A/N: Alright, here it is! The moment you've been waiting for!
This was another chapter that was starting to get very long, so I broke it off and decided to hold off the rest of it for the next chapter (which hopefully won't take very long). I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, as things begin to pick up from here!
Enjoy!
Chapter 11: The Secret Spot
Night had fallen onto the Hadaka Beach Resort. The sun had set and the clear sky was now dominated by the moon.
Everyone had gone back to their rooms to rest up for tomorrow's festival.
But while everyone was turning in for the night, Diana and Akko had other plans.
Diana poked her head out of her room. She carefully looked down the hallways, checking to make sure no one was nearby.
"Okay, the coast is clear," she whispered to Akko.
Diana and Akko walked out of their room, each carrying their spellbooks and a small bag of other magical supplies.
"Why do we have to sneak around?" Akko whispered. "Isn't everyone asleep?"
"There may be some stragglers who are still awake," murmured Diana, "We got to make sure no one sees us or tries to follow us."
Just then, Akko noticed a broomstick leaning against the railing near their room. "Hey, look!" she said in a loud whisper. "Somebody left a broomstick here! Maybe we can fly to the secret spot?"
"Are you crazy?!" Diana asked. "Someone will see us!"
"No, they won't!" argued Akko. "Look around! We're the only ones here!"
Indeed, she and Akko were the only ones up and about.
Diana looked down at the broomstick. Ignoring its plain appearance, she debated on whether they should fly to the secret spot instead of walking there. According to the note she received, the secret spot was quite a distance away. "It would be faster to fly there," she murmured.
Akko then noticed two black sheets draped over the railing. She picked them up and unfurled them. It turned out to be a black cloak that was just long enough to hide their entire bodies. It even had a hood!
"Hey, we can use these as a disguise!" suggested Akko. "They're black, so no one will see us in the dark!"
Akko threw the cloak on and wrapped it around her entire body. "Where did you even find these?" Diana asked as she examined the cloak.
"They were just here hanging on the railing," explained Akko. "Pretty convenient, huh?"
"…yeah, convenient," said Diana.
Secretly, she thought it was a little too convenient. Nevertheless, she threw on the black cloak and raised the hood over her head.
Diana then mounted the broomstick, ready to take off. But she was caught off-guard when Akko suddenly sat behind her. "Alright, let's go!" Akko whispered, proudly.
"What the?! Go find your own broomstick!" snapped Diana.
"But there was only one," replied Akko.
Diana quickly scanned the halls. Unfortunately, there was not another broomstick for Akko to ride on.
Diana couldn't help but pout. It was almost as if someone planned for this to happen.
Then again, even if there was a broom for Akko to use, Diana knew she wouldn't be able to fly on her own.
"Alright fine," she sighed, "you can ride with me. Just make sure you hold on tight."
"No problem!"
Akko then wrapped her arms around Diana. Even though they had cloaks on, she still felt uneasy. "I meant hold on to the broom!" she clarified.
Realizing her mistake, Akko let go of Diana and wrapped her hands around the broom.
And then…they were off! The two witches flew high off the ground and over the railing, out into the open! The sudden take-off caught Akko by surprise! She lost her grip, but she quickly grabbed onto Diana! Diana blushed as Akko held on for dear life. She couldn't bring herself to yell at Akko.
Meanwhile, Hiromi was roaming the resort grounds. She was inspecting all the festival booths and putting the final touches on the decorations.
"Everything's looking good," she said, as she examined the fortune teller tent. "This year's summer festival is going to be great! Even more so if Diana fulfills her end of the bargain."
It was then that Hiromi looked up to the starry sky. She noticed something suddenly flying right over her in the sky. Even in the dark, she knew what it was. "Speak of the devil," she murmured.
Hiromi then looked over her shoulders to make sure there was no one around. Luckily for her, there wasn't. "Perhaps I can…shadow them for a bit," she murmured.
She stuck her hand out and a broomstick suddenly flew right to her.
Diana and Akko flew close to the ground and they soared over the now-empty beach, hugging the rocky cliffside.
"How far are we going?" Akko asked.
"It's a bit far from the main resort," answered Diana. "We have to go to the end of the beach."
Akko then looked up to the sky. Her mouth dropped as she saw a most wonderful sight. "Hey Diana, stop for a moment!" she shouted.
