POV Narrator:
After a successful qualification for Chariot Du Nord, everything was leading to the conquest of another title for Du Nord, all she needed to do was to guarantee a victory and thus her leadership is determined, the Frenchwoman was practically 11 points ahead of the second placed, which was already a huge advantage. Chariot and Croix that same day took the opportunity to make lots of love, as if this was the last time, especially because they wanted to do it with all the intensity possible after the Meridies' marriage proposal, which wanted to be able to marry Du Nord after they both won the World Broom Racing Championship title, in this case it could take two or even more years, depending on the performance of both on brooms, since one of the titles most seemed certain that the French would be the champion, which would lead the Italian to try the next year to win that title. Madeleine was desperate, she knew that her older sister must have done something with her teammate's broom and that sabotage could happen, so much so that she was thinking about what to do, she didn't care much about the title, since she was 15 points behind, but Meridies was much closer to winning the championship and maybe with the three withdrawing from the race, this would make Chariot mathematically champion of the World Broom Racing Championship. In the other hotel room, little Diana Cavendish was just imagining the day after the race, she was very anxious, rooting for Shiny Chariot, she really wanted to see the redhead being the champion, and also hoping to maybe play again with the girl she had accidentally met at the track, little Atsuko Kagari, better known as Akko.
Sunday October 17, 2004, Sapporo, Japan
The day of the race finally arrived, Madeleine was the first to wake up and she went straight to the hotel without hesitating a bit, because she wanted at all costs to warn Chariot and Croix about the possible sabotage that would happen in the race. She was very suspicious that her sister had really done it, so she ran towards the hotel, until she was met by Meridies, who was the first of the couple to wake up, while Du Nord was still in her last sleep.
POV Croix:
I wonder what Maddie wants at this hour? Is she going to try to destabilize us just to give us a little chance of winning the championship? She has fewer points than me... Well, I don't know, but last night was very good... Hours and hours of making love to Chariot in every possible way... How I love this girl... I felt like the happiest woman at that moment... Ahhhhhh... I want more next time, after the race it will be even more rewarding, I am sure, a little more and a child will come out from all the lovemaking we did... Hmmmm... I have to stop imagining this, I quickly rub my eyes and notice that Madeleine had a worried and desperate expression... That's strange... Well, I'll listen to what she has to say.
- Croix! Chariot! I know it may sound absurd, but don't take part in this race today... I'm begging you... It's not because I want a better chance of winning... but because... Because Chariot is at risk... Chariot's life is at risk... I'm getting this bad feeling... Please... I won't run today either... Before people say that I will do this to have a better chance of becoming champion - She said, all desperate, wanting us not to take part in the race, is that right? Chariot's big chance and also my only chance to try to lean against her and move the race to Australia and she wants me not to take part? I can't accept that.
- What about my championship? I'm 11 points behind, if the three of us don't participate, Chariot will win the championship for free, I still have a minimal chance to try something... You are only saying this because you want to bluff... You are lying to us, you are trying at all costs to say this, because you want to win this race, to climb to 104 points, and thus in Australia have an even smaller difference in relation to Chariot's points... How can we trust her not to take part in this race? - I say clearly to her, and she wipes her hands on her face and still looks worried.
- Chariot's life depends on it Croix... I am serious! Listen to me! For once... You'd rather risk your wife's life for a silly championship that you can win next year than be a rational person and just not participate in the race, this is your girlfriend's life... She is at risk... I suspect that someone has sabotaged her broom. - Madeleine said to me until I got a slightly angry expression... Sabotage... How could she... Just me thinking Lucy Watson's sister was a good person... She is as rotten as Lucy herself...
- What? You make it sound like you planted this sabotage! This is when we're not going to give up racing at all! Good race to you, Madeleine, for we will both destroy you on the track! I don't even want to know! Now you've made me angry! In the end you are no different than your sister... And a sabotage is no big deal, look at all the ones Laura McLaren went through and she came out unscathed - I say, closing the door in Madeleine's face, I was getting angry... Disappointed to be honest... Damn... One of my best friends was really being this way with me... She also wanted the Chariot championship at all costs... I don't believe it.
Right when I closed the door I got all the rage in the world and immediately looked at Chariot, she was waking up, she was still a little sleepy, but soon she gets up and starts to do her personal hygiene, I sit down on the bed and just ponder... Oh dear... Should I tell her about the discussion I had with Madeleine, I think without a shadow of a doubt that she ended up listening to that discussion so there's no way, I'll have to tell her anyway? She quickly walks over to me and gets a worried expression on her face.
