Akko was the first to awake in her dormitory next morning. She lay for a moment watching dust swirl in the chink of sunlight falling through the gap in her four-poster's hangings and savored the thought that it was Saturday. The first week of term seemed to have dragged on forever.
Judging by the sleepy silence and the freshly minted look of that beam of light, it was just after daybreak. She pulled open the curtains around her bed, making sure not to disturb Blair, and started to dress. The only sound apart from the distant twittering of birds was the slow, deep breathing of her friends. She opened her schoolbag carefully, pulled out paper and pen, and headed out of the dormitory for the common room.
Making straight for her favorite squashy old armchair beside the now extinct fire, Akko settled herself down comfortably and lay the paper flat on the table while looking around the room. The detritus of crumpled-up bits of paper, empty bottles, and candy wrappers that usually covered the common room at the end of each day was gone. Marianna – Andrew's personal maid and Akko's junior – was as immaculate as ever. Akko uncapped her pen and then held it suspended above the smooth white surface of her paper, thinking hard…. But after a minute or so, she found herself staring into the empty grate, at a complete loss for what to say.
She could now appreciate how hard it had been for Diana and the others to write her letters over the summer. How was she supposed to tell Izetta everything that had happened over the past week and pose all the questions she was burning to ask without giving potential letter-thieves a lot of information she did not want them to have?
She sat motionless for a while, gazing into the fireplace, then, finally coming to a decision, she set the pen resolutely upon the paper.
Dear Mikko,
Hope you're okay, the first week back here's been terrible. I'm really glad it's the weekend.
We've got a new self-defense teacher, Professor Light Spinner. She's almost as nice as your cousin. I'm writing because that thing I wrote to you about last summer happened again last night when I was doing detention with Light Spinner.
Please write back quickly.
Love,
Akko
Akko reread this letter several times, trying to see it from the point of view of an outsider. She could not see how they would know what she was talking about – or who she was talking to – just from reading this letter.
Considering it was a very short letter, it had taken a long time to write;' Sunlight had crept halfway across the room while she had been working on it, and she could now hear distant sounds of movement from the dormitories above. Sealing the letter carefully, she walked out of the common room and headed off for the school post office on the second floor.
"I wouldn't go that way if I were you," said Professor Croft, appearing around the corner hauling a huge load of papers under her arm as Akko walked down the passage. "That imp with the impossible name is planning to prank the next person that passes the bust of Medusa halfway down the corridor."
"Does it involve Medusa falling on top of the person's head?" asked Akko.
"Funnily enough, it does," said Professor Croft in a bored voice. "Subtly is not his strong point. I'm off to try and find the headmistress…. She might be able to put a stop to it…. See you, Miss Kagari…."
"Yeah, bye," said Akko and instead of turning right, she turned left, taking a longer but safer route down to the post office. Her spirits rose as she walked past window after window showing brilliantly blue skies; she had training later, she would be back on the race track at last.
The sun was high in the sky when Akko walked into the post office. It occurred to Akko as she looked around the well-furnished room and its polished counter that this was the first time in five years that she ever used the post office. Most of the people she talked to were either at School or available through texting. On the occasion she needed to send a letter, she always had Blair or Haruka-san deliver. But considering the purpose of the letter, she doubted either one of them would be willing to help now.
"Good morning," the student behind the counter – a seventh-year Corona – greeted Akko as she approached. "Need something sent out?"
"Er, yeah," said Akko awkwardly. She had never been to a post office before so she didn't know how she was supposed to act. She fumbled with the letter and held it. "Um, I need this delivered to the Cavendish Manor in Wedinburgh, Britain."
"Cavendish, huh?" said the seventh-year, taking the letter. She held it to the light first, then scrolled her wand over top. When she apparently found nothing dangerous, she said, "Give me a moment to search the address and figure out how much postage will cost."
While the seventh-year typed away at the laptop hidden behind the counter, Akko gazed out the window on her left onto the grounds. The treetops of the forest swayed in a light breeze. Akko watched them, thinking about Chariot Racing later. She spotted a couple of Arrancar leaping over the canopy, apparently chasing some creature…and then she saw them.
Standing on the edge of the forest, half covered in shadow, was a person dressed in a black coat. They were too far away to see what they were doing, but Akko got the distinct impression that they were staring at her. She knew that was impossible – no one could spot her from that distance – but the hairs on the back of Akko's neck stood up, her heart hammering madly in her chest.
The post office door opened behind her. Akko leapt in shock, and turning quickly, saw Diana holding a letter and a package in her hands.
"Hi," said Akko automatically.
"Um…hi?" said Diana awkwardly. "I didn't think anyone would be up here this early…. I was just delivering a birthday present to my cousins." She held up the package. "What are you do here? I don't think I've ever seen you use the post."
"Oh, I was uh – was sending a letter to Mikko," said Akko. She glanced sideways out the window, her heart still thumping in her chest, but the stranger in the black coat was already gone.
"Are you all right?" asked Diana, concerned.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," said Akko, stretching her arms above her head with an exaggerated yawn. "Didn't get much sleep last night. Lots of homework after detention."
"I know how you feel," said Diana understandably. "And I thought my third year was hectic…."
Just then, the post working student looked up from her computer, and said, "All right, I have you set for first-class priority to Wedinburgh. That'll be – "
"I'll pay for it," said Diana, approaching the counter and dropping her letter and package. "We're delivering to the same place, so we might as well share."
"You don't have to," said Akko. "I can pay for myself – "
"Akko, I'm richer beyond your wildest imagination," said Diana bluntly. "Paying for a little extra postage isn't going to put a dent in my wallet."
