Chapter 25
Before the darkness is set to fall around five in the afternoon, Akko and Diana together with the two other pairs—Hannah and Barbara, and Andrew and Frank were all excited for the last big event held tonight.
A huge amphitheater nestled into the hillside adjacent to the main building in the heart of Luna Nova Academy, which is an outdoor space that incorporates a series of stone steps into a grassy area surrounded by trees. The amphitheater included hand-carved limestone that was locally sourced. In the center of it was heavily stacked of firewood, ready to be lighted any minute now.
"Where are your friends, Akko?" Diana asked.
"They said they'd be here," Akko said, wonderingly. She glanced around and amidst the faces were no familiarity.
"Who cares if her friends are here or not?" Hannah said casually, biting into her licorice. She and Barbara were sitting on Diana's right. Andrew and Frank took the seats behind them.
Akko decided not to engage when she saw Diana's peaceful face. She decided not to let Hannah and Barbara ruin their moment. The cold October air seeped through Akko's jacket and she huddled closer to the Diana.
"BOO!"
Multiple cries and screams emitted from Akko, Frank, Hannah, and Barbara when they noticed a live episode of the walking dead behind them. Diana and Andrew, on the other hand, were unfazed. Then the sound of laughter rang through the air.
Akko looked up to see the sight of her friends rolling on the floor, laughing, removing their mumming props.
"AHAHAHA! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR FACES!" Amanda laughed. "I'm pretty sure Akko had wet her pants!"
Akko blushed madly from shame. "I did not!"
"Hey Akko, is tackling a girl your usual defense mechanism?" Sucy asked, she and Lotte were behind the mischievous trio and didn't participate in the scaring, but pretty much quite enjoyed the show.
"I know she did, right!" Amanda said while erupting into another fit of laughter.
Akko's face was crimson. "Shut the hell up, Amanda!"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Hannah asked, with a deadly look on her face and she tried to intimidate Amanda who was suddenly wearing a tux, and her hair sleeked back. Hannah immediately was thrown off guard and flushed.
Jasminka turned to Diana and Andrew. "Didn't you guys get scared even a little?"
"Not a bit." Andrew crossed his legs.
Diana just stared at her impassively, unfazed that she was. S soon came to know that Akko's arms were still around her waist and they two were still in an awkward position. She didn't hate it. In fact, she liked it a lot.
"Akko, you can let go now..." Lotte said, gesturing to Akko's arms. She was holding the latest book of the Night Fall series.
Akko looked down, surprised, and then yanked herself away from Diana's arms, blushing. "Right, sorry." She said, looking away. "Would you guys sit down? Where's Professor Ursula by the way? Have you seen her?"
"She met with an old friend, a short-haired woman with a unique fashion sense," Lotte replied.
"I think you mean a woman with a badass villain costume." Sucy chided. "I swear she must've seen that giant anime that's trending on the internet these days."
Amanda slipped an arm around a still speechless Hannah and settled her back on her seat. "You okay girl?"
Akko stared at them, slowly unveiling the hints like a blooming rose and figured she didn't need to help Amanda pick Hannah up—literally and figuratively.
Lotte stared at the space beside Akko but thought against it. She settled herself next to Barbara who stared at her as if she has wanted to talk to her for so long and Sucy sat down next to the Finnish girl. Amanda and her group sat behind them next to Andrew and Frank.
They all launched into their own small conversations. Amanda trying to chat up with Hannah who continued to flush, Jasminka, Constanze and Sucy with their new crazy ideas, Lotte and Barbara about Night Fall, and Andrew and Frank about football while everyone settled down around huddled together.
While everyone was talking, Diana noticed Akko scooted closer to her. Diana glanced over at Akko and the shorter girl met her gaze when she saw that Diana was looking.
Akko cleared her throat and determinedly looked at whoever was talking with great interest.
Diana chuckled softly, wanting to play with her a little. She faked a shiver. "Wow, it's really getting cold out here..." she said softly, sneaking a look at Akko who turned her head.