- Baby, what's wrong? I heard you and Maddie arguing... It was a pretty ugly fight from the sound of it, what did she say? - asked Chariot, all concerned. I admit that I was afraid, but I think it would be worse if I didn't talk.
- Madeleine came here to tell us not to take part in this race, because she has a suspicion that her broom has been sabotaged, love... She spoke with all the desperation as if it was something that would cost her life... I am honestly disappointed in how she has come to the same level as her sister... Soon our friend from Luna Nova, is not as different as her rotten older sister - I say to Chariot who stands up all determined.
- I'm not going to drop out of the race because of this, even if this threat of sabotage is real! I'm not afraid of anything! I am Shiny Chariot! I am not going to give up just because someone planted sabotage on my broomstick and if it happened, let me sort it out in Australia, it's not like I have all my championship chances going down the drain, besides if they really sabotaged me... What will it be? My broom will just stop flying... That's all, nothing much will happen... Just look at the past, in Laura McLaren's races, she never had a fatal accident every time she was sabotaged - said Chariot all motivated and with her chest full... That's what I like to see, so we will have a great race today, but I really feel let down by Madeleine, she sabotaged Chariot's broom... Just to guarantee points for herself... And depending on the course of the race she will only get up to 104 points at most.
POV Madeleine:
There's no way, they're really going to continue with this, but what the hell... I have tried every way I can to stop this from happening, but there's no way it's going to continue... The worst thing is that I can't even touch Chariot's broom... Damn Lucy... Why did she put that in, what a curse, just when everything was going well, just when there was a great dispute for the title, someone other than me winning, now my best friend is having her broom sabotaged and the worst of it all is that her girlfriend blames me... So if it happens... I am fucked... I could lose my career and this is all my sister Lucy's fault... I can't believe my sister was capable of this. What's worse is that she said she put a small explosive on Chariot's broom... Which can only cause even more risk... I have a bad feeling about this race. I take my broom and go back to the circuit and with that I enter the team's motorhome, where I find Lucy waiting for me right at the door holding my clothes, what a bitch.
- Come on... Get changed soon, the race won't be waiting for you - she said, handing me my overalls, and I took them very aggressively, staring at her angrily.
- This is not done Lucy, I hope that nothing serious happens to my best friend, I also hope that this does not destroy my career, thank you for being responsible for this if it happens, because this is all your fault my sister... All you had to do was be patient and let me win next season, but no... All you did was leave me aside... was to make your own sister come to be seen as a saboteur... And they are aware of this... Before you think you'll get away with it - I tell her as I walk into the dressing room and start to change.
- Well, this is partly your fault... You opened your mouth because you wanted to, it's your fault the Watson family is going down, and no one told you to keep trying to play the moral high ground on me... If you agreed with our plan I wouldn't have to do this, but apparently I had to take drastic measures, seriously Madeleine, sometimes you don't think, you don't think I did this because I love you... Because you are my only sister, my hope that we Watson's would get back on top, but you chose to blind yourself and go for your friends instead of your family - What the hell, I'm starting to hate her.
POV Narrator:
At this time Madeleine, Croix and Chariot were changing into their racing overalls, getting ready for the penultimate race of the year and the one that will probably define the champion of the 2004 season, with a great chance of being Du Nord who had a wide advantage of 11 points over the second placed Croix, who had 4 points over Madeleine, The dispute between the three was separated by 15 points, which would only need one victory for Chariot to become definitive champion, after all she needs to do is to keep the points difference greater than 10 points to keep the title when she arrives in Australia, never before a season had been so hotly contested since Laura McLaren was racing against the sabotages of Lucy Watson from 1992 to 1994, in which every point counted.
Championship standings:
1st: Chariot Du Nord (9) (FRA) (Carlucci) 109 points
2nd: Croix Meridies (10) (ITA) (Lavoiette) 98 points
3rd: Madeleine Watson (26) (AUS) (Carlucci) 94 points
Although it was only the penultimate race of the year, it seemed to be worth much more than the last one, but outside of the races, things were also happening among the little children that were waking up in the morning. Little Diana woke up that morning in her hotel room after a night of sleeping with a teddy bear named Teddy and also hugging her mother who was hugging the little six year old girl. Atsuko Kagari was waking up from the trailer her mother Saori Kagari had rented to go see the race with her daughter and be close to the circuit, since she was a truck driver, both mothers were getting their daughters ready to go see each other at the circuit, after all another race was about to take place, the long awaited 2004 Japanese Grand Prix. The minutes and hours went by, the stands were filling up, the two girls were separated by a few seats up, the Cavendish girls were 4 seats up and 7 seats to the left in relation to the Kagari girls, they could see each other, but their eyes were glued to the festival that was happening before the race started.
