AN: I have to say, I'm completely baffled, I didn't think I would get even one review much less four,
thank you for reading this story, I appreciate it. That said, I'll try to update on a weekly basis, but writing in English is definitely
more time consuming, so I might not always get it done on time. I'll try my best.
Enjoy^^
June 2006
Waiting for Chariot had become second nature to Croix.
From the first time they'd met, the little redhead had her captivated.
There was a spark to her.
Something she had never seen before.
Something that made her special.
Not because the Claiomh Solais had chosen her, although that was an added bonus, no, what really made her so unlike everyone else was her natural sense for magic. Such a rare ability, that no one, beside herself, seemed to notice.
'Ignorant traditionalists.'
How not even the teachers acknowledged Chariot's brilliance was beyond Croix.
But what else should she expect from them? Their teaching staff consisted mostly of fools. Though the redhead didn't seem to have a problem with that, it seemed. Rather, she was determined to fulfill her dream, even when no one believed in her, and that was probably the one thing that had really drawn Croix to her, that unwavering faith...which was slowly breaking apart.
Croix didn't need to guess who exactly was behind that development and it made her absolutely furious.
'They don't deserve her!'
She really needed to increase the work on her research, time was of the essence. She didn't know how long she could motivate Chariot with words alone. Not when she seemed to grow more and more unstable.
Croix sighed deeply. She never thought she would care about someone like that. Logically it wouldn't even make sense. Their personalities were like polar opposites, but...
'I really like her'
The older witch sighed again and leaned against the wall, staring at the door to Chariot's classroom, willing it to open. She didn't like standing around doing nothing, she just wanted to collect the redhead and be on her way.
"Croix-Senpai, good afternoon."
Croix snapped out of her intense gazing and focused on the brunette girl in front of her, one of Chariot's roommates, she realized.
"Good afternoon", she replied in a monotone voice, not at all interested in making small talk.
The girl fidgeted nervously, glancing from Croix to the door and back again.
"Are you perhaps waiting for Chariot?", she tried again, apparently still hoping against all odds that the older witch would strike a conversation with her.
"Yes."
'Can you leave me alone now?'
The girl really began to annoy her. She still didn't show the slightest inclination to walk away, seemingly waiting for something, maybe another sentence, a bit more, than the short response Croix had given her. When the silence stretched on too long, the girls face fell slightly, wringing her hands nervously she attempted to speak yet again:
"I-i don't know what C-chariot told you about me, b-but I really admire you…"
She breathed out shakily. Then, with a much firmer voice, she continued.
"She and Therese always clash so much, and I always end up in the middle, so I'm actually glad that she has found a friend in you. I don't have anything against Chariot, but their constant fights put a strain on our relationship, not to mention our team as a whole...so… maybe..."
Her eyes seemed to gleam with sudden excitement.
Croix felt slightly uncomfortable with the way the girl looked at her.
'Where is she going with this?'
"Maybe we could work together, you and me. We could mend the fences so to speak, that would benefit us all. I'll go talk with Therese and you could do the same with Chariot and-"
"What exactly would me talking to Chariot accomplish?", interrupted Croix, narrowing her eyes, a sudden edge to her tone. It implied a warning.
That was probably one of the reasons she didn't like talking to people. They always made assumptions, as if they knew her…or Chariot for that matter.
The girls eyes widened in shock and she raised her hands in a, what she may had hoped, placating way.
"I-i didn't mean-... that's not-, I-", she stammered obviously in panic, but Croix didn't wait for a coherent reply.
"You want me to what?
Tell her she has to endure and condone being thrown out of her own room by her so called 'teammates'?
Or perhaps that she should tolerate being ridiculed by that cowardly friend of yours, Helene?"
The girl's gaze fell to the floor, as soon as, the older witch finished. Her hands clenched in fists, as she murmured: "Helena."
Croix schooled her features back into the stoic mask she wore all the time, trying not to lose control over her emotions. When it came to Chariot she just felt too much.
"My apologies Helene", she told the brunette, who was still not meeting her eyes,"but I am not in the mood to debate this topic further with you."
"It's Helena!", the girl all but screamed with newfound determination, fueled by her anger.
"Chariot is not some perfect, innocent angel, who got send down to us from heaven.
You have no Idea what she is really like, how she selfishly insists on taking on every contest the school has to offer, just because it benefits her and her childish dream.
It's not like she asks us if we want to participate, we just have to, they're team challenges after all."
Helena stopped herself, trying to catch her breath.
Croix just stared at her in the same stoic way as before. She didn't say anything, she didn't feel anything. At the moment she was completely devoid of any emotion.
The girl raised her head again and looked directly in the older witch's eyes, clearly still upset, but with an underlying hint of...pity?
Then much calmer, she spoke again:
"I know that she is your friend, Croix-Senpai, so you care for her, obviously, but...you shouldn't put her on a pedestal.
That is only going to hurt you and...I like you too much to let that happen, even if you might hate me right now."
"Was that it?"