Akko didn't know if her girlfriend was bragging or showing off; probably the latter.
"Uh, okay," said Akko, knowing there was no point in arguing with her girlfriend. She leaned back against the counter while the postal student added Diana's mail to the delivery. "So…nice weather, huh?"
"We don't have to act like an old married couple…yet," said Diana teasingly, giggling as Akko's cheeks became inflamed. "But I suppose it is good racing conditions. I haven't been out all week. And I doubt you have with your detention."
"Nope," said Akko, sighing.
"I heard Testarossa was made captain of the Corona team," Diana commented.
"Makes sense; she's a beast when it comes to flying," said Akko. "I'm surprised you weren't made captain, Diana. You're the best flyer on your team."
"Oh, I was," Diana informed her, making Akko do a doubletake. "But with the S.T.A.R.s coming up on top of my duties as Prefect, not mention the huge workload this week alone, I simply don't have enough time to run the team. I left that in the hands of my senior. Perhaps I'll try next year when things have slowed down."
"You're so smart, Diana," Akko complimented, grinning.
"Flattery will get you everywhere," said Diana, grinning as well. "By the way, has your team found a replacement for O'Neill yet?"
"Yeah," said Akko. "It's a first year named Luz."
"Another first year, huh?" said Diana curiously. "She must be exceptionally to make it on the team. The last first year to get a spot on a team was – well, you."
"Yeah, I guess so," said Akko. "I didn't get to see her tryouts, though. I was in detention."
"I meant to ask, but are you okay?" asked Diana. "You were left alone in a room with Light Spinner for a whole week. She didn't do anything to hurt you, did she?"
Akko's heart swelled knowing that Diana was concerned for her wellbeing. But just as quickly, her stomach plummeted like a rock when the memory of Light Spinner's threat resurfaced. That woman was a cruel and heartless and Akko knew she wouldn't hesitate to bring down the whole Cavendish family to make Akko suffer. Akko couldn't do that to Diana…. But before she could consider how to reply, the post office door opened again.
Elma, the caretaker, came lurking into the room. Her finned tail swiped across the polished floor, her jagged horn nearly touching her ceiling, and her pointed eyes searched the room suspiciously; she was looking for something. Her focus landed on Akko and Diana and approached with a menacing stance that was reserved for students who were caught doing something wrong, something that Akko was familiar with.
"Kagari, Cavendish," said Elma, stopping in front of the girls. "I received a note in my office this morning that someone was planning to order a mass shipment of mud bombs. Naturally, I came to investigate."
Akko folded her arms and stared at the dragon.
"Who told you we were ordering mud bombs?"
"I have my suspicions," said Elma, shifting her eyes from Akko to the postal student. "Has mail already been shipped out?"
"No, ma'am, I have it right here," said the seventh-year, holding up Akko's letter.
"Then I will need to confiscate it for inspection," said Elma.
The postal student offered up the letter to Elma, who reached out to take it. If Akko's suspicion was correct, she knew that letter was going to end up in the wrong hands whether Elma knew or not. Desperate not to let that happen, Akko spoke without thinking and said, "You can't! That's for my er – relative!"
"Your relative?" Elma repeated slowly, examining the address on the letter. "In Wedinburgh?"
Akko hoped that Elma would pick up on the hint. If she remembered right, the Order Dragon was one of the few people that was aware of Akko and Izetta's relationship and was a member of the Celestial Sphere. If she put the pieces together, she could tell that Akko was trying to send a message to Izetta.
Everyone in the room waited tensely for Elma's next move; the dragon woman seemed to be taking her time thinking things over. Finally, to Akko's immense relief, Elma handed the letter back to the postal student.
"Well, if that's the case, I see nothing wrong here," said Elma cool as can be. Then the caretaker turned with a swish of her tail and shuffled back toward the door. She stopped with her hand on the handle and looked back at Akko. "Tell 'Mikko' that she should consider other means of contacting you. You know how things tend to get lost in the mail."
She slid out of the post office, using her tail to close the door behind her.
Akko and Diana looked at each other.
"That was close," Akko said.
"Thank goodness she's on our side," said Diana, sweeping her hair over her shoulder. "You haven't actually been ordering mud bombs, have you?"
"No," said Akko.
"Then who do you suppose sent Elma that that tip?" asked Diana.
Akko only needed one guess who.
"Uh, okay, so…," the seventh-year interrupted awkwardly. "Who's gonna pay for the postage?"
They left the post office together after paying and headed down the next floor to the Great Hall where all their friends had gathered for breakfast.
"Morning," Akko said brightly, sitting between Amanda and Hannah at their usual table.
"Where have you two been this morning?" Blair asked with a Cheshire grin, a piece of egg on her whiskers.
"Were the princess and the pest meeting for booty call?" said Amanda, grinning devilishly.
"Get your mind out of the gutter," Diana huffed, sitting up straight in a dignified manner. "I'll have you know, we just happened to meet at the post office, that's all?"
"What were you doing at the post office?" asked Blair, eyeing her ward suspiciously.
"Just…sending a letter," Akko mumbled, pretending to be focused on her grilled fish.
"To who?" Blair pressured.
"No one in particular," Akko dodged.
"If you wanted to send a letter," Lotte chimed in before Blair could speak, "you could have asked to use Haru – "
But she broke off when the morning paper arrived, dropped by a postal student, which landed perilously close to the sugar bowl; Diana passed a bill to the student, took the newspaper, and scanned the front page critically as they took off again.
