Chapter 21

After walking in on her coaches in a compromising position, much to her confusion, Akko gets answers to a question that had plagued her mind for years: "What happened to Chariot DuNord?"

All Caught Up

The locker room is still, the only sound is that of the heartbeats pounding in each of its occupants' ears. Akko stands frozen, looking questionably at Professor Ursula…

...Chariot…?

...as she sits, clenching her trembling hands in her lap.

So much had just happened in such a small amount of time that Akko honestly wasn't 100% sure of what was going on. At this point, she doesn't even remember why she is here in the first place, all she knows is that Coach Croix just called Professor Ursula 'Chariot' and in the process of her mind catching up with what transpired in the last two minutes, she focused on questioning the relation. Her professor can't quite meet her eyes, but despite the averted gaze she can see embarrassment and guilt swimming in her irises.

The weight of worry pulls the young professor's face downward towards her lap as she lets out a feathered breath. Croix, unsure of how to help the situation, decides to take a seat next to the other woman grounding her with a gentle yet firm hand in the bend of her elbow. The younger coach relaxes slightly at the touch as she takes another breath and looks back up apologetically into her student's eyes.

"Yes…" She says softly, "I am… was...Chariot DuNord."

Akko's eyes widen at the admission. She knows she had asked but she didn't really think of what would happen once the question was answered.

"Y-you're Chariot…" she states disbelievingly.

From the bench, Urs- Chariot presses her lips together as she nods looking towards the floor of the locker room.

The wheels in Akko's head spin rapidly as she at last puzzles together the meaning of the words that had just left her mouth. She stares at her teacher as the light of realization shines in her eyes and a wild smile grows on her face.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU WEREN'T DEAD OR RAISING ALPACAS!" Akko yells, unable to contain herself. She begins vibrating in place as her entire body wiggles in the excitement of meeting her childhood hero. "OH MY GOSH! YOU ARE SO AMAZING! OH! When you were still playing for the Bears, that one game against the Dragons! The one when you did the DuNord dive roll! I mean… that's what me and my dad always called it! It was so cool! And ever since I wanted to be as awesome as you! Oh! This is so crazy!"

"Akko, calm down." The lilac haired coach cuts her off, the vulnerable, pleading look in her eyes betraying the sternness of her voice. "Please…"

"Eh?" Akko pauses her excitement and at last takes notice of her idol looking to the ground somberly. "O-oh…" She quiets herself as a twinge of guilt settles in her stomach. "I-I'm sorry… I was just… I've always looked up to you… you know… I… oh god… I wrote that paper on you… in your class. AH! I'm sorry! If I knew I… I mean… you're still my biggest inspiration… but I wouldn't have… IS THAT WHY YOU GAVE ME YOUR NUMBER?! OH! OH MY GOD! I JUST REMEMBERED I SENT YOU FANMAIL! Oh this is so embarrassing!" She covers her bright red cheeks with her hands as she squirms— the only response her body deems appropriate for the amount of feelings she has coursing through her.

"Kagari…" Croix warns, this time with a humored expression as she notes the smallest of smiles softening Chariot's nerves.

"Ohp, sorry, sorry. I just… can't believe it. This entire time, you've been… my teacher… and my coach..." She says gesturing to the locker room. "It's kinda like a dream come true... but…" she pauses, looking up to her professor with a scrunched brow as a mixture of confusion and sadness washes over her, "...why don't you want anybody to know?"

The smile disappears from Chariot's face as she subconsciously tugs the fabric of her sweatpants in an attempt to cover her exposed thigh. After a short pause she says, unable to meet Akko's eyes, "I... felt it was the best course of action after the effects of my injury."

Her eyes widen with realization. "Your second major league game…"

"Yes…"

The brunette's eyes lock onto the mismatched set of limbs on the floor and then to her professor fixing the pant on her shortened left leg.

Oh my god… But… so that's why she stopped playing… but...how?

"What happened?"

The older woman hesitantly meets Akko's heartfelt eyes, searching for judgment but finding none.

