Akko Kagari and the White Witch
Chapter Ten: The Shiny Guide Book
Porlyusica insisted on keeping Akko in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. She didn't argue or complain, but she wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of Shooting Star. She knew she was being stupid knowing that even if the Shooting Star was repaired, its soul was still gone, but Akko couldn't help it; she felt as though she had just lost one of her best friends.
She had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering her up. Annabel Crème sent her a bunch of flowers that smelled like cotton candy when they were placed in sunlight, and Wendy turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Akko kept it shut under her bowl of fruit. The Polaris racing team visited again on Sunday morning, this time accompanied by Amelia, who told Akko (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that she didn't blame her in the slightest. Amanda, Jasminka, and Constanze went missing for a while, but Lotte and Sucy left Akko's bedside only at night. But nothing anyone said or did could make Akko feel any better, because they knew only half of what was troubling her.
She hadn't told anyone what she had seen on that skyscraper in front of the television monitors, not even Lotte and Sucy. She knew it had been Izetta. Three times now she had appeared in front of Akko and three times she came close to death; the first time, she had nearly been run over by the Space Patrol's ship; the second, Izetta had confronted her personally until Ursula stepped in; the third, swarmed by a horde of Heartless. Akko knew that Izetta was after her, but it took the loss of Shooting Star for her to understand just what that truly meant. Was Izetta going to haunt her for the rest of her life? Was Akko going to spend every day looking over her shoulder?
And then there were the Heartless. Akko felt sick and humiliated every time she thought of them. Everyone said the Heartless were horrible, but no one collapsed every time they were near one. No one else had seizures and started seeing visions.
And that was another thing that had bothered Akko ever since the accident. She had passed out twice before because of the Heartless and both times she heard voices in the darkness; the second time it happened, she saw something: a memory. But it wasn't her memory. It belonged to her mother, Chariot Du Nord. It wasn't the first time Akko had seen through the eyes of her idol, vividly remembering the three nights she spent in her first years sitting in front of the Fountain of Polaris. But that was because the Fountain was a magical artifact that could peer through time – Akko had nothing that would explain why she would suddenly have these visions…. Every now and again, Akko was doze off into empty sleep until she found herself back in that grassy plain, making butterflies come to life, listening to that little girl laugh and wonder who she is….
It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where she was forced to think about other things. She had hoped that she would feel better during Magical Pharmaceutics where she would be sharing the same table with Diana and helping her with her ingredients, but she was sadly disappointed when she arrived and found her sitting with Hannah and Barbara. She had finally gotten the bandages off with only a slight burn scar on the back of her hand to show for it. Diana was diligently back to work and Akko, now woebegone, trudged over to her usual table with Lotte and Sucy. Everything else fell into routine after that with Akko once again blowing up the lab after mixing the wrong catalyst and Professor Hex taking twenty points from Polaris.
"If Finnelan's teaching White Magic again, I'm cutting out," said Amanda as they headed up toward Master Noah's classroom after lunch. "Check who's in there, Princess."
Diana peered around the classroom door.
"It's okay!"
Master Noah was back at work. It looked a little worse for where than when he left. His skin was slightly paled and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nevertheless, he smiled at the class as they took their seats, and they burst at once into an explosion of complaints about Finnelan's behavior while Master Noah had been away.
"It's not fair, she was only filling in, why should she give us homework?"
"We don't know anything about Deadman Syndrome –
" – two sheets, single spaced!"
"Did you tell Professor Finnelan we haven't covered Deadman Syndrome yet?" Master Noah asked, frowning slightly.
The babble broke out again.
"Yes, but she said we were really behind – "
" – she wouldn't listen – "
" – two sheets, single spaced!"
Master Noah smiled at the look of indignation on every face.
"Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Finnelan. You don't have to do the essay."
"Oh no," said Diana, looking very disappointed. "I've already finished it!"
They had a very enjoyable lesson. Master Noah had brought in a poltergeist, a malevolent spirit known for destroying houses and sucking children into televisions. Master Noah demonstrated a technique that calmed the poltergeist and allowed it to pass on to the other side. As eager as they were to try it, Master Noah made it clear that spiritual bending is an advanced technique and most likely wouldn't learn it until their fifth year.
When the bell rang, everyone gathered up their things and headed for the door, Akko among them, but –
"Wait a moment, Miss Kagari," Master Noah called. "I'd like a word."
Akko doubled back up as Master Noah turned back to his desk and started piling books into his briefcase.
"I heard about the match," said Master Noah, "and I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?"
"Fixing the body is the easy part, according to Professor Kiki," Akko mumbled. "But when Shooting Star snapped, he lost his soul. Even if they fix it, there's no way of bringing back the soul."
Master Noah sighed.
"That's a such a terrible loss. I can't imagine how devastated you must be. I heard that the Shooting Star hadn't chosen another rider since its creator died a long time ago. You must have been something special to it. I heard it put up a valiant fight before it died."
"So you heard about the Heartless too?" said Akko with difficulty.
Master Noah looked at her quickly.
"Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Holbrooke that angry. They have been growing restless for some time…furious at her refusal to let them inside the grounds…. I suppose they were the reason you fell."
"Yes," said Akko. She hesitated, and then the question she had to ask burst from her before she could stop herself. "Why? Why do they affect me like that? Am I just - ?"
"It has nothing to do with weakness," said Master Noah sharply, as though he had read Akko's mind. "Quite the opposite actually. The Heartless are drawn to strong hearts full of light, and your heart is by far the strongest in the whole school, perhaps in all of Europe. And it is because of that light that they affect you worse than the others. Because, as you know, the shadows grow larger the closer they are to the light."