"Anything interesting?" asked Jasminka, instantly swallowing four stacks of pancakes in a single gulp.
"No," she sighed, "just some guff about a bass player from Afterschool Tea Time flashing the audience…."
She opened the paper and disappeared behind it. Akko devoted herself to a bowl of rice and miso soup, staring wistfully up at the high windows, wondering if she could get some practice in before race training.
"Wait a moment," said Diana suddenly. "Oh no…Izetta!"
"What happened?" said Akko, and she snatched at the paper so violently that it ripped down the middle so that she and Diana were holding half each.
"'The Magic Council has received a tip-off from a reliable source that the White Witch Izetta, notorious mass murderer…blah, blah, blah…is currently hiding in Wedinburgh!'" Diana read from her half in an anguished whisper.
"Someone did recognize Izetta at the train station," said Akko in a low voice.
"I told that idiot not to risk it!" hissed Blair.
"…'Council warns the community that Izetta is very dangerous…killed one hundred and fifty-seven people…broke out of Dol Gurdur…' the usual tripe," Diana concluded, laying down her half of the paper and looking fearfully at Akko. "Well, she just won't be able to leave the manor again, that's all," she whispered. "She was warned repeatedly not to."
Akko looked down glumly at the bit of the paper she had torn off. Most of the page was devoted to an advertisement to Aikatsu Dress-Makers for All Occasions, which was apparently having a sale.
"Hey!" she said, flattening it down so the others could see. "Look at this!"
"The next time I wear a dress will beat my funeral," said Sucy sourly.
"No, not that," said Akko, "look…this little piece here…."
Everyone bent closer to read; the item was barely a foot long and placed at the bottom of a column. It was headlined:
TRESPASS AT MAGIC COUNCIL
Angela Parker, 38, has appeared in front of the Magic Council
charged with trespass and attempted robbery in Era on the 31st
of August. Parker was arrested by Magic Council watchwoman
Lilith, who found her attempting to force her way through a
top-security door at one o'clock in the morning. Parker, who
refused to speak in her own defense, was convicted on both
charges and sentenced to six months in Dol Guldur.
"Mum?!" Barbara shrieked, nearly ripping the paper again. "What the hell?! I know she's a bit loopy, but she's no criminal!"
"Barbara, shush!" said Diana, casting a terrified look around.
"Six months in Dol Guldur?!" whispered Hannah, shocked. "Just for trying to get through a door?!"
"It's about more than just trying to get through a door," said Stan-Bot; Constanze huffed angrily. "The Council would know that Angela was Barbara's mom, who is friends with Diana, who is dating Akko. Still, what on earth was she doing in Era at one o'clock in the morning?"
"Do you think she was doing something for the Sphere?" Jasminka muttered.
"Not that I heard of," said Blair.
"Wait a minute…," said Lotte slowly. "Barbara's mom was supposed to take us to the train station, remember?"
The others looked at her.
"Yeah, she was supposed to be part of our guard going to the station. And Ram was annoyed because she didn't turn up, so that doesn't seem like she was supposed to be on a job for them, does it?"
"This is definitely a frame-up," said Barbara fiercely. "It's like Constanze said, the Ministry knows I'm friends with Diana, who is in a relationship with Akko. The Council wants to hurt us, but they're too chicken shit to go after the Cavendishs directly. So trumped up a bunch of fake charges to throw my mum in jail. I bet she wasn't even anywhere near Era at the time."
There was a pause while they considered this. Akko thought it might have been a stretch, even for the Council; Blair, on the other hand, looked rather impressed and said, "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if that were true."
Diana folded up the newspaper thoughtfully. When Akko laid down her knife and fork, she seemed to come out of a reverie.
"Right, well , I think we should tackle the essay for Professor Roselei on Self-Fertilizing Shrubs first, and if we're lucky, we'll be able to start Professor Finnelan's Inanimatus Conjurus before lunch…"
Akko felt a small twinge of guilt at the thought of the pile of homework awaiting her upstairs, but the sky was a clear, exhilarating blue, and she had not been flying for a week…"
"I mean, we can do it tonight," Akko told Lotte and Sucy as they walked down the sloping awns toward the race track, Diana's dire warnings that they would fail all their S.T.A.R.s still ringing in their ears. "And we've got tomorrow. She gets too worked up sometimes. She needs to learn to chill…." There was a pause and she added, in a slightly more anxious tone, "D'you think she meant it when she said we weren't copying from her?"
"Yes," Sucy answered bluntly.
"…Well, still, this is important, too, I've gotta practice if I want to stay on the team. Especially since I can't use the Shiny Balai…."
"You still haven't been able to figure out why the Shiny Rod isn't working?" asked Lotte apprehensively.
"No, it's been out of whack ever since the summer," said Akko, frowning. "Ever since…."
Akko glanced over to her right as they approached the race track, to where the trees of the forest were swaying darkly. No dark-hooded figures lay in wait. Akko had enough to worry about; until the person in the Black Coat presented themselves, Akko decided to push them from her mind.
Akko borrowed a school-issued broom from the supply closet and took it around the around the track for a while. It lacked the speed and flexibility of Shooting Star, and the strength and acceleration of the Shiny Balai. It was like downgrading from a formula one race car to a station wagon. She spent the next few hours being timed by Lotte as they tried different tracks, but no matter how much she tried, Akko couldn't even match half the speed of her other brooms. It was still good enough the match the times of her teammates, which means she wouldn't liability, but now they would have to come up with a new strategy since Akko couldn't blast through the course anymore.
