When Croix woke up in the morning, she was hit with a strange feeling. It wasn't…unpleasant, but it was foreign, and unfamiliar. She laid in bed for a few minutes, mulling the sensation over in her mind, trying to put a name to it. Last night had been hectic to say the least, but she had gone to bed feeling lighter than she had in a long time. That peculiar lightness remained, but it was…pronounced differently. It wasn't just her mind, or just her body. It was both, at once. While she made no effort to do so, remaining under the covers, she felt like she could move around and get something done. There was an optimistic feeling, not for anything in particular, as far as she could tell, but just…in general. She felt like she could go out and do…something. What was this feeling? She didn't recognize it, but had she felt it before?

Perhaps it was only because she just woke up, but it took her a few moments to realize she was attempting to quantify the fact that she felt well-rested. Unless, it really had been that long since she awoke feeling refreshed and prepared for the day ahead, which suddenly seemed like a likely possibility.

God, her life was sad.

Keith had been a little late getting ready to leave and his broom up and running, an odd disconnect from his typical punctuality, but eventually the two managed to fly over to campus, if a little later in the morning than Croix might've preferred. As she and Keith entered the doors to Luna Nova and began walking the halls to the library, it finally struck Croix that this was her last day. Tonight was the last night she'd be at the academy and away from the Solis Facility for a long time. It was a bittersweet feeling. She felt like she had grown close to the girls who visited with her during the past week. The meetings had been emotionally taxing, and in a number of cases extremely stress-inducing, but even with that, they felt…pretty nice. Had someone told her eight days ago she'd miss any of the seven of them, she might've laughed. Or more in-line with her personality, made a sarcastic comment and not felt any positive emotions.

There was also Chariot, which hurt more to think about. It would be a lot harder to see each other, after tonight. Chariot would likely still call and write letters, but it wasn't the same as being able to see the look in her eyes actually directed at her. The same look that drove her to do so much. How long would she go without seeing those beautiful eyes on her again?

But despite all that, there was a silver lining to this being her final day, and it was hanging from her hands. It was a brand new notebook. Croix had actually managed to fill the previous one, and was lucky she thought to bring a second. With how everything had gone, she was unlikely to meet any of the girls today, which meant a full day to fill up this fresh notebook, and when she went back tomorrow, she'd have all the time in the world to find the cure.

So in regards to Chariot, Croix decided, it wouldn't be long at all.

The library looked a little more full than usual, both because they had arrived later than the crack of dawn as well as the fact that, as their table sat in the corner partially enclosed by bookshelves, Croix never really saw much else of the room during its busier hours. Croix just buried the uneasiness away and set out to find her book for today. She wouldn't mind seeing one of the girls today, but that was a lot different than meeting a random stranger who might recognize her from her previous tenure as a professor/megalomaniac. It was an entirely different thing to be judged by some anonymous student who knew her through reputation, and Croix would definitely prefer to keep the public at arm's length, at least for now. She was trying to be a better person, but of course, that meant that she wasn't one right now, so she didn't have much of a leg to stand on when it came to defending herself.

She hadn't actually gotten far in Magically Gifted Species in the Mediterranean yesterday, mostly because she ended up almost vomiting in the bathroom and then having a panic attack which, in general, impeded her reading ability. She was still honestly beside herself from last night. Or hell, from the events of this entire week. All Croix had wanted was just to set things right with Chariot one last time. But that so many of the girls could believe she could actually get better, that Akko would go as far as to forgive her…It still felt like more than she deserved.

Maybe she didn't understand it (and she really didn't understand it), but if everyone believed she deserved a second chance, then she wouldn't reject it. A fresh start was not a gift that came often, and once the cure was finished, Croix was going to earn it. Somehow, Croix was going to prove their forgiveness was not given in vain, and become the person they all said she could be.

…But fixing herself was a daunting task, so for now, it was better to take it one day at a time, and today she had one more day of research to do. She had quite a bit of notes to her name right now, even with all her guilt-wallowing and near-breakdowns and actual breakdowns, but she might as well make the most of the rest of her access and finish some notes on mandrakes. There was still potential there to unlock.

