POV Narrator:
Friday 5 June 2020, Colinas de Doras
Hellene and Marianne were trying to find out the identity of the boss, but it would still be a long way to go, with the insistence of Finnelan and even with Mary sending them a note that might give them a chance to find out the identity of the boss. Meanwhile in Doras the girls continued with the assembling of the mechas for the Witches' Revolution, which was much more ready than before, thanks to the work of Croix, Chariot, Constanze and Brooke who were working together to defeat the boss. Soon Laura was also going to take Diana and Akko for a visit to the girls in Doras and also to test if the mecha is working well.
POV Croix:
The final details are almost ready, I'm already making the first Mecha almost functional, I just need to wait a few minutes and the magic will be recharged, what a job I've done, I put it in the socket and connect it to the wizard stone, now it's a matter of waiting.
"The first one is already gone, soon I will be able to test it with the girls" I say excitedly.
"That's wonderful love, I can test it too" Chariot said.
"This one in particular I built especially for Diana, I want her to learn a few things, she might understand more from my side" I say with a smile on my face.
"You know she'll hate knowing you made a mecha especially for her to wear, she probably won't even get to fly it" Du Nord said.
"Exactly because of that, I want her to understand some things that I took a while to learn, after all, she and I have some things in common, as incredible as it may seem, even if she didn't do what I did, still Diana was the prodigy and the one that Claiomh Solais didn't choose, she understands why Akko was chosen, but does she understand why she wasn't chosen? That's the question, it took me a while to understand this, I was already in prison when I had this reflection" I say while looking at the mecha already well ready.
I even pat the mecha and go stretching, after a long assembly and programming, I believe that with Diana everything will work out fine, I see that Chariot was working out a little, I decide to go to the kitchen to eat something, I leave the lab, walking towards Sifla's cottage, going up the stairs of the subterraneous, I arrive there and go get an apple to eat seeing that the little girl as always was playing Fortnite.
"Can't you play something else Sifla?" I ask her.
"I even have other games, but Fortnite is the most fun, I was even playing Bloodborne just now" Said the little girl. How cute, she really loves Fortnite, I think we could throw Sifla a Fortnite themed birthday party.
"Sifla? When is your birthday?" I never asked.
"15th April" What? it's already gone and we didn't even notice.
"Is it already over? We didn't even realize" I say confused.
"Ah I never speak, but I don't make a point, it's just a normal day like any other" said the little girl being cute as always.
I go on eating that apple, it's very good, soon I hear the door opening, it was Laura arriving with Diana and Akko, the two have come, I even open my arms to the McLaren who hugs me to the point that I am lifted off the floor and then I give my hand to Akko who makes sure to shake it and to Diana who pushes away turning her face disgustedly to me.
"Nothing has changed, hasn't it Diana" I tell her.
"Do I have tae?" She's really going to be a tough nut to crack.
"We came for a lettle visit, de girls have just finished training, we wanted to see how de mechs are doing" said Mrs McLaren.
"Look what's new, I've already left one of my robots ready, do you want to see it?" I ask them, who nod and see only Diana with her neutral expression.
At this I finish eating the apple that I throw in the trash and get a Hersheys bar that was in the fridge, I left it stored yesterday with the chocolate in hands I go walking with the girls back from where I had just left, very strange indeed, when I arrive there with the two I see that Chariot was still working out and Constanze was continuing to build her machines.
"Cons!" Said Akko going to her friend and Diana also goes to her.
"So where's de big one?" McLaren asks.
"It's this one" I say patting the machine.
"Woah, it looks cool, who's gonna ride it? 'Ave you thought about someone to use de functions of dis mecha?" Laura has no idea.
"I chose the person who would be perfect for this function, this Mecha has some specialization in support, but also a good long distance attack, it's perfect for someone more strategic, besides that the seats were measured based on someone who I had asked for the measurements, I think you should already know who it is" I say smiling.
"Did you really do dis? Good luck trying to tame 'er" Laura said.
"It will be another learning experience for this girl, maybe she will understand more, after all, even with all this, we are the one who was not chosen, she is a prodigy as much as I was" I say looking at Mecha.
I see that Diana and Akko were kind of talking to Constanze and she was just kind of gesturing, which then the two went to Chariot, who hugged them with all the affection in the world, I imagine they're going to be a little disgusted because I think my girlfriend is a little too sweaty heh, I get right next to them and go over to Cavendish.
