A/N: First off, thanks to all you who've read, liked and given reviews on this story; I always like it when others appreciate the work that I put out.
Secondly, I regret that I was not able to finish this story in time for Christmas. This doesn't mean that I'm canceling it, I'm just a little disappointed that I couldn't get as far as I wanted. However I do plan to finish it before the new year sets in, so if you wish to follow until then, go right ahead. If not, I understand.
With all that said, here's the next chapter, enjoy!
Chapter 4:
Diana was caught off-guard. How could this be possible? It couldn't be, and yet it was. Standing right in front of her, with dark blue hair, long overcoat, and crutches was Ursula Callistis.
If this had been any other person, then Diana wouldn't have paid this very much mind; but Ursula was more than any other person. In fact, she wasn't a person at all! She was only a persona created by Shiny Chariot to hide from the public; nothing more.
Then why had she dressed in it again? Was it some kind of joke? If it was, then Diana wasn't laughing.
Ursula looked at Diana with a shy smile. She sighed, "It's good to see you again, Diana. Many of the staff were worried about you..."
"I'm fine, believe me," responded Diana, just getting back up off the ground. "I mean, I have been in a coma for three days, but I feel alright."
Ursula stared, "Three days? Diana, you were out for at least a month."
Her too? Why did everyone think that she was out for so long? She had remembered almost everything about the 21st, even things she had wanted to forget.
"Why is everyone saying that?" She shouted, "I couldn't have been out for so long!" Diana turned to Ursula, "And why are you dressed like that?"
"Dressed like what?" asked Ursula. Slightly confused.
"The whole Professor Ursula getup, I thought you had put a stop that after the missile incident."
Ursula looked down as if she was in shame, then gave a somber laugh.
"Heh, I should've known being in a coma can't keep you from staying up to date with the world," Ursula uttered somberly, "Yes, much has changed since the missile incident, but I've mostly stayed the same; well, aside from this." She opened her coat slightly, revealing bandages and a leg brace wrapped around her left leg. "I got this from a, skiing accident."
"Skiing accident?" Diana was stumped. "But you've never gone skiing before." Clearly, this was the result of the weird phenomenon Diana had yet to figure out. She had to get to Luna Nova to try and fix whatever was going on.
"I'm sorry if I'm coming across as rude Professor," said Diana in a somber tone, "But everything just seems so, strange tonight. I'm sure there's something in the reference archives at school that can fix this. Would you like to come with me?'
Ursula put on the same sad smile she had put on many times before. "I'd love to, Diana, but I'm afraid I couldn't. Especially after I was fired…"
"FIRED?!" Diana was shocked. Fired? For what? She was one of the best teachers at Luna Nova! How could they have fired her?
"Yes, unfortunately." Sighed Ursula, "After the missile incident, much of Luna Nova's financial sponsors stopped sending money. The staff had to make some budget cuts, books, supplies, even classes have been removed from the school. I was one of the unlucky ones..."
"But that makes no sense!" Diana exclaimed, "Why would Luna Nova have financial troubles after what I, Akko and her friends did!"
Ursula looked at Diana in confusion.
"...Akko?"
"Yes! Akko! The one who found Shiny Rod! Your star pupil!"
"...Diana, I've never met anyone named Akko in my life."
Diana stopped. First Chariot was acting like she was still in hiding, and now she had no idea who Akko was?
"B-but, Akko's always been you're- Oh forget it!" Diana threw up her arms in frustration. Would this migraine of a night ever end? She rubbed her forehead, and then looked back at Ursula, still standing on her crutches.
"I'm sorry again, Ursula" (It felt weird using that name again) "I need to get to Luna Nova right away. But do you need someone to walk you to somewhere, given your current state?"
Ursula smiled. "Thank you, Diana, I'd greatly appreciate that." She began carrying herself down the icy road with her crutches "I have an apartment in town. If you could take me there; that'd be great."
Diana smiled back. Even though Chariot was back in her blue-haired alias, she still showed kindness and appreciation to those who helped her.
"Alright, just lead the way."
With all that said, Diana proceeded to walk with the injured witch down the snow-covered cobblestone…
…
As Diana and Ursula walked through the streets of Blytonbury; (Which Diana had figured out was where they were from some of the buildings they passed). Diana began to notice many people, young and old walking near them, or just standing, looking at their phones. Now ordinarily, Diana wouldn't have had a second thought about any of this; it was a town, towns have people that live in them.