A ray of wintery sunlight fell across the class room, illuminating, Master's Noah's handsome face; Akko noticed that parts of his hair seemed to be graying, despite being so young.
"The Heartless are among the foulest creatures that walk this Earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in death and despair, they drain all light from the body, soul, and the world itself. Get too close to a Heartless and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Heartless will feed on your light long enough until your heart is filled with nothing but darkness…and then, when you have been consumed by darkness, you shall become a Heartless yourself. They covet the light of people's hearts, especially those who shine brightest, because the stronger the heart, the more powerful they will be when they become a Heartless. I don't even want to imagine what sort of monster you would become if you were to turn, Miss Kagari."
"When they get close to me – " Akko stared at Master Noah's desk, her throat tight. "I have…visions. The last time it happened…I saw Shiny Chariot's memories."
Master Noah made a sudden motion with his arm as though to grip Akko's shoulder, but thought better of it. There was a moment's silence, then –
"Why did they have to come to the match?" said Akko bitterly.
"They're getting hungry," said Master Noah coolly, shutting his suitcase with a snap. "Professor Holbrooke won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up…. I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the race track. All that excitement…emotions running high…it was their idea of a feast."
"Dol Guldur must be terrible," said Akko. Master Noah nodded grimly.
"The fortress is set in the middle of a vast wasteland thousands of miles from any sort of civilization or water source, but they don't need walls or desert to keep their prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own heads, swallowed up by their darkness. Most of them beg to die within weeks…and then the Heartless turn them, increasing their numbers."
"But Izetta escaped from them," said Akko slowly. "She got away…."
Master Noah's briefcase slipped from the desk; he had to stoop quickly to catch it.
"Yes," he said, straightening up, "Izetta must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't believe it possible…. Heartless are supposed to drain a Demi-Humans of their powers if they are left with them for too long…."
"You destroyed that Neo Shadow on the train," said Akko suddenly.
"Destroying a Heartless isn't that hard, if you know how to do it," said Master Noah. "But there was only one Heartless on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist."
"How do you destroy a Heartless?" said Akko at once. "Can you teach me?"
"I don't pretend to be an expert at fight Heartless, Akko…I'm no Keyblade Master…."
"But if the Heartless come to another Chariot race, I need to be able to fight them – "
Master Noah looked into Akko's determined face, hesitated, then said, "Well…all right. I'll try and help. But it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. Something personal has come up recently."
What with the promise of anti-Heartless lessons from Master Noah, the thought that she might never suffer another collapse again, and the fact that Polaris scored third place while Corona ended up in second in the next Chariot Race at the end of November, Akko's mood took a definite upturn. Amanda, who was probably the best broom rider in the school next to Diana, had been asked to replace her as anchor and almost effortlessly knocked Fate out of the air, which is why she ended up in second. Akko thought it would be better if Amanda just played her position for the rest of the year, but Amanda furiously proclaimed that she was only doing it until Akko found another broom, because Akko was Polaris's real anchor, not her. Amelia seemed to agree with her sister as she became repossessed of her manic energy, and worked her team as hard as ever in the chilly haze of rain that persisted into December. Akko saw no hint of a Heartless within the grounds. Professor Holbrooke's anger seemed to be keeping them at their stations at the entrances.
Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Akane, the Charms teacher, had already decorated her classroom with shimmering lights of fluttering fairies. The students were all happily discussing their plans for the holidays. Akko had hoped to go back home for Christmas this year since she couldn't during the previous two years, but it seemed that Ursula had gotten a hold of her parents before she could. After explaining the danger with Izetta, they wholeheartedly agreed that she should stay at the castle where she would be safely guarded. Akko didn't like the idea that Ursula went behind her back; it seemed to be becoming a recurring theme this year, she noticed.
Akko usually had a couple friends who would stay behind at Luna Nova with her. This year it would be Constanze and Diana, and though Constanze said it was because she needed to start refurbishing her new laboratory (which none of them have even seen yet), and Diana insisted she needed to use the library, Akko wasn't fooled; they were doing it to keep her company, and she was very grateful.
To everyone's delight except Akko's, there was to be another Blytonbury trip on the very last weekend of the term.
"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Lotte. "Anna would really love those red bean pasta sweet rolls at Ama Usa An!"
Resigned to the fact that she would be the only third year staying behind, Akko borrowed a copy of Witch Broomstick from Amelia, and decided to spend the day reading up on the different makes. She hadn't gone near another broomstick since Shooting Star – the wound was still fresh in her heart – but she needed to push away the pain and find another to ride for the sake of the team, and so the Amelia would stop hovering over her.
On the Saturday morning of the Blytonbury trip, Akko bid good-bye to Lotte and Sucy, who were wrapped in cloaks and scarves, then turned up the spiral staircase alone, and headed back toward Polaris Tower. Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.
"Psst – Akko!"
She turned, halfway along the third-floor corridor, to see Amanda, Jasminka, and Constanze peering out at her from behind a statue of a hump-backed, one-eyed witch.
"What are you doing?" said Akko curiously. "How come you're not going to Blytonbury?"
"We're going a little later," said Amanda with a mysterious wink. "But first, we've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go. Come in here…."
She nodded toward an empty classroom to the left of the one-eyed statue. Akko followed the three inside. Jasminka closed the door quietly and then turned, beaming, to look at Akko.
"Early Christmas present for you, Akko," she said.
