Yahallo!

Who's ready for some action? I sure am! I played Episode 25 on repeat the entire time I was writing this.

Disclaimer: This is not reality, I mean, there's a nation named East Mogiana Republic in LWA. This is a fantasy world. So even if some of the people of Wasdale Head aren't portrayed awesomely in this story, it's not even the real Wasdale Head, you know? This is fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Episode 1, Conclusion, go!

Episode 1: The Legacy of the Claiomh Solais
Part 3

What Akko hadn't considered when she came up with the idea of being towed behind by Lotte and Sucy is how they were going to stop. Or more precisely, how she was going to be able to stop: Lotte and Sucy stopped fine. Inertia carried our plucky would-be flyer past her two friends and threw her from the broom Constanze modified for her. The fact that this was repeated at every terminal they passed through wasn't lost on her friends, but Akko insisted on continuing to go on without stopping to figure out a better way. What's an injury or two or three or four or five or six after all?

"Owwwww," Akko complained loudly with her face planted firmly in the ground. Lotte looked on concernedly while Sucy chuckled. Akko's broom continued to hover in the air between the two.

Another laugh joined in, "You certainly know how to make an entrance, Miss Kagari!"

Akko looked up in surprise, "Andoru!"

Andrew didn't even roll his eyes at the way Akko pronounced his name anymore. "When Diana came I figured you wouldn't be far behind her. To tell the truth, when I recommended to the mayor they contact Luna Nova, I figured you'd be coming along even as they insisted on only asking her. When she came alone, I came here."

Sucy asked with a raised eyebrow, "You were waiting for Akko? Why are you always wearing a suit? It's summer."

"Ahem. Yes, that is part of my duties now."

"Waiting for Akko or wearing the suit?" Sucy muttered.

"Andoru! You have to explain what's going on. Diana didn't tell us anything." Lotte and Sucy landed to listen to his explanation. Akko hurriedly slammed the button on her broom to fold up the sail and rotors, disconnecting the rope they tied to it as she did.

"Why am I not surprised?" Andrew walked over to the trio to explain.

"Wait! Before you do that: Lotte! Sucy!" Lotte and Sucy waited for her to continue, "Go home."

"What?" Lotte screeched.

"Are you an idiot?" Sucy asked, "How am I supposed to be entertained at home?"

"I've got this, guys. Diana wouldn't want you two involved."

"But she'd want you involved?" Sucy deadpanned.

Akko looked uncomfortable and about to argue further before Lotte intervened, "Let's listen to the situation first Akko. You might need us."

If you stay you might find out I'm magic-less . . . but if Diana needs magic and you don't stay . . . "OK! Andoru! Tell us the situation!"

It's a testament to how well her friends knew her that no one was phased by the sudden turnaround, "Right, so there are these hounds . . . "

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"Ah! I've never ridden one of these before!" Akko shouted, tightening her grip on Andrew with her left arm and awkwardly holding onto her broom with her right. The bumpy mountain trail did its best to make her lose her grip on either one.

"Surely it can't be worse than a broom!" Andrew shouted back, gritting his teeth as he focused on the road in front of him.

"A b-buh-buh-broom is a lot less b-b-b-bum-bumpy!" Akko screamed again as they raced around a twist in the road. She closed her eyes and buried her face in Andrew's back, mindful of the bike helmet she had strapped on. She allowed herself to think and trusted in Andrew to drive her as close to Diana as possible.

The town of Wasdale Head was under attack. A small hamlet west of the highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike, one might not think Wasdale Head would invite magical disaster. However, for the last two weeks, a pack of winged hounds had been terrorizing the inhabitants, forcing them indoors behind strong doors.

Andrew had arrived a week ago and set up a base camp to assess the threat and recommend a solution. He immediately realized he was out of his depth, even with the resources of the newly founded Ministry of Magic Relations backing him up, he recommended bringing in the witches of Luna Nova.

The politics of that still gave him a headache. Who would have thought that a simple request would be such a problem when people were in real danger every night? Eventually, they conceded in submitting a request to the English hero, Diana Cavendish.

When Diana had finally arrived, alone, Andrew was surprised. He figured the only way she would take the job would be getting talked into it by Akko, and the two would figure it out together. Diana coming alone and immediately taking off into the mountains to confront the alpha of the pack was even more unexpected. Andrew was at a loss for why Diana was being so impatient and reckless.