But everyone on the streets tonight seemed a bit different from usual, as Diana passed them. Everyone they passed seemed to have a depressed look on their face, a face that increased in sadness the more they looked at their phones. Diana could hear some of the conversations that a few people had as she walked passed them, and these only increased her confusion.
"Ya hear about the occupation?"
"We're gonna blow ourselves up for sure."
"It's all because of magic, freakin' witches"
Diana turned to Ursula, "Is it my imagination, or does everyone seem a little sadder than usual tonight?"
"I see what you mean." Agreed Ursula, "But honestly Diana, I don't blame anyone."
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone was already tense with the whole goal situation, but the missile incident was all that was needed to push things over the edge. Now our country's military is occupying the other's, and the politicians are constantly at each other's throats." Ursula looked down as if she was in shame of the entire thing. "Many fear that a war is coming, it seems like not even the holiday season can lift up people's spirits…"
Diana stood, shocked at what she had heard. War? But why? There may not have exactly had world peace, but there had been no signs of war after the missile incident.
Diana shook her head, she had to get to Luna Nova right away to fix this right away.
Ursula led Diana to Blytonbury's town center, where the sealing stones were. The sealing stones had been there ever since the great witch Jennifer had sealed a titan monster away. It was treated as a landmark within the city, but Diana was shocked when she saw them now.
"The sealing stones!" she exclaimed when she saw them covered with spray-painted graffiti. The graffiti displayed either obscene images or words such as WICHES R DUM, RUTHLESS KILLERZ, or WHO KILLED THE WORLD?
"How could someone do this?"
She wondered out loud. "Don't people know that this is a sacred place for witches?!"
"I'm sure they did, Diana." Said Ursula regretfully. "That's probably why they did it."
"What?"
"After the missile incident, many blamed the use of magic for what happened, they tried to strike back any way they could."
"B-but why?" Diana, "Akko and I used magic to stop the missile, and bring magic back into the light! Why would people get so mad over that?"
Ursula looked at Diana in confusion again, "Are you sure you're okay Diana?"
"I'm not okay?, YOU'RE the one who can't remember anything!" shouted Diana. "Why is everyone acting so strange? It's like everyone's memory has been completely wiped of-" Diana stopped, and looked ahead.
Near the square had been a small magic shop for witches called The Last Wednesday Society. It was a place that usually held various magic items and treats for sale. The shopkeeper was a man who was quiet, but nice. But now…
"Where is it?" Diana looked at the spot where the shop had once been, The windows were boarded up, and the door locked. She looked to where the sign usually was and saw a new one that advertised that space where the shop had been was available for purchase.
"Oh, the old local magic shop," said Ursula, who had been able to walk over towards Diana with her crutches. "They went out of business shortly after the missile incident. I heard the shopkeeper moved out to somewhere in Nevada."
"But how?!" Diana practically screamed out. First the depressing atmosphere with everyone in town, then the disrespect of sacred witch artifacts, and now the magic shop had gone out of business.
Could this night possibly get any more strange?
"I told ya before I don't serve underage; now get outta here!"
Diana looked and saw a figure stumble their way out of a nearby tavern, before turning around, and raising their middle finger towards the building and slurring out what sounded like a woman speaking broken English.
"Oh yeah? Well, ffffffffek you! I don'ts needs yuh shtenkin bar teh *hic hesh a gud time." She then reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a silver flask, and proceeded to empty its contents down her throat.
Diana looked at the wreck of a woman in amazement. She recognized the voice, by there was no way it could be
"O-O'Neill?" Asked Diana hesitantly. The figure looked over, and drunken resentment covered her face.
"Welll," muttered Amanda, "If it ain't da big, *hic* p-prinshesh hershelf!"
Diana looked over the fiery-haired witch and was disgusted at what she saw. Her hair was a red and orange mess, bruises and cuts plastered all over her face, and her uniform was torn up, and covered in dirt.
"Amanda, what happened to you?"
Amanda leaned forward right in front of Diana's face, "Woodn ya luv to know?" She hissed. Diana cringed as the foul smells of Amanda's breath flooded her nostrils.
"H-have you been, drinking?" Diana was almost too scared to ask.
"Bungo!" Bellowed Amanda, "Never, *urp misha mark, do ya, prinshesh?"
"But, why? I know you take a lot of risks, but this kind of behavior could get expelled, heck even arrested!"
