Author's Note: Well, it looks like two chapters after I ask for thirty followers, you boys give me forty. That's just some top notch amazing stuff! Just to put that in perspective, I almost double in about two months what it took me over a year to achieve! I was going to ask you guys to bump me up to forty, in exchange for a spicy reward, but I don't even need to ask! What is this reward? I am going to show you loyal and lovable followers my first fanfiction ever. Yes sir, in all of it's unedited, grammatically incorrect, and horrible glory. I'll put it in next chapter, as a Brink of Salvation excerpt. But before we begin with this impactful chapter, let me respond to what seems like a European commenter:
"HER NAME IS LOTTE ISN'T IT!
OH MY GOODNESS
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
HIGH HO THE DAIRY O'
AND BINGO WAS HIS NAME O' !
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
LOOTTTTEEEE!"
Yes, her name is Lotte, you European.
'Europeans are an anomaly at best. They are a race of utter weaklings. The European body is so weak, so fragile that when they blow their nose, eighty percent of what comes out consists of blood and brain matter. They have shown themselves to be susceptible to all manners of manipulation. Whether it was Hitler, or the European leader Pol Pot, manipulating Europeans is hardly a complex task. Europeans have always been swayed by the promise of free stuff. But why and how? Well children, this can all be explained by The Carbonaro Effect. Now, The Carbonaro Effect is when you tell any European that they can do something. Whether it's saying that they can dribble a ball without breaking their hands, or convincing them that they are immortal, the undeveloped mind of a European will believe it. Now that the European believes it to be true, their body will soon follow. Thus The Carbonaro Effect has begun. This is similar to The Placebo Effect, but it's only for Europeans.
But, it's not just the European elite that can sway the inferior viewpoints of those who inhabit the dust ball of Europe. There is a worldwide conspiracy to harness the unholy and unconstitutional power of The Carbonaro Effect. Bilderberg is a very secretive organization, only allowing the most elite of the Americans and Europeans to attend their meetings. The thought of dirty Europeans and blessed Americans intermingling already makes me want to vomit. However, it's their plans that completely eclipse those past worries. They plan on hacking every newspaper, every television (that is, if there is electricity in Europe), and give a message to the entire European race. That's right, trillions and trillions will hear this one sentence: "You are invincible and I am your God."
Now imagine trillions, no, hexillions of Europeans, all united under one superhuman, an American. Yeah, talk about human wave tactics, am I right? The Stockton Boyz would say that I'm righter than my right hand.
Do I need to say more? A turncoat American and European alliance controlling an army of immortal screechers is a very scary thought. It all apart of the plan. The refugee crisis was created to just squeeze in a few more Europeans into the Bilderberger's forces. But don't lose faith, the leader of Bilderberg, Hillary Clinton, will have her clit flying on an American flag before the day is done.'
My irregular reading session is brought to an end as the sound of knocking comes from my chamber door, only this and nothing more. Being so absorbed in the book, the time has slipped by me. To confirm this fact, I look at my clock, realizing that it's now four in the afternoon.
Closing the book, I get up from my table, and open my dorm door.
In the hallway stands Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka.
Well, I haven't heard of these three since Diana showed us just how scary she can be. That was a month ago, I wonder why they're coming to me now.
"Yo bud, you free right now?" Amanda asks with one of her intense smiles.
"I'm not doing much right now, why?"
"We're going shopping for some parade supplies. You know, paint, streamers-"
"And snacks." Jasminka adds.
"And snacks." Amanda parrots, shooting a smirk at the food fanatic.
Amanda looks back at me.
"So, what do ya think?"
"I don't have any money to give." I say bluntly.
"Nah, nah, nah." Amanda mutters, waving my response away with one hand. "We've got school funds to pay for the parade. We just need a few extra arms to help carry."
Since it's the weekend, I've got nothing better to do than study. Besides, Christmas vacation is starting soon. I might as well do something with my classmates.
"Fine, I'll help. Just don't expect me to do a lion's share of the work."
"Fair enough, follow us." Amanda requests.
I leave the room, following the three down the hallway. We walk outside, until we finally stop at the front of the school. Waiting on a nearby bench sits Akko and Sucy, while Lotte stands next to the Filipino.
Strange, after not seeing much of them for a month, I at least expected Akko to greet me with some kind of friendliness, especially Lotte. But that's not what's happening at all.
