Chapter Prompt: "Ok more ideas, I think you can make Akko suffering some bullying from some one, professor or student and Chariot "mama bear" Du Nord and Diana "over protective girlfriend" Cavendish protects her, its great."

This One-Shot takes place a couple of days after chapter 2. So basically Diana and Akko are still friends and Croix is still away from Luna Nova.
Diana is surprised at not being followed by her hoard of students but soon enough finds out why that is...

Trigger warning for this chapter: It discusses bullying and the immediate trauma of being on the receiving end of mistreatment.
This chapter is a little angstier than my previous one. But, I thought that although the show shows this in a comedic way, the reality is that bullying is always an awful and traumatic experience for the person receiving it.


Diana was calmly walking around the school, which was a strange and welcomed event. Before the missile crisis, the blonde witch had a group of people surrounding her and asking her for help almost all of the time. And, while she offered them her services and knowledge, there were moments when Diana just wanted to be alone and have time to think about herself.

So the fact that today there was no one around was a nice reprieve for the heiress.

Still, she couldn't help to think that it was too strange that there was no one around. Classes had finished already and usually fellow witches walked around the yards until dinner was ready. To Diana, this meant that there was something else going on.

It meant trouble.

Moving along the flower path, Diana could notice that there was a concentration of students a couple of feet away. They were laughing and screaming while forming a circle. Not understanding very well what was going on, the blonde witch got closer to the commotion and opened her eyes in complete shock when she saw that Akko was in the middle of the circle, trying to perform and use her magic.

"What's going on?" Diana asks confused to a group of seniors who were not in the center of the commotion.

"Diana…" a brunette acknowledges her. "We just got here ourselves a couple of minutes ago."

"But we heard some girls say that Akko was using magic and we wanted to see it. You know, since the missile incident, Akko has been laying relatively low and not using her magic."

Indeed, Akko had become more cautious and calm about using her magic. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that she had already achieved one of her goals by meeting Shiny Chariot; or the fact that meeting her idol and realizing who she truly was had changed what she she thought of magic. Nevertheless, Diana had noticed these changes within Akko and had been supporting her since they returned to Luna Nova.

Because Diana had decided, while watching the stars in space with Akko, to protect the brunette witch from anyone that tried to hurt her.

Because she had realized during the missile crisis that she liked Akko.

Like liked her more than friends.

And Diana, who was determined and decisive once she made up her mind about something, had promised herself to spend more time with Akko in order to get to know her better.

And Akko, being her warm and welcoming self, had allowed her to come to her practices, to hang out with her friends and to accompany her during her night shows.

She had even taught Diana some routines and dances that she had created following the choreography and style her mentor used during her time as Shiny Chariot.

But, being with Akko all the time also meant that the blonde heiress was one of the few people who knew why Akko wasn't using her magic in public.

And it was because of the fact that Akko couldn't do the type of magic she had done during the missile crisis.

Professor Croix had explained to them that the Shiny Rod took magic directly from Yggdrasil. That meant that unlike the rest of wands that took magic from the Leylines, the energy source of the Shiny Rod was 100 times more powerful.

Which meant that the user of the Shiny Rod would automatically have more magic and would be capable of creating bigger and more powerful spells.

So, when Akko started to use her wand again, she noticed that she was no longer capable of using the same spells she had used with the Shiny Rod. And the brunette witch, who was saddened but still determined to become an entertainer, had decided to not do any kind of public magic until her current skills could match the ones she showed on live television.

Which was why Diana was completely baffled about watching Akko go against her earlier wishes. It made the blonde witch think of the current situation and what had happened before she arrived.

"Diana!" she hears the familiar voice of Lotte calling her. "Thank Jennifer you're here!"

"What happened?" she asks carefully while stepping away from the seniors. "Why is Akko doing magic when she said she wanted to practice more before doing so?"

"It wasn't her fault." Sucy tells her bitterly. "She is protecting us."

"What do you mean?" Diana asks worriedly.

"They mean that Akko is trying to protect us after we made some seniors get mad at us." Amanda tells her angrily while also getting close. "They started insulting Jasminka and Constanze, calling them freaks, and I got angry." she murmurs dejectedly.