So…where was the book? Croix's eyes scanned the shelf where she had found it yesterday, but it was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't like she had put it away yesterday, but surely that was what the librarians were paid to do, so where was it? She couldn't even find any other scientific journals. Her eyes ran through the shelf a third time, hoping that somehow it would jump out at her, when a voice greeted her from the side.

"Oh! Pr- darn it! I mean Croix!"

Lotte was sitting at an adjacent table, greeting her with a small smile. To her right was Sucy, who merely gave a subdued wave in Croix's general direction. They were both hunched over a single book. Croix gave a somewhat awkward hello to the two of them. It was still somewhat surreal to be so friendly and open, but it seemed to bother her less and less. Were the two reading together? Because that would honestly be adora- Wait a minute. That was her book in Sucy's hands!

Sucy gave a bored smirk. "Kill anyone today, Croix?"

"Sucy! Be nice!" Lotte admonished, only earning a quiet snicker in response. Croix just gave a small shrug at the remark, unbothered by jokes at her expense.

"Not yet, kid." She smirked back, before eyeing the book in the young witch's hands. "So…what are you two up to, then?"

"I was telling Lotte about some of the vertebrae down in Croatia. Like this." Sucy pointed down to a picture of a monstrous looking creature with spikes, crab-like claws, and an excessive amount of eyes. "It releases a deadly toxin that paralyzes its victim, and then it crushes its prey with its claws, and then it can suck up their insides through them." Sucy gave a hearty cackle. "They're really dangerous. I need one for my house."

Croix glanced at the page it was open to, and then to the reactions of its readers. Sucy looked enamored as she read about all the various ways magic creatures in the Mediterranean could kill unfortunate somethings. Lotte…looked like she was trying very hard to be supportive of Sucy's interests.

"Um…why do you ask, Croix?" Lotte turned to her. Maybe she didn't look comfortable with the topic, but she was bonding with Sucy over it, and it felt wrong to just take that away.

"Ah…it's nothing." Croix lied. She'd let them have their fun. Maybe if she hadn't been trying to think of steps to be a nicer individual, she might've found a way to get the book back, but she just had romance on the brain lately, it seemed. "Just thought I should stop in before I left. See you, Lotte. Oh, and Sucy?"

Sucy looked up, her expression disinterested as ever. "Listen to your girlfriend, kid."

Sucy blinked, and muttered something under her breath, visibly annoyed. Lotte just giggled, slightly less chagrinned than her. Her habit of embarrassing children really was something Croix should workshop, but for now she'd enjoy it just a bit longer, filing it away as another personality flaw to correct.

Heading back to the shelves, Croix looked for something else to continue her research with. There was only one other book on mandrakes. A picture book, with a little "Ages 7-12" written in the corner of the cover. Why was this in a high school? Biting back a groan, and ignoring Keith's amusement as it grated on her ears, Croix simply picked up a biology book from another shelf. It wasn't a massive setback, and if Solis let her get away with a research trip to Luna Nova, she could definitely find a way to get a single book on mandrakes, but it was still another obstacle keeping her from returning the status quo with Chariot. Whatever. With the book at hand, she made her way to the corner to begin her research anew.

Only to find three girls sitting at her table. Amanda was leaning back in her chair, hands behind her head, Jasminka was reading silently, and Constanze was fast asleep.

"Oh!" Jasminka smiled as she noticed the two of them. "Good morning, Croix! Good morning Keith!"

"What's up?" Amanda barely bothered to look up, at first, but suddenly straightened herself out on her chair. "Oh, and, uh, good morning officer. Nothin' to report here."

"Uh, yeah. Good morning." Croix greeted them. "So…what's going on with Constanze?"

"She came here to work last night and fell asleep at the table." Jasminka explained. "She gets…temperamental when someone wakes her up. So we're…"

"We're protecting the public from her fury." Amanda finished. "Don't want some innocent schoolgirl facing the full wrath of Contz in the morning."

