POV Narrator:
Tuesday, 2 July 2019, Edinburgh, Scotland
Akko's days in Japan passed, it was a moment where Saori's past was revealed again, as well as a connection that she had there with Laura's past too, where both of them used to take part of illegal races, either in separate sceneries or in sceneries together, during the second half of the 90's, those days were a moment to enjoy the time in Japan, with some more outings with the girls, including an unexpected trip to Tokyo Disney, which they all loved, enjoying those days a lot before going back to other places. Amanda went back to the States and took Hannah with her, while Hellene, Diana and Akko went back to Great Britain, where they stayed at the Cavendish residence, this time fully furnished, which will be a big surprise for the head of the family who hadn't seen the changes her mother had made since spring break.
POV Diana:
From far away ye can already see that a lot of things have changed, the house is still there, only it has a lot more green in it, more leaves, exactly as I wanted, the part of the museum of relics is also ready, I'm really anxious tae see the results, we landed and I even saw that there was a path with some buried stones that led tae the door of the house like a path tae the door, I loved this detail, one of the cutest things.
"Mum, the house looks beautiful, did you do all this?" I ask looking even half amazed.
"You deserve it all girl, now de Cavendish house is living up to what 'as always been your family, Beatrix would be proud" Mum said.
I go walking through the path that was made tae go tae the museum, I open the door and see everything lined up, really like an exhibition, I'm even amazed, the greatest rarities and relics of the family well kept, now without running the risk of catching fire and never existing again, I see everything, the holy grail, the chessboard, the several books written by the Cavendish, but the one that called my attention the most and was even the centre of attention, Beatrix's tapestry.
"I know de value of dis one, it was de most valuable Cavendish relic, to leave it out would be de worst, Beatrix's great tapestry, which was sewn even by 'er, with de magic and blessing of both, dis object is protected by a powerful magic and every witch with a great heart can feel safe near it" Mom explains and I get even emotional.
"Mum, ye are the best, ye made sure tae keep everything that was most important here, ye really took everything and are restoring it fae the new times" I say in amazement.
"The biography books of some of the Cavendish women who 'ad couples with other women is also around 'ere, stuff dat was erased from history, dey were one of de first things Bernadette and I picked up so as not to let Daryl come to hide it, dis even before you were born, de fear of a lesbian erasure from de family huge" Mum said with her hand on my shoulder.
I go looking through the other things down the aisles, the various books, I especially see a part where I keep seeing three Cavendish in each frame with books placed on pedestals, until I see the names on top, "Diana McLaren Cavendish I 1632-1737", "Diana Cavendish II 1737-1869", "Diana Morris Cavendish III 1897-1936", I never thought I would see them around here.
"The three Dianas" I say in amazement.
"Dey are of enormous importance to our history, de first who expelled De Council of Luna Nova in 1650, de second who was part of Victoria McLaren's lesbian revolution, de third who was de most wronged, She died too soon for de BGP to expand and de scientific knowledge about de fertility stone to be spread around de world, each one of dem 'ad deir own importance" Mom said and I want to know more later, these are stories that I never thought would see the light of day, I always wondered because I'm the fourth Diana in the family.
Then I decide tae take a walk outside, already amazed with the museum, looking more tae the outside, I follow the path of stones tae another place, I arrive in a kind of bandstand, gee I remember that it was kind of abandoned when I let the mansion be demolished, but now it's rebuilt, I even feel a hug around my waist, it was Akko hugging me from behind.
"Baby... What do you say we kiss down here?" She said and I turn around and agree and we seal lips inside the bandstand, and then I see a smile on my mum's face.
"I remember it well, I married Bern in dis exact spot, we invited a lot of people, some Daryl invited to disturb de party, but it wasn't enough to break de moment, I remember every minute of dat day, every step I took, dis side behind us" Mom said.
"Wow, I remember de photos of de mothers getting married, so much 'as changed now, it seems dat everyding is more alive, before it was flat, now dere are some lettle plants around and more colours" Hellene said.
"Dat was de idea, to revive a lettle bit of dis animation in de place, it was always such a heavy environment, so full of pressures, I used to feel loaded every hour dat I passed by 'ere" I also felt a lot like that, now I dinnae feel anymore, it's a place that I can call mine or even ours.
