that I could end up with a Scottish person." Amanda smiles as they delve into another conversation prompting everyone else to talk as well with what happened. She doesn't pay much attention, her mind to fixated on the idea of showing her words to the public. Exposing it to all to judge. Despite the surprise and lack of social care, Diana had to applaud her. The thought of her doing something like that was suicidal to everything she would ever know. Just them being aware of her cursed colour is bad enough to warrant a repeat of history.
"Honestly it's so disgusting though." Someone speaks which snaps the dazed look on her face. Her heart pounds in her chest as the voice inside giggle and glee, finding power in the extreme words used. "She shows off the blue tint like she's proud of it, really the colour is disgusting." Her eyes jerk up, scanning around her to find the voice causing the torment in her mind. To see who to avoid and never speak to again. She also prays that it wasn't someone she called her friends.
"Diana are you okay?" Hannah asks, causing her eyes to blink and to look at both Hannah and Barbara. "I'm fine." Diana nods, though their expressions doesn't change that much. "I just heard a rude comment of someone saying blue is disgusting."
Hannah and Barbara's face shift to betrayal and shock. Relief flooding her blood stream as the heart pulses back to a soft beat, though the voice finds motivation to speak more. She ignores it all, focusing on their appalled emotions as a distraction. "Now that comment is disgusting." Hannah glowered as she looks around, tugging the blue ribbon on her waist.
Barbara nods as well, "Yeah they must be stupid or have no fashion sense to know that blue looks amazing." She looks back at Amanda with a surprising soft look in her eyes. "Also it's very rude to insult someone's soulmate like that. It's bad enough that she's going to get so much in trouble just for showing it off."
Diana looks at her mostly eaten breakfast, usually she would eat everything but now with these turns of events, she could hardly look at it. It left a hollow sound in her stomach an empty chamber where the spiders of doubt crawl around where her confidence was stood."It appears that my appetite has gone, not surprising with what just happened." She sighed as she looks at the two of them. "Shall we get going?"
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Diana sighs into her hands as she buries her face in them, rubbing her weary eyes as she heaves another sigh of frustration. The usual methods of distraction weren't even working anymore. The spell of comfort that school gave to her was tarnished, broken down to be rebuilt at night so that it can live the next day.
She breathed in and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds around her. Focusing on something, some noise in the silence to keep her mind busy. The pages of books being used, the ripple of magic in the air, the soft walks up and around the library, the smell of used ink and paper, the small singing flicker of the candle near her.
It's all beautiful, like a natural dance that only the shadows of the night can pull off with the moonbeams shining through the curtained windows, the dull light reflecting off the metal banisters and railings. It is peaceful, claiming, tranquility in one image. But it doesn't help. It's too soft, too delicate for the violent cycle of torment that the brain puts her through. It shatters easily when the two words whisper like a poisoned lullaby in her ears.
"What if…" the voice crooned, making her shake her head as it ends the sentence with an image she wants to forget.
Diana lets out the heavy breath she's holding in. A feeble attempt to expel the image in her mind that's grown ever since the cafeteria. The shocking incident became a catalyst for her already disarrayed emotions as time passed.
When afterwards they discussed what to do to help now that Amanda showed her words to the public. Though only to a few, at the time, words spread faster then anything else in Luna Nova. Each mouth used exaggerates the story than the last. Soon, it's a walking rumour that Amanda O'Neil wears black words.
Already some effects have taken place, the isolation, how people talk about it behind her backs like snakes. They hiss plans of being there to support her using their words as a kind poison before stabbing her on the back with what they really think and who they really are. Even if she just had her blue navy tints with red.
She grateful for her friends, Hannah and Barbara who in spite of their opinion of Amanda and her wild ways, defend the colour of her words, often get into harsh criticism with students of a smaller thinking scale. Their entire day was spent doing damage control from the real trouble makers who wanted nothing than the misery of a wild but well meaning student of the school. Especially when the said person was placed into trouble for just causing social trouble for something that she couldn't control. For controlling the minds of the people is an act known as dictatorship and even oppression.
Maybe it was practise for when she finally has the courage to tell them and maybe show them. Maybe everything would all change when the truth gets revealed.
Diana opened her eyes and shake her head. The voice is too loud for the silence she is in. She stands up, the world tilting a bit as she holds the desk for support. She swallows down the fragments of what happened movements ago, in some hopeful attempt to drown the voice out, her head fixated at her feet as she regains her composure.
Given time, she looks up, head turning to allow a mirage of a smile grace her lips when she realises that no one saw her near crisis. She doesn't need to be scared of someone lurking in her shadows once again.
She stands straighter, no longer holding the desk for support as she looks up with her chin out, the usual neutral expression on her face. She breathes again as she walks around the library to get her bearings, to calm her down and remember that Amanda is going to be alright, even with the discrimination she has obtained. Also to reinforce herself that she isn't a small child helpless to crude remarks based on the colour of her words. That she is Diana Cavendish. A name to be proud of.
Her steps are loud, even on the padded carpet, it sounds precise, cold but calming, like a beautiful design of clockwork. It's a beat she can listen to, to drown her mind away once again. To her surprise there is no one but her feet softly echoing down the aisles of books.
Her face morphs into slight confusion, she heard footsteps before and the rustling of books, though they sounded distant they did exist. Unless her mind made them up but even then it's not that smart to mimic one of the main senses, it's also not cruel.
