Chapter 11: Sweet as revenge.
"... And because my magic is pink, and I gained it so suddenly, and all that, Hannah and Barbara have been accusing me of being a blood witch! Can you believe that?!" Akko rambled on to Croix, while the older woman just poured yet another cup of coffee for herself and kept listening. "Even though Finnelan defended me, I'm pretty sure they kept doing it behind my back, because now everyone thinks I'm a blood witch! And they've been bullying me even more than before and…!" Akko let out a frustrated scream before unceremoniously letting herself drop on the chair in front of Croix. "It's unfair! I just want to do magic like my mom did." She whined.
"I'm sorry." Croix said, startling Akko. "I didn't anticipate this being a consequence of giving you magic." She seemed to be in deep thought, staring at her cup of coffee instead of at Akko as she spoke.
"What?" The girl startled. "No! It's alright, don't be sorry! I'm not mad at you!" She assured her earnestly. "You gave me magic, you made my dream come true! I'd endure any bullying if that means I can do magic."
"It's just bullying for now." Croix frowned. "But I know first hand how cruel witches can be with our kind."
"Our… kind?" Akko tilted her head. It was difficult to think of herself as related to blood witches in any way when she'd never killed someone, or even drank blood!
"I almost got killed far too many times." Croix nodded sadly. "Even though I never meant any harm."
"But… my mom still loved you, right? And she's a witch!" Akko tried to cheer her up, but Croix just looked at her with a sad expression.
"Akko…" Croix sighed. "You do realize that Chariot has killed far more blood witches than any other person alive, right?"
Akko nodded slowly, unsure of what Croix was trying to tell her. Like… yeah, she already knew her mom was a blood witch hunter, but… she had loved Croix nonetheless, and probably still did now! She was sure of that!
"I was too afraid to tell her the truth about myself, and… I never did." Croix continued, looking tenser and tenser by the second. "I don't know what would have happened… I would like to think she would've spared me, but I can't be completely sure. That's her duty as the Chosen One, after all." Croix then closed her eyes and gripped her cup tightly, as if she was trying to block out her own thoughts.
"The… Chosen One's duty?" Akko repeated, trying to make sense of Croix's words, and Croix just nodded gravely.
"You've read the prophecies, haven't you?" She said. "At the end of the war, only one side will remain; green… or red. Witches or blood witches. And I think we both know which side your mother chose."
"I don't believe it!" Akko stood up abruptly, slamming her hands on Croix's desk. The older woman stared at her with wide eyes, taken aback, not just by the sudden outburst, but by the sheer confidence Akko's words were imbued with. "My mom would never kill all blood witches, not when we are part of them!"
"Akko…" Croix tried to intervene, but the girl didn't allow her.
"I do believe that my mom has chosen a side, but it's neither green, nor red!" Akko paused her passionate speech in order to catch her breath for a moment. "She chose good. Always has, for as long as I've known her. And we… we're both on that side as well."
Croix stared at her for a few more seconds with an unreadable expression before sighing.
"For the sake of the future of magic… I hope that you're right." She said.
"Of course I'm right! You'll see when we find my mom and I get you a date with her!"
"Kid… for the millionth time, I don't-"
"Well, that's too bad because I've decided you'll be my step mom and you just gotta deal with it!" Akko answered with a cheeky smile, crossing her arms over her chest. Finally, Croix chuckled.
"Maybe Chariot and I could be like divorced parents then." She joked. "Think about it! You'd have two birthdays, two Christmas, two… idk. Whatever you celebrate."
Akko feigned to think about it for a second and then shook her head.
"Sorry, but I'd miss too much you if I only saw you on weekends."
"Akko… we only see each other on weekends." Croix reminded her, laughing, and Akko promptly joined.
"Still… it feels like I've known you my whole life." The girl smiled gently, blushing a little when she realized what she said, but she didn't take it back. "Really, without you… I don't know what I would have done! Especially after what happened to my mom…"
Croix's gaze softened when she heard the girl's words, and without hesitation, she got up from her chair and walked around the desk to hug her tightly.
"Kid… I might not be your mother, and I'm definitely not trying to replace Chariot, but I already consider you my family. I love you, Akko." As she finished speaking, Croix squeezed the girl between her arms a bit more tightly, filling her with an emotion she never thought she'd experience again until she found her mother.
