Chapter 29

Multiple groans met Diana's ears as she woke up in the dark storage room. Everyone was sprawled onto the floor, with the wooden mirror behind them. Diana instinctively reached for her head, to see if she suffered any concussion. But she didn't.

"Aww," Akko whimpered beside her.

Diana immediately went over to her to see if she received any injuries.

Akko's ponytail loosened. Her bangs had grown so that it fell softly around her face, and though she was thinner than she had been before the journey, Diana was glad to see that she had color in her cheeks, and some of that color, Diana hoped, was due to seeing her.

"Diana," she said and gave him a tentative smile. The sun outside the window seemed to shine especially brightly. It gave Diana's hair a halo of bright white light; it made her face glow. Akko smiled at the sight of her, and though her heart still ached for her lost friends, the love she felt for Diana was stronger than the pain. "Where are we?"

"We're home," Diana said, breathless as she took the view of the abandoned and dusty storage room.

"Its home because you are with me now," Akko smiled rather sheepishly, and Diana tightened her embrace around the shorter girl.

Before she could lose her nerve, Diana went to her and kissed her, cupping her face in her hands. Akko let out a little sob, reaching up to put her arms around her neck.

Little did they know that everyone else had gathered their bearings and had their eyes glued to them, no matter how they try not to. Professor Ursula turned slightly away, not wanting to stare. She had worried that the sight of them might make her mourn what she had lost and couldn't have with Croix, but instead, it awakened something warm and alive inside herself. She was only happy for them, and when she glanced at the rest of her students, she was glad to see that everyone felt the same way.

"Do you think it will make a good story?" Lotte asked Sucy. "The Princess and her Lady-in-waiting who fell in love on a journey to the Earth in search to find a regalia and met their witch doppelgangers?"

"It will make an excellent story," Sucy agreed and after they had given Diana and Akko another few moments to themselves. "I like that you focused on their mirrors rather than our own dork and her rival prodigy."

Lotte giggled. "They have their own story to star in. Theirs was a crazy adventure."

"Is everyone alright?" Professor Ursula asked once the lovebirds were done. She was met with consecutive answers in agreement.

Akko and Diana blushed at the notion that their friends had been waiting for their cloud nine to be over. So it didn't stop Akko from being startled to see that most of her friends were staring at her all with faces than changed from relief to disappointment.

For once in her life, Akko immediately caught on to what it meant.

"I... Sucy, Lotte, Professor, everyone, please... Oh, please forgive me!" Akko crossed the space between her and her teammates in two leaps, hugging them both and crushing their lungs.

"A-Akko!" Lotte said.

"C-can't breathe!" Sucy uttered.

"I admit I made some mistakes that lead us there. And we all nearly died. I was so afraid I brought you all there. I've been so afraid. I've never been anything but afraid." Akko said, and all of the anger, all of the fear, all of everything—it just comes pouring out of her along with tears.

Amanda rubbed her nose, subtly rubbing the tears from Akko's heartfelt speech. "Oh it's nothing, you silly! Stop crying like a child."

"Amanda! Jasminka! Constanze!" Akko then reached out to the Green team. They too, became victims of Akko's deathly grip and wet tears as she cried for a good long while. "I should have told you guys from the beginning about what Mirror Diana told me on what was waiting for us once we got there in the other world. I'm so sorry that I didn't."

She screamed, her nose running so she rubbed her arm over her face. Jasminka had to take a spare handkerchief in her pockets and wipe the Japanese girl's tears.

"I didn't want you to be afraid of the dangers over there and I thought we would all be protected because somehow I thought we would be fine." Akko then stared at her lover and the rest of her team. "And, Diana, I had to make absolutely certain that she wasn't hurt that I forgot about you guys."

"We actually know what was going to happen, Akko," Amanda said. "You have this belief that the world revolves around you and I'm not even mad. I am too, you know!"

"And you can't be blamed. We all agreed to come with." Jasminka agreed while Constanze nodded.