"Alright, Miss Kagari," Croix reprimands, "That is a completely inappr-" she is stopped in the middle of her attempt of dismissing the conversation by the younger coach gently touching her arm. Worried teal eyes meet soft ruby as Chariot wordlessly tells her that it will be okay. Croix, reading the expression, concedes and allows the younger woman to take the reins of the coming conversation. Chariot smiles as she feels the other woman's arm hold firm against hers, before looking up to meet her student's anticipation laden eyes.

At this point no more harm can be done…

She brushes a strand of dyed blue hair behind her ear as she takes a timid breath. "Well..."

It was some freak accident. One moment, the roar of the crowd urged her onward into a risky slide beneath the jumping third baseman- the next, she heard a snap and felt an indescribable pain as everything faded to black.

She remembered awakening nauseous and alone in a bright white room to the stink of antiseptic and an awful throbbing in her left leg. She tried to lift herself out of bed (it had seemed like a good idea from the effect of the medication that continued its way through her IV), and was immediately stopped by a sobering dose of excruciating pain from her leg. She whimpered through grit teeth, and threw her head back onto the hospital bed trying desperately to stop the bile rising in her throat. Through clenched eyes she felt hot tears roll down the sides of her face as she bit her lip to keep from screaming. She silently cried from pain, from shock, from confusion, frustration, fear, and embarrassment all amplified by the medication irrationally swirling the unfamiliar room around. She was unsure of how long it had been for, but she knows she had only stopped once a nurse walked in alongside a light blonde-haired woman who introduced herself as her doctor.

Chariot had only been in the hospital for one day before the rumors began to reach her ears. Initially she was curious to hear what anyone would have to say about her— being so early in her career, it was unusual that something like this would call so much attention. But when she heard what was being said, her heart plummeted. She was completely unprepared to hear that the most popular rumor being spread was that traces of performance enhancement were found in her blood work and had backing from suspicion in her younger years.

What she hadn't realized was that the outstanding performances she pulled off in her college career had placed a spotlight on her. Due to her risky and grandiose plays, there had already been minor speculation by opposing colleges on whether or not she had been using steroids. While at the time, the rumors never made it to see the daylight, now, fueled by those opposing schools' slander and the new theory that drug usage contributed to her break, her integrity and ability were being questioned on a wide scale.

It was completely untrue, and the hospital contacted the media to see who their source had been in order to take appropriate action. Addendums correcting published articles had been released and public apologies were issued on television for the misinformation, however, the public had already taken to the defamatory claim like wildfire to kindling. The backlash of trying to clean Chariot DuNord's reputation only prompted the theory that she was being covered for, which in turn, put her current and past team's coaches in the line of fire.

And all she could do was sit helpless and broken in her hospital bed, beaten by guilt over things she'd been wrongly accused of.

She had tried to avoid listening to sports radio talk shows, but over the following days of her visiting teammates wishing her well, she had heard of the extent to how blown out of proportion the seemingly endless rumors had gotten.

As she sat dull-eyed looking up at the ceiling above her bed she came to the realization that her life would never be the same. As long as she was Chariot DuNord these accusations and the judgments associated with them would forever follow her. This thought pulsed in her mind, debating consequences and realistic outcomes over the next couple days as she remained bedridden amongst progressively less optimistic nursing staff.

After several x-rays, countless pain medications, and multiple barely touched meals, her decision to set aside her identity, dye her hair, and go by another name was solidified as her doctor sat opposite her vulnerable, hospital gown covered body, and told her that the damage in her leg was far worse than they had initially thought.

After stating that her leg was not showing any signs of improvement post her initial surgery, the doctor continued to say that it was highly unlikely that she would regain any function from the knee down.

Due to the major trauma of her tibia and the fragments from her shattered kneecap causing arterial and muscle damage, compromising the blood flow to her lower leg— not only would she be required to regularly take blood thinners in order to prevent her higher probability of getting major clots, but any recovery was highly improbable because of the necrotic tissue already developed in her lower leg.

The doctor continued to say that if she were to be optimistic, that if by some divine magic she did manage to regain some control back in her leg, she would suffer from harsh chronic nerve pain for the rest of her life along with a plethora of other side effects that would require a daily cocktail of medications.