"Gah!" A voice, familiar from the distance yelled before the sound of a stampede echoed in the near empty room. A brown cloud of dust erupted from one of the further rows, one tucked away in the corner. Shaking her head in seeming annoyance, despite the joy of getting a job to do and a distraction, Diana walked towards the source.
Upon arriving, she couldn't help but sigh at the sight. Books of all sizes were scattered on the ground, climbing over each other, some still on the desk as papers floated in the air, one landing on her feet as she looked at the source of the problem. A girl with brown hair, same colour of her eyes as she laughed with a sheepish smile, a small wave at her when she notices her presence. "Hey Diana…"
"Akko." She sighed, crossing her arms against her chest at the girl who had the decency to look apologetic at the mess she made. "Why am I not surprised to find you in this state?"
"Um… I tripped?" Diana looked at her with a raised brow, tripped? The lie is obvious and Akko knows it when she smiled wryly at her, a paper landing on her face, making her to move and brush it off.
"First things first, are you alright?" Diana asked when she comes over and helps her up to her feet, dusting off the mess from her skirt and shirt. Books clattering again, making more of a mess but she doesn't mind. The safety of Akko comes first.
Akko grins at her like nothing happened, like she didn't cause a huge pile of books to fall on her, "I'm alright Diana," she beams, before she looks around at the mess she made and chuckles nervously to herself. "I made a good mess didn't I?"
Diana rolls her eyes as she too surveys the area, the damage is spread out but fortunately there isn't much collateral damage. Gods know what she would do if she made bookshelf after bookshelf fall like dominoes. "Consider yourself lucky that it wasn't much more than an aisle's clean up." She scoffed, picking up a spare piece of paper, and placing it on the desk. "Anymore would cause more hassle for you and if I wasn't here maybe you could land yourself a detention."
Akko blinks at her, seemingly stumped at her words. It sends a tic to Diana's forehead as she looks at her with a blank expression. Does she not get that she's here to help clean up the mess before a teacher comes by? "Well?" She asks causing Akko to blink more. Honestly this girl, Diana thought as she ignores the urge to face palm. "Are you going help me clean up your mess or not?" The word mess seems to trigger something, how Akko's cheeks burn red as she hastily agrees, going to the furthest point to collect books that seemed to flew across the carpet.
They work in brief silence, putting Akko's notes together first and putting them in a safe place before they work on the books. Mainly because they have to put it back on the shelf in various places. To ensure that they will be placed in the correct area, Diana finds the location whilst Akko holds the first set of books.
Diana notices the trend of the 'Words' information books or anything that has any affliction with them, even if it's just minors details. She doesn't comment on it though, she's aware of Akko's lack of knowledge and it's pleasing to know that she's learning from textbook than a backfired showcase.
"So why aren't your teammates with you Akko?" Diana asks as she places a book up in the top shelf of a book row, her hand outstretched for another book as she looks down at Akko holding the ladder up, with the decency after the first mishap to look away.
"Oh they also got in trouble with the whole Words thing this morning," Akko says casually as she holds out the book with her eyes closed. Diana collects it, a slight pause in her step before she continues in her task.
"Really? What did they do wrong unless it was a mutual punishment?" She understands why the members of the green team suffer from a punishment, they let their teammate show her words in public without any attempt to stop it and remind her that doing so without finding the bearer of the words is against the school policy. Only if you have find out who owns the words on your arm and with their consent may you show the words and the colours it holds.
"If your words mean that their presence got them involved too then yes." Akko blinks as Diana puts her hand down, fighting back a tired sigh or yawn to escape her lips. "I only managed to get out because I apparently wasn't aware of the social etiquette, what ever that means and was I told to fully understand the form and colour and their meanings of the 'Words'." She explains as she hands the last book to her before she steps back and rubs her neck. "But I still don't get what the words mean…"
Diana looks at her, placing the book back before looking around them. No one yet and they were already done which was a good thing. She stifled a yawn from her as she walks down, blinking her eyes alert when her foot touches the solid reassurance of the ground. "What is it that you don't get?" Diana asks, curiosity in her words as she steps away from the ladder. "I always found the terminology to be quite simple." She heard Akko mumble something under her breath as she turns her head from her. "What did you say?"
She notices how Akko's body froze in an instant. She looks further down, hand moving across her arm as she shuffles forward. "I said that's because you're perfect." She mumbles a bit louder causing Diana's eyes to widen a bit, fully snapping them out of their slumber. A touch of internal heat grazing her cheeks. "I mean you're perfectly smart," Akko laughs, a bit of nerves in her tone. "Like you always get really good grades and stuff, but that doesn't mean you're not good at other things-"
"I understand where you're coming from." Diana says, looking away from the floundering mess in front of her. "Well since we got enough time, I'll help you with what you don't get. I'll put my perfectly smart skill to the test." She says with a small laugh before the realisation hits her as she walks back to the desk with her notes.
She's going to be teaching about the words. There is a high chance that they might delve into the colour scheme and that would mean black could be involved as well. She swallows down the fear building in her chest as her expression hardens. 'Just a few questions' she repeats in her head. 'Nothing more'
Though she can't help but shake a bit when the voice in her mind laughs and despite everything telling to calm down, she can't help but notice the undying fear of what would happen next.