Chapter 60: Wagandea.

I'm in my room, glaring at the ceiling as if it was solely responsible for the ache inside my chest, or the burning feeling in my eyes, or the soreness of my throat. But no; it's Croix. My own girlfriend.

I turn to stare at the wall, closing my eyelids tightly to try and avoid spilling tears when I hear her hurtful words echo inside my head over and over again. "They will forget about you!" "Your dream will be gone" "You'll be all alone". That's what she said. And it hurt.

It hurts that after so many months of hiding the truth, fearing that she would find out eventually and lash out at me… those fears weren't unfounded. I wished she was happy for me; for finally having my dream come true, for… for being so loved by everyone! Everyone except Croix, that is.

Does she even love me anymore? It sure didn't feel like it. It felt like she hated me, like she despised me… like… like she was belittling me in her mind.

"Stupid Chariot. Just playing games and wasting magic in her silly shows as always. I hate her so much. She won't even be able to find the remaining two words." I can perfectly picture her saying these words as if she were standing here. It's like I'm stabbing myself with a rusty dagger, but I just can't stop those intrusive thoughts!

And besides… as much as it pains me, there's some truth to what she said.

I haven't been searching for the words. I haven't thought once about it being Croix's dream since I became Shiny Chariot. I've been slacking off at school and I haven't practiced strengthening magic. It's almost as if-

No!

No, that's not…! I haven't… I haven't been trying to forget Croix, have I? I mean… I've written her emails. Few and far between. Always omitting the truth. But… I have. It's not like I've been purposely devoting less and less time to her.

… Right?

But it doesn't matter what my intentions were, does it? At the end of the day, I'm still slacking off on everything that Croix and I have built together. And… Although my poor grades and weakening body don't really affect Croix, me putting her dream aside in order to chase my own, does.

Maybe I have been selfish. Maybe I shouldn't have shouted hurtful words in retaliation. And maybe I should apologize to Croix.

But… Will she forgive me? Even if I admit my mistakes… will she just say everything is fine between us? Will our relationship go back to how it used to be? I doubt it.

Croix has always been someone who believes in actions over words. If I say I'll search for the remaining words, she won't buy it, but… what if I found the sixth word? Or at least a lead on how to unlock it? That'll make her see that I'm serious, right? It should prove that I'm not abandoning her dream and being selfish.

But… where do I even start? So many months have passed with no progress at all! I can barely even remember the pronunciation.

Lyonne. The sixth word.

I frown. I think I saw something like that before, but… where? I'm not entirely sure. It sounds kinda like "lion", but I doubt there's any connection there. Maybe something to do with the stars? The Leo constellation? No… that's probably a dead end. But speaking of stars and constellations…

I reach out under my bed and pull out the heavy book with a star symbol on its cover; my family's recorder. I haven't touched it since I brought it back from the trip to my home on my 18th birthday; the day I uncovered the fifth word and hatched a bunch of Pappiliodya. And… I remember it was useful back then so... why not now? Sure, it's not the same, and I doubt any of my ancestors had anything to do with the sixth word, but… maybe. Just maybe.

"Can you tell me something about Lyonne?" I ask hesitantly, unsure it will actually work the same way as last time.

All my doubts are dissipated, however, when the pages start turning on their own until they land on an illustration of a great tree. Immediately after, there's a flash of light and suddenly I'm seeing someone else's memories again.

I'm climbing slowly and steadily through a slope covered in mosses and ferns. As I turn my gaze to the sky, I notice I'm actually climbing a giant tree that goes up as far as the eye can see.

I turn to look back from where I came from, and notice the other trees in the forest already look pretty small from this height, and the full extent of the green landscape is revealed to me. A dark forest that doesn't seem to have an end. It certainly looks familiar.

I turn back to see what's in front of me and then I see some big white flowers, almost the size of balloons, opening up.

"Wagandea's pollen." I say, but it's not my voice. Then, everything disappears once more.

Suddenly I'm back in the present, staring at the illustration on the book. Wagandea, huh? Looks like an important tree. Very tall too. I wonder if I have to climb it in order to learn the sixth word…

Wait, that's it! Lyonne must mean perseverance or something similar, which is why the book showed me a giant tree that one of my ancestors climbed; it's probably the easiest and most effective path to learn the sixth word. I need to tell Croix!