I then walk a little further, I see that things are well restored, many things that I kept from the mansion I did nae touch, now there is even a path tae the pier, only there is nae longer that yacht of the family, which only sailed on this lake, I decide tae follow the path home, this time going through the back, where I open the door and already feel the air and the smell of my home.
"Finally home" I say relieved.
"Our home" Akko said coming from my side.
"Soon both of us will build a bright future here" I tell her.
"Dis house is wonderful, I love dat now it 'as more dings and more furniture spread out" said my sister.
"Now dere are dings on dem, I bought dem to make dem more in style" said my mother.
I look at the kitchen and now it has everything, when we built the house there was nae cooker and other electrical appliances, only the cupboards, sae much sae that we ate delivery all these days while the house was being assembled, now it has everything, my sister opens one of the cupboards and there's food in it too.
"Yay! You bought food!" said my sister with a smile on her face.
"And what are you going to eat? We can't just live on Delivery, it's always a challenge to deliver around 'ere" Mum said and I agree, I live a bit far away from the city of Edinburgh, even though I'm still in it, I still live in the far parts.
I carry the bags and go up the stairs, tae the third floor, where the bedrooms are, I leave them in the family leader's room, relieved with the weight, I throw myself on the bed, Akko throws herself on my side and we stare at the ceiling, I love how my bed has a kind of decoration with moons and stars on the cloth above the bed, I hold hands with my girlfriend, with a smile on my face.
"Our love, who would have thought that we have already reached this point, we have been together for almost 5 months, we have lived so many things that it seems that I have known you for 17 years" Akko said.
"I say the same, I feel as if ye have always been part of my family" I say all delighted looking after her.
"What's up, baby? What do you want to do around here?" she said with a mischievous little smile. I was blushing a little and she came closer this time making me turn around and lay down on top of me.
"Sis I... I dink I should drop by another time" Said my sister who just walked in and it was just when Akko was on top of me and she then closes the door.
"Akko! Now they're going to think nonsense" I say blushing and shuffling my accent.
"For let's give them a reason to think so" I only hear the sound of a lock closing.
I blush, but I confess that the desire is great, she takes my hands and leaves them half clasped, while I feel something clasping my wrists and then I start to kiss Akko, her lips are wonderful, she takes me with a way that only I love, she goes down tae my neck and starts tae bite, I love ye Akko.
A good while later, when the couple have their moment and they are already out of the bedroom,somewhat marked, they both go downstairs to go outside, when they arrive outside they comeacross Hellene and Laura putting up what looked like some barriers around the yard and also somecones...
What a strange business, we go there tae check, I see that mum formed something that looked like a clue, I dinnae know what it is, but in the middle of the grass it is too strange, which she finished doing, looking after us both and even laughing.
"And de couple, have you finished making out, after touching each other do you want to touch a gram?" Said my mother laughing and I was blushing.
"Mum! Akko and I only ended up going on impulse, at Kagari's house there was nae moment where we could have a minimum of privacy fae what we wanted tae do" She loves tae make me blush, ahhhhhh.
"Your neck Diana, you've really gone all marked by de bites you've made by the looks of it" said my mother and I try tae hide my face.
"What are you doing?" Akko asks.
"Ah dat's one ding I love to do with Grandpa Mark" said my sister.
"We are literally going to change grass, put on some safe clothes because dis is goin to be interesting to see you try," said my mother who then threw us some safety gear.
It looks like something from a race, since it is a track, I wonder if we are going tae ride motocross, since the ground around here has some changes in relief, I put on the balaclava, I even put my hair up, I put on the chest protection, the gloves, I leave the helmet in my hand until my mother starts taking the grass-cutting carts out of the garage.
"What?" I say confused.
"Lawnmower cart racing, de coolest racing sport dere is" said my sister.
"Do ye race with that? But how? And the blades? Isn't that dangerous?" I ask my mother.
"We take the blades off, all that matters is the part of the cart, it's very simple, you just have to drive the grass-cutting cart with everything, I only say that it is very dangerous and knocks you down easily, you have to know how to control it well - said Mum.
"I have never drive with a lawnmower" I say even scratching the back of my neck.
"Ah dat's easy to learn, de right pedal accelerates and de left pedal brakes, it's like a go-kart, it's like an automatic car" said my mother.
"Mum, I dinnae even have a driving licence, even though I am old enough tae drive, I have at most driven Professor Chariot's car a few times" I said
"Oh, it's time to learn de interesting way, you already know de basics, now you just have to put dem into practice" said my mother pulling the rope and starting the engine of one of the lawn mowers.
I put on my helmet and I can already see that this is going tae end up in a disaster, my mother calls me tae sit on one of the lawn mowers, I feel it and it is very different from a car, this thing shakes and ye can feel the engine right underneath me, I hold the brake and also accelerate just tae see.
Okay, let's go, I start tae take it out of the place and I'm going very slowly, I just want tae feel around, I can see that the cart is going well in the grass, the sensation is really in the body with these jumps that they are giving, I dinnae know how they can stand all this sae calmly.
"My back is already destroyed and now this" I tell myself.
I am starting to go faster and the sensation it gives is very good, at the same time it is curious, how it can go sae fast like that and still cutting grass, I am starting tae understand why my mother likes tae race with this, I am soon passed on the side by one of them, it was my sister, which she is going through one of the curves and ends up skidding a bit, wow, she knows how tae drive it quite well.
I keep calm, I dinnae want tae accelerate too much, just tae feel the track, I'm learning everything slowly, accelerating little by little in some points, just tae know how tae ride this thing.
POV Akko:
Diana is really enjoying it, I can't wait for my turn too, I have never seen one of these in real life, it looks really cool, Diana starts to accelerate a bit more, she comes to a curve, she flips over, I am even worried, but she manages to turn the cart around and goes back to driving as if nothing happened.
"I forgot to teach 'er dis part, but she learnt it well, when de lawnmower tips over she just 'as to throw it" said my mother-in-law.
"Wow but this looks so dangerous, it's angry at the same time" I say in amazement.
"I used to practice go-kart driving at home like dat, I got a lot of notion with de lawn mower about limits and centre of gravity, when I went karting I 'ad no one to blame, as I sat very low and got a grip and control dat no one else had" said Mrs McLaren and I just stare really apprehensive with concern for Diana.
"And have you been hurt much?" I ask her.
"And how? In de past we dedn't pay much attention to safety, it was almost every day destroying dat cart, I crashed everywhere, even on purpose, I wanted to push it to de limit, to know 'ow far I could go, miraculously I never broke a bone, but I scratched myself on de grass many times, I drove it without a helmet, without equipment and proper clothing, I went with a jacket and trousers at most and put to run" Diana's mother is crazy.
I hear the engine starting and I'm already curious to get in, Laura signals me to drive, I put the helmet on, I'm getting on the lawnmower, I've driven go-karts before so it's the same thing, I've driven an automatic car too, mainly my parents one, it's no mystery for me, I start to accelerate and I feel very different, I get higher, so I have to be careful.
"Now go, let's see if Diana will hold her own against me in this race" I tell myself, even though I can't hear anything.
"HeyAkko, the helmet has microphones, we can hear ye talking" Diana said.
"Oh hello love, do you want to eat dust?" I say to her smiling.
I'm already going with more speed and confidence, I know how to ride this thing, it's so easy, but at the same time it's scary, it seems like I'm going to fall at any time, no doubt Amanda would love to come here, I'm already loving this, I get in a curve, I end up giving a beautiful skid, I almost fall, but I throw my weight to the other side, like I do with a motorbike, I remember when I used to get my mother's scooter to get ready.
"I'm coming, it looks like someone has fallen" I say laughing.
"Ah that thing that flips over at any turn" said my girlfriend getting up.
"You have to drive with more caution" said Ms Mclaren.
I got closer to Diana, she started to block my line, she really wants to turn this into a race, but it's just a silly training, I still risk it, but Diana blocks the lines very well, I try to find some loophole but this stubborn girl just closes the door all the time, how clever.
"Ye will nae pass me!" she said, and I said when we went to see simply Laura pass us both.
She still skids out and goes to the next curve practically throwing all the weight and we see it in shock, she passes us as if it was nothing, we even try to keep up, but her entry into the curve was too abrupt, to the point that I end up entering too fast, I hit the back of Diana's lawn mower, she spins and flips over, I end up spinning too, but without flipping over.
"More patience in driving girls, dis 'ere is just a training to get the hang of it" said.
"Akko, ye hit my cart" Diana said rising angrily.
"I'm sorry, I ended up trying to go the same way as your mother, but I didn't imagine it would come to a head" I say scratching the back of my neck.
"Now let's sort this out, I want tae see if ye in the front can handle the pressure" she said and I went out in front.
POV Diana:
This is the best experience I have ever had piloting something, I am finding it unique, I never thought that a lawn mower could be something that ye could race, now my body is really hurting, but this is too much fun, I am trying tae push Akko, but she simply stays calm, she does nae even change her line tae the defensive. She's doing a line that even distances itself from mine, I start tae imitate and even manage tae get closer, but it's complicated tae control, it seems like it's going tae overturn at every moment.
"Oh Diana, you really want to copy me?" she said as she walked away.
"How can ye, I'm scared tae death here - I say as I try to get closer.
"I just have the habit, it's almost like a motorbike, you have to know how to control the weight too, or else you get no grip" Akko said and I don't understand any of this.
I'm doing the curve like her throwing the weight tae the opposite side of the curve and I start to feel, it seems that the lawn mower is planted on the ground, I notice my sister passing us and she does the curves like that too, she throws the weight tae get more ground, now I understand, now I got it, this is the technique, that's cool, now it makes sense, I'll keep going steady, copying them, but it's curious how it works.
"Look who is learning 'ow to do weight transfer" My mother said as she looked at me from afar.
"How do ye know I'm managing" I tell her.
"I can see from afar you getting into position, I'm just getting used to it here, I don't think we can run a race, but we can try" said Mum.
A while after training, they really start to race, lining up in the middle of the track...
Now let's go, my mum signaled tae race, I just want tae see if now I can do it, she pops something with magic and we start driving with everything, now side by side, but this only in the straight, I got a good reaction, my mum by our side, until we got tae the curve, we went towards her braking, but they all went at the same speed, sae we ran out of space, I hit Akko who hit my mother who hit Hellene and we spun, overturned everywhere.
"What a mess right at the start" said my mother all flipped over, I managed tae get out of this alive without flipping over and I'm getting out in front.
"Sorry, I caused this" I say as I drive off into the lead, hahahaha eat dust, now I'm going tae win.
"You were lucky to get out on your feet on dat one, but let's see 'ow long" Mum said.
"Look I also came out in one piece, soon I will get to you Diana" Akko said and now I am more trained, I will surely be able tae stay ahead and hope tae manage to get an awesome position.
I'm doing the best lines I could, the worst thing is that I haven't learned anything, I just watched how my mother, Akko and Hellene enter the curves and leave the body, I'm going tae do the same, try tae put it in practice, I feel better this way, it seems that the curves go in the most natural way, but soon Akko arrives, I try tae close the door tae her, but she keeps trying tae pass, until she touches my lawn mower.
"Come on Diana make room there" Akko said teasingly.
"This is nae the bed I open up all tae ye" I say closing in on another turn.
"Eh, lassies we don't need to 'ear dis" said my sister.
"I agree, but less so, we're in a race" said my mother, the one who makes the most fun of the fact that I have a sex life, she loves tae do jokes on me about this
Akko soon finds a gap when I go too far out on a curve, she passes me and I try tae recover, but then my mana shows up too, what the hell, now I'm about tae lose another position, tae think that that crash at the beginning could make things even worse, it seems that my momentary lead is over.
"Suck on that Diana!" Said Akko celebrating.
"Oh sis, make room and I'll 'unt Akko for you" said my sister.
"I'm nae slow ok!" I say closing the door and then seeing my mother passing us in a space I had nae idea about that, she's just a monster.
"Less words and more action, fly it with more concentration" said my mother passing us like it was nothing.
I was trying tae prevent myself, but nothing, I was simply being passed as if I wasn't even here, the mother even distanced herself from us and all this still in the first lap, at least I could finish her in third position, my sister is here buzzing in my ear wanting tae pass and there are still 10 more laps tae go, by the nine witches, I think I will lose, I dinnae even know how I will hold my sister back here.
And Diana really couldn't hold her sister off, the race ended with a Laura win, with Akko in secondposition, battling hard against Hellene, after getting the hang of the grass cart and Diana in last andfourth position, suffering to get the hang of riding...
It's over, I leave the trolley where the others are, I am all sore, I can hardly stand up from here, I even leave broken, my mother equally, with her hands on her back, even making an expression of tiredness, it seems that age really comes, Akko and Hellene just jumping up and down, I dinnae understand these two crazy people, they have the disposition for everything, that's sae fucking hard tae drive.
"Ahhhhhh, how can ye stand it, I'm dead here" I tell them while panting being very tired, how they handle that.
"Wow, this is really cool, seriously, Mrs McLaren's idea was the best" said my jumping girlfriend, until I walked next to my mum and we sat down leaning on one of the hay barriers.
"I can't feel my legs anymore, now I really do look like April's mum, dis ding destroys anyone, I'm not dat old for it anymore, it's not for nothing dat my dad doesn't usually do so much dese days - Mum said and at least she's also tired like me.
"Boeht dis is cool, isn't it mommy? The only ding missing was Mari around 'ere," said an excited Hellene.
"And speaking of her, what about ye two? Are insinuating themselves for almost a year there and nothing? Nae even a kiss or anything?" I say teasing her and looks like I'm nae the only one teasing.
"Aye, we kissed, at Christmas... On New Year's, but dat was 'idden, then we dedn't even kiss anymore" said my sister.
"Hellene, Hellene, you need more attitude girl, de girl is wanting you, de chemistry you two 'ave is wonderful" Mom said and it's funny when the poison knockback on my sis.
"I agree, Mari already told me she has a crush on you, take the chance Hellene, or just wait a bit like Diana and I did, we had already kissed so much that the flirting was starting like a bomb bursting" Akko said.
"You actually went to bed and started off just like dat" said my mother laughing.
"Anyway, let's pack it up and get something to eat, I'll make your food, McLaren's speciality" said Mum who had help from my sis to get up, a bit sore.
I had Akko's help and sae I reciprocated with a nice kiss on her soft mouth, then with magic we were quickly levitating things and putting them in place, the carts we were pushing by hand tae the garage, which is pretty empty actually, there are only these lawn mowers and I dinnae even notice that they have paintings that are a reference to formula 1, I was with a silver one, Akko with the red Ferrari and the others I dinnae know, I just remember the silver and the red one.
We go home and I have a little help from Akko tae walk, as my mother has help from my sister Hellene, gee these things leave anyone with the body in shrapnel, I dinnae know how I stood it all, anyway.
"Finally on a sofa" I say, sitting down relieved.
"Shall we play a lettle game?" asks my sis while I was already turning on the Switch.
"I don't dink I've done dat for quite a while, first time cooking at de Cavendish house, I haven't done dat since... Dat day..." Said mommy who was going tae the kitchen.
"So sis, 'ow do you dink dings are going to be now? It's been almost a year since you met me" said my sister.
"They'll be better, they already are, we're kind of free of Daryl's claws, we're living in a peace, now it's just tae really rest, enjoy this holiday and go back to classes, I want tae graduate soon sae I can start this witches' revolution" I tell Hellene.
"That flute will be of great use, all that's left is to find the sounds it has, so far we haven't played any of them" Akko said.
"The flute, the staff, only the last one of the relics of the triskellion of Lilith is missing. With the three of them together we will have enough power tae change the world and we won't have who will stop us, we will bring a new era of magic and change this sae antiquated society that witches live in" I tell them while we sort of put them to play Mario Kart 8.
"We are already about to enter 2020, 'ow much time 'as passed, a new decade, new things will come, ahhhhhhh, I just wait for these wonders" Hellene said.
"I was in Chiba two years ago, still dreaming about what was going to be Luna Nova, and I counted day after day during the long holidays I had, you may have no idea, but I spent from March to September waiting. In Japan we start the school year in spring, it's much tougher than here, even if the pressure is still high, at least in Japan you could afford to fail and try again" I remember Akko saying something like that.
"Wow when I think I'm going into my last year it gives me a weird feeling, I never thought I would actually become a trained witch, in fact, I never thought I would have the freedom I have today, in July 2017, I was here, being disturbed by Daryl and my cousins, probably having tae attend one more event of the upper aristocratic class of the United Kingdom, I was there living of appearances, hiding my "shameful" traits that today I'm proud of, I know now that my teeth gap are from mamma Laura, as well as the freckles, that fae me is a sign that I have traits from a person that I love a lot" I say while hugging my mom and my sis also came to the hug.
POV Narrator:
And the holidays in Scotland are also happening a different environment with the presence of the girls there, but also with the rebuilding of the Cavendish family in a new legacy, where they don't have to exceed expectations. In another relaxed and motoring moment between the four who are there being what will be the new Cavendish family, adventures that still lie ahead in this place.
See you, grass witches...