POV Narrator:
Monday, 24 December 2018, Luna Nova
The first term ends, the girls were approved with tranquility and the end of the year holidays started, a two weeks recess time, that the girls will enjoy and have many revelations, it was Christmas Eve, the girls were in Luna Nova, gathered there, some others are starting to leave the witchcraft academy to visit their families, in this that will be a great holiday period. Which for one girl in particular will be the best Christmas she can have in her life. Especially after getting the results of the DNA test, already calling for Akko for the two of them to look on their own what ended up giving those results.
POV Diana:
I call Akko tae the attic, this time the two of us together are going tae see what comes up in the results, I am honestly dying of anxiety tae see what comes up, I go with a big smile on my face, nae matter what comes up in the results, I know I am ready tae react, the Japanese girl, is here with me tae give me all the support.
"Take it easy Diana, now this is the real DNA test" She said and I nod my head in agreement and open the envelope.
"I know, that's why I get a bit nervous, imagine what can happen... It's something that will definitely change my life" I say all anxious.
I go up the leaves, I decide tae do it with them facing Akko, first tae see her reaction while going up, it was really quite a drama, but she dinnae express anything, she just kept smiling at me, sae she kills me too.
Turning the leaf, I hit my eye on the first thing that appears, my world comes crashing down, everything I suspected... I am stunned, my hands weaken, the leaves fall, tears start tae fall.
"Positive..." I say just these words already starting tae cry and Akko gets a smile all over his face looking at me.
"I knew it" she said collecting the papers, then placing them on top of the boxes we had improvised as a table.
I was looking at everything still, it was all true... Hellene... I have a sister, and another... I'm the daughter of... Laura McLaren. She's my other mother, she's my mother Bernadette's wife. I still stand still, until I feel Akko's hug coming and the tears keep coming, even she was crying with me, me looking like a log.
"Akko... Hellene's mother is my mother... Laura McLaren" I say crying.
"I know Diana, I already knew that... Merry Christmas girl" she said caressing me and I was getting feeling like the happiest person in the world.
"I have another mother, the rumours... The theories, even my imaginations in my head, were all true in the end... My mother is who I always thought she was... That feeling I felt comfortable with Hellene, it's because we're both sisters... Sisters! I need tae see this again" I say tearfully.
I picked up the sheets, looked at them more closely and each one of them the test was positive, she is definitely my sister, with 100% chance, and still a blood sister, which means Mama Bernadette is her mother too... Which means... I am sae relieved, at the same time sae emotional that I can't process anything, emotions are eating my body, seeing all the sheets the test came back positive, I put everything on the table.
"I knew it would be positive" Akko said being cute as always, even fiddling with her mobile phone.
"Akko, this opens up a whole option of things tae happen, do ye have any idea that I can meet my mother today? Hellene told me she is spending Christmas with her family and she is going tae invite us! This is going tae be the greatest moment of my life!" I can't hold back my emotion, tears can't stop coming, anxiety takes over me.
"Apparently Cavendish couldn't control herself so much with her emotions, heh, but you deserve it, I'm sure she'll love seeing you" Kagari said as I kept processing everything.
I continued in the same place, looking at my hands, looking at the test, looking at Akko, it was all sort of processing, the ideas coming together, the ground getting wet with the drops that fell from my eyes, all this could mean a lot of things, really the world that I was sae anxious tae see was becoming more and more real.
In the middle of it I hear a creaking of the trap door opening, I look back, who was going up was exactly Hellene, I dinnae stop staring at her, she dinnae either, I was a little bit without reaction, I dinnae know how tae process.
"You called me here Akko, what happened to D..." When my sister went all up I just jumped into a hug, wrapping my arms around her head.
She reciprocated, I felt her strong arms wrapping themselves around my back, the beats that I felt accelerating in my chest, which passed tae her head, everything was becoming a very special moment fae me, things were accelerating, out of nowhere it seemed that the world blossomed in front of me, I felt a wetness also coming in my chest, that seemed like an embrace that would stay forever.
"Hellene... Ye're my sister! My younger sister! My little sis!" I say this still enveloping her in my embrace.
"Aye..." She only said it half crying.
"I always knew, two extremely talented little witches, they would undoubtedly be sisters, I'm glad they finally got it right - Akko said.