"And Amanda immediately tried to fight them although they were three against one." Jasminka whispers softly.

"They were going to jinx me." the red-haired continues her story. "Until Akko, Lotte and Sucy arrived and asked them to stop bothering us."

"The seniors immediately laughed at Akko and told her that if she now thought of herself as some sort of hero or powerful witch because of the missile incident." Sucy explains to her.

"She honestly didn't want to do it." Lotte says while crying. "But those seniors said that if she wanted them to leave Amanda and her friends alone, then she would have to perform for them."

Diana feels herself getting angrier and angrier with each new thing that she was learning. Akko, of course, would immediately run and defend her friends from stronger and more powerful witches. That was the brunette's essence and one of the reasons why Diana admired and liked her so much.

"Where are the professors?" Diana asks worriedly.

"They're in a meeting." Jasminka tells them sadly. "I heard earlier that they were going to discuss allowing more witches like Akko enroll in the school."

"Do you think that has something to do with all of this?" Sucy asks confused. "That they planned all of this as a way to reject Akko and witches like her?"

"It's too much of a coincidence to not see it that way." Diana murmurs while noticing who the seniors were. "McCallister, she forms part of the student council. So I'm sure she must be aware of the professors' plans."

"She was the one that started insulting Jasminka." Amanda says angrily. "It's like they sat where we always sit and out of nowhere began saying these awful things about my friends. I couldn't just stay quiet and let her do so." she apologizes with tears in her eyes.

"Of course not." Diana gives her a soft smile. "You wouldn't be you if you did. And I'm sure Akko knows that as well."

"After Akko agreed to their terms, they pushed us out of the circle and the rest of their friends are preventing us from going in." Lotte says angrily while again trying to push her way through. "Let me in!"

"No way stupid pixie." one of the seniors tells her with a mean smile. "Just stay quiet and watch the show your friend will show us."

"Will you also stop me from going through?" Diana asks the same girl darkly and this makes her gulp and move away.

Moving forward, Diana can see that Akko has tears in her eyes and that she's murmuring spells and incantations that are not taking any effect.

"What's wrong Akko?!" McCallister mocks her. "Can't you do it?" she laughs out-loud. "Realizing that you're just as useless as you've always been?"

"I knew that it was all fake." another girl exclaims happily. "That it must have all been done by the Cavendish girl and Akko just tagged along."

"Some hero you are." McCallister tells Akko and uses her wand to push her to the ground. "Always acting all happy and innocent around the school. I honestly don't understand how you made your way here…" she smiles menacingly. "But I'm sure that even you will want to leave after this…" she prepares to do a spell but is stopped by Diana.

"Don't you dare touch her." Diana whispers angrily and all the witches preventing her from getting close to Akko begin to step away.

"Why are you moving?!" the girl that was attacking Akko screams at them. "We are more than them! Even the great Diana Cavendish cannot dodge 12 spells."

"If you don't move…" the blonde heiress continues threatening them and she can feel her magic starting to lose control. "I will not be responsible for the injuries you may obtain."

"Injuries?!" McCallister laughs out-loud. "Are you seriously going to defend this pest, Cavendish? Do you even know what those old witches want to do?! They want to let other girls like Akko come to Luna Nova! Just because she became a little popular and will get the school more money."

"If more people like Akko find their way to Luna Nova then that's a good thing for the school and the witch community." Diana says honestly and without hesitation. "Because it is witches like you…" she points her wand at McCallister. "The ones that are embarrassing our community and magic."

"You…" McCallister says angrily. "You dare go against me? The heiress to the McCallister family, one of the oldest families of witches that was founded by Sandra the Pure, one of the Olde Nine Witches?"

"I dare." she responds to the challenge. "Because I will not let you hurt Akko."

"You care that much about her, Cavendish? You, the Ice Queen, are only looking out for the dumb Akko because it will help you look better."

This makes Diana move McCallister's friends out of the way and push her way in. Using her wand to create a diversion, she immediately goes to where Akko is and places herself in front of the brunette witch.