Constanze pulled something from inside her bag and laid it on one of the desks. It was a small, white, and slightly torn book with nothing written on it. Akko, suspecting one of their jokes, stared at it.
"What's that supposed to be?"
"This, Akko, is the secret to our success," said Amanda, patting the book fondly.
"We argued back and forth about whether to give it to you," said Stand-Bot, "but we decided, after everything you've gone through, you deserve it more than us."
"Anyway, we know it by heart," said Jasminka. "We want to give it to you. We don't really need it anymore."
"And what do I need with an old, worn out book," said Akko.
"An old, worn out book!" said Amanda, closing her eyes with a grimace as though Akko had mortally offended her. "Explain, Constanze."
"Well…it was back when we were in our first year, Akko, when we got in trouble with Elma for letting off some experimental stink bombs – "
"That was you?" shouted Akko. "I couldn't walk down that hall for two months. It always made me late for Alchemy and Finnelan kept giving me detention for that!"
"Yeah, well, anyway," said Stan-Bot while Constanze rolled her eyes. "We were hauled off to her office and she started threatening us with the usual – "
" – detention – "
" – suspension – "
" – force us to watch Twilight – "
" – and Amanda couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of her filing cabinets was marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."
"Don't tell me – " said Akko, starting to grin.
"Well, what would you have done?" said Amanda. "Constanze blew up one of her Stan-Bots, filling the whole room with smoke, and I whipped the drawer open and grabbed – this."
"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know," said Jasminka. "We don't think Elma ever found out how to work it. She probably thought about what it was, though, or she wouldn't have confiscated it."
"And you know how to work it?"
"Oh yeah," said Amanda, smirking. "This little beauty has taught us more than all the teachers in this school."
"You're winding me up," said Akko, looking at the slightly torn cover of the book.
"Oh, are we?" said Amanda. "Jasminka, if you please?"
Jasminka took out her wand, touched the cover lightly, and said, "Makmur Mikmur Mektoral."
And at once, think lines of golden ink began to spread like a spider's web from the point that Jasminka's wand had touched. They joined each other, they curved and twisted until they began to blossom into great, curly words across the top that proclaimed:
The Sisters of the House Du Nord,
In association with the Luna Nova Makers of Magical Mischief
are proud to present
THE SHINY GUIDE BOOK
"House Du Nord…," Akko murmured aloud as she read the cover. "Wait, you mean like Chariot Du Nord? Shiny Chariot wrote this book?"
"Though you might like that," said Amanda, grinning excitedly. "That's not even the best part. Open it."
Akko turned the cover and was greeted with a very detailed map of Luna Nova's first floor. She turned to the next page, which covered the entire second floor, and the third page covered the third floor. Not only that, but the later pages also covered the dungeons, the grounds, and even parts of the Arcturus Forest. It was a complete atlas of the school. But the truly remarkable thing were the tiny squares moving around the pages, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing. Astounded, Akko bent over and touched one of the tiny squares. She nearly jumped back when a small window suddenly popped up in the corner of the page, almost like a computer. It showed a picture of the square she tapped, Professor Holbrooke, as well as tiny details like her age, her House association, and even her magical power level (Akko suspected this part was used in a lot of memes). And as Akko's eyes traveled up and down the familiar corridors, she noticed something else.
This map showed a set of passages she had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead –
"Through the Ley Line Terminal," said Amanda, tracing one of them with her finger. "There are seven in all. Now, Elma knows about these four" – she pointed them out – "but we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it last winter, but it's caved in – completely blocked. And there used to be a hidden trapdoor in the middle of the grounds, but Sucy planted the stupid Mandrake on top of it last year, so that's a no go. But this one here, this one leads right into the kitchen of Ama Usa An. Jasminka likes to go through that one once a week to resupply her snack storage."
"So that's why it seems like she has a limitless supply of snack," said Akko in awe. "Pretty sneaky."
"And as you might have noticed, the entrance is right outside the room, through that one-eyed crone's hump."
"The waitress at Ama Usa An is a friend of ours," said Stan-Bot. "We'll tell her to be expecting you."
"The sisters of House Du Nord," said Akko softly. "Wait…sisters? Does that mean Shiny Chariot had a sister? I have an aunt?"
"Yeah, we thought about that, but then we realized – we really didn't care," said Amanda, shrugging her shoulder. "Also, don't forget to wipe it after you've used it or anyone can read it. Just tap it and say 'Luna Lana!' And it'll go blank."
"We should get going before someone start getting suspicious," said Stan-bot.
"See you in Ama Usa An," said Jasminka.
They left the room, all smirking in a satisfied sort of way.
Akko stood there, gazing at the miraculous guide book. She watched the tiny square Blair turn left and paused to sniff at something on the floor. If Elma really didn't know…she wouldn't have to pass the Heartless at all….
But even as she stood there, flooded with excitement, she suddenly had a strange flashback to when she first met Diana's mother last year just shortly after she destroyed Eveline.
Never confront anything that can think for itself!
This guide book was one of those dangerous magical objects Mrs. Cavendish had been warning against…. the Luna Nova Makers of Magical Mischief…but then, Akko reasoned, she only wanted to use it to get into Blytonbury, it wasn't as though she wanted to steal anything or attack anyone…and Amanda and her friends had been using it for years without anything horrible happening….
Akko traced the secret passage to Ama Usa An with her finger.
Then, quite suddenly, as though following orders, she snapped the Guide Book shut, stuffed inside her bag, and hurried to the door of the classroom. She opened it a couple of inches. There was no one outside. Very carefully, she edged out of the room and behind the statue of the one-eyed witch.