Akko was furiously thinking through her options. "Why... why didn't you bring extra more layers?"
"Oh, I did wear much as I can," Diana answered.
Come on Akko. Take the hint.
"Then take my jacket..." Akko said unzipping it.
Diana quickly placed a hand on her arm. "No, no that's okay, Akko. You'll just get cold too."
Akko stayed like that, hand on her zipper, wonderingly debating whether to do it or not. Slowly she raised his arm an inch...
"Oh, for mushroom's sake, just put your arm around her so we can all get some closure," Sucy said and both Diana and Akko snapped sideways to see everyone looking at them with exasperated looks on their faces.
Akko's face turned beet red but Diana took her chance and scooted right up against Akko. The Japanese girl finally took the hint as she wrapped her arm around Diana.
"Finally..." Sucy said. "Waiting that long was almost painful."
"S-shut up, Sucy!" Akko muttered under her breath.
Diana just laughed at what was happening and settled closer to Akko, resting her head on Akko's.
As everyone continued the conversation, warmth spread through Diana's chest and for the first time in a long time, she felt completely right.
Diana stared at the Filipino girl who once was irked at her very existence. She was confused as to why Sucy was annoyed at Akko for not getting the message Diana was hinting so much from the beginning. Usually, Sucy would be against to the flirting because she liked Akko the way Diana liked her too.
But what was that?
Diana was clueless to know what Sucy was playing at, especially since Sucy told Akko to wrap her arms around her rival for Akko's heart. She stared at the laidback girl who sat on her far right.
Sucy knew someone was staring at her and caught Diana's gaze. She simply gave her a nod and a smirk, sending Diana's head spiraling to many questions.
There were too many answers and theories Diana had for that matter but she came to a decision that she shouldn't worry about it too much and found herself watching the sun slowly set over the landscape, casting its crimson-gold beams of light across the flowing clouds. The waning gibbous moon rises with an otherworldly grace, shrouded in the mystic light as a veil of mist follows in the great orb's wake.
As the shadow of the earth fell, a serene silence breaks upon the ground, signaling the chorus of music from the orchestra. And as these grand rhythms build, and the tension grows, a great passion swells within everyone, causing them to sing out in a chorus to the astounding orchestra.
"Everyone!" the Headmistress showed herself, carrying a torch. She was a bubbly short woman donning a short gray hair, a weird hot, and a red robe. "Students, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni... it gives me great pleasure to address you on this auspicious occasion of our wonderful Samhain Festival. A night like this is very important as it gives us the opportunity to uphold Luna Nova's tradition. Following our olden traditions and to mix it with modernity has proven to be a tedious task, but with us all together, of every generation, with one heart of Luna Nova—for we all work together to the same future. I do hope that the experiences of this day will be worth the sacrifice you have made. I want to thank all of you for the amazing support you have always extended to the alma mater. Thank you and have a wonderful evening. With this torch vested in me, let the fellowship we share for the night of Samhain Festival begin!"
The final night approached, with all of its attendant memories, Samhain Festival in Luna Nova Academy was celebrated with nightly gatherings at bonfires, where friends and family shared stories about the years past. The week culminated in a mumming and guising as always, where everyone dressed in fantastical costumes as kings and queens, soldiers and hunters, and witches and fairies.
Diana had loved the roar of the fire as years passed for it sounded like a wild beast, crackling and growling and hot as summer. She remembered her mother, dressed in a paper witch's hat and white velvet cloak, blowing kisses across the flames to her father, dressed as a joker with gold and silver baubles hanging from his cap.
"Hey, guys!" Amanda called them all. "Cons, Jasna and I will get some foods and drinks from the food area, anything you guys want?"
"Will it be no trouble?" Andrew asked.
"You are Cav's friend. It's a hundred percent okay if you tip us some money," she said, half serious making Andrew arched an eyebrow at her.
"Were you able to carry it all?" Frank asked. "Perhaps I should help."
