POV Narrator:
Things at the Cavendish mansion were getting tighter as night fell on the place, the girls took the time to play some video games and also have some contact with technology, something that in Luna Nova they can't get because the rules forbid it, and even in the academy of witchcraft not even electricity is present. The time of the ritual for the leadership of the family was coming and the anxiety was rising in Diana's head, thinking about how she would perform it and if she could become the head of the family.
POV Diana:
The time has come, the lassies are even starting tae wear their uniforms again, there's not so much need tae wear formal clothes now, well, I'll take advantage now and put on the ritual clothes, I go into my wardrobe, I start to get the dress, sandals, cape, I take off all the clothes, putting these on, I take a deep breath looking at myself in the mirror, just reflecting, now is the time tae take your place, mother... I will make it, it's all or nothing.
As I leave the wardrobe, the lassies notice that I'm already with the ritual clothes, sae much that they get up and come tae me.
"But already Diana?" Hannah asks.
"I cannot let my aunt take the place of the leadership of the family" I tell them very clearly.
"So good luck Diana" said Barbara.
"Can I accompany you?" Akko asks.
"Ye can go with me tae the door, after that I have tae do it alone, for the rest ye can only wait" I answer Atsuko who agrees with her head.
Anna knocks on the door, I answer and she calls for the ritual, with that I go through the corridors, being followed by the lassies, arriving close tae the door, I hug each one of them, that even end up finding strange this way of showing affection, but it's because I can't think of another way tae show it... I'm all tense, I have tae keep my calm now, I open the door, wave tae the lassies and they wave back.
"Now aye, I will honour ye mum" I say alone.
I walk in the middle of the corridor, hoping that nothing happens, but as expected, Daryl, Maril and Merrill appear, the three of them waiting fae me, which already puts me in a fighting position, I have tae fight them, I have nae choice... I knew they would intervene.
"Dinnae ye get tired?" I tell them.
"No, you came to put your face to take what I should be, I am the eldest here and should be the leader of the family, if you take over this family will collapse" She said as my cousins turned into snakes.
"I'm nae going to let ye ruin my family, even if I have tae fight fae it"
"You don't even come close to the strength that your mother reached, it will be pathetic to leave you immobilized" said my aunt that was also changing into a snake, I was already trying to get rid of the other two, but they were agile and were biting my arms to hold me, this hurts a lot.
POV Akko:
I don't know if we can trust her that much, and if Diana is having a hard time and right now her aunt attacks her, I can't let that happen, it could end up ruining her post as leader and things get worse and a lot worse, but Anna really insists on leaving us on the other side, so much so that the other two were going to leave, but I held them back.
"Are you going to stand there waiting?" I tell them.
"No, that's precisely why we are leaving now" they both said.
"I'm not talking about that, Diana might be in danger, we have to intervene, or else the worst will happen, you won't even be able to see your friend anymore if her aunt becomes the leader of the family"
"We'll wait here, but you go and break the traditions" Barbara said.
"You can't, it's a sacred ritual where only the Cavendish can participate, you are not Cavendish, the last time the ritual took place... The person who was with Bernadette waited on the other side, so why don't you wait too" said Diana's maid and I sincerely push her and go to the door.
"I don't even care, I'm going to rescue Diana" I say confidently and walk past the door.
I see Diana half fainted on the ground, I start to run while I notice some snakes coming, at that moment these snakes turn to human form and stare at me very deeply, they were the three that came to interfere in the ritual, I knew they would appear and try to get rid of Diana.
"Well, if it isn't Diana's poor little friend" said the older one who was staring at me.
"What do you want? Stay there cheating in the ritual, you're a bastard, you know that? You don't know how to play fair, you dirty girl!" I say that and she just shrugs.
"Anything for power is worthwhile my dear, what will you do for it? It's not your place... You're too late, now we'll finish you girls off, you can have your way with her" Diana's cruel aunt said as her cousins turned into snakes.
Now they will see, I jump and transform into a bird, dodging the onslaught of the two, then I transform into an elephant, crushing them, which even makes Daryl stop on the way to go on the attack too, now she attacks me right in the trunk which I'm already feeling a little of the poison, but I know I can handle it.