They returned to the school later for lunch, during which Diana made it quite clear that she thought Akko was being irresponsible, then Akko returned to the track alone for the real training session. All her teammates but Avery were already in the changing room when she arrived.
"All right, Kagari?" asked Rashmi (?)
"Been better," said Akko. "Just glad to be out on the track again."
"Well, you better get better soon," said Rajani (?), emerging tousle-haired from her neck of the uniform. "Avery's was on a warpath during the tryouts because you were in detention. More than half the kids ran back to the school in tears."
"Well, at least we got Luz, right?" said Akko, pulling on her own team uniform. "She seems like a strong girl."
"Yeah, not so sure about that anymore?" said Rashmi (?), noting how the Latina girl was unusually quiet as she got dressed, fiddling nervously with the laces of her boots. Luz had been given Amelia's old uniform, which had to be shrunk down and refitted because Amelia had been twice her size.
"Okay everyone," said Avery, entering from the captain's office, already changed. "Let's get to it; Rashmi, Rajani, go set up the controls for the course shift. Let's start with something simple for Noceda's first practice. Kagari, I want you working closely with Noceda, show her the ropes. Oh, and couple of people are out there watching, but I want you to ignore them, all right?"
Something in her would-be casual voice made Akko think she might know who the uninvited spectators were, and sure enough, when they left the changing room, for the bright sunlight of the track, the other four Chariot Racing teams were grouped around the four corners of the stadium, all looking down at them critically, especially Diana and Fate. Akko heard Luz gulp loudly.
"W-what's going on?" asked Luz nervously. "Is this normal? Should we be worried? They're not gonna pick a fight, are they?"
Akko nearly laughed. She almost forgot that despite earning a place on the team, Luz was still an eleven-year-old girl in a strange, unfamiliar environment. Akko clapped her shoulder playfully and said, "No, we're not gonna fight. They're just here to check out the competition."
"Every time a team picks up a new player, the others like to scope out the talent," said Rajani.
"it's their way of intimidating the new blood," said Rashmi. "Like a hazing ritual."
"Oh man, I'm gonna embarrass myself out there, aren't I?" groaned Luz.
"Trust me, you can't be any more of an embarrassment than me," Akko said almost proudly. "Just stick close and you'll be fine."
"Y-Yeah, thanks, Akko – wait, no, you're Japanese," said Luz thoughtfully. "I should call you Akko-senpai – "
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Akko shouted so suddenly, it made Luz lurch back in a terrible fright. Akko to a moment to realize her overreaction, very aware of the others watching apprehensively. She coughed in her fist, taking a moment to collect herself, and said in a softer tone, "Sorry, I didn't mean to explode like that. It's just…I have some bad memories associated with that honorific. Just call me Akko."
"Um, okay…Akko," said Luz timidly.
"All right, we're wasting daylight!" called Avery. "Brooms in the air!"
Akko mounted her broom and kicked off the ground and Luz followed her from behind. The Latina's eyes shifted anxiously between the other teams watching them.
"Ignore them," said Akko, decelerating to fly beside Luz. "Just focus on your flying and you'll be okay. We'll show them what you have to offer…."
"That's exactly the attitude I want, Kagari," said Avery approvingly, soaring around them and slowing to hover on the spot in front of her airborne team. "Okay, everyone, we're going to start with the basic course to gauge everyone's speed and work on our passes. We have to get a feel for out new teammate and Kagari's…special circumstances," she added, glancing at the old worn broom that Akko had been force to right. "Everyone in first position…."
Akko hovered off to the side with Luz and the Twins while Avery moved to the starting line, adjusting the large ring on her wrist. Rajani held the stopwatch and started it up after Rashmi gave the signal to Avery. As expected of their captain, she took off like a missile, zipping around the track like a blur. Of course, Akko knew that it was only the basic track right now and that it would be exceptionally more difficult when the other courses came into play.
After doing a sweep around the track, Avery passed the ring smoothly off to Rajani, who immediately took off once secured on her wrist. After another lap, she passed it off to her twin. On rotation later and Rashmi tossed the ring to Akko as she passed, who thankfully caught it in the air and flew off. Akko circled the track with a good enough time, but when she tried to pass it off to Luz at the starting line, the first-year fumbled with her fingers and dropped it.
The Corona and Twilight teams immediately took notice and talked quietly among themselves while the Eclipse openly roared with laughter; the Lunar Team remained thoughtfully silent. Luz, who had pelted toward the ground to catch the ring before it landed, pulled out of the dive unsteadily, so that she slipped sideways on her broom, and returned to playing height, blushing. Akko saw the twins exchange looks, but neither of them said anything, for which she was grateful.
"Shrug it off, Noceda," called Avery, as though nothing happened. "Everyone makes mistakes."
Luz took her lap at a much slower pace than the others and passed the ring off to Avery, who went for a second lap….
"Ay dios mio, that was so humiliating," Luz groaned into her hands beside Akko.
"Hey, you didn't do anything bad," said Akko comfortingly as Avery passed the baton onto Rajani. "Believe me, I've personally done a lot worse."
Both Rajani and Rashmi took their laps before it was Akko's turn again. She flattened herself against her broom, trying to cut her time even by a few seconds. Without Shooting Star and Shiny Balai, she needed to rely on her own skills. She felt she had done rather well until she made the mistake of throwing Luz the ring, who lunged for it and missed by inches.
"Come on now, Noceda," said Avery crossly, as Luiz dived for the ground again, chasing the baton. "Pay attention."
