Chapter 28
Akko woke with a start, her breath caught in her throat, and her hands flying to her body as if to make sure she was still all in one piece. Letting out a long sigh of relief, she looked around her only to notice that Diana was lying on the floor next to her.
Her first reaction was something akin to panic, but upon closer inspection, she realized that Diana was prone on an air mattress with the requisite blanket and pillow, obviously asleep.
Akko felt a stab of guiltiness for getting almost eaten by a wolf, but she reminded herself that it was Diana's decision to save her and she would have made an equally risky move to save Diana as well if she was put into that situation like that time when Diana was wrapped around by her Aunt's snakes.
Suppressing a yawn, Akko let herself fall back onto the chair and took a deep breath. Diana was okay, everything was okay. She was safe, Diana was next to her, and that's all that mattered.
Sleep came quickly.
And this time, it was dreamless.
Some unknown time passed when she could feel gentle hands coaxing her to wake. "Akko... Get up."
With a small dissatisfied growl, Akko waved an arm in an attempt to shoo away whoever was trying to pull her out of the comforting darkness. A strong hand grabbed her flailing arm and held it still.
"If you keep this up Akko, you're going to smack the wall next to you and get yet another broken something. I don't think you want that."
Penetrating through her foggy brain, the warning made Akko halt her movement, and only through the sheer strength of will, Akko was able to open an eye.
Diana was sitting on the edge of the bed, one of her hands holding fast but gently to Akko's right wrist. Dressed in an olive green tee shirt and black slacks, Diana looked half amused and half annoyed.
"Good morning Akko."
"I was in the bed?"
"Atsuko informed me that she had to knock you out because you were being a danger to yourself. She placed you next to me when she saw you in an awkward position."
"Ah, she did?" Akko instinctively held a ghost of a pain in her head. "She did?" she blinked before yelling at top of her lungs. "SHE DID THIS TO ME!"
"I told you, you were being stubborn." Atsuko appeared beside them. She wore a white thick uniform, bulletproof, zipped tight up her throat and gleaming gloves made out of plastic rubber.
Akko was confused at first at the wardrobe exchange, then she remembered she probably want to wear new clothes instead of fixing her destroyed one. Akko was disturbed at the too quiet place. "Where are the others?" she asked, glancing around.
"They are outside this small space... everyone that is."
"Small place?" Akko looked around one more time, they were in a large room that didn't seem to end. "This place is huge or did we just die?"
Atsuko gave her a narrowed look. "Are you aware of infinity mirror? It's like that."
"What no?"
"We have that back at home too, Akko," Diana said, moving closer to Akko so their shoulders touched. "It is a pair of parallel mirrors, which create a series of smaller reflections that appear to recede into an infinite distance. We are inside a small space that hosted that kind of trick, making you think this room is huge."
"Ah, okay," Akko said, indulging herself with Diana's proximity.
"As I said," Atsuko cleared her throat. "Everyone is outside. Earthens and Mirrors. The Princess has played the ambassadors for you; you should get out now and tell your side of the story."
Diana and Akko stared at each other dumbfounded. Hours earlier, the Mirrors were trying to kill them, in the span of time while they recover from the fight, the Earthens and the Mirrors were having a friendly discussion as they all seated on a huge round table. At least friendly in the standards of Mirror residents.
"Okay."
Diana and Akko emerged from the small space of infinity mirror with Atsuko in the lead, to see that the summoning was almost complete and a small gathering of people.
They eyed them, Princess Diana with her trademark crown was talking to Professor Ursula but the professor tried with all her might with how not to be distracted at the sight of her own mirror. Mirror Ursula and Mirror Croix stood respectively on their princess' left and right, carrying a regal demeanor in this meeting.
Mirror Lotte was glaring at her princess and the Earthens as though still not fully ready to trust everyone and Mirror Sucy clutching her hand reassuringly.
Sucy, who was known to be apathetic in most situations, had her jaw unhinged and visible eye opened wide but at least she wasn't scared like most of her companions were. Lotte, Jasminka, Constanze tried their best not to show fear, Hannah and Barbara were hugging each other, cowering to the amusement of their mirrors the Countesses who as always, were holding hands and throwing shy glances at one another, flushing and giggling soundly.