The drunken resentment look appeared on Amanda's face again. "Don'tchu worry, Prinshesh." She belched out. "Ya don havta worries bout me gettin in deep shet. Ya know why?" Amanda leaned forward into Diana's ear:
"I'm expelled…" She whispered ominously.
Diana couldn't believe it, she really couldn't. Yes, Amanda had been known for reckless behavior in the past, but she always seemed to know not to cross the line. What could she have done before that could have gotten her expelled?
Diana turned to Ursula, hoping she could get some answers. Ursula had another guilty look on her face, before giving Diana the scoop.
"Amanda had gone to Appleton academy, with hopes of stealing the Holy Grail," said Ursula. "While she was there, she ran into a student who she got into a fight with. Somehow he had gotten into a magic suit of armor and was traumatized by the incident. Needless to say, his father wasn't pleased, and tried to press charges against Luna Nova."
"Thashright!" Interrupted Amanda, "Nearly *urp locked in t-teh slammer too! If teach here hadn't shhhhtepped up."
"I'm truly sorry Amanda," apologized Ursula. "I tried to do all that I could."
"Ahh don't shtresh." Amanda tried to coo in her drunken state, "Kept me outta jail, didncha? Besides dat place shucked. I-I mean, what *hic what did it all have? Shet food, shet teachers, ashide from you(she pointed at Ursula), shet, kids," Amanda, stopped and looked towards the ground. "Kids like, my roommates."
Amanda looked at her flask, tears started to form in her eyes. She squeezed the flask with all her might.
"Fuckin' ASSHOLES!" Amanda bellowed Diana jumped in surprise as Amanda threw the flask to the ground, before turning into a drunk, sobbing mess. Diana slowly walked up to Amanda. She wanted to comfort the fiery-haired witch. She really did, but she was also hesitant. Slowly she brought a hand towards Amanda's shoulder before Amanda turned suddenly towards Diana.
"Get yer fukkin hands off me!" She snapped, "I'll kick yer ash I swe-" Amanda would have gotten farther, had she not stumbled to the ground, and began snoring; leaving a very confused Diana.
"How could she have gotten expelled?!" Diana asked Ursula. "She would never hurt anyone like that!, I mean, she gave me a busted lip, but-"
"She did?"
"Yes! Right he-" Diana stopped. She felt around her lip but found nothing. The gash on her lip, where was it? There's no way it could've healed that fast. Now Diana had gone from confused to afraid.
"Diana!"
Diana looked and saw another familiar face. It was Andrew Hambridge, her childhood friend.
"Andrew!" Diana exclaimed and ran over to him and gave him a hug.
"Woah! Easy. Nice to see you too."
"What are you doing here?"
"My father and I decided to come and visit you in the hospital to check up on you, when you weren't there we decided to head home. It's a good thing we found you when we did."
"Thank goodness!" agreed Diana "I have no idea what's going on, everyone is acting crazy, and I'm so confused."
"Well to be fair you have been in a coma for the past month or so." Responded Andrew.
Diana froze. Andrew too? It seemed that everyone thought that she had been out for so long. She stepped back "A-Andrew, I've only been out for three- Good Lord!"
Diana could see Andrew's face. Everything seemed normal until she saw his right eye, black and swollen.
"What happened to your eye?" she asked.
Andrew's good eye widen, as he began to look from side-to-side nervously.
"N-nothings wrong, m-my eye is fine." he murmured. He turned away.
"Andrew please don't lie," asked Diana, "Turn around and let me see."
Hesitantly, Andrew turned around and faced Diana. Diana could now see Andrew's black eye.
"How did this happen?" asked Diana.
"I-I fell down," he stated simply.
"I said not to lie to me Andrew, now tell me how it happened."
"I-I t-t-told you, I fell down," he repeated, the nervousness in his voice more apparent.
Diana could tell that he was lying, but what was he trying to hide? Was the truth too embarrassing? Was it some kind of joke? Had he received it for something he did? If that was the case had it been done deliberately? If so then by, Oh no…
"Andrew, who did this?"
"No one did anything Diana, I'm fine."
"Please, just tell me." Diana was practically begging now.
"No."
"Was it your-
"Nobody did anything to me I'm FINE!" Shouted Andrew.
Suddenly, a black car pulled up next to the two. The back seat window rolled down, and Paul Hanbridge appeared, looking sterner than usual. Andrew stood up straight and looked directly at his father.
"So you found her, good." He stated bluntly, "Now come, we're leaving."