It would have been hard to say whether Luz's face or her team uniform was a deeper scarlet when she returned again to playing height. The Eclipse's redoubled laughter wasn't helping any.
On her third attempt, Akko managed to smoothly transition the ring to Luz; perhaps out of relief she flew a little faster and ended up throwing the ring at Avery's face when she was supposed to pass it on.
"Sorry!" Luz groaned, zooming forward to see whether she had done any damage.
"I'm fine!" barked Avery, shoving Luz away. "But as you're passing to a teammate, do try not to knock them off their broom, won't you? The other teams do that well enough as it is."
"Sorry…," Luz mumbled pathetically.
"All right, we're going to practice for real now," called Avery. "Rashmi, go change the course – the canyon track should be suitable enough. "Rajani, Kagari go collect the rings and the targets and set them up along the course. Make sure they are well spread out."
Akko zoomed off after Rajani to collect the supplies.
"Noceda's making a real mess of things, isn't she?" muttered Rajani, as the two of them landed and extracted a handful of rings and wooden bullseyes.
"She's just nervous," said Akko. "She'll be fine with a little more practice. I wasn't that great when I started out."
"As hard as it may be to believe, you were never as bad as you think, Kagari," said Rajani.
They twenty minutes to set up the equipment around the canyon track, which was a deep gorge with high stone walls and rock columns in the middle. When Avery blew her whistle, they each took a turn through the course, weaving through the obstacles, blasting the targets with their wands and snatching up the rings that Akko had tucked away in the most hard-to-reach places. Before, Akko never had to worry about these because her primary objective was to reach the finish line as soon as possible. But while the twins were taping their laps, Avery pulled Akko to the side out of earshot.
"I'm changing the game plan up a bit," she told Akko shortly. "I want you racing fourth and putting Noceda as out anchor."
"What, why?" asked Akko. She had always played the same position when Amelia was captain.
"Because right now, you don't have the advantage you had with your other brooms," said Avery. "Which means we can't rely on speed to win this time around. So instead, we'll be focusing on gathering more points than the other teams. So from now on, you're point gathering with the rest of us."
"But then why is Luz last?" asked Akko.
"Uh, captain, Rajani – or Rashmi – are almost done!" Luz called.
"Then go!" Avery snapped. "We're in the middle of something can't you see?!"
Luz made a small whimper and tried to make herself as small as possible, putting over to the starting line to await one of the twins.
"I don't know happened," Avery groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "She was better than this at tryouts."
"You're being too hard on her," said Akko critically. "She's never played before."
"Which is why I thought she was some kind of prodigy after she did so well," said Avery, sighing. "But as things are now, we won't be ready in time when the real competition starts. That's why I want you on point gathering while Noceda focuses on finishing. I can't trust her to perform well under preassure."
"And you think I can?" said Akko. "I've never played any other position besides anchor."
"But you've got a better chance than Noceda," Avery refuted. "And you've been playing longer than she has, so I know you've got the experience and skill necessary to pull it off. You just need practice."
"So does Luz."
"Look, I admire that you're sticking up for your junior," said Avery, frowning. "But we have to think about the team. And what's best for the team is to have you gathering points to make up for – "
"Noceda!"
Akko and Avery turned and saw the twins flying across the course as fast as they could. Akko and Avery followed after them. As they flew over the canyon wall, Akko hissed inwardly and winced, finding Luz on the ground with her arm bending the wrong way. The memory of her first match in the second year made Akko reach for her own arm, remembering how it had been broken by Marianna mid-match.
"What happened?" said Avery, landing roughly.
"She was going too fast on the turn and hit the wall," said Rashmi, grimacing.
Rajani, who had been examining Luz's arm, winced and said, "Yeah, she's gonna need to go to the hospital wing ASAP."
"Well, there's no point continuing practice with just the two of us," said Avery glumly, as the twins zoomed off toward the school supporting Luz between them. "Come on, let's go and get changed."
Only the Eclipse team was still in the stands, jeering as they trailed back into the changing rooms.
"Well, that could have gone better," said Diana rather aloof half and hour later when Akko dragged her feet back up to the school.
"It wasn't that bad," said Akko. Diana quirked her brow questionably. "Okay, it could have gone better. But come on, give the kid a break, It was Luz's first practice, and there were people watching – "
"That's no excuse, and you know it," Diana cut her off. "If she can't hand the other teams watching her every move, how do you think she'll handle the entire school? I overheard Testarossa talking to the other captains about Polaris's chances this year."
"I didn't take Fate to be so nasty," said Akko, frowning.
"She wasn't," said Diana. "She was expressing her disappointment that Polaris wasn't playing up to their usual standards. And I quite agree with her. There's no satisfaction in winning if the other team isn't giving their best."
"So you're a Polaris supporter now?" said Akko.
"I just don't want to hear any excuse when I kick your butt in the tournament this year," said Diana with a challenging smirk.
Akko didn't make much headway that night with her homework, constantly flashback to the disastrous practice earlier that day and wondering if Luz was all right, and not just physically. She hoped one practice wasn't enough to make her consider quitting. She was a good kid and clearly knew what she was doing if Avery could vouch for her; she just had a case of the nerves was all.
The Polaris girls spent the whole of Sunday in the common room, buried in their books while the room around them filled up, then emptied. It was another clear, fine day and most of their classmates spent the day out in the grounds, enjoying what might well be some of the last sunshine that year. By the evening, Akko felt as though somebody was beating her brain against the inside of her skull.