Mirror Amanda was barely controlling herself of not bursting into fits of crying because she couldn't believe her Earthen version was tomboyish and she was pretty proud of her femininity. Mirror Jasminka and Mirror Constanze were gently rubbing her back while Amanda was sourly annoyed at the prospect of seeing a girly version of herself with long hair.
Princess Diana heard rather than saw the trio finally move close to them. There was a habitual mischievous gaze plastered to her face and thought that she was most probably contemplating another wild hunt for yet another fantastic parallel world for a search of regalia, one that no one had ever heard of nor ever seen. She waved at them and smiled. "The Earthen Diana and Akko had risen."
Diana and Akko were compelled by everyone's stares to join the gathering, despite their wishes to not be intrusive.
"Pleasure to see you again, your Highness," Diana whispered, while looking into the eyes of a girl who looked exactly like hers. One that is haunted by an honorable duty they have to go out of bounds to fulfill. She glanced at the contemplative mirrors and asked. "How much have you told everyone?"
"We heard everything." Mirror Lotte growled sullenly. "I made a mistake to you Miss Cavendish. I'm awfully sorry."
Akko still hadn't moved on from the trauma that she went through so at the sight of Mirror Lotte and Mirror Sucy she wrapped her arms around Diana with a low whimper. Diana reached for her with her free hand, reassuring her that they are fine. They are all right.
"Let bygones be bygones." She said. "Akko and I—we are the forgiving sort."
"Girlfriend..." Mirror Lotte drawled, gasping and so did the rest of the mirrors. "So, in your world, you two are involved in a mating ritual." She narrowed her eyes at Atsuko and the princess. "Their reveal speaks volumes of your actions and I'm tempted to have Atsuko lynched for your trysts."
"But you may not." Princess Diana growled with an animalistic anger. "If you do, I have the right to execute all of you for treason as well. Furthermore, you have signed the agreement of nondisclosure."
"Blessed us, I suppose." Mirror Sucy said while Mirror Lotte tapped her foot in annoyance. She was bent on following the rules.
"Princess Diana has done the enlightenment; however, we presently desire a review—no, we want your side of the story." Mirror Lotte said, her face trying to be neutral but Diana could tell that she was looking for inconsistencies in the story that was provided.
Akko and Diana sat on the spare chairs on Professor Ursula's sides. Their presence helped eased their dear professor's skittishness.
All of a sudden, food materialized in front of them at the table. Questioning looks were thrown at the Princess and she gave them all a smirk.
"We must all dine now, it's appropriate for such occasion!" she said, her voice filled with mirth.
"Very well, then," Diana said, assuming the regal posture as she reached for her fork and knife. "I shall start from the beginning."
When morning came and the guests had all left. The Blazing World was awakening from its long winter slumber. Sunlight streamed through the glass branches overhead, each one heavy with golden and silver buds.
Flower shaped jewels bloomed along the edges of the trail, blue and orange, red and pink, purple and white, and bird songs filled the air every morning. It was like an entirely different place than the one they had traveled through.
There seemed to be no sign of the malignant Glass that had scared them and imprisoned Diana.
Once the meeting adjourned and once breakfast was over, she suddenly felt anticlimactic and drained.
Is it time to do the summoning?" Akko asked softly.
"Yes." Atsuko turned away so she wouldn't have to see the disappointment in the girl's face. "Say your goodbyes, Earthens. You're leaving."
"Okay." The small girl went to Atsuko was standing and threw her arms around the woman's neck. There were tears; Atsuko merely stood silently.
And now, they all knew, that it was time to say goodbye to their Mirror friends return to Earth, resume their studies in Luna Nova, graduate, say goodbye to the jolly years of childhood, later become adults and form families, have children and grow old. It was the natural state of the world and Akko felt happy that most of her friends were going to settle to that order in the end.
They were going to miss the friends they made despite the fact that their first meeting they tried to kill each other.