"I have felt stronger things coming from Sucy!" I say this while transforming into something else.
This time a turtle, where I was more and more hidden and they couldn't bite me, I take that time to transform into a rat, dodge a boat, then transform into a monkey, what I end up trying again transforming into an elephant to crush the three, but at the time it only takes the cousins since Daryl was dodging, what she even ended up wrapping the whole snake body in my body, with me going back to normal.
"You won't make it! I have to protect Diana ... I have to..." I say this while already feeling a little dizzy.
"You're already about to go base girl, there's no point in trying, we are much stronger witches than you" Said the witch as I grew sleepier.
"You can play two on that one!" I say that and turn into a snake too.
I take a bite out of the snake body of Diana's aunt, the other two come to the attack, I take the opportunity to transform into a rat, dodging the attack, then into a bird, only I'm already getting a bit groggy, I'm not getting the precision I had before, so much so that I run towards Diana, in normal form, more and more slowly until I fall to the ground, getting down on my knees.
"There's no escape, you go..." I told Daryl as I was going out, damn it... Diana... I couldn't help you, if only I was a decent witch, I would have done it by now.
POV Diana:
I pretended tae be blanked out, noticing that Akko had gone tae intervene, but I think I took too long, I couldn't even tell what happened during the battle, I only know that I hear their footsteps running, I open my eyes and see them walking out of there, by the nine witches, they are going tae the ritual, I stand up and see Hannah and Barbara coming.
"Diana! Were you awake?" they asked.
"We dinnae have time for this, let's heal Akko" I say, taking her in my arms and running to the family laboratory.
"And the ritual?" They said.
"I have a way, it will need yer help, I think we can get there before them"
A while later in the laboratory Diana managed to give Akko an antidote to wake him up...
She woke up, I thought already I was going tae have tae use a kiss tae get her up, anyway, now is the time tae go tae the ritual, I can't give up just now, or can I... I wonder if it's worth it... Like, I can just disown myself, nae have tae care about family pressures anymore... But what about my mum... Sorry mum, I dinnae know what tae choose, will being a leader really be worth it? Akko wakes up and she gets up with everything.
"The ritual Diana!" she said in despair.
"Unfortunately I dinnae know if we'll manage..." I say half-heartedly.
"What do you mean no! We're going, we have to believe in ourselves Diana! Stop having so little faith!" she said, almost gluing her face tae mine, even making me blush.
"Yeah Diana, you said yourself you had a plan, we have a way here for you to get it" They said grabbing a broom.
Transforming into a more agile broom, sae much sae that ye could tell by her extra bristles, which I was getting a little more confident about, sae much sae that I hugged both of them, mounted on the broom, only before that I held Akko's hand.
"Come with me, let's get this over with, ye've helped me sae much" I tell her who is a bit embarrassed and also mounts the broom.
"We will be right behind, we will intercept your aunt and your cousins before the moon closes" They both said and with this we become more confident, now we will be able tae complete the goal, I am sure.
From there I get off the broomstick, thanks fae everything Akko, Hannah and Barbara, ye coming here gave me hope tae continue, ye will make it possible fae me tae accomplish the obligation of being the leader of the family, I'm flying sae fast that the shadow of the moon doesn't make the slightest question, I think I'm doing well this way, about tae arrive where I want, I can already see the post of the ritual outside the lake, I dinnae see the presence neither of Daryl nae of my cousins, which is good, I land there and I'm already excited.
"Here I am tae receive your blessing Beatrix, I Diana Cavendish wish tae become the current leader of the family, promising tae honour the family name, traditions and most of all my late mother..." I say as Beatrix appeared in the midst of a spectre and my eyes sparkled.
Only in the middle of it Daryl, Merrill and Maril also appeared, but they were surprised by Barbara and Hannah who came flying on broomsticks towards them intercepting and catching them backwards, sae much sae that the two youngest were starting a battle in the air, Akko on the other hand took what looked like a machine gun from her waist.