After discussing what courses of action she had access to, the doctor apologized and left the room, giving the stunned girl some privacy to make a life changing decision. Chariot stared blankly at sheet covering her dying leg and mulled over her options between mourning the loss of all the things— softball, dancing, gymnastics, that she would likely never be able to make her leg do again.

A call to her parents and a couple of hours later, the redhead sat in her cot with eyes unable to shed another tear, shakily holding a pen tip to the signature line of a consent form accepting the risks that come with a transfemoral amputation.

To her, it was the best course of action. With the technological advancements of the age, prosthetic limbs were an option that could eventually help her regain some semblance of normalcy… or at least… allow her to build a less conspicuous normal for a new identity. From that day forward, she no longer accepted hospital visits by people other than her parents. They had known Chariot DuNord, and in order to leave that girl and everything associated with her behind she wanted as few people as possible to link her to who she would become.

The surgery was performed flawlessly. As red eyes groggily opened, fighting to break past the weakening hold of anesthesia, the weight of what had just happened registered slowly in her mind. She was hesitant to look directly at the flat blanket that had previously been crumpled beneath her leg, and so instead attempted to distract herself with a few breaths and a post-surgery box of juice offered by the nurse who had been checking her vitals and blood pressure.

The change in weight was strange and she did not like being confined to her bed and a wheelchair during her recovery, but by the time she was ready for discharge she had gotten slightly more used to her new reality.

She moved back into her childhood home at her family's insistence. Shortly after her arrival home, her final minutes as Chariot DuNord were spent dying her hair navy blue in her parent's kitchen sink— Ursula Callistis, which she adopted as her alias, was now in her place.

The rumors had slightly subsided due to time's passage, however, her name and coaches were still very heavily associated with steroid usage conspiracies among other things.

For a short time the transition was smooth. A few days after getting home, her mother handed her a pile of papers sent from the head coach of the Polaris Bears. As she flipped through the papers, she found that most were 'get well soon' cards from her younger ex-teammates and old fanmail the school had never delivered to her. A few brought a warmth to her chest and a smile to her face— one in particular where the fan wrote that she got grounded by her Dad after saying her first curse word because of her famed catch in the college game against the Dragons— made her giggle out loud. However, the feeling was short lived once she came across a more recently sent letter.

'Cheater', 'fraud', 'lowlife', 'disappointment', among an array of other insults struck into her heart as she couldn't help but fixate on the anonymous hate mail in front of her. Every word spat venom from a place of ignorant hatred, but the finality and conviction behind them began to make her believe that she had been guilty of the accusations.

It took a lot to remind herself that she was not at fault. Even so, she was hesitant to throw the letter into the trash because, from a dark place, she felt she deserved the burden of its words. Forcing herself, she clenched the paper and dropped it into the bin. However, before she could shut the lid, her eye caught sight of her old name scribbled in unfamiliar handwriting on a piece of paper in peeking out from beneath a coffee stained paper towel.

They had tried to hide it, but when asked, her parents reluctantly said they had been receiving cruel letters regarding her to their doorstep ever since the rumors had begun. This knowledge, coupled with looking online and learning that the lasting effect continued to tarnish the credibility of her blameless coaches and Alma Mater, Ursula fell into a guilt driven depression at the realization that she had more or less, abandoned the weight along with her old identity while everyone associated with her was still dealing with the consequences.

But it wasn't her fault...but it was…

It had taken her the result of 8 months of successful physical therapy to bring herself to move out of her parents' house and find an apartment that didn't remind her so much of the temptation to return to the identity of Chariot DuNord. She was afraid of what could happen if she did. She didn't want her family to be affected again, nor did she want to address anyone who would ask why she ran away. It was safer as Ursula Callistis, and after all this time, she's not even sure she could go back to the woman she used to be.

About a year or so after moving into her own apartment a moderate distance from her family, there was an accident. Her prosthetic had broken as she was stepping down a stairway in her complex. Despite a few bruises and an embarrassing landing, she was alright— the same could not have been said for the condition of the prosthetic.