We then stop hugging, it was the best hug I've ever felt in my life, it was as if her emotions were running wild all over the place, she seems tae be feeling the same thing as she looks at me in front of me, all cute, now that I've been noticing, on the face we are a bit alike, I never stopped tae notice these things, now I make a point of noticing more similarities that are opening up.
"Hellene... Ye're my sister... I still can't understand all this... I'm... I'm in shock, how could I nae notice this before" I say as I stood with my hand on her shoulder and also wiped the tears from my sister's face.
"It was wrong to 'ide it from you from de first day of school, I was scared of Daryl boeht I wanted to reveal it somehow, Mum said you'd find out anyway at Christmas" She said and I honestly don't care if it took a while.
"It's okay Hellene, I understand it may have taken a while, it's nae yer fault or Mom's... Laura... I can call her Mom now... I... She's my mother. She's my mother" I even laugh a little tearfully, it's a truth, all the theorizing I had done came true.
"It was my bad too Diana, I knew since the first day of school that she is your sister, but I promised to keep it a secret" said the Japanese girl and I am even surprised.
"Who else knows about all this?" I say, still kind of emotional and happy.
"Chariot, boeht she knows it since always, my mother was 'er mentor for a long time, besides 'er also Mari and Annabel know, but dat's because dey are my roommates... I didn't want to spread it too much, afraid of that witch" She said and I was stroking her red hair, so cute, a little wavy, they remind me a little bit of a Cavendish.
"What matters now is that we know... Hellene, I want, I really want tae see mum, please take me tae spend Christmas with ye"
"You were already invited anyway, you too Akko, we're going to Ireland tonight, get ready dat your day will be very full, I guarantee that you won't forget dis Christmas" she said and I nodded.
"Oh, I will not... Now I know we're sisters. That means Holly..." I say and she nods her head in agreement.
"Our other sister is not Mama Bernadette's daughter, but she is a case apart, it was quite a troubled relationship, I think she 'as told, Aunt Chelsea and Mama Laura..." She said and I know a little bit.
"It was like that wasn't it?" I tell her.
"Mum Laura dedn't want to but she was caught by surprise in 'er sleep, when she found out she was extremely angry, it was a shock to everyone... Unfortunately Aunt Chelsea was later arrested, even before Holly was born and dere she ended up being brutally murdered... It was a 'uge loss for us, even with everything dat happened, Mum Laura still feels sorry for de loss of 'er sister" She said and I didn't know that specifically, just that it was from a non-consensual relationship.
"Wow, that's fucked up, your family even on the other side also has dark stories" Akko said and I was just trying not to break the mood.
"They are dark, but I guarantee dat today will be a light one when you show up at de 'ouse" said my sis.
We hug one more time, now I have the true feeling that she's my sister, ahhh, it's a very different feeling from when I hugged Brooke, it was something that made me feel kind of unique, I dinnae know why, I guess the sae many new things that came, gee, I dinnae even know how I'm going tae process all this.
We get down from the attic, we go tae the stairs, I wave tae both of them, I think I'll be alone in the room for a while, I want tae reflect more about this, I walk in the corridor, with a new feeling going through my head, I enter the room and since the weekend Barb and Hannah aren't there.
"I know who my mother is!" Shout of excitement with my chest full, arms up, that was the best news I have ever received.
I then walk over tae my part of the room, my mother's photo was there, one I just left as the likely suspect, it was right next tae my mother Bernadette, both smiling, when I noticed something else, they were torn photos, I took the two halves, put them together, used a repair spell... That was the whole photo.
"I was blind the whole time!" I say shocked, how could I have been sae inattentive.
I look at more details, Mama Laura has freckles on her face, I have them too, I look at her smile, they are split teeth, just like the ones I have... I have traits of Mama Laura that I could never notice sae well before, she really is my mother... I have a mother... another mother... In the end the story is true. I want tae know everything right away, I'm sae anxious. I look at the window, holding that picture of the two together, what a cute thing, my mothers really matched, tae think that the witch who was badly seen here in Luna Nova dated a Cavendish and today has a daughter who was once the most loved around here, who still is by the teachers... And they kept this from me fae years, but now I know it's true, now I know that even here they must have erased their history... I'm sure a lot happened between my mothers.