Diana then slowed their broomstick to a crawl. "What's wrong?" Diana asked, somewhat worriedly.
"Look!" exclaimed Akko as she pointed to the sky.
Diana looked up…and when she saw what Akko was seeing, her mouth dropped too.
High above them was a full moon. The glow of the moon lit up the few clouds in the sky and gave the ocean waves a glimmering sparkle.
"It's…beautiful," gasped Diana.
"Look how shiny the water!" swooned Akko. "This place just gets better and better!"
"Yes, yes it does," agreed Diana.
The two wished they could stay in the air and admire the amazing sights around them, but instead they continued on their flight.
Eventually, Diana and Akko reached the end of the beach just a few miles away from the resort. The beach was cut off by a large hill blanketed by a forest of palm trees. "I'm afraid from here, we'll have to continue on foot," Diana said, as she dismounted the broom.
"You think we can take these off now?" Akko asked, referring to the black cloaks.
"Yes, I think we're far enough away where nobody can see us," said Diana.
Akko wasted no time loosening the cloak and having the wind whip it off her body. Even at night, it was very humid, which made wearing the cloaks uncomfortable. The ocean breeze helped to cool Akko down.
"Ah! Nude once more!" Akko sighed as she stuck her arms in a dramatic pose. Diana couldn't help but giggle as she carefully removed her cloak.
"So how much farther do we have to go?" asked Akko.
"It shan't be far," replied Diana. "We just have to follow the path."
"Alright! Let's go!" Akko cheered excitedly.
She then ran past Diana, eager to reach the secret spot. "Akko, wait!" snapped Diana. "You don't even know where you're going!"
Suddenly, she heard a loud smack! Diana raised her wand up and made it glow brightly, giving her enough light to cast away the darkness.
She then saw Akko with her face pressed up against a tree. Diana sighed as Akko slowly peeled herself off the tree. "I…hit my face…" she groaned.
"I can see that," replied Diana. "Now, stay close to me as I lead the way."
And so, Akko stood behind Diana as the two witches began their trek down the beaten path.
As they continued on their way, Akko began to grow nervous. Even with Diana's wand lighting the way, the total darkness beyond the trees made her worried.
Secretly, Diana was worried too. With how dark everything was and with little-to-no knowledge of anything about the secret spot, Diana didn't know what to expect. The note she was given said they would be safe, but Diana wasn't so sure.
Eventually, they arrived at the entrance of a small cave. "Okay, now we have to make our way down this cave," said Diana.
"In there?!" exclaimed Akko. "I don't know, it looks kinda creepy."
"I assure you, there's nothing to worry about," reassured Diana.
"Are we even still on the resort?" Akko asked, suspiciously. "This seems really out of the way for this magical source of energy."
"Do you not want to learn nudist magic or not?" Diana asked, annoyed.
Akko and Diana then carefully took a few steps into the cave.
Suddenly, the cave began to glow, as a trail of fireflies lit up the passageway for them. The two gasped as the fireflies began bobbing up and down along the cave walls.
"Fireflies!" exclaimed Akko. "That's a good sign, right?"
"Come on, let's follow them," said Diana.
Diana lowered her wand as the two trekked down the long, winding tunnel. With the tunnels slightly illuminated, Akko noticed mushrooms growing on the walls. She knew Sucy would have loved it and was almost tempted to grab a few to bring back to her.
Finally, the two reached the end. When they emerged, the fireflies suddenly flew off the walls and swirled around them. "What's happening now?!" Akko asked, worriedly.
Then…a gleaming green light illuminated the ground beneath their feet. Akko and Diana were mystified as the land and everything around it began to light up!
A large lake appeared before them! Behind it was a long waterfall that flowed from the top of the cliff to the water below. Everything was surrounded by high rock walls topped with taller trees to prevent non-magical folk from finding it. The whole area had a brilliant, bioluminescent glow of purple and green!
"Whoa," gasped Akko, her mouth open wide. "This is the secret spot?"
"I know, I'm surprised it's actually real too," said Diana. "Oh! I mean, i-it's so beautiful that I sometimes forget it's really real."
"And you said you just found it while practicing magic?" asked Akko.
"Uh…y-yeah, that's right," said Diana, trying to keep her story together. "I just wanted a quiet place where no one could spot me practicing magic. And so, I ended up here."
"So, this place gave you magical energy?"
"Y-Yes. It did"
"All because you were a nudist?"