Akko is currently pouting, looking very glum, while staring at the ground. Lotte on the other hand holds no emotions, her glasses shine with an unknown silver tint. She stares blankly off in the distance, not completely aware of her surroundings. What happened to Lotte and Akko? The only other time I've seen the Finn in such a state was during the whole dead dog dad situation. Akko's bubbly attitude was only stifled when she first heard about the parade, but she still can't be mad about that, can she? I glance at Sucy, hoping to find answers. Unfortunately, her normally stoic face reveals nothing.
The three don't notice us.
"Okay girls, Ted's here!" Amanda calls out.
Akko slowly glances up, faking a weak smile, before dipping her head down again. Lotte doesn't even respond, as she continues to stare blankly.
"So, are we going shopping, or not?" Sucy asks in her deadpan manner.
"We're all here, so yeah." Amanda says.
With that Sucy and Akko both get up, walking over to the rest of the group, as they leave. Lotte continues to stare off into space.
Okay, now I'm starting to worry. The last thing Lotte would want would be being ditched by her friends. I think it goes without saying when I say that something definitely happened. Whether it's was between Akko and Lotte is hard to tell. Maybe something collectively went wrong with both of them.
I put a hand on her shoulder, saying
"Hey Lotte, we're leaving."
She suddenly snaps back into reality, before looking at me with a thin, fake smile.
"Oh, hey Theodore. I didn't know you were here."
Without saying anything else, she gets up, walking towards the already mobile group.
As I try to follow, her pace quickens until we are near the front of the group.
"Are you okay?" I ask, walking up to her side.
"Could you...could you please leave me alone for now?" Lotte quietly begs, energy non existing in her voice.
Completely flabbergasted, I stop dead in my tracks.
Of all people, she's rejecting me? I would think that after what we went through together, we would at least seek each other out should a problem such as this would arise. I mean, if I can trust her with the knowledge of a god whose very number of believers dictates his power, I thought she could at least tell me this.
Well, maybe the problem doesn't require my involvement, like her's did. If it is indeed just a friendship problem, then that problem should be solved by the two friends, not an onlooker.
As I think these thoughts, I find myself drifting off into the back of the group, where the other group is.
Amanda playfully slings an arm around my shoulder, pushing me forward, while saying
"Don't push your luck bud, she's been like that all morning."
"What happened?" I ask.
"Dunno, maybe Sucy slipped her some wacky mushrooms, or something." The redhead guesses.
I don't think so. I've only seen Sucy experiment on Akko, and occasionally me, but never Lotte.
The discussion ends as Jasminka lets out a sad sigh.
"Oh shoot." She declares, looking into her empty wallet.
She stares longingly, before saying
"I'm going to do something that I don't normally do."
Eat a salad?
She looks at me, asking
"Could I borrow some money? I promise I'll pay you back with lots of candy."
"For what?" I inquire.
"Candy, but not for the parade, for me."
"So, let me get this straight. I'm going to give you money so you can buy candy, and then pay me back with candy?"
"It's an investment." Jasminka urges.
"I'm sorry, I didn't bring any." I respond. "I was told I just needed to carry stuff."
"Oh, speaking of money..." Amanda begins, digging into her pocket. "Here's a couple hundred pounds. Go and buy some fireworks."
I take the money, asking
"Don't you think that's a little excessive?"
The redhead snorts, saying
"Who cares?! It's the school's money anyway."
"If you say so..." I mutter, putting it into my satchel.
We eventually make our way to the market place. The sheer size of it is definitely not what I expected. Everyone from everywhere gathered around, huddling around hundreds of stalls that extend for hundreds of meters, selling their wares or eagerly buying their desires.
"Let's meet here when we're done." Amanda instructs.
"Okay." Akko agrees.
With that, we all split off into different groups. Akko, Lotte, and Sucy in one, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka in the other, while I walk alone.
I browse the stalls, looking for a fireworks vendor. I spot a guy selling flowers, someone selling kitchen ware, and another selling what looks like old garage junk.
I lose myself in the sea of stalls, completely cut off from the others, eyeing around for any note worthy commodities.
I stop as I spot a familiar face amongst the merchants. A girl with black hair, glasses, and a cane. However, instead of a school uniform, she's wearing one of her own shirts. It's a solid black color, which reads 'I before E, my gf is a C'.
"Yo." She casually greets me.
"Oh, hi Melisa." I respond. "What are you doing here?"
"Just trying to make an honest living. I have to pay for my tuition somehow."