Airplanes were flying by, they were propeller airplanes that released smoke, making the colors of the Japanese flag, a song started to play, it was "Ecstasy of Gold - Ennio Morricone", the brooms of the runners started to go out to the track and soon they were lined up in each one of the positions, It was not yet time for the race to start, the mechanics were around the brooms and the racers walked around the circuit or rode on the brooms, while the mechanics made the last adjustments before the race started, all this with 20 minutes before the competition began. The weather was clear, the sky didn't show a cloud, it was 2:40 pm local time, the race would start at 3:00 pm, it was 19 degrees and the temperature on the track was 32 degrees, nothing too hot, with all the show going on. Then there comes a moment when all the racers gather on a stage and they start to gather for a picture that is always taken before the race starts, then they come back, the audience was all excited for that event to start. The broadcast of the race was also beginning to appear worldwide, with Lorraine Windsor's comments about the event.
- And here we are for the big event that will define this amazing season! The 2004 Japanese Grand Prix! In pole position we have the racer who just needs to run beautifully all the way to the finish, Chariot Du Nord! Behind her teammate Madeleine Watson and she looks very apprehensive about this race, after all who wouldn't be, being the runner with the fewest points in the top 3, she would have to win and hope that Croix Meridies and Chariot Du Nord don't finish the race if she wants a better chance of winning the championship... It is not easy at all for the Australian, and in third place is the other rider who is aiming for the title... Croix Meridies, this is another one that has to hope for luck, if she wants to continue in the championship, because she is 11 points behind the French woman, this is going to be the most exciting race in years! How incredible! - Said Lorraine until she started talking about the other 21 runners on the grid (to spare the readers, the narration will skip). Each runner always had a specific comment that Lorraine made and even a nickname.
Minutes later the mechanics have to release the brooms that are already in float mode with the magic orbs activated, so they all walk to the pits, while the racers wait for the start of the presentation lap, behind them are the medical brooms and the safety broom. They start the presentation lap which was a slower lap before the start that involved warming up the broom's wings and preparing for the race, after this lap they position themselves at the starting brackets, just waiting for the flag to come up, the lights come on and soon the green flag is given followed by the green light and so the racers start to start.
- Go! Go! Go! And so they go! Chariot Du Nord has a great start! And starts to lead the Japanese GP! Excellent performance and reaction from the French racer and the Shiny Chariot crowd is euphoric! Madeleine Watson and Croix Meridies stay! Side! Side! Wow! How impressive! Watson wants to hold on to second place at all costs, and it's working out well for her teammate! This Scuderia Carlucci shield is very well planned! - Said Lorraine as the racers went through the first lap, Chariot was overtaking the track.
POV Akko:
Wow! Chariot is so amazing! She is going to win today! I hope that one day in the future I can be such a magnificent and wonderful broom runner like her, I really wanted to live adventures like she does with Believing Hearts! Wow! She has come so close to me! I am so amazed, I also look at the cabbage patch girl, she is so cute, she was very kind to me yesterday... I clumsily tripped over her... Until my mother touches my shoulder with me watching the race.
- Are you impressed? Well today I have an amazing surprise for you after this race... I have a Premium ticket that will give us access to the pits and maybe you can have your picture taken with Chariot Du Nord and even have her sign your book? Mom has thought of everything for you today - said Mom, causing me to hug her in amazement and delight that I will get the chance to see Chariot Du Nord in person, how wonderful... I am so delighted.
POV Diana:
I am watching the Shiny Chariot race again! This time mommy was lucky to get tickets for a race that could decide the championship! Go Chariot! Go Chariot! Win this race... I quickly glance back, wanting to see how that little Japanese girl was doing, I saw her hugging her mother... I felt so needy... Soon my mother hugged me, I think she noticed that I was feeling needy of hugs and cuddles... I felt so comfortable... But at the same time I had a feeling that I was missing something, like the hug was not complete... I wonder if it is the lack of a daddy... Or what mommy said about maybe being another mother... I think it could be both... I wanted so much for mommy to be happy with someone else... But I soon turn my attention back to running.
POV Narrator:
It was already the fifth lap, Chariot Du Nord was leading with enormous comfort, it was certain that she was going to be champion, the broom, her skill, everything was perfect for her to continue to stay ahead, even more so because she was opening between 4 and 7 tenths of a second per lap, part of this because she had a softer wing compound that made it possible for her to go all out on the broom, but there was still another race going on.