"You know, we should probably try and get more homework done during the week," Sucy muttered as they finally laid aside Professor Finnelan's long essay on the Inanimatus Conjurus spell and turned miserably to Professor Roselei's equally long and difficult essay about Black Mercies.
"Yeah," said Amanda, rubbing slightly bloodshot eyes and throwing her fifth spoiled paper into the fire beside them. "Listen…can't we just ask Princess if we can have a look at what she's done? She's your girlfriend, Akko?"
"And you think that gets me special treatment?" Akko scoffed entertainingly. "Not happening."
And so they worked on while the sky outside the windows became steadily darker; slowly, the crowd in the common room began to thin again. At half-past eleven, Blair wandered over to them, yawning.
"Are you done yet?"
"Not even close," said Stan-Bot.
"Can't we just finish off the rest tomorrow?" Amanda bemoaned.
"You asked the same thing yesterday," said Lotte shortly. "And look where we are now."
"But we've been doing this all day – "
"Amanda – " said Jasminka.
"Maybe we could corner the princess in the library tomorrow and – "
"Amanda – look!"
Jasminka was pointing to the nearest window. Everyone looked over. A beautiful reddish-orange bird with golden plumage was standing on the windowsill, gazing into the room at Amanda.
"That's Asher!" Amanda gasped.
"Who?" asked Akko cluelessly.
"Amelia's pet phoenix," Jasminka informed.
"Amelia has a pet phoenix?!" Akko yelped in surprise. "Aren't those like, super rare?"
"Why would you think that?" said Blair, flicking her tail. "There are literally thousands of phoenixes and all of them are immortal. The Magic Council has a special department on Mount Taixuan just to keep them from overpopulating."
Amanda crossed to the window and opened it; Asher the Phoenix flew inside and landed on Amanda's essay, and stretched its wing to reveal a letter tucked in its joint. Amanda took it and Asher departed at once, leaving claw marks across Amanda's paper.
"This is definitely Amelia's handwriting," said Amanda, sinking back into her chair and staring at the words on the envelope: To Amanda O'Neill, Polaris House, Luna Nova. "Why is she writing me a letter. She could've just texted or e-mailed me."
"Open it!" said Akko eagerly.
Amanda tore open the envelope, unfolded the letter, and began to read aloud:
Dear Amanda,
Wow, it's been ages since I've written a letter by hand. It reminds
me of the times we use to send secret messages to each other as
kids. Man, where does the time go?
I have only just heard from mom that you've been accepted in the
Paris Opera Ballet School and that you'll be attending next year.
I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the news. I knew you liked
dancing, but I thought it was just a hobby. Now I understand that
you're just as passionate about ballet as I am about Chariot Racing
and want to offer my sincerest congratulations. I hope you won't
forget about the little people like me when you're dancing on stage
at the Théâtre du Châtelet.
But I want to give you more than congratulations, Amanda, I want
to give you some advice, which is why I am sending this at night
rather than by the usual morning mail. Hopefully you will be able
to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions.
From something the Councilmen let slip while I was working in the
office, I gather that you're still seeing a lot of Akko Kagari. I must
tell you, Amanda, that nothing could put you in danger of losing
your credibility than associating with that girl. Yes, I am sure you
are surprised to hear this – no doubt you will say that Kagari has
always been Holbrooke's favorite – but I feel bound to tell you
that Holbrooke may not be in charge at Luna Nova much longer
and the people who count will have a very different – and more
accurate – view of Kagari's behavior. I will say no more here, but
if you look at the news tomorrow, you will get a good idea of
the way the wind is blowing.
Seriously, Amanda, you do not want to be counted as one of
Kagari's associates, it could be very damaging to your future
prospects, and I am talking here about life after school too.
As you must be aware, Kagari had a disciplinary hearing this
summer in front of the whole council and she did not come out
of it looking too good. She got off on a mere technicality if you
ask me and many of the people I've spoken to remain convinced
of her guilt.
It may be that you're afraid to sever ties with Kagari – I know
that she can be unbalanced and, for all I know, violent – but if
you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else
in Kagari's behavior that is troubling you, I urge you to speak to
Light Spinner, a really delightful woman, who I know will be only
too happy to advise you.
This leads me to my other bit of advice. As I have hinted above,
Holbrooke's regime at Luna Nova may soon be over. Your loyalty,
Amanda, should not be with her, but to the school and the Council.
I am sorry to hear that so far Professor Light Spinner is encountering
very little cooperation from staff as she strives to make those
necessary changes within Luna Nova that the Council so ardently
desires (although she should find this easier from next week). I
shall only say this- a student who shows herself willing to help
Professor Light Spinner now may be smiled upon by the council,
which will work wonders toward your future.
Please think over what I have said carefully, particularly the bit
about Akko Kagari, and congratulations on getting into the Paris
Opera Ballet School.
Your sister,
Amelia
By the time she was done reading, Akko's jaw was practically on the floor. Did Amelia really write this? In the three years they were on the Chariot Racing team, Amelia had always been kind and supportive; she was the one who introduced Chariot Racing to Akko way back! But to see this letter….
"How could she write something so awful…," Lotte murmured, looking close to crying. "I always thought she was our friend. I never thought she could be so cruel – "
"She isn't," said Amanda without a hint of doubt. "She doesn't mean a word of this crap."
"But she wrote – "
"It's fake, to throw off anyone who shouldn't be reading this," said Amanda firmly, setting the letter on the table and flipping it over so that the blank backside was facing up. "The real message is right here."
"I don't see anything," said Stan-Bot. "Scans aren't picking up anything either. Except that the paper is covered in a lot of citrus juice for some reason."