What did she have to do? She pulled out the Guide Book again and flipped to the page when she saw, to her astonishment, that a new ink figure had appeared upon it, labeled Atsuko Kagari. This figure was standing exactly where the real Akko was standing, about halfway down the third-floor corridor. Akko watched carefully. Her little ink self appeared to be tapping the witch with her minute wand. Akko quickly took out her real wand and tapped the statue. Nothing happened. She looked back at the Guide Book. The tiniest speech bubble had appeared next to her figure. The word inside said, "Patentibus."
"Patentibus!" Akko whispered, tapping the stone witch again.
At once, the statue's hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly large person. Akko glanced quickly up and down the corridor, hoisted herself into the hole headfirst, and pushed herself forward.
She slid a considerable way down what felt like a stone slide, then landed on cold, damp earth. She stood up, looking around. It was pitch dark. She reached into her bag, pulled out the lighter she used in Magical Pharmaceutics, and lit up a very narrow, low, earthy passageway. She held up the Shiny Guide Book, tapped it with the tip of her wand, and muttered, "Luna Lana!" The book went blank at once. She stuffed it inside her bag, then, heart beating fast, both excited and apprehensive, she set off.
The passage twisted and turned, more like the borrow of a giant rabbit than anything else. Akko hurried along it, stumbling now and then on the uneven floor, holding her lighter out in front. After traveling for what seemed like miles, the passage started to light up, which Akko soon discovered came from the ethereal green portal at the end of the tunnel. Akko recognized the portal – it was the same one that students used to enter Luna Nova from Glastonbury. Akko felt a thrill of eagerness run through her heart as she approached the portal and felt a familiar tugging sensation at her naval as she was being pulled forward. In no time at all, the feeling disappeared as Akko landed on her knees with a new tunnel opened in front of her and the portal now behind her. Silently congratulating herself for making it this far, she pressed on.
It took ages, but Akko had the thought of Japanese sweets from Ama Usa An to sustain her. After what felt like felt like an hour, the passage began to rise. Panting, Akko sped up, her face hot, her feet very cold.
Ten minutes later, she came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above her. Careful not to make any noise, Akko began to climb. A hundred steps, two hundred steps, she lost count as she climbed, watching her feet…. Then, without warning, her head hit something hard.
It seemed to be a trapdoor. Akko stood there, massaging the top of her head, listening. She couldn't hear any sounds above her. Very slowly, she pushed the trapdoor open and peered over the edge.
She was in a wood furnished kitchen where the smell of sweets wafted from every corner of the room. Akko climbed out of the trapdoor and replaced it – it blended so perfectly with the wood paneled floor that it was impossible to tell it was there. Akko crept slowly toward the door that lead to the main room. Now she could definitely hear voices, not to mention the tinkle of a bell and the opening and shutting of a door.
Wondering what she ought to do, the door suddenly flew open and smacked her in the face. Akko stumbled back, holding her nose, when she heard a gasp. She looked up and found herself confronting a real Japanese beauty around her own age wearing a traditional green kimono – Akko could tell it was authentic based on the attention to detail on the stitching and obi. She was holding a serving tray; she must be a waitress.
"Oh, I am so sorry about that," she apologized. "I didn't think anyone would be back here."
"It's really my fault," Akko groaned. "You see, um…the reason I'm back here is because um…."
"Oh, you must be Jasminka's friend," said the waitress, clapping her hands with a bright smile. "She just stopped by earlier and told me you were coming through the secret tunnel underneath the shop."
"You seem to be taking the fact that someone broke into your shop rather well," said Akko bluntly.
"Eh, it happens all the time," said the waitress in a way too casual tone.
"Chiya! We need a Trio of Glistening Jewels and a Red Jewel in a Snowy Field!"
"Coming!" Chiya called back. "Well, I should get back to work. Could you please go in to the main shop? It would be very bad if my grandmother caught anyone back here. She's very scary when she's angry."
With a sweet girl like Chiya, Akko could hardly imagine anyone related to her being scary, but she decided she'd rather not take her chances. So while Chiya went around the kitchen to prepare, Akko reached the door, slipped through it, and found herself behind the counter of Ama Usa An – she ducked, crept sideways, and then straightened up.
Ama Usa An was so crowded with Luna Nova students that no one looked twice at Akko. She edged among them, looking around, feeling a sense of nostalgia as she had a better look around the shop.
Everything was done with an adherence to traditional Japanese aesthetics. The waitresses walked through the tables were traditional Japanese kimono is various colors, some of them with simple stripes and others were fancy stitching like stars or sakura petals. The food was either served on ceramic plates or in wooden bowls and refreshments were served in earthen clay mugs. Several hanging scrolls were spread along the walls, some with artistic images and others filled with kanji writing. A kabuto with the golden kanji for rabbit was sitting on a shelf near the kitchen door next to a vase of tsubaki. And for some reason, there was a black rabbit with a crown on his head standing perfectly still on a pedestal in the middle of the room – Akko almost thought it was stuffed.
Akko squeezed herself through a crowd of sixth years and saw Lotte and Sucy sitting in the corner of the shop, examining the menu. Akko snuck up behind them.
"Ugh, are you sure these are written in English?" Sucy complained, flipping the menu sideways. "I can't understand what the hell any of this stuff is."
"Yeah, it is a little hard to understand," said Lotte, chuckling nervously. "What do you think Moon and Stars Reflected Upon the Sea means?"
"That's azuki bean soup with shiratama and chestnuts," said Akko.