Lotte and Sucy stayed behind to protect the villagers and distract the members of the pack that would attack, while Akko and Andrew raced up the mountain to get as close to the source of the pack as possible. Sucy agreed especially quickly after seeing the size of the turnips in town.

So now Akko had the rest of the ride to figure out exactly what she was going to do when she met up with Diana. Besides yell at her! And hug her! But especially yell at her for going by herself! And I am going to squeeze her until she passes out! And then I'm going . . . I really need to think about the monster at some point.

The curse from Andrew as he lost his cool was enough to rivet her attention to the present, especially as it was coupled with her stomach flipping as they were thrown from his scooter off a ledge. Gripping Andrew tight she mashed down on the broom's activation button, praying it would activate in time.

The sudden wrench on both her arms jolted her harshly from her prayers. Andrew grunted as her arm around his stomach knocked the wind out of him and it was all Akko could do to hold onto the larger boy. Akko finally had the presence of mind to be able to open her eyes and look around.

The broom had saved both of them, but couldn't support their combined weight. They were slowly floating down to the ground below. Too slowly.

"Andoru! Grab onto me!" Akko screamed out, hoping he'd be fast enough before her grip failed. She managed to tighten her legs around him as he squirmed around, but it wasn't enough as he slid out of her grasp. Akko screamed in fear and this turned to pain as he managed to grab onto her a foot lower and his weight was supported by just her arms again. Akko slid down the front of the broom, barely managing to catch onto the sail part, which had finally unfolded.

With Andrew clutching her around her waist, she reached up and grabbed onto the broom with both hands.

Their descent seemed to slow down even more. Akko couldn't speak, couldn't breathe, every fiber of her being was focused on the will to hold onto her broom.

"Akko, we're getting close, I'm going to let go." Andrew warned her.

"No!" Akko shouted back, "Just wait. Please."

Tears fell down her face in pain and Andrew grimaced in shame before letting go.

Of course, Akko hadn't been asking him to wait out of concern for him. She had faith he knew how far he could fall. With the sudden loss of weight, her shoulders relaxed just enough before her broom jumped up sending new waves of pain through her hands and shoulders and shaking her loose.

Andrew landed on his feet before falling to the side as his ankle gave out. He had just enough presence of mind to try to cushion Akko's landing, but the combined fall was too much for the two. Blackness rushed up and pulled them under, unconscious.

The well-programmed broom slowly descended after them and remained hovering a few feet above the ground, its sail limply hanging from the broken framework.

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The hounds of Wasdale were the size of large dogs. The biggest of the pack proper might be 100 pounds. If one was to believe the stories, they were the misbegotten offspring of an eagle and hound. A snarling dog lunging at you on the ground is enough to give a fright to all but the most stalwart; a snarling hound diving at over 100 miles per hour with three or four more behind it was another thing entirely.

"Sucy! To your right!" Lotte shouted a warning for her friend, watching her deploy a mushroom shield just in the nick of time to repel a landlocked hound. Lotte waved her wand and sang out clearly to beckon another sprite of the air to keep the skies above their heads free.

Diving hounds were diverted all around them to land heavily upon the ground. "Sprite of fire, please! Lend me your strength!" Lotte begged as she spun on her broom, the sprite igniting the straw and birch twig bristles and acting as a 360 degree flame thrower.

The three hounds around her fell back from the flames, whimpering, but soon regrouped. Sucy shouted with uncharacteristic strength, "I'm running out of poison over here!"

Lobbing another vial at a hound, it batted its wings in midair to dodge the projectile. It broke on the ground leaving a deadly looking puddle but otherwise had no effect. Another hound leapt in the space in front of Sucy and she was forced to fly straight up, where yet another hound was waiting.

"Murowa!" Lotte screamed with rare fury, knocking the hound aside at the last second before it could bite her friend.

"Lotte, we don't have a choice here." Sucy flew over to her.

"You're right, do it Sucy."

Sucy pulled out a red spotted mushroom and directed magic into it from her wand as she caught Lotte's hand. Instantly, they were engulfed on all sides by a single massive mushroom head. It slowly settled to the ground like a large beach ball.

A few hounds lunged forward and bit into the mushroom, before giving up in disgust at the flavor.

Inside, Lotte willed a sprite of light to come out for them. Sucy was panting from the effort of her spell. She grinned at her friend, "For as comforting as this spell is, it's sure hard to pull off."