But Amanda smirked confidently and held her right hand over the paper. In a few seconds, her palm was glowing bright orange and radiating with heat. This heat was part of Amanda's Salem heritage, something only her family was capable of conjuring. She waved her hand over the paper and, sure enough, letters started forming on the page.
"Invisible ink!" Akko gasped.
"There was a hidden message!" said Lotte, surprised. "How did you know?"
"At the start of the letter, she mentioned how we used to send secret messages when we were kids," Amanda explained. "Back when we were little, we used to use invisible ink all the time whenever we were planning to cause trouble and didn't want our mom finding out."
"Clever," Blair complimented. "Wish I had thought of that when I was in school."
"Don't you think the Council's codebreakers might have seen this?" asked Sucy.
"It's an old human trick that uses citrus juice to write out messages," said Amanda, chuckling mischievously. "It doesn't use magic, so the Council is too stupid to figure it out."
"Well, what does the real message say?" asked Akko.
"Let me see…," Amanda mumbled, looking over the letter. "Um, okay…'Crawford is passing a new law that will give Light Spinner more power over Luna Nova. I don't know the details, but it sounds like she'll be in a position to control the school. Keep your head low and your nose clean until we can sort this out. And look out for Akko for me, will you, sis? I'd hate for anything to happen to my favorite anchor.' That's all it says.
Akko felt a flood of relief wash over. Amelia didn't hate her; she was still looking out for Akko even after graduating.
"That doesn't sound good," said Lotte, frowning. "All that talk about granny's 'regime' coming to an end, and the Council passing new laws to make Light Spinner more powerful. This can't end well."
"I never thought I'd say this, but I think my sis is right," said Amanda, frowning. "We need to keep our heads down for when shit hits the fan. You know that old hag will look for any excuse to expel us."
"Not if the teachers don't flunk us for not finishing our homework," said Sucy, returning everyone's attention to the half-finished essays on the table. "C'mon, I wanna go to bed. So let's hurry up and finish this."
The others groaned, but reluctantly agreed.
It was now past midnight and the common room was deserted except for them. The only sound was that of their pens scratching out sentences on their essays and the ruffle of pages as they checked various facts in the reference books strewn across the table. Akko was exhausted. She also felt an odd, sick, empty feeling in her stomach that had nothing to with tiredness and everything to do with the letter now curling blackly in the heart of the fire.
Though the initial message had been fake, it was a reminder that half the people inside Luna Nova thought Akko strange, even insane; she knew the news had been making snide allusions to her for months, but there was something about seeing it written down in her old captain's writing, about advising Amanda to drop her and even snitch to Light Spinner, that made her situation real to her as nothing else had. Even if it was just to cover her true meaning, Akko's heart had nearly dropped at the thought of Amelia betraying her after everything they had been through.
And with a surge of sympathy for her aunt, Akko thought that Izetta was probably the only person she knew who could understand how she felt at the moment, because Izetta was in the same situation; nearly everyone in the world thought Izetta a dangerous murderer and a great Aradia supporter (which she was, technically, just not the way people thought) and she had to live with that knowledge for fifteen years….
Akko blinked. She had just seen something in the fire that could not have been there. It had flashed into sight and vanished immediately. No…it couldn't have been…. She had imagined it because she had been thinking about Izetta….
Akko slid off her chair onto her knees and was now crouching in the singed and threadbare rug, gazing into the flames.
"Er – Akko?" said Lotte uncertainly. "Why are you down there?"
"Better not be thinking of jumping in," Sucy scolded her. "Your organs are worthless if they're burned."
"I just saw Izetta in the fire," said Akko.
She spoke quite calmly; after all, she had seen Izetta in this very fire the previous year and talked to her too. Nevertheless, she could not be sure she had really seen her this time…. It had vanished so quickly….
"Izetta," Blair repeated, frowning. "You mean like when she wanted to talk to you during the Contest of Champions? But even she's not dumb enough to – Izetta?!"
She gasped, gazing at the fire; Constanze jumped in her seat. There in the middle of the dancing flames was a tiny, transparent Izetta, grinning proudly up at all of them.
"I was starting to think you'd go to bed before everyone else had disappeared," she said. "I've been checking every hour."
"You've been popping in every hour?" said Akko, half laughing.
"Just for a few seconds to check if the coast was clear yet."
"What if you had been seen?" said Blair disapprovingly.
"Well, I think a girl – first year by the looks of her – might have got a glimpse of me earlier, but don't worry," Izetta added hastily, as Blair hissed, her hackles raised. "I was gone the moment she looked back at me and I'll bet she just thought I was an oddly shaped log or something."
"That's a risk you shouldn't have taken – " Blair began.
"This coming from the girl who came close to being expelled a hundred times in school," Izetta scoffed.
"I was an irresponsible child back then," said Blair. "I grew up since then so that I could help raise Akko-nyan. She's practically my daughter, which is why I don't want to put her in any unnecessary risk."
Akko was both uplifted and a little embarrassed by Blair's words. She really thought Akko as a daughter to her…well, they had been together since the moment Akko was born, so it wasn't too far off….
"Look, this was the only way I could come up with for answering Akko's letter without resorting to a code," said Izetta defensively. "And codes are breakable."
"So you did send a letter to Izetta after I told you not to," said Blair, leering at her ward accusingly.
"Don't look at me like that," said Akko, crossing her arms in a huff. "There was no way anyone would have gotten secret information out of it, was there, Izetta-obaasan?"