"Sweet, you weren't that sweaty, were you?" I ask her who is laughing.
"Not so much, I have been worse, well I am glad to see you here, I really missedAkko and Diana, I am proud of you Akko, you graduated and passed all the hurdles and also for you Diana, for all the heroism you did to protect your girlfriend, it shows that you are willing to risk everything for her sake, that was incredible" Du Nord said.
"I just did what should be the right thing tae do, I dinnae want Akko tae end up failing and get expelled, she dinnae deserve that, seeing that the school had been sabotaging her only made it worse, but in the end she did it, that's how a good girlfriend has tae be after all, show the necessary support tae the one she loves" I felt a hint from her.
"Hey Croix can we ride the new Mecha?" said Akko turning to me with his eyes shining.
"They can, but this mecha was made specifically for someone to pilot" I say smiling.
"Really? I thought I wasn't going to have that" She said with her arms crossed.
"Yes, I am looking at the person I made the mecha for, come on Diana, I made a bespoke mecha for you" I tell her who got the biggest shocked look on her face.
"What? What do ye mean? Why did ye do that? I've told ye more than once that I'm not going tae pilot any mecha ye do, get someone who's up tae it, because I'm out of this bullshit" she said, turning her face away.
"As I imagined, that was her reaction" I tell her who even walks off.
"Set up the mecha fae someone else I'm nae going tae ride that shit" Diana was realistically walking away from there furious.
"Diana!" Said Akko calling for her girlfriend, but Laura holds her by the shoulder.
"Let 'er go, Croix will talk to 'er" Mrs McLaren said.
I go nodding my head, walking in the middle of the corridors, I want to settle some things with Diana, I even go up the stairs, she actually ran to get away from me, what a thing, I go back up to Sifla's cottage, where I go trying to find her, she wasn't on the terréo, then I go up the stairs and try to find her on the balcony, but nothing too, until I see at the bottom she leaning on a tree, which I jump off the balcony, I try to use a fall
cushion spell, but I forgot Wagandea's curse, which makes me fall to the ground a little hard, hurting quite a bit.
Next I walk over to where Cavendish was, still leaning against a tree and with a very neutral expression.
"Ye just can't stop insisting can ye?" she said with her arms crossed.
"I just want to talk to you" I try to be calmer with her.
"Talk about what? Ye sound like Anne Finnelan insisting on my sister, ye know the shit ye've done and ye know the consequences of it, why are ye sae insistent on my forgiveness? Why did ye allow yerself tae have a mecha made tae my measurements, even though I said ye weren't supposed tae?" Little does she know there is a meaning behind it.
"Your mother helped a little in this, but she is not to blame for anything, it was intentionally my fault, I want you to understand one thing, despite our differences, paths, even the actions, we are not that different, both you and I are not the chosen ones, they are our girlfriends that Claiomh Solais chose" I explain very briefly to her who shrugged.
"And? That is the only similarity, besides that even though I was nae the chosen one, I revealed three of the seven words with my help, while with ye Chariot had tae reveal the six words alone, nae even in that we are the same" I was already expecting this answer.
"And do you know why Chariot and Akko were chosen?" I ask her and she turns her face to me, this time looking me in the eye.
"They have a greater faith than we do, they believe more in themselves and in magic, just like my mother Laura when she was chosen, they are the people who vocalise change in the world, they have a lot more courage than us, who are two introverts, I admit I couldn't handle Claiomh Solais and I'm nae sae keen on standing up tae it, but they do, that's what makes them the chosen ones" Exactly the answer I wanted.
"But now answer me, why weren't you chosen? Laura is quite different from both of us, she was a talented witch and almost a prodigy, just like you mother Bernadette, but answer me why you were not the chosen one" Now I got her.
"Look I already explained, I'm nae an extrovert witch, my mother Laura is something out of the curve because she was an introvert who managed tae be the chosen one, but that's because she knows how tae lead, just like... Akko also knows how tae lead, even I... Ah, that's a dumb question" I said to Cavendish who didn't understand.