"I can't believe what it's like out there," Lotte said, "Do you think the townsfolk got to safety?"

"They'd be idiots if they were taking chances after two weeks of this, so they're probably all dead." Lotte winced as she made herself comfortable, and this did not go unnoticed by Sucy. "Where are you hurt?"

Lotte shook her head, "It's not bad. My boot stopped most of it." She began pulling her boot off, wincing in pain as she did.

The bite had gone through both her boot and her skin, and she was bleeding. Sucy ripped the bottom of her dress to apply a bandage. "There, that's the best I can do for now."

"Thank you, Sucy. How long will this barrier last?"

"Oh? Hmm. A few hours I think." She yawned in exhaustion.

"Sucy. The hounds are supposed to be nocturnal aren't they?"

"That makes sense. Why do you ask?"

"Because it's only 6 o'clock."

"Well, that's not good."

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A normal hound of Wasdale weighed at most around 100 pounds. The alpha was not a normal hound.

Its roar of challenge pierced the night sky, "Even its roar is oversized." Diana remarked condescendingly, "That would be more appropriate on a dragon than a hound."

She had flown straight to the peak of Scafell Pike to confront this monster. Once there, she stared up, and up, and up to the glowing red eyes of a monster. Four Dianas standing on each other's shoulders would only come up to its shoulders, but her gaze was nothing if not imperious.

"I once fought a magic rage missile, you do not impress me." She brandished her wand and let out a crystal clear, "Murowa!" at full strength.

The hound roared in rage as the magic blast impacted its face. It did not look hurt. "Maybe that was a little impressive," Diana conceded.

Her wand responded to her need as she rocketed up and away from the alpha. It turned its back on her and leapt from the peak to dive down before circling back in her direction. Its howl filled every atom of air and shook Diana to her core.

Dozens of howls resounded from all around as its pack answered the call.

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Andrew woke first. He rolled over to check on Akko and grimaced at her bloody hands. Not seeing anything else wrong with her, he started to stand up and look around only to fall down as soon as he put weight on his ankle. "That was stupid, I can feel it throbbing."

Akko came to with a scream, "Diana!"

"Akko, calm down. You're OK."

"What about Diana?" Andrew shrugged, "Akko, I know as much as you."

Akko struggled to get up, whimpering in pain. "Diana. We have to get to Diana."

Andrew's eyes narrowed as he observed her, "What's wrong with you? It doesn't seem like it's just your hands."

She grunted in pain, "My shoulder. I'm sore all over, but my shoulder is killing me." She gave up on getting up and fell down, only to groan in pain at the impact.

Andrew worked his way over to her on the ground, "Let me see."

"What? Andoru, we need to get to Diana. We don't have time for this."

"Take off your cloak and vest, Akko. You can't help her like this."

Akko withered under his glare, and undid the buttons on her cloak one-handed. "I'll need your help with this," she said without looking.

Andrew undressed her as gently as he could. In spite of their best efforts, she screamed in pain while they were taking off her vest. Once her vest joined her cloak on the ground, they came to an impasse. Akko began to shiver, prompting Andrew to lay his hand on her forehead. "You're feverish Akko. You're probably going into shock."

"I don't have time for shock." She looked down at her clothes, "My shirt is too tight to take off like this, you're going to have to rip the sleeve."

"Akko," Andrew began.

"Just do it. We don't know how much time we have."

Andrew took the material of her right sleeve into his hands and gripped it tightly. He ripped it in one tear, but Akko still collapsed in pain from the movement.

"It's dislocated."

"I don't have time . . . "

"Right right, don't have time for a dislocated shoulder. I'm here to help Akko, but I'm not a witch."

"Wizard."

"Not one of those either."

"Can you do anything?" Akko looked up into his eyes and Andrew couldn't think.

When he was still a child he had taken a bad spill from his horse. Terrified his father would punish both him and the horse, he begged the ranch hand to fix his shoulder. The memory of that day never left him. "I think I can, but it's going to hurt."

"It hurts already."

"It's going to hurt a lot more."

With clear eyes Akko answered him, "OK, let's do it."

Andrew unfastened his belt, folded it in half and held it up for her. She looked at the belt and then him blankly. "Bite down."