Croix struggled to find a way to ask them to move that didn't feel petty. "I was just hoping to use this table one more time. It's my last day after all…"

"It is?" Jasminka asked, gasping. "Ooh, I'm sorry! We'll miss you! I'd offer to let you sit with us, but…" She trailed off, looking at her sleeping roommate warily.

Amanda just shrugged. "If you wanna wake her up, be my guest. Just hope she doesn't have anything metal on her. There's a chance you might get cussed out in German too, so if that's a deal-breaker for you..."

Croix supposed she had spent enough time trying to take things from other people. If the kid wanted her beauty sleep, then there was nothing to be done. "…Maybe I'll sit somewhere else." Croix turned away with a small wave. "Nice seeing you three again. Give my regards when she wakes up."

"Of course!" Jasminka said.

"See ya, Croix. It's been cool." Amanda waved her off before quickly adding, "Hey, if you see Diana, ask if I can borrow her notes for Divination."

"…Sure." Croix agreed. "See you, Amanda."

There weren't many open tables, and Croix didn't want to sit too close to any students she didn't know. The only one she could find that worked for her was a small one next to the wall, but near the front entrance. Just great. Even when she had a good day, there was still a catch.

Sitting down with her back to the wall, Croix decided to just re-read facts about biology. After a few minutes, she found herself distracted, but this time the thoughts invading her mind wasn't a bout of self-loathing, nor was it a stabbing pain of guilt, or an admission of the things she had did wrong. It was an image. She was in the air, on a broom. Chariot was flying next to her, on her own. Chariot turned, looked to her, and she reached out her hand for Croix to take.

She reveled in the scene for a moment, but quickly dismissed it from her mind. She had a long way to go before that could ever become reality. She buckled down and began trying to focus on the book in front of her, but despite her best efforts, she had pretty much gotten all she needed on the topic, and she had only even looked into it at the start as a refresher. There wasn't much else she could look into as far as her research went. At least until she actually began running some tests, which went well beyond the parameters of her probation. She couldn't help but groan. This day was not turning out in her favor thus far. Damn her brain for being optimistic.

There was a noise behind her, from the corner where she usually preferred sitting. After a moment, Amanda and Jasminka shuffled out and began to make their way to the exit, and Croix spotted a very tired, and very angry looking, Constanze with them. She gave Croix a short nod in greeting, which Croix returned, before immediately returning to her irate exhaustion. Amanda and her friends made their way out of the library noisily, much to the librarian's displeasure. Some people just weren't morning people, it seemed.

Well, if her research wasn't going to go the way she planned, maybe she'd do the same and just go see Chariot. Croix still wanted to devote time to becoming better, and Chariot was her primary motivator. Might as well spend a few hours with her for some…inspiration, as it were. Returning the book to its shelf and making her way from the library, Croix and Keith walked outside the building to avoid the more crowded hallways of the academy. They had almost reached the tower where the professors' offices were when a cheerful voice called out to Croix, stopping her in her tracks once more.

"Hi Croix!"

To her surprise, the one who had so cheerfully called out to her was Akko, who was simply walking about with Diana at her side when they had noticed Croix. It was…odd, to say the least. Both having Akko be so jubilant with her, and that somehow, all of these kids saw fit to say their piece to her. Was something going on today, or were they always this easy to find and she just didn't notice?

"Hello, Croix. It's nice to see you." Diana greeted her cordially, her earlier distrust seemingly having subsided. "I've heard today was your last day, correct?"

"What?" Akko's brows raised on her face, before dropping sadly. "Aww, you just got here. And you really gotta go back to…uh, wherever it was?"

Croix just snorted. Like she said, odd. "You might've forgiven me, but I did still attack you. And, you know, launch a WMD. Still have to do my time."

"But it's not like it's a big deal." Akko claimed. "We stopped that thing, and Sucy tries to kill me all the time!"

The three of them all shot her distinct, but strange looks. "Your priorities concern me sometimes, Akko." Diana said, before turning to Croix once more. "I'm glad to hear that I was wrong about you. I apologize for misjudging your intentions, Croix. I just wanted to ensure you weren't trying to get something out of it again."