Tucking the book back under my bed, I then put on my shoes and sprint out of my room towards the Astronomy Tower, only stopping once I've reached the door.

I wonder if she's still here. What if… what if she left, enraged about our fight? What if she wouldn't even bother to say goodbye?

No. I shake my head. I need to stay positive. I need to apologize for what happened earlier and then share the good news about the sixth word. If she's not here… then I'll just search the entire school until I find her.

"Croix?" I knock on the door. "Can we talk? Please?" A few seconds pass and everything remains silent, so I frown and knock harder. "I know you're mad, but… please, let's just talk about this, calmly this time." I pause, knowing full well what she wants. "I… I want to apologize."

A few more seconds pass in silence and I huff, annoyed. For Croix's sake I hope she's not ignoring me right now. That would be real mature of her, wouldn't it?

I grab the handle and forcefully push the door open, hearing the telltale crack of the lock giving in under my strength. I'll worry about that later, I suppose. For now, I have to talk to Croix, and sure enough, she's on the couch, half-sitting up and staring at me with wide eyes.

"What the hell, Chariot." She exclaims with a hoarse voice. "I locked it for a reason."

"And I opened it for a reason." I reply stubbornly, crossing my arms over my chest. In response, she just frowns and looks away. After a moment, she then places her feet on the ground, now fully sitting on the couch and leaving a space besides her. I take this as an invitation to sit next to her, and I do just that.

We stay in silence for a few moments; Croix staring at the ground while I stare at her, searching for the right words, but… they keep eluding me. Or perhaps they don't exist. Maybe I should just say something, anything, and hope that'll be enough.

"Listen, about earlier… I'm sorry." I sigh. "I shouldn't have said any of that. I was just angry and I got defensive and… yeah…" I trail off.

Croix runs her hand through her hair and sighs, taking a few moments before speaking as well.

"I'm sorry too." She ends up saying, still not looking at me. "I went too far with the training. I already knew you were in no condition to do it, but… yeah." She sighs again. "I never should have hurt you like that."

Honestly? I wasn't even that mad about the training. I was mostly upset about everything she said about me being Shiny Chariot, but… I guess this will have to do for now.

"So… will you forgive me? Are we good now?" I ask hopefully. Maybe we won't have to climb a stupid tree after all.

"Uhm…" She's looking everywhere but me. "I'd like to say that, believe me, but it wouldn't be sincere." She shoots me an apologetic smile. "I think I still need some time. Preferably alone."

Oh, I did catch that insinuation! Too bad I'm not going anywhere, huh?

"Well… that's good and all, but… I found a clue for the sixth word, and I thought you'd be interested." I smirk. "But if you really insist, I can leave you alone and go search for it on my own."

"W-what?" She asks dumbly, clearly not believing what I'm saying.

"I thought about what you said; about selfishly putting your dreams aside to chase my own." I explain. "So… I did some digging and I believe the key to Lyonne may have something to do with Wagandea."

"Wagandea? The legendary tree?" She furrows her eyebrows.

"Yep!" I nod. "I believe I need to climb it."

"Chariot." She sighs, looking at me with a tired expression. She doesn't seem happy about the news at all. "Wagandea is extremely dangerous. If it's blooming, we could lose our magic."

"So, we should go see if it's blooming or not, right?" I simply answer.

"I really don't think we should go there." She says instead. "I'm sure it's not the only way to unlock the sixth word."

"But it's probably the easiest." I shoot back.

"You don't know that." She frowns.

"I am the owner of the Claiomh Solais. If someone knows what it needs, it's me." I answer, somewhat arrogantly. She just rolls her eyes and then looks at the ground once more.

"The rod chose wrong. It should have been me." She says matter-of-factly. But she might as well have stabbed me in the heart with the pain I'm feeling. "You haven't even properly learned the lessons of the words. You threw all of its teachings in the trash the moment you were offered the chance at being a celebrity."

"Just because I'm Shiny Chariot now, doesn't mean I've forgotten about the words." I shoot back. "It's not something you can just forget about. You'd know if you had been chosen, but you can't even touch the Shiny Rod." I feel the anger slowly rising up from my chest, and I know I need to get out of here before I make things even worse with Croix, so I stand up and look down at her from my position. "I know what I have to do. And I will go to Wagandea, with or without you." I pause, glaring at her.

