POV Narrator:
Friday, 2 February 2018, Luna Nova
Diana ended up discovering that the teacher Ursula was actually Chariot and with that, it was revealed about her past where occurred the event that was responsible for the lack of ability regarding the realization of spells by Cavendish during the childhood and also by Kagari in the current days, this way both ended up making a plan which involved getting Croix and find out what the witch is planning to do with her return. Meridies is still continuing with her plan of assembling the Noir Rod getting emotions to fill the magic of her machine to break the seal of the Gran Triskellion, since she was prioritizing to accomplish this mission, in this way she would try to see around one more thing.
POV Akko:
It's been a month since the classes started again and Professor Croix arrived, so far it's been the coolest thing that's happened in Luna Nova, I'm really excited to have the chance of passing at least one subject with a high grade, at least this way I'll have my chances. I
was walking in the corridors with the girls, I kinda met Diana to have a magic class, we got to a room where she was the only one there, I waved after to the girls that made a point to tease me, I'm not even a little bit in love with Diana, we're just friends.
"Very well Akko, today we will try tae perfect yer levitation potential once more, sae maybe ye will be able tae fly by broom"
"Okay Diana, I think I can be reassured this time" I tell her and immediately point my wand at what looked like a ring this time.
It was much heavier than the cup, it only ended up with the glow of my magic around it, besides giving me some pains to stand up, but I have to keep my confidence, I keep my head a little empty, then I keep calm, concentrate, looking only at the ring, in this one I end up moving a little to the side and then I end up stopping seeing clapping coming from Diana.
"Well done Akko, ye got it out of place, concentrate more, look at that stance and who knows the ring will float a bit" Cavendish said giving me a push.
"You know it's kind of weird how you've become sweeter now, before you'd be scolding me and judging my way of using magic, but it seems like you've just become softer, it's even like you've been bewitched hahaha" I tell her who gets a little blushed.
"Nae, tis na muckle deal, a'm juist lik' this fur a'm feelin' mair full a themself in ye" She spoke with her funny accent again, so cute when she ends up losing control like that.
Smiling I decide to think again about levitating the ring, I keep my concentration, focus, even my posture, now it's all or nothing, I have to succeed, the magic involves the ring, let's see if it's going to move, I manage to leave it a little straight, I force it a little more, but we hear knocking on the doors, which interrupts a little.
"Damn... I was almost" I say after levitating.
"I'll see who it is" Diana said.
Diana goes towards the door, I still try to keep my concentration, let's see if it goes again, I have to keep calm, have focus, concentration and keep my posture, now it goes... The magic goes involving again, but I end up stopping when someone touches my shoulder... Ahhhh, it was almost, the 1kg ring almost floated this time.
"What? What is it this time?" I say looking to the side and seeing teacher Croix.
"Oh I'm sorry to interrupt your magic exercise Akko, but I have something important to do and it will need your help, it's just for an analysis exercise of mine" Said the teacher and I just nod my head.
"Ah so all right then, what do you wish Professor Croix" I say this and already notice Diana with an expression kind of not liking this at all.
"Are you using your Shiny Chariot replica staff?" She asks.
"It's not a replica Professor Croix, it's the real Shiny Rod, but I'll get it from my room if you want to take a look at it" I answer the teacher and I see Diana with a kind of suspicious expression.
"Oh thank you so much I'm flattered" How nice, she'll notice that the staff is real.
The three of us leave the room, with Diana following us, I go all excited to my room, where I get the staff in hands, I'm all happy, but Diana seems a little suspicious, a little strange this reaction of hers, as if Croix had something bad, but she'll understand, in the corridors, we arrive at her room, In the corridors, we arrive at her room, where she presses a button that takes us down a lift, how cool man, I never imagined that there would be something like that, until we reach a place that looks like a laboratory, but this one is more advanced than Constanze's, very strange indeed, already Diana was kind of looking around, with her hand on her chin.
"Welcome to my lab" said the teacher.
"Woah! What a cool place" I say impressed.
"It really is a place worthy of a very fascinating architecture, I could never imagine that the union of magic and technology would end up in an event like this" Diana said.
"Good come with me" Said the teacher even turning around with her cape around her.
We went walking, Diana looked a lot more analytical than usual, looking corner by corner, I never thought she would be so curious, how cute, we went walking to a place near a huge computer, where you can see the screens, and some tables, Croix would get the staff from me, but she comes back with her hand.
