POV Narrator:
Tuesday, 30 January 2018, Luna Nova
The wild hunt was a nice attempt to call people's attention to get more emotions for the Noir Rod that Croix built as a way to get to break the Gran Triskellion's seal, what ended up becoming one of the concerns around teacher Ursula, even the teacher herself not being aware of the plans that were involved with her ex-girlfriend, In that time also, Diana didn't walk with good eyes in relation to the new teacher, a little suspicious too, starting to give some searches in records around the past of the teacher Ursula, after seeing that in some day the two were together discussing something, which aroused a curiosity about the teacher's past.
POV Diana:
The classes are over fae today, that teacher Croix is never smelling good tae me, I go tae the library, I get the yearbooks of the respective years that the teacher studied there, I dinnae see any Ursula's records, only Croix's, very strange this, is my suspicion correct? Let me see something... I'll take the 2008 yearbooks and look at the pupils.
"Ursula Callistis"
"2006 Luna Nova Cup Champion" "Chariot Du Nord" "2006 Luna Nova Cup Champion"
As I suspected, the titles are exactly the same, Professor Ursula only appears in one year, being exactly the one that Chariot would graduate, now I really have tae solve this with her, she's hiding a secret from all of us, I get up from the table, put the books away, then I leave the library, in the corridors I see Akko, she waves to me, I nod my head back, I'm still kind of resentful for that day.
I arrive at Ursula's room and she was still there sort of tidying up the place, already leaving.
"Diana? How strange you are here, what do you want?" She said and I'll be very clear with her.
"Ye're nae Ursula Callistis, that is just an alter ego of yours... Chariot Du Nord, I could find in the yearbooks how ye both have the same titles, but ye specifically are only in a single year, already with your blue hair, a bit longer than Chariot used tae have, but the red eyes dinnae hide it, what are you doing here in Luna Nova?" I say all serious and she even stopped sweeping a bit and gave a sigh.
"Looks like someone found out didn't they... You were very clever Diana, it's a deeper secret than you can imagine, come with me to the tower of Arcturus, once we finish everything, I can reveal things about my past and I don't want anyone to know, only if you promise not to spread about it to anyone from Luna Nova, especially Akko" She said.
"I won't tell fae the sake of your integrity, but I want tae know everything" I say in a very serious tone and she nods.
At that I even begin tae help the teacher tae go tidying up the room and sweep everything else, I get tae where the table is by which Akko sits and from there I see a drawing, it was one done by Akko, she was drawing Chariot doing a festival, nae bad I would say, until she has a very good stroke tae be an artist, I dinnae know that Akko drew, I see another and she also makes of Chariot, at that the teacher gives an adjustment in the glasses and watches me.
"They are drawings that I could find on her desk, Akko always leaves them here in my class, she says that if I find Chariot, I will give them to her, today she must have left more by the looks of it" said the teacher.
"Will ye tell Akko?" I say as I arrive with the drawings handing them to her.
"It is quite complicated, I even intend to, but the situation at the moment is a risk and you will know what holds me back for that" She said while I looked at other drawings in a huge folder.
Akko has a huge admiration fae Chariot, this could all end up collapsing her emotionally when she learns the whole truth behind the idol by the nine lesbian witches, I hope she dinnae end up destroying herself emotionally, poor Akko dinnae deserve tae go through that.
A while later in the tower of Arcturus...
I had never come here, I know the place by the book about the nine witches, that they built way back there fae Claiomh Solais, here is like a tree house in the middle of a dangerous forest, ye can look Luna Nova from far away and ye feel the strong magic of the place, wow... It is exactly as the book described, huge and even beautiful, meanwhile I was watching the teacher taking off her glasses, revealing her red hair, which before was blue because of the magic.
"That's me Diana, so that's who I really am, yes Chariot Du Nord, the witch who disappeared 10 years ago, for a reason that is among us... Croix Meridies" She said and I never thought this teacher smelled good.
"Croix? I already had my suspicions about her, even more how such an untraditional teacher ended up here."
"Diana... Who would have thought that you would be the one to whom I would reveal one of the secrets, but anyway, you have discovered my identity, for I will reveal a little better regarding my past" Said the teacher tae me as she was using a spell on the ceiling of Arcturus that was showing a vision of the past.