I turn around and walk briskly towards the door, stopping for a moment to see if Croix will follow me, but… there's no signs of it. Well… I guess I have no choice but going to Wagandea now, considering all that I said.

"I hate you so much right now." I hear Croix's voice, and despite what she says, it puts a smile on my face. I know her well enough to know she's coming.

"So… shall we go now?" I turn to look at her.

"Do I have a choice?"


After changing into our usual magically enchanted clothes and sneaking out of school, we make our way into Arcturus Forest through the Leyline portal. It's been so long since we've been here! The first time I was a dumb first year, just tagging along with my best friend in her dangerous adventure into the forbidden forest. And Croix had been so sure about getting the Claiomh Solais.

How much things have changed after that! For better… and for worse.

I chance a glance at the Shiny Boley in which I am flying right now and sigh. This would have been easier if I had revived all seven words before Croix graduated! Maybe then she wouldn't have minded me becoming a celebrity. Maybe… we'd still be in love.

I shake off the intrusive thought.

Of course we're still in love! We're… we've just been having difficulties lately. But we'll get through it, I'm sure.

"Chariot." Croix calls my attention, and I notice I've fallen behind by a few meters, so I quickly catch up with her. "Try not to get distracted. If you fall victim to a monster again, I won't save you this time."

Some other time, I probably would have just rolled my eyes and not taken her threat seriously, but now? Yeah, she's probably serious, and it rubs me the wrong way.

"If I recall correctly, it was me who defeated a dangerous monster last time." I shoot back. "And the road to Arcturus tower presented itself to me soon after."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression that we had worked as a team, and the road had presented itself to us." She shoots back bitterly. "But I guess at the end of the day I'll never be anything but a sidekick for the mighty Shiny Chariot."

"You're being so stupid right now." I simply say, knowing that continuing this argument won't take us anywhere.

"Look who's talking." She answers, utterly annoyed.

After that, we fall silent as we fly around the forest, looking for the legendary tree. Thankfully it's quite easy to find, since it extends as tall as the clouds, and when we find it, it's just a matter of time before we reach it.

We dismount at the base and lay our brooms down on the floor before walking towards it and looking up at its massive trunk. I don't think I've ever seen anything like this! It's like a spiral tower, wide and tall, imposing and ancient. I wonder just how old it truly is, and what kind of magical properties it may possess.

"Interesting." Croix says, and only then I notice that she's kneeled down in front of the tree and is looking at something.

"What is it?" I ask.

"There's some flower buds here, but they're closed."

"So, is it safe to go up?"

"I don't know…" She trails off, frowning. "I remember reading once that it starts blooming from the very top. If that's the case, it'll be more dangerous the higher you ascend."

"But… I don't see any flowers." I say, squinting at the dark.

"Well, it's your choice." She shrugs, standing up once again. "But I'm not putting myself in danger for you."

"You mean you won't come?" I frown, unable to stop the ugly feeling forming inside my chest. A combination of anger and indignation. I thought we were in this together! Reviving the words is her dream.

"Nope." She says rather casually before going to sit at the base of a nearby tree. "I wasn't chosen by the Shiny Rod, after all. I am not worthy."

Oh, so that's how it's going to be? Very well then.

"You're right. And when I come back with the sixth word, you'll see just why that is."

"Sure, sure." She seems unimpressed by my little outburst. "But when you come back empty handed, scared off by the pollen, I'll just say "I told you so"."

"Maybe I'll lose my magic to Wagandea and then you'll finally get your wish; you'll have the Claiomh Solais all to yourself." Pure rage is fueling my words now, and I know this won't do us any good, but… I can't stop myself. I needed to get this out of my chest. But I don't wait for a reply, and instead turn around and start ascending the tree, trying to put as much distance between Croix and me as possible.

I didn't want this. I never have and never will. But the Shiny Rod chose me, and I'm tired of Croix thinking she knows best when it comes to its magic. I believe in my heart, and my heart tells me that continuing to perform as Shiny Chariot is the right path, but she just doesn't see it. Just as she doesn't see that to unlock the sixth word, I have to climb up this tree, no matter the risks.

But I'll make her see. I'll make her eat her stupid, stupid words.


The ascent is steep, but nothing my legs can't handle, even if I'm still a little fatigued after the "training" with Croix earlier today. Or was it yesterday? What hour is it anyways? Not that it matters, but I do wonder if I'll be able to get to the top before sunrise.