"No, I get it, kid. It's no problem." Croix shrugged it off. "Though, if it makes you feel any better, Amanda did ask me to get her your notes for Divination."

Diana responded with a weary sigh that indicated this was a frequent occurrence. "I swear, that girl…You can tell her I said n-" She was suddenly cut off when Akko slapped her own forehead.

"Oh! I need those notes too!" She gasped, and turned to Diana excitedly. "We can make it a study group!"

Diana pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why can't either of you just take notes? You're upperclassmen now! You need to be an example for the new students."

"I just forgot, is all! Besides, it'll be fun to have a big study group! We never do that anymore!"

"Because I'm always the only one studying."

Letting out another amused snort, this one more at herself for being so fearful last night, Croix looked down to the girls. "Look, I was just on my way to see Chariot. I didn't mean to interrupt your date or anything."

Diana glowered, her annoyance betrayed by the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. "A-as I have said repeatedly, Croix. We are not dating."

That had been the response Croix was expecting, but evidently, not everyone agreed. Akko blinked, and turned to Diana in her confusion. "…We're not?"

And suddenly, Diana's face erupted into a deep red hue. "Wh-what?! No!" She stammered out completely mortified, her eyes flashing to an amused Croix, before returning to Akko. "Y-y-you thought-!? W-we've never been on a d-date!"

Akko began to blush as well, as she threw her arms up in the air with a strange gesture. "Wh-well what is this then?"

"What?! This isn't a…T-this is just a walk!" Diana sputtered, tripping over her words. "We take walks all the time! W-why did you think this was a-?"

"I don't know!" Akko shrugged helplessly. "I thought when you asked it was like a code word!"

"A code word?!" Diana cried. "Is this why everyone thinks we're dating? H-have you been telling people?!"

"So…I'm going to go see Chariot." Croix told them. As charming as this was, she figured she should probably get something done today, and it didn't seem like the scene in front of her was going to go anywhere fast. "Goodbye, you two." She waved, but the two girls were too engaged with each other to pay attention.

"Well what about last time!?" Akko demanded. "You…you held my hand! What was I supposed to think?"

"Akko!" Diana shrieked. "Don't shout t-things like that! There are other people here!"

When Chariot opened the door to her office to let them in, Croix half-expected to see someone else in there given her track-record, such Woodward stopping by to voice her low opinion of her, or God Himself waiting to smite her, but it seemed her luck was turning around and she might finally have some time with her without any more interruptions. So long as Keith kept his mouth shut, of course.

"Hello, Croix," Chariot greeted her with one of her consistently lovely smiles. "Did you sleep well? I know last night was stressful for you. I'm sorry again that I couldn't be there to help you through that…"

Croix just shrugged dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Chariot. If it wasn't for you, I never could've gotten myself in that room."

"Why were you so afraid of facing Akko?"

"It's…" Croix struggled to put it to words. After last night's conversation, and the exchange Croix witnessed minutes ago, she could only see Akko as a rather scatter-brained young girl with a heart of gold. She simply felt too human to be the Chosen One, and saying she was so terrified because of her exclusive access to that old Rod felt nonsensical. "It's a long story, but I think I'm past it. She's a good kid."

Chariot gave a sympathetic look, obviously wanting to understand more, but relented to Croix's wishes. "Well, I'm glad you did, then. I know it's not easy to get past feeling guilty, but you'll be a better person for doing it."

"Yeah…that's the dream, I suppose…" Croix said wistfully. She shook her head and fixed Chariot with a determined look. "But if I am past it, then maybe I can finally set things back between us."

"Back…between us?" Chariot questioned.

"Well, yeah. That was the point of the cure, after all." Croix explained to her. "When all this is over, we can go back to how things were when we were younger!"

"You know Croix," she said hesitantly, "I loved how things were back then, but maybe…"

Croix was too enamored with the possibilities of finally returning to their proper places to notice Chariot's reaction. "You remember how we always used to go flying together, right? Just think, if I can find the cure, we can relive those memories for real."