Croix's voice was dangerously quiet, almost soft compared to her usual rough tone. She stepped away from the wall and drew her wand, all in one fluid motion. Then with a flick of her wrist she pointed it at the confused girl, who seemed more and more worried by her behavior.
"Croix-Senpai-"
She didn't get to utter more than that before she saw the tip of the older witch's wand flash green.
Croix raised the girl from the ground. Her ears were ringing, her vision blurred.
'How dare she?'
Pictures flashed before her eyes.
Chariot failing again and again, while being laughed at by her classmates,
Chariot forcing smiles while being reprimanded by teachers,
Chariot full of determination as they tried to revive a new word,
Chariot knocking at her door every night with a tired look on her face,
Chariot clinging to her, desperately, questioning her own worth,
Chariot so so afraid of not being good enough.
'And you are one of the reasons she thinks that!'
Something inside of Croix snapped. Gripping her wand tightly she forced the girl's arms to move upwards, hands circling her neck. Unadulterated fear radiated from Helena, but she didn't care.
She would protect Chariot.
2018
Diana screamed.
Her heart hammered , while her eyes roamed wildly over her surroundings.
What did she just see?
After reaffirming that she was apparently sitting at her own desk, an open book before her, she focused on slowing her erratic breathing down. Looking at the window threw her off again. It was still light outside, so she couldn't have been asleep that long.
When did that even happen?
She remembered finishing her afternoon classes, then going to the library, to get the books she ordered. Hannah and Barbara went to town, they asked her, if she wanted to go with them, but she politely declined. She had after all more important things to do, than fooling around, and after that she began her research...so when did she fall asleep?
'I can't seem to remember.
Didn't the same thing happen earlier today in Ursula-Sensei's class, too?
What a strange coincidence...'
Speaking of the blue-haired teacher, she meant to ask her a few questions, but after napping in the middle of her lesson, she refrained from doing so. She didn't want to give her the wrong impression.
Ursula Callistis...
Who did never attend Luna Nova, if you believed the yearbooks. And she looked through every book there was, well those who would made it possible for her having known about Croix Meridies. From 2005 to 2009, and she found no trace of her, absolutely nothing...
She did find however the undisputed idol of a certain troublemaker in the yearbook of 2008, maybe she should tell her about that...
'If she even listens to me.'
Since the strike, their relationship seemed to have taken a turn for the worse, one she is unsure of how to mend. All her efforts were either ignored or simply belittled, she couldn't think of a way she hadn't tried already. Maybe Akko was chronically blind.
Which, in regard to the present time, would be fairly welcomed.
Being the apparent president of, the new appointed Croix, fan club, unmade so much of the progress Akko had made.
Well, she did seem to study more, which was good, but her whole attitude to magic slowly changed and that after all the hard work she had put behind it.
Diana only had to think of her wonderful performance at the Samhain festival.
It was so impressive.
That alone was the reason she made sure no one mentioned her winning the 'Moonlight Witch' title in front of Akko, so that it was mostly glossed over. To her the brunette witch had won that night.
What made understanding her right now even harder.
'So complicated.'
Diana sighed and filtered through her notes. Her findings on 'Professor' Croix were rather sparse, especially when it came to her afterschool life, which made her, in the blonde's eyes, more than questionable. Not because she didn't like the new teacher, which she didn't, no, Croix had an unnerving atmosphere to her. The way she smiled, at Akko especially, but also how she looked at Professor Ursula. Diana couldn't even attempt to describe the intense gazing from the tech witch towards the soft spoken teacher as anything but weird. Not to mention it always happened when the blunette wasn't paying attention.
But there was nothing linking those two together, after all Ursula Callistis didn't exist...
The only connection Croix seemed to have, was being the upperclassmen of Chariot du Nord, who disappeared ten years ago...
So what if...
'What if Ursula is also connected to Shiny Chariot?!'
A knock on the door interrupted her thought process.
"Please, do come in", Diana said with a hint of remorse to her tone.
'I am after all apparently a genie, solver of all problems.'
The door swung open and Professor Finneran entered the room, a staple of documents under her arm.
"Diana", she greeted the younger witch with one of her rare, faint smiles, "I didn't see you at dinner, are you feeling under the weather?"
Diana shook her head and stood up from her desk.
"All is fine", she ensured the vice principal, flashing a small smile herself, "I was just taking a short nap, working through the night seemed to have taken a toll on me."
Finneran's eyes shone proudly as she inclined her head.
"As expected from you Diana Cavendish, never faltering in your endeavors. You are the hope of this school."
A nostalgic note crept into her voice.
"Croix was originally supposed to carry the future of magic into the new world, but... well, you see what she did with her incredible talent. We should have never let her and Chariot do as they pleased, she obviously was a bad influence all along."
Diana's breath hitched.
'Was it possible?'
"Was Chariot close to Croix-Sensei?"
The older witch looked surprised at her question, but answered nonetheless.
"Yes, it was fairly ridiculous mind you, the most promising student we had, wasting her time on that scandalous troublemaker, being inseparable and causing disturbances-
Diana?"
Diana was already at the door, leaving Professor Finneran behind. She had heard enough.
'Chariot and Croix were best friends!'