Soon enough, I've climbed above the other trees, but the way to the top still seems almost infinite, so I take a moment to catch my breath, and look around. There's no signs of Croix. Not that I expected anything else, really. Maybe she got tired of me and went back to Luna Nova; I really wouldn't put it past her.

She's always so selfish and so full of herself, and she never respects me. She just thinks I'm a failure, despite everything I've accomplished over the years. She'll never see me as something other than the "silly girl" who got the Shiny Rod by accident. She told me to believe in my heart, but she's never believed in me.

I blink back tears and keep going. Thinking about this won't do me any favors right now. I just need… I need to get to the top and hopefully unlock this stupid word.

So, I keep ascending, only being accompanied by the sound of my footsteps and the wind that seems to actively want to push me off the tree. But I hold on. I have to. If the sixth word is about perseverance, then I will persevere to the very end.


It really feels endless. How much time has passed since I started ascending? Three hours? Maybe more? I'm not sure, but now I'm way far above the rest of the trees, with the grey clouds what seems like only a few more meters away. Maybe I should take another break…

In that moment I hear the sound of a broom flying, and I turn around to find Croix, floating on her broom next to the tree. Well… this is unexpected.

"What do you want?" My tone comes off more defensive than I intended, but that's probably because the exhaustion I'm feeling at this point is starting to cloud my mind.

"Alright, you proved your point." She says, exasperated. "Let's go back? Please?"

I frown at her words.

"Back? Have you seen how much I've climbed already?" I exclaim. "The word could be just a few more minutes away!"

"Your death is a few more minutes away!" She spats. "Look at the buds, Chariot! They're the size of your head now! How much more do you think you'll have to ascend before you start seeing blooming flowers?"

"They're closed tight!" I argue. "You said this tree starts blooming from the top, right? Well, I'm nowhere near the top."

"Seriously, Chariot, do you want to die?" She shouts back. "All these years and you're still the reckless idiot that I always have to save from herself."

I see red at her words. How dare she? I've saved her more times than she has saved me. I've grown so much as a witch! I've unlocked five of the seven words! But I guess to her I'll always be that clueless first year who couldn't cast as spell to save her life. Even after everything we've gone through.

"Come on." She extends her hand for me to take. "Let's go back now while you still have magic."

"No!" Before I can think of what I'm doing, I slap her hand away in anger. "You will never respect me, will you?" I yell furiously at her. "You will never trust me, or my knowledge, or my decisions, o-or my strength, or anything about me! You never have."

"Chariot… that's not-"

"Oh really? Then will you let me keep going? Or will you keep pretending you know better about what's best for me?"

At my words, she looks down at her broom and tightens her grip around the handle, then speaking again without letting her eyes look at me.

"I can't let you keep climbing, Chariot." Her tone is calm, but… there's a certain shakiness to it. Like she's restraining herself. "Say what you want about me; that I don't respect you or that I don't think you're worthy of the words. But at the end of the day, the truth is that you will just put us both at risk. Again."

"But this is what you wanted, isn't it?" I retort angrily. "You wanted me to put my life on hold, and risk everything I have just to fulfill your dream, didn't you? Well, now I'm doing it, so why are you trying to stop me?"

"I wanted you to be more responsible! To not throw everything we've achieved together down the drain just because I'm not with you 24/7 anymore!" She spats back. "But that's exactly what you're doing right now by unnecessarily putting yourself at risk. And I really don't want to lose my magic just to save you."

"You don't have to save me." I reply angrily. "I will unlock the sixth word before it comes to that."

"But what if you don't?" Her gaze finally lands on me once again. Almost… scared. Not for me, however; for her precious magic, I'm sure.

"You don't have to save me." I repeat, and with a simple shrug, I keep ascending. I think a part of me just wants to get as far away from Croix as possible. Away from the one who says she loves me, but has never believed in me.

"You're… crazy!" I hear her exclaim out of frustration, but she makes no further attempt at following me. Good. I don't need her negative attitude if I'm to unlock the sixth word.


A few more minutes pass, and the sky has never looked darker. Maybe I've reached the clouds, I'm not sure, but the only thing I can see clearly are the flower buds, glowing with white light in the dark.

Ugh. Maybe Croix is right. These things look like they're about to open. Maybe I should go back.

No.