"Y-yes, but Croix-"

"It'll be just like those dates we had back in the day. Once I'm out of Solis, we'll go flying all the time."

"Croix." She took her by the shoulders, looking her directly in the eye. "I gave my broom away. I'm not getting another one."

"What?" Croix stared at her breathlessly, and began pleading. "Chari, no. No, you can't! I…I never cured you!"

"It doesn't matter, Croix." She shook her head, before being cut off by Croix's indignation.

"Of course it does!" She cried. "H-how could I ever redeem myself if I can't even…!"

Chariot cut her off, turning her to a book laying upon her desk. Croix looked to her for an explanation, but all Chariot did was take the book and put it directly in Croix's hands, motioning for her to open it. Unsure, Croix did so, and her eyes widened in confusion as she flipped through the pages.

It was a photo album, filled with snapshots of the girls Croix had met over the past week. They were all here, and Croix's eyes glanced over the dozens of pictures that decorated the pages. There was Diana and her teammates, posing after having won the broom relay. Amanda turning up her nose and making a face at the camera. Constanze saluting in front of a massive metal ship. Jasminka happily waving as she volunteered at a student event. Sucy giving a rare smile over one of her potions. Lotte giving a meek, shy pose for her photo. Akko, flying on her broom surrounded by her friends.

As her eyes poured over the pages, she barely heard Chariot say, with a tone of finality, "That's how."

"…I don't understand." Croix turned to her. "What do they…?"

"I loved what we had back then, but I don't want to go back to that. What I wanted was for these kids to go out and be happy. And for you to be happy. And that's what you did, Croix. You helped them, with all their problems and doubts. And you helped yourself too. You were right before, about us being different people now."

Croix remembered the times when she had said as much. "Wait, when I said that…" And to her horror, realized she had said them as a means of convincing Chariot she wasn't worth her time. Her eyes snapped up fearfully to her face. "Are…are you saying we shouldn't be together? Because, I thought…"

To her relief, Chariot just shook her head. "No, Croix. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying I don't want to be with the Croix from eight months ago, or ten years ago." Reaching downward, she grasped Croix's hands, running her thumbs over her knuckles. "I want to be with you."

Croix could only give her a helpless look, clearly not understanding what the intent was, or why Chariot didn't want the same thing she did. Chariot smiled reassuringly, only slightly helping to ease her nerves before she finally saying, "I still don't understand what made you feel so envious, or what made you do all those things, and if I could turn back time and make sure you never had to suffer like that or live with all the guilt you had, I would in a heartbeat."

She looked away sadly and the regret was the only part of this conversation Croix could relate to. After a second, Chariot looked back up at her with bright eyes. "But you're different, now. I don't know if the Croix Meridies from before could've done everything you've done this week for these girls. You're more honest. More open. Kinder. And I'm sorry it had to come from recovering from all that nastiness, but I think you're a better person now than you were then."

Croix's gaze fell as she felt Chariot's hands squeeze her own. "That's what I want, Croix. I never wanted to go back. I wanted things to be better. We've changed, and I wanted us to change into something greater than what we used to be." Chariot gave a small, but warm chuckle. "You're the only one who still calls me Chariot, after all."

"…Am I?" Croix asked, in a quiet voice.

She gave a short nod. "Like I've said, I've made my own mistakes, but I've accepted them, and tried to learn from them. I'm certainly not as…rambunctious as I was back in the day." She turned to Croix with a bright smile. "And that's what you're doing too. You're healing. You're not locking everything up anymore, and you're learning to let things go too. I think that's much more important than trying to go back to whatever made you so afraid to talk to Akko, or to me."

Croix had felt her relationship with Chariot was different than it used to be, but all this…was a lot to take in. The woman in front of her wasn't the excitable, absent-minded ray of sunshine she fell in love with, but Croix's love for her hadn't diminished, and she had wanted to relive their golden days once more, before her jealousy had ruined everything. The thought that Chariot wouldn't want the same hadn't crossed her mind.