It was the first time Akko had ever seen Sucy jump like that.
"Akko!" squealed Lotte. "What are you doing here? How – how did you - ?"
"I bet she did something illegal to get here," said Sucy, giving her the usual one-eyed leer.
"Well, you might not be wrong," said Akko. She dropped her voice so that none of the sixth years could hear her and told them all about the Shiny Guide Book.
"Amanda and them have been using that book for three years and they never told us about it!" said Lotte, flabbergasted. "We're their friends!"
"You guys do see the problem with that book, don't you?" said Sucy; Akko and Lotte stared. "If that book really was written by Shiny Chariot, then that means her friends know about it as well. And if you remember, Izetta used to be in her circle of friends. For all we know, Izetta could be using one of the passages in the book to get into the castle."
"She's right," Lotte gasped. "We need to tell the teachers about this!"
"Aren't you guys forgetting something?" said Akko quickly. "Professor Ursula, Professor Croix, and Blair were also Shiny Chariot's friends, so they probably know about the secret passages, too. There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Amanda and the others think Elma already knows about four of therm. And of the other three – one of them is caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them got Sucy's plant on top of it – "
"Gora-chan," Sucy cut in.
"Yeah, whatever. And the one I just came through – well, It's really hard to see the entrance down to it in the kitchen, so unless she knew it was there…."
Akko hesitated. If Sucy was right, then Izetta would know where the entrance to the secret passageway was located. But then she caught something out of the corner of her eyes and spotted a notice pasted on the inside of the shop door.
-By Order of-
THE MAGIC COUNCIL
Customers are reminded that until further notice, Heartless
will be patrolling the streets of Blytonbury every night after
sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety
of Blytonbury residents and will be lifted upon the recapture
of Izetta. It is therefore advisable that you complete your
shopping well before nightfall.
Merry Christmas!
"See?" said Akko quietly. "I'd like to see Izetta try and break into Ama Usa An with Heartless swarming all over town. Anyway, Sucy, don't the owners live over the shop? They'd hear a break-in, wouldn't they?"
"While that is true," said Sucy blankly, "the fact is that Izetta has managed to fool the Heartless three times already – once at Dol Guldur and twice at Luna Nova. I think it's safe to say that they aren't as dependable as everyone thinks they are."
"Yeah, and that's not the only problem," said Lotte worriedly. "Akko still hasn't got a signed form. If anyone finds out, like Diana for instance, she'll be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet – what if Izetta turns up today? Now?"
"She'd have a hard time spotting me in this," said Akko, nodding through the windows at the thick, swirling snow. "Come on, you guys, it's Christmas. I've been cooped up at the castle and I just lost Shooting Star. Don't you think I deserve a break?"
Sucy frowned deeper and Lotte bit her lip; Akko knew it was low to guilt trip them, but she had been having a rough time this year.
"So…are you guys gonna report me?" Akko asked them, grinning.
"Oh – of course not – but honestly, Akko – " Lotte started.
"Let's see what's on the menu," said Akko cheerfully, bumping her way into the bench with Sucy and grabbing her own. "Whoo, the Golden Shachihoko Special looks delicious, but the Milky Way of Summer Memories looks good, too. The Frozen Evergreen might be good, but it's way too cold for that. Maybe during the spring."
"How does she understand the menu?" Lotte whispered to Sucy.
"Must be her Japanese blood," Sucy muttered in return.
When they had paid for all their sweets, the three of them left Ama Usa An for the blizzard outside.
Blytonbury was like a Christmas card; great stone buildings decorated with lights and holiday wreaths hanging from the lampposts, all covered in a layer of crisp snow.
Akko shivered; unlike the other two, she didn't have her cloak. They headed up the street, heads bowed against the wind, Lotte and Sucy shouting through their scarves.
"There's the Magic Item Store –
"The post office is up there – "
"We could go up to the Woodward Forest – "
"Tell you what," said Lotte, her teeth chattering, "shall we go for a cup of coffee at the Rabbit House?"
Akko was more than willing; the wind was fierce and her hands were freezing, so they crossed the road, and in a few minutes, were entering the small café.
It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm, and the air was thick with the aroma or freshly brewed coffee. Three girls around their own age were walking around the tables in matching uniforms of pink, blue and purple.
"It looks crowded," said Lotte, frowning as she looked around. "I don't see anywhere to sit."
"Miss Jansson, is that you? Hey, over here!"
They looked over at a table in the back of the room to a table sitting between a window and a handsome Christmas tree. Akko immediately spotted the boy they had met at Spellbinders in London waving them down – Frank, if she recalled correctly. The three of them walked over and Frank's eyes seemed to light up when he looked at Lotte, his brilliant smile seemed directed specifically toward her. Akko snickered behind her hand and was ready to tease Lotte when someone set their cup down and she realized that Frank wasn't sitting alone. There was another boy sitting across from Frank, wiping his mouth delicately with a napkin. The boy turned to look at them, and he and Akko let out a surprised gasp simultaneously.
"Andrew?"
"Miss Kagari?"
She could hardly believe it, but it was actually Andrew Hanbridge, and even more surprising, he was wearing casual clothes instead of his usual crisp, clean business suit.
"W-What are you doing here?" Akko sputtered without thinking.
"I was trying to enjoy a refreshing cup of Kilimanjaro until you showed up," said Andrew with an irritable sigh as he took a sip.
"I mean, how are you here?" said Akko. "London is supposed to be, like, a million miles away from here."
"We attend school at Appleton Academy nearby," Frank chimed in before Andrew could retort, no doubt in a rude fashion. "Students at Appleton are allowed to leave campus and visit Blytonbury on certain weekends."