"Tuition to where?" I ask.
"Yamaku Academy." She responds.
I give her a confused stare.
Am I supposed to recognize that name?
"It's a school for the disabled in Japan."
"You know..." She continues. "On account of my leg, I think Yamaku is the place to be."
"Aren't you Brazilian? So, you learned English, and now you're forcing yourself to learn Japanese?"
"Yeah, but I watch anime, so I'm basically already an expert." She declares, folding her arms proudly, smirking to herself.
I don't think it's that easy.
"By the way..." Melisa continues. "...after we left class I stalked you for a bit and heard your conversation with Cavendish." She puts a few fingers to her eyes, sniffling all the while.
"That makes me really sad you know, that you were willing to lie about our duel just to impress some girl."
As if by some pill, her past happiness returns in droves.
"Anyway, you wanna buy something? Khajiit has wares, if you have coin."
It was more about keeping my self esteem, than impressing Diana. Besides, if I wanted to impress her, passing an advanced class would not suffice. On another note, were those tears real? Knowing her track record when it comes to creating false emotions, it would be best if I ignore her weeps.
"Do you have any fireworks?" I ask as I continue to eye her merchandise.
She shakes her head, saying
"No, no fireworks. But I am selling plushies of demons and monsters. I'm also selling trading cards of The Garbage Pail Kids..." She follows up with a quick "...and also gremlins."
I eye more of what she offers.
Although I'm not jumping for joy at the idea of The Garbage Pail Kids trading cards, I am interested in her dolls. Not for me, but for Lotte.
Something awful clearly happened to her, to her, and Akko. I might get something for Akko later, but Lotte is more of a priority. I'm not trying to butter her up for romance, or anything. It's just a little something to say 'I care.'
"Do you have any other dolls or plushies, preferably the non demon kind?"
That would be something for Sucy.
"Oooh? Are you trying to win the heart of a Luna Nova student?" She playfully asks, winking at me.
"No, I'm just-"
"I get it." Melisa says, cutting me off. "First you give her the doll, then you give her the D."
I feel my face grow warm.
"Melisa, please-"
"But don't give her the candy, cause then you'll have to give her the C, and that's my job."
"Can you just supply my demand?" I beg, not wanting to hear anymore of her perverted personality.
"Now you're speaking my language!" Melisa declares.
She places a toy on the table, claiming
"It's very popular in Germany and Japan."
Okay, something about this doll looks very, very familiar. The doll has a pale skin complexion, black shoulder length hair, glasses, as well as holding a miniature cane.
I look back at her, slightly annoyed.
"It's also on sale at your local toy store for $5.99." She claims.
I've never seen this in Italy, nor England.
"Is that you?" I ask, pointing at the doll in question.
"Yeah!" She proclaims with pride. "If you want, I can make you into a doll too. Although, it'll have about a seventy percent markup on account of your nose. All the extra fluff and stuff, ya know?"
"Do you have anything else?" I ask, dodging her question.
She thinks for a bit, before digging around in a box.
She pulls out what looks like an old Teddy Bear, placing it on the table.
"I do have an old build-a-bear from build-a-bear workshop, where best friends are made."
Just as she said, it's an aged, dusty Teddy Bear. It has seen better days, as its fur is matted, and it's missing one of its eyes.
Lotte likes old stuff, right? I remember her telling me that spirits reside in old objects.
Melisa becomes impatient at my continued monologue, as she hastily says
"Anyway, I'm almost out of stock, so either buy something or leave forever."
That's a little harsh.
"Okay, I'll take it." I say, finishing out a hundred pound bill. "How much?"
"Bout 6.27. Would that be cash or cred?"
"Can you break a hundred?" I ask, handing her my money.
Melisa's eyes sparkle as they cross paths with the money.
She greedily snatches it in her hands, eagerly chuckling to herself all the while.
"Hehehe, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were making moves on me. Oh baby, Im gonna have some sweet dreams tonight!"
After a few more seconds of her leering, she finally completes the transaction, giving me the doll and my change.
"Anything else?" She asks.
"No, I'm fine. Besides, I better get back to finding fireworks."
"Okay, goodbye forever Theo."
I begin to walk amongst the stalls again, looking for anything related to fireworks. I spot a wine vendor, someone selling books, and another trying to trade away pillows.