"No, it was very good," said Izetta, smiling. "Anyway, we'd better be quick, just in case we're disturbed – your scars."
"What about - ?" Lotte began, but Blair said quickly, "We'll tell you afterward, go on, Izetta."
"Well, I know it can't be fun when they hurt, but we don't think it's anything to worry about. They kept aching all last year, didn't they?"
"Yeah, and Professor Ursula said it happened whenever the Stars are in danger," said Akko. "Amon and them had the time Star for months, that's why it was always going off. But that means the other three Stars could be in danger."
"No, I confirmed that the Stars Athena and Chariot hid are still safe," said Izetta, shaking her head. "What about the one you hid, Blair?"
"Far away where no one would think to look," said Blair confidently. "If anything did happen, my contacts would inform me."
"So that settles that," said Izetta.
"But my scars – "
"Now that Jennifer is back, the Stars will always be in constant danger," said Izetta.
"So if the Stars are safe, then why did my scars react when Light Spinner touched me in detention?" Akko asked.
"You should probably phrase that better," Amanda commented.
"I have no idea," said Izetta. "I only know her by reputation, so I can't be sure if she's working with Jennifer – "
"She's certainly evil enough," said Akko darkly and Lotte nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Yes, but the world isn't painted in black and white," said Izetta with a wry smile. "Sometimes you can't tell who people are behind their masks. I mean, look at Jennifer. Her intentions may be noble, but her means are anything but."
"Light Spinner doesn't strike me as the noble type," said Sucy.
"And you would be right," said Izetta. "She's a parasite leeching off another to suit her own means. You know she ran an orphanage before joining the Council? From an outsider's perspective, she seemed like a sweet and charitable woman. But behind the scenes, she was psychologically torturing those children, turning them against one another and weeding out those who wouldn't be useful in the future. She favored those with the highest potential and pushed them into influential positions so that she could control things from behind the scenes. Those who were less favored were left…broken."
"Poor Catra…," Blair murmured.
"And no one ever suspected anything?" asked Jasminka, appalled.
"She's good at covering her tracks," said Izetta, shaking her head with a frown. "So what are Light Spinner's lessons like? Anything we should be concerned with?"
"No," said Akko. "She's not letting us use magic at all!"
"All we do is read the stupid textbook," said Amanda.
"Ah, well, that figures," said Izetta. "Our information from inside the Council is that Crawford doesn't want you trained in combat."
"Trained in combat?" repeated Lotte incredulously. "What does he think we're doing here, forming some sort of army?"
"That's exactly what he thinks you're doing," said Izetta, "or rather, that's exactly what he's afraid Chariot is doing. Using Akko – her daughter – to form her own private army, with which she will be able to take on the Magic Council."
There was a pause at this, then Stan-Bot said, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard, and I take Modern Magic classes with Akko."
"HEY!"
"So we're being stopped from learning self-defense because Crawford is scared we'll use spells against the Council?" said Jasminka, frowning.
"That about sums it up," said Izetta. "Crawford thinks Chariot will stop at nothing to seize power. He is becoming increasingly paranoid by the day, aided by the fact he doesn't know where she is or what she's doing. And it's only going to get worse the longer Chariot stays hidden. It's only a matter of time before he has Chariot's associates arrested to draw her out. Starting with those in Luna Nova."
This reminded of Amelia's letter.
"D'you know about any new laws Crawford is passing that'll affect Luna Nova? Amanda's sister said something there might be something coming – "
"I don't know," said Izetta, "I haven't see anyone from the Sphere all weekend. Most of them are out trying to locate Ymir."
"Something happened to Professor Ymir?" asked Jasminka, worried.
"We're not sure," said Izetta. "She was supposed to be back by now, no one knows what happened." Then, seeing Jasminka's stricken face, she added quickly, "But Chariot's not worried, so don't get yourself in a state; I'm sure Ymir's fine."
"But if she was supposed to be back by now…," said Jasminka in a small voice.
"Look, Ymir is a tough old beast – there's nothing to suggest that she's hurt or – well, nothing to suggest she's perfectly okay."
Unconvinced, Akko exchanged worried looks with her friends.
"Listen, don't go asking too many questions about Ymir," said Izetta hastily, "it'll draw even more attention to the fact that she's not back, and we don't want that. She'll be fine." And when they did not appear cheered by this, Izetta added, "When's your next Blytonbury weekend anyway? I was thinking, we got away with the fix disguise at the station, didn't we? I think I could – "
"NO!" said Akko and Blair together, very loudly.
Out of the question!" said Blair authoritatively. "Didn't you see the news today?"
"Oh that," said Izetta, grinning, "they're always guessing where I am, they haven't got a clue – "
"Yeah, but this was way too close to be a coincidence this time," said Akko. "You saw the date you were reported, right? That was the day you came with us to the station. That can't be a coincidence. Someone knew it was you, and if you get spotted in Blytonbury – "
"All right, all right, I've got the point," said Izetta, looking very displeased. "Just an idea, thought you might like to get together – "
I do, I just don't want you thrown back in jail!" said Akko.
There was a pause in which Izetta looked out of the fire at Akko, a crease between her eyes.
"You're less like your mother than I thought," she said finally, a definite coolness in her voice. "The risk would've made it fun for Chariot."
"When we were school kids without a care in the world," said Blair, leering. "But while you were in prison, the rest of us grew up. Maybe you should consider joining us."
Izetta glared back at the purple feline. There was a tiny pop, and the place where Izetta had been was flickering flame once more.
Next chapter: The Magic Inquisition