POV Narrator:
Saturday 25 July 2020, Edinburgh, Scotland
As time went by, the news of Mary's arrival in Doras and also the news of Pisces hiding ended up reaching the Cavendish residence. Until then they were enjoying the summer holidays, training and then either going out or playing videogames among themselves, with Hellene still recovering from the surgery she had done to install the prosthesis socket inside her arm, already connecting with some nerves and being an immense pain that McLaren felt due to the sensitivity of all the equipment. In the middle of this time they receive a rather unexpected and not very wanted visit from someone who decides to drop by Diana's house.
POV Akko:
Another day of training, my body is very sore, but I think now I can go very far, time to rest, play a little, but first it's good to take a shower, I see that Diana was meditating a little, I went to dedicate myself to weight training, I feel the fibers of my muscles pulled from all the strength I exerted.
"Baby, it's already over there" I say to my girlfriend.
"Oh, sure, let's take a bath" said my cabbage.
Together we walk through the house, up the stairs, going to our room, we enter the bathroom and turn on the shower, letting the water fall on our bodies, together we are hugging, in a moment together, I love being like this with Diana, it's a cute way to enjoy the time, a quick shower with both of us washing ourselves.
Bath quickly taken and we got towels, we went to the bedroom where we changed, putting on lighter clothes, both of us in dresses and trainers, I even give a little spin that makes the skirt of the dress turn.
"Yay, ye look beautiful my love" said Diana.
"Thanks sweetie, now let's go, what are we doing today? It's a beautiful day for a walk" I ask my girlfriend.
"We could go cycling fae a while, maybe play video games with Mari, let's first see if my sister is ok, how is her recovery" said my Cavendish and she is right, I want to see how she is.
And together we walked out of the room, going towards my sister-in-law's room, we knocked on the door, both of them let us in, I see that Hellene is even better, Marianne takes good care of her, she was playing on the Game Cube while McLaren watched, since there is not much to do.
"Sae sis, are ye getting better?" Diana asks.
"I'm goin, it's still a bit painful to lie down once in a while, because dere are many nerve endings dat were activated, but I can stand it, it was worse dan when I lost my hand... But it will all pass when de prosthesis comes, I will soon be able to be normal like you lassies" said my sister-in-law who soon received a hug from us.
"Dinnae talk like that sis, ye are not abnormal, just because ye lost an arm, ye are like us" Diana said.
"I know... I just don't want to be a burden and help with de mission soon, I don't want to further delay your progress in finding de whereabouts of de boss" How cute.
"Ye dinnae slow us down at all, it's nae like we're going tae make huge progress these days, we've just been training hard, and I dinnae doubt that ye'll beat us up" said my girlfriend, who smiled at her sister.
"Dank you, so what do you want to do today, since you 'ave just finished training?" Hellene asks.
"We were thinking of walking outside and enjoying the sun, cycling, or some other physical activity, even if we just trained, just tae lighten things up" Diana said.
"I dank you, but I dink I will stay 'ere in bed for de day, I still feel a lot of pain in my arm, well have fun" McLaren said and we understood what was best.
Diana and I left Hellene's room leaving her with Marianne, and we went downstairs to the lower floor, and I think it's just the two of us who are going to keep doing something with each other, we could even... I haven't finished showering, leave it for when it gets dark.
We heard some knocking at the front door, we went together to answer who it was, if it's a visit from O'Neill
it'll be really good, since my birthday she hasn't been here at home, she promises she'll come, but she only promises, we'll answer it and a very undesirable visitor actually appears.
"What are you doing here?" We even spoke together to Mrs Finnelan who turned up at home.
"Please let me in, I have an important conversation with you, it might cost even the future of the witch revolution even" She said already holding the door and kind of didn't have that much choice.
"Well well well, if you're not de teacher who spent years berating me by begging me now, I want to see what you'll do knowing you don't have a position above us, we can just say no and send you out" I say to her and now yes I'm no longer as helpless as before.
"Please, I really beg you, I have a very important matter, of interest to you, it involves Luna Nova and the boss herself" Anne said and now might be a good one, she's begging in our arms.
"Okay, I'll let ye in, but it better be really important and no way tae beg fae our attention or else we'll kick ye out of the house" Diana said and she spoke beautifully.