The Earthens and Mirrors kept saying goodbye to their counterparts, giving each other pats on the back, warm hugs, and firm handshakes, even to the ones who aren't their lookalikes. They each gave each other remembrances as a token of their once in a lifetime meeting.
Although they were leaving, they felt rather happy, because, in spite of all that had happened, they had had the time of their lives.
"To think this happened because of the Princess' rendezvousing in the castle's library with her lover." The Mirror of Professor Ursula said out of the blue, she was having a conversation with her Earthen counterpart and her Italian lover and it just so happened that her voice was loud enough for everyone to turn their heads.
Atsuko squirmed at the implication while the Princess giggled, "Oh my, what a way to describe our library date."
Akko couldn't believe what she had just heard. The reason she and Diana learned of the book was also that they had a library date in Blytonburry.
"Okay, everyone to their places!" The mirror of Professor Croix clapped her hands in haste.
The Earthens stood around their positions in the magic circle that they were taught earlier. The rest of the Mirrors stood far away so the summoning wouldn't mistake them as part of the group and reel them into the other world.
Akko lifted her head and gave Atsuko permission to draw her blood with a knife, the same one that that slashed her mirror's own flesh. With steady hands, Atsuko slid the blade across Akko's palms, while holding a glass chalice beneath it, and drop by drop, her blood fell into chalice, mixing with her counterpart's.
"Is it done?" Mirror Lotte asked, her arms crossed.
Atsuko held up the horn. She was somehow drained, exhausted. "Yes."
Relief flooded into the Princess Diana's face, making her look almost like an ordinary human. "Then you must paint the glass."
Everyone watched as Atsuko painted the glass manually, perhaps too tired to use kinesis. The area turned so quiet that they could hear the brush stroking the glass.
"This is goodbye, Diana, Akko." Princess Diana said amidst the silence and the Earthens were grateful for it.
"Hectic as our encounters may be, we'll miss you." Diana curtseyed, Akko followed suit but she did a Japanese bow.
The people went silent once more. As if there were no words left to say, but Akko wanted to be sure there will be no more words left unsaid.
"Visit us sometimes," Akko said, hopeful.
"Are you kidding?" Atsuko asked, pointing the brush at her face. "This must never happen again."
Akko's face fell after getting intimidated by the blood-soaked brush. "What?"
"This has been such an adventure, Akko." Princess Diana said. "I share my lover's sentiments about not wanting this to happen again."
Akko's face became sadder as ever. She felt cool fingers fill the spaces in hers in a tight clasp. Her eyes fell to their intertwined hands before looking up at the blonde's face.
"I believe it is better this way too," Diana said.
Akko however still wanted to fight for her opinion, "But what about the books! And the mirror? Are you really going to destroy everything?"
"We will destroy every last thing." Princess Diana said, deadpanned. "Except for our memories, for they are important and we cannot part with it. We must learn, live and keep it in our hearts."
"B-but still! Why would you do that?"
"Do not blame the Princess, Earthen." Mirror Lotte chimed into the conversation. "This is part of the agreement we settled for her to buy my silence about Atsuko's sin."
Akko knew her arguments had solid rebuttals so she turned to her lover for help. "Diana!"
"We can keep a copy of the book in our world, Akko," Diana said. "We will only have to brand it as science fiction as it should be. But if they shall destroy the portals, the book shall truly be fictional."
"She's right." Princess Diana said. "The reason the book was branded as fiction was to prevent this from happening. The Author herself and the Olde Empress had a decision. However, it still leads to this. We must prevent further generations to repeat history. So as much as it pains me, I have come to a conclusion to destroy every last bit of the books and information about your existence to the Blazing World. Our worlds can never meet anymore. It should stay as it is. Parallel."
"The portal will bring you right to your school." Atsuko said where the wooden mirror of Woodward resides."
Once Atsuko had finished painting the mirror, it emanated the same familiar light that Akko saw when the portal took Diana over to the other side. It acted fast as it engulfed everyone inside in a heartbeat.
She sighed and closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of contentment that was slowly beginning to drift over her.
She was going home.
Akko took one last look at the Mirrors, especially to Atsuko and Princess Diana, whispering. "I'm going to miss you, all."