She had made an appointment with a new local physical therapist in a practice known to have greater expertise in prosthesis, but the moment her nurse led her through the doors of the exam room she nearly fell off her crutches at the sight of her doctor.

She looked at lilac hair, much shorter than it had been 7 years ago and instantly her heart started pounding— from the excitement of seeing her old best friend, or from the fear of being found out— she was not sure.

Back in their younger years, Croix had been more or less known as a prodigy. She had been taking college credits since her sophomore year of high school and so it came as no surprise to see the woman in front of her to be a doctor at 25.

Despite Croix being a year older, she and her had gotten very close during school. This was something Chariot had been thankful for, and over the time that they had played on the Witches together she had secretly developed a crush on the older girl.

After Croix graduated from Luna Nova and moved away to university, the depth of how much Chariot missed her best friend really hit her. Her senior year had started off difficult, but she found that the harder she worked during her conditioning, the easier it became… and the better she got. She would have been lying if she said she didn't fantasize of Croix stopping by during one of their games to watch her. The teal eyed girl was difficult to impress during their time practicing together, but after not seeing her for a while and with all her hard work, she wished she could have shown the older girl how much she improved. Alas, she never did.

Eventually Croix fell from her thoughts, solidified in her memory as 'that too nerdy to be as cool as she is' girl she had missed the chance to have asked to senior prom. But now as she stood looking at the back of this woman she could only identify by the shade of her hair and the way she leaned against the exam table, all her dormant feelings for the woman returned tenfold as evident by the smile subconsciously pulling at her cheeks.

"Croix…?" she unthinkingly whispered, prompting the woman in slacks and a button down to turn towards her and look up from her clipboard.

"Good afternoon M…"

Teal eyes instantly widen in recognition of the woman in front of her. Despite the clearly different appearance, the ruby eyes she had burned into her memory belonged to none other than Chariot DuNord. Her heart danced in her chest before a flash of pain crossed her eyes. She quickly looked down at the paper in her hands, scanning her troubled eyes over the patient's name before looking up a moment later with a calm quirk of her brow.

"Excuse me...Ms. Callistis. It's nice to meet you." She said with a smile and a nod of her head.

Ursula's smile dropped, taken aback by her old friend's professionalism. She had practically felt her heart fall to the pit of her stomach at the formality of the other woman's voice. Could she not have remembered her? But for a moment it looked like she did… but she also looked upset... Could she hate her also?

"Alright, so you're here to get fit for a new prosthetic, correct?" She said with a touch of well masked surprise, seemingly just realizing that her client was missing a leg.

"Um… yes. Please."

"Alright. Well, since you are a new client here, before we get to the good stuff, I just want to go over some of your past medical histories." She said with a neutral smile and calculating eyes. "Thank you, Ramona, I will take it from here." She looked kindly at the nurse, dismissing her.

Ursula stood nervously as she watched the nurse exit the room, closing the door behind her leaving herself and Croix alone in the cool exam room. She was completely unsure of what was about to happen. Croix had been her friend a long time ago, but that was then… and before the accident.

As the door clicked shut the lilac haired woman took a moment of silence staring off to the side. After determining no one was close enough to the door to hear, she turned around to face the other woman with a genuine glowing smile and hopeful eyes. "Chariot? Is that really you?"

Ursula analyzed the other woman's expression, prepared to see it contort to disappointment, but after a moment of silence of it not coming, she allowed a nervous smile to take on her cheeks as she nods.

"Ahh I knew it! It would have been weird if I didn't!" The teal-eyed woman said with a laugh. "God, look at you...I wouldn't have pegged it, but you look good in blue."

Ursula, yet again, nearly fell from her crutches from how unexpectedly flustered the comment had made her. That hadn't seemed like something the Croix she knew in high school would say, but as evidenced by the way her heart was pounding, she found she really didn't mind. "I-I um thank you. You don't look so bad yourself." She said, focused on Croix's pushed back hairstyle and her perfectly fitted button up. "Erm-" she coughed, snapping herself out of her admiring gaze before gesturing towards the door, "Thank you… for using my new name."