"I bought this from Constanze before I came here, I knew it would have something useful, now keep going there Diana" She said sending a signal with her thumbs starting tae fire at Daryl.
"It can't be! You won't stop us from taking the family's place!" Said Daryl angrily, but I just went about keeping calm, concentrating on Beatrix, I must trust them.
"I trust you!" I tell them to give a greater air of confidence.
"Diana cavendish, ah ken whit ye hae bin thro', a'm weel aware o` yer difficulties, bit how come dae ye wish tae be a leader o' this fowk sae earlie oan? dae ye see yersel' duin fur that? nae even th' afore yin wis as young as ye wur whin ye teuk ower" Beatrix said.
"Great witch Beatrix, that is what I desire the most right now, I want tae be able tae save the family, tae prevent the worst from happening, I cannot let greed take over the family and everything will become corrupted and fall apart, sae I very much and deeply desire tae be the leader of the family - I say with my hands together.
"Mah predictions aroond whit wull happen ur nae braw, bit thay wid roll anyway, ah hawp ye pure hae th' maturity o` yer choice diana, ah kin even see ye as capable o' taking this position, anyway ah coudnae allow some pure nasty cavendish tae tak' th' position or ah wid be severely punished, lik' it or nae yer saving thair bides, ferr different fae whit ended up rolling clarie cavendish" Beatrix said and I was even getting surprised, that's my grandmother's name, I remember she passed away long before I was born.
"Clarie... My grandmother?" I'm curious.
"Exactly her diana, she interfered in yer mither bernadette's ritual, 'n' cam 'ere tae tak' charge, fur o' a' th' actions she did in lee, she coudnae bygae th' purity test 'n' ended up turning intae a tree, if she hud allowed her mither tae continue th' ritual she wid aye be 'ere among us... Sin ye noo wish it, ye wull bygae th' purity test, if th' roots gang up, yer nae a witch wi' an ideal hert tae assume th' position 'n' ye wull pay wi' yer lee" She said and I stood there swallowing my saliva.
The magic was enveloping my body, I kept seeing Akko just good at aiming, hitting Daryl, she kept getting up, Atsuko kept shooting and knocking her down, I even feel happy tae see that she helps me sae much, up there Hannah and Barbara kept my cousins from getting close too with a war in the air, I'm getting confident, when I see my feet involved with the root it just stays and then comes back, a sign that I passed.
"Diana cavendish, ye wull noo officially become leader o' this fowk" Said Beatrix who held out her hand tae me as I knelt down.
"No! No! No! I don't believe it! - Said Daryl from afar shouting.
I on my knees felt her hand on my shoulder, the magic power going over it, I'm getting it now mum, I'm sure now things will get better, it was hurting a bit, like there was something marking me, but I was feeling relieved, my aunt's cries of desperation were the music to my ears, which I felt better seeing that I made it that far, then I stood up noticing that it was over.
"Diana cavendish yer th' leader o' th' cavendish fae noo oan, ah lea a message fae th' lest leader that she left fur th' future leader" said Beatrix who was disappearing into the sky.
I see that on the ground simply my aunt had given up she was left kneeling, half blown away by the spells Akko used on the weapon she held, my cousins were with them, with Hannah and Barbara showing a smile on their faces. What comes appearing another sight in front of me, was my mum, who stood with her arms open, wearing the dressing gown she always wore I came close to hug her crying.
"You got it my cabbage patch, but this is still only the beginning" She said and put her hand on my shoulder.
"Mama... I miss ye sae much... - I tell her.
"I dinnae have much time tae say things, but I know ye will be great as a leader, I know the family is in good hands with ye, I may be dead, but I will look after ye, before I go... You dinnae have a father, Diana. Daryl did all that story tae nae let ye be who you are ... You have another mum, she's still alive and her name is... - At the time she disappeared, which I was shocked, shedding some tears, sae the story is totally different, at least now I know part of the truth and I'm the leader of the family.