There appeared Chariot, younger, when she was in Luna Nova, she still dinnae have many friends, everyone ignored her, she was the clumsy one in the class, exactly like Akko, until Croix appeared, she came in a friendly way, the two of them were kind of learning things together, even the broom relay event was more encouraging for her... Wow, that's a strange resemblance.
"In the beginning Croix was a very close friend of mine, she always guided me and managed to teach what no other girl and teacher there could, we were like best friends, we did everything together, we had fun together, those were wonderful times" She said as she went on passing more of the vision.
They were sort of studying with a witch, she was a redheaded woman, very short, she appeared from time tae time teaching them more magic, until she acted in a very nice way with both of them, teaching what she knew, moving on to another where they go tae Arcturus, in this one Woodward appears.
"And this is where our downfall came, until then we were kind of helped by our mentor who visited us from time to time, this woman was the one who taught me magic, this woman also has her secrets, although short, she was always a great person for me, almost like a mother, the lady Laura McLaren" Chariot said and I had already seen this name in the Luna Nova yearbooks of my mother's time, she was the best student there.
At the moment that Woodward appears, they are learning things together, but when Claiomh Solais appears, the one who ended up being chosen was Chariot and I could see Croix's expression showing a huge envy, sae it must have been from there that my bad impression with that teacher came up, sae much that in the time going by Croix was ignoring, more and more each day that passed, they even fought tae the point of hitting each other, but things still got worse, sae much that in a moment kind of Chariot is starting her career.
"I kind of managed to find the words with help from Laura and Woodward, but Croix's jealousy was quite evident, she couldn't accept the fact that I was the chosen one, I so didn't like it, I felt like I didn't deserve it and it was something that always troubled me, it still troubles me because it ended all the friendship I had with Croix at the time, things could have been so much better" She said and I'm kind of understanding more of the past.
In this moment the presentations appear, but they dinnae give many fruits, they left without much public, that was until Croix appeared again, she was already graduated, sae they made an agreement, they kissed, living beautiful moments in a relationship, which arrived exactly in the show in Japan, the famous show in Tokyo, which I still remember.
"I didn't have much of a name yet, but Croix had too much marketing, she helped leverage my career for a big gig, we managed to get attention for a trip to Japan, I took the opportunity and trusted her when we were girlfriends, but things came apart" She said and I know well how it was, after that gig she never performed again.
She goes on tae show everything was at the time I was there too, incredibly I'm even having some feelings of fondness for the day, but things are unfolding behind the scenes, ye can't tell what they said, but it seems Chariot had a fight with her, in that time out I remember it took a while fae time tae pass.
Sae she had come back, shot the moon. My memory is getting clear, I had forgotten about it or thought it was a delirium of mine, but it really happened, Chariot shot the moon and ended the presentation there.
"You may not know it, but Croix sabotaged my career that day, my one performance that was of great relevance with her management and I learned in the interval that she revealed to me of a Dream Fuel Spirit" She said and I'm already getting curious.
Then they split up fae good even, Chariot went her way, spoke tae Headmistress Holbrooke and got this change of identity, having tae live as Ursula, spending her years studying tae be a teacher until she got tae where she is here, without anyone knowing her identity, until now, when I eventually found out.
"And so that's how I ended up becoming what I am today... After this presentation I had to disappear from this world, you know how witches are very discreet and never revealed the real reason for my disappearance, but it was for persecution" she said and I was beginning to understand Chariot's past.
"What do ye call stalking? I thought ye only gave up after comments coming from witches and even a way they tried tae shut you up" I tell her.
"Diana, this is a secret that only Croix and I know about, now you will know, the reason is because I'm an outlaw, the Dream Fuel Spirit is a device that drains the magical ability of those watching and that's why it causes effects of that level in the performance, since without it I couldn't show it very well... I was the main accused in this whole scheme, even though I did nothing, nothing but being a puppet of Croix during the show" Draining the magical capacity... Thoughts end up coming into my head.
I'm starting tae remember my childhood, years and years of nae being able tae cast a spell, aiming at creatures and nothing happening, spells nae working, me being bullied by my cousins for my inability tae do magic when I was younger... And all this after my mother died... Sae by the end I was getting shocked, things fell into my head, I got tae know the truth... It was all a Chariot presentation... I am already getting a bit emotional.
"Diana, Diana, Diana?" she said, and I was already starting tae tear up.
"Ah cannae hawp it! ye wur th' reason fur everything!" I say furiously, unable tae hold back my accent.
"Diana... I'm sorry... I..." She said and I took a deep breath trying tae keep calm, I have tae keep my composure... I know it's shocking news, but running away from the truth will only hurt more.
- Sae that was it... Chariot, I was one of those victims of yer Dream Fuel Spirit, nae only Akko, I also had an admiration fae ye and travelled tae Japan tae see yer great presentation and because of it I spent years and years in the greatest suffocation being the reason of bullying fae my incapacity fae magic, I can't believe that all this had a reason why it happened and it was precisely yer theft of magic!" I say tae myself, who is kind of shocked to the point of freezing.
"You? You fan... But what about..." She said and I complemented.
"Aye, it still was, but I dinnae know if I still admire it, despite everything ye are nae the most tae blame, but I can't nae think now, it was because I went tae see ye, because of the impulse of fanaticism that I spent the worst years of my life and lost a childhood, even though ye were nae tae blame for anything, I... I suffered because of ye... About those comments I said throughout the year about ye being an embarrassment to witches, that's what I was taught tae say, ye know nae one can go around saying they are your fan... That's why I held back, in the end knowing that everything revolved around ye and that ye were the main reason for my life tae have suffered ends up leaving me destroyed" I let it out with her that then ends up hugging me.
I let out a few tears, in the end even though I deny what I try in my head, I know deep down it was the reason fae everything to end up in the worst moments of my life, if I dinnae go tae Chariot's show I could go be with my mother in her last moments, I might naet have suffered with little magic and I was going tae have the ability tae fight back against my cousins instead of lowering my head.
"Diana, I'm sorry for everything, you know that nothing I did was with bad intentions and that I was kind of manipulated by Croix to end up in this moment, maybe if I just continued in a more down to earth way and didn't listen to my ex I wouldn't cause so much harm to the children that I only wanted to captivate with magic" She said, who was also crying.
"And tae think that days ago I drank a potion that Croix told me was a gift from my mother, now I'm discredited, what if she only did it tae manipulate me... How does she know about that?" I say to Chariot who is left crying a little.
"She must know your mother from somewhere, anyway, I think we have to get a handle on her, but first what happened?" said the teacher.
"Days ago she gave me a vial with a potion I drank and vomited three balls of a material called Enatite, I did some research on it and found out it was a magic crime, an ancient magic that was used tae keep witches away from each other and could kill them, I had it inside me" I tell her explaining.
"Well then it might be something that helped, but still... Try to play her game, play the fool, gain Croix's trust, only then we can find a way to discover her plans and who knows also expose her dirt" Chariot said and I touched her hand motivated.
"Fae sure, this woman has put me through the worst years of my life, I can't have an ounce of respect, but I will make myself... Let's put an end tae her together, if she spent sae many years unpunished, she has tae pay fae what she did tae several children, including me... And Akko" I say tae the teacher.
"Speaking of Akko, she was also on the day, I can see her having trouble using spells, seems like fate has brought you two together since that time" She said until I end up smiling again, but half blushing.
"I got tae see Akko on the day, nae knowing what would become later, I bought a Shiny Chariot card fae her, it was the last, sae I delivered it and I could leave back tae Scotland with a clear head, but it was difficult tae be able tae find a Shiny Chariot card later, it took me many years and dinnae have as much weight as in the past, since I was nae longer such a fan after being very repressed, but the effort paid off" I say tae her impressed.
"Wait a minute... I remember sometime Akko talked to me... You're the girl who gave her the gift! You're the one! She said she looked like you and had split teeth, so now it all makes sense... Looks like you also have a secret Diana" Chariot said.
"aye, that's my secret about Akko, I still want tae reveal it tae her one day, but when I can have the confidence... But anyway, this story of the teeth gives me a strong trauma, I was forced tae correct, fae nae being something within the Cavendish standard, I remember that my aunt paid a dentist tae correct and was also the victim of bad jokes, today I still have a little, but it was relieved enough, sae I rarely end up smiling, I dinnae like tae make it evident" I tell her that puts her hand on my shoulder.
"I know what it's like, anyway, let's go back, I hope we've been clear with each other" she said.
"Absolutely, I will go according tae plan and try tae find out what Croix is up tae by gaining her trust, let's show the world that she is the real culprit fae everything... This is nae just a matter of ye Chariot... It's about me, it's about Akko... A matter for us!" I even say it with a cute speech.