"Your friends are right, Akko." Professor Ursula said. "You have so much passion in your voice, and sparkle in your eyes; we can't do anything but smile at you, and follow you to make sure you wouldn't hurt yourself."

"Sensei!" Akko then reached out to hug her beloved professor who believed in her from the beginning.

"Yes! Yes, Professor Ursula's right!" Barbara chimed in, attempting her best to assuage the girl's tears.

"You don't just expect that we wouldn't take the chance to save our teammate, do you?" Hannah asked.

"Yes, not at all!" Barbara said.

"No, you don't get to hug us!" Hannah quickly added, crossing her arms in an 'X' to stop Akko, seeing that she was about ambling towards them with open arms.

"Aww come on! You know you want to!"

But no matter how they stopped her, Akko still enveloped them in a manacle-like embrace, causing them to screech.

"We did it together, Akko. All of us," Lotte whispered, and Akko looked at her, finally releasing her grip on the British girls. "All of us together. We rescued Diana, we arrived home safe and sound, and we are together!"

"Yes we did," Akko said, with one last sob, she wiped her tears with her sleeve. With newfound emotion growing in her chest, she stared at Diana, red eyes meeting blue, "together."

And the thrill of that single word fires through Diana. She wouldn't exactly know what her friends had been through when they all journeyed to get her but she knew the girls had grown closer. Diana was slightly envious of that. But the good thing that came out of it was that Diana wasn't afraid anymore.

She's safe.

Akko's safe.

Everyone's safe.

And they were home.

Everyone seemed to notice the inner and silent panic attack so they all gave her a moment to breathe before everyone walked over and gave each other one group hug with Diana in the center.

Her heartbeat joined the others' in synchronization.


In the wake of the Portal closing, Mirror Lotte and Mirror Sucy immediately shattered the glass. The echoes of it turned Lady Hannah and Lady Barbara squeamish but overall, the air hung thick of magic—and of despair.

The blaze turned quiet. The mirrors went on their days as if the meeting with the Earthens didn't happen. They zipped their mouths about Princess Diana's love affair as well for the blonde royal had a way to wrap events around her dainty fingers, removing their misgivings.

Atsuko and her friends spent their days and nights in the rooms they had been given during their first visit and Princess Diana's friends—the Countesses—also stayed a bit longer offering their support.

Soon, the coronation went along smoothly and other royalties from other lands and kingdoms visited and took part in the celebration. Princess Diana spent many hours with her royal advisors, discussing the terms of a new set of rules on their lands, for they all agreed that all forms of forbidden love should end.

True to her promise, Duchess Daryl threw the biggest party the Blazing World has ever seen. Princess Diana and Atsuko could have joined the revelry in the streets below, but they were content to simply be near each other, for both sensed that something precious was coming.

It was Atsuko who finally said the words, for she could not bear to pretend. "You lied about destroying all physical shreds of evidence about the book, did you not?"

Princess Diana looked away, but she could not deny it.

"I understand, you know," Atsuko said resolutely. "If I had your silver tongue I would weave stories convincing and sensibly such as yours."

She had told the Princess long before that she should not give up her lifelong dream for her; that she had proven herself too gifted in her power to not continue her training to become the Empress. But Atsuko also ached deeply to think that she might never hold her again. It was like someone was digging a hole in her and dragging out her heart, and she didn't know if she could bear the pain.

"As I had said before, you do not have to do all that you did for me. It would have been better if you could just choose to act accordingly to tradition."

Tears trickled from Princess Diana's eyes. She covered her mouth with her hands as if that would hold the emotion inside. Atsuko got up and walked the few steps to where Princess Diana was seated nearby and pulled her close. Princess Diana's shoulders shook as she cried, her face pressed against Atsuko's stomach, her arms wrapped around her waist. It was a long time before she could speak, and Atsuko kneeled down and held her hands while she listened to her.