After a few more minutes of walking, I spot another familiar face. Like my past encounter, he is in a vendor's stall, however unlike my past encounter, this one is an overweight, out of shape, balding, lonely man. Do my eyes deceive me?
I cautiously walk up to him.
"Beef Mc Whatnow?" I ask.
"Ho-ho-ha!" He bellows, full of jolly. "If it isn't the boy with a nose the size of New Orleans!"
That's a strange comparison.
"What are you doing here?" I ask. "Doesn't your brother own The Magic Items Cafe?"
"Yeah, but during our family reunion we had a real rager. I'm here to help pay for the damages."
He pauses, before saying
"By the way..."
Please no.
"...I have to apologize for something."
I sigh, asking
"Now what?"
He glares at me, saying
"My last name is Whatnow, not Nowwhat."
As if to shake the anger out of him, he begins to violently shake his head, his greasy hair flailing around.
"Anyway..." He continues. "...I introduce myself as your husband quite often."
I think this is the weirdest apology he's made to me yet. My mind can only guess at what he means.
"Can you explain?" I ask, not knowing if I really want to hear the answer.
"For instance, at the family reunion, we were browsing through the security footage, when I saw you and Lotte. I pointed at you, saying to my brother, Linguica Mc Whatnow, 'See him over there? That's my wife.' I've said that I'm your husband many times."
What? Why? So, some guy is flopping around England, saying that he's married to me?! Again, I ask, why?!
I try to contain my inner emotions, asking
"How do people respond?"
He casually answers, saying
"Oh, they say 'That's nice. How did you two meet?' And then I go on about how we met."
A teenager marrying a middle aged man? And people respond with 'That's nice.'?! I swear, political correctness has gone too far. But still, I'm curious above something.
"How did we meet?" I ask.
"We met at a fundraiser in eighty-nine."
The way he's saying this, it's like he actually believes it himself!
"I wasn't born in eighty-nine."
"I let everyone know that we have a great marriage." He continues, ignoring my comment. "Your parents and I have to work at our relationship though."
"Especially since they don't know you."
"But, I do apologize for that. Do you accept my apology?" He asks.
"Sure." I say.
Really, this whole thing is strange. The sooner I forgive him, then maybe the sooner I can leave.
"I was wondering if I could have a quick hug of forgi-"
Beef Mc Whatnow stops himself, as his gaze shifts to what's behind me, fear engulfing his face.
"Oh no, it's them!" He declares, immediately cowering under his stall.
"Who?" I ask, turning around.
Here I stand face to face with three boys. They are all around the same height as Constanze, perhaps a little smaller.
The one to the left is a tan man wearing a green hoodie. His white hair is best described as the head of a mushroom, covering his eyes. The one to the right is a white kid wearing a green shirt under his red basketball uniform. His curly brown hair is also covering his eyes.
The one in the middle is also a white male. He is wearing an orange puffer vest over his red shirt. He is also wearing a solid black hat backwards, the bill of said hat dragging across the ground as he walks. All three appear to be no older than fourteen, and are sagging their pants.
The one in the middle appears to be the leader, as he's the first to talk.
"Now, hol' up! Let me break this dowwwn yo. Mr. Big Nose Boi, you're in ma market. In ma town!"
His friends on either side begin shaking their heads in confirmation, muttering
"Mhm hmm."
"Without showin' ma the proper respect?!"
He turns to the white one, shouting
"Am ah right?!"
"Yeah!" He responds.
The leader asks the same question to the tan man.
"You are righter than ma right haaaand." He responds, holding out his left hand before standing back at attention.
"Now, tell me..." The leader asks his associates. "Wha happens to Big Nose Boi when he shoves his big nose onto our turfs?"
"He gets smuuushed like an aaaant on the siiiiidewalk!" The white one responds.
Well, this is certainly unexpected. After my encounter with Beef Mc Whatnow, I didn't think this day could get any weirder. What a foolish thought that was! Under the mass confusion floating in my mind, the only fitting question is
"Who are you?"
The middle man's eyes go wide, as he is taken back at my lack of knowledge.
"Who are we? Who are we?!" He demands, clearly offended.
He puts his hands to his mouth, and screeches to the heavens
"Stockton Boyz say ho!"
A response comes from his two friends. But not only his two friends, no. Everyone in the surrounding area, seller and buyer, screams
"Ho!"
The leader looks back at, smirking all the while.
"So, now ya knows wha yo really in fo'! Ba prepared boi, cause now we's bout to get freaky on ya!"