I take the rod out of my sash and stare at it, but the sixth gem still remains as lifeless as ever.

I frown.

Have I not persevered enough? How much more do I have to ascend? Do I have to lose my magic for it to work? That hardly seems fair… but what choice do I have, really? Going back to Croix with my tail between my legs? It might sound dramatic, but I'd rather die.

With a sigh, I keep ascending, but there's not much conviction on my steps anymore. Maybe Croix is right. Maybe I am a stubborn idiot. But… maybe the rod chose me precisely because of that. Someone like Croix would never put herself at risk like this, not even to unlock a word.

Or to save me.

I shake my head to get rid of the thought. I said she wouldn't have to save me and I meant it. So, what if the pollen catches up to me? I'll just cast a spell or something. Wait… will a protection spell even work on pollen? I'm not sure about that, actually.

This is stupid. Why am I even doing this to myself? To prove a point, like Croix said? I don't even know what my point is. Maybe I'm really just trying to unlock the sixth word, but… in that case, then why do the gems remain unlit?

Suddenly, I hear… something. It's similar to the sound a grapefruit makes when you open it, but what….

I turn around and see that the buds have opened up their petals and released the deadly pollen. All the buds around me. I'm trapped between two impossibly big clouds of orange powder.

My heart starts beating hard inside my chest, my hands are trembling and I'm sweating cold.

This is too sudden! How am I supposed to get out of this situation? My mind is clouded with panic and I can't remember a barrier spell. But… I guess I could at least fly down?

I slowly take a few steps backwards, trying to put some distance between me and the deadly pollen, while tightly clutching the rod. Shakily, I pronounce the fifth word.

"Sybilladura Lelladybura."

Nothing happens. I can't use the words when I can't concentrate on anything but my fear. Still, I try again as I continue backing up away from the pollen.

"Sybilladura Lella-" I do a sharp intake of breath as suddenly my foot steps on the void, and I barely have time to brace myself before I'm rapidly falling towards the ground, a great distance down below. Above me, all I can see is orange clouds of pollen, rapidly descending towards me.

And then, suddenly, my head hits a branch of the tree and, with the searing pain, my vision starts getting blurry, and I feel my consciousness slipping away, no matter how much I try to grasp it.

This is the end, isn't it?

Croix won't save me. Not after everything I said. I was a fool. I deserve this.

"Chariot!" A voice? "Wake up, Chariot!" A panicked voice.

Croix?

I must be hallucinating. I can't… I can't remain awake anymore. I need… to… close… my…


When I open my eyes, I'm not sure how much time has passed; could be just a few seconds just as easily as it could be an hour or more. But… I'm in a broom. And my hands are grasping tightly at a white robe as we descend.

Wait… Croix?

I look up and indeed find my friend, face strained in concentration as she expertly guides her broom through the air. I notice there is no pollen anymore, but… there is a green sphere of light surrounding us. A barrier spell? Hopefully that means the pollen didn't get us. Though… it does seem to be flickering in and out of existence. Considering it's a spell Croix casted, that's very odd.

However, I don't have much time to ponder about it, because we soon reach the ground and Croix quickly steps away from me, forcing me to let go of her. Before I can question her sudden urgency, I see her hastily grabbing the now-smoking gauntlet on her right hand and pulling it off with frantic and sloppy movement. Then, she quickly throws it on the ground and looks at her hand… where there's an angry gash.

"Are you okay?" I ask, getting closer to get a better look at it. It seems painful, but superficial.

"I… I don't… the pollen…!" Her eyes are unfocused, and she seems on disbelief of what just happened. Not that I blame her. The details are blurry for me as well, and standing here at the foot of Wagandea, it almost feels like the past few hours were just a bad dream.

"Did it… touch you?" I ask, worried.

"It fried my gauntlet, but…" She sighs. "I don't know if…" She cuts herself off, closing her eyes and placing her left hand over them, as if trying to calm herself down.

She doesn't know if… if the pollen affected her? If she lost her ability to use magic for good? No! She can't! Not… not like this… Please, not like this…

"I'm sorry…" I say with shaky voice. There's a knot on my throat, made out of all the emotions threatening to drown me. "I… I didn't think that-"

"You didn't think." She cuts me off, finally letting her hand fall and looking at me with angry bloodshot eyes. "You never do! You never stop to consider the effect your actions will have on yourself and on the people around you! You just jump head first into any situation thinking there'll always be someone there to catch you. Well, guess what? Some day you will just crash to the ground and it'll be all your fault!"