We let Finnelan in and she was looking around the house and I want to see her judging the place as a lower class, no longer like that angry castle that she had before, now it doesn't have the luxury of before, well anyway, we walked to the room and I already saw that Mrs. McLaren also arrived and was just stretching, facing the teacher.
"So Anne what are you doing 'ere?" said my mother-in-law.
"It is important to you all, where is Hellene, she also has to know about it" She said asking even more people to show up.
"She lost 'er arm because of de boss, did you know dat? I know you know, you were in Luna Nova when it happened" Laura said and Finnelan went on denying with her head.
"I was on holiday at my family's house in Norfolk, when I heard what happened I was pretty shaken up, but anyway, call her, I want to see how Hellene is" Look how accomodated she is.
"And why should we respect your request? You are in no position to ask for anything from us, after all you have caused us" I tell her very clearly and see only my mother-in-law raising her hand.
"You can let Hellene come, she has to witness dis too" Mrs McLaren said as she went to call her daughter by call.
And we were all staring at Anne, kind of in a moment of silence while the only one talking was my mother-in-law calling for my sister-in-law and Mari to show up here at the room and about the teacher's presence here wanting to talk something important, she doesn't fool anyone with that poor face, I know the atrocities that come out of her mouth and the things she's already put me through at Luna Nova, even at my graduation, now she wants to come here playing the poor girl, but that won't work.
Hellene appears, she came anyway, arriving in pajamas, just like Mari, the two sat on the sofa and I can already see Finnelan's worried face with crocodile tears.
"Oh Hellene, you poor thing, I was devastated when I heard about your arm, how are you my dear?" said the fake one.
"Horrible, even more so with your presence" Gee Hellene being like that even gives me a taste to see.
"Don't be like that with your great grandmother" Anne said and we all rolled our eyes.
"Be straight to de point Anne, tell us what you came 'ere to disturb us about, you must not 'ave left Norfolk to come 'ere just because you did, dere's definitely something dere" Laura said and the teacher took a deep breath.
"As you may already know I was on holiday in Norfolk enjoying the time with my family, I arrived in Luna Nova with the news that the school had closed, everyone was leaving and when I found out that the reason was because of my dear great granddaughter's arm, I was already perplexed with worry, In the middle of all this I received the proposal to stay in Luna Nova, by the trust Holbrook has in me, I would protect the place, since in a short time the workers will appear less and I will be there to guard the corridors" Anne said and I did not understand anything, why she said that and what can help us.
"How does that help us? We care little fae what has happened in yer life," Diana said.
"Besides it was too convenient dat dis happened in Luna Nova just when I leave dere, surely de boss is afraid that I would discover 'er identity" Hellene said.
"That is why I want to say that this is the chance you will have, you can recover the Fluit An Neart in Luna Nova, going on the sly, I can provide the cover, you will have days without employees in the corridors, just me and Holbrook, that I can distract while you go after this thing so precious, what do you think? I can be useful, it will be of great use for your mission, or can you think of another way to recover the flute? I can make things a lot easier" Finnelan said, and it sounds like a good plan.
"And how can we trust dat dis is not a trap from de boss and dat you are not 'er subordinate?" my sister-in-law as always being sharp with her questions.
"And it is possible that the flute is nae even in Luna Nova" my girlfriend adds, and she is right about that.
"You can try, the land in Luna Nova will be free for your passage, until you find it, there is no way you can be sure it is not in Luna Nova, without seeing it first, besides you can find out things that Holbrook hides from you, have you thought about the opportunity, you can invade the board, I'm just thinking how you can act" said the teacher and we raised our eyebrows already suspicious.
"Did you draw that conclusion on your own?" Mari said.
"We can dink about the occasion, to know de reason why Holbrooke is so permissive with de oppression dat de system does to us is a good one, even so we can't do it now, Hellene doesn't 'ave an arm and she has to recover yet, it won't be overnight dat we go to Luna Nova, besides dere's no way to 'ave access without Ley's lines" I was going to talk about Sifla, but it's better not to open my mouth.
"That's why I'm bringing you these necklaces that allow you to access the Glastonbury Ley lines and stop at Luna Nova, see? I thought of everything" Anne said and we just rolled our eyes.
"Is that all?" We all ask her together and she shakes her head in agreement.
"I just wanted to give you this opportunity, after all from Thursday to Monday are the days that Luna Nova remains empty, you can take advantage of this day for your mission, I assure you that I will be of great help, I am with you" And I don't care at all.
She got up from the sofa and we got up too, following her to the outside, where she waved to all of us, only that we waved back with the middle finger together, while she was getting in a car and was leaving for good, what we were even relieved, finally she was gone, now the house doesn't have a snake between us anymore.
I see Laura taking the necklaces to access Ley's lines and then she goes about destroying them with magic, causing a very fucked up explosion, which goes out like fireworks everywhere.
"It was genuinely a necklace to use Ley's lines, but dey are useless to us" Mrs McLaren said.
"And now what do we do with all this?" I ask everyone, half of whom now have a little help, even if it is useless.
"Let's just leave it at dat, even so it was already in de plans to invade Luna Nova, I intended to do it in de end of August, before de classes come back, Hellene would already be recovered and we will just take de Fluit An Neart, it will be useful for our journey, even more we can recover Pisces' memories, she knows who is de boss for sure, apart from Mary Brooks who keeps herself hidden from us, if we find de sound dat makes it it will be wonderful, we just need to recover de flute" Mrs McLaren said and I am now anxious.
"Dat place will give me a lot of trauma just to get close, but I will manage to overcome, let's all get de flute and run away as fast as possible" Hellene said.
"Finnelan has only made it easier fae us, now we know the right days tae go tae Luna Nova, just as we know she will try tae take Holbrook out of play" Diana said.
"Look, not for nothing, but looking for Holbrook's archives would also be extremely important, to know where 'er way of working comes from, because magic is each year falling more and more into oblivion, to know if dere is any transference involved, surely dere is something she hides from all of us" Laura said.
"Yes, I imagine she's de boss and I'm not going to stop suspecting dat" My sister-in-law said, but I think that's too much.
"It's not for so much Hellene, but still she is a good suspect, if she is de boss we will be in trouble, after all she will know everything, but I believe she is not, she must be a subordinate only, after all she has nothing with Luna Nova, she is the system" Mrs McLaren said and I agree with her, it makes more sense.
"Luna Nova is just a puppet fae what the boss can do, sae I'm going with mum's idea that the boss is bigger than that, anyway, let's focus on getting the flute back that's what's important" Diana said it all.
We all then joined hands putting in the middle, there's going to be something big coming, Annesó helped the inevitable, I can't wait to get the flute back, we got half the sounds and I hope one of them involves memory or helping Pisces regain her human form, it's already going to be very good, little does Anne know we have access to Ley's lines thanks to Sifla.
"Well, now de atmosphere is really shit with Finnelan coming, how about an ice cream and we watch a movie or a cartoon together, I don't know, let's 'ave a family moment together" said Mrs. McLaren.
"Let's go!" We said together.
"Dere's a witch design dat's pretty cool, we could check it out" Hellene said.
"Which one?" I ask, already curious.
"It's from Disney, I downloaded some recent episodes dat came out and it's really fun, it has a very captivating atmosphere and everything else, De Owl House" my sister-in-law said and I had already heard about it, with the fanarts of the main character with the other one.
"Sounds interesting" Diana said.
"Amity looks like my sister when Akko arrived in Luna Nova, only a more immature version of 'er, whereas Akko is all light, I could only dink of the two of you when I watched, I loved dat de whole internet got on board with wanting the two of dem together too" McLaren said.
"Is it like Bubblegum with Marceline?" asks my girlfriend.
"Oh you know too Sis?" Diana nods in agreement.
"It was one of the moments that woke me up as a lesbian, I cheered a lot for them tae kiss soon, I even wanted a girlfriend like Marceline, someone with all the problems that I would be revolted because it's far from my behavior and... I think I saw myself a lot in Bubblegum, even in a phase of compulsory heterosexuality I got tae have a little, I remember that a friend of Andrew insisted in wanting me, but I could nae understand, I did nae like him, he was a very cute boy and everything, but I just dinnae feel anything, I was a little disgusted, but girls, girls hit me in a different way, they always hit me actually" Said my little cabbage.
"Tell me about it, I didn't even have dat, I just know that I grew up liking girls since always, for me it's de standard, I got so used to my mother dat I just found more attractive for me, my first crush when I was a kid was Android 18 watching Dragon Ball Z, I used to drool over 'er" Hellene said and I just laughed, my first crush was Shiny Chariot, just remembering it makes me a little embarrassed.