If Mr. Brink was right about one thing, then maybe he was right about another. He said that Europeans are easy to manipulate, and according to him, The Stockton Boyz are Europeans. Let's see how far his book goes.
"No." I say, refusing the fight.
"Wha yo say?" The leader demands.
"No!" I say sternly.
The three cower back at my sudden change in tone.
Tears well up in their eyes, their knees shaking in terror.
"O-oh...yeah..." The leader crocks out.
He and his two friends stumble backwards, not taking their eyes off of me, as if I'd pounce at any moment.
In one last spout of courage, the leader screams
"Ya have ah huuuge fuckin' nose!"
Without a moment to spare, the three break off sprinting for their lives, until they're out of sight. Out of sight, but not out of mind.
"I can't believe you just did that." Beef Mc Whatnow admits, rising from his hiding spot.
"Well, I wasn't about to beat up three kids." I reason.
"It's just that...no one stands up to The Stockton Boyz..."
Beef pauses for a bit, before saying
"So, about that hug of forgiveness..."
Best not to, I've wasted enough time with Beef and The Stockton Boyz. I need to find some fireworks fast.
"No, I'm fine."
"K man, keep it rigid." He proclaims.
With that, I carry on, eyeing every booth that I come across. Let's see, there's a booth for hand crafted wooden boxes, old hand me down clothes, and plushies of Melisa. I guess Melisa wasn't kidding when she said her doll was in high demand.
A little more walking later, and I find it, a booth that sells fireworks. It's about time.
I walk up to the stall, noticing that the vendor has his back to me, organizing stuff on his shelf.
Noticing a bell on his table, I ring it.
The person turns around. He's a very old man with a long white beard that scrapes the ground, complete with an eyepatch on his right eye.
Once he turns around, he puts on a friendly smile, greeting me with a
"Ah, hello Cooper!"
"I'm not Cooper." I explain.
He raises an eyebrow, demanding.
"Who is this Cooper you speak of?"
A few seconds of silence pass before he returns with rage.
"My fireworks are not for sale!"
I cast my eyes at his wooden sign. In red handwriting, it says
'Fireworks for sale'
He notices my gaze, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt, lifting me up, shouting
"You fool!"
He narrows his eyes at me, whispering with malice
"Deanna doesn't love you, Soprano..."
"Eh, okay?" I nervously respond.
"You dare not respond to me Nightcore Miku?!"
He drops me to the floor, saying
"Get off of David's patio, before I get my beating stick!"
He then walks over to the back of his stall, glaring at me all the while.
I quickly leave, walking aimlessly.
What was that? Who was that? This day has been very strange. First Lotte cuts me off, then I have an encounter with Melisa, Beef Mc Whatnow is telling people that we're married, The Stockton Boyz harass me, all in my quest for fireworks. And when I finally find a vendor...I can't even describe what happened. All of this for a parade that I'm not even supportive of. Maybe I should just go back to my dorm, and-
"What?!" I hear Akko scream from somewhere in this sea of shops. "You're always acting so stuck up, and you're always making fun of me, and laughing at me! Don't you dare treat me like your stupid guinea pig anymore Sucy!"
Ugh, now what?
I quickly move my way over towards the direction of the sound. First depression, and now anger? It's no surprise when I say that Akko is normally a loud girl, quick to bursts of anger, but nothing like this. This was even worse than the rage I witnessed in her room. That wasn't some random cry of displeasure, I sensed something real in her tone. It's as if whatever she's holding back has just bubbled to the surface.
Once I finally get to the two, I see Akko mere centimeters from Sucy, rage radiating from her scowling face.
"I'm through with you!" Akko shouts.
Before any response comes from Sucy, Akko begins to run away, only to stop, turning back to face her.
"I'm not kidding!"
Repeating the same steps, Akko begins running again, only to stop once more.
"I'm never going to speak to you!"
Again, she repeats her actions.
"Stupid Sucy, mushroom freak!"
Then Akko takes off for good this time, running away until she is fully out of sight, consumed by the stalls.
I turn back to Sucy. Her face is as stoic as ever, but too stoic. It's as if she's trying to hide her true emotions. Whether that be sadness are perhaps her own anger is hard to tell.
Feeling a bit uneasy, I walk over to her, asking
"Sucy...what happened?"
Without responding, she turns around, walking away until she too is out of sight.