Teeth firmly clenched around the belt, Andrew moved as best he could into position to brace both sides of her body. "3-2-1—"

The belt fell from her mouth as she screamed in pain. Andrew continued to hold her as she cried. She finished rather quickly with an, "Ow ow ow."

Despite the situation, Andrew chuckled, "Master of understatement, you."

"OK Andoru. I . . . "

"Don't have time for this."

"Right, let's go save Diana."

Andrew frowned at that and gestured to the waiting broom, "You're on your own from here, Akko. I can't walk. And from here it would be better if you were flying anyway."

"Right. Flying. Right." Akko stood and regarded Andrew and the broom.

"You can't be serious."

"What?" Akko asked nervously.

"After all that. After all that! You can't fly?"

"I'll figure it out."

"You'll figure it out?"

"I can't explain it, Andoru. There's something inside me telling me I need to be here for Diana and that I can make a difference. I can make a difference here. I can feel it. Nothing's going to stop me from that."

"Then go. Don't let it stop you." Akko gingerly reached for her broom. "Wait."

"What is it? I can feel I'm running out of time."

"Don't be an idiot. Here," He wrapped his belt around her torso in a makeshift sling to take some of the weight of her arm off her shoulder. Then tied a handkerchief around the bloodier of her two hands. He took the remnants of Akko's sleeve and wrapped it around her other arm where the broom sail had gouged her. "You're a mess, Akko."

Akko mounted her broom and regarded Andrew as she started to rise through the air. "You're a good friend, Andoru."

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Diana dove straight down through the circle of encroaching hounds and changed direction with an explosion of energy below her and behind her. A few hounds collided in midair at her maneuver but the remainder changed direction and kept after her. She rocketed across the hill staying only a foot above the ground when the impenetrable wall of the alpha reared up in front of her.

Another explosion of magic and she was above and past it.

Taking in its twisted, misshapen body in passing, she realized it had been tortured. Arrows stuck in its body and dozens of wounds stood out to her. Its twisted shape was as much the product of its wounds as it was from magic. The alpha was a completely different beast than the lesser hounds, not just in size, but in form and in madness.

Speaking of the lesser hounds, "Murowa!" she shouted when she couldn't dodge a lunge from a previously unseen hound.

Her spell hit the hound right before she collided with it and the momentum of both of them sent her tumbling across the ground. Undeterred, she flicked her wrist and willed magic into her call for her stray broom.

Flying near the ground had been the correct choice as both the alpha and its pack were on the ground. The charging beasts were still fast, but nothing like if they had been in the air; her summoned broom was faster.

She let it fly into her hands and grabbed on as it careened into the air above, away from the less agile hounds. "Murowa! Murowa! Murowa! Murowa! Murowa!"

Successive casting drained her quickly—to the point she had to fight off the blackness that wanted her to faint—but knocked out the lesser beasts around the alpha. Terrifyingly, it sat on the ground with narrowed eyes focused on her. "Don't tell me you're going to start thinking now."

Its slavering jaws hung open and she could almost smell the madness roiling off the beast's flesh. It slammed its head into the ground, growling.

"This is my chance!" Diana closed her eyes momentarily as she prepared to call the magics she wanted into being. For the single instant she had her eyes closed, the hound had its head cocked with one crazed eye staring up at her. In its jaws it held a massive boulder.

Diana bolted to the side as it turned and whipped its head into the air, throwing the boulder at her. Even starting before it threw, the boulder clipped her broom, snapping the end.

"No!" She began to spin out of control.

The massive jump of the alpha took her unawares, but was off-target enough for her to throw herself backwards. Wrenching control of her broom, she rocketed up and away once more.

She spared a glance back at the hound to see it hanging in the air, staring at her. "What! Why!"

Diana didn't have to wait for an answer to her question. It came down like an avalanche. The boulder the beast had thrown perfectly intercepted her escape route as it fell.

Diana was thrown from her broom.

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It took an uncomfortable amount of time for Akko to crest the cliff she had been thrown over and be taken out of Andrew's sight. Her last words calling Andrew a good friend hung in the air between them as she slowly rose, but he still managed to cheer her on as she disappeared from view.

Once she cleared the cliff, she kept rising. Without the sail on the front of the broom, the most she could do was change elevation about as fast as she could climb a flight of stairs. The sun hung in the sky behind her, fighting for more time alongside Akko.

I'm running out of time. I can feel it. Diana needs me. I need to go faster. I need to go higher. I need to FLY.