"Yes! What is this? Twenty questions?!"
Akko jumped up-and-down in excitement, "We'll then, let's get started!" she shouted.
Akko tossed her belongings off to the side. "So, what do I have to do first?" she asked, impatiently. "Do I have to go swimming in the water? Do I have to drink it? Bathe in it?"
"S-settle down now, Akko!" blushed Diana. "It's not that easy to learn nudist magic. Remember, you have to not only be nude, but also accept yourself without any feelings of shame or embarrassment."
"Right! No shame! No embarrassment!"
Akko then turned to the lake and placed her hands on her hips. She puffed her chest out defiantly. "I'm Atsuko Kagari, nudist witch extraordinaire! And I'm not ashamed of who I am!" she shouted. "I'm gonna be a great witch like Shiny Chariot, even if I have to bare my cooch to everyone!"
Diana shook her head as Akko stood in place, holding her pose. "How's that?" Akko asked.
Diana couldn't help but feel humiliated. Even though they were alone, she still felt as if someone was watching them.
"Let's just start with practicing a few spells," sighed Diana.
Diana set her things down against the rock wall and stood in front of the lake. " Please, please, let this work, " she thought.
"So what spells are we going to practice first?" asked Akko.
Diana peered into her spellbook. Secretly, she was reading the note that she tucked in-between the pages. The note gave her suggestions of the best type of magic to practice. "Seeing as how we're near a large body of water," she said, "I believe it would be best to practice our water magic."
"Uh…water magic?" Akko asked, confused.
"Watch."
Diana closed her spellbook and then held her wand up towards the lake. With a few swirls, Diana was able to "pull" the water up from the lake and hold it in mid-air! Akko's mouth dropped as Diana twirled her arm with the water following her movements. It looked as if the water was dancing in the sky.
"Wow!" Akko said with childlike innocence. "They haven't even taught us how to do that in class."
"Good," said Diana, "it might give us a head start over everyone else."
Diana then ended her spell, allowing the water to fall back into the lake.
"Okay, now you try," she said to Akko.
Akko put on a brave face and rolled up her non-existent sleeves. "Piece of cake," she said, smugly.
Akko took Diana's place and faced the lake.
She held her wand up high and wildly flailed her arms all around. "Water, I command you!" she shouted.
She snapped her wand forward…and nothing happened. She remained frozen in place as she waited for the water to do something. But it did nothing.
"Piece of cake, huh?" sneered Diana.
Akko whipped her arms around again. "Dance for me, water!" she shouted, as she flicked her wand towards the lake.
Still, nothing happened.
"Go, water!"
"Fly!"
"Obey me, lake!"
"Dance, water! Dance!"
Diana shook her head as she watched Akko try again and again to get the water to react to her command. And each time resulted in failure.
"Come on, you stupid lake!" snapped Akko.
Finally, Diana decided to step in. "Do you honestly think insulting the lake is going to help in any way?" she asked.
"What else am I supposed to do?" Akko asked, annoyed. "I'm nude! So why isn't the magical energy working for me?"
"I don't think your nudity is the problem," replied Diana.
"Well then, what am I doing wrong?"
Diana thought about what would be the best way to explain it to Akko. She then saw a stick lying on the ground, which gave her an idea. She picked it up off the ground. "See this stick?" she asked. "Now, let's pretend this stick is your wand."
"Uh…okay?" Akko said, confused.
Suddenly, Diana began fiercely whacking Akko in the head with the stick. "Ow! Hey! Quit it!" cried Akko. "Why are you hitting me?!"
Eventually, Diana ceased her attack. "What was that for?!" Akko asked, angrily.
"I'm just showing you what it feels like to watch you flail your arms around like some madwoman," explained Diana.
She then threw the stick into the bushes. "You must be graceful with your movements, especially with water magic. You never see water moving about like that, do you?"
Diana then demonstrated by twirling her wand around slowly and calmly. "You see?" she asked. "Slow…and graceful."
Akko began copying her movements to better understand what she was talking about. "Good," praised Diana, "now try it again on the lake."
Akko turned to face the lake. She took a deep breath…and started twirling her arms slowly and methodically like Diana. "That's it, just like that," Diana said, coaching her.
Finally, Akko snapped her wand towards the lake and tried to pull the water up into the air. But the water still refused to move.
"It's not working," Akko said, frustrated.