"Akko could leave the staff in this place" She said and I just put it there.
She put it inside what seemed to be a box near the computer, then Croix sat down at the computer and started typing, and I could see some lights passing through her staff, while Diana walked around the lab, curious to see what she had, the teacher seemed much more in depth.
"Analysing, unknown object, unknown magical ability, neutral emotion, unknown magical power, cannot be analysed" Said the computer as the screen went on to show a loading.
"Very strange, you said it's the real thing, but it doesn't seem to do anything, does this staff really work?" she said.
"I've managed to use it a few times, but it only works with my will, so far I've turned it into a bow and arrow and then an axe" I tell her.
"Hmmmm and you can't do it that easy can you?" She said and I nodded in agreement.
The teacher went over it again, this time with more thoroughness, I noticed that she really seemed very curious about it, while Diana kept looking at the things in the lab very deeply, she really was curious about everything, what a strange thing this day.
"Analysis completed, Object unknown, Magic ability unknown, emotion neutral, magic power unknown, cannot analyse, possible magic object" Said the computer until the little gate in front of the staff opened.
The teacher stood up and with her hand on her chin she touched the staff with her finger and then took it away as if she had had a shock, then she signalled for me to take it, I was a bit afraid, I put my finger on it, but nothing, then I put my hand on it and took the staff calmly, she came closer and put her hand where she seemed to have had a shock again.
"Ahhhh! That thing" she said, as I looked confused.
"What is it teacher?" I ask her confused.
"If I may, can you guys test this thing working?" she asks, and Diana soon appears to be nearby.
"I can demonstrate, but how would that be?" She asks.
"It's in the more in a training room, you're going to have to go up against a robot" The teacher said and she just shrugged.
"Let's go" she said without any fear.
We walked to this so-called training room, where Croix was on the computer, some lights passed Diana, then a robot appeared right in front of her, a machine that reminded me of somewhere, I just don't know where.
POV Diana:
Well now I'll have tae make myself as silly as possible in relation tae Croix, just tae see if I can get anything out of it the machine goes towards me, I quickly dodge, noticing that I wasn't taking the attack lightly, sae much that I'm hit by a shot that throws me back a bit, but I still hold the Claiomh Solais in hand.
"I have to do what?" I ask Croix.
"You can use your magic power, finish the robot" She said and I nodded in agreement.
"Alright then, Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor!" I say already forming the first word, the staff begins tae form an arc, and I let it aim towards the robot that tries tae shoot me.
I release the arrow just in time, passing all through the shot, until getting tae neutralize and with that hitting, until the point of crossing the robot that afterwards starts tae implode inside until nae being with any piece, sae much that the door was opened, really is strange all this, she is trying tae analyze me to discover something.
I get out of there and go tae where the teacher is, a bar seemed to charge, arriving at the end of the analysis came the results.
"Analysis completed. Object human being, Magic ability very high, emotion distrust, Magic power very high, Magic object unknown, emotion neutral, ability and power high, computer overloading with reading" Said the computer, I hope this really does nae deliver my plan.
"Interesting indeed, the staff seems to change its reaction according to its use, well, anyway, you don't need this mistrust Diana, I'm a trustworthy witch, if you want I can answer everything about this place, I have no secrets," she said, and I was thinking of being direct to the point, but I'll do it in a way that she will get my trust anyway.
"Ah so what would all these computers be? It's quite different tae have all this technology around here, a bit exotic" I tell her and she shrugs.
"This is to get a better control of the classes, as you can see I can see how is the state of your magic device and know who needs repairs or not, as well as, there is a charge to know if we are not overloading the wizard stone, is everything to get a better control of my classes and ensure a good introduction of technology to magic" She said and I just shrugged.
"And now Professor Croix? What do you want us to do?" Akko asks.
"Well, now I ask you to kindly divulge these posters and spread them around Luna Nova, since the Valentine's Day ball is coming soon and the headmaster told me that the Appleton students here will be invited, so she gave me the authorization to organize the event" she said, printing the posters, I was already turning my eyes away just thinking that there will be a lot of boys here, Andrew is nae enough, now the others have tae go.
POV Akko:
"Valentine's Day prom? How cool I didn't know that" I say all curious and excited.
"It's just a silly annual event that they promote with the students of the in-depth teaching of magic like us, I remember that the girls used tae look forward tae it when I studied here last year, it was an event all fancy gala even, we had tae put on class dresses, kind of a way of the school promoting a relationship with Appleton, but I dinnae know how it's going tae be this year, since it's nae sae much of a tradition, it's more fae the students tae be able tae find a pair and ensure the witches' legacy and build this fake relationship with Appleton" Diana explains in her usual boring way of explaining, I was already looking forward to it, I could never imagine that there would be something like that.
"This year will be different, I got the permission from the headmistress, I've participated in some of them, always played classical music, but this time I've invited a DJ to play some more current music, besides that there will be no more need to wear elegant clothes, the issue of dress this year will be free for the students to choose, I've already informed the boys at Appleton and I'm informing you now, well as I know that here there is a problem of slavery very stupid, 50 pounds for each one of you, I think it's a fair payment for leaving leaflets around" said the teacher to us and I got all excited.
Soon one of the sheets of the poster was printed and she let us have a look at it, wow, that's cool, Professor Croix finally left a cooler print, it's like a ballad, there will be DJ, there will be illuminated bracelets, I don't need to wear a fancy dress, what a cool thing, I love the poster, I can't wait to leave the posters.
After the posters were all printed, the stack was left with Diana and Akko, and also staplers.
"Now just finish putting everyone in and when you come back here I'll give you each £50" Said the teacher and finally one who will be nice to us.
We were walking and taking the lift and in teacher Croix's room we pasted some posters, then we separated and I was pasting on the murals, Amanda arrived beside me while I put one of them already wanting to talk.
"Luna Nova's Valentine's Day prom? Oh, that's going to be a real drag, last year it was crap, I'm glad I wasn't in my final years of magical knowledge, but from what I saw there was only boring stuff, it was all that pompous stuff" she said and I just shrugged.
"This year it's teacher Croix who's in control, just read the poster and you'll see how different it's going to be"
"Finally, I can wear whatever clothes I want and on top of that there will be a DJ and not a bunch of musicians, now I'm interested, even so I can't stand those kids from Appleton, especially as they're going to turn up here again after the incident" O'Neill said.
"Look this is really a problem, now if you mind I'm going to go to work" I tell them.
I went down the hallways leaving each one of the posters, Diana on the other hand went up to the dormitory floors, I knocked on the classroom doors too, where the teachers let me in to put up the posters, this year it seems that things are going to be really interesting. I
arrived at Ursula's room and she was there too, when I put up the poster I took the opportunity to have a relaxed chat with her.
"I can't wait for this Valentine's Day dance, it's going to be another party day here" I say excitedly and the teacher was just smiling at me.
"Professor Croix is really livening up this place isn't she?" she said and I nodded.
"Uh huh, she's really cool and all, but teacher seriously... Why didn't you seem so excited about Miss Croix and even lowered your hand to accept her, especially a teacher who brings all the modernity and new things around here?" I ask her a bit suspicious.
"Ah that... We would say that I have already had a conflicting relationship with Professor Croix, she seems to be pretty nice, but she dated Chariot, treated her pretty badly at times, I get the back foot with this friend of mine because she was once a toxic person with Chariot you know" Said the teacher and I am already curious to know more.
"Really? Did you ever see the two of them dating? Tell me more, teacher?" I say, curious.
"Ah I don't remember so well, but it was a conflicting thing, Croix used to be also my friend along with Chariot, but she was very jealous, especially when Chariot had been chosen by Shiny Rod, she ended up trying everything to destroy poor Chariot's life, for pure envy, it's a very heavy story actually, that's why I was so suspicious about Croix's presence here, she's not a very trustworthy person, I don't know if I can trust a possible redemption of this woman" She said to me and I'm getting impressed.
"Now I understand, but you think her ideas are good, don't you?" I ask the teacher, who nods in agreement.
"I just don't think the way she will apply this, I can't feel so comfortable with this woman, she never smelt good to me, but still she has nice ideas, only the person behind, ends up destroying everything, Chariot has already suffered a lot at her hands, so I can't be so confident" Said the teacher.
"I understand you teacher, well I still think teacher Croix is pretty cool, I think she has changed, in fact she will pay 50 pounds for me and Diana to do the work of putting up posters, no teacher here has done something like that, not even the headmistress, it's the first time they pay for a real job" I say excited.
"Just don't get too confident with her, promise me..." Said the teacher with her hand on my shoulder and I nod in agreement.
"I miss your classes with Diana teacher... I also wanted to know more about words and how to find them" I tell her who then strokes my hair.
"We'll soon be able to work on it again, I've just been a bit busy" said the teacher.
From there I left her room, I started to continue pasting the remaining posters, leaving them in the other rooms, I'm anxious to see this valentine's day dance, to see how I'll dress, since I don't need to go all formal, I can dress as I want, I don't need to force myself to be a rich girl, I don't care about the boys or the girls, I just want to have fun, dance, jump, eat some good food and from the poster it really looks like the teacher is going to bring a real buffet for us.
The girls around me were gathering to see the posters, little by little my hands were getting emptier, it was by far the best job I've done and I'm being paid to do it, I'm getting to the cafeteria, leaving the posters there, then I go outside, I see that Hannah and Babara were there, but I put them in the yard without paying much attention and soon they come too.
"What is it Akko?" Ask England.
"The new Valentine's Day prom event" I tell her.
"Ohhhhhh I've been looking forward to this day, how incredible, the boys from Appleton in Luna Nova, ahhhhh, I'm going to be the most beautiful lady" Said the redhead all delighted and I even make a point of joking around remembering a picture of Amanda that was on my phone.
"What about this one? He'll be here on the day" I say showing a picture of Amanda in a suit which has Hannah all impressed.
"What kind of pretty lad is that? He's going to be mine" she said.
"That's Amanda!" Barbara said.
"Oh, in the same way she's handsome" Hannah said and it looks like we have someone interested there.
"Sounds like someone's got the hots for O'Neill" I say in a teasing tone.
"Ah Akko, stop thinking rubbish, but if O'Neill keeps flirting with me I'm going to go all out on her anyway... Tell me if she'll be interested?" said Hannah, even too interested.
"Look, I'll do it, but I don't think she'll like you very much because you're... You know" I tell her and she shrugs.
"A hottie? If it's for the other thing I don't think she cares, pretty I am, it's enough to attract O'Neill's attention" Said England who is really on the attack.
From there I went on finishing the posters afterwards, it seems that both of them have relieved themselves from bullying me, but now Hannah has become glued to Amanda, I think it's an interesting couple, but I want to see how things are going to develop with these two, anyway, let's finish this, soon the posters will be finished and I'm looking forward to my 50 pounds, I can use it to go out with the girls this weekend and eat the best of The Last Wednesday Society, I'll pay for everyone.
A while later, when they finished putting up the posters, already in teacher Croix's room
We arrived practically together at teacher Croix's room, I am excited for the fifty pounds, when we arrived the teacher was already with Queen Elizabeth's notes on the table, I reached over and went to get them, which she smiled at us, I was admiring and very happy.
"Thank you so much Professor Croix, I can't believe you paid for us to do this" I say excitedly.
"You practically pay to stay here, it is slave labour to use your labour for free to do a job that we teachers can do, that is why I preferred to pay you, it is a way to compensate the students, I know that these 50 pounds will be a lot when you spend them, so have fun" said the teacher.
"Ah I'm going to love spending it anyway, thank you teacher Croix, you are the best teacher here" I said all happy and excited and she continued with the same smile.
"Well the work was done, but I really dinnae need this money, can I give this money tae Akko?" Diana asks and I even got silly.
"Me? But Diana... You don't have to..." I say half embarrassed.
"I dinnae need that much money, but ye do, enjoy yourself and go have some fun" she said handing over the 50.
"The money is yours Diana, do what you want with it" said the teacher.
I left the room a little embarrassed, I tried to give the 50 pounds back to Diana, but I was a little embarrassed, she went to her room, I went to mine, I walked to my team's room and there were the girls, where I made sure to show the 50 pounds notes to both of them.
"Check it out! Let's all go out together this weekend! Let's go to the movies! Let's go to The Last Wednesday Society and even stop by to do something else, this weekend promises" I say excitedly and the two of them were already looking at the money too.
"Good Akko, who did you steal this time?" Sucy asks jokingly.
"Teacher Croix paid Diana and me to do a job of pasting posters in the corridors, there's going to be a Valentine's Day dance and then we won for that, can you believe it? There are teachers here who don't enslave us," I say cheerfully.
"Oh yeah, Valentine's Day, kind of tacky" Manbavaran said.
"Ahhhhhh, how nice, I really wanted to participate, since last year, not because of the boys, but because of the class, the event, the whole atmosphere" Lotte said delighted.