She felt… warmth. She was comforted and happy. She felt protected and… safe. It was just like when she used to go to her mom's bed during a storm and she'd hug her tightly and tell her stories until she fell asleep. This… this feeling was almost surreal.
Akko didn't realize she was crying until she tried to speak and her voice came out broken between sobs.
"I-I… I love you too, Croix!"
"Hey, hey. It's okay kid. Don't cry." Croix chuckled awkwardly as she gently pat Akko's back. "I'll always be there for you, okay? I promise." Akko could only nod in response as she buried her face further into Croix's chest. They remained like that for a while, just fused in a tender embrace while Akko cried, both from the sadness of losing her mother, but also for the happiness of finding a new family in Croix. It was relieving, and she relished in the sensation when she was done crying. It was almost as if she'd taken a heavy weight off her shoulders.
"Better?" Croix asked as she gently pushed Akko away. Yet, she left her hands resting over the girl's shoulders.
"Y-yeah…" Akko nodded, still teary-eyed, but at least her sobs had subsided now.
"Hey, what if we do something fun together? I want to see that smile on your face again." Croix suggested, no doubt in an effort to cheer her up and change the somewhat heavy subject they had been discussing before.
"Sure!" Akko immediately agreed, eager to pass more quality time with Croix.
"Would you like me to teach you a spell?"
Akko blinked once. Then twice. A… spell? Croix wanted to teach her magic?! Was she serious? She immediately jumped from happiness and laughed giddily.
"Of course! What kind of spell? A flying spell? Metamorphosis spell? Transfiguration? Charm? Something else entirely? What do you have in mind?" Akko eagerly asked.
"Actually… I was thinking that, since you've been having trouble with these two girls… what was their name again? Hannah and Barbara?" Croix paused and only continued after receiving a nod for response. "Right. I was thinking I could teach you a revenge spell."
"What?" Akko tilted her head, confused. She'd never heard something like that before.
"Don't worry, it's just a harmless prank." Croix assured her. "But hopefully it'll shut them up and make them stop picking on you."
"But… is it easy? I'm still learning how to control my magic." Akko voiced her concerns.
"It was actually the first spell I ever learned." Croix smirked.
Akko and Croix were now on the town's plaza; they had decided to go get some ice cream in Akko's favorite place, and just now they were eating it while sitting on the bench just outside the shop. Not only that, but when Akko inevitably ended up spilling her ice cream due to clumsiness, Croix bought her another one before Akko could even think of requesting it, and without even chastising her, which made the girl's smile widen to unrivaled proportions.
Just when Akko was thinking the day couldn't possibly get any better than this, however, she saw two familiar girls walking down an adjacent street, no doubt towards the nearby tea saloon. They were of course dressed in their Luna Nova uniforms with their blue sashes, and were chatting amicably with each other. Laughing. No doubt badmouthing someone on their back, Akko thought.
Hannah and Barbara. Those girls were usually capable of ruining Akko's mood instantly with just their mere presence, but… not today. Today she was actually glad to see them, because that meant she wouldn't have to wait in order to test the spell Croix had just taught her.
"What you looking at, kid?" Croix asked, noticing her gaze glued to the two girls. "Friends of yours?"
"No." She smirked at Croix. "They're the ones I was telling you about this morning."
"Ohhh." She nodded, also smirking. "I see, I see. This could be a good opportunity then."
"Yeah! The spell sounds simple enough, so I hope I can get it on the first try."
"Even if you don't, I'll be there to help you if things go wrong, okay?" She assured her, placing her hand on her shoulder and giving her a little squeeze. "Now go. I'll be watching."
"Alright!" Akko nodded with determination before getting up from the bench. "Wish me luck!"
"Good luck Akko!" Croix shouted as the girl took off running to intercept the other two.
"Hannah, Barbara!" Akko yelled as she ran towards them, waving her arms enthusiastically hoping they'd notice her. The two girls immediately stopped, looking like a deer in headlights; frozen on the spot and wide-eyed.
"A-Akko?" Barbara stuttered, obviously confused. "What are you doing here?"
"How did you even get here?!" Hannah shrieked.
"On bike." Akko shrugged, but didn't bother elaborating upon the other girls' confused expressions.
"Of course." Hannah scoffed, being the first one to recover from the surprise of seeing Akko there and adopting her usual cold attitude. "You still can't fly, can you? Pathetic."