"I never realized that our schools were so close to each other," said Lotte with a thoughtful look.
"That's because Appleton and Luna Nova have a long history of hating one another," said Andrew bluntly. "Appleton is particularly famous for supporting the early witch hunts, and some of the students still practice it today. Of course, you don't have to worry about either of us," he added when Akko started shooting him an accusing glare. "I have more important things to do than getting caught up in old, outdated traditions, and Frank is absolutely enamored by witch. In fact, ever since our trip to London in the summer, he has been talking nonstop about Miss – "
"Hey, Miss Jansson!" Frank suddenly shouted, jumping out of his seat as it were electrified. "Why don't we buy some drinks? It'll be my treat!"
"Oh, thank you, Frank," said Lotte, looking surprised, but nonetheless smiled. "That's very nice of you."
Frank walked around the table, offered up his arm to Lotte, and the two of them walked over to the counter where a dapper-looking man was cleaning glasses.
"Your friend is totally crushing on Lotte, isn't he?" Akko said to Andrew once they were out of earshot.
"It would seem that way," said Andrew with an amused chuckle as Akko and Sucy sat down. They sat silently for a long, awkward moment while Andrew sipped his coffee, then he set the cup down and looked at Akko with a very serious expression. "Are you okay, Miss Kagari?"
"What do you mean?" asked Akko, blinking surprisingly; that came completely out of nowhere.
"I heard about what's been happening at Luna Nova – Diana and I contact each other regularly," said Andrew. "First that Izetta woman broke into the castle, then you were set upon by those dreadful Heartless creatures, and I heard you lost your broomstick. I don't particularly understand the loss, but Diana made it seem like you were taking it rather hard. I just wanted to know that you were all right…because you're Diana's friend, not because I genuinely care, of course."
Akko would have called Andrew a Tsundere, but she doubted anyone but her would understand what that meant. And though she appreciated Andrew trying to be nice, which was a shock in and of itself, it brought up a lot of horrible reminded that Akko had hoped Blytonbury would make her forget about, even temporarily. Thankfully, Frank and Lotte came back carrying three cups of steaming hot coffee.
"Merry Christmas!" Frank said happily, raising his cup.
Akko drank deeply. She didn't drink coffee regularly and she assumed that it would be bitter, but it was actually the most delicious thing she'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of her from the inside.
A sudden breeze ruffled her hair. The door of the Rabbit House had opened again. Akko looked over the rim of her cup and choked.
Professor Finnelan and Akane had just entered the café with a flurry of snowflakes, shortly followed by Elma, who was deep in conversation with an excessively rotund man with a thick, bushy beard – Crawford Seam, the Chairman of the Magic Council.
In an instant, Lotte and Sucy had both placed hands on the top of Akko's head and forced her out of her seat and under the table. Dripping with coffee and crouching out of sight, Akko clutched her empty cup and watched the teachers' and Crawford's feet move toward the bar, pause, then turned and walk right toward her.
Lotte whipped her wand out next to Akko's head, and waved it with energy coming off the end.
The Christmas tree beside their table rose a few inches off the ground, drifted sideways, and landed with a soft thump right in front of their table, hiding them from view. Staring through the dense lower branches, Akko saw four sets of chair legs move back from the table right beside theirs, then heard the grunts and sighs of the teachers and chairman as they sat down.
"Uh…Miss Kagari," said Andrew, giving her a strange look as he peeked under the table. "Is there a reason you've decided to become acquainted with my shoes?"
"Our teachers are over there," Akko whispered, pointing through the branches. "And I might, sort of, technically, possibly, may not have permission to be in Blytonbury."
"Oh, Miss Kagari…," Andrew let out an anguished sigh, shaking his head.
"Please don't say anything, Andrew!" Akko pleaded. "Please!"
Andrew rolled his eyes, but nonetheless sat back up and continued to sip away at his coffee as if nothing happened.
A few moments later, another pair of feet, wearing polished black shoes, came into view and they heard a man's deep voice.
"One original blend – "
"That would be mine," said Professor Finnelan's voice.
"One Brazilian Santos – "
"Thank you, Takahiro," said Elma.
"One Café Cappuccino – "
"Mmm!" said Professor Akane, smacking her lips.
"So then you'll be the Lemon Black Tea, Chairman."
"Thank you, Takahiro, good sir," said Crawford's voice. "Lovely to see you again, I must say. How is your daughter doing these days?"
"She is a hard worker and has made many good friends," said Takahiro proudly. "If that will be all – "
"Nonsense, you simply must join us, Takahiro," said Crawford. "It's been such a long time since you retired from the military. We hardly see you anymore. Come and join us…."
"Well, I suppose Chino and her friends have things well handled for now."
Akko watched the polished shoes march away and back again. Her heart was pounding uncomfortably in her throat. Why hadn't it occurred to her that this was the last weekend of term for the teachers too? And how long were they going to sit there? She needed time to sneak back into Ama Usa An if she wanted to return to school tonight…. Lotte's leg gave a nervous twitch next to her.
"So, what brings you to this neck of the wood, Chairman?" came Takahiro's voice.
Akko saw the lower part of Crawford's thick body twist in his chair as though he were checking for eavesdroppers. Then he said in a quiet voice, "What else, Takahiro, but Izetta? I daresay you heard what happened up at Luna Nova at Halloween?"
"I did hear a rumor," admitted Takahiro.
"Did you tell the whole town, Professor Kowata?" said Professor Finnelan exasperatedly.