"I-I'm sorry…" I repeat, fighting against the tears forming inside my eyes. I don't have the right to cry right now. "I'm an idiot; you said so yourself. I don't know why you keep putting up with me…" My heart breaks at my own words, and I feel warm liquid flowing down my cheeks, but I still try to remain somewhat composed.

"You're damn right you are!" She yells angrily. "Look at the mess you put us in! We could have died! And for what? You didn't even get the sixth word, oh mighty wielder of the Claiomh Solais." She says that last part in a mocking tone, and I can only shrink in on myself as each one of her hurtful words pierce through my heart one after the other like daggers.

"Y-you're right." I find myself saying. "You're absolutely right. From the very beginning… I've never been worthy of this. Of the Claiomh Solais, of being your friend… even of being Shiny Chariot." My tears are now flowing down like waterfalls, and I have to use my sleeve to wipe them away. "I'm just an idiot. I don't know what I'm doing. I want to use magic to bring happiness to the world, but I can't do magic, and I only cause suffering! I'm sorry, Croix… I… I truly don't know how you put up with me."

"Chariot…"

"I think… I think a part of me maybe wanted to lose my magic. T-to fall from Wagandea a-and… m-maybe… maybe then… the Claiomh Solais would have found its rightful owner." I try to look at Croix eyes, even though my tears, but my vision is blurry at best, and I can't read her expression. But the tone she uses when she speaks once more is softer.

"Chariot… don't say that." She tries to touch my hand, but I recoil. I need her to listen.

"No, Croix. Listen, I-I… I'm no one. You're the one who has big dreams, you're smart a-and… you will surely shape the future of magic." I draw in a shaky breath. "I can only make silly shows… that's… t-that's all I know." I wipe my tears once more, but there's many more that replace them afterwards. "It should have been you… n-not me. If you were the owner, y-you… you would have revived magic already… you wouldn't be hurt because of me." I pause, looking at the shiny rod with resentment. "I-I… I tried to prove to you that I could be on your level… t-that the rod chose me for a reason, but… I'm not. I am not worthy."

"Chariot… please, just…"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Croix." I say, though I can't stop crying. I feel the sadness in every fiber of my body and in every crack on my soul. I just ruined everything; I can feel it. Just like I always do. "Why? It should have been you. Why did it choose me?"

I'm not sure what I was expecting to happen next, but… Croix hugging me definitely wasn't on the list. Not that I'm complaining.

Croix's arms surrounding me with such care and affection… it's like a warm blanket during a thunderstorm. It won't keep me safe and warm forever, but just for these few precious moments, I can pretend that it can. I find myself leaning subconsciously into her.

"Accept it, Chariot." She whispers softly on my ear. "You were blessed with the Shiny Rod." She… she's never called it that before… I didn't think she would, ever. Especially considering her hate towards Shiny Chariot. "You should get the Grand Triskelion. You're only two words away."

I can only cry in response. I don't feel like I deserve this kindness from her after I acted like such a brat. I don't even think I deserved to be saved by her, and yet… she came to my rescue. Just like she always does. She's always been there for me, hasn't she? When I was failing school, when I was being bullied by my classmates, when I was learning strengthening magic, and especially when I was searching for the words. She was always there; supporting me, helping me, or just… being a shoulder to cry on. Like she's doing right now.

I truly don't feel like I deserve this. Not after everything I've said to her since she came back to Luna Nova, and definitely not after possibly forcing her to lose her magic to save my life, but… I'm so grateful that she is here, and that she saved me, and that she's trying to comfort me even now.

I separate slightly from Croix, just enough to be able to look her in the eyes as I speak.

"Croix… I really don't deserve this. I-I… I don't deserve you, but… I'm really grateful for having you in my life. And… I don't think I ever said this, but… thank you. For everything."

Croix smiles and is about to say something, when she suddenly stops and her eyes widen as she looks down… to the glow of the sixth gem on my rod.

Wha… The sixth word! It must have something to do with being grateful! Right? It has to. That's what I'm feeling right now anyways.

"Chariot! Say the sixth word." Croix urges me, and I nod in response, focusing on the strong emotions inside my heart as I speak.

"Lyonne."