"But…what about all my research?" Croix asked her. Surely, all the work she had put in to cure Wagandea Sickness hadn't been for nothing.

"Keep going, Croix." She encouraged her. "Not for my sake. Do it because it's right. Help someone else find their happiness."

Croix looked down, the notebook from this morning still hanging from her arms. It was still her path to redemption, but without her love of Chariot motivating her, Croix was almost unsure if she could continue. To just do it because it was the thing a good person would do and not because she wanted to regain lost time. "I…I can…but…"

"But?" Chariot tilted her head.

"…Well, you can't visit me at Solis this way."

Chariot blinked, and then laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, Croix." She giggled. "I'm sure I can catch a ride."

"I should warn you," Keith spoke up, causing Croix to jump. "Conjugal visits are difficult to arrange."

Croix breathed in and out, clutching her chest. "Christ, Keith. I forgot you were here."

"Is that how you really feel, Meridies?" He asked with a wry smile on his face. "If it is, I have a gift for your friend here." Walking over to Chariot, he pulled out a short stack of official looking papers. Chariot took them with obvious uncertainty.

"What are these?" She asked, her eyes running down the pages.

"Some legal documents. Liability wavers, mostly. Read this, agree to the terms, and you'll be in charge of Croix for three hours, and I won't need to follow you around." He gave an amused shrug as both Chariot and Croix stared at him in disbelief. "You wanted some time alone, after all."

"I don't know what to say..." Chariot breathed.

"Just…don't make me regret it." Keith said. "You would not believe the strings I pulled to get this. It's not strictly okay for a civilian to be doing this, but I trust you two. Just bring her back, safe and sound."

"O-of course!" She turned to Croix with a hopeful smile. "That's alright, right Croix?"

"A break from this guy? Yeah." She nodded, not looking up from the ground. "But…I still don't quite get it. You say I'm better now, but I still have…a lot of issues. I could barely handle myself last night. I'm not sure if I'm this greater person you want me to be yet."

Chariot just smiled. "If you want the truth, I think the same thing about myself sometimes, when I have a really bad day and I'm feeling down. It's something you have to work on, for a long time."

And then as Chariot reached over and lightly brushed her finger down her cheek, a chill ran down Croix's spine. "But you're already working on it. And I've seen how great you can be when you put your mind to it. One day, I just know you're going to wake up and never have to wonder if you're still a good person."

"You really…have that much faith in me?" Even now, when Croix herself had finally accepted the idea that she could get better, it still struck her how much Chariot believed the same. She doubted that even if Chariot's words rung true, and Croix could put everything behind her, confident enough in herself to accept her failures as a part of her, she would ever deserve a woman as sweet and loving as Chariot Du Nord. It was all the more reason to try and keep her close, until she really could earn the love in her eyes.

"I did say I loved you, didn't I?" Chariot joked, before seriously adding, "But that's what you want too, right Croix? You still want to be better, right?"

Croix nodded, scratching the back of her head. "Y-yeah, of course, it's just…I…I always thought it'd be nice, to go flying and have a picnic, like we did when we were kids. I-I guess, that's out of the question, then."

"No, no. That sounds nice." Chariot said, already excited by the prospect. "We could just walk. I don't mind being a little more grounded nowadays. It's slower, but…that just gives us a little more time to be closer."

And wasn't that a delightful implication? If she only had a few hours more with Chariot, she might as well make the most of them. Croix couldn't keep the grin from spreading up her cheeks. At least, for a moment, before she looked up seriously. "…I can still call you Chariot, though, right?"

She just giggled. "Even if we can't go back, not everything has to change."

"That's good," Croix admitted softly, draping her arms around Chariot's waist, remarking to herself how good it felt to touch her without feeling pains of guilt. "Because I know some things haven't changed since we were students…"

"Why, Croix," she whispered, draping her arms around Croix's shoulders. "How forward of y-"

The moment was suddenly interrupted when they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly. They quickly turned, embarrassed, to Keith holding out a pen with a forced smile. "You…uh, have to sign before I can leave you to your, you know, business."