Pieces of her dream skittered through her mind.
Croix was impossibly close to Chariot.
'Why didn't she tell Akko?'
Telling her stories about Shiny Chariot would win the energetic witch over in a heartbeat, so why didn't she?
The connection between everyone involved with the words of Arcturus was Chariot du Nord, who disappeared ten years ago...
Ursula Callistis didn't exist...
There was no connection between Ursula Callistis and Croix Meridies...
Ursula Callistis didn't exist...
She was Akko's mentor, who was the new wielder of the Claiomh Solais...
Ursula Callistis didn't exist...
Croix looking at Ursula all the time...
Everything was connected to Chariot, but Ursula didn't exist...
So that meant…
'No!'
How could she have been so blind?
Diana practically sprinted to the blue-haired teacher's classroom, hoping she would still be there.
When she reached her destination, she slammed the door open with such a force, that it echoed down the hall.
Professor Ursula looked startled at the young witch.
Diana sighed in relief.
She wasn't too late after all.
"Diana?", the teacher said worried, "can I help you with something?"
The blonde took a moment to straighten herself up, trying to calm her nerves down.
'Let's see if I am right.''
"Yes", she replied, pleased by the fact that her voice sounded as composed as always, "the last time you helped me was at the library, when I collected information about Croix-Sensei, do you remember?"
The blue-haired witch's eyes widened slightly, her focus lost, flitting from one point to another.
She seemed nervous.
"Y-yes?", she stammered with a forced laugh, "but I already told you all I knew about her."
'Of course you did.'
"I am aware", Diana continued, "and I thank you for your assistance, but after I had concluded my research I was left with another question pertaining a certain individual you should also be acquainted with...I am naturally talking about Chariot du Nord."
Ursula all but jumped out of her skin by the mention of that name.
'So far so good.'
"Huh?", was the only sound she made, her voice a bit higher than usual, "w-well, I did know her."
She interrupted herself and laughed shakily.
"We all did know her, she was the troublemaker after all."
"So you had to be aware, that her and Croix-Sensei were close friends", the Cavendish pressed on.
"W-well...maybe, there was a rumor-"
"And that she dragged Croix-Sensei down with her."
"Huh?"
Ursula froze. That statement had successfully rendered her speechless.
'Now or never!'
"I myself am inclined to believe, that that fraud put her up to this shameful mockery, this so called 'new magic'. It sure is tragic when prodigies like us are so recklessly exploited by the lower classes. Even now time tries to repeat itself in the form of...well you don't need me to tell you who it is, everyone knows-"
"SHUT UP!"
Suddenly there was some strange energy in the room.
Energy so hot and destructive that it made Diana shudder. She regretted provoking the other witch. Maybe she should have just asked her right out, instead of trying to make her slip up and admit that she was indeed Shiny Chariot.
Then for a short moment everything flashed bright red, so intense, that the younger witch needed to squeeze her eyes shut.
'Where did that come from, was she just trying to blind me?'
As Diana dared to open her eyes again, she was petrified.
There sprawled on the ground behind her teacher's desk was Ursula...unconscious, not moving…
Not breathing?
For the second time that day, Diana couldn't help but scream.
June 2006
Chariot knocked impatiently on Croix's door. When the older witch didn't pick her up after class she got worried. So she went back to her room by herself, only to be stopped by an awfully cheerful Helena Schwarz, who apologized for being a terrible roommate. Horribly confused she had begun to look for Croix, not knowing what to think about that sudden transformation.
As the door opened, Chariot stormed right into the room, not even bothering with a greeting.
"Hello to you, too Chariot", said Croix with a sarcastic undertone. She seemed more amused than anything else, sitting at her desk, notes scattered everywhere.
The redhead sighed, trotting towards her friend, who was smiling brightly at her. It tugged on her heartstrings. Croix smiling was her favorite thing in the world...besides entertaining of course.
'So much for staying mad at her.'
"Where were you?", she asked, pouting slightly, "You promised to pick me up."
She was now standing before the older witch, whose smile slowly spread into a grin, before she pulled Chariot down to her.
With a shriek she found herself now on Croix's lap.
"Croix", she grumbled, her face heating up significantly, "stop trying to distract me."
"Me, distracting you?", the perpetrator murmured in the crook of her neck, nipping lightly at the skin there, "What do you take me for?"
Chariot's nerves were on fire, a pleasant hum vibrated through her whole body.
Shuddering she pulled away a little, trying to clear her head.
"You are pretty forward today", she grinned mischievously, kissing the tip of Croix's nose, "is there a reason for that?"
Green eyes locked with her own and the world seemed to stand still as Croix raised her right hand, to caress her cheek affectionately, gazing at her with unadulterated adoration. It made Chariot's heart doing back flips, trying to break itself out of her ribcage. She never felt like that before. Croix was the only one who elicited so many emotions inside her.
'I love you so much.'
"Do I need a reason to show you how much you mean to me?"
The conviction behind her words always made the redhead speechless, made her believe everything the other witch told her. So when Croix leaned forward to capture her lips in a tender kiss, she had no complaints.