POV Narrator:

Saturday, 2 December 2017, Luna Nova

The winter holidays are about to arrive, as well as the winter exams where Akko will have to work hard to pass with enough marks to guarantee her permanence in the academy of witchcraft, after a few good days having classes with a training made by Diana it was of impressing even a little of what she managed to get, Learning to perfect the execution of the magic metamorphosis spell, but still having difficulty with others, such as merely making the broom fly, in the midst of these weeks she was wanting to dedicate herself, as was Cavendish who strangely was trying to give it her all to give the Japanese girl this help.
In the night of friday to saturday of the same week, there she was, the girl of the red team, going to steal food from the pantry as usual, but an event can change everything.

POV Akko:

Now I won't have to eat only potatoes, I'll take the opportunity to see if I can get some pies, I left the room, went through the corridors, it was a very cold day, walking there I was going towards the pantry, only that my walk is being interrupted, precisely because now Diana's two little dogs are passing by, trying to disturb me.

"Akko, have you seen Diana?" Barbara asks, which was strange, I was already expecting to see bullying, they are showing a huge tone of concern.

"Diana? What do you mean? Is this a prank?" I ask them.

"She left and didn't tell us, she's not in our room, she always stays in her room at this time reading books before she goes to sleep, it's weird that she left just now" Hannah said.

"Maybe she went to solve something a teacher called" I tell them shrugging my shoulders.

"No teacher has shown up in the room this long, we've asked and none have a clue... Will she really leave Luna Nova?" Said the redhead that I even ended up getting a little shocked, okay it could be that Diana is no longer around here.

Then they went running to try to find information with someone else and I'm clearly going to try with teacher Ursula, maybe with her trust I can know where Diana is, I don't want her to leave even really, she didn't even give a sign or anything that she left, just now that I'm definitely close to getting some spell, I can't just be without her attentive lessons.

In Professor Ursula's room...

"She really left, earlier she communicated to all of us that she would leave to resolve a family matter, we were quite devastated, after all she is our prodigy student, I think you can still find her in the tower of Luna Nova, because the departure of students like that always happens at night" said the teacher always helping me.

'Ah I will do my best, she will come back here with my help, Diana can't leave, I can't be without my biggest rival" I say motivated.

"If you can't convince her, try to go to the Cavendish residence, it is located in Edinburgh, with a broom ride you can get there in two to three hours, it will depend on how fast you go, I knew you would come here Akko" She said putting her hand on my shoulder.

"She can't be leaving so suddenly, she has expressed to me a few times how much she even likes it here, I promise I will do my best to bring Diana back" I tell the teacher.

In the tower of Luna Nova...

I arrived in time, I see that Diana was sitting on the edge looking at the beautiful moon in the sky, undoubtedly the most beautiful thing to see, I was getting very close, until the point that she realized my presence, getting up, patting her ass, and then giving a snort looking even grumpy.

"Ye are really insistent Akko, the witches that leave Luna Nova should make this path alone, please, fae once try tae respect the traditions of Luna Nova - She said, and even though she was serious you could notice the melancholic tone in her voice.

"Diana, I don't want you to go, why are you leaving here?" I tell her who continues without much reaction.

"It is something private of mine, unfortunately I cannot tell ye now, goodbye Akko, I hope ye have learned a lot with the time we have spent studying deeper, now I will have tae leave fae my destiny, goodbye" She said crying already, riding on her broom, I saw the drops of tears coming out.

Diana was not even afraid to leave, as soon as I show up she leaves, by the nine witches, why this was happening just now, I thought I could build a friendship, a rivalry, even who knows learn to fly a broomstick, but I am still here... You can leave now, but I will bring you back one way or another, I will do my best so that you don't leave, I know that graduating here is a dream of yours.

Akko goes to the blue team's room...

I knock on the door, I stand waiting for the handmaidens to arrive, nothing better to ask for help than Diana's two best friends, I won't ask Lotte and Sucy, they won't meddle in an issue with her family, I just hope that now things between me and them will be forgotten in the Bullying aspect.
The two answer smiling thinking it's Diana and then almost close in my face only I put my foot on the door so they don't close and also hold it, which they open again.

"What do you want with us Akko? Can't you see it's not the time" Barbara says and I take a deep breath.

"I know this as much as you do, I didn't even want to be here to ask this, but unfortunately I have to do it, I need your help, I know where Diana went and if you take me along I'll bring her back - I tell them, who immediately pulled me into the room, so this way we went straight to having a tea, this sofa is comfortable, what a luxury.

"So tell us everything you know" Hannah said.

"Diana went to her family's house, she left Luna Nova for good, I tried to convince her not to go, but she left anyway, I need your help, let's go to her house and bring her back what do you think?" I say to the two who keep looking at each other.

"Forget it Akko, I'm even impressed that you've come this far to convince us, but we're not giving you a ride on a broomstick and we're not going to Diana's house either, you don't know what's waiting for you there" Barbara said.

"Her aunt is a person you'll find everything you've been through here in the hand of us being a paradise, that woman is too cruel, apart from you won't get past the door, unfortunately what we have to do is accept that she's gone and" Hannah said.

I can't believe this, Diana's two best friends sending this one, I thought I would receive support on the spot to do such a mission, but apparently I'm going to have to do it on my own, I stand up, but first I make sure to give them both a message.

"What great friends you two are, are you going to let a barrier like that stop you from at least trying to go see Diana and say a last goodbye, at least I came here and tried to do something and I will go even if it is alone to Edinburgh, you two just sit on your asses and do nothing, even the worldly girl you bully all the time can be more of Diana's friend than you are being, well done you two, I never expected you to be such cowards" I say this coming to the door and the two end up screaming.

"Wait!" They both say and I turn my face to them before leaving.

"We will, you know what, you've kind of got a point there Akko, I hate to say it, tomorrow morning we're going to broom to Edinburgh, but I don't think we're going to be able to get Diana back" Barbara said.

"What you need is more hope, you don't have to be satisfied with everything that is being imposed on you, you have to stand up to it, or do you think I got this far just because everything was easy, it wasn't" I say leaving their room and as I pass the door I get excited.

I jumped up and down celebrating, how wonderful, I'll have a ride on a broomstick to Diana's house and I'll be able to know how she is, I even imagine how the place will be, the way she is a bourgeois dandy, I'm sure it must be full of luxury and everything else, gee, does she even have a PS4? It's been a long time since I've played anything, even a TV... Wow I can't wait to see how it's going to be, ahhhhhhh, anyway, now it's time to prepare, I'm sure we'll manage to bring her back or my name isn't Atsuko Kagari.

Akko went back to the red team's room where she was packing her bags to leave the next day, while in the night, Diana was landing with her broom in the middle of a boat passing by on the lagoon that was heading towards the huge castle that is the Cavendish family mansion...

POV Diana:

Tae think that now I have left everything, my dream of graduating in Luna Nova and even who knows one day going through the cool things that my mum must have gone through there with her girlfriend and friends... Worse than that I never got tae know which one it was, but I imagine they were wonderful times for mum... Unfortunately now I will have tae leave this opportunity aside in order tae fulfil my obligations as Cavendish, tae prevent the worst.
The boat arrived on the inside, I stepped for the first time in the mansion since I left tae Luna Nova, it's been three years since I stepped in this place... Three years that I haven't seen anyone from here.

"Look who's back" Said my aunt's voice in the background coming out amidst the darkness, where I had the impression of seeing a redness coming from her eyes.

"Aye I am back, I cannot allow one thing tae happen, hello back Aunt Daryl" I say in a serious tone.

"Look what a low head, it seems that someone had to leave her little place and come back here to fulfill her obligations, I had not forbidden you to stay there, you could stay calmly" said my aunt.

"Nae while I have a position on the line, I cannot allow you tae take that place and ruin everything my mum fought tae keep" I tell her.

"Awwwww, how touching, she has come to preserve the memories of mum who died, died because of you by the way" She said being the same old disgraced person.

"I will leave your things in your room mistress Diana" Anna said and I just agreed with my head remaining staring my aunt very deeply and soon came also my cousins.

I swear to my mother that I will be the leader of this family and all the treasure and things we have preserved will remain, the family tradition will be kept alive and will not be food for the greed of these cursed ones, I cannot let the traditions so preserved by my mother end up disappearing... I promise you mother, I will bring back the glory of this family, now I have given up my dream, but I know it will be for the greater good.

The next morning...

POV Akko:

I wake up in the morning hearing knocking on the doors, when I open them half asleep I see that they are Hannah and Barbara, I call them to come in and wait for me to change, they were kind of quick in showing up, I thought that I would be sleeping a little more today, who would say that for Diana they do things, I go to the bedroom, I change and put on the winter uniform, since it's so cold lately.
From there we go out, I also take a small bag with some clothes to stay there, we go outside, where they are looking at the sky.

"Now come on, you're going to meet the beast that is Diana's aunt" Hannah said.

"There can't be anyone worse than you or the bullies I have dealt with in the past" I tell them.

"Don't underestimate Daryl's ability to be a monster, we know the beast more than you think"

I climbed on Barbara's broom, held on tight, we went through the Ley Line, now I can handle the speed very well, where we arrived in the town of Glastobury and it's beautiful to see it from far away like this in the morning, from above, a bit cold up here, but it's a wonderful landscape, it's the first time I've seen it, the first time I've flown in daylight, I can't wait to get to Diana's mansion and see what it's like.

"It will take a little while, but soon we will arrive in Edinburgh, the Cavendish are Scottish, so you hear her from time to time letting out a few Aye, Nae, Dinnae, tae, lassie well all the time, she even forces herself to speak in the more formal English accent, only that the Scottish roots are very strong in her, things are very traditional there, it's even bizarre how they are almost living in the past, you will see when we arrive" Barbara said, now I understand where the shuffled words come from, damn... Then her aunt will speak in an even more shuffled way, if I didn't learn English in Japan, now I'll perfect understanding the Cavendish.

Hours later at the Cavendish mansion...

It's huge, a whole castle, I knew she lived very well, we also see a limousine parked, we go down the flight, where I see at the bottom, it was Andrew and his father, accompanied by Frank, I didn't expect to arrive at the same time as them, I waved to the three, they tried to ignore us until we landed.

"What are you doing here?" Paul asks us.

"We are here to settle something important with Diana" Barbara made it clear to him who just shrugged.

We all went in there together, I was amazed, the place is the biggest luxury, it's even more than Andrew's mansion, full of marble statues, red carpets, chandeliers full of jewels, now it makes sense that Diana was in that room, look how luxurious this place is here.
As soon as we entered we also saw her aunt coming down the stairs, she was wearing a green jacket and was receiving the guests in a polite way, until she started to see us.

"We don't have a donation, security guards!" she said until Diana came right in front of us.

"I will nae allow you tae mistreat my guests!" She said imposingly and she was showing an expression of complete disgust.

"Oh, so they're your kind, Diana? Which gives me even more reason not to want to see them here, but since you have some authority in this house I can't send them away, at least make them wear something decent, this is a place of class, it's not a charity institution" God, this woman stinks and stinks a lot, to think that I thought Diana was the bourgeois, but this one is even worse.

Then she left us alone, we were kind of taken by Diana, where she went up the stairs to her room, I saw the place was huge, miraculously it had a TV, I thought she didn't like technology, besides having a PS3 in it, I was getting excited if we could play, but I was embarrassed to ask, because she was looking at us angry, looking like we did something wrong.

"What is it Diana? Did someone bite you?" I ask her.

"Honestly, why did ye come here... I told ye nae tae insist Akko, the thing here is private and familiar, now ye are rightly sticking yer noses in here and it could cost ye what ye wanted sae much to face tae keep" She said in a very serious tone.

"And why didn't you tell us you were leaving? - asks Barbara.

"Because ye were going tae follow me, I dinnae want tae be followed here, I just wanted tae let things go, nae get too attached, because I have a greater obligation tae do, I had tae leave because I will become the leader of the family, this is a unique opportunity for me" she said to us.

"You can do that and go back to Luna Nova afterwards - Hannah said.

"I wish it was that simple, I have tae nae only manage, but also keep this authority over my aunt, before she ends up selling all the relics that my mother wanted sae much tae preserve, the legacy of the whole Cavendish family is being sold little by little by her fae pure greed, besides I have a huge road ahead, I dinnae tell you, but we go through financial difficulties, keeping this place is expensive and I need tae take the leadership tae make the right decisions sae that we can keep the traditions" She explains and now things make sense.

"We'll make sure you get back anyway, you're only 15, you're too young to have to do such a responsibility, I just want to know, is your aunt that bad?" I ask Diana.

"You have no idea Akko, what ye heard from her is nae much, I have heard things like that since I was born coming fae her mouth and even worse things, this woman does everything tae make me give up the leadership of the family, since my mother died she wants tae take control of everything, but it is nae with good intentions, she wants tae end the family in the name of greed, anyway, put on some decent clothes at least" she said.

At banquet time, with everyone wearing more formal clothes...

I'm loving this food, finally a real feast, on the bright side now I'm eating quality stuff here, hmmmm, this meat is delicious, these breads, I never thought I'd enjoy it so much, it's been a while since I've eaten anything decent, since we penetrated the Hanbridge mansion, only here I can eat, no one will kick me out, hmmmmm.

"What a lack of formality from that friend of yours" Her aunt said.

"Are ye going tae criticise my guests or are ye going tae talk about the very serious matter that's why ye invited Hanbridge here?" Said Diana being sharp as ever.

POV Diana:

By the nine lesbian witches, how could I have waited fae these lassies tae come here, when I thought things would get worse, they really would get worse, now I can lose the chance tae be leader because they are here, I can't let the things from here go away, even more sae because my aunt is greedy and full of money, gee and Akko eating like a brute, that's when they will want tae kick her out of here for her lack of manners, you can see Anna's face from here in disgust, she's making me ashamed of myself.
I see some of our relics arriving, they were on pedestals, brought by some maids and my aunt was getting up and reaching for them, she must be already thinking of making some mess with it.

"Well since you both insist on still denying the marriage proposal that could save this mansion, nothing fairer than to raise a budget in another indirect way and what better than to sell these old things to you Hanbridge, you could have historical Cavendish relics in your mansion and use them for exhibitions, a bit of witchcraft history would be in every item of this" I can't believe she's going tae do that, then I get up knocking on the table.

"You dinnae sell anything from here!" I shout in all seriousness.

"Oh, Diana, and who are you to determine that?" She said.

"I am the daughter of the late leader and with my position ye cannot sell anything unless ye are the leader of the family, which ye are nae, ye only have a temporary position because of my mother's death, but ye have nae authority tae exercise any control over the relics of this mansion" I tell her who is getting a disgusted expression.

"We need the money Diana, how do you think we are going to keep this place going? Our finances are weak, if you would just do something..." she said and I honestly got furious already.

"And what have ye done ye parasite? Ye never worked in your life, nae even your daughters work, all you do is take free stuff from this mansion and keep leeching our money tae support the luxuries of you, if ye were doing something for the family I would say" I tell them that they are even shocked.

"And what about you Diana? You also don't work and use the money to stay in the most luxurious room in Luna Nova, you think you don't, but your monthly fee in Luna Nova costs money and I'm glad you're leaving" she said and I was already gritting my teeth, the worst thing is that nae parties take place here precisely because of the lack of this money, what I think is good, I hate these showy events.

"Well if we have come just to discuss it I will give you a temporary retreat to smoke, even if you sell it, I don't want to have items that come from witches in my mansion, I want more distance from you" Paul said and obviously he would answer that way.

After this moment where the climate turned terrible, Diana ended up retreating from there where she went back to her room, already stressed with everything that has been going on, her friends follow her to...

Why do I go through all this? It's nae enough that I left Luna Nova, now I have tae see my aunt simply testing my authority right in front of me... I swear I just wanted tae cry anyway, because... Akko comes over tae me and puts her hand on my shoulder and it's another problem I dinnae expect tae see around here, their presence here in the house.

"Why do ye insist sae much? I'm nae going back tae Luna Nova, I have bigger responsibilities tae attend tae" I tell them

"So we're going to stay here anyway, we're going to motivate you to keep motivating yourself to achieve this leadership position, you can't deny that" Akko still very motivated and she comes hugging me which even surprises Hannah and Barbara kind of in the background.

"Woah! Diana was never one to hug us" Hannah said in shock.

"I'm fragile, the pressure gets tae my head, ye know, going through what I go through sucks, I just wish I could be like Akko or any other girl, I dinnae want tae be born and already be a chess piece, have tae stay here fighting just tae keep my place, I want tae be free, be who I am without the weight of responsibility" I say while holding a picture that was with my mother hugged, tears were falling, in the middle of the picture itself.

"We even know a little bit, but damn Diana, look at the place you live, look at this mansion, seriously, you live like a queen, I wish I had a life like this" Akko said and she really dinnae know what this pressure is.

"These things have a price and a weight... It is nae that easy, ye are born without a choice, my destiny was already sealed as soon as I was born, I cannot be anything else but the leader of the family, I will tell ye what it was like tae be me throughout these years" I tell them taking my wand and looking at the television.

I show them a time when my mother was alive, that I already suffered bullying fae my cousins and also fae my aunt, and I would go tae my mother's skirt tae protect me, but it was what lasted little time, she left when I arrived of the trip for that place, I tried nae tae show them what it was about, because I still dinnae trust that secret very much, I am afraid that they know that.
The way that afterwards I was mocked by everyone fae being a witch, as well as for nae having a mother, how I couldn't even use magic right, having difficulties to use a minimum spell, the times that I got out of hand with Andrew, which even earned me a little bit of a laugh, the pressure since then, growing up and my childish smile, the teeth setting, the face closing up until what I've been today, which they were even creating a little empathy fae me.

"My life has never been easy, it would be if my aunt was nae the person who has always been with me, she pretends to everyone to have an appreciation fae my mother who died, but that's all pretence, she actually always had disgust and envy of her for being the leader of the family... I feel guilty, for merely existing ye know... The fact that I dinnae even know my origin and the story I know of my mother is that she had tae break off a romance with a lassie so that I could be born, she must have married in appearance to a guy, made me and then separated" I say tae them who hug me together.

"And why didn't your mother continue with that woman and then use in vitro fertilisation?" Akko question and I have wondered about that too, but I know the answer well.

"A Cavendish with a leading position can only form a family if she is married tae the person and conceives the child inside the mansion, she could nae do that, also she cannot separate afterwards, since the child has less chances of passing on the position, many of us have been pulled tae many unhappy marriages, sae this weight of existence is on me, unfortunately I do nae even know if this story of my aunt is true or is just pressure for me nae to be a lesbian" I say tae them.

"What a boring tradition, seriously, you should let your mother have this chance to have you in another way or even who knows your aunt should not be hiding a truth... And if she has something to hide... Have you tried to find this girlfriend of your mother's and tried to find the truth? Who knows, maybe the hole is not deeper" she said and I've thought about it too.

"Look I could try, but the responsibilities always ended up weighing too much, now I just have tae focus on the issue of being the leader of the family, I have tae honor my position and I kind of appreciate that ye... I mean, ye lassies are here - I say first tae Akko, but I forget that Hannah and Barbara also came here.

"And this PS3? Does it work? I didn't know you had those things around here" she said and I kind of smiled a little.

"Of course it does, do ye want tae play a little? I usually do a bit of that when I'm nervous, it's nae because I come from a traditional family that I can't enjoy modernity, in fact my mother always emphasized that, she said that the two things have tae go together for magic tae move forward, even though I dinnae know if she was so right, after all look how magic is today?" I say while Akko was already turning on her PS3, I hope she has some fun.

"Wow Diana, you're really opening up to Akko, I didn't see that coming, it took you the longest time to open up to us, now with Akko it's gone quite quickly, does she have something special for you?" Hannah said.

"I dinnae know, but she who came here too, she's a good lassie" I say looking at her animating herself choosing the games, how cute, she looks like a child with a new toy.

"I think I'm starting to notice that, I don't know, it was bad Akko, for everything we put you through back there and everything else, you were the one who convinced us to come here, she would have come alone for you, she was the one who gave us the biggest lecture," Barbara said.

"Huh?" Said Akko who was going on the more focus starting tae play God Of War 3, it's really nice tae see that she gets excited, nice tae see that the girls are realising that they were being cruel tae her.

"Wait, ye would go here alone? But how would ye do that Akko? Are ye crazy?" I tell her I was just going to play.

"Huh? Yes, I don't know, but I would find a way, there's always a way to help someone I admire, now I know I'm doing the right thing, thank you for receiving me in your house" She said all affectionate, I was even moved in my heart tae hear that, she doing this for me, I dinnae know if I can give up that much in Luna Nova, they are wanting tae see me there.

I hope I can become the leader, but I dinnae know if I should leave here at the mansion, there are two more years of study until I graduate and can actually stay in the post, I dinnae want tae have tae leave them, they are being nice tae me, like no one has ever been.

POV Narrator:

And so it has been Diana's departure, she has put responsibility above all else, for her Cavendish position, prioritising the future of herself and also her family, but is ultimately creating the attachment that has always eluded her by her friends who have come with all the courage in the world, to be able to bring her back.

Barbara Parker

Date of birth: 16 August 2001

Place of birth: Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom (Welsh)

Height: 1.58m

Weight: 51kg

Sexuality: Pansexual

Gender: Female (cis)

Occupation: Student (Luna Nova 2014)

Measurements (bust/ waist/hip): 84/57/90

Hair colour and appearance: black, long, reaching the waist, with fringes reaching the cheek line, straight 1A

Eye colour and shape: Blue, almond shaped

Physical appearance: slim build, wide hips, round nose, pale Caucasian skin

Likes: Night Fall, magic traditions, Hannah, high class life, books, writing stories

Dislikes: traditions being broken, talking badly about night fall, boring classes, being without Diana

Diana's well-known little dog from the point of view of Akko, one of Diana's childhood friends, she is the daughter of a renowned family of witches in Wales, perhaps not as much of a name in the UK as other families of witches, but around Wales, she is quite well known, much for the great achievements that are tied to the past of the golden age of magic. Barbara herself is a descendant of this great lineage, but despite everything she doesn't reflect anything on that, she is not as incredibly talented as Rebecca Parker was in the 18th century, nor was it a concern for her, her true passion lies outside the world of magic, but in the world of writing and books, loving passionately to write stories, which she usually does when she is not in Luna Nova, using her free time to create her books, dreaming of one day creating something as great as Night Fall.