- What a race Chariot Du Nord is running! She and her own broom are working wonderfully, and this way we may have a new champion for the 2004 season... And wait a bit! Hold on! Wow! - said Lorraine Windsor narrating the race until the second place race is shown on the screen between Madeleine and Croix who were battling fiercely for second place in the race.
Madeleine wouldn't give up the second position for anything in this world, always defending and preventing Croix's passage, until she braked too late and Meridies saw a gap and passed her on the inside in a wonderful overtaking, but Watson didn't let it go cheap and went through the other curve getting side by side, The two were practically parallel to each other, but who ended up taking the best was Madeleine, but just as she reached the main straight, the Italian was still behind the Australian, catches the vacuum and gets with much more speed entering the curve with everything, passing on the outside, showing how she had a huge courage to overcome what the whole crowd jumped in excitement.
- This is fantastic! My goodness! Meridies and Watson are vying fiercely for second place! For the nine witches! That was a magnificent overtake! Woah! Woah! Woah! Only a racer with the guts to pull off such a risky overtake! I can feel my shoulders on that one! Woah! - said Lorraine excitedly until the replay of the overtake was shown, this time from Meridies' point of view, which showed how she had gone through in the riskiest way possible, as well as the crowd in the audience jumping and clapping.
After that overtake there was no way Madeleine could hold on, Croix was just continuing to open up the advantage, in the hunt this time for Chariot, she was 8.6 seconds behind and knew she had to go for some strategy if she wanted to win the race, as Du Nord was possibly spending a lot of broom wing trying to open up time on the two runners battling for second place. Madeleine even said on the radio about the overtake, "Wow, that Croix is quite a runner, I sweated every second. Meridies was opening up on the Australian trying her best to catch Du Nord or at least force a winning strategy. By lap 7 it was already noticeable how she was on a good enough broom to catch the Frenchwoman by placing one lap faster by one tenth.
- Croix Meridies is in second position and she is on fire! The best lap of the race is the Italian's, she doesn't want to miss her chance to be champion for anything in the world! Woah! - said Lorraine as the screen showed Croix and the crowd cheered for Meridies' incredible overtake.
But there was no way, Chariot was unreachable, when Croix put a lap faster, Du Nord responded by putting another lap faster and it was like that for much of the race, so much so that they had to stop almost together, The French changed the wings on lap 30, her wings were very worn, but she managed to enter the pits with 25 seconds difference thus ensuring the lead, With only 40 laps to go, and the way she managed the softer wings for 30 laps already showed that she could easily win the race with the more durable wings. Meridies, on the other hand, opted for a two-stop strategy, and when she started with the soft compound she switched to the medium, which was a little softer than the compound Chariot had chosen, and therefore more grippy.
Lap 34, Chariot was still leading comfortably, but something happened, she was having too much focus and didn't even notice, Lucy Watson's sabotage happened, her magic orb exploded right on the main straight when she was going 753 kilometers per hour and with that she was losing control of the broom going straight into the barrier of the first corner at a speed that took too long to come down, with that Du Nord threw herself off the broom falling to the ground and rolling with everything.
- Woah! Chariot Du Nord missed the chance to win the championship in Japan! What a disaster! And wait... An accident! But how fantastic! Looks like the race is going to Australia! Ouch! No! Chariot didn't make it! Ouch! This is a disaster! Du Nord! Du Nord is out! - Said Lorraine as Chariot continued to roll across the floor, as she threw herself off a broom that was going 619 kilometers per hour, she luckily was being protected by the magical clothing, but it wasn't 100% protection feeling some of the impacts and the G-force.
Chariot tried what he could to slow the speed of the impact, but the broom went straight into the barrier and exploded, just at the same time that Du Nord too ended up hitting the barrier with his body, a strong black smoke soon began to take over, just as a major fire was starting, another explosion began only much more intense, opening the biggest fireball.
- Ouch! A thousand pardons... The accident is more serious than it seems... I hope Chariot Du Nord is okay... What a horrible accident to happen to such a young runner like her - Said Lorraine with a tone of voice more horrified by the scene that just happened.
POV Croix:
What was that? I just saw a huge explosion and suddenly a yellow flag which I slowed down my broom... but when I passed the main straight, I noticed fire, it was from someone in front of me, I saw the red of the broom... Not my Chariot... Not her... I went towards the outside of the track, to hell with the race, I won't let her crash, soon the stewardesses appeared to help get Chariot out of there, but the fire was too high, I tried every way to help, but the fire and the explosion only pushed me further back.
- No! No! No! My Chariot! No! No! She can't! - I was desperate using my magic trying to put out those flames, but when I tried the flames got even more intense... It was the broom that kept on catching fire...