"Akko is my friend!" she tells them all loudly. "She is wonderful, kind, loving and generous. And I will protect her from anyone that tries to tell her that she's not good enough or doesn't deserve to be here. Because the truth is that she's the most deserving of all of us!"

"Patricia!" one of McCallister's pawns runs towards her. "The old witches are done with their meeting. They'll be coming soon."

Huffing in annoyance, McCallister lowers her wand and tells the rest to do so as well.

"I will not forget this Cavendish." she threatens the blonde who doesn't reply to her and then focuses on Akko." Seems that you were lucky today, Akko." she moves so that the brunette can watch her from behind Diana. "But I hope you remember what people at Luna Nova truly think about you…" she smirks knowingly. "That you, no matter how hard you try, will never be one of us." the older girl laughs and turns away from them.

The moment McCallister walks away from Akko and Diana, the rest of witches that were watching the scene follow her lead and soon enough only Akko, Diana, Jasminka, Constanze, Lotte and Sucy are the only ones that remain. Kneeling down, Diana takes a look at her friend and sees the way she's holding her hands tightly, leaving fingernail marks on her arms.

"Akko…" she whispers brokenly while using her magic to heal her.

"I'm sorry Akko!" Amanda immediately pushes Diana away and tries to hug Akko, who flinches and tries to cover herself. "I'm so sorry I lost my temper and you had to help me." she cries while doing her best to not scare the brunette witch. "I'm sorry." she repeats.

Akko doesn't answer her.

"She's in shock." Sucy whispers sadly while taking her friend's hand and squeezing it tight. "Stupid Akko, always putting others first."

Diana, who was finished with healing her friend, tries to take her hand but the brunette witch screams and pushes her away.

"She's not responding to any of us." Jasminka says worriedly.

"It's like she hasn't realized that McCallister is gone." Lotte says while looking around them. "Help! Someone help us!" no one answers her. "Why is no one around?!"

Diana, knowing that Ursula-Sensei had taught Akko a spell to use in case of extreme emergencies, got slowly closer to the brunette girl, who was warily watching her every move.

"Akko…" she whispers to her soothingly. "Can you call Ursula-Sensei? I need her." she appeals to Akko's need to put others first and is not disappointed when the brunette murmurs a spell and fireworks in the shape of stars come out from her wand.

"Do you think Ursula-Sensei will see them?" Amanda starts to ask but is answered when the red-haired professor comes running from one of the school buildings.

"Akko!" she screams and stops when she sees Diana kneeling a fair distance away from Akko.

Getting closer to her pupil, she notices that Akko is not responding to her voice and is holding her face while moving from side to side.

"What happened?!" Ursula asks them and all the witches lower their heads and tears start pouring out of their eyes.

Even Diana had started crying.

"I couldn't reach her in time…" the blonde heiress chokes out.

"She saved us." Amanda cries as well.

"It wasn't her fault." Lotte whispers again while looking at Ursula. "Some seniors were attacking Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze. Amanda, wanting to defend her friends, started a fight but was stopped by Akko before it even began."

"That bitch planned it all." the red-haired American tells her bitterly. "She knew what to say so I would react; and she knew that Akko would help us if she knew we were in trouble."

"Akko tried to tell her that there was no reason to fight but the senior challenged Akko to use magic. If she did, then she would no longer attack Amanda and the rest." Sucy continues explaining to the professor.

"But she couldn't do the spells." Lotte whispers dejectedly. "They wanted to see the same spells she used on television but Akko couldn't use them. So the seniors started to laugh at her and tell her awful things."

"McCallister started to use her magic to throw her to the floor and to make her fall." Diana says angrily after having recovered her voice. "I intervened and soon enough she was going to attack me as well because I was defending Akko." she looks at Ursula worriedly. "They knew that you were all in a meeting discussing the possibility of allowing witches from non-magical families to come to Luna Nova."

"And they wanted to make an example out of Akko." Constanze says sadly and her sad whisper is what kills them all.

"They did all of this to Akko just because of that meeting?" Ursula whispers heartbroken. "They attacked and verbally abused Akko because of where she comes from?!" the older woman's voice starts getting louder.