"F-father, if w-we could just h-have a f-few more m-moments-
"Get in. NOW." Responded Mr. Hanbridge ominously.
"Yes, sir," responded Andrew almost like a robot. He turned towards Diana.
"M-merry Christmas" He stuttered out, before walking rather quickly to the car. Once inside, the headlights went back on, and the car rolled down the snow filled road.
Diana turned to Ursula, hoping she would have the answers again.
"D-do you know anything about this?" Diana asked.
"Not entirely," admitted Ursula, "but I have a theory. After the missile incident, people needed someone to blame. A witch came forward to admit to what happened, but many of our politicians were blamed as well. Paul Hanbridge was one of them."
"So what did they do?"
Ursula looked down, making Diana regret asking in the first place.
"He was removed from his position." Ursula stated simply, "and replaced with someone named Blackwell. I don't know much else, but I do know that Hanbridge didn't take it well. And the rumors that are going around about how he's venting his anger scare me."
Diana listened closely, horrified at what she heard. It simply couldn't be true. Paul Hanbridge wasn't the nicest person, but he would never, to his own son? Andrew never did say how he had gotten the black eye…
"T-this has to be some kind of bad dream!" Diana shouted. "There's no way any of this could've happened!"
"Calm down, Diana" cooed Ursula, "I know you're upset, but things change for better, or for worse. And sometimes we can't do a thing about it."
"But someone did do something!" exclaimed "Akko did! She helped to change the world! She stopped the missile!"
"Diana, for the last time I have no idea who this Akko is." stated Ursula, "I'm sure you're just a little sick from your coma, just come back with me to my place, and we'll-
"NO!" shouted Diana. "I know that I'm right! I just need to get to Luna Nova to fix this all!"
Just then, a large gray bus pulled into the square just down the street from the corner. The doors opened, and the passengers walked out. The only thing different about these passengers was that they each had the Luna Nova uniform on. They were students!
But why aren't they using their brooms? Wondered Diana.
Diana watched as a group of boys walked next to some of the students that just got off. It looked like they were talking to each other. Then, one of the boys picked up some snow from the ground and threw it directly at one of the witches. Before long the other boys in the group joined in and pelted the witches with snowballs. The witches tried to block them, but so many came at once it was impossible.
Diana saw what was happening, and ran over.
"Hey!" she shouted as she ran.
The boys looked over at Diana, "Whatcha want?" one of them asked rudely.
"What's your problem? They've never done anything to hurt you!"
"You been, livin' under a rock or something?" Asked the same one.
"Yeah! Doncha know that witches are the ones who launched that missile?"
"It's their fault we're gonna go to war!"
And with that, the snowballs continued, the witches, unsure of what to do just ran away in the snow, never looking back. The boys pointed and proceeded to give chase.
Diana was left in a stupor. Did that just happen? Why had they been so rude to the witches? And why weren't they using their brooms? Whatever was going on, she had to get to Luna Nova to make fix it. But she didn't have a broom herself right now. How would she get there? She looked ahead to the bus in front of her.
Desperate times call for desperate measures
Ursula walked over with her crutches to make sure that she was okay.
"Diana?"
Diana ignored the injured witch and ran onto the bus. When she got on, she looked around. The seats were all worn, and some had their stuffing pulled out. The bus driver was an old woman, who looked rather annoyed at Diana's presence.
"Where's this bus going?" questioned Diana.
"Back to the witch school, muttered the driver, "I don't stop for no-
Diana had already taken a seat before she finished. The bus driver rolled her eyes and proceeded to reach for the gear shaft before
"Diana, wait!"
Diana looked, and saw Ursula slowly but surely making her way to the seat opposite of Diana. Diana scooted over so that Ursula could place her injured leg on it.
"Okay, Diana." sighed Ursula. "If you feel that going to Luna Nova will fix whatever's wrong. Then I'll go with you."
"...Thank you," muttered Diana. Even while under this spell, you're still supportive, Chariot. Thought Diana.
With everything squared away, the bus roared to life and lurched forward down the road. Diana looked around at the bus. Another foul smell found its way to her nose. Not as bad as Amanda's but very close. She looked towards the floor and saw a newspaper with Cavendish Manor on the front cover. Curious, Diana picked it up. Her stomach did a somersault when she saw the headline.
CAVENDISH HOTEL FINANCIAL FAILURE!: DARYL CAVENDISH CONSIDERS SELLING FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT