Hi everyone!
You may be noticing that this is Part III and be wondering where Part II is. Welp, it went a little past the T rating of the rest of the story. Instead of changing the rating for the entire story, I posted it separately.
It's titled "Our Magic! M Chapters". I don't intend to do this regularly, but I approach writing with a "here's the scenario, let the characters react naturally and let's all watch what happens" so it's about as much a surprise to me when stuff happens as it is to you and I can't guarantee it won't happen again; I'll just do my best to make it be as skippable as possible if and when it does.
If you're concerned about reading it (because it does contain some triggering moments), please feel free to message me with your questions and I will spoil it for you. The parts of that chapter that are not about Croix being in the clutches of Ana I've posted here as well, but you may be left wondering what happened to Croix if you only read those.
Our Magic!
Episode 05: Tremors
Part II Scenes
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"The spirits didn't know anything we didn't know already," Lotte began.
"Even Takeminakata?"
"Him and the rest of the great spirits are gone."
"Then the only thing we can do now is find Croix," Amanda said while eyeing their professor.
"If it's Croix, she can probably figure something out," Sucy agreed in a rare cooperative tone.
Jasminka hmmed and said, "She's one witch I am glad is on our side."
The downcast professor shook her head, "I realize what you all are doing. You don't need to. You are correct that we should find Croix as our next step, but we also need to sleep. The Kagaris cannot really hold all of us, so let's set up at a hotel farther into the city, get some rest, and then plan our search for my—for Croix."
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Jasminka hmmed to announce her presence to Amanda, who was reclining in the large recessed window of one of their hotel rooms. "She left then?"
Amanda looked up from watching the outside. "Yes. Gone to find her girlfriend, I'm sure. She just crossed the street now."
Jasminka sat in the chair next to the window and proffered the bag of cookies in her hands. Amanda waved her hands in denial, causing Jasminka to frown. "It's not good to go without eating, Amanda."
"I just don't feel like eating right now. Why doesn't Chariot want us with her? She knows that Diana is out there too, not just Croix. It's kinda' selfish, dontcha' think?"
Jasminka shook her head. "I think she's trying to be selfless right now. She meant it when she said we need to rest. We are all exhausted. Traveling is exhausting on its own, but first Akko collapsing and now all of this. Everyone's tired."
"I'm not."
Jasminka smiled sadly, "Amanda."
"I'm not. I'm not. I'm not."
"I think you are very brave, Amanda. It's one of the reasons I agreed to make you the leader of our team. Not just because of Constanze's shyness and that I work better in the background. Being a leader suits you. It helps you make the right decision."
"What if I don't want to make the right decision?" Amanda turned away to look out at the city again.
"Then I would support you even if you did that," Jasminka smiled. "But I don't think you'll do that."
"I want to. I want to so badly," Amanda whispered.
"I know, hun. I know." Jasminka set aside her cookies and joined Amanda in the recessed window. Amanda threw herself into Jasminka's arms. "There, there. Everything will be daijoubu."
"Daijoubu?" Amanda asked between sobs.
"I was trying it out since we're in Japan? Doesn't suit me?"
Amanda laughed as she was crying, and shook her head in Jasminka's chest. "Not at all!"
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Chariot was frantic.
It was like a part of her that should be there, wasn't there. Her hand had been cut off, or her heart had been gouged out. Where is it? Is it here?
Croix.
They say the fastest speed a human can run is 28 miles per hour and only for a few seconds.
Chariot was a witch.
She zoomed through the city with her magical senses on wide alert, exerting all of her power to find the hint of the one she loved.
Already finding Diana and realizing she was safe at the Kagaris, but in no shape to speak, she continued her search for her love.
Croix. I'll find you. Why are you here? How can I help you? I love you. I need you. Come back to me. Don't ever leave me again. I don't care what the world wants. I just want you.
Ana observed her from a distance and smiled as she listened to her thoughts.
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Chariot returned before dawn to the hotel rooms. Exhaustedly, she sprawled out on a lounge chair.
"Professor?" Lotte asked concernedly.
"Oh, Lotte? You're up already?"
"I had a hard time sleeping. Everyone wondered where you went."
"I'm sorry, but knowing Croix was out there, I couldn't stop myself from looking."
Lotte pondered Chariot's actions, "So when you were originally reluctant to leave Akko . . ."
"Yes. I probably would have gone out looking on my own just like now." She added bitterly, "And been just as ineffectual."
"Did you find anything out?"
"Diana has returned and is with Akko, but she looked like she'd been pretty beaten up. We should go back and check on her sometime today."
"And about Professor Croix?"
Chariot sighed wearily, not letting herself cry but not being able to prevent her eyes from moistening, "I couldn't find her. I hope she's OK."
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End of Part II Scenes
Part III
Diana was shaken awake, and not by someone's hand. The vibrations of the minor earthquake made themselves known on her bruised body in an unpleasant manner. Her eyes snapped open to be confronted with a vision of loveliness.
Akko.
Sleeping next to her.
Akko.
In the futon with her on the ground.
Akko was sleeping with her.
She clamped her own hands over her mouth to keep herself from screaming in surprise as she hauled her aching body up and away from the literal girl of her dreams.
Looking around frantically, she was confronted with another shock.
A leering Atsumi Kagari. "Fufufu, just what do you think you are doing with my daughter?"
"I don't know how this happened!" Diana responded in a furious whisper, desperate to explain herself and simultaneously not disturb Akko's rest.
"It certainly looks like you pulled Akko down to sleep next to you after we were kind enough to bring you a futon," Atsumi hid her mouth behind her hand as she insinuated the kind of deeds Diana committed.
"No! I would never do that to Akko!"
Disappointed with that response, Atsumi replied, "Oh? I thought you were in love with my daughter?"
"I am in love with Akko!" Diana tersely replied at a volume approaching a shout.
Atsumi gave a genuine smile and nodded her head at the figure behind Diana, "You're welcome."
Atsumi turned on her heel and marched herself out of the room, bowling over the group of her husband, Constanze, Hannah, and Barbara that were crouched outside listening, and herding them away as she shut the door. Diana stared at her retreating back aghast, "Wha . . . ?"
The truth dawned on her tired brain slowly as she tentatively turned around to see a wide-eyed grinning Akko desperately clutching her hands together in an attempt to not roll around in pure glee. "What?"
"DAI-AAAAAA-NAAAAAAAA," the tiny brunette wailed in happiness but the expected tackle-hug never came.
"A~ko?" Diana sat with her back straight and her hands laid in her lap as she struggled to process the course of events. "I thought you were—"
"I 'oke up dis mor-ning," Akko explained through her tears.
Diana could not resist Akko's crying face any longer and immediately used her sleeve to wipe away Akko's tears. Once properly scrubbed, Akko sniffled. "I. I suppose you heard my words to your mother?"
Akko nodded, but stayed silent.
"And," Diana's voice broke as she continued, "And I suppose I can take the fact that you are sitting there and not sitting here as your true feelings?"
"Huh?" Akko asked confused, staring at Diana who was sitting literally a foot away from her still in the same futon.
Diana could not stop the tears that came, but she tried to stem them with her dampened sleeves. "I-I just mean. Any other time you would have tackled me and started-started kissing me." She repeated herself, "You are still sitting there and not sitting here."
Diana gestured to her own body as she finished. "Oh?" Akko's face lit up in realization, "OH!"
The bruised and battered body of Diana collided with the ground for the second time in 24 hours. She could not stop herself from grunting in pain. Akko froze atop her. "This is why I didn't glomp you, you, you IDIOT."
Diana slim hands reached around to encircle Akko's back. Her arms tightened and her left hand clutched onto Akko's hair. "So-so-I can take the fact that you are sitting, here. Here in my arms to mean—"
Akko shook her head in wonder, "I love you. I love you even when you're stupider than I am. Even when you fall off buildings and walk across the city to come see me. Even when you stay up all night by my bedside when you should be resting. I love you, I love you, I love you."
Diana smiled and cried, "I love you too."
Akko's bright eyes and brighter smile lit up her world, "Not as friends."
"What?" Diana asked in wonder.
"I love you. Not as friends. I love you." At Diana's questioning gaze, Akko rushed over her words, "I mean, I still love you as a friend too, but I love you a lot more than that."
Diana grinned and couldn't resist teasing her, "As best friends?"
"No!" Akko shouted in horror, "No! I mean, yes as best friends too. But I love you." She threw her head back to stare at her ceiling, "UGH, it's not coming out right!"
"Akko?" Diana pulled her attention back to her. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
"YES! THANK GOD!" Her groan of relief was accompanied by Diana's happy smile. Akko fixated on Diana's lips and slowly descended to seize her lips for her own.
"Knock knock lovebirds," Atsumi's brash announcement was preceded by her entrance to the room.
"MOM OHMIGOD, actually knock!"
"Excuse me? I think I did a pretty good job of letting you SLEEP WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND already today. I think you can excuse me from opening a door in my own house."
Diana and Akko both turned 1000 degrees with their blushes.
"You two are too cute. But if you've both worked everything out, then I think we should do what we talked about already."
"Oh, the hospital!"
Diana turned solemn eyes on her, "That's right, Akko. You just woke up this morning, but you were unconscious for an entire day. We should get you checked out. I'd like to examine you back at my home, but failing that, we should rely on the medical science of your people."
"You-you'd like to examine me?" Akko asked flatly.
"Akko!" her mother's tsukkomi snapped her back to the present.
"Oh, yeah, but you know, it's a magical thing with me? So I don't really need to go to the hospital. We're taking you to the hospital."
"Me?"
"Yes, you definitely have some broken bones, dear. Even if Akko hadn't woke up today, we were already talking about taking you, but now that Akko is back with us, there's no reason we shouldn't go."
"I do not need to go to the hospital."
Atsumi merely raised an eyebrow at her declaration, but Akko was adamant. "Hey! There can only be one idiot per relationship and I already have that job!"
"Akko! You are not an idiot!" Diana refuted her immediately and loudly before Atsumi could say anything.
"Then if I'm not an idiot, you can't be one either! You're going to the hospital and that's final."
"That's final?" Diana was many things, but used to taking orders was not one of them.
Atsumi gestured for Akko to come to her and Akko reluctantly separated from Diana and walked to her mom. Atsumi bent over and whispered in her daughter's ear and Akko's eyes lit up.
"I do not think I approve of this blatant collusion in front of me."
Akko bounced back to Diana and plopped herself down on the floor in front of her. "Oh, Diana?" She smiled at her as she peered up at the blonde witch.
"Y-yes, Akko?"
"Will you please go to the hospital?" She blinked rapidly and Diana realized she was trying to flutter her eyelashes, "For me?"
"Oh, bloody hell."
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"This is the place?" Sucy asked questioningly.
"Hannah said Diana said Croix said she would be eating here every night," Amanda recounted.
Chariot looked at the ramen sign and let herself smile, "Of course it's a place like this." Croix, I am going to squeeze you to death for making me worry.
Constanze and Hannah had stayed behind at the Kagari's again, but this time in order to keep an eye on the house while Akko, Diana, and her parents were at the hospital. Barbara and Lotte were at their second base of the hotel rooms waiting for the others' successful return.
That left Sucy, Amanda, Jasminka, and Chariot to go retrieve Croix. Their mood was jovial now that Akko had woken up and Croix was up to her usual ramen-eating antics.
"Hmm, but shouldn't Professor Chariot have found her last night if she's just eating ramen all day?"
Chariot frowned slightly, but shook off the negative thoughts, "Croix is a master witch that knows magic I've never even thought of. It's not a surprise that she could hide herself in some way that I could not find her."
Sucy asked mercilessly, "But why would she hide herself from you?"
"I don't know, but I intend to ask her. Let's go get her."
Chariot took the lead and forcefully walked inside, quickly asking the hostess and unerringly walking to the private room she indicated. The other girls hurried to keep up.
Chariot slammed the sliding door hard enough to jolt it off its rails and stepped inside quickly. At the sight of Croix sitting there she sighed and slumped in relief. "Croix, I was so worried."
Croix looked up with haunted eyes and Chariot saw the many wounds and bruises on her exposed skin. She stepped to close the distance between them. "No, please, no. Not this again."
"Croix?" Chariot stopped herself from stepping closer, "What?"
"Look, whoever you are. If you're here to torment me, then just drop the act. If you're not, then you need to get away."
"Professor? What's going on?" Amanda asked as she peered around the statue that was Chariot at Croix.
"No, you brought the girls." Croix shuddered in fear, "Chariot, you need to get them away from here. Immediately."
"Croix, what's going on?"
"Listen to me! She's too powerf—"
"Greetings, my darlings. Aw, and I was so hoping that the pretty blonde one would be coming," the sexy, smooth voice dripped with malice enough to take everyone aback. From the corner of the room, Ana stood. Everyone blinked, unsure if she had been there the entire time.
At her appearance, Croix's visage hardened, "Chariot, get out of here!"
"Girls, leave now," Chariot ordered, pulling forth her wand and raising her arm between the girls and Ana.
"Professor, I'll stay and help," Jasminka stepped forward.
With her free hand, Chariot snagged Jasminka's arm and pulled. Jasminka tried to resist, but stumbled. "Croix said to go. Go. Protect the other girls."
Chariot pushed and Jasminka stumbled back towards Amanda and Sucy. She stared from her arm to Chariot and back as though she could not believe what just happened. Amanda nodded in resolution and laid her hand on Jasminka's shoulder, "Come on, we need to go."
"Yes, my darlings. Run along. I'll catch up to you shortly."
"Chariot's going to kick your ass, lady," Amanda called out to her over her shoulder. After motivating Jasminka to move, her and Amanda had their hands full pulling a shuddering Sucy from the door.
Chariot stood immovable and resolute as she stared down the raven-haired temptress in front of her. The blare of the fire alarm echoed throughout the room and Chariot disappeared from sight, reappearing before drop-kicking the witch in front of her in the chest, knocking her through the thin wall and into the next room.
Realizing Amanda or one of the other girls must have pulled the alarm, she rushed to Croix and began pulling her along. Croix was dazed and making things difficult. "This can't be real. She wouldn't give up so easily. This isn't real."
She came to her senses to pull back from Chariot. "Croix, what the hell?"
"I don't know who you are, but I won't let you take me again."
"Croix? What did she do to you?"
"You! You did this to me!" Croix reached out and slapped Chariot across the face.
The lilac-haired witch's slap stung worse than being hit by a dragon. "Croix? Croix, I'm sorry. I don't know what I did, but I should have been there for you."
"Chari?" Croix let Chariot pull her close.
Chariot embraced her. "Croix, I'd do anything for you. Whatever happened, I will make it right."
Croix ducked her head, beginning to cry, "You're going to hate me."
"That's impossible," Chariot assured her simply. It had always been the truth after all.
The knife in Croix's hands was sharp. The hot lines of pain followed by the feel of her blood dripping startled Chariot out of Croix's arms.
"Croix?" the look of confusion and betrayal on Chariot's face hurt more than all of the physical torture Ana had inflicted on her. "Croix, this can't be real, right? You would, you would never hurt me?"
Croix turned away from her with a sob. The melodious laugh of evil reached them then. "I take it you are not a fan of my new servant?"
Chariot's face twisted up into a snarl, "What have you done to her?"
"Oh? You mean this?" Croix's hand with the knife lifted until it was perched at her own throat, "This is just a form of voodoo I picked up. There's some pretty hefty upfront requirements, but I managed to clear them swimmingly last night. Isn't that right, my darling?"
Croix groaned in disgust and pain and Chariot stepped in, "Stop it. Don't you dare hurt her."
"My, and to think that you two are Woodward's failures in love. I cannot wait to get my hands on the successes."
"Stay away from Akko!" Ana turned in surprise to the shouting Croix. The declaration had bumped her throat against the knife and blood began to seep out.
"My darling, that's about more fight than I'm willing to tolerate," Croix opened her mouth once more, but with a gesture from Ana, her jaw snapped shut. "As you can see, I currently control Croix."
"You might control her body, but her heart belongs to me!"
"It amazes me that you can say those things after everything." Ana slowly walked to the captive Croix, draping herself over Croix's back and caressing her. "But you are correct that I control her body."
"I'm going to completely destroy you."
"Oh? So both of you say the same thing when cornered," Ana grinned and leaned in to kiss Croix on the cheek. Croix visibly shuddered. "But I am nothing if not fair. I gave Croix a test and she failed. We can have a bargain of our own, Chari."
"Don't call me that."
"Would you prefer angel?" Ana returned.
Chariot shook her head, "What's that supposed to mean? Just give me Croix and you might walk out of here alive."
"Might she says!"
"Every second you touch her makes it less likely you'll be able to walk away."
"This! This is the Chariot I wanted. This is the Chariot I needed. Where have you been? You wasted yourself on those utterly stupid shows of yours, then think you can redeem yourself working as a teacher?! Of all things. This is the vengeful valkyrie of the battlefield that so captivated my sister." Ana leaned in once more and left a sensual kiss on Croix's neck, before backing away. Croix was visibly straining to plunge the knife into Ana, but her magics held her unfailingly.
"I think I'll cut out your tongue first," Chariot cracked her neck, as she prepared herself for what was to come.
"Yes, I think that's the best way to continue."
"What?"
"Our bargain, weren't you listening? Our wager. If you can defeat me, I will release Croix."
Chariot didn't wait to hear any more and pushed off from the ground with enough force to blast a hole into the basement. Her tightened fist lead the way into Ana's face, deforming it around her hand as Ana was blown back. Pivoting as she landed, Chariot leapt again, this time leading with a flying kick to the still airborne witch's stomach.
Ana's hands came down to grasp onto Chariot's calf, but Chariot used them as a fulcrum to twist in midair and roundhouse kick Ana in the head, smashing her to the ground. Following her down, Chariot stayed standing and kicked her in the head again.
Snarling in pain, Ana lashed out and slapped at Chariot's leg still standing on her stomach, knocking her off her feet. Chariot gave in to the drop and exaggerated it, leading with her elbow straight down onto the throat of Ana.
Gasping in pain, Ana did not have time to react as Chariot swiftly mounted her torso and began punching her repeatedly in the face.
The once beautiful alabaster-skin of Ana turned crimson with blood and bruising, but she continued smiling. Grabbing her around the throat, Chariot began lifting her head and slamming it back into the ground.
Finally, Ana's swollen eyes shut completely and she fell unconscious. Croix's hand holding the dagger slowly dropped as Ana's magic left her body.
Lifting herself from her opponent, Chariot stood and faced Croix uncertainly. Please don't hate me, Chariot thought, fearing her lover seeing her in berserkr mode.
Croix was amazed to say the least. "Remind me again how I ever thought I could fight you before?"
Chariot let out a smile, "Well, you did have a magi-mechanical dragon before."
"Chariot," "Croix," they spoke at the same time. Chariot gestured for her to go ahead. "She—Ana—she really did a number on me, Chariot. I mean, I thought I was fucked before, you know?" she laughed hollowly.
Chariot frowned, turning suddenly and kicking the prone witch in the ribs. She turned back, "I don't know what she did to you, but she can't hurt you anymore."
"Chari—Chariot, what. Who are you?"
"It's me, it's me. Your Chari. Why do you keep saying differently?"
"The Chariot I know wouldn't kick an unconscious opponent. The Chariot I know wouldn't—"
"Wouldn't trust you that this thing is an evil bitch? Wouldn't care that you've obviously been tortured? Maybe you've only seen me fight things without sentience, but I've fought a lot more than just that." Chariot said dryly, recalling some of the horrors she had seen traveling the world. "If you do something like care about the person you're fighting, then that just gives them an opportunity to hurt you. I won't take a chance with someone that hurt the woman—hurt anyone I love."
"I didn't mean it like that. Chari—she . . . "
"Whatever she did, it's in the past now. You're here with me. Now if you don't stop moping and open your arms to let me hug you, I'm going to get a little upset."
Croix looked behind her at the prone ancient evil witch with wide-eyes, "Well, I certainly wouldn't want to make you upset."
Croix stood up and faced her, but kept her arms wrapped around herself, "I'm not sure I'm ready yet."
Chariot stepped up to her and stared into her eyes. "Do you want me to hug you?"
Croix shed a few tears, "I do, I do, but . . . "
The embrace shocked her. The younger witch had completely wrapped her up, and Croix could only stand there with her arms at her sides. She gave in and settled her head into the crook of Chariot's neck. She sighed deeply.
"I don't know what that bitch did—"
"Shh. It doesn't matter what she did. What matters is I'm with you now. I'm not—I'm not OK. And I'm really scared, but we'll deal with it. I believe in you."
"And I believe in you."
The earthquake jostled them, but only slightly. Just enough for Croix to worm her way loose in order to return the hug. Chariot didn't miss the tears that dampened her shirt, nor the shuddering that Croix was trying to hide from her, but she pretended to.
"Croix?"
"Yes?"
"Is it just me or has there been an awful lot of earthquakes lately?"
"Well, we are in Japan. This is normal, isn't it?"
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Thanks for reading. Please comment and let me know if you liked it.
Also, in case you forgot from back in the first episode, this Chariot wandered the world after the whole, shooting an arrow at the moon incident and this is where she made the transition from entertainer to the badass jedi we see in the last few episodes of Season 1. She went through a lot before Holbrooke gave her a chance to come back to Luna Nova and find a new path for herself as a teacher.
I'm planning on updating every Thursday from now on. I've been working on an original webnovel and I'd like to start posting that on Saturdays or Tuesdays, so I think Thursdays for this would be best. I actually had Part II ready last Thursday, but because of its sensitive nature decided to wait until Part III was ready to go too.
One more part in this episode and we can get to what should be the final or second-to-last episode in the Japan arc. Look forward to hearing from you!