"No need Frank." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Miss Antonenko has super strength."
"What?" Frank tensed.
"C-can I come?" Hannah asked.
Amanda fixed her suit and ran her fingers through her hair confidently to disguise the prevailing anxiety. "Of course you can, my lady."
Hannah's face turned red like her hair.
Barbara stifled a laugh once they left. "This is the first time I saw Hannah with a crush."
"Oh, my!" Lotte squealed to her. "She's got hit by the cupid's arrow? I freaking knew it!"
Diana tuned them out to focus on every single light and noise that filled the amphitheater, watching them laughing and dancing from her corner. She almost wished she could dance with Akko.
"Hey Diana," Akko whispered.
"Yes, Akko?" Diana wondered why they were whispering.
"I know it seems silly but, I don't get Samhain Festival that much. I know it's like an Irish Halloween."
Diana's face displayed nothing but a casual smile but her eyes told more. "Basically Akko, You see, Samhain marks the darker half of the year which means the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter. They say Samhain is when the boundary between this world and the otherworld connects, making it easy to be crossed."
"You mean that's when monsters come and visit us?"
"Not technically monsters. In Irish mythology, those are the spirits and the fairies. Offerings of food and drink were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality."
"So it's like the Day of the Dead?"
"Close enough," Diana said. "I could give you a thorough lesson about it but I fear I might bore you and ruin the fun."
"Diana no!" Akko pouted. Slowly she reached out and placed her hand over Diana's.
A new smile played on Diana's lips and a slight blush rose to her cheeks. Akko's skin was smooth over hers and her touch made Diana feel protected.
"I'd never get bored when I'm with you."
Diana's lips curved upwards. Even if it was an obvious lie, she was glad at Akko's determination to keep her attention. So she told her all about it—From the Irish folklores to the Gaelic calendars, from the costume wearing to divination rituals. From the door to door visit to the games, from Celtic neopagans to Wiccans, and food that often involved nuts and apples.
Amanda and company returned with pastries and sweetmeats just in time when the first, sudden explosion made them jump and they laughed nervously. Above them, the fireworks had begun in the near-black sky. As everybody applauded at the colors at the sky, Diana tried to be subtle when she shifted closer to Akko, and for once she caught the shorter girl adrift.
Diana quickly moved so that their hips touched and wrapped her arm around Akko's shoulders, her finger tracing gentle patterns on Akko's arm. She rested her head on Akko's shoulder and inhaled the scent of pickled plums that always lingered on her skin. Content in body and mind Diana and Akko watched as the sky exploded with fireworks.
As soon as the fireworks display ended, there was someone clearing her throat on the microphone, "Evening ladies and gentlemen!" It was Wangari, the Master of Ceremonies for every event at the academy "Is everyone having fun?"
"YEAHHH!"
Wangari giggled. "That's what I've been waiting to hear! Now I know that everyone is asking, why am I here up on stage? It's because..." she waved a card she was holding. "I have information and winners of the titles I had to announce!"
Everybody tuned in, whispers and theories went about. Crystal clear that the judges already had a favorite.
"Here we are tonight! The Announcement we've all been waiting for!" Wangari stalled, as imaginary drum rolls played.
"Uwahh, here it is!" Akko pounded her fists on air as if it were a table.
Diana watched the Akko's throat as she swallowed, and she wondered if Akko could hear the pounding of her heart. She was nervous, afraid that something wrong might happen. The feeling was extraordinarily nerve-wracking.
Both of them might not admit it, Diana discerned that the two of them were somehow rivals. Whoever wins the Moonlit Witch title has the higher probability of being chosen by Professor Woodward.
Diana wouldn't know how to react when she loses. She also wouldn't know how to act when she wins. To win or to lose, what was the best option for her? Standing at a balanced blade, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose to halt an incoming headache.
"We are pleased to announce that the winner of Moonlit Witch Title is Diana Cavendish."
A/N
Thank you for reading!