"After they left, we couldn't get Akko to respond to us." Sucy says sadly. "Every time one of us tries to get close to her she flinches and starts screaming."

"We didn't know what to do." Amanda adds brokenly. "So Diana thought of calling you."

"Akko trusts you the most." Diana explains to Ursula who was doing her best to not go and find McCallister. "Professor, I know what you feel…" she whispers to the red-haired woman. "But Akko needs us right now." she says and those words are what makes Ursula relax.

"Ok…" she says softly and slowly walks towards Akko, who had been watching them all talk with warily eyes. "Akko…" the brunette immediately looks at her. "Are you alright? Can I get closer?"

No answer.

"It's me Akko, Ursula." the red-haired explains to the girl while closing the distance even more than before. "I saw your fireworks…" she smiles sadly at her student. "They were beautiful."

Loosening her hands from her head, the girls notice the way Akko starts relaxing her position.

"They were?" the brunette chokes out and all the girls cry in relief.

"Yes Akko! They were spectacular." Ursula cries and hugs Akko tightly, immediately feeling the girl tense up before letting go and returning the hug.

"Ursula-Sensei…" Akko cries and squeezes her tighter. "They were in trouble…" she explains to her mentor. "And I just couldn't simply watch and not help. I had to help me." she repeats while crying even louder than before.

"I am so proud of you Akko." Ursula chokes out and separates from Akko so the brunette can see her. "You deserve to be here. You are a wonderful witch that will achieve great things in the future. I'm certain of it. I will help you make your dreams come true."

This makes Akko cry even more and to again hug the person that had become like a mother to her.

Her protector…

"Are Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze alright?" she asks worriedly.

"We are." Amanda answers her softly. "Thanks to you."

"Then I'm glad I intervened." Akko gives her friends a soft smile and that makes the American cry even harder than before.

She looks for Diana and watches the blonde girl slowly getting closer.

"And you saved me again." she whispers to her friend who was slowly becoming something more. "Thank you."

"I will always be here for you Akko." Diana promises her vehemently. "Because you deserve to be a witch Akko. There's no one more deserving than you and I know that you'll show all of them your worth."

"I tried to do the spells you taught me but I was so nervous that they didn't work." Akko tells her softly. "You know, the ones to use in case of an emergency…"

"That's alright Akko." she gives her friend a soft smile. "We can practice them again until you master them."

"Why?" she asks simply and this makes all the witches stare curiously at them. "Why are you helping me Diana? Why did you publicly go against an heiress of the nine olde witches?"

"Because I care about you Akko!" Diana tells her immediately. "Because you're my best friend!" she exclaims and notices the way Akko's eyes open in shock.

Because I like you, Diana doesn't say it but thinks it.

"You consider me your best friend?" Akko asks vulnerably. "Even if I don't come from a magical family and will usually fail to do spells, you still want to be my friend?"

"Of course I do!" the blonde witch smiles happily at her. "Being with you, doing things with you, is always an adventure, Akko. And who wouldn't want to be in one?"

This makes Akko smile warmly at her before staring at her friends who were watching her with soft eyes.

"Will you also wish to stay my friends? Even though it seems that doing so will bring you trouble?"

"You're worth it Akko." Lotte tells her quickly.

"It is very hard to find a reliable and strong testing subject." Sucy gives her a warm smile.

"Besides, who will teach you how to dance while flying?" Amanda winks at her.

"And who will help me eat all my sweets?" Jasminka says while giving her a chocolate.

"Who will help me build my new legion of megazords?" Constanze writes on her notepad and all the witches, including Akko, laugh out-loud.

"And you, Sensei…" Akko turns to look at her professor with a warm smile. "Will you let me stay by your side?"

"For as long as you want." Ursula smiles brightly at her. "I love you Akko." she says for the first time those words to the girl that had changed her life for the best.

The girl who had said them to her first when she needed them the most.

"I love you too Sensei." Akko tells her with a happy smile and tears in her and allows Diana and Ursula to pull her upwards.

Sometimes people can be very mean, Akko thinks while remembering McCallister and her group of friends.

But other times, she watches her friends laughing with each other and her eyes immediately focus on Diana, they can keep you going.