Hello there! Before you read, I would like to say thank-you for taking the time to give me and my writing any attention, and also to explain a bit.
Blood of Magic is, at its heart, a retelling of Little Witch Academia. I will pull from as much of the canon material (including the game and mangas that are translated in english) and repurpose it for this story. The first part of this epic will be based solely off of the films (as of 2020; the OVA, movie and 25 episodes). Each of the titles will have the title of the fic itself, then the part, the title of the chapter, and then the inspiration in brackets before moving onto the story.
Ah well, I hope you do enjoy this fic, as or after I am writing it! I plan for a long journey ahead, and am grateful for anybody who sticks with it!
~Volt.
:)
~ Blood of Magic ~
|Part 1|
ASPIRING WITCHES
[Ep. #1]
The sun was warm, and the breeze was cool. The day was just right, especially if you were racing along the streets as Atsuko Kagari was, her basket stock-full with food from the local market. Even with her speed, she took the time to enjoy the small town, going down each and every street before getting home; there wasn't any worry of the food as it was all tucked away in a small icebox. And when she began to ride up an incline, her breaths became heavier, and her grip tightened around the handle bars.
She tensed her jaw at the last few pedals and gave a long, tired huff. Atsuko looked behind her and smiled. It was funny, really, that she trained herself to ride all the way up the hill—without pausing—for nearly a decade, and now that she can do it within a few minutes, she was leaving for another country. Atsuko inhaled slowly, then exhaled with the same energy. As she rested (because riding up that incline was a feat), she gazed down at the town below the mountain edge with a small, gentle smile; there was the school Atsuko went to, making friends that all came and went, leaving her. Then there was the school down the road where she was supposed to go, if she was just an ordinary girl.
Well, she was just an ordinary girl. Atsuko smiled cheekily and pulled out a card from her back pocket. But not for long though... The card glimmered in her hands, kept clean just as it was the night she got it when visiting the other country: England. On it was an energetic witch with flaming hair and a cheerful grin.
Atsuko was an ordinary girl, but someday she'd be a witch.
And that was a fact.
Once again, Atsuko pedaled with determination down the road, turning right at the next light. Up ahead, at the very back of the street, sat a small house with an older woman working in the garden bed. She slowed before hopping off the bike, and then walked the rest of the way to the open-garage. "[Did you get the food for your mum?]"the woman asked, picking up her head. Her smile was warm, hair greying.
"[Yes, Grandma, I did,]" Atsuko answered. "[Is she still cooking dinner?]"
"[I think so.]"She finished potting the last of the vibrant flowers and clapped her hands. "[Make sure you wash your dirty hands, Akko! We don't want our food diseased.]"
Atsuko—better known as Akko—sighed, though answered, "[I will. I'm just going to see—]"
"[Akko,]"her grandmother said warningly. "[You will get the house all dirty after you cleaned it.]" Akko pouted, though mumbled that she would do as she was told and walked into the house. She kicked off her shoes and slipped on her slippers.
"'Wash your hands, you'll get the food diseased,'" she grumbled in English; this was always a habit of hers, to complain and swear and shout in English whenever she didn't want anybody to know what was being said. It turned out handy, until her uncle (who taught her initially) gave everybody some lessons after she hissed a mighty cuss in front of him.
"[What are you complaining about now, Akko?]"
She turned towards the kitchen and answered, "[Nothing. Grandma said I was going to give our food a disease.]"
"[Wash your hands.]"
"[Mum!]"
"[Akko! Do not complain behind our backs,]" Akko's mother snapped from the sink, adding in English, "I can talk English." Akko smiled to herself, washing her hands obediently after setting the icebox down. "[What? I said that correctly.]"
Atsuko nodded, then murmured, "[Yes, you definitely did Mom.]"
The woman paused and looked at her daughter, eyes narrowed. Akko watched her as well, somewhat smugly. "[Do not tease me, Akko. What are you laughing about?]"
"[I am not laughing,]"Akko answered innocently. "[I am just standing here.]"
"[Then how do you say it, then?]"
Akko chuckled and replied, "I can speak English." She then explained, "[It is just more proper, Mum.]"
"[Well when I get something wrong, Akko, tell me!]"
"[I will, Mum,]" Akko promised. She just couldn't help but not to. Her parents' slip-ups reminded her of when she started speaking her second language, and her uncle's humored smile. She gazed at her mother as she continued cooking. After a few minutes, when the food was completely prepared, Akko's mom wiped her hands and picked up a framed picture overlooking the sink. Atsuko, years prior, smiled greatly into the camera, holding a large trophy after a long day of running.
Her mother chuckled softly, then glanced at her daughter. "[I remember when you had your stick-legs.]"
"[Mum...]"
Another sentimental grin. "[And look at you now,]" she continued, brushing Akko's bangs from her face, "[growing up. I still cannot believe you are taller than your dad now.]"
Akko drew her attention towards the couch where her father sat, enjoying the television. Like her mother, he was short and not quite as lean and tall as she was. Well, Akko knew that time would come to an end: Europeans were taller, after all. "[Mum...]" mumbled Akko bashfully. She paused as her mother pulled her into a hug, then embraced back.
"[It is going to be a long year without you, Akko,]" she murmured quietly.
"[It will be for me too, Mum,]" Atsuko replied softly. "[But I will show you. I will become the best witch there is, like Shiny Chariot!]"Akko felt her mom chuckle into her shoulder. When she pulled away to her food, Akko added, "[I promise.]"
"[I know you will,]"her mother replied. "[Just make sure you study and follow the rules.]"
"[Mum...]"
The woman arched a brow. "[I gave birth to you, Atsuko! I know what you do!]"
"[Mum! I will, I will!]"
— — — — — — — — — —
Gracefully, the rider posted in her trot as the horse with a gleaming coat weaved in between the poles. Her form was immaculate—nothing short of natural. As was everything Diana Cavendish did. And, though it may not have seemed, her breathing was slowly unravelling to become labored; her thighs and calves ached, shoulders sore and arms tired. When she sacrificed her grace and form, Diana spent her energy on raw determination.
Come on... she thought, just a couple more laps, my friend...
Of course, a fault in her poise was rare. Hidden. She was a Cavendish, after all.
She looked down at her horse's greying mane for the barest of seconds, noting the thin line of sweat. Diana grinned. She finally tired him out. After years of riding this gelding, she'd only recently begun to have the energy leftover as apposed to her fine steed—even if that energy was worn and aching. "One more jump, Garson," she murmured with a crisp and posh English accent.
Diana guided Garson by the reins and a light squeeze of her leg, sending them off to a lovely canter. Just like his rider, Garson was flawless. His hooves thumped against the ground in fluid motions.
At the sudden cough, however, Diana grunted and lost a stirrup. She thinned her lips as Garson jumped over the poles, landing with a trip. He slowed to a walk and turned his head around; the weight on his back was certainly lighter, wasn't it?
She sighed, scooping herself up from the arena's dirt.
Diana patted her breeches of dirt before strolling towards Garson, petting his neck. "Your hooves need to get done, don't they?" she asked quietly. She slipped the reins over his head and led him back towards a stepping-block. The cough wasn't too much of a concern, though it was a sign that perhaps it was time to cool down. He was just older and not the feisty pony he once was.
And because she learned that the number-one rule of falling off a horse is to get right back on (unless there is something broken, of course), she eased her way onto the saddle. Push through with determination, just as a Cavendish would.
"We're not doing anything," she muttered, "just walking around." With a small smile, Diana recalled the days where she was not to get off her horse until she was in sore shambles. In due time, it was until Garson was tired, in desperate need of some fresh water and grain.
After a couple of laps of walking, Diana got off the saddle and walked to the small stables, Garson right beside her. An older woman chuckled as she stepped inside, walking towards Garson's stall. "I see you tumbled a little bit by the jump?" she asked.
Diana nodded. "I'm glad that the arena was just covered, otherwise it would've been a rough landing."
"What happened?" she asked, resuming her sweeping. "It's not often you fall off."
"I lost my stirrup, then my balance," Diana answered.
"Ah. Just like the last time... And what was that, two years ago?" Diana pursed her lips bashfully at her maid's hidden compliment. The woman smiled softly and asked, "Are you ready to go back? I'm sure Garson will miss you."
Diana answered, "Yes, I'm sure." She patted Garson's neck as she continued to untack the saddle, saying, "And you'll enjoy our next ride even more by then."
Garson continued to chew his grain.
Diana turned towards the maid. "Anna?"
"Yes, Diana?" the woman responded.
"Will my aunt be back?"
Anna pursed her lips, her gentle, rare smile fading away. "I'm sure... Don't worry, Diana. I will keep you informed. Just get your education, dear. Your parents would be so proud if they saw you now."
"Thank-you," Diana murmured. Once all of the tack was pulled off of Garson, she shut the stall door behind her. "I will put everything away then pack my things. I plan on leaving by noon."
"Alright, Missus. And I will sort your room, then."
Diana gave a brief smile. "Don't worry about that. I'll go and do it myself."
"If you must, I'll leave you to it," Anna replied with a smile of her own.
— — — — — — — — — —
She inhaled the spring air with a grin. London, unsurprisingly, had dirty air compared to her hometown, and Akko was worried that Luna Nova would be the same. Nope. Gladly, she took in more, her lungs happily feeling clean; Blytonbury was the same as her town, aside from being not as humid and thousands of miles away (of course). "Alright!" she said to herself, pulling out the pamphlet in her back pocket. "I'm finally here!" She also took out her Shiny Chariot card gleefully. "I'm gonna be like you, just you wait!" Akko promised.
"As soon as I know where the bus station is..."
Atsuko looked both left and right of the street, and found no such thing. Locals, however, were present. She huffed, shouldered her handbag and rolled her suitcase alongside her hip.
Akko confidently strolled towards a woman coming out of a coffee shop. "Nice day isn't it? Do you—" She paused as the woman avoided her gaze, brushing past her. "I..." So this town was cold. Akko grumbled to herself; her town was nicer, at least. People were polite.
Then again, they were also nervous whenever somebody who was obviously not Japanese. Yes, that's it. Everybody here is European, and I'm an outsider. Understandable. She nodded her head once and continued forth. Not towards that woman, though. Akko knew that wouldn't go smoothly. "Hey, sir?" she asked a man as he walked to his car. He shifted his glasses and gave her some attention. "Do you know where the bus stop to Luna Nova is?"
A strange expression crossed his features. It wasn't malicious or threatening, by any means, though he certainly didn't take her question kindly. With an awkward mash of irritation and embarrassment, he answered, "I don't know much about witches to begin with."
"Oh. Well thanks anyway!" she replied. The man nodded gruffly and quickly slipped into his car.
Her next attempt: three women on their lunch to catch up on things. "Do you know where the bus stop for Luna Nova is?" Akko, now getting somewhat desperate by this point (even if third time is a charm), she brandished her card. "I'm going to be just like Shiny Chariot!"
"Oh," one of the women, a blonde, replied. "At least you're not one of those witches, are you?"
"Huh?"
"We don't know how to get to that place," another woman said, her tone clipped.
Akko took the hint. "Well...thanks." She strode quickly away, muttering in Japanese, "[What is wrong with those women? I was just asking a question! And what witches are they talking about anyway?!]"Once at the end of the road, she sighed and gathered her nerves. It would be no use blowing up on people, especially since Akko was so close to finding Luna Nova. She could just feel it!
She glanced briefly to her side. With a rush of realization, she snapped her attention towards two boys at a playground, toying with a DS. Akko walked to them and immediately got their attention. "Hey, do you know where the bus stop is for Luna Nova?"
One of the boys arched a brow. "There's never been a bus station here," he said.
Oh... "Thank-you for answering," she replied. The boy nodded then went back to his game.
She rolled her suitcase away towards a bench then sat down on it with a huff. Akko read through the pamphlet again, awfully discouraged. "No bus stop, huh? Was this all a waste of time...?" She sighed and then hissed, "Why are these directions so confusing anyway? And why does it have this stupid tower—"
Akko caught sight of a large tower on a hill, overgrown with vegetation. She studied the pamphlet, then looked at the tower. "Oh," she mumbled simply. The pamphlet literally had a picture of the thing. Dammit Akko.
With her confidence back, she abruptly stood up and gathered her things. "I found it!" she cheered. Akko raced down the street towards the tower, eyes glued (well, until she heard a car and avoided swerving off the sidewalk).
And maybe she should've avoided crashing into someone.
After landing on her hind, Akko didn't miss a beat and rushed, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—" On the ground, she noticed her pamphlet laying on top of another, identical one. "Hey!" She got to her feet and watched a girl, who she assumed was a witch, pat her broom and collect her things. Atsuko handed her a pamphlet. "You're going to Luna Nova too?"
The girl paused. She was plain like her clothes; pale complexion with a straight nose and expressionless features. Her grey hair, tinted with a dull violet, hung straight, hiding half her face. Akko noted that the one eye she saw was far from plain, but instead a deep, rich brown flecked with fire.
Not a talker, huh?
She tried again. "I am!" Akko continued. "I'm not really sure how good I am at magic exactly, but if going to Luna Nova means I'll be like Shiny Chariot, then I'm sure I'll get better!" Excitedly, she presented her favorite Shiny Chariot card. "See this? I've been collecting them for years! Right now it's all I have to remind me what I want to do, except for this one poster and—" Some of her things were still scattered across the street, one of witch a stuffed bird resembling the white bird—eagle? Vulture? She really didn't know—that was Shiny Chariot's companion. "And that! I've had him for years."
The girl, silent, uncorked a bottle that she had in her pocket and allowed a drop to spill onto the stuffed toy. "Oh? Is that...?" The bird shivered to life and hopped around. "Is that puppet magic? I've never seen it up close before!" Akko bent down and watched her favorite toy stumble towards her. "That's so coo— ACK! It got my eye!"
She hissed and clutched her left eye where the bird pecked it. "That's not nice!" she said as the witch began to walk away, the stuffed bird pecking at her feet. Nevertheless, Atsuko hurried to follow her and jogged forward with her luggage at hand, the bird on her head. "But have you heard of Shiny Chariot?" she babbled as they made their way across a small bridge crossing a river. "Oh!" How could she forget?! "And I'm Atsuko Kagari, by the way, but call me Akko. It—"
Suddenly the girl halted and turned around. Still impassive, she stretched out her hand. Akko blinked, then smiled and shook it with both hands, saying, "Nice to meet you! Will we go to Luna— FUCKING!" She screamed as snakes twisted around her wrists, hissing violently. Akko stumbled backwards and fell over the edge of the bridge. Gasping, she swam to the surface, now sour; she could of sworn the witch smirked.
Atsuko raised her hands where the snakes were. Nothing but old pieces of rope. Even so, it was still a cool magic trick. Well...if it hadn't attacked her. She huffed and looked up to the cloth bird on her head. "I don't think she meets very many people."
The bird pecked her forehead lightly in agreement.
Akko heaved herself out of the water and went around to the bridge, collecting her suitcase. Luckily that hadn't fallen with her, unlike her bag and backpack.
Dead-set on her goal, Akko sopped forth, following the path towards the bus stop with leaking shoes and dripping luggage.
"Who does she think she is? I was being nice to her!" Akko ranted to herself. First the town and then a witch. Maybe she was the type of witch those women were talking about.
A tug at her gut told her otherwise. Maybe? She didn't really know.
Atsuko continued with her tirade. She hoped Luna Nova would be more welcoming. Not that being unwelcomed would stop her from chasing her dream, though it would certainly make it harder. On another hand, however, it could be a potential challenge; Akko would prove her worth and silence all those who ignored, taunted or fought her with her own toy and rope-snakes.
Yes. Absolutely.
As she neared the bus stop, Akko grinned. There were three more witches with their brooms in— "Are those Luna Nova uniforms? Maybe they'll help me," Akko said.
From a short distance, she heard one of them: "Did you hear they're actually letting in someone who's not even from a witch's family?" one witch asked, playing with her raven hair before tossing it to the side.
"You're kidding! They're actually letting in commoners now?! I thought that was a rumor!"
Akko slowed to a halt. Surely there was another...err, commoner joining too, right?
Another girl shook her head. "No. I heard it's because the school has been losing money and are getting desperate."
"I bet she can't even ride a broom."
Well...maybe they won't help then—
"Hey, who're you?"
Atsuko froze, then undid the one-eighty she had spun. "O-Oh... I'm Atsuko Kagari."
One of the girls, with raven hair, sighed. "Oh. You're the one. Do you know how to ride a broom?"
"Ah...not exactly. But I've practiced!" Akko assured with a meek chuckle.
"Uh huh..."
Akko teetered at her feet, looking around to avoid their stares. "So...that bus is taking a while, am I right?" she asked, weakly.
They snorted in unison before laughter brought red to Akko's cheeks. "Bus? You're kidding! Witches don't need buses!"
"Tia freyre!" they chanted, their brooms charged with magical energy.
Akko grew silent as they pointed the ends of their brooms to her chest. "This is a ley-line, got that?"
"It's common knowledge, you see."
"All witches know how to use brooms. It's the easiest thing to do for us!"
"Well," chortled the girl with raven hair, "maybe not for a moron like you."
Another girl with short hair and hair clips added, "If you can't fly, you won't get to the ceremony!"
They all hopped on their brooms and hovered in the air. "And you'll get kicked out if you don't go!"
Together, the witches then casually flew into the tower, explaining, "This is the magical highway!"
"We don't need buses."
"They're so primitive."
Bouts of giggles erupted as they zoomed up towards the top of the tower, and Akko trotted inside. They were gone, vanished behind a bright, green light. A...ley-line? That does make more sense than buses, Akko internally admitted. She may not have a broom, but surely she could just climb up and reach it, right? Atsuko glanced at her suitcase left outside. ...but with the suitcase?
She frowned with determination. There was always a way. Not obvious every time, but there always was a way. That's what her grandmother always claimed.
Once rolling her suitcase inside the tower—the shade was nice, even though the day was cool enough outside—Akko opened it and stuffed her small backpack inside. She looked at the bird and asked, "Are you going to stick with me or cause trouble?" He fluttered his wings. She took that as a gesture of not-going-to-peck-her-eye-again. She then zipped up the suitcase and pulled out two old sweaters from her large bag. Akko then meticulously tied the sleeves to the handles and then slid her arms through the make-shift straps.
Akko grunted lightly, getting used to the weight. She was now grateful for her father's constant effort to put her in sports and other physically-numbing tasks; riding the bicycle up the incline was his idea, too. And the suitcase was light compared to the heavy bags of rice he had her carry (up the same incline) whenever they ran completely out. "[You will be a great strong woman if you are not a witch!]" he would always say.
Akko would grumble though obey her father, and now look at her. Climbing a brick wall, relying on the roots of whatever was growing at the top, with a hefty suitcase on her back, and a large bag slung over that.
Her choice of roots, though, proved to be an issue.
Akko grabbed onto a weak and brittle root as leverage, only to fall meters down. On impact, she groaned and stared up at the ley-line. Whether it be from the mild pain or fact that she wouldn't be able to make it to the ceremony on time, her eyes watered. Akko was quick to wipe them.
At the sound of a trip, items tumbling and someone whining, she felt there was some hope left. Atsuko craned her neck backwards and saw a witch hurriedly picking up a slew of items. "Why did Mom pack so many things? I don't need all this stuff! I'm— Gah! I'm going to be late!"
Akko was by her side immediately, holding some trinket in her hand. The witch looked up at her, adjusting her hat with a red band. Her ginger hair curled around her glasses with doll-blue eyes blinking in surprise. "Oh, why thank-you," she said, packing the small trinket. In a rush, she started forward, halting in the tower beside Akko's luggage. She cleared her throat and said, "Tia fre—"
The witch stared at Akko who hovered by the entrance awkwardly. She gulped. "Erm...aren't you going too?"
Akko nodded. "I don't have a broom," she said, quietly, "and I don't think I know how to ride one."
"O-Oh. You're new, aren't you? I haven't seen you around before." Akko nodded again. "Well...I'm Lotte..."
"Atsuko Kagari," she immediately said with a giddy smile, only to cough and add light, "but...call me Akko."
"Okay, Akko. ...do you need a ride?"
"Yeah! Thanks!" Akko exclaimed, hurriedly gathering her luggage.
The girl, Lotte, only smiled politely. As she situated everything on the broom, she asked, "What's your accent? I've never really heard anything like it before."
"Oh." Akko paused, somewhat bashful. "Well, I'm Japanese but my uncle taught me how to speak English, since he travels internationally. But he's Dutch."
"That's interesting. Do you speak Dutch too?"
Akko shook her head. "No. I should have learned though, but I really only learned English so I could come to Luna Nova," she said. "A lot of his accent carried over, I guess."
Lotte nodded, and soon they both were on the broom. "Yeah. I can kind of hear it now you've said it. I honestly didn't know what it was," she replied. "Not American and not English, or Finnish." She then complimented, "You have a really interesting accent, though. It's not terrible like some others."
Atsuko laughed once and said, "Thanks."
"Tia freyre!" Lotte incanted, sending the broom up a meter. "You ready to go?"
"As ready as you are..." Akko's grip around Lotte's waist tightened as the broom pointed upwards, abruptly sending them off. She yelped in surprise at the sheer force of the wind before becoming enamored by the array of light spiraling around her. "I-Is this a ley-line?!" she asked, voice raised.
"Yeah!" Lotte answered. The broom tossed and jerked. She grunted and said, "Hold on, there seems to be some turbulence!" A sensation grew inside Akko's chest, warm and fuzzy. Though once the ley-line flashed with light, it spliced her chest like a seriated blade. She groaned and held Lotte tighter. The ginger—still dazzled by the sudden flash—took notice. "Are you okay?!"
"Fine! Just...just keep going!"
The broom bucked.
"Hey, do you have any salts?!"
"What?!"
"Salts! Ley-lines don't like anything like that! It throws off the energy and magnetic field!"
Akko, her chest now searing painfully upon another crackle of light, winced and pulled out a small container. "Like this?!"
"What is that?!"
"Pickled plums!" Akko answered proudly. "They're good for your skin!"
"Toss it!"
"What?"
"Just— Just toss it!" Atsuko did so, with hesitance.
Once the pickled plums were tossed away, Lotte grunted and the broom teetered to the side. "Gah! We're falling off the ley-line! Do you have anything else?!" Akko groaned, her head suddenly swimming, and her vision blurred. She felt like everything was being sapped from her being as they began to cross the edge.
"Akko, do you have anything else?! We're already drifting too far off course and I'm going to start using the magic reserves on my broom!"
"I—" Words left her as she felt her energy drain; was she coming down with a fever? No, it was far worse than that. Her nose began to bleed. "Shit, not again," she hissed, slapping a hand over it.
"What's happening?! Are you okay?!" Lotte shouted.
"I-I get nose bleeds whenever I g-get this ache—!" She grunted, jaw tensed. "I-I'm fine! It's just...never...gotten this...b-bad..." Her words slugged into a whisper.
Lotte screamed as the ley-line shoved them out, the broom's path barely clinging onto the sidelines. As the ginger tried to navigate the best she could towards the ley-line, she noticed that the magic reserves on her broom didn't suffer; this was despite several witches in the past (including her mother) telling her the edge of the ley-line was the most dangerous as magic is often completely zapped—an odd phenomenon to say the least, but one that may be false after all... "Akko, I-I'll try to guide us towards— Akko?" The grip around her waist was slipping. "Akko! Hang on, I'll—"
Too late.
While Akko's slumped body managed to wrench them back into the ley-line, she completely let go of the broom. Lotte bellowed her name once again, and realization hit her like an anvil: Atsuko was out cold. She didn't even flail through the ley-line, but instead fell like a rock; she even smacked right into another witch, previously oblivious with a book. "Akko!" Lotte screamed, leaning just too far off her broom handle.
All three witches were tossed out of the ley-line, dewy wind scratching their skin as they plummeted.
Akko groaned, blinking.
Everything was blurred. The pain in her head spiked, then dulled.
She watched as her hands reached for the clouds growing further and further away, drops of her blood from her nose splashing against her fingertips.
What was she to do? Her body willed for her to rest, and so she did, allowing herself to be taken away by gravity, deaf to the startled cries of two other witches above.
— — — — — — — — — —
Luna Nova.
It was the second semester, and Diana still felt the anxious excitement of setting foot on the grounds again. She stood away from the entrance where all the professors and students were funneling inside, watching. Despite the waves and brief greetings from the witches that did pass close to her, Diana found that she was isolated. It was no secret that everybody admired her—the staff included. Almost to the point she didn't need to prove herself. Yet proving herself was what her mother taught her, and her father, and then Anna once they...
Crestfallen, Diana sighed and watched the grass for a moment. Cavendish. That name already paved the way for her success. And every waking moment of her life was to live up to that name, and through that Diana found her talent. At least she had that going for her.
"I wouldn't expect anything less from a Cavendish!"
"Oh, such raw talent from a respectable family! Not a surprise!"
"Wow, Diana, you're so smart! You're even better at magic than the teachers!"
She frowned and tightened her lips. There was one comment that she was once given, one that she kept close to heart: "Such a polite and humble girl..." It wasn't even to her face.
Diana held her wand and extended it. She gazed at the instrument, vaguely recalling the days of her non-existant abilities. Absentmindedly, she twirled her wand and flowers bloomed at her feet. For such a simple comment, it carried its weight, especially since it dated back to the time where she could only dream of flowers blooming at her whim.
Diana sighed and slipped her wand back to her blue sash wrapped around her hips. She heard there was a few new students coming to Luna Nova—even one from a non-witch family; that particular line of gossip was hard to escape. Diana hoped that whatever talent would be brought to the school would be enough to stand against her own. She wanted a fair competition. When's the last time she'd ever felt her heart pound out of anticipation, wondering just who would be the victor?
Never because nobody ever played with her as a child. And now that everybody wants to play with her, she outmatches them all—enough to the point Diana couldn't even deny it.
But she desperately wanted an equal. Someone to force her to prove her name. Not Cavendish. Diana Cavendish.
"There you are, Diana!"
She turned around to find her other team members, both of which she considered to be friends. Or at least, girls who made it their mission to never leave her side. Hannah England smiled, fixing her tall hat over her auburn hair whilst Barbara Parker grinned and said, "We've been looking all over for you. We got something to tell you!"
Diana arched a brow. "And what's that?"
Both snickered. Hannah answered, "We met the first-generation witch, if you'd even call her that."
"Yeah. She was looking for the ley-line and asked where the bus stop was," Barbara chortled. "Can you believe that?"
Diana chewed her lip for a moment. "I wouldn't be surprised... If she's first-generation, she wouldn't know."
Hannah nodded slowly. "I guess, but still. You can't expect witches to use buses, now can you?" Diana remained quiet as they continued to laugh to themselves. Her hopes of any true competition was dropped; if this was true, maybe she wouldn't find someone that could par with her abilities. It was too much to ask for, she supposed. "And she's like Chinese or something."
"Maybe Japanese?"
"Yeah. I don't know. At least she speaks english well so we don't have to deal with another confusing accent," Hannah said.
"At least there's that."
Diana walked forward and said, "Whatever the case, we must go and find our seats at the ceremony. Come on." The two witches nodded and followed suit, flanking her sides. Japanese, huh? At least she will be interesting... Diana thought. After all, when had she'd ever seen an eastern Asian witch come to Luna Nova? At least there'll be some change of pace.
Yes. At the very least.
Luna Nova was just as pristine as it was on the inside as it was on the outside. The air was cozy as opposed to the cool breeze Diana just escaped. "Oh! Miss Cavendish, it's nice to see you again," an older witch said with a smile, standing by the tall, grand doors.
"Thank-you, Professor Badcock. I'm glad to be back for another semester," Diana replied. Curiously, she added, "Is it true there's a first-generation witch here?"
Professor Badcock nodded slowly. "Though, I don't think she's come yet—"
"Probably took a bus..." Hannah whispered.
"—so perhaps not. If she does, it'll be interesting to see how she fairs with this school. I do wonder if she has any of the capabilities to back her up. It takes a lot for someone to come here, you know," she continued, oblivious to Barbara and Hannah's chuckling.
Diana wasn't, but she ignored it all the same. "Yes, I do wonder. And coming in second semester of our term, as well..."
"That is true. Anyway— Yes, Ursula?" The older witch blinked with mild irritation.
A young woman paused and glanced at the four bashfully. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I bump into you?" she asked, flustered.
"It's quite alright. Just...where are you going? The ceremony is the other way," the professor said.