The post of the ritual was going down and sinking in the middle of the lake what I take the broom, I go riding on it taking Akko with me, I go down where I am facing Daryl and my cousins, they get a shocked expression facing me, already my aunt kept her composure, as expected, she would nae accept the defeat so well.
"Congratulations on making it now, but will it save you from the inevitable?" she said in a rather cruel tone.
"The inevitable is that the family is saved, I now rule this family, ye can nae longer do anything tae me" I tell them and Daryl is just laughing.
"I don't care if you're in charge or not, I'll keep disrespecting you, you'll never be a leader worthy of this family and we'll know that very well soon" she said, turning her back tae me and leaving in a pompous manner.
I am even a little afraid tae know what my aunt plans tae do, but now I know I am safe, I know that the family things are safe at least for my generation, I know that now I can continue my studies, confident that my rank of leader does not magically allow them to touch anything without my permission, and sae I will do with the sacred things before I leave tomorrow, I will put my leader's seal spell on every object she intends tae put her hand on.
Then the girls come tae me, hug me, I even feel a little happier, after all I am leader, Akko was kind of looking at me, seeing my back.
"You've got a nice tattoo now" She said and I'm just smiling.
"You know girls, I have been thinking here, now that I am the leader I can guarantee the safety of this place and return tae Luna Nova, at least for a while I can take care of whatever happens here" I tell them that they were jumping for joy.
"I knew you would come back" Akko said confidently.
"Thank you, if it wasn't for you coming, I wouldn't be here as a leader, I would probably be crying for the death of my aunt and cousins, since Daryl would never pass the purity test" I tell them.
"So you mean we indirectly saved their lives?" Hannah asks.
"Somehow aye, now that I am free as leader we can celebrate a little" I say excitedly.
Everyone in the mansion soon welcomed the new leader with open arms, bowing to her, showing her every respect including a banquet that had been prepared, where Daryl, Maril and Merrill were not present...
"Why dinnae they come? This is against the traditions, the whole family should be gathered at the leader's banquet" I tell Anna.
"I wanted to know too, I didn't see her in the corridors and neither did anyone else my leader, so it looks like they are being bad losers" Anna said and I nodded.
"What a wonderful banquet" Akko said with her mouth watering and I can already see that this is going tae be a show of bad table manners, sae much that she is taking the food with her hand and eating it mercilessly, I am starting tae get the ribs, the rice, enjoying every moment, now I can say that I am the leader of all this.
"Akko as always without manners" Hannah said.
"But you know, I think we can't pick on her anymore, it's thanks to her that we are here celebrating Diana's victory, thank you for giving us that lecture... I think I can say for sure, I'll stop picking on you" Parker said, putting her hand on Atsuko's shoulder, making me proud.
"I'm still going to tease you, but not to humiliate you, more in the way Amanda usually does, you managed to win us over Akko... I was sorry for being a little cruel back there, but now we've seen that even with your difficulties you've overcome them and maybe you can be a decent witch if you keep trying" England said, and I felt even more honored to see that after so long they were finally making up for Akko.
"I am happy for ye, ye have learned tae deal with the differences, we should nae judge Akko, because she has done an impressive feat... She is the person with a good heart" I tell them and they all nod their heads in agreement.
After the banquet in Diana's room...
Wow I am really full, I have never eaten sae well in a long time, delicious food worthy of a leader, now I have achieved what ye have achieved and I will do my best tae honour this title, I will bring wonderful things to this family that will bring the best tae everyone, I know ye will be very proud of me.
"Wow I'm completely stuffed, I've never eaten so much as I did today, wow Diana your house staff cook very well" Akko said rubbing her hand on her stomach and then throwing herself on the bed.
"Now let's have fun and play a little bit, now it's time tae rest because tomorrow is going tae be a busy day fae me before we go back to Luna Nova" I say excitedly and grabbing a PS3 controller.
"Yay! Now I like it" said Kagari, who stood next tae me clinging to me.
"Your mother must be proud seeing all this" Hannah said.
"She stayed, I overheard what she said to Diana, apparently she's the daughter of two mothers, sae that means that and..." I put my hand over Akko's mouth before she completed getting a little flushed.