"Oh...yeah, sure…" Croix's smile turned sad as she met Ursula's eyes. "I saw the name and at first thought maybe you'd gotten married...but I figured that wouldn't explain the first name changing. So I guessed that you're still trying to lay low after the whole… rumor thing. Am I right?"

Ursula nodded her head fondly at the older woman, "You've always been so smart." Red eyes looked to the floor as her smile tightened to a thin line. She was beyond happy to see Croix and while she didn't want to dampen the moment they seemed to be sharing, she needed to know for sure...

"Did...you believe the things they said? About the..." Ursula gestures to her leg.

"What?" Lilac eyebrows shot up as Croix, ever the goof, blew a raspberry. "Absolutely not! You and steroids? If they saw you in high school they'd know you worked your ass off. Besides, I know you'd never do something as stupid as that. I mean, if I remember right, you weren't the best student, but…"

She was interrupted as Ursula wrapped her right arm around her back and pressed her forehead into her shoulder.

"...I've missed you Croix..."

The lilac haired woman froze for a moment before returning the hug, encircling her arms around the younger woman's back helping to support her. "I've missed you too."

They stood like that for a short while, reveling in each other and making up for lost time before breaking apart, a light blush on each of the women's faces. With a huge weight off her chest, Ursula looked up to the teal eyed woman looking back at her. "Did you get taller? I don't remember being so short."

"Ah, no." The older woman stepped back with a slight pep of excitement before lifting her pant leg. "Heels. I think they make me look professional. What do you think?"

Ursula laughed at how proud the woman looked as she showed off her admittedly very good looking black heeled boot. "They look really nice, Croix. Much better than those sketchers you swore by in junior year."

"Still on about those sketchers, huh? They were comfortable! Man, seems like you haven't changed at all..." She said with a hand to her chest and a not at all subtle wink. "Though, it does look like you lost some weight..." Croix said with a twinkle in her eye, making obvious motions of looking down towards the other woman's missing leg.

Ursula deadpanned, clearly unimpressed. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"Gee, I hope not."

By the end of the session, Ursula had learned that although she became a physical therapist, Croix really had an interest in designing and engineering prosthetics. She hadn't sold anything yet, nor were her designs ready for trial, but knowing that her old friend had such bold aspirations warmed Ursula's heart. She left with a new leg ordered, a few residual butterflies, and a cell phone number.

For the next couple months she returned to Croix's office for treatment on getting used to moving on the new leg. At first it had been attributed to transitioning between the difference of the new and old prosthetic, but then it slowly turned to just wanting an excuse to spend more time with one another.

Ursula had been the one to ask if Croix would come out to get lunch during her break, and Croix, beyond hopelessly enamored with the woman, practically cleared her schedule (unbeknownst to her date).

Over a short time they begun seeing each other more outside of the office and eventually Croix mustered up the courage and bought flowers for the former redhead.

They had begun dating while their sessions were still in effect, and by a strike of terrible luck, Croix's boss, the owner of the practice, saw the two women kissing at the end of an evening session. The owner had taken Croix aside and reamed her over moral codes and misconduct and at last threatened her licensure and a practice probation unless she ceased their relationship.

Much to Ursula's horror, Croix left the practice. She blamed herself fully and completely for putting Croix into the position and the fight that followed the conversation of the lilac-haired woman's resignation had Ursula shaking in sorrow on the floor.

Croix, on the other hand, was alright with the course of events. Yes, it was a really good job that she lost, and she genuinely liked it, but ultimately, she knew she wanted to focus more on innovative prosthesis, and while her experience was beneficial, she was not torn up about taking a new path with Ursula at her side.

As long as they dated, Croix insisted on using Chariot's name in private. She understood what the hiding woman was afraid of, although the rumors hadn't seen the daylight in years, a sighting of bright red hair after the absence could start a new flame— however, she knew, and made sure to remind her girlfriend that Chariot DuNord had done nothing wrong and should not be ashamed of what never happened. After trying to suppress her old self, it took time for Ursula to believe Croix's words. Eventually, after three years of the two going back to school to get additional degrees in technology (Croix) and English education (Ursula), as well as applying to jobs and getting hired to teach in their old school district, Ursula shed most of the shame associated with her unfortunate past.