Ursula fixed her glasses and her dark blue hair, spending a quick look towards the students. Politely, Diana greeted, "Good afternoon, Professor Callistis."
The young professor smiled gently. "And to you too, Diana. Now, I do apologize. I just need to quickly run back to my office. I have...a feeling."
"What about?"
Ursula shrugged. "I don't frankly know. Something with the ley-line, there's a sort of disturbance."
At that, the older witch—whose blue hair was far brighter than Ursula's—raised her eyebrows. "Of what sort?"
"Nothing major, but...there's certainly something strange going on..." She frowned and Diana barely saw how her fiery eyes churned, a blood red surging within them.
Diana was intrigued—outrageously curious. If anything happened to the ley-line, it was a bad omen. But she wondered... Bus stop... She wouldn't know about ley-lines. Could it be...? "Something about the new student?"
"Maybe," Ursula murmured, "but that's not... There's something else and I can't quite put my finger on it." She jerked and apologized again: "I'm sorry. You all go head to the ceremony. I'll overlook this small matter myself."
"Okay," Barbara said. The students broke away, leaving Barbara to say aloud, "Watch she brought some salts or something obvious like that."
Hannah chortled. "Yeah. Or she tried going to the side."
"Either way, it wouldn't be funny," Diana grumbled shortly. Both witches snapped their jaws shut. "If anything happened she'd fall. I hope nothing like that would be true, even if she isn't a good witch." Hannah and Barbara remained silent. "Come on," she added quietly, "let's just get to our seats."
— — — — — — — — — —
Upon blinking herself awake, Atsuko groaned, weakly blocking the sun from her eyes. Confused, she stared at the two faces huddled above her, one expressionless and the other concerned.
"Looks like she's up," the witch from before muttered. "See? I told you she wasn't dead."
"But she might be hurt," Lotte retorted. She glanced back down at Akko, who sat up and rubbed her temple. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah? Where are we?"
Lotte sighed and looked around. "Not at Luna Nova, that's for sure."
Yes, she was right. Akko furrowed her brows and studied the environment around her. Nothing was like the pamphlet. Instead of a grand castle and luscious grass there were rotting trees and moldy dirt. Slowly, after she was certain nothing was broken (though perhaps scratched and bruised), Akko got to her feet. At her slight wobble, Lotte asked, "Are you sure you're alright?"
Akko nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure... What happened?"
"Well, the pickled plums was rejected by the ley-line, so we got rid of them...then I think I lost my balance and we teetered to the side."
"You mean you guys actually went off the ley-line?" the other witch asked, frowning. Lotte nodded. "And...nothing happened to your magic supply?"
"No...? We were— Well, I was fine, but Akko, you fell off the broom."
Atsuko bobbed her head and scratched the back of her neck. "I do kind of remember blacking out. I can't remember anything after we slipped away from the center."
"You guys actually got out of the ley-line?!"
"You mean you don't remember anything? What happened, do you get air-sick or something?"
Akko shook her head as the other witch silently fumed over not getting an answer. "No. I'm actually really good with motion sickness. I've never really gotten it before. Well, unless I spin around a bunch of times."
"Hey!" Lotte and Akko blitzed around, facing the other witch. She sighed and asked, "You two went out of the ley-line and managed to keep enough magic to get back in?"
"Yeah. I really don't know what happened," Lotte answered.
"That can't happen. Ley-lines have a shield, keeping everything concentrated so we can use it. It soaks up and blocks all other magic to prevent it from interfering," she explained. "Magic reserves or not, you two should've dropped regardless."
"Oh." So that phenomenon wasn't just a hoax. "But then why...?"
Akko sighed and shook her head. "It doesn't matter now, does it? We have to get to the ceremony, right? Otherwise we won't be accepted at Luna Nova!" She took another look around. "But where are we?"
As they began to wonder around, following the witch-from-before, she answered. "Arcturus Forest."
"Arcturus..." Lotte's eyes widened. "You mean the forbidden forest?!"
"What? Never heard of it," Akko said.
"Well, it's said whoever comes in never gets out, even a witch!" Lotte replied with a quiver. "I don't know exactly where we are, but Luna Nova's in the center of it... The Arcturus Forest is so huge, we might never make it! Especially with this!" She raised the remains of her broom, holding only the handle attached to a lit skull-lantern.
Atsuko asked, "Did you lose anything else?"
Lotte shook her head. "I mean, some of the souvenirs, but the important stuff no." Akko halted and her heart stopped for a moment. "Hey, are you—"
"Where is it? Do I have it? Where is it?!" Akko began frantically searching her pockets as Lotte stopped with her suitcase beside her. She dove to the side of Lotte and scrambled through her backpack stashed within the heavy luggage. She sighed in relief. "Oh thank God. It's here." Shiny Chariot's card was safe. "Sorry," she mumbled, zipping up the suitcase, "I just got worried. And thanks for carrying my stuff."
"No problem. What was it anyway?"
"A Shiny Chariot card," the witch-from-before answered, kneeling on the ground. She continued to study the indentation in the soggy dirt before adding, "She's obsessed."
"I'm not— Okay, maybe I am but Shiny Chariot is the best witch I've ever seen!" Akko stated proudly, holding up the card. "And if you don't think so, then you...you..." She watched as the witch-from-before paced around Lotte and Akko, feeding a long rope in a circle around them. "What are you doing?"
The witch-from-before didn't answer. Instead, she stopped and took out another bottle. "Juris haras haras," she murmured, spilling a drop. Immediately the rope came to life, and for a second Atsuko was nervous that they'd turn into large, terrifying snake. Instead it conformed into a tight, sturdy ball.
Lotte tapped the side of the sphere. "Will this help us get out of here?" she asked.
There was a shrug as an answer. "Just say this spell: 'Katchur katela hurala.'"
Akko nodded. "Katchur katelala hura...ra...ra?"
"No!" The witch-from-before groaned. "'Katchur katela hurala!' And loud too! Use your diaphragm!"