"Perhaps you need to loosen up some more," said Diana. "Try again."
Akko tried her hardest to get the water to float in mid-air. Even after trying to loosen up and stay limber, the lake water refused to move for Akko.
Diana was beginning to worry. While Akko was never a master of any sort of magic, she noticed her magical abilities were somehow even worsethan they were back at Luna Nova. At least at Luna Nova when Akko's magic backfired on her, it did something .
But at the secret spot…nothing.
" Come on, Hiromi, " thought Diana. " Why is this not working for her? Did you set me up?! "
"Come on…" groaned Akko, as the spell failed again.
"Maybe we should try a different spell," suggested Diana.
"No!" snapped Akko. "I'm gonna master this water spell! I can feel it!"
Akko then gave the spell another try.
But nothing happened.
Akko let out a depressed sigh as she fell back into the dirt, defeated. "Come now, Akko," Diana said, trying to motivate her. "We'll just try something different."
But Akko refused to move. She laid on her back with her arms folded over her face. "Actually…it probably is best to take a break," shrugged Diana, "we have been at it for about an hour now."
Diana then sat down next to Akko. Her body shivered as her buttocks made contact with the cold, wet dirt. She looked over to Akko, who was still on her back, feeling frustrated.
Diana couldn't help but feel bad for her, something she never thought would ever happen to her with Akko. Unlike the other times when Akko's magic backfired, she knew it was not for the lack of trying.
She tried to think of something she could say to help lift Akko's spirits, but nothing came to mind.
Finally, Akko spoke up.
"Is it really too much to ask for something to be easy once in a while?" she complained.
"Now, now," replied Diana, "learning magic has never been easy. You've learned that many times by now."
Akko then sat back up. "Yeah, I know," she groaned. "But when you told me about nudist magic, it sounded so simple. Just be nude and all the magical energy will come to you!"
"Well, actually…"
"I know what you're going to say!" interrupted Akko. "But I'm telling you, I'm not ashamed or embarrassed about being naked! At least, not anymore."
Akko stood up and began pacing back-and-forth as she continued her ranting. "I'll admit, before I thought the idea of doing everything clothes-free was really weird and kinda gross. So I was really surprised when you told me you were a nudist, a regular at that."
Diana gulped. "Right…I did say I was a regular here, didn't I?" she asked.
Akko continued on. "But now, having been completely nude for the whole day…I get it! There's nothing weird or gross about it! It really does feel better to do everything without clothes getting in the way! Exercising, eating, swimming…"
Diana smiled as she thought back to everything she and Akko did today.
"And everyone is just so…nice!" said Akko. "The people I've met today were so friendly and helpful! Just talking to them makes you forget that you're even naked!"
Diana didn't agree with that. While everyone had been pleasant to Akko, she couldn't help but feel that there was some mystic force at the resort out to get her.
"It makes me wonder, how much better Luna Nova would be if it were a nudist school?" pondered Akko. "Maybe then, the professors would chill out and the other students would get off their high horse."
"Oh, you're not still on about that idea, are you?" replied Diana.
"Well, why not? It chilled you out, didn't it?"
Diana perked her head up. "Before you were nasty and mean," explained Akko, "you acted like a snob and thought you were better than everyone else. I couldn't stand you!"
"A snob?!" Diana asked, indignantly. "I'm not that bad!"
"Not here you are!" Akko quickly added. "Here, you're much more pleasant! You smile more, you're much more relaxed! It's fun to do things with you now! You even brought me here to help me with my magic! Something you never did back at Luna Nova!"
Akko then sighed. "It's too bad even with your help, I'm still not good at it," she said, sadly.
Akko then began stomping her feet violently. "What more do you want from me, nudist magic?!" she shouted, angrily. "I'm naked! I like being naked! Isn't that enough?!"
Diana felt guilty as she watched Akko vent her frustrations. She tried again to think of some advice that would help Akko, but she couldn't.
Realizing there was nothing else she could say to her, Diana shook her head defiantly. She stood up and tapped Akko by the shoulder. "Akko, there's something I have to tell you," Diana said, sternly.
Akko was put off by how serious Diana looked. "Uh, tell me about what?" she asked, nervously.
"The truth about nudist magic…" said Diana.
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: So, what do you think? You think Diana is really going to tell Akko the truth?
You'll just have to wait and see next time!