"S-sorry!" Chariot giggled bashfully, grabbing the pen and papers. "T-that was dumb of me…Just a bit excited after all…been a while since I, um…"

She signed off and tried, and failed, to keep the blush from her cheeks. But now that was done, Chariot was left with three more hours to simply enjoy time with Croix. There would be no more need to feel guilty, no need to worry about grand destinies and fates, no need to do anything but make the most of their last night together, until Croix was released from Solis when they could see the great woman that Chariot had always seen in her. Parting was a sweet sorrow, but it wouldn't be long at all until Croix could bring out the greatness that was inside of her all along. Her heart beating fast in her chest, Chariot opened the door politely for Croix to go and prepare to their private excursion. "Shall we, Croix?"

Croix held up a finger. "Hold on a sec, alright?" Walking steadfastly to Keith, she handed him the two notebooks she had been using throughout the week. As he looked up for clarification, Croix said, "Watch my stuff for me, okay? I need these when I go back to Solis."

"Of course." He nodded. "Enjoy yourself, alright? You've been working hard, and I think you could use a break."

Croix gave him a grateful smile, before turning and jogging back to take Chariot's hand in hers once more. The two women talked excitably about every random topic that came to their heads, laughing and smiling. Keith watched hopefully as they disappeared out the door to bask in each other's company for a few hours more, and after taking a moment to let out a contented huff that no one was around to hear, he too left the empty office, pulled out his own paperwork and began to write his final report on Croix Meridies' probation at Luna Nova Academy.

'Despite previous concerns, Meridies has shown excellent growth in spite of her new environment, or perhaps even because of it. In hindsight, her choice to masquerade as a professor has proved beneficial to her recovery. The students who were previously involved in Meridies' incident last year have all sought her out for guidance, and the interactions appear to be beneficial to her emotional state as well as her mental health. In comparison to her first day of probation at Luna Nova, Meridies is much more empathetic and amicable towards others. Her previous tendency to shut down and revel in her guilt, while not disappearing completely, has largely been replaced by a more healthy self-awareness and sense of responsibility. Meridies has demonstrated a desire to both accept her guilt and learn from it, and has admitted to wanting to move on and become a healthier individual.

As a personal note, while Croix still has a definite sentence to be paid in return for her actions, the personal growth I have witnessed as her supervisor has given me a strong sense that this sentence perhaps need not be as long as previously thought. I have very high hopes that in time and with help, Croix Meridies will be fully rehabilitated. I don't fully understand the relationship between her and these girls, but there is an obvious mutual affection between them and, upon reflection, I believe it has brought out the better side of Meridies in ways nothing else has insofar. It's clear this affection that exists between them has inspired Croix to do great things, and I can do nothing but encourage it. As I have said in previous reports, the influence they have had on Croix is continuously surprising to me. I believe with all the support she has built, it will not be long until she is truly ready to be among the general public once more.

I daresay Croix has a bright future ahead of her.'

A.N. Ambiguous endings are good because when people go "oh that's unsatisfying" you can just say "no it's artistic, show don't tell." But yeah, like I brought up last chapter, I didn't want it to seem like Croix solved all her issues in 7 days, but at the same time, I wanted it to be obvious she's on the path and she's more prepared to deal with those problems. Plus, given how much of her guilt was based on her treatment of the girls, she's thoroughly moved past it, and she's finally accepted who she is now. And it wouldn't be this story if it didn't end with her being consistently wrong.

So this story went by really fast. I'm…a little weirded out by how much I enjoyed writing this. Every now and then, I look at the stories I write and enjoy reading and become really uncomfortably aware of how much I like the narrative of a bad person trying to be good. You can see it in both Slip of the Tongue and Inconvenience, which is…probably concerning?

Anyway, I just wanted to thank everyone for reading, and especially for commenting! It's always really encouraging to see an email notification pop up. Even just a guest review or someone following, because it's really nice to see people connecting with the stuff I write, and it's nice to know that you actually enjoyed it. Even if you didn't comment, I still wanna thank you for sticking with this till the end. I really do hope you all enjoyed reading it.