Dutifully, she inhaled. "KATCHUR KATELA HURALA!" Akko's voice echoed throughout the forest, the trees bristling against the breeze. She saw nothing, but most definitely felt something stir within the ground. She knew Lotte felt it too, judging from her curious stare whipping her head around.
Abruptly, a loud cluck erupted behind them. Both Lotte and Akko turned around, then jumped as a giant rooster's head peered down at them, its dragon-or-snake tail whipping angrily. It must have been at least twenty meters.
"Uh...hi big guy..." Akko leaned backward towards the witch-from-before and asked, "So...what was that spell again?"
The girl was on her broom and answered, "You called it a stupid bird. So now it wants to eat you."
"W-What?!"
"It's a cockatrice, and it only exists in the forest of Arcturus. I hear its feathers are really toxic!" she answered, oddly infatuated towards the end. "And by the way," she adds in a yell, "don't let it breathe on you, okay?! Say the spell one more time so I can get one!"
"Y-YOU TRAPPED US IN HERE TO BE DECOYS?!" Akko shouted.
"Sacrifices!"
Akko grumbled sourly to herself before the cockatrice screeched. "Come on Lotte!" she yelped, scrambling with the rope-sphere. With both of their efforts, the ball rolled, and the suitcase and bags flailed.
It didn't stop them. They continued to clamber furiously, rolling the ball through the forest. The ground shook, and the ball jumped as the cockatrice stormed after them.
It screamed once again, announcing the witch-from-before's success in snagging a feather. With the cockatrice distracted, the girl dodging its fuming breaths, Akko noticed the trees turned to stone—inflicted by the monster's curse. She could have told us! Akko internally raged.
Neither stopped racing across the forest, careening down a slope. It's not like they could even if they wanted to (they did want to). Akko's thoughts ravaged, searching for any possible solution as Lotte tripped and was flattened against the surface of the ball.
"Are you okay?!" Akko quickly thought of it as a stupid question with Lotte's body plastered against the ball, stuck to roll with the tumbling luggage with them.
"I—am—fine—just—diz—zy—" Lotte admitted with every turn. "O—oh—my—y—go—od—" Lotte grunted, attempting to get up.
"It'd be best if you just stayed like that!"
"Bu—ut—the—sui—uit—ca—ase—es—"
"I-I'll find a way to stop! I swear!" Atsuko kept running, eyes wide for a solution. Instantly, she found a perfect line of bushes that'd cushion their fall.
As she charged forward, however, the strange feeling engulfed her chest again. It wasn't violent, but urgent. As she drew closer with Lotte still spinning, it became more demanding, tugging her to the side. Akko couldn't help herself. She slammed the ball towards the right—much to Lotte's displeasure—and steered it onwards.
Something was here.
Akko knew it.
It was calling for her.
There was a pile of rocks in the middle of a small clearing, something poking out in the middle. It snagged the rope-ball and threw them forward. Everything snapped and crackled. Akko and Lotte lunged forward, whacking into several branches that weren't enough to brace them for the long drop ahead. Without a thought, as Akko slammed into a thick tree branch, she snatched Lotte's arm tightly. Lotte gasped, her body dangling from Akko's strong grip, her eyes glued down the cliff.
Akko grunted as she pulled Lotte safely up, resting against the jutted earth beside the branches and roots of the old trees around them. "You are really strong," Lotte wheezed. She looked green (as one would be after spiraling out-of-control for a solid few minutes).
"Thanks," Akko replied, rubbing her chest. The sensation was still there. Impatiently waiting. "Come on, let's go."
"Okay," Lotte said weakly. Atsuko knew she needed to throw something up. As the ginger shifted, she winced and clutched her knee. "Ow, ow...ow, my knee." Akko saw a disgustingly-colored wound coating Lotte's freckled skin. She whimpered. "I'm not going to be able to make it..."
"No! Come on!" Akko said, hoisting Lotte up. "We'll get out together! And it looks like it's just a bruise. As long as it doesn't swell, it probably means it's not as bad." Lotte nodded as they stumbled onto the grass. Once Atsuko was able to see the rocks and weird stick in the clearing, her eyes widened. "Hey, that's— That's the Shiny Rod!" she exclaimed.
"What?"
As quickly as they could manage, without hurting Lotte too much, they made their way towards the staff. The seven gems embedded within glinted and shone, almost winking at Akko. The sensation in her chest heightened, and Akko somehow knew that it would relax once she grabbed it.
She tore it from the rocks with a wide smile. "Do you know what this means?!"
"What...?"
Akko brandished it to the sky. "This means it is destiny! I will become a witch just like Shiny Chariot! And— Wait, why is the Shiny Rod here though?"
"I don't know. Maybe we should get—" Something darted across the sky quickly. "Huh?"
They turned around as the witch-from-before hovered behind them and set foot on the ground. "So...you're not dead then."
"Yeah! No thanks to you!" Akko retorted. There was a terrifying screech, and she blitzed around. "It's still trying to chase us?!" she asked as the rooster head popped out from above the trees. The witch-from-before shrugged, holding a feather. "Oh...it is..." Akko shook herself and snapped, "Lotte, you go with her!"
"But—"
"Just go! Don't worry about me!" Akko said. Before either could interject, she bolted forward, her legs carrying her through the trees. It reminded her of the races she won during her school championships. They didn't mean anything then. Just another medal to hang on her wall.
But now, her speed and acceleration were everything. The cockatrice stormed behind her, snapping and hissing and breathing wildly. Either that witch pulled a rather sensitive feather, or the cockatrice was still mad at being called stupid. Akko jerked around a few trees, slowing the cockatrice down by a few steps. Though it wasn't enough.
"Hey! Up here!"