Instantly, tendrils of soft yellow light erupt from the gems of my rod and… they go towards me and Croix. We're both confused for a moment, but then one of the tendrils reaches Croix hand, and her wound disappears instantly.

I was barely registering my own wounds because of the rollercoaster of emotions I just experienced, but once the tendrils touch the back of my head and soothe the pain, I remember my brief encounter with one of Wagandea's branches. They also cure my other wounds and scratches, but those are minimal, really. At least Croix seems to be okay now, and the smile on her face makes me feel better than any healing spell in the world could.

I find myself smiling, and the urge to cry slowly recedes along with the pain inside my chest. I wonder… if this spell cures emotional wounds too. Or maybe I'm just relived that this whole nightmare is over, and it had a happy ending.

Soon, the spell recedes and we're left in the darkness of the night once more… although it does look like dawn is rapidly approaching, judging by the soft glow of light coming from above the trees.

"Croix, I…" I struggle to find the words I want to say, unsure of what I should even say in this situation. "Thank you. And… I'm sorry that I put us into this situation in the first place."

"It's alright." She sighs, looking very tired but trying to fake a smile despite it all. "You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Then let's go back." She cuts me off and goes to grab her broom, but hesitates for a second. A grimace appears on her face as she takes it, but then she walks towards me and practically shoves it in my hands. "I believe you can find the way."

"What?" I frown.

"I… I don't know if I can still… fly." She purses her lips. "And I don't want to find out right now."

"Oh." The pain on my chest returns, and I have to fight the urge to hug her once again. I don't think she'd appreciate the gesture right now.

"The effects could take some time to manifest too." She keeps explaining. "And I don't want magic to fail me halfway through the Leyline. That'd be… dangerous."

"Yeah…" I don't even know what to say, or if I should say anything. I can't imagine how I'd feel if suddenly I suspected I'd lost my ability to fly. It must be… horrible, to say the least. But maybe she doesn't really need my comfort right now. Maybe what we both need is to get to Luna Nova and sleep for an entire day. That idea sounds so good for my tired body!

So, without saying another word, I mount Croix's broom and wait until she has positioned herself behind me, with her arms around my waist.

"Tya Freire!" The broom then raises from the ground and soon, and we're off to the safety of our school. I just hope that everything will turn out fine for Croix. I'm sure it will. It has to.


Usually, Akko either bombarded her professor with a million questions once she finished telling her a story, or stretched herself, thanked her and retired to go back to her own activities. This time, however, Akko kept staring at her with a troubled and worried look on her face. Not that Ursula had expected anything else; she knew this particularly story wouldn't exactly be fun to hear.

"Everything okay, Akko?" She asked.

"Uh… Yeah! Yeah, it's just…" The girl pursed her lips, as if debating something with herself, but just a second later, she spoke once more. "Did… Did Croix-sensei lose her ability to fly?"

Ursula sighed. It's not like she hadn't expected that question, but thinking about the answer made her uneasy lately.

"No." She answered truthfully. "Which is why she's so confident she can cure me."

"B-but… but how?" She gave her a puzzled look. "I thought that was Wagandea's whole thing!"

"She has her theories; she thinks it had something to do with the experiments she was conducting on herself before we met." She explained. "That the pollen absorbed the excess magic she'd injected into herself instead of her own magic."

"Oh!" Akko smiled like she suddenly had the answers to the universe's questions. "So, if she does the same to you, you could regain your magic, right?"

"Something like that." Ursula tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"But?" Akko frowned, too perceptive for her own good.

"But…" She sighed. "It worked more like a vaccine than a medicine." She tried to explain it like Croix herself had tried to explain it to her, hoping Akko would understand. "It was a good way to prevent harm from happening, but not of much use if you have already been affected."

"Ohhh." Akko nodded. "But… still, Croix is very smart! I'm sure she will be able to find a way to cure you somehow."

"Maybe." She shrugged and gave her student a sad smile. "I just hope she doesn't put herself in unnecessary danger trying to do it."


A/N: Well, that was quite a long chapter, but I hope you don't mind XD. And yes, it's based on some of the flashbacks in episode 21 of the series. I won't lie, it was a bit difficult for me to write this one, because of the complicated emotions on both sides, but I hope you all enjoyed it nonetheless. And please don't forget to leave a review/favorite/follow if you're enjoying my fic so far!

Thanks for reading!

And thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13.