There was still a fear that a reappearance could have consequences, so she intended to continue on as Ursula Callistis in public until she was ready to face the world.

It was on her very first day during her final class period when she saw a unique name on her roster which she immediately recognized as the girl who wrote to her all those years ago saying she cursed in front of her father over her catch. Evidenced by her very first assignment on 'Who is your biggest inspiration', it seemed Atsuko Kagari had not forgotten about her either.

After she heard about the open JV coach positions, Ursula may or may not have convinced Croix to join her in the position. On one hand, she was overly experienced for the position and was not against going back to some of her fondest memories of high school, but on the other, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious about her young fan's potential.

"You alright Akko?" Chariot asks worriedly as the brunette stands motionless absorbing what her idol had just told her.

Chariot had really only told the girl that after the accident, her leg was so damaged that the best choice was to remove it and that the rumors had gotten so bad and effected so many people that she figured the best way to stay out of the spotlight and to reduce the relevancy of the event was to disguise herself and go away— not the whole story... but enough to answer her question. Regardless, Akko just stared silently at the two women.

It took a long, awkward moment, but Akko's expression slowly changed to a furrowed brow as she opened her mouth. "So...you...didn't really do the stuff they were saying... Right?"

"No!" The English teacher panics, "Of course not...but…"

"You blame yourself for what happened anyway?"

"Not... anymore." Chariot says with a pause.

"Then what's stopping you?"

"What?"

"What's keeping you from letting yourself be Chariot?" Akko asks with genuine curiosity. "I mean, even though you're the same person, you shouldn't have to hide that part of you…"

"If I were around, other people might have to go through the questioning again…" Her eyes tiredly fall to her lap. "I know it's been a long time, but if people who believed the rumors see me now after disappearing for so long… I just...don't want people being brought back into it again."

Next to her, Croix watches her sadly. They have had this conversation countless times before, each time resulting in little progress. She had heard Chariot's reasonings time and time again, and at this point she has very little left to contribute to the debate.

"But if you let what those people said about you be the last word, nobody else would get the chance to see how amazing you are." Both women look up to the young girl now looking to the ground as she scuffs her shoe. "Ever since I was little, I've looked up to you. You inspired me... and while I don't think I was ever really that good at softball, thinking about what you could do made me want to get better so that one day I might be good enough to encourage other people to work hard and never give up on their dreams, just like you did for me."

With a small smile, Akko looks up from her feet and red eyes lock on red as Chariot continues to listen.

"I mean… it's really awesome that you're actually Chariot… It's actually really hard to believe that you had been here helping me this whole time…" She pauses, seemingly just acknowledging that reality before continuing with a growing smile. "But that's exactly it... even as my professor... as Coach Callistis, you never stopped pushing me forward towards my same dream!" She folds her hands in front of her as she lowers her voice "You're my favorite teacher, and a really great coach… and even after all the years you were gone, I never saw another softball player that was as great and inspiring as you. No matter who you are, you are still the same amazing person and you should be able to be whoever you want to be without being afraid of what dumb people might say."

A small humored breath leaves Chariot's lips as she notes the brunette's smile growing larger and larger.

"Think about the people who believe in you. They wouldn't want you to sacrifice who you used to be! They'd want you to be true to yourself and to see you come out on top of those lies. And while it could be scary, hearing people bring those stupid rumors up... I know you can make them see the truth."

The navy haired woman takes in a small shaking breath only to feel the light squeeze of Croix's hand still resting in the crook of her elbow. She turns and meets warm teal eyes which hold her own comfortingly as they swirl with affirmation, only backing up her student's claim.

"You can do anything! You deserve to be proud of yourself as Chariot, and I believe that if the world saw you again, you could help and inspire so many more people to keep doing their best!"

The two older women sit on the bench looking at the young girl. There is a genuine smile across Croix's face as she sees Chariot's eyes grow misty. With one final squeeze, Croix rises from the bench and gestures for Akko to take her place. As the brunette takes the seat, the blue haired woman turns to her with a smile. "Thank you, Akko."