"Do you think Izetta is still in the area, Chairman?" whispered Takahiro.
"I'm sure of it," said Crawford shortly.
"You know that the Heartless have searched the whole town twice?" said Takahiro, a slight edge in his voice. "They've scared Chino and Cocoa many times…the poor girls didn't leave their rooms for a whole day."
"Takahiro, I don't like them any more than you do," said Crawford uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution…unfortunate, but there you are…. I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Holbrooke – she won't let them inside the castle grounds."
"I should think not," said Professor Finnelan sharply. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors crawling around?"
"Hear, hear!" shouted Professor Akane.
"All the same," demurred Crawford, "they are here to protect you all from something much worse…. We all know what Izetta's capable of…."
"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," said Takahiro thoughtfully. "Of all the people to turn to the dark side, Izetta was the last I'd have thought…I mean, I remember her when I was still a boy working for my father in this very shop and I met Izetta, who was still a student at Luna Nova. If you had told me then what she was going to become, I'd have thrown you out the door."
"You don't know the half of it," said Crawford gruffly. "The worst she did isn't widely known."
"The worst?" said Takahiro, his voice alive with curiosity. "Worse than murdering all those people, you mean?"
"I certainly do," said Crawford.
"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"
"You say you can remember her at Luna Nova, Takahiro," murmured Professor Finnelan. "Do you remember who she was always with?"
"Naturally," said Takahiro, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other, did you? She always followed her around like a baby duck follows its mother. I swear, I have never met any sisters closer than Chariot and Izetta Du Nord."
Akko dropped her cup with a loud clank. Sucy kicked her.
"Precisely," said Professor Finnelan. "Izetta Du Nord looked up to her older sister almost much as her daughter does. Chariot was the ringleader of their little gang, but you could tell that Izetta was the prodigy. Together, they could do spectacular things. Unfortunately, they were also the biggest trouble makers in Luna Nova's history."
"I don't know," chuckled Elma. "I think Amanda O'Neill's group could give them a run for their money."
"I remember them when I was a student, too," said Professor Akana. "They were inseparable, even when they were sorted into different Houses."
"Of course they were," said Crawford. "Chariot Du Nord loved her sister beyond anyone else. Nothing changed when they left school. Izetta was the maid of honor when Chariot married. Then she named her godmother to Akko. Akko has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment her."
"Because Izetta turned out to be in league with the Eclipse Queen?" whispered Takahiro.
"Worse than that…." Crawford dropped his voice and processed in a sort of low rumble. "Not many people are of this, but Chariot Du Nord was actually the leader of a secretive group that was working under the direct orders of the Magic Council. It was such a deep secret that the only people who knew about it were the Twelve Seats of the Magic Council."
"What was the purpose of this group?" asked Takahiro.
"I don't suppose you heard of the Gospels of Aradia, have you?" muttered Crawford; Professor Finnelan made a scoffing noise, but said nothing. "They were a series of three books that held powerful prophecies – world-changing prophecies. As it just so happened, the House Du Nord had passed down the first book – the Book of Dawn – for generations, carefully examining and interpreting the texts for hundreds of years. After the years went by, Chariot noticed that several key points of the book's prophecies were coming to pass and brought it to the attention of the Magic Council. We, of course, knew that this meant the coming of the Star-Born Child, whose birth would lead to the revival of the Golden Age of Magic. With the Magic Council supporting her, Chariot gathered a number of followers to ensure that the prophecy came to pass. I think you can already guess who the first people she recruited were…."
"Her friends from Luna Nova, including Izetta," said Takahiro solemnly. "But Izetta betrayed them?"
"She did indeed. You see, while Chariot was gathering followers for her cause to ensure the arrival of the Star-Born Child, Izetta was working behind the scene. She was converting members of Chariot's group to her side and planning a coup against her own sister."
"A coup?" Takahiro repeated in surprise.
"Chariot wasn't the only one who had access to the Book of Dawn. As a member of the House Du Nord, Izetta knew just as well about the prophecy of the Star-Born Child and planned to use it to her advantage. She slowly and silently started turning the members – Cinder Fall, Ruvik, and the like."
"So she was gathering followers for the Eclipse Queen right under Chariot's nose," said Takahiro. "What was she planning to do? From what I remember, even if Izetta was a prodigy, Chariot still had the Shiny Rod. Even if Izetta had planned a coup, they wouldn't have stood a chance against her as long as she had her Shiny Rod."
"Yes, and Izetta knew that as well," said Crawford gravely. "But then, she made a startling discovery. Not many people are aware of this, and I know I can trust you to keep a secret, but as fate would have it…Chariot learned that she was to be the mother of the Star-Born Child."
"What?" Professor Finnelan hissed; Akko could hear her tea cup slamming on the table. "That's preposterous! You can't honestly expect me to believe that this so-called 'child of prophecy' is really…Atsuko Kagari? Now I know that's a load of dung. Miss Kagari is the single worst student in the history of Luna Nova, and you expect me to believe that she is some kind of…magical messiah?"
"Given her track record, I don't blame you for being skeptical," said Crawford. "But it is true. Atsuko Kagari was born in the Grand Triskelion on the night when magic returned to our world. And when that night happened, Izetta saw a chance to enact her coup. Chariot, who was weak from giving birth to her daughter, was helpless to defend herself when the traitors finally decided to cast off their ruse and openly pledge their loyalty to the Eclipse Queen. I cannot tell you what occurred during the battle at the Grand Triskelion because I was not there when it happened, but it seemed that while the traitors revealed themselves, Izetta continued to feign loyalty to Chariot and openly defended her."