"There has never been a witch, in the history of Luna Nova, that's unable to fly." Barbara laughed, following her friend's lead. "You truly are the worst."
Akko felt her blood boil upon their words, but that was okay; it's what she wanted. Croix had told her that, for the spell to work, she needed to be in the right state of mind. Emotions would fuel her magic.
"You are the worst!" Akko shot back. "You two have been bullying me since before I got magic! You've targeted me for no reason!"
"No reason, you say?" Hannah raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Barbara.
"Where do we even start?" The other girl asked, smirking maliciously.
"You're the daughter of Shiny Chariot, who is the worst thing to ever happen to the world of magic!"
Well… if Akko wanted to get mad at them, she was positively fuming already. But she let them go on as she discreetly took the wand from her sash.
"You're a mortal living in a magic school. You have no place in Luna Nova." Barbara continued.
"Your cheerful attitude makes you the most infuriating person I've ever known."
"Your ugly face could rival that of a troll."
"Or a minotaur!"
The two girls laughed maliciously, obviously having fun at Akko's expense. But… the tables were about to be turned.
Like Croix has taught her, she pointed her wand to Hannah's face, letting it touch the tip of her nose, which immediately silenced the two girls. She then let the accumulated rage she felt fuel her magic as she spoke.
"I might be ugly, but what about you, Hannah?" She snarled. "Look at your skin! It's turning green. And… oh! Look at how many pimples you have! And so big! It's disgusting!"
As Akko spoke, the things she had said started to become true one by one, as Hannah's previously flawless white skin gained a sickly green color and also got filled with the biggest oozing pimples Akko had ever seen.
"Ahhh!" Barbara exclaimed, covering her mouth in horror. Her friend had just turned into an ugly monster in front of her.
"W-what?" Hannah stuttered. She still didn't know what had happened to her face. "I don't have pimples!"
"Oh, you do!" Akko laughed maliciously. "But don't worry Barbara, don't feel left out." She then pointed her wand towards the other girl. "You do too!"
Both girls then screamed when Barbara's face was deformed by Akko's spell. They looked at each other in horror, and then at their own hands, where the curse was already spreading as well, and then took off running, probably to the leyline, covering their faces in an attempt to not be seen by anyone. But everyone's eyes were on them as they passed, and people recoiled in disgust when they saw them.
It was the most beautiful scene Akko had ever seen, and it filled her heart with satisfaction.
With a mischievous smile, she returned to Croix, who was now sitting on the ground, no doubt having fell from laughter, still clutching her stomach and trying to regain her breath.
"How did I do it?" Akko asked with a confident smirk.
"Amazing!" Croix was still laughing, visibly struggling to even breathe, much less speak. "It was… it was even better than I expected!" She continued laughing, and Akko promptly joined.
"Did you see their faces?! I bet they won't pick on me again."
"Not if they know what's best for them." Croix agreed, wiping tears from her eyes. "You make for a great witch, Akko."
"Of course! I'm Shiny Chariot's daughter and I have you to help me!" She answered confidently. "I'm going to be the greatest witch this world has ever seen!"
The two continued laughing until the stomachs hurt and they were gasping for breath, but even then, the sole memory of Hannah and Barbara's usually flawless looks being deformed in such a comedic way was enough to give Akko a new fit of laughter.
Oh, sweet, sweet revenge! She was enjoying it a little too much perhaps, but only because this was the culmination of almost an entire year of bullying.
"Akko." Croix said as she got up from the ground and dust off her clothes. "What do you say we celebrate this momentous occasion? I'd like to buy you something as a reward for being such a good student, so… why don't we go shopping?"
"Huh?" Akko tilted her head in confusion. "Y-you really don't have to!"
"I know, but if I don't spoil you now, I probably won't be able to once your mother is here."
"Because you'll be too busy spoiling her?" Akko smiled mischievously, wiggling her eyebrows at Croix, who just chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"Because I suspect she wouldn't appreciate me 'ruining' her daughter."
"Well… I guess a gift doesn't sound so bad then." Akko ended up agreeing. Although she was sure that her mom would (probably?) not be opposed to Croix spoiling her with presents once they were all family, she still ended up relenting. Mainly because she felt like this would make Croix happy somehow, and… since she had helped her so much already, it would be kinda rude to not go along with pretty much everything she said, right?