What is this? A sudden shout from Akko, and now everyone's avoiding each other? Are Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka also sharing this attitude? Could something have happened during one of their parade meeting? But what action could cause so much friction? So many questions, but none answered. Well, if I want just that, I better find Akko.
With haste, I jog in the direction that Akko took off to.
After I make my way to the other side of the market, I finally find her. She's sitting at the base of some kind of statue made out of giant curved stones pointing at the sky. A wooden sign next to the statue reads 'Sacred Stones of the witch Jennifer. Legend says Jennifer contained great misfortune within in the stone's circle.'
Akko, however, is showing more misfortune than these stones can even imagine. With her head lowered in shame, staring at the ground with sorrow, it's hard to believe that this is the same girl who seems to lighten up the room with only her personality.
"Akko, what happened?" I ask.
Again I'm met with no reply.
I put my hands to my hips, letting out a long sigh.
Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka appear behind me. All three have bags filled to the brim with newly bought supplies. The redhead greets me with a smile.
"Heya bud, how's it goin'?" She asks in a friendly tone.
Without answering, I look at Akko. Amanda's mood drops as she too sees Akko in her current state.
"What's wrong Akko? Did something happen?"
Not getting a reply, Amanda looks around, asking
"Where are Lotte and Sucy?"
Amanda glances at me.
"I have no idea." I respond.
Seeing as she won't get answers, Amanda sighs to herself, taking a sip from her soda.
Suddenly, a tomato flies out of nowhere, smacking against her drink, knocking it out of her hand, as it spills out on the ground.
"Hey!" Amanda angrily protests, glaring at where the tomato came from.
Five boys now stand in front of us. One of them looks like Bonz from Yugioh. Another two look Indian, both twins with their hair done up. One is wearing a white shirt and blue pants, while the other has a blue shirt and white pants. That appears to be the only physical difference. Then we have a big guy who looks like he could be Chris Christie's son, his belly distended. Finally we have the short, white male standing in the middle of the ground. He wears a pink shirt. All five of them bare smirks, none of them look like they want to make friends.
"You're witches, right?" The pink shirt kid asks, pointing at us.
"Yeah, and what exactly is your point?" Amanda annoyingly asks.
"You've been casting weird spells all day in that old moldy building, right? Boiling worms, and lizards, and stuff?" He asks.
These kids have some nerve. All we wanted to do was perform a parade which would be loved by all, not just our kind, but townspeople alike. These words are also similar to what my family experienced long ago. Sure, these kids may not be the same as those who led to my family's destruction, but they surely are reminding me of it.
I grit my teeth together as I try to maintain my composure.
"That's so creepy!" The Indian kids both exclaim.
"So lame!" Chris Christie's son adds.
Anger getting the better of me, I slowly move my hand into my satchel, gripping the hilt of my wand.
I can just zap them, nothing worse than a shock. Hopefully then they'll leave us alone.
"Witchcraft is for old folks, right?" The creepy one asks.
"Did you know they don't even have cell phones?" The pink guy asks.
"Do they even know what a phone really is?" Chris Christie's son jokes.
I slowly begin pulling it out, only stopping as Akko suddenly speaks out.
"You guys are the ones who are behind the times, not knowing how amazing magic is!"
I ease my grip on the wand. Maybe I don't need it.
"We can do so many things, it's way cooler than your cell phones. We'll show you exactly what witchcraft can do at the parade-"
Her speech is ended as the pink shirt kid heaves a tomato at Akko's face.
In an instant, I rip my wand out of my satchel, shooting a small bolt of lightning. Only centimeters from Akko's face, the tomato explodes as my spell makes contact.
Angered at the attempted abuse, Akko pulls out her wand, gritting her teeth in rage.
"Let's go guys!" The pink shirt kid shouts, holding another tomato.
The red spheres fly, as Akko and I take a defensive stance next to each other. We both conjure our ward spells, forming them together to create one giant shield.
The tomatoes smack against our magic, splattering on impact, and creating a messy red pile at our feet.
"Oh man, so much for changing the negative image of witches." I hear Amanda mutter, as she and her friends take cover behind the stones.
As we continue to hold back their barrage, from behind us a constant stream of blue magic whizzes over our heads, towards the kids. Turning around, I see Constanze has joined in on our crusade, firing energy from some kind of gun like contraption she made. In response, the kids take cover behind nearby construction barriers. Enough defense, now's my chance!
Canceling the ward spell, I point my wand at the first kid I see, one of the Indians.
"Murowa!" I shout.
A light blue ball of magic rockets out of the wand, flying at high speeds. It strikes the target, exploding into pure electricity, relentlessly electrocuting the boy, himself falling to the floor.
I point my wand at the other Indian boy.
"Murowa!"
A scream of pain later, and the boy joins his friend on the ground, all in mere moments.
"That will teach you to watch your mouth." I comment.
I have to admit, these kids are dumb, coming here expecting to win a fight against magic uses.
After thousands of years, I can at least deliver my own form of revenge. These kids may not be barbarians or inquisitors, but I'm not picky.
I aim my wand at the tall one, Chris Christie's son.
"Murowa!" I shout.
Surprisingly, only a puff of blue smoke eeks out.
That's it? Where's the righteous retribution? Maybe I pronounced it wrong.
"Murowa!" I scream.
What's going on? It was working a second ago. Why is it stopping now-
"Why won't it work?!" I hear Akko cry out.
Turning towards her, I see she too is having wand troubles.
"That's weird." Akko mutters, looking over her wand.
As she continues to inspect it, a tomato flies, hitting her in the face.
Looking back towards the boys, they have abandoned their positions, standing up as they pelt us.
"The enemy is out of magic, now's our chances!" The pink shirt informs the two that are left.
A tomato hits me in the arm, another hits me in the chest, and a third in the face.
"Why you?!" I angrily yell, wiping the goop from my face, all the while standing up.
I glance at Akko, who seems to have taken a thousand tomatoes, the red insides completely bury her.
"Hey, that's enough you guys!" Amanda shouts, leaping out of her hiding place, her and Constanze running towards the boys.
I join them, as we both rush them. Amanda grabs one of the kids by his pink shirt, while Constanze goes for the creepy one.
I stare at the only opponent left as he stares back.
"Jeez I'm like double your size. Don't you have any bigger people I could fight?" Chris Christie's son jokes, smirking at me.
This isn't good, I was hoping to fight with the pink shirt kid himself, not this one. He outmatches me easily in both strength and size. Plus with my cast on, I can really only use one hand. But I do have one advantage, an advantage that Romans like me always have against larger threats like him. I'm smarter than him, much smarter.
"Be careful, or else you'll join your two friends on the ground." I warn him.
Even if my bark is worse than my bite, maybe with the right words, I might not need to bite him at all. The best weapon is one that you never have to use, after all.
"You're the one who knocked them out?!" He demands. "I'll beat the witch out of you!" He screams, charging at me.
I suppose diplomacy is out of the question.
Once in reach, he grabs both of my arms, squeezing hard, as he tries to pull me down.
"D-damn." I grunt, struggling to fight back. "Why don't you just let us be?"
"Ha! Why should we give you witches any break?" Chris Christie's son bellows. "You guys are always good for a laugh!"
What a statement!
In anger, I spit in his face.
With his own anger, he spins me around, slamming me on the ground, his knee on my back.
How can I beat this guy, when I'm under his boot?!
Brute force won't do it, and my wand isn't cooperating at the moment. Maybe I can try something that has worked in the past. A strategy that a fellow student employed on me.
It's low, but if it works, that's another story.
"Yes...yes, you're right." I say as pathetically as possible, even adding a few trembles in for effect. "You've shown me the sins of my actions. Truth be told, I've only wanted peace between us."
"Peace?!" He questions. "You knocked out two of my friends, and even bragged about it!"
Damn, this guy remembers like an elephant. Fitting, considering he's the size of one.
"I was bluffing. I would've done anything to drive you people away, almost anything. Just as you do, I care for my friends, and don't want to see them in danger. The spell that I used didn't harm them in any way, it was a mere unconscious spell. I was never going to hurt you or your friends. And that's the truth, I swear. I swear it."
I begin to feel less pressure on my back, as he eases his hold
"If I let you go, do you promise to leave?" He asks.
"Yes, of course. I'll retreat back to my old moldy building, where I'll continue to boil worms and lizards. You'll never see us again."
He hesitates.
"Please believe me!" I beg. "I'm wearing a cast, how could I possibly be a threat?!"
After a few uneasy seconds, I feel his full weight leave me.
I smirk to myself. I can't believe he fell for that one!
I get up as well, turning around to face him, straight faced.
"Yeah..." He says, a little nervous by my harsh gaze. "So, now that you're free, you can-"
He is swiftly silenced, as my fist makes contact with his stomach.