"But why would she do that if she was the one who started the coup?" asked Takahiro curiously.
"Isn't it obvious," said Elma. "If she could maintain the disguise that she was still loyal to Chariot's group, then she could trick Chariot into handing over Kagari and make a run for it on the assumption that she was taking her somewhere safe. But in truth, she was planning to take her for her own wicked deeds."
"Fortunately, that never panned out," said Crawford, sounding very relieved. "Something happened at the Grand Triskelion – something odd. From what I gathered from Professor Croix and Blair's accounts, the magic contained in the Grand Triskelion interacted with Miss Kagari, causing the seal to break and explode outwards. That was the explosion that caused the magic to drain from the Ley Lines and be released into the atmosphere, creating the world we now live in. Needless to say, the explosion ended the battle swiftly – the forces of the Eclipse Queen had fallen; most of them captured and thrown into Dol Guldur, other escaped and went into hiding. This had left Izetta in a very nasty position indeed. She had not planned for what would happen should the coup fail and knew it was only a matter of time before one of them sold her out. She had no choice but to run for it – "
A long silence followed Crawford's story. Then Takahiro said with some satisfaction, "But she didn't manage to escape, did she? The Magic Council caught up with her the next day!"
"Alas, if only we had," said Crawford bitterly. "It was not we who found her. It was Charlotte Jansson – another of Chariot's friends and a member of their secret organization."
Akko heard Lotte's breath hitch from above the table and her hand suddenly fell limp at her side.
"Maddened by grief, no doubt, and discovering that Izetta had been the traitor, she and her husband went after Izetta themselves."
"Charlotte Jansson…do you mean Charlotte Holbrooke, the headmistress's daughter?" said Takahiro.
"Yes, and we had all assumed she would take care of herself," said Professor Finnelan. "But we were wrong. Though she was an astounding witch, she was nowhere near the in the same league as Izetta talent-wise. She was always such a good student and a wonderful person. Everyone loved her. And she's…she…." She sounded as though she had a sudden head cold.
"There, now, Anne," said Crawford kindly. "She and her husband died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses told us how Charlotte and Izetta confronted each other in the middle of Zurich during the busiest hour. They say that Charlotte was sobbing, like she was afraid. I can image why. And then Charlotte and Izetta reached for their wands and the resulting explosion caused the catastrophe we all saw. Izetta survived, as we all know, but Charlotte and her husband…their bodies were so mangled by the time we got there that it took several days to identify them among the others."
Professor Finnelan blew her nose and said thickly, "Why her…why did it have to be her…she had just become a mother…poor Lotte…I can't even imagine what that must be like, to grow up without her parents…."
"I tell you, if I had gotten to Izetta before Charlotte did, I wouldn't have messed around with wands – I'd have ripped her limb – from – limb," Elma growled.
"You don't know what you're talking about, Elma," said Crawford sharply. "Nobody but trained Rune Knights from the Custody Enforcement Unit would have stood a chance against Izetta once she was cornered. I was Junior Executive Head of Disaster Relief at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Izetta murdered all those people. I - I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the city, so deep it looked like it had been struck with a meteor. Bodies everywhere. People screaming. And Izetta standing there screaming and crying at the top of her lungs…with splatters of Charlotte's blood all over her front…."
Crawford's voice stopped abruptly. There was the sound of five noses being blown.
"Well, there you have it, Takahiro," said Crawford thickly. "Izetta was taken away by members of the Custody Enforcement Unit and Charlotte Jansson received an Order of Morgan, First class, which I think was some comfort to poor Professor Holbrooke. Izetta's been in Dol Guldur ever since."
Takahiro let out a long sigh.
"Is it true that she's insane, Chairman?"
"I wish I could say she was," said Crawford slowly. "I certainly believe her failure at the Grand Triskelion unhinged her for a while. The murder of Charlotte Jansson, her husband, and all those people was the action of a cornered and desperate woman – cruel…pointless. Yet I met Izetta on my last inspection of Dol Guldur. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them…but I was shocked at how normal Izetta seemed. She spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought she was merely bored – asked if I had finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said she missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the Heartless seemed to be having on her – and she was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Heartless outside her door day and night."
"But what do you think she'd broken out to do?" said Takahiro. "You don't think she's going to rejoin the Eclipse Queen, do you?"
"I daresay that is her – er - eventual plan," said Crawford evasively. "But we hope to catch Izetta long before that. We have reason to believe that she may try to reclaim all her old followers…it will be a repeat of last time…."
There was a small clink of glass on wood. Someone set down their cup.
"You know, Chairman Seam, if you're dining with the headmistress, we'd better head back up to the castle," said Professor Finnelan.
One by one, the pairs of feet in front of Akko took the weight of their owners once more; hems of their uniforms swung into sight, and Takahiro's polished shoes disappeared behind the bar. The door to the Rabbit House opened again, there was another flurry of snow, and the teachers disappeared.
"Miss Jansson…are you all right…?" said Frank's hesitant voice.
Akko didn't need to see Lotte's face to know it shared the same horror-stricken expression as her own.
This is quite possibly the heaviest chapter I have ever written. What started out as a delightful venture of mischief quickly turned into a tragic tale that strikes at both the hearts of Akko and Lotte alike. These two have always been the best of friends ever since they first met, but now that this new truth has come to light, could this new information put their friendship in jeopardy? It's a tangled web of secrets and hidden connections that will hopefully soon come to light.
Next Chapter: The Shiny Balai