"What do you mean daughter of two mothers? Can magic do that?" Barbara asks.
"Or it could be that Diana has a trans mother... Or is there really a magic that does that? Diana! There's your hope, if you find out what really happened, you can find out who your other mother is and talk to her, get to know her past better, if she's still alive" Hannah said and I'm already thinking about it a lot.
"I was already perplexed, I dinnae expect my mother tae say something like that, well from what she said also that my other mother must be alive, sae it's a sign that I might one day see her, I'm even getting anxious for that to happen" I say as I was playing with Akko a bit of Blur and she is the biggest addict, by the nine lesbian witches.
"I thought it was really cool, I didn't tell you that magic like that would exist... You should believe in yourself more Diana" Akko said tae me and I just nodded my head in agreement.
POV Narrator:
Daryl hadn't given up on her plans, not even for a second, she was preparing to do something that would forever affect Cavendish mansion, being the bad loser that she is, Cavendish arrived outside the mansion watching everything, holding what appeared to be a metal box.
"You may be the leader of this family, but you'll be the leader of nothing" said Daryl as he opened the metal box that turned out to be a lighter.
"What are you doing mum" asks Maril.
"Diana may be the leader of this place, but we will have our revenge, if I can't have it, no one else will" said the older Cavendish dropping the lighter that was falling onto the floor that had a trail of a flammable liquid.
"Mum, are you really going to burn down the mansion? What about us?" Merrill asks.
"I have my contacts, we are going to live in a new place for a while, you can let go of the life of luxury, now you are either with me or you are not, if you want to have the life of luxury back then be with me, if you don't then go on the burn with Diana" Said the twins' mother leaving the girls practically with no choice.
"Goodbye mansion" Merrill said as she was being carried away in her mother's arms.
"Come on, we don't have to get attached to this, one day we will have much more than a castle, and I know that we can do some extra work, I will go back to work and you will work with me on this, you will get to know a little of mother's past" said the lady who was then starting to get into a car together with her daughters.
POV Diana:
Ahhhh it's sae good tae have this lighter and more relaxed climate, finally we are at peace, my aunt dinnae come tae disturb me, now I am freer and nobody tae be imposing what I should do, I can even deny the parties that take place in the high society, I am the one who rules my destiny.
"Wow Diana, now that you have become leader of the family I notice you are much more confident, I can feel it from you, really an aura coming off you" Hannah said.
"Now I nae longer have chains holding me back, I dinnae need tae do what others expect of me, which means that as a leader I can boss where I want and I can go" I say confidently as I went listening to sounds of whistles coming from the mansion.
"What's weird? What is that?" I keep wondering until I hear sounds of explosions coming next and a tremor in the house.
"Daryl is attacking the mansion!" Said Akko in desperation, rushing to the window.
The sounds of whistles were getting worse, Akko was looking down in shock, she looks at us with an expression of total fear, trembling, terrified, which was scaring me, it must be something very worrying for her to be like this, by the nine lesbian witches, I wonder what happened here, I hope it's nothing serious.
"Speak up Akko!" Hannah said.
"The mansion is on fire!" she said shouting to us who started to despair.
"Get your things, let's get out of here in a safe way" I tell them.
I opened the wardrobe, filling a suitcase with my clothes, I threw it from the window, each suitcase full, I need tae prioritize saving the mansion's things, before I lose everything, I disconnected my PS3 put it in a suitcase full of clothes, I could at least save it, the smoke was getting intense, until Anna opens the door for us, all desperate.
"Madam! Madam! You have to leave the mansion now it's on fire" Anna said as sounds of explosions were heard again accompanied by shaking.
"Ye too Anna!" I tell her she ran from there.
We threw out what we could, then grabbed the brooms and jumped out the window tae the outside, the mansion was on fire everywhere and the structure could end up collapsing, I can't believe I was seeing this, everything the family has built over centuries, falling apart by fire.
"Diana?" Akko asks as I kneel on the floor devastated and crying.