Without warning (except to a knowing Croix, who saw it about to happen a mile away), Akko wraps her arms around her favorite teacher. After a moment, Ursula removes her glasses and returns the gesture, holding close the young girl who had never once stopped believing in her.

After a long silence, they separate from their embrace. Ursula takes a deep breath before looking back between her student and the love of her life picking up the prosthetics and ring box that had fallen in the commotion. "I suppose you two may be right."

Akko beams at her as Croix whips around in surprise, nearly dropping one of the legs.

"Back when it happened, I had been too shocked and preoccupied with treatment to do anything other than to hear how fast and far the rumors had gone. I had hoped that if I became irrelevant, it would all just fall away... I never actually defended myself, instead I ran away and felt the guilt of leaving the problem I should have addressed myself to my teammates and coaches." Chariot's face changes from sorrowful to determined. "I never faced the rumors myself, I realize it made me look guilty, but I was still unsure if it would come back and haunt everyone else just as it haunted me. Even if no one listens, I need to show that I tried to right it for everyone who had stood up for me and was affected by the backlash."

"And no matter what, you'll have us by your side!" Akko says with a smile, prompting her Professor to look at her in appreciation as Croix props the prosthetics against the bench.

"No matter what." Croix echoes their student with a smile before turning her face slightly more serious. "Side note...Did you ever find out exactly who started the rumor? Because if you're ready to address it, I have a few words I'd like to get across to them..."

"Croix, no." Ursula scolds light-heartedly, "It was all just a misunderstanding."

"What kind of idiot mistakes 'give her steroids for recovery' with 'found steroids in her bloodwork'? I know you said Doctor C got them fired, but still…"

Akko's jaw drops. "Wait, really? THAT'S how it started?"

Chariot sighs, returning her glasses to the bridge of her nose. "Yes, unfortunately. They had apologized after the fact, but at that point it was already spread on television."

"Yeah, well. You better hope I don't find out their name or else there'll be something else playing on the evening news…"

"Croix, I really hope you're joking."

Croix shrugs childishly.

"It'll be alright…" Chariot smiles at the older woman, red eyes overflowing with affection. "Every step of the way. Right?"

The lilac haired woman rolls her eyes stubbornly before breaking into a half smile, "Every step of the way..."

Akko watches as the two older women look sweetly into each other's eyes. Feeling that she might be imposing on a moment she looks away, eyes drawn to the ring in the box held in Croix's hand.

"Wait, is that a wedding ring!?" She shatters the moment. "Can I see? OH MY GOD DID I RUN IN ON YOU PROPOSING? OH MY GOD DID YOU SAY YES?! PSHH I MEAN YOU MUST'VE CAUSE YOU WERE KISSING, THAT WOULD BE WEIRD IF YOU SAID N-"

"Hey, hey, quiet it down will you?" The lilac-haired woman turns and tries to shush her. "You weren't supposed to see any of that-"

"I promise I won't say anything!" She interrupts before she gets hit with an epiphany and begins muttering under her breath, "Oh my god, I owe Amanda 30 bucks."

"What was that?" Croix leans in unsure if she heard the girl correctly. "Gah, nevermind, what made you come rushing in here so fast in the first place? Shouldn't you have been heading home?"

"Oh… um…" The brunette scratches her cheek as she tries to think back to the events leading to their current situation. "Why was I runni- OHMYGODIKISSEDDIANA!"

Both older women's eyebrows raise to their hairlines looking between each other and the young girl dissolving into a sweaty, hyperventilating mess in front of them.

"Well, this is not how I expected today to go…" Croix mumbles as Chariot sits awkwardly, unsure of how to console the brunette attempting to close herself inside her locker.

Author's Note:

Aaaand that's the meat of Chariot's backstory. I really tried to channel Akko's speech to her in episode 24, though for the situation I didn't want it to sound too mature... (cause its Akko)

DON'T YOU WORRY! DIANA WILL BE BACK NEXT CHAPTER! As will some long awaited talks...

That poor girl needed a little break.

ANYWAY, Happy Holidays! And I hope you like what's coming up next week!