Akko groaned and tried to sit up. The fierce pounding in her head demanding her attention. She hadn't felt this bad since she decided to go on a bender with Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze after graduation. She knew better than to try and out drink Jasminka... now. Although, after that disaster she at least hadn't woken up with her face in the dirt.
"You woke up." A voice grunted. "What strange mouse doing with wand?"
Akko jumped and hit her head on something hard with a crack. She swiveled around towards the voice, rubbing her sore head and blinking away the stars popping up in her vision. In front of her were the metal bars of what she could only assume was a cage. Just on the other side was a small, cluttered underground room. A troll stood beside a workbench that was covered with lumps of clay and peculiar looking tools. The troll had broad, hunched shoulders, with patchy tufts of fur. It had a curved, oversized piece of bark strapped to one of its forearms and a brown patchwork garment slung over one shoulder.
It walked over to her, with an unnatural smile on its face. The way the troll's lips cracked and stretched across its face, Akko guessed it didn't have much experience smiling.
"Don't matter, it Githo's now. Luckyy~" The troll chuckled gruffly to itself, holding Akko's wand up between two large fingers.
Akko shook her head, indignation letting her push past the pain. "Hey! Give that back!" She swiped a paw at the wand, but the troll held it just out of reach and cackled. "And I'm not a mouse, I'm a witch!"
"Eh?" The troll peered closer at her, its smushed face a few inches from the bars. "You don't look like witch to Githo. What that weird thing on head?"
The Troll's mouth was wider than Akko's mouse body and as it talked a breath of stale rotten air blew over her.
Akko slapped a paw over her nose as her eyes watered. "Hey! It's cute!" she cried, grimacing at the stench. "Now give me back my wand and let me out of here! I don't have time to waste with a dumb ol' troll. I have to make sure my friends are ok!"
The troll turned away from her, inspecting the wand as it walked. "Githo not dumb. With this, council has to let Githo back."
Akko cocked her head, paw still covering half of her face. "Council? I thought trolls lived alone under bridges and stuff."
The troll threw Akko a dirty look, clicking its tongue angrily. "Trolls only live alone if cast out."
"I could help you! I'm sure if we just talked to them they'd let you back."
"Council not care about words." The troll scoffed. "Council care about power."
"If you let me out and give me back my wand I'll show you a few spells." Akko wiggled her eyebrows as enticingly as she could as a mouse, a devilish smile spreading across her face.
"Oh-ho-ho no you don't. Githo not that easy to trick. Githo doesn't need mouse witch's help. Githo heard other witches yell."
The troll ignored his captive's groan and brandished the wand at the fire pit beneath the cauldron. "Rowa! Mora! Merwa! Grrr, what was spell?" The creature growled in frustration and grabbed the wand with both hands, squeezing till it's bulbous knuckles turned white.
'Watch it! You're going to break my wand!" Akko cried desperately, shaking the bars of the cage, her little paws unable to wrap all the way around the thick bars.
Githo squinted at Akko suspiciously, but eased its grip nonetheless.
"You have to say the right word or it won't work." Akko said.
"Tell Githo."
Akko stood defiantly, paws on her hips. "Not unless you let me out."
"Then mouse witch no use to Githo other than snack." The troll said, shrugging. It tossed the wand onto its cluttered desk.
"Snack?! Y-you don't want to eat me! I probably taste disgusting! Especially as a mouse! Who would want to eat a mouse anyway?" Akko blubbered, waving her arms around frantically as she back-peddled away from the bars.
Githo ignored her and started rummaging in a poorly woven basket, murmuring to itself as it pulled out odd looking roots.
The blood drained from Akko's face as she watched the troll. With a gulp she inched towards the bars of the cage again, her eyes never leaving the troll. Sucking in her stomach, she tried to squeeze between the bars. With her upper half out she grabbed the bars and attempted to push her way out, her little mousey muscles straining with everything she had.
Her arms gave out and her grasp slipped, leaving her upper half dangling outside the cage. Akko took a few shallow breaths, her lungs constricted by the bars. She looked around for anything she could use and spotted a crude lock hanging next to her.