"I fought sae hard tae be the leader and now all I have left is absolutely nothing... Daryl simply burned down the place that we built with centuries of struggle" I say devastated, with tears falling as fire lads trucks were arriving tae put out the fire, but things were getting worse and worse.
Explosions were coming all the time, it seems that Daryl not only wanted to set fire to the mansion, but she wants to collapse everything, luckily everyone of the employees had already left, but the relics, Beatrix's tapestry that was in my mother's room, caught fire, which the firemen couldn't save sending us away, since then the whole castle imploded, starting to collapse.
"The mansion... The Cavendish family... I'm the leader... Only at what cost" I say this crying.
"It's not your fault Diana, it was your aunt who caused that fire" Akko said with her hand on my shoulder.
"I can't believe I lost everything in a single night I was confident I had won it all, now I am at rock bottom, my family's legacy on fire and now in rubble, at least the fire is out but now everything is buried, destroyed, turning tae dust, I have nowhere tae stay after Luna Nova... I am homeless..." I say crying, slapping my hand on the floor and being consoled.
"You can stay at home" Barbara said.
"Or mine too, everyone will know about this fire" Hannah said.
"Damn my aunt, I swear I will find her and bring her tae justice, she will pay dearly fae the fire that caused the mansion..." I say that while looking at my mobile phone, noticing her message.
[Daryl: Last message before I throw away this phone, hope you enjoyed surprises, I'll leave this to you, enjoy the weight of being leader of nothing, you should have allowed me to be the leader, now you know the consequences, you know not to mess with me, if you're alive now, I'll be watching in wonder as you cry on your knees on the floor losing everything, good luck now recovering what the Cavendish fought so hard for, keep that weight on your back]
Damn daft cunt! I kept crying, I couldn't even process what tae think, she set fire tae our things, she dinnae give a damn about the family tradition, on top of that she destroyed the family legacy and that includes my mother's, the whole story has now turned tae ashes.
"Very well gentlemen, the situation was controlled, now we will investigate what caused this fire and who caused it, if you can help we will be very grateful, I am sorry for the loss of you Cavendish, but it was quite a fire to contain, it seems that by my suspicions of dealing with a fire even involving an implosion of the building, but we still investigate further" Said the firefighter and I know what rolled and who was it.
POV Narrator:
Diana managed to become the leader of the Cavendish family, it was an extremely complicated struggle to achieve, but it was thanks to the help of her friends that it became possible to get there and succeed in her mission, although she still suffered the consequences of having caused the wrath of her aunt Daryl who was not satisfied caused a arson attack on the mansion, which ended up throwing the poor Cavendish in the deep end.
See you, fire witches...
Hannah England
Date of birth: 27 August 2001
Place of birth: Leeds, England, United Kingdom (English)
Height: 1.56m
Weight: 52kg
Sexuality: Bisexual
Gender: Female (cis)
Occupation: Student (Luna Nova 2014)
Measurements (bust / waist / hip): 84/58/86
Hair colour and appearance: Brownish red, wavy 2C, reaches halfway down the back, with some fringes that reach the sides of the face, it is usually fastened with a ponytail
Eye colour and shape: dark brown
Physical appearance: slim build, pale Caucasian skin, rounded nose
Likes: Fashion, Elegance, Classy, Sporty girls, Classy boys
Dislikes: Breaking traditions, boring lessons, being without Diana, being poor
The England's, are another family of witches that are part of the aristocratic circle of witches, although this is not even the surname of origin of the family by which Hannah originated, since it came from a marriage a few generations ago and settled in the middle of the family name. Hannah is a girl of loose tongue and harsh words, she does not measure many scruples in what she says, much for her environment and education, being exposed to aristocracy, she has always had to behave as an example, although many times she carries a very vulgar language in revolt of her own mother who projects in the girl what she would like to become as a witch. In spite of her cruel words and comments like that the English girl is a good person who is only a little blind guided by a sense she has always created to think she is doing the right thing, so much that due to that she ends up disrespecting Akko so much because she believes that she is a sacrilege to the traditions because of her worldly origin but little by little she is understanding better and even has a little envy of the motivation Kagari has to keep running after her dreams.