We touch our hands again and hug each other, it's strange, I dinnae feel such a good feeling before, it even seems that Chariot is more like a sister tae me, after everything we got along, now it's a matter of keeping the secret, sae much that she becomes Ursula again and with that we fly back tae Luna Nova, kind of separating us on the way.
I arrive at the courtyard and I see Akko that was still trying tae fly on the broom, now I have a whole different notion, now I know why she can't do it, but I know that with effort she can do it, a pity that I can't reveal yet, I walk tae her, we're kind of trying tae make up, still with her own back turned.
"Ye're still in the wrong posture Akko, ye have tae mentalize the spell, sae ye'll stay on the ground if ye keep pressing yourself" I say with a half smile on my face with my arms crossed until she realizes it's me and comes with a hug all sticky on me.
"Diana!" Said the cutie, I even blushed, I expected this reaction, but I never get used tae it.
"Oh look who showed up again" Sucy said with her sarcastic side as always.
"I'm so, so, so sorry, I didn't mean to be such a beast that day Diana, now I know you hate being called an aristocrat and I promise I won't make the same comment again" She said even reaching tae put her hands together and I was just stroking her hair.
"Ye made a comment that hurt me, but I shouldn't hold grudges or resentment fae it, we are friends after all, and maybe we can manage to learn magic together sae that one day ye become a talented witch"
"In all this time I didn't even manage to do much, even though I had Professor Croix's magic devices, I still prefer to try my best like you always did, I want to reach the point you reached in your own way, show that I can too... My rival" she said and I just rolled my eyes.
"I am nae your rival Akko, I dinnae see ye as one" I tell her.
"How much I missed it too" She said and I even give a little smile.
She needs that help, more than I did, now it all makes sense, I dinnae want Akko tae go through the same and even worse than I did, knowing the reason I know that a good training in magic, will make her be able tae excel in magic, now things are clearer in my head, seeing her smiling and cheerful like that, fills my heart I admit, that encouraging spirit of hers only she can have, am I starting to feel things for Akko too? Strange, but well now I dinnae need tae hold on tae attachment do I really... I can get really attached to the people I like and she is one of them.
Elsewhere in Luna Nova...
POV Ursula:
I walk down the corridors, just thinking about what I talked to Diana recently, eventually seeing Croix herself in the middle of the corridors, she calls me to her room, where I enter to talk, I even go to make a fool of myself, little does she know the plan she has in mind to unmask her for good.
"What do you want with me now Croix?" I ask her.
"Look I know we got off on the wrong foot again Chariot, but I've been thinking here... Don't you want to go out for a while? I don't know, let's talk about our years, all the time I spent away from you was very painful for me too"
"Why do you think that this way you'll be able to win me over again? You even seem to forget what happened in the past that led to our ending, don't you?" I say to myself who takes a deep breath.
"I remember that day to this day, but if you can give me a chance I will tell you more about it, don't think it was an easy decision to have come to this" she said with a straight face.
"Wasn't it an easy decision to end your wife's career and still incriminate her? It seems that you had done it with the best intention of the world, it must have been very nice to be able to get away with it while I have to hide from everything and everyone for fear of being discovered by the WCI and end up in Arcturus prison"
"I am really sorry about this Chariot, but believe me, give me a second chance, I will prove to you that the hole is deeper than you think, or do you think that even without my presence, they would allow you to continue to be Shiny Chariot? You were bound to be boycotted by the system, you are an opposition to it..." She said and I just rolled my eyes.
"And you could help me change all this, together we could have worked together, have you ever stopped to think that Claiomh Solais could have been used by both of us for the mission to change magic, if you used your intelligence for good and not drain the magic of other witches, along with my introductions, I'll be able to change the world, captivate more children, and come with everything to change the things, but you were selfish Croix, you have in hands an intelligence and capacity to bring a revolution for the magic, but you used to take off your jealousy of not being chosen" I say to her very clearly and she herself even gets head down.
"I..." She said and I just walked to the door.
"I don't want to waste my time with this conversation anymore, my answer is no, and stop trying to manipulate Akko and the other girls, I know you don't mean well" I say leaving the door and closing it even a little aggressively, but when it closes I also feel very heavy.
POV Croix:
Now I have really forced myself too much, but I can't hold on, because of this whole system, this struggle, I have been forcing myself to try an ideal sacrifice... I should have listened more to April and Laura, my obsession for trying to find the person behind all this is destroying me, but I know I will succeed one day, one day I will know who is holding the system back and with that I will be able to fight to allow the new era of magic to happen.