The troll stood and scooped up the miscellaneous items and dumped them into the caldron. Akko pulled herself back through the bars, scuttling back into the cage.
Githo bent down beside the cauldron and picked up a pair of rocks, its big hands fumbling them a little.
While the troll was preoccupied, Akko hastily grabbed the lock and her tail. Sticking her little tongue out in concentration she fed the tip of her tail into the lock. Wiggling and maneuvering her tail as deftly as she could. With a click the lock opened and dropped to the ground. She swung the cage doors open and jumped out.
"Huh?" Githo grunted.
Akko scampered up the workbench leg and snatched up her beloved wand. "Hey Githo! Here's the spell for transformation!"
"Metamorphie Faciesse!"
A bolt of magic shot out of Akko's wand and splattered across the furious troll's face. The magic light engulfed the troll before popping like a bubble, dumping a small green frog onto the floor.
"What you do to Githo?!" The frog croaked out.
"Heh! Serves you right! That's what you get for stealing my wand!" Akko stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at the transformed troll.
"Turn Githo back!" The frog jumped at Akko, it's springy legs catapulting it farther than it anticipated.
Githo rammed into Akko at top froggy speed, its slimy hands wrapping around the wand. The pair tumbled to the ground, limbs tangling as they fought over the wand. An elbow jabbed Akko in the ribs and her knee connected with the frog's soft underbelly.
"Ow! Get off me!"
"Merwa!" Githo croaked.
"That's not it either you dumb troll!" Akko made a desperate yank at her wand.
"Murowa!"
Magic welled up in the wand and shot out with a bang, ricocheting violently around the cave. Akko and Githo froze, both had their arms wrapped around the wand. Jars exploded, vegetables went flying, the magic slammed into the ceiling and sliced into the rock.
"What you do?!" Githo asked in horror, watching the newly formed crack widen and debris start to fall.
What?! I didn't do anything! You're the one that cast the spell!" Akko cried accusingly. She yanked her wand out of the frog troll's grasp and dove out of the way as a rock twice the size of her mousey body fell where they had stood.
"Not again!" Akko wailed in anguish. She scurried after Githo who was hopping down the corridor, dodging falling rocks left and right.
She was getting real sick of all these cave-ins. She'd had enough for a lifetime. This was the last time she let Diana take her to a cave! Why didn't they ever go look for ingredients on a beach? Beaches probably had tons of magical creatures, and no cave ins! Plus then she'd get to see Diana in a bathing suit!
That decides it. Akko thought as scampered as fast as her furry legs would take her. Next place we go is the beach.
Diana, Maliae and Amanda sat recovering around the entrance to the cave Maliae had identified would lead them in the direction Akko was. After some persuasion, Diana conceded that they needed to recover some of their energy before going after Akko.
Amanda gulped down water from a bottle she had stashed in her pack, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Hey Diana, what did you mean when you said none of this will matter if something happens to Akko?"
Diana hesitated, unsure how much she could afford to divulge. Her lips twitched, as if they were begging her to let them open so everything could spill out.
"Is something wrong with Akko?"
"No." Diana replied quickly. "Akko is in good health."
Amanda studied the other witch for a moment. "Diana, what are we really looking for? You owe me that much after what just happened. I deserve to know what I'm risking my life for."
"I…" Diana breathed in deeply and let the air out slowly, preparing herself for the outburst she knew was soon to follow. "A Phoenix."
"WHAT?!" Amanda jolted upright. "A Phoenix?! Those haven't been seen for thousands of years!"
"I'm well aware that this is a long shot. However, my tests indicate that the ambient magic has reached a level capable of supporting it's revival." Diana replied as evenly as she could. She had known the answer would not be taken well, which is one reason she had withheld the information for so long.
Amanda pulled at her cheeks, stretching them comically wide. The only explanation for Diana to say something so ludicrous would be if this was a dream. She didn't wake up. "Even if there was a Phoenix, they hatch in extreme heat! Like lava, Diana. I don't think there's any lava at the top of this mountain."
"No, you are correct about that. There is no lava. However, there are Dragons."
"Dragons? I thought we were very specifically avoiding those nasty creatures." Amanda shook her head in utter disbelief. "This is more reckless than I thought you were capable of. Is this really worth it Diana?"
"I hope so." she whispered.
The words hung in the air for a moment. The two witches staring at each other. Diana shifted uncomfortably.
Maliae cleared her throat, catching the girls attention. "I'd like to tell you two a story. A story my grandmother told me when my tree was but a small sapling."
Amanda sighed heavily and ran her hand through her hair. "Sure. Why not?"
"You see my grandmother was alive and well during the golden era of magic. Magical creatures were thriving, Dryads had never been more powerful. And my grandmother, she was able to explore far past her tree, even before… modern techniques." Maliae shifted slightly. "One day, centuries before I was born, she saw a witch descend from the mountain. I'll never forget the look on my grandmother's face as she described the witch. Every time she told me this story it was a little different, but one word always stayed the same. Ethereal."
Maliae paused and looked into Diana's eyes. "This vastly powerful witch looked at her and said:
This world is full of miracles. A single tear can be powerful enough to cure even the most devastating afflictions.
"I never knew what she meant... but I think you might."
"Phoenix tears." Diana whispered breathily. A strange sensation gripped her. Was it relief? Hope? All her research had pointed to this location, but there was always the chance it was a dead end.
"Powerful witch centuries ago? Your grandma? What?" Amanda looked between the two.
"We should go. We have recovered enough to go after Akko." Diana said, a fierce look of determination replacing her exhaustion.
The trio made their way down the cave tunnel. Diana and Amanda lit the way with the green light of their wands. They walk in relative silence, each mulling over their own thoughts.
Amanda racked her mind, she could almost see how the pieces of the puzzle fit together, but a few things were bugging her. What did Akko have to do with any of this? And why would Diana need such powerful healing? All but the more chronic or terminal illnesses could be cured with modern magic and technology.
It wasn't long before a deep rumbling interrupted their thoughts. The ground beneath their boots shook, dust and small chips of rock fell from the ceiling.
"A cave in?" Amanda asked. "Will it reach us?"
"I think it is in a tunnel to our side. The one we were going to intersect with." Maliea replied, her hand glowing as she pressed it to the wall.
Diana whipped her wand to point at the wall Maliae was touching without a second thought.
"Calconsi!"
The tip of her wand glowed red hot and she drew a hasty circle in the wall. A line of the rock face melted as she moved her wand. No sooner had she finished, then the rocks inside the circle fell free, revealing another tunnel. The three girls jumped out of the way of the rocks tumbling around their feet.
Large chunks of the ceiling fell in the side tunnel and a cloud of dust was rushing towards them, obscuring their view.
"Watch out!" A voice from the tunnel squeaked.
"Whoa!" Amanda yelped.
A mouse dove through the opening, followed shortly by a frog. Just in time as a large boulder crashed into the makeshift entrance, sealing off the cave-in.
The mouse and frog collapsed on the floor and coughing from the dust cloud.
The painfully grip that clenched in her chest released its hold for a moment as she laid her eyes on a familiar ponytail. "Akko!" Relief flooded her senses. Akko was safe.
"Metamorphie Faciesse!"
A magic cloud of magic surrounded Akko before bursting. Revealing a beat up, face down Akko on the ground.
Akko peeled her face off the cave floor, confusion quickly replaced by elation.
Diana bent down and offered a hand and a deeply relieved expression. "I've got you."
"Diana! Amanda! Maliae! You're safe!" Akko grabbed Diana's hand and sprung up, wrapping the three in a tight embrace, burying her face in the crook of Diana's neck.
Diana wrapped her free arm around Akko, clutching at her shirt, never wanting to let her go again.
"Ack! Nice entrance Akko." Amanda gasped, her lungs compressed tightly in Akko's arms.
Emotions bubbled up inside Diana, swirling in her chest. Why was this girl always followed by so much danger?! "How could you cause another cave-in!" her voice partially smothered by Akko.
"Are you witches always this much trouble?"
Akko let go of her friends, and Diana's hand lingered on her arm. "Hey! It wasn't my fault! How did you guys manage to survive the bat? Not that I ever doubted Diana, but we were in a tight spot."
Amanda grinned. "Maliae over here was a total badass and strangled it with this seaweed stuff. Then Diana dropped some rocks on it and that was that."
"Daaaaang."
"What happened to you, Akko? Maliae sensed you being taken away." Diana ran a hand through Akko's hair, brushing out some lingering dirt. "I feared you were being taken out of my life forever…"
"Never." Akko said, taking a moment to give her a reassuring smile.
"I hit my head or something and next thing I knew I was in a cage! And this troll" she whipped around and pointed a finger at the frog accusingly. "-had stolen my wand!" She puffed out her cheeks angrily.
"I managed to escape and turned him into a frog, but then…"
"Hey! Turn Githo normal! Githo should have eated you." The frog growled the words, hopping forward.
Amanda had never seen a frog look so menacing. She added 'Angry frog threatened Akko' to her mental list of all the shit that'd happened on this trip so far.
"Psh, I'm not gunna turn you back. You're cursed now! That's what you get for messing with a witch!" Akko stuck her tongue out at the frog, blowing a raspberry.
It wasn't necessarily true, since the spell would fade once the magic she poured into it was spent. But the troll didn't need to know that, and Akko was getting a little satisfaction out of getting back at him for almost eating her.
The frog balked, it was usually easy to scare travelers into obeying him. But this body was weak and un-intimidating, he was coming to realize. "No.. break curse on Githo."
"You deserve to be cursed after kidnapping, stealing from and nearly eating my Ak- friend." Diana interrupted, glowering at the frog as she stepped slightly in front of Akko. "I'll undo the curse if you take us to the top of the mountain, however."
Githo swelled up his vocal sac angrily. "Githo have to survive!" he yelled, his voice projected louder by his throat.
He noticed Maliae, "You Dryad! Make them turn Githo normal! Githo have to live alone."
Maliae put a hand to her face in concern and in a sickly sweet voice said, "Oh dear, this is a predicament. But if you live alone, that means you must have been cast out from your clan."
The frog shrunk back.
"The rest of the Trolls would know a path to the top, why don't you take us to your old clan? I'm sure these powerful witches would turn you back once we arrived." She gestured to the three next to her.
"Ack. Githo can't go back!" he pleaded.
"I promise you don't have to go in!" Akko jumped forward and scooped up her kidnapper, "Just take us to the edge! Then I'll turn you back! We really reeaallly need to get to the top!"
"That's the best you'll get buddy." Amanda added.
Githo glanced around, the bright witch holding him nodded encouragingly, the Dryad smirked at him, but what really convinced him was the hardened glare of the blonde witch.
"Githo will take you." he said, looking about as defeated as a frog could get.
"Yay!" Akko cheered. She turned back to Diana and gave her a bright smile. "It's all working out! We'll have your research done in no time flat! And then we deserve to take a break and go to the beach. I'm sure there's magical creatures there that could help you with something."
"I could definitely use some sun and beach volleyball after this grimey cave." Amanda laughed.
"Beach?" Maliae asked. "The sun shines by my home too."
"Yeah, but the sun hits different when you've got your feet in the sand, a bikini babe in each arm." Amanda put an arm around Maliae's shoulder, "You'd look great in a bikini, my Dryad friend."
Akko choked and her face flushed. "I wasn't thinking about bikinis! Or Diana in a bikini!"
"You'll have to show me this beach, and these bikinis." Maliae said with an intrigued smile, wrapping an arm around Amanda's waist.
Diana chuckled and shook her head, "Come on, let's finish this and then we'll take a break wherever you want." She started down the corridor. With her back to her friends, her face dropped. "If this works." she said under her breath.
A/N: Guess it takes a quarantine to give me a chance to write again haha