He doesn't even cry out, as he collapses onto the ground.
"Looks like all that muscle of yours was useless. Honestly, what astounding weakness." I point out.
The only response he conjures up is a loud moan, as he continues gripping his stomach.
I take a knee next to him, smirking as he continues to gag.
Truth be told, I can't help to smile at this, nor let out a slight chuckle.
I feel as though I just did my ancestors proud.
I hear a pitter patter of footsteps behind me. Turning around, I see the pink shirt kid and the creepy one, both carrying one of the Indian boys. As they run away, the kid in the pink shirt shouts
"Get up, we're running!"
Upon hearing this, Chris Christie's son attempts to push himself up. As I'm about to deliver a kick to his head, I feel a hand grab my shoulder. Turning around, I see Amanda grabbing onto me.
"Let them go." She says.
I don't protest, those kids aren't worth my time anyway.
The kids run, limp, and hobble until they're out of sight.
Amanda turns to me.
"Now." She starts calmly. "Can you tell me...what the hell that was?!" She screams.
I stare at her, extremely confused.
"What do you mean? I defended myself against an attacker."
"You took it too far!"
"They attacked us!" I point out.
"They're just kids! They don't know any better!"
"Does it matter? They're lucky I didn't do worse."
She sticks out her tongue in disgust.
"You're twisted." She claims.
"My grandpa taught me. He said to be good to your friends, but horrible to your enemies." I explain.
She shoves her face close to mine.
"Then he's twisted too!"
Jasminka decides to step in, putting herself in between us.
"Please stop fighting." She softly requests. "I think we all need some happy flavored candy."
"You're right Jas." Amanda says, sighing.
She backs up, looking at me.
"Sorry bud, getting beat up makes me cranky."
"Apology accepted. What's done is done. At least they won't bother us anymore." I point out.
The red head nods at my reasoning.
I spot the Teddy Bear I bought for Lotte laying on the ground. I walk up to it, picking it up, and dusting it off. As I look it over for any more dirt, I notice the dirt mingling with my own sweat, creating a rather gross combination, comparable to that of mud.
Slightly disgusted, I notice a nearby fountain. After walking to it, I begin to scrub my hand.
Amanda and the rest take a seat at the fountain. While her group claims the steps, Akko looks longingly into the water as she sits on the ledge.
After my clean up, I sit down by Amanda and Constanze.
"Those brats, I can't believe they came to harass us like that." Amanda says, rubbing an injured shoulder.
"No hope for us outside of school. Our energy doesn't last that long." Amanda points out.
"And why is that?" I ask. "My wand stopped working as well."
"We're out of range of The Sorcerer's Stone." She answers.
So we can't use magic when we leave school? That's where Magicus Synthesis comes into play. I guess I don't have it after all.
"Akko..." Amanda begins "...I guess that plan of yours really isn't going to work?"
No response comes from her, as she continues to isolate herself from us.
"What isn't going to work?" I ask.
"She was planning on throwing a giant magical party for the town." Jasminka answers.
Constanze nods, confirming this.
Amanda continues to look at Akko, waiting for some kind of response. However, nothing comes out of her. She continues to act as she has all day, cold and quiet. Honestly, just what happened?
Seeing as she won't get anywhere in terms of dialog, Amanda pops her possibly bruised back, while standing up.
"We're gonna go back now."
Her two friends join her, as they get up and gather the items they bought today.
"See ya." Amanda says, as all three walk off.
That just leaves Akko and I.
I glance at her just as Amanda did. The results are more or less the same. She has her arms wrapped around her legs which are pressed against her chest in the classic depressed posture. She stares longingly into the water, her eyes glistening as the setting sun shines onto them.
"Akko..." I call out.
No response.
Nothing I say can help. Whatever she's going through is something that involves only those who were involved. She just wants to be left alone.
"I'm going also Akko. I hope you have a good night." I say, grabbing the doll, and leaving.
Well, today has been a mess. Akko, Lotte, and Sucy have appeared to fractured. Whatever reason, it must've been a big one. It's unlike Lotte to tell someone to leave her alone, and me of all people, after all we've been through?!
I'm not sure if it'll be today, tomorrow, or next week, but I need to visit her, see what the cause of all this tension is. Who knows, maybe Sucy will satisfy my inquiry. But before I do anything, I'll stop by my dorm. I could use a nap.