Akko finally rose high enough to spot the peak of Scafell Pike. She was just in time to see Diana dodge the first pass of the boulder. "DIANA!" she screamed, watching her spiral out of control.

When the monster lunged in front of Diana, Akko felt her heart in her throat and cheered when Diana managed to fly backwards and up.

Unlike Diana, Akko could see the boulder coming down perfectly in her path. Diana, the boulder, and the alpha were perfectly laid out in profile.

Akko scrunched her eyes shut, Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. "TIA FREYRE!"

She continued to hover, slowly rising on the power of the magi-mechanical broom. Diana impacted the boulder, ricocheting away. The alpha slowly began to swoop under to catch her. "No. Not like this. No."

Diana. Diana. Diana. Diana. Diana. Diana. "DIANA!"

In an instant, Akko covered the miles between them and slowed down to catch her gently and safely on her broom. The alpha roared in rage at the sight of another witch.

Akko grinned down at the beast, "Nice catchi times two! And this time with a broken arm!"

For the first time in a month, Akko could feel the power of magic flowing through her veins and she knew what to do. "Sybilladura Lelladybura!"

The magic of the Shiny Rod coursed through her and into her broom, changing it into the Shiny Volley in an instant.

The alpha bit down on thin air as the Shiny Volley whisked them away. Taking the time to regard Diana, Akko could tell what was needed next. "Lyonne!"

Waves of magic coursed through both her and Diana. She flexed her hand experimentally and shrugged her way out of the makeshift sling Andrew had made for her. Diana came to moments later.

"Ohayou!" Akko greeted her with a smile.

"Akko!"

"Yes, I'm Akko! And I'm here to save you."

The tackle-hug Diana attempted then would possibly be safe when the two were firmly planted on the ground, possibly. I thought I had lost you, Diana thought without saying aloud. As it was, they ended up spinning in a loop on the Shiny Volley, Akko's magic keeping them together and seated.

Diana noticed right away, "The Shiny Volley!"

"It's thrilling and exciting, ne?"

"Akko!"

"Di~a~na!" Akko spared a look behind them at the massive predator chasing after. "Do you mind taking the broom?"

Diana shifted her grip from Akko to the broom, and slid into a riding position. "Akko, what are you going to do?"

Akko jumped up to balance on the bristles and shaft of the broom, facing their pursuit. "There's only one thing to do at times like this!"

Diana turned her head to watch, a shaft of green light hovered in front of Akko, waiting for her to grab hold.

With a nod, Akko gripped the light and felt it become solid in her hands.

"Noctu!" Green light spilled over the mountainside, pouring from the witch's hands. Banishing back the darkness that followed the setting sun.

"Orfei!" The light in her hands began to take shape in the flowing arcs of a bow.

"Aude!" The alpha roared in impotent rage, the predator had flown with the sun behind it to blind its prey, but the light pouring from Akko's magic now overpowered it.

"Fraetor!" Solid once more in Akko's hands, Akko pulled back the string with the ball of light.

"Shiiiiiiny Aaaaaarc!" Light became solid and rocketed to impact the beast in their wake.

"Ha?" Akko looked on in confusion, the alpha kept coming. She fell to a sitting position with her back to Diana.

"It didn't work!"

"What!" Diana shouted.

"It didn't work!" Akko gritted her teeth and rose to her feet once more. "I'm going to try again!"

"Akko, don't!"

"Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor! Shiny Arc!" Akko fired another bolt of energy, but did not dismiss the bow as she released. Concentrating, another ball of energy came to her hand, "Shiny Arc! Shiny Arc!"

Two more bolts of energy pierced the beast and it stopped flying to plummet to the earth.

Akko fell back against Diana once more. "Diana," she struggled to get the words out, "I think I went too far."

"Akko?" Diana looked back as Akko fell from the broom, unconscious. Instantly, the Shiny Volley dissolved back into Akko's broken broom. "Akko!"

Diana jumped.

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Ah, I know! What a terrible place to stop! But I already uploaded the next chapter so you can just go straight to it! This chapter was already as long as the two previous chapters combined. Episode 1 Epilogue is next!

If you're at all interested, the inspiration for the monsters in this episode come from the tall tale told by Will Ritson about saving a wounded eagle that then sired a litter of winged hounds. He's also the source for the quick reference to the large turnips. The World's Biggest Liar competition is held annually in his honor.