After this reflection I go down to my lab and have a look at Noir Rod, I got some more emotion extracted, it's already 30% complete, I have to find a way to provoke more and I observe something that may call attention... World Cup Qualifiers... Hmmmm, negative emotions around football fights, perfect... I may be able to fuel Noir Rod just by planting chaos with that, discussions around that will be perfect, even more so to be able to cause chaos, especially if it involves a polemic game.
I look at the calendar and notice that there will be a match between France and England, historical rivals, it's time to put into action my cubes to charge the emotions to the Noir Rod, who knows so I can get more magic power.
"Come on my children! Fuel the Noir Rod and bring me the desire for change for possible magic" I say to the cubes that are starting to fly out of the Ley Line, now yes I will plant the seed of chaos, I hope it will have a polemic regarding the judges, I even put on the TV to go watch the game and prepare a popcorn.
For now it hasn't started, but let's see how it goes, it's a lot of people to extract and manage to fill with emotions, it's going to come very strong, ah and I can also try to do it with Claiomh Solais too, I'll try in a few days to bring Akko here, the way she is all in my hands it will be easy, easy, soon she comes, I also have to see a way to get the confidence of Cavendish, after all she is another important piece, being a powerful and influential witch, having her on my side may end up being something that I can convince more students and consequently positive emotions on my side.
Through the courtyard of Luna Nova Akko was trying to fly with his broom...
POV Diana:
"Come on Akko, I know ye can do it, you have tae keep the right posture, concentrate more and mentalize everything, that way ye will be able tae fly calmly on the broom" I tell her that I am still trying.
"I can't Diana, I try, I try, but it seems I'm not even made for flying, shall we try another spell?" she said and I nodded.
"We can really try, this spell might be a bit tricky fae ye" I tell her.
"I'm glad you're talking to me again Diana, now I can maybe cheer myself up a bit more, which spell do you think I should try now? Levitate objects?" she asks.
"Well, ye can try exactly that, but with light things like a cup, who knows, maybe ye'll even improve in the question of levitating with the broom, because the levitating object spell and the broom spell are similar in how they work"
"Now, here goes" she said, aiming her wand, but at that moment I already knew it was going tae be bad when she activated an explosive spell, already raising her hand, sae I held her arm.
"Nae!" I say interrupting her and grabbing her waist, getting a bit flushed.
"Why Diana?" she said, also blushing.
"Ye're almost going tae explode everything, ye have tae imagine levitation as something calm, if ye make sudden movements like that and only mentalize magic ye will end up causing an explosion spell, that's nae what we want tae do, look at me" I tell her.
I started tae levitate the cup and made more delicate movements showing her how tae do it, which she began tae understand, sae much sae that later I started tae give her a little help and she herself kept the spine as straight as possible, besides maintaining a comfortable position, pointing to the cup, the magic even emanated a little, she managed tae take a little bit of nothing until the cup fell on the bench and broke, but it was already a good sign.
"Oh, shit! I broke the cup" she said in frustration.
"Ye almost got it, empty your head more and soon the magic will flow inside ye tae the point where ye can perform a spell with more precision, but it's going well, sossome Tiddiare" I put the cup away sae she can focus more again.
"I just wish I could do spells like you guys, I feel like there's something holding me back, it's not fair" I know what that thing is... But it's better if I don't talk now.
"Keep trying Akko, I know ye'll succeed, nae everyone is born knowing" I say trying tae be as kind as possible, I want her tae have some success with these spells, I'm sure if she concentrates she can do well.
She went on concentrating some more, this time the cup even ended up levitating a little bit, even if it wasn't something expressive, it was already a very encouraging result, even more sae because it was better than the previous results, which I even clapped a few times, she even managed tae put it back without breaking it, it was for a short time, but ye can notice, the magic around the cup is all broken, it's a sign even that her magic was blocked, I had the same thing too.
"I'm doing it Diana!" said Akko all happy.
POV Narrator:
Chariot's past was eventually revealed to Diana, who was touched by what actually happened to her childhood, discovering that it all happened because of Chariot, and her childhood fanaticism, which led her to the very presentation where the magic and potential of the children who were there were drained, but that it all has someone behind it, who is none other than Croix Meridies.
See you, fan witches...