"Ah this year it's going to be different, teacher Croix said it won't be a class party, it will be like with DJ and everything, I can't wait to have a great time that day, but hey, now let's think about tomorrow, I'll invite Diana since she deserves it, she gave me her 50 pounds, so let's spend the day we four" I tell them.
"Ah, that's different, but it will be nice, the important thing is to have a party here, it's been a while since we had such a fun event around Luna Nova" said Yanson.
"Are you going to call Diana? We're going to keep a candle tomorrow, the little couple is getting closer every day" said Sucy being Sucy and I was already giving her the middle finger.
Diana actually went to Professor Ursula's room, where she went to discuss what she found in the lab and with that they flew to Arcturus' tower, where they can discuss without Luna Nova's walls listening in...
POV Ursula:
"And then you really succeeded?" I ask Diana.
"I was able to give some very superficial glances, she seems tae be fixed and very much in emotions, as if it was something like her focus, I could notice that, she also has a business that is kind of filling up with loads, fae what she showed she was with 30%, it must be some bigger plan, but I dinnae know, she was trying tae analyze Claiomh Solais, but she couldn't get any data, she couldn't even take her hand, I even got tae be analyzed, but she almost dinnae find out that my distrust was exactly around our plan" Diana said to me and I was even getting impressed.
"Emotions are powerful as a source of magic, I know this exactly because of my show, she told me something similar at the show, that she was having an emotional manipulation for a future machine she wanted to make, called Noir Rod, but I don't know what she wants with this thing" I say to Cavendish who is getting a hand on his chin.
"She must be wanting tae drain the magic somehow, she must be preparing a weapon or something, if it involves accumulated magic power it could be something tae be used in the future, but what would it be?" She said wondering tae me and I can imagine one option.
"Replicating the power of Claiomh Solais, that's my biggest suspicion, she must be wanting to break the seal of the Gran Triskellion, that may be it, but it may not be" I tell her.
"But that's impossible without the seven words, she'll fail if she keeps insisting, anyway I'll try tae get more information, even maybe break into her lab later, it might be a good way tae get information about what she's really planning, but fae now I have tae win more of Croix's trust" Diana said and I stroked her head a little.
"A raid on the lab might be too risky, she must have machines prepared for defence, unless you leave a bug or a camera, it might be like that in our next plan, if we can somehow prove that she was the one responsible for the 2007 magic theft, that's it! The case could close" I said cheerfully.
"Anyway careful Chariot, ye might end up kind of incriminated in this story, ye were also a victim of this whole scam" Diana said with all empathy for my side and I was just smiling.
"Anyway I just hope nothing ends up going wrong" I tell her who holds up my hand.
"Who knew that I would end up meeting ye someday and ye would be a more amazing person than in the shows" Diana even said leaving me quite touched.
The two from there go their separate ways again, where they are not noticed planning something for Croix, but Meridies herself had another plan in mind and that was involving the whole Valentine's Day ball thing...
POV Croix:
Teenagers with all their moods and hormones, this is going to be perfect to fill my Noir Rod's machine, I just need to get all the equipment in place and let the ball rolling, I know that Wangari as a DJ is going to be an attraction, even more so because the event is going to be the most alive thing possible, something new, a more euphoric experience, none of the hullabaloo of before, it's going to be a whole luxury and I'm going to love watching it and seeing how it can help to gain more magic power for the Noir Rod.
"That's it children, keep on cheering for the event, it's your thrill of happiness that will bring mine" I tell the computer.
I may not have managed to get the power of Claiomh Solais, but I can still get it in other ways and little by little my plan may come true, the Gran Triskellion's seal will be broken, magic will become new, it will be renewed, my request will come true and the world will understand how the new and technological magic is much better than the outdated conservative magic these witches keep reinforcing so much.
I even look at the screens seeing how they were seeing the posters and it's quite remarkable how excited they are, it will be a unique event, after that we'll still have the spring, I already know how to make the enchanted parade work, instead of that old stuff I can bring something innovative, an alternative attempt to also draw emotions, who knows.
POV Narrator:
A ball is coming, being different from what it has always been, things will be looser and more focused on the really young public that will appear there, already causing a huge hype among the girls that did not expect something new and much more dynamic, but that has a plan behind it, one more of Croix's plans to perform an emotional manipulation to get enough power to fuel his machine of emotions. What no one in Luna Nova has any idea about is the whole plan behind it, only Diana and Chariot with their suspicions, who are still in an early stage of investigation.
See you, analysed witches...