Hours go by, it's already dark in Luna Nova, everyone has gone to prepare their bags to spend a few days in Ireland...
We gathered in the courtyard of Luna Nova, today it is sae cold here, gee, I can't even process, sae many events, everything is going on, the lassies are appearing, Akko, the teacher Chariot, Hellene, Mari, Brooke, we are looking at each other, I can't even imagine what is coming next.
"Ready Diana?" said my sister.
"I'm shaking just thinking about it, by the nine lesbian witches, holy Beatrix of all lesbian witches, ahhhhh" I'm too euphoric.
"Calm down a bit Diana, breathe, today you are going to change your life" Chariot said.
"I'm going to see my much-loved mother, there's nae way tae stay calm, it's 16 years without seeing her! It's sixteen fucking years! I will finally be able tae see the most important person in my life!" I say, crying at once.
"Today it looks like someone is going to cry a lot" said Mari, giggling a little.
"She deserves it, she can fill a river of tears today little sister" said my sister who was also crying.
"Looks like the other sister comes crying too" Akko said laughing.
Shivering we all went up on the brooms, catching a flight passing by Ley line, we went tae Glastonbury and wow, it was snowing, even snowing hard, but it was enough, the clothes are warm, I only think about one thing, this will be on the other island when we arrive, it's nae the cold and the snowflakes that will shake me.
"It's snowing quite a lot today, it's even funny how in Luna Nova it was only cold and 'ere it's snowing intensely" Hellene said.
"What to expect from Britain and Ireland, as unstable as ever" I reply, but even then I can only think of one thing.
Some time later, a very long flight across the UK, then the Irish Sea, where they arrive in the city of Dublin and head towards the address where the McLaren family home is located?
We have arrived... I dinnae even know how tae hold myself, the heavy snow wasn't enough tae make me cold, I was warm since I came, the anxiety makes me warm, my heart is beating again, the house in front of me, a quiet place, I never thought that McLaren were simpler than I imagined, even if the house was big it wasn't a castle or a mansion, it was just a house, we landed right in front of the gate, the lights inside were on, I could hear the conversations, music was playing, it seems that it is going to be a big Christmas party.
"Wait a minute, I'll tell dem we've arrived" said my sister with her mobile phone in her hand.
"Wow, it's really going to be one hell of a Christmas party" Akko said in amazement.
I'm practically having a panic, I was looking ahead, seeing the house, my heart is racing, I can feel it, like there's something coming, the footsteps coming, her coming, I even start breathing half gasping, I was really having tae keep calm, I think my heart is going to explode.
"Calm down Diana, calm down, breathe, go, breathe" Akko said trying tae calm me down.
"She is already coming" said my sister.
We stayed close tae the door, I heard the footsteps coming closer and closer, it was undoubtedly my mother, the footsteps stopped by the door, it's as if I was feeling and hearing everything, everything became sharper fae perception, then I hear the noise of the key opening, and then a knob turning.
The mother Laura, she in front of me, shorter than I thought she was, my heart was going tae a thousand, she faced me with her face all stopped, we swallowed saliva at the same time, she was shaking too, then she starts running, jumping in my direction, hugging me covering me completely, it was a unique sensation that I was feeling involving me, a comfort that can't be equal tae any other, honestly feeling here as if I was the luckiest witch in the world.
"Mum..." I say, already bursting into tears.
"Diana! Diana! Diana! Diana! Diana! I don't believe it! You finally came! My daughter! Diana!" she said all tearful, all emotional, squeezing me tightly in her embrace.
"I would come whenever I can... I love ye mamma Laura" I tell her with emotion, hugging her too, I feel like I am going tae another world now, it was remarkable fae me.
"I promise Diana... I promise dat I will stay with you as long as I need you, I missed you so much, you are the most precious ding in dis world to me" Mama Laura said and I have been feeling equally honoured.
We kept on hugging, everyone was watching us from behind, I was still crying, I think I'll end up melting all this snow like this, I feel like the happiest witch in the world, I feel comfortable next tae her, my sister appears on our side and joins in the hug as well.
"De missing person to bring dis family together" said my sister.
"You two are de dings I love most in de world. Seeing you two together like dis was what I wanted most for Christmas" she said, wiping away our tears.
"Merry Christmas Mum Laura" I tell her half-emotional, feeling everything, now things are getting better nae doubt.
"Let's go inside lassies, I dinnae want to see my little kids with de flu" she said cuddling us.
We went inside, the house was warm and comfortable, I was feeling very comfortable here, like I've been here a few times before, but I can't really process it, they're strangely different sensations, a comfort that is given by everything, my mum by my side, still wiping the tears, me and sis too, we walked near the hall, where we look in the room, I see some familiar faces. Officer Morris, a girl who looks like her daughter, other people there, Holly, everyone is shocked tae see me.
"She came!" Everyone spoke, my family right in front of me.
"My lettle sister! My sister Diana! She came to spend Christmas with us!" Said the euphoric Holly who jumped up from the sofa and then came tae hug me.
"You really know how to surprise us, don't you, Laura? 'Ow many years we 'aven't waited for our granddaughter" Said my grandmother who was getting up with the help of my mother holding her.
She is quite similar tae Hellene, the purple eyes, even with a few strands of white hair, a gentleman also came beside me, must be my grandfather, the three of them are coming together in an all family hug, I have never felt sae comfortable and wrapped in love as I do now, they are my family.
"Welcome to de McLaren family, you have always been part of it" said my grandmother.
I see them all, they are very nice people, grandma she is a short lady too, Holly is also short, mum and Hellene, it seems I am the only tall one of them, grandpa is the only one a little taller, the rest of the people, agent Morris, her daughter, April Jordan, her daughter, I dinnae imagine I would see such familiar faces around here.
"This 'ere is your family my kid... Grandma Joanne, Grandpa Mark, your sister Holly, me, your mum Laura, your other sister Hellene, your godmother April, 'er daughter Megan, Rosemary, who you already know as agent Morris, 'er daughter Phoebe, 'er husband Harry... We were looking forward to your presence and I see you bring friends too" Mum said with her hand on my shoulder introducing everyone.
"These are my friends, just some of them, Marianne, Hellene's friend, Brooke, the one that Daryl made look like she was my sister, teacher Chariot, and finally her... A friend that always stayed by my side all this time, that always made me live good moments in Luna Nova, Akko" I say holding Kagari's hand that even got a little blushed and I see my mother even smiling.
"Is this de Akko your sister said is your girlfriend?" I blushed immediately, I can't believe my sister spread it even on her.
"Mum! I swear Hellene…" I say staring at her and my mother was just laughing a little.
"You're very good friends aren't you? Just like me and Bernadette were" She said teasingly more and I noticed she still had a ring on her finger.
"We are just friends" I tell her.
"Aye friends" She said teasing more, I can't believe even my mother is going tae come with that one.
We then sat down in the middle of the sofa, I was getting surprised, I never felt such a comfort before, it was my mother after all, gee this is sae wonderful, this is the best Christmas I've ever had in my life, that's nae even an exaggeration it's the most pure truth, I can't believe it, then something fell on my lap.
"Open up Diana" Agent Morris said.
I went tae open the present, it looks like a box, when I unwrapped it, I look inside the box, I see it's a birth certificate, I read it and there was my name "Diana Cavendish McLaren IV" My registered name was all the time that... I had my mother's surname all along, I see in the parents part "Bernadette Cavendish, born Edinburgh, Scotland/ Laura McLaren, born Dublin, Ireland", the records are now matching finally I can't believe it.
"Sae that's the real data?" I say shocked.
"You can never know everything clearly, but you can be sure dat de truth around 'ere will still be revealed and a lot of it" my mother said.
"So ye know everything, really everything?" I ask shocked.
"I know dings dat you 'ave no idea are out, come with me I 'ave to show you more, you too Hellene" said my mother.
I get up, I leave my birth certificate on the table, we walk in the house, until it was very comfortable, but we leave again, walking in the snow, until we arrive in another part which was a hut and in it things are getting illuminated, I notice a lot of things in it, including... Beatrix's tapestry! The Cavendish family's things are around here.
"But the fire..." I say shocked.
"Dey were all replicas, all fake, de most important relics we brought 'ere for safety, I already 'ad a suspicion dat Daryl could do something to de Cavendish residence, dat was a time bomb one way or another it would end up destroying itself, so with Hellene's help, we were taking relic by relic" said my mother.
"Ye... Ye saved the most important things... I remember my aunt complaining about how they had trespassers in the mansion who were taking things, she found out that the holy grail was stolen" I tell them.
"We planned dis when Hellene was old enough for such things, since I couldn't invade due to de curse" said her mother.
"Dat's when I lost my hand" she said and I remembered that she had a prosthesis.
"Daryl ripped yer hand off without me knowing?" I say shocked.
"It wasn't exactly dat, it was something dat happened with a poison, when I stole de last thing, which was Beatrix's tapestry, I ended up passing my hand unintentionally in a needle dat she put dat 'ad poison in it, it spreads very slowly, she wanted my death to be slow and painful, I already felt de pain in my hand, very strong, it was when I got close dat my mother 'ad a conclusion to make, we amputated my 'and, de poison dedn't spread and dat's why I don't 'ave dis part anymore, de magic is not able to make limbs grow back yet" Explains my sister.
"Wow, what a bitch, she caused harm tae ye even indirectly, I dinnae know ye lost yer hand fae that, now it all makes sense" I say shocked.
"Dere are many dings dat you 'ave no idea 'appened to us at de 'ands of dat witch, you must 'ave 'eard de story of de metal spheres, but you 'aven't 'eard de whole story, not even when your aunt poisoned your mother to death" said mother.
"The second one she told me herself, intimidating me, sae it was really true, she was able tae do that... But why? Why does she want this sae badly?" I ask her, who takes a deep breath.
"It's a long story dat everyone should know, including your friends, dey are potential targets, even Brooke, I 'ave no doubt dat after dat story Daryl won't let go of de lass so easily, what we 'ave to do is unite, because what we are facing is big, very big indeed" she said and I've been noticing that it seems tae be big "You have no idea, but anyway, let's enjoy Christmas, now you two are together, I 'eard you got Merrill, dere are only two more to go, for sure you can do it, I've been seeing from afar your potential" she said.
"We'll try, but things seem tae have calmed down quite strangely" I tell her.
"It could be 'er plan to take you by surprise, so stay alert... Just first I want to ask you a question, for you Diana" Said my mother with her hand on my shoulder.
"It's ok mum, ye can ask any questions ye want" I say smiling.
"Tell me if Teddy is well after the fire? Did he survive?" asks my mother and I nod.
"I would never let that teddy bear die in the fire, he was the one who gave me comfort all these years, he is a souvenir of mine from my mother too, just like her Super Nintendo and her Witchtale save" I say tae mother Laura who even cries a little.
"Teddy was undoubtedly a gift from us, before your mother left I bought him and left him with my scent so dat I could be at least de minimum dere, protecting you" said mum and now I remembered, Teddy's scent was an aroma reminiscent of orange, just like mum's clothes.
"Sae that means... I love ye sae much mum" I say hugging her again.
She was stroking and I was feeling the familiar smell of Teddy rising in me, really mum thought of everything she is the real thing, tae know something sae personal of mine and at the same time tell the stories of things explained, nae tae mention the relics of the Cavendish family, it would be impossible that Daryl armed all this, now it makes sense a lot of things, stopping tae think.
"Now that I remember, my aunt wanted tae hide the gap I had in my teeth, the freckles on my face, she knew I had a similarity tae you, now that I see it closer, I can see ye like my mother, I have yer features, yer eyes, a bit of yer face" I tell her.
"What a cruel bitch, I saw and heard everything, she spent years teasing me about it, believe it or not, since Bernadette's death I 'ave been disturbed" said my mother.
Then it gets calmer, we walk back tae everyone, I can see that it's such a light, cheerful atmosphere, I'm finally in a place where I am sae loved, the agent Morris welcoming me with several smiles on her face, my grandma, my grandpa, my grandpa, my sister, of course I soon saw her and Akko clinging together.
"Hey Diana, will you want to see de Shiny Chariot museum afterwards? 'Ow long are you 'ere for?" asks my sister.
"I will stay here until the new year, I want tae spend the days with my family before going back tae school" I tell everyone who is smiling with happiness.
"Ah so you'll 'ave plenty of time, Akko 'ere said she 'ave de Shiny Rod, is dat really true? It would be a precious item for my collection" she said.
"She does, but it's nae a collectible item Holly, the Claiomh Solais is sacred, it's made tae be used, it's going tae be the staff that will be the weapon tae change the world" I explain tae her.
"Diana is right Holly, de Claiomh Solais is sacred, it is an object that was thought for de change of the world, only very special witches can have it and try to change ddthe world with de object, Chariot 'ad a good success but gave up, I am sure dat with you it can work out, after all every chosen one always stops with one more word, dere are seven words and Chariot reached six when she was chosen, you 'ave great chances to be the ones who will change the world" Mum said and I was even motivated.
"And do ye know who was the chosen one before Chariot?" Curious Holly asks.
"Yes I know, you're talking to 'er right now" Okay now I was in shock, how come mum was the chosen one? She's the one who came first, everyone's speechless, especially Akko.
"What? What do you mean Mrs McLaren? Were you like a Chariot of Chariot?" Said the Japanese lassie all shocked.
"Unfortunately I dedn't go dat far, I gave up on the fifth word, I made a trade with Woodward, dis trade I never regret, it was to use Claiomh Solais to change de world, or else I would leave the words aside for de knowledge, dis dat was de knowledge to find de cure for the curse, I could ask to be cured, but I dedn't want just dat, I wanted to know and write everything down, so I could not only one day see you again Diana, 'owever long it took, I could 'elp witches in the future who were going to suffer for de same, and dat I did, I dinnae regret giving up Claiomh Solais, I knew it would go into good hands" Mama said and I was even moved, she never stopped thinking of me.
POV Narrator:
Christmas has arrived for Diana, she ends up receiving what was the gift she most wished to have for herself, the discovery of the truth, meeting her own mother, the great witch, Laura Mclaren, which is going to be a major life changing moment for Cavendish and also for her own mother, now that the two could finally see each other again, even as a heart warming moment, since Laura never stopped trying to be around her daughter and be a part of her life, even with all the difficulty she had.
Merry christmas, lesbian witches...
Laura McLaren Cavendish
Date of birth: 14 January 1972
Place of birth: Dublin, Ireland (Irish)
Height: 1.47m
Weight: 61 kg
Sexuality: Lesbian
Gender: Female (cis)
Occupation: Game Dev (Saoirse Games 1990) (Trained at Luna Nova 1987-1990)
Measurements (bust/ waist/hip): 101/75/105
Hair colour and appearance: Light orangey red, straight 1A, long reaching to the thigh line, usually parted in the middle with loose ends that end at the cheeks.
Eye colour and shape: Cyan
Physical appearance: Extremely pale skin, teeth gap, wide hips, huge breasts, chubby body, short stature, round nose, freckles all over the body, harp shape on the back, clover on the left hand, leaf on the right hand, harp shape on the back and some wrinkles.
Likes: Bernadette, Pizza, Video games, Broom races, magic, history, Ireland, your own family
Dislikes: Daryl, Conservative witches, Impositions, too many rules, needlessly exaggerated worship, erasure that one's own family suffers in the history of magic
Laura McLaren, Diana's other mother, who spent years in the shadows due to events related to her sister-in-law who did everything she could to separate the mother from her own daughter so that she would not have the influence, as well as trying to take care of the family by also including the death of Bernadette Cavendish. Someone who simply fought for decades to find a cure for the curse that distanced her so much from her own daughter, where she could not have the time to give all the love and affection, but not for that she gave up her mission, without forgetting the love she always gave to the other two daughters who lived with her in the house of the McLaren family. Since she was very young, Laura had a strong personality and direct words, without measuring who was in front of her. She did not care about the position of the person and even showed a great debauchery for the situation, she with her free and loose way, together with her beauty, were what won the heart of young Bernadette Cavendish in 1987, and they stayed together until the last days of the platinum haired girl, never stopping loving each other, no matter the situation. She and her friends were the first to rally for the change of everything in Luna Nova, just as she was the first chosen by Claiomh Solais before giving back prioritizing her own daughter when the situation eventually called, the Irishwoman had an already very different view around the whole system of magic and noticed how evident the problems were and how that closed mindedness would end up keeping magic always down and could even result in some day in the future destroying the legacy of magic.