POV Finnelan:
And now I've done what had to be done, it's all over at least, I was already tired of the pressure every day that the boss was doing to me, now they already know what to do, now it's back to Luna Nova, I hope Miranda can understand my disappearance, for sure she will know that there's a whole reason behind it, now it's just get to the train station and catch a train towards Bristol.
"Well done Anne, you did as I had asked" Said the voice that sounded like the boss, coming from the driver's seat.
"What? You came with me the whole way? How did you follow me? I'm scared" I say.
"Did you think I was going to keep up? I wanted to see if you weren't going to deliver that I actually did order, a shame really that you didn't, it would kill you and give them the faces, surprising them, further traumatising
the youngest McLaren who must be up to now having nightmares thinking about how I ripped that arm off and that's because I was going to rip off all her limbs and leave her alive, at a point she would prefer death to being in the state she is in" Said the boss and she is too cruel.
"How cruel, the girl was handicapped because of you, she didn't deserve that, she was just struggling to be able to find out who you were, not to mention you're going to reveal yourself anyway, why are you doing all this?" I really don't understand why she's like this.
"You're too naive Anne, I'm not one to just leave it at that, I want to do it in a way that's all cooked up, traumatizing them for my main goal yet, I could reveal even my identity now, but I intend to keep it a secret, but understand one thing, I learned this from the late Margaret Ford, terror is the best way to gain control over someone, the best way to do that is to be thorough, to be invisible to the radar, in a way that they're always afraid that they're going to be attacked at any time and that stops them from trying to go forward, you have to know how to cook your enemies so that they don't try anything, to have control over them is the best thing" She's too cruel is that what I believe? This is really screwed up.
"I wonder why I have come to this point" I say with a downcast face.
"You chose to be this wayAnne Finnelan, you are only reaping the fruits of what you believed, you were corrupted by prejudice and now you have become a puppet of the system, every conservative will always end up like this, Babcock, Lukic, the other teachers of Luna Nova who share your way of thinking, are nothing but puppets and puppets, especially your headmaster, Holbrooke is nothing but a permissive, I'm not even going to explain any more, we've arrived at our destination, don't forget to fulfill your mission" said the boss parking the car and I went down with fear, this woman is a monster.
I go into the station, I buy the tickets, I get thoughtful about it all, how could a person like that be so cruel, how could I have let myself be led to everything from her, we really are the evil people in this whole thing, I should have listened more to Bernadette and Laura McLaren, they were right about the system and everything, I go looking at the train coming, I even look outside, but I can't go back.
"I'm sorry about all this girls" I say as I get on the train.
One thing I am sure, I will face her, I will not let the boss win the girls, even if I am an old witch I am powerful, I know I can at least fight for a few good minutes before being defeated, at least I will try by all means to get forgiveness from all of them, my other family that I have been keeping hidden all the time.
I just keep thinking looking at the window what I lost, reflecting on life, how those years could have been if I didn't ignore Isabella, probably I would be with little Clarie, I would have two beautiful granddaughters, who wouldn't be dead, I would have the family of my dreams Today my family, even my husband's, the younger ones do not talk to me anymore and now I understand better why, only now that I understood and they understood well.
Back to the Cavendish home...
POV Laura:
All dis makes me very thoughtful, what will come next, I arrive at de balcony of de house to take a look, I see dat Diana and Akko are together riding deir bikes in de backyard of our huge property, I get very reflective, Bernadette we are reaching a crucial point of dis journey my love, I will soon be fighting head on with de boss, I will defeat 'er for you.
"I wish you were 'ere" I say looking at de sky just imagining Bernadette dere.
"I also wanted mother" I see dat Hellene came close to me and also Marianne was with 'er.
"Were you talking about Bernadette?" Leclerc asks and we shake our heads in agreement.
"Always, I keep dinking about 'er, wondering what she would do, how she would be now, we're getting to a point I never thought I would get to again before" I say both.
"You mean you've tried before?" My girl asks.
"2000, it was before dey were born, we tried an onslaught with everything, to try and find out de boss, it ended up dat many of us were simply killed and arrested, just to try and find out de identity of de boss, my suspicion was de same as your Hellene, she who led to de loss of many of my friends, in de end Holbrooke proved dat she was not de boss, dat she was just a puppet of 'ers - I say clearly to 'er.
"Oh, but it could be a bluff" Hellene said and only living in de moment to believe it, Hellene unfortunately didn't go through all dat.
"Well anyway Luna Nova will need a new director, Miranda will have to be deposed, but now de question remains, who would take 'er place? Chariot? Croix? Eleanora would be a good replacement too, but she died, same thing with Naomi, she died in de prison after dar, even de best of dem to lead Luna Nova?" I just keep thinking about Bernadette.
"You mother" I turn my face away and no, everything but me, I already 'ave other plans in mind.
"Me? I was thinking about Bernadette, you know dat my objectives after de revolution are different, I don't know how to lead either, nor how to manage, besides I... I hate to say it, but I'm too old" I say until I feel two hands on my shoulders.
"I don't think so Mrs McLaren, you are the best of us leading, we all pretty much go along with what you ask us to do, we go crazy when you don't lead us" Marianne said.
"I agree with Mari, you would be de perfect headmistress for Luna Nova, de place needs you, besides mum, you can still revive BGP, dere's still me, dere's Mirage, dere's de other girls, we can organize together, besides you being director you can help de Luna Nova team, 'ave you thought about that mum? And you 'ave many plans dere" she has a good point.
"Yes, in case Chariot can be de director in my place, she does de things I ask, she can..." I even stop a bit after seeing what I said.
"You admit it yourself mum, you want to lead Luna Nova, what if Chariot participates in planning de BGP with us? Luna Nova is important mum" I hate to say it, but my daughter is right.
"Now it will be dis one, I still 'ave to think about it, I don't want to dink about such a power with me, after all who controls Luna Nova has control over magic, it's de most important school of magic in de world, so you can already dink what's coming, anyway, I'm not good at commanding dings" I say leaving de balcony, dis will really leave me with a thousand thoughts in my head.
"You made us get dis far mum, you more dan ever are de perfect headmistress, who knows for Victoria you might fulfill a dream of 'ers" Dat was a good one, but Victoria wanted to be de minister of magic, which is even more on top of Luna Nova's principal, but today it's just an empty position with no importance.
POV Narrator:
Away from all this, much later in a very suspicious place, the boss was in her room already looking at her wall with a huge smile on her face just thinking about what is still to come ahead, even more because of the mission she gave Anne Finnelan, talking to herself she was throwing darts at Laura McLaren.
"You will soon meet your fate, revolutionary con artist, you were trying to get in the way of my plans, this time you will pay in a way that you will wish you had died, your daughters, your friends, all of them will suffer and you will see everything, you will know why you don't mess with my ideals" The boss was throwing darts and more darts at McLaren's photo.
Then he was sitting down with a portrait of the great witch Jennifer in hand and was observing it very attentively and having a huge smile on his face, then he was leaving it back on the table, kneeling in front of the photograph, with his hands together he was doing a kind of worship to the deceased witch.
"Jennifer, I will honor your legacy and keep it alive, I will not let things get out of control, my counter revolution will still happen, now that I am immortal I will be able to stay forever in control in office, I just need to defeat these revolutionaries and let the mundanes think they have control over us, so I launch my attack that will make them all believe in magic again and follow me, I will destroy everything that this world has left to bring back the golden age of magic" Said the boss to the portrait, then went again taking the picture of the revolutionaries and keeping it in a secret compartment.
It was only thinking about the issue of keeping her identity still hidden due to the presence of some people who have no idea who she is yet, which was hiding even her own identity, since she couldn't appear with such a young face like that without causing a fuss coming.
"Now it's just a matter of waiting for her to arrive, to keep the cover alive, soon this will be over, Jennifer's days will return" Said the boss pointing her finger at the witch's portrait.
She then takes the magic mask that she uses as a disguise and pretends to be her age in a very believable way, just as she takes off her chef's outfit for a more casual one that keeps the appearance of an innocent lady, just waiting for what comes next.
Finnelan was another attempt of her to win the relationship and the trust of the Cavendish family, which they have a deep resentment for the old witch, after all they passed in Anne's hand, who is still fighting for their forgiveness, for that she had to give in to a demand of the boss that would be one more call for a trap that the girls are a little suspicious of that it is really a trap, but they also think about the main goal, recover the Fluit An Near, complete it once and for all, bringing Pisces back to human form, bringing the memories of Mary Brooks and Pisces back, so they can know who is the boss and defeat her, but they don't wait for a huge whirlwind of surprises that is waiting for them in a few days.
See you, family witches...