Plus, she'd rather spend a few more hours of much needed bonding time with her new mom than going back to Luna Nova and, no doubt, facing the punishment she'd receive for what she'd done to Hannah and Barbara.
Akko spent another wonderful hour with Croix; the two of them going into stores, trying silly outfits, making faces on the mirrors, laughing… all the good stuff.
At the end, Akko decided on a red jacket that reminded her of her mother's hair color. Plus, it was quite big and comfy and warm, so it made her feel as if she was cuddling with her mom as soon as she put it on. She liked it so much, she decided she wouldn't take it off, even to pay it. Thankfully, the afternoon sky was gray and windy, with clouds signaling an upcoming storm. A big one too, considering it was already quite dark outside when it was still supposedly daytime.
"I don't like those clouds." Croix frowned. "I have a bad feeling about them."
"You think it'll hail again?" Akko asked, remembering the night her mother disappeared.
"Maybe." The older woman made a grimace. "In any case… you probably shouldn't go out until the sun is high on the horizon. At least not alone."
"Why? It's just a storm… right?" She couldn't help sounding a little fearful.
"It's a bad omen, and it shouldn't be taken lightly." Croix answered, but Akko still suspected she wasn't telling her the whole truth. Still, before she could inquire more, Croix continued speaking.
"I… I would like to give you something." In that moment, she took an object out of her pocket and hold it up for Akko to see. It was a silver locket shaped like a diamond, hanging from a delicate silver chain that looked almost white. "It's been in my family for generations, but I'd like you to have it." She explained. "I put a protection spell in it, just in case."
Akko's eyes opened to the size of plates. That locket… it probably cost as much as the entirety of her material possessions, especially if it was an ancient relic! And Croix was just giving it to her for free? Just like that?!
"I-I… I can't accept it!" She protested. With her luck, it'd probably get destroyed within the first few seconds of being in her hands.
"Of course you can!" Croix countered, trying to give it to Akko, but the girl refused, taking a step back.
"It's a family heirloom! You can't just give it to me!"
"It's my heirloom and I do what I want with it." She countered. "It really means nothing to me, but silver is easier to enchant. That's why I'm giving it to you."
"Croix…" Akko started, but was cut off when Croix literally put the necklace on her without permission. "I'm not really a jewelry type of girl…" She tried with an awkward smile.
"It's for your safety." Croix reiterated with an air of finality, which made the younger girl think that there was probably nothing that could convince Croix to take her necklace back. Not with an ominous storm approaching, at least.
Croix was just very protective of her. It reminded her of her mother, and that made her smile.
"Thank you." Akko hugged her tightly, trying to express all her gratitude with just that simple action. Not really for the necklace, but for everything she'd done for her that day; for being there for her, for teaching her a spell, for… for just… existing. Akko simply was very grateful to have Croix in her life.
"Kid… I…" But whatever Croix was going to say was interrupted by a loud voice that almost made Akko jump out her skin.
"Atsuko Callistis!" The girl in question let go of Croix and turned around to see… yep. That was Professor Nelson there. With a very unamused expression too.
"H-hey." She stuttered, feeling her stomach drop and her palms become sweaty, as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't.
"The headmistress requests your presence in her office immediately." She said with a voice that left no room for objections, which made Akko believe this was all probably about what happened with Hannah and Barbara. What was weird is that Akko didn't feel like her glare was directed towards her, but to her companion, thought she figured it's because witches aren't very trusty of normal people. She sighed and turned to Croix.
"I'm sorry… I gotta go." She said with a grimace. She really didn't want to go.
"It's okay. We'll see each other soon." Croix assured her with a gentle smile.
"Yeah…" Akko really didn't want to go back to Luna Nova yet. She'd had so much fun with Croix! And she'd learned a new spell too! Which was more than she could say about the school. But… no matter. She knew she had to face the consequences of her own actions.
"Go." Croix encouraged her with a gentle shove in Nelson's direction.
"See you later, Croix!" Akko waved at her as she went with the professor, who quickly grabbed her almost aggressively and started guiding her towards the leyline, all the while keeping her eyes glued to Croix.
"See you… Akko."
A/N: Hey! Sorry about the massive delay. I was going through some things and had the worst case of writer's block ever :p. But I'm good now, so I should start updating regularly for now on. Thank you for reading, and if you want to leave a review/fav/follow, it'd be really appreciated.
Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13.
Also, since I probably won't post another update before this year is over, hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!