"And what? Die of loneliness? I would not make the same mistake my poor Empress mother did. You are the only thing I've ever wanted my entire life," Princess Diana said, her voice breaking. "Although, I have dreamed of becoming an Empress since I learned my birthright, and I have always known what sacrifices it would require. There is still so much for me to learn, and I have so many questions to ask my teachers. But I love you so much. How can I give you up? How could I just choose one? I had to lie and deceive you. I have to break the rules if I want you safe. I have to learn how to please my friends and my enemies to protect us. If I have to break the rules then I must."

"You're not giving me up," Atsuko said, and she kissed her hands. "You'll always have me even when we got caught and I had to be executed."

Princess Diana's eyes welled up with tears again. She dragged one hand free and wiped them away, drawing a ragged breath, "Atsuko."

Atsuko had never before realized how much she loved the sound of her name, the way it felt to say it, the look on Atsuko's face when she heard Princess Diana call her.

"Atsuko, even if I do manage to make our love acceptable, if I become an Empress, you know what that means. I need to have an heir."

"There are other ways to procure an heir, Your Highness."

Princess Diana reached for Atsuko's cheeks and pulled them. "But I want your child inside me, no one else's!"

Atsuko winced at the pain, but she merely hugged her tighter. "Sounds like you already formed a scheme, my dear."

Princess Diana's distressed face faded into her signature mischievous smile. "You know me perhaps too well, my love. I could not possibly shock you now, which is why you knew that I told them a half-truth about burning all the books about Margaret Cavendish."

Atsuko's lips curved into a smile. This is the woman she fell in love with. "Let me offer a conjecture, you burned them all except for one?"

"Close enough. I reprinted a new one then burned the old."

Atsuko stole a kiss from her luscious lips, and her Princess did not mind. "So, about that heir, you will use witchcraft?"

"Indeed. I will observe Diana and Akko however I please and if they found the spell that could grant them a child, and then, I too, shall learn it." She showed her lover the Cavendish wand, waving I around."

"You know, Your Highness, I should tell you that the forbidden love between a lady-in-waiting and a princess is a ridiculous rule," she said bitterly.

It startled a laugh out of Princess Diana. "There is a reason for it."

"What reason?" Atsuko demanded.

Princess Diana stroked Atsuko's hair back from her face, her fingers tangling in the black strands. "Every time I look at you, Atsuko, I—" She stopped, breathless, her cheeks reddening.

"What?" Atsuko asked. The core of her was quickening.

"Every time I—I—you know I can't think. You make me stop thinking. And to have you always in close proximity would be devastating indeed." She gave a brief laugh, and when Atsuko's hand ran over her thigh, she shivered.

"You think too much," Atsuko murmured in a hoarse voice, and she pulled Princess Diana's hand from her hair and kissed her bare wrist, pushing back the sleeve of her dress. Her skin was warm and golden and unmarked. Princess Diana sighed, her whole body coming alive.

"My lies are not caught yet," she whispered, and they kissed, and kissed, and a few minutes later, they left the sitting room and went to the round chamber overlooking all the city lights, and they closed the door to another embrace under the sheets.


A/N

Any comments and reviews are most welcomed. I am considering on writing an epilogue next week or so. I still haven't forgotten the promise Diana made to Akko's parents when she'll visit them in Japan xD But even without that chapter, this story is complete! Thank you for all of your amazing support, I couldn't believe when I was told that I ranked first on reviews on all LWA fics (as I published this at least). have a great day/night!

P.S.

I don't know if you all read the notes but I just wanna let it out of my chest. I wrote this fic for fun and it was the most amazing moment in my life. This was my first fanfic and I finally got to finish it. My muse was in the form of my lover but we parted ways in the middle. I know it's not a good excuse for my writing, but I was in a crazy place and I think the fic was influenced by that low period of my life. I lost a lot of good friends too, but now, I learned that I wouldn't be settling for less.

Some of you all follow me on tumblr, and I have mentioned that I'm not done yet writing LWA fics. Next week, or next month I will start with the Serial Killer Sucy vs Detective Diana. It's different than what I've written so far and I hope that would be a good thing to keep the LWA fandom alive. Peace out!