"That's what I expected Diana, you haven't found your answer yet, but I can say that I found mine, despite everything, it's easy to know why Woodward chose them, at the beginning it wasn't for me, it took me a while to understand that, but when I understood I saw that it wasn't only that which made me satisfied, but rather when I found out why I wasn't the chosen one, that's the only way you understand yourself better, take it from me, it's not like you're going to understand overnight about it, my conclusion I came to was that I already had the magic to alter the world in hand and I didn't need Claiomh Solais, my tool was here in my head, I could use my knowledge for that, but my obsession with the boss made me switch to something else and then my attempt to replicate the power of the staff, but today I understand that I would never be able to be the chosen one, nor have it in hand, that I should build the ground for the Claiomh Solais to act, based on my knowledge, that what came to my conclusion, I don't need any, staff to change the world, I can change it with this" I explain to Diana who even gets an impressed face.
"Ye came up with that on yer own? Wow, look I dinnae know if this has convinced me or nae, but I'm not going tae test yer mecha, if ye want tae do one tailored tae someone else's arse, but I'm out" She said and I just shrugged.
"The mecha will still be there, now it's up to you, I'll focus on the others" I turn to her and just let her think anyway, let her keep her stubbornness inside.
Anyway it's better to do this, let Diana think and reflect about what she thinks, so she can mature, I know that this is a question that will mess with her head, I don't doubt it, anyway, it's time to talk to the girls again, maybe I can advance one more mecha, I know that one day Diana will give in.
POV Diana:
Why wasn't I chosen, what a stupid thing tae do, why did she ask me that? I know why I wasn't chosen, it was because Akko was chosen instead and deserved better, that's all, it won't be this little question that will end up making me confused and perplexed, because I wasn't chosen... Oh that's simple, meh, that was Croix's stupidest tactic in convincing me tae wear a mecha of her own making... Because I wasn't chosen... I think it's a good question, though.
"Why wasn't I chosen?" I even say tae myself.
Why Woodward? As a witch I can say I had a great journey, I am a prodigy also of my class, could I change the world, do I nae also need Claiomh Solais, but I helped with words? Then sae did I... OnlyAkko was the chosen one, she who owns the rod, she who is the only one capable of using the seventh and last word if we find the true meaning of it.
Ah that's a complicated question, it was only meant tae confuse me, I really need tae reflect, because I was naet chosen... Damn Croix really knows how tae drop a bomb on me and make me wonder about it, by the nine witches.
POV Akko:
I wonder if Diana is ok, she really left angry here, it worries me a lot, even here with Laura and Chariot talking I keep thinking about her it's weird, until Croix shows up, she didn't get back with Diana, that's pretty weird, well but anyway that's how things are, she still has a lot of resentment with Meridies.
"And she hasn't come back has she?" Chariot said.
"I let her think and be reflective for now" Croix said.
"But is she all right?" I ask her half worried.
"Now she has one more worry, she'll be pondering over something I talked to her about, but anyway, I think I'll focus on doing the other girls' locks, I have to start programming what Hellene will wear" Meridies said and good riddance.
I see that Constanze soon calls me too, seeing that Stanbot had nudged my leg a few times, so I go to her, who shows the Gran Charion with some improvements and also some good updates, it even looks like another mecha, it was a long time since I had seen it, she takes it out of the socket and gestures for me to come and pilot it. I climb with the help of Croix's Roombas at the entrance and get inside the cockpit, now that is much more spacious.
"Guys but this here is too much buttons seems like I'm inside a plane" I said to them.
I see that there is a key hole and see that a stanbot gives me a key with a keyring with the Shiny Rod, that's cute, I put it in the hole and see that it starts connecting everything around, I remember at least a few things, I take the handles on the side where I hold them with my hands and I see that it's moving the arms, which gives a strange sensation when it connects on the arms, to the point that I can move my fingers, it's quite different from before, I feel like it's the mecha
"Woah! I can move my arms as if they were my own" I say feeling the mecha.
"You are in control mode with your body, so you can move as if it were your body, to use the magic just lower the helmet on top of you that will activate the control mode, Brooke managed to program it to the way the mind of each one of you works" Croix said and I lowered the helmet on top of you and I was staying in virtual reality.
In here it looks like a HUD and I'm now in the POV of the Mecha, I even notice that I look more on top than on my chest, where I was, I could see that my hands were in full control, it's too futuristic in here, I try to do a jump and notice that I can just float, then I fall down and try more movements.
"So you don't need the various buttons, just control everything with your mind that the helmet will do, of course within the possible commands, as you can see on the HUD, there is the battery level of your Mech, the state of the armor, the state of the core, that is important and there is also the Merge mode, that you can combine with another Mech, but this mode is not active yet, since no Mech is connected nor has accepted the connection" said Croix explaining to me by ear.
"Can you hear me?" I ask them and they give me a thumbs up.
Let's see here what this can do, I go punching and my hand is not heavy like in the old stick, I feel a huge lightness in the movements, I can just move as if I had no weight at all, then I extend my hand and I can shoot a magic cannon, how cool, I see that in the HUD there is my magic stock for that.
In that lightness I think I can do this, I jump and do a somersault, lucky the lab is big enough to do this, which I manage to complete the whole turn and get excited about it all until I see that Diana had arrived and looked at all this.
"Look at that Diana, I can give a mortal, this Mecha is light as a feather, Constanze has improved and a lot" I say excitedly as I move and gesture in front of her.
Then I start to test more things, I notice the movements that are light, I try to go up to a weight and pick it up with my hands quite calmly, it doesn't even feel like I'm carrying a very heavy stone, it's strange, but at the same time this is very interesting.
"How do you like it? It seems to be working well" Croix said.
"How do I turn it off?" On the spot it stops in the corner and the helmet lifts off, just as the handle kind of lets go, I go looking around and see that the mecha is still on.
"Just think about leaving that it activates the manual mode, in this mode you control by buttons and use the heavier stick, it is more recommended if you want to save magic, since the other mode has a very fast spending" Meridies explains.
"Wow, those are too many buttons, how am I supposed to understand that?" I ask confused.
"We'll learn this one later, it might be useful when you need it in an emergency" Croix said and I agreed, then I took the key out of contact and the mecha stopped, the door part of it opened and I climbed out of the cockpit.
"Wow the Gran Charion has improved a lot in these 2 years" I say impressed.
"It was all Constanze who made the improvements" Croix said.
"Constanze, you are to be congratulated, a mecha like that is really high level" I say impressed and she sends a signal with her thumb.
I go to relax myself despite everything I felt a little in the body, it's strange, but the mecha gives that sensation, it seems that it goes very fast I even lose the notion that I am piloting a machine of many tons, then I go to Diana who was all smiling looking at me.
"Look at ye, love, ye have improved a lot" said my girlfriend.
"Constanze has improved, the Gran Charion is perfect, if it continues like this we will be able to defeat the boss easily." I said very excited to her.
"Don't you want to try Diana? Just a test?" Croix said and I see her just turning her face away.
"I'd rather nae answer" she said with a frown as always.
"Go ahead love, test yours so I can see, do it for me will you?" I give a little beg and she rolls her eyes.
"Okay, I'll test it, but let that also serve tae point out yer construction flaws Croix" I Said to my stubborn girlfriend.
POV Diana:
And now let's see what Croix did, with much insistence, I'm only going in here because of Akko, if it wasn't fae her I wouldn't test, I see that the mecha door had a space tae put my hand and I could see that it opened on the spot for my passage, well done, sae nae one invades my mecha, I get inside the cockpit and it's complex as well.
"Cool how a complex cockpit like this will let me test? It's nae easier..." The back door only closes with me inside and my arms crossed.
"Just put your fingerprint there in front of you and the mecha will turn on, the rest is just to get ready" Croix said and I knew it, I put my thumb and the mecha was activating, now it explains a lot because my mother asked me tae register my fingerprints a few days ago in a strange device.
"Cool, how can I control it if I dinnae know what each button does? Ye want tae test it as if I dinnae know anything, it impresses me that Akko was able tae easily even give a mortal with this" I tell Croix that I doubt very much tae convince me otherwise.
"Look at the joystick on your side and the helmet on top of you, fit the joystick into your arm and it will activate, as will the helmet and you will be able to control it with a new mode that has been programmed based on yourself Diana" I take the joystick and fit it into my arm and I see I feel a tingling in my arm but then I can move it like my arm, then I put the helmet down and I can look at it from my head.
It looks like Croix knows how tae make a decent machine, that explains a lot why Akko did well, the mecha seat is extremely comfortable, it's like it was made based on my measurements, until I'm getting in a more standing mode, but still maintaining comfort, I can move my limbs safely, it's quite strange, I'm light.
"See, I told you the mecha works" Meridies said.
"I'm just scared this thing will stop or explode out of nowhere" I tell her as I look on the HUD and there's a bit of magic charge, I notice I can float, I can move from side tae side, I even notice the mecha is on the charger, how weird.
"It hardly goes, look you can even control how it floats, it's doing great, just don't move around so much because the Mecha is in the socket, we're still charging it" I figured, I won't be able tae do a flip, but I'll test it tae see if it's that good.
I go testing basic movements, I could notice that my mecha carries a sort of crosier, how strange, I could see that it has a charge of magic in it too, which I can use somehow, well I pick it up and I start tae see how light it is, it feels like I'm holding a broomstick.
"That is the stick of your mech, it serves to give support, if you use magic it is able to repair the other mechs, as well as it can also be used to transfer magic energy and replenish the group, you have a support mech that I made especially thinking of you Diana" Said Croix and I only little cared.
"Well at least one thing ye got right, I'm already full of testing this, how do I..." At the time the helmet goes up and the gauntlets soften and my arms come off, but the mecha is still on, that's interesting, well it's just mentalizing then.
"The same operation as Akko, Brooke programmed everything very well, if you want to test the manual mode" I just put my finger on the place where it turns on and the mecha goes off and I see that the back door opens, I get out of the seat which is very comfortable and from the mecha right after, relieved tae see that the machine is quite good.
I take a deep breath, I even feel my body lighter than before, it's strange, a feeling that I came out of a spaceship, or something like that, it seems that my body even had a workout, well anyway I kind of liked this mecha, at least one thing Croix has tae get right, if she continued as she always was things could be better fae us.
"You like it? I know you like it just by your little face - Croix said and I even close my face.
"Honestly I'm just relieved that I dnnae have tae use my magic tae avoid dying inside your machine" I answer her in my own way.
"Diana!" said my mother.
"I was expecting an answer like that, deep down I know you're loving it but you don't want to admit it" She said and I show Croix the middle finger.
"Whatever, at least when it comes tae machines ye know how tae do something decent, now I honestly just want tae go back home" I tell my mother.
"Only after we have had lunch, you were a bit rude to Croix" said Mama Laura.
"Mum do I look like a child? I'm 18 years old" I just saw my mother shrugging.
"And? I don't care if you are 18 or 24 or 14, you 'ave to be more respectful Diana and I am your mother" I roll my eyes a little.
"I know mum I know, I think I better go watch Sifla playing Fortnite" I say turning tae my mum who just stays nae caring much.
"I'm coming with you love" Akko said and at least this I guarantee we'll have a wonderful time, I'll be kissing her tae pass the time.
And together we walked down the huge corridor back tae Sifla's cottage, let them talk amongst themselves, I dinnae know why Croix insists that she's like me or that I owe her something, I still won't forgive her, what Meridies did was completely cruel and something horrible, I dinnae even want tae think of a way she has tae redeem herself, but I admit, the Mecha looked wonderful.
"Can you tell Diana, did you love the Mecha?" I keep rolling my eyes.
"Don't overdo it Akko" I say practically inflating my cheeks.
"I know you Diana Cavendish, you're a stubborn one but I know what you're like," Akko said, "and I'm nae even going tae say anything.
"I like it, Croix knows how tae do things, well, Akko, Croix told me something that has been eating away at me, why wasn't I chosen? I'm nae being jealous or anything, I wanted tae understand that really" I ask Akko and she just shrugged her shoulders.
"Look Diana, I don't really know how to answer this, but I say it's something in your heart, you'll know the answer, but I admit you'd be a great Shiny Rod pick too, you're much more talented than me, not to mention I don't even think you need to be picked, you've changed my world for me" She said being cute with me and really the support is wonderful.
"Thank ye love, I think I have tae really think about this, because it is easy tae think why ye were chosen, the hard thing is fae me tae reflect and know why I was nae chosen tae be the one with the staff, but this is something I should invest more in, if I find this meaning I can find the reason fae my journey, which dinnae end when I found my mother, but there are things ahead, this journey that one day will reach its goal" I say tae her half reflectively.
POV Narrator:
Akko and Diana are already testing the mechas and showing that they were in a much more advanced stage of construction, besides that Diana and Croix continue to have a troubled relationship, trying to get closer to each other so that they can understand each other better, this way reaching a certain friendship, the advance of the witches' revolution goes on between the girls and they don't stop, trying by all means to show that they will continue the fight to change the system and defeat the boss.
See you, mecha witches...