The flight attendants were using fire extinguishers but to no avail, until I took a deep breath and used a spell, casting the strongest fire extinguishing spell I could imagine, it had been a minute since I got here... Chariot... You have to be alive my love... I cast the spell and the flames were put out... I felt a relief, but when the smoke from the extinguisher passed, as well as that black smoke, I only saw... some pieces of clothing, her hat and her broom somewhat intact, but nothing of Chariot... Her body was gone... She's gone... No... No... No... She's... No... She... Ahhhh... No... I knelt on the floor and ended up crying... My Chariot... She didn't die... I was in tears... Not my Chariot... She didn't... No... Ahhhh... No... I don't want to believe it... She's gone.
POV Narrator:
Everyone was horrified with that scene, the television images only showed those pieces of clothing, hat and broom, some pieces intact, others burned, and nothing of Chariot's remains there, Madeleine was another one that when passing by was traumatized, until the moment she passes the next lap the black flag is shown to her from the Scuderia Carlucci pits, she enters and also abandons the race, it was a black flag with the team's logo, usually only shown when tragic moments happened.
- Scuderia Carlucci showed the black flag, that can only say one thing... We have lost a great talent from our sport... I'm very sorry to bring this news to you spectators... But our French racer... Chariot Du Nord... She died today on October 17, 2004 - said Lorraine who was in a melancholic and crying tone, while the camera did not stop showing this scene, and soon the commissioners came to investigate everything further, to the point of taking the broom from there.
The race remained under yellow flag with a safety broom, while the track marshals were clearing away the remnants of the brooms, the race display switched from showing the accident to focusing on the row of brooms accompanying the safety broom, so as not to make the atmosphere any heavier than it already was.
- Madeleine Watson is also out, Croix Meridies is in tears crying for the runner and practically had to be carried out, that means Chariot Du Nord has unfortunately become a title I didn't want to be announcing, Chariot Du Nord is the 2004 season champion, that would be fine, if she wasn't the posthumous champion this season, which I unfortunately didn't want to be announcing... Oh for the nine witches... We lost a talent today... A life... The world loses yet another star that was shining bright... I wish it wasn't true of her being a posthumous champion... That's it my viewers... I don't have much to say. - said Lorraine who was still all melancholy and crying.
POV Diana:
She died... Shiny Chariot died... Right in front of us... I... I... I don't want to stay here anymore... I was crying and I go to my mother's dress... I was crying a lot, my mother was just caressing me, then she takes me outside, I didn't want to be seeing that anymore... I just want to go home... It has been too much suffering today... I can't believe that the great Chariot Du Nord died today... One of the most amazing people that we saw yesterday giving autographed pictures to us has died.
POV Akko:
She died... I don't believe it... It's not true, I saw her disappearing from that fire... She didn't die... She didn't die... I don't want to believe it... She didn't die... No... I lost the Shiny Chariot... I don't want to see this anymore... I hugged my mom tightly and she started to caress me, then I quickly got up from the bleachers.
- Mom... Take me away, I don't want to see this anymore... - I tell her who takes me in her arms.
POV Laura:
No fucking way... I woke up this morning thinking I would see my little Chariot... Being a champion... and I'm faced with this... No... No... No... Not my girl... She's not... Chariot didn't die... I don't want to believe it... Ahhhhhh... I wonder how my girl must be, she went to watch the race with Bern in Japan live... I can't believe the world just took her away... Chariot Du Nord... The little girl I saw learning magic... She died... No... No... No... Not her... Ahhhh... This is so distressing, to lose someone so dear... Not this again... I can't stand losing loved ones anymore... Ahhhh... I was bursting into tears, I hugged my niece who also woke up to see the race, we both went together to cry on my sister's chest... She was crying too... I can't believe it... Chariot.
POV Narrator:
Chariot Du Nord 1984-2004, died from a broom crash at the 2004 Japanese Grand Prix, at only 20 years old, she had everything to have an even more promising career, which made the whole world shocked with Du Nord's death, the redhead was gone in this world. This race made Chariot the champion, but not in the way everyone wanted, she became the only posthumous champion in the history of the World Broom Racing Championship with this, her "rivals" were still very shocked by her death, Croix made sure to go to her wake, Madeleine distanced herself forever, all so as not to raise any suspicion, as well as giving up her broom racing career, but she still had to prove her innocence which was not difficult, as well as no one noticed that it was a sabotage performed on the French broom. Croix kept running, because she still wanted to fulfill one last dream of the person she loved so much, which was to win the championship for her the following year, she was still hopeful that she would be able to see Chariot again, since she believed she was only missing instead of dead.
Farewell, lesbian witch...