Atsuko looked up. There, the witch-from-before and Lotte rode on a broom, faster than she could run. Not by a lot, but maybe that would be enough. As they lowered the broom and Lotte reached out her hand, Akko hurled herself up. The broom teetered to the right before straightening itself; as expected, flew much slower than before. "T-Thanks, err...?"
"No problem," the witch-from-before said. "Oh, and it's Sucy. Sucy Manbavaran."
"Nice to finally meet you Sucy."
Sucy chortled, though her devilish grin was wiped clean off at the angry cluck behind them. Anxiously, the girls stared over their shoulders.
It was flying.
"That thing won't just quit, will it?" Lotte asked, voice pierced.
It blew streaking flames throughout the air, reaching the end of the broom. "Ow!" Akko snapped, patting the small flame off her butt. "It breathes fire too?!"
"We're not going to get far, will we?!"
"No!" Akko hissed. "We will! I'll make sure of it!" The Shiny Rod twinkled in her hands, and she blinked. As she stared at the first gem, the sensation was back, now crawling along her entire form. It was almost, wordlessly, telling her—no, whispering—something of importance.
"Akko! You better do something quickly or the broom will fry!" Sucy snapped.
"Yeah, Akko! I can't think of anything!" Lotte yelled, worried.
Atsuko paid no mind. Instead, she listened to the sensation carefully, holding the Shiny Rod to her chest. She closed her eyes, succumbing to her trance. "Noctu orfie aude..." Her eyes flew open and she yelled, "Fraetore!"
The Shiny Rod sang to life as the ruptured broom suffered another wave of fire, chaotically souring over another sloped area. "Akko!" the witches screamed. The broom disintegrated at their fingertips.
But there was nothing to worry about, not as the Shiny Rod transformed in Akko's hands to a powerful bow. An arrow gradually appeared in her hand, and Akko pulled back to shoot it downwards.
Sucy and Lotte braced for impact, dreading the bouts of pain to come. And yet... nothing.
They opened their eyes as the cockatrice's fuming calls died away, enraptured by the vibrant colors of energy swarming around them. Akko giggled as they continued racing down the ley-line, and the two witches at her side gazed at her in awe.
With a shared look, Sucy and Lotte confirmed that Akko was certainly not an ordinary witch. Let alone an ordinary girl.
— — — — — — — — — —
Everything was uniform in the ceremony hall, with its students wearing their long dresses and hats, adorned with their team bands. Nothing was out of place. Even Professor Ursula, who had come in discreetly, sat in her designated seat.
Diana remained poised and collected, eagerly listening to Headmistress Holbrook as she continued with her introductory speech: "And well, now that's been said, let's go ahead and get start—"
BANG!
Everyone—including the elegant Diana—lurched in their seats. The auditorium shook whilst an unnatural smoke curdled towards the ceiling. Uniformity, unsurprisingly, had been quickly thrown out the window. Diana froze as other witches gasped around her, eyes narrowed at the light of a—
Is that...a ley-line? she thought, watching the smoke.
Her suspicion was confirmed once three witches fell out of the smoke and tumbled onto the floor. The whole room was deathly silent. As two witches clambered to their feet, the one other one was able to hop up, in her hands something like a short staff.
The third witch looked around the room, her grin widening. From where she sat, Diana assumed it was the first-generation witch. She frowned. No dress or sash, just a shirt and shorts that were too improper. At the very least, her smile was not repulsive, nor her eyes glinting with excitement. Her elation was so contagious, it even stretched up to Diana's seat. She was amused by the awe that was etched on the girl's face.
"I MADE IT!" she suddenly yelled with glee, raising her arms victoriously. Diana clenched her jaw. She was loud though. Would she be like that all the time? Diana could only wonder. Her opinion on her smile and eyes were subsequently tossed to the side. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! YES!"
Diana grimaced. God. She cannot be serious. Is she? She remained silent even with her disapproving thoughts, while the others around her instead whispered accusingly. Headmistress Holbrooke continued to stare from the podium, apparently still dumbfounded.
Diana could only hope that this nonsense wouldn't actually be enrolled in her class. Is this really the new first-generation student? she thought, finding herself sorely disappointed.
— — — — — — — — — —
"And you better wish that your behavior here on out will not get you expelled. Headmistress was quite gracious with you for your floundering act, even despite your lack of uniform," a strict woman—Professor Anne Finnelan—lectured as she quidded Atsuko down the hall. "And it's already hard enough that you are a first-generation witch. You better have a proper studious attitude and wicked skill to offset this, do you understand?"
The woman halted and turned at her heel, to which Akko stumbled to a halt. She nodded politely, nearly bowing before she remembered this wasn't Japan. She was far, far from home.
"Yes ma'am."
Professor Finnelan humph-ed and asked, her voice dropping to a curt tone, "Speaking of, where are you from? Your name is certainly not English, let alone European."
"I-It's Japanese... I'm from a small town off of Akita," Akko clarified in a soft voice.
The witch nodded. "For your information, Miss Kagari, I don't believe we've had a student that's been from Japan. You are representing your country here with everything you do, do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am."
The professor then opened the door to a bland dorm, though not unoccupied; a pair of confused students sat at the long desk reaching across the wall, overlooked by the window. Akko was glad to see they were Lotte and Sucy—who sported an awkward and minute smile respectively.
"You will make up a third of the red team, Miss Kagari. And there have been instructions to keep you three under tight supervision throughout these three years, got it?"
"Yes ma'am," Atsuko said. "And...uh..." Because she had to try and mend something. "And thanks for showing me my room." Anne remained quiet for a moment, then huffed and shut the door behind her. Akko stood at the doorway, awkwardly. "Hey, sorry about the...supervision on you two."
"No worries," Lotte said with another small smile, "I already have the top bunk."
"And I have my own bed," Sucy added, with a grin of her own.
Atsuko chuckled and slowly fell onto her already-decided bed. She may be far, far from home, though perhaps it won't be so bad.
...right?
Hope you enjoyed!
:)