Chapter 13
Epilogus
"Professor Ursula, could you prepare the necessary implements for the procedure?" the headmistress stated as she rose from her seat. Akko and Diana, on their part, were truly encouraged to have achieved their goal. However, observing the veteran witch's manner of acting, they realized that what lay ahead wasn't going to be easy.
"Akko, could you come with me?" the French professor said. Akko, still lost in thought, looked at her and nodded.
Diana immediately moved to accompany her, but a hand on her shoulder held her back. Turning to see who it was, she found Professor Finnelan standing there alongside the Headmistress. Their expressions seemed to indicate they wanted to discuss something. "Dianaaaa!, I'm waiting for you." Akko's voice broke her from her thoughts. She had stood there with a somewhat nervous expression.
Looking from side to side, Diana reluctantly had to make a choice. "I'll be with you in a moment, go with Professor Ursula in the meantime," she said to Akko, who nodded and continued on her way, gradually shrinking back.
"Well, Professor Finnelan, Headmistress, what do you need my presence for?" Diana asked. The two adult women exchanged glances before speaking. "Diana, from now on, you can't continue," Professor Finnelan was the first to speak. "No way, I believe I've been quite clear since I entered that door,". The headmistress spoke this time "Diana, what's going to happen next could be very traumatic, especially for an active witch". The reply was as quick as the first one "It doesn't matter, I won't leave Akko alone right at the most important part," Diana finished speaking just as a small sigh was heard. It was the headmistress who spoke next "Alright, then go."
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The room they had brought her to wasn't particularly large, to say the least. In fact, it was very similar to the previous one, except that there was a bed in the center, like something from a medical session. Professor Ursula continued her path to the middle where this unwelcome object was situated.
"Akko, in a few moments, what's going to happen is that we will extract every magical particle within your body and thus sever your connection to the main source of magic," she said, her eyes void of expression, as if she knew exactly what she was talking about. "One important thing to note is that you won't feel pain, however, it's crucial that you don't move too much throughout the process as it could be risky."
As Ursula finished speaking, Akko saw each of the teachers taking positions. As they drew their wands, her nerves began to bloom even more. Fortunately, she noticed a certain distinctive hair color that took a position directly in front of her. It didn't matter if she was lying down or standing up; she would always see her.
"So, Akko, could you lie down?" Obeying the command, she lay down on her back and immediately sought out those beautiful blue eyes. Upon finding them, she felt a calmness envelop her entire body, as if she was under anesthesia.
"Alright then, teachers, as usual, I will lead the spell while you gradually join in." And so, a faint light began to dance around the room. As time passed, more and more tiny lights appeared, joining the rhythm of the first. When there were so many that they couldn't be distinguished, they began to descend, encircling the central bed.
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Akko began to feel a slight tingling sensation, starting from the tips of her toes and slowly spreading up toward her head. Even though she was dying of curiosity to know what was happening, she never shifted her gaze from those two crystal-clear blue lakes in front of her.
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Diana, on the other hand, also couldn't tear her eyes away from those beautiful rubies. However, a feeling of emptiness that she couldn't explain was becoming more and more pronounced. It was utterly nauseating, as if a black hole was sucking in everything around her, and not even a speck of dust could escape it.
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The procedure continued, and the tingling had completely disappeared. However, she began to feel dizzy, and a sense of drowsiness was taking over her mind. She could hardly keep her gaze on Diana anymore, and as she saw the little lights fading away just as they had been summoned, her eyes closed involuntarily.
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Diana watched as the teachers lowered their wands, a sign that the procedure was over. Without a second thought, she located the nearest stairs and descended to where Akko was. She could see the girl breathing slowly, and as she observed her for a few more seconds, she realized that Akko wasn't in pain. She was completely relaxed, deep in slumber.
Exhaling the breath she had been holding, Diana approached the girl and gently stroked her hair. "Diana, could you take her to the infirmary?" Professor Ursula's voice broke the silence, and her expression showed her mixed emotions. "Yes, ma'am," Diana responded as she lifted Akko as if she were made of porcelain.
With Akko in her arms, Diana headed toward the door. However, just before leaving, she heard someone calling after her from behind, "Diana, you don't have to explain anything to the nurse; she's already been informed about the situation. And don't worry too much having to take her to the infirmary is just a precaution." Nodding her head while keeping her gaze fixed on the girl she was carrying, Diana exited the room.
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She felt the familiar warmth of sunlight again. Trying to settle back into sleep, she sensed that her whole body was numb. In a fit of nervousness, she opened her eyes to confirm her surroundings. The first thing she saw was an entirely white ceiling. As she looked around, she realized she was surrounded by curtains to provide some privacy. But something didn't seem right about the place. On her right side, there was a girl lying on the bed, holding her hand tightly.
Taking a moment to think, all the information came rushing back to her: the meeting, the memory erasure, Diana defending her, and the spell. But why was she here? Could something have gone wrong? Or was it just a precaution from the teachers? Truth be told, she didn't care at the moment. She wanted to continue enjoying the comforting presence beside her. So she secured her hold on Diana's hand a bit more and decided to close her eyes once again.
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...She didn't know how much time had passed, but her body was now demanding that she get up. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and turned to the side where she knew the Cavendish heiress was. "Good morning, or should I say afternoon," she heard.
She was seated in a small armchair with a book in her hands. As Akko fully returned to her senses, she watched as the witch prodigy placed a bookmark in the page where she had left off, closed the book, and stood up to approach her. "How do you feel?" she asked.
The oriental girl, who had already fully regained her senses, responded, "Good morning, or should I say afternoon? Diana, I'm feeling quite well." She noticed Diana studying her with a bit of suspicion, and when she seemed satisfied, a small smile appeared on Diana's lips as she said, "Thanks to the Nines." Finding the gesture endearing, Akko let out a small laugh in response.
She then got up and looked around for her bag, where most of her belongings were. Not finding any trace of it, she asked, "Diana, have you seen my bag?" The young witch looked thoughtful, and without saying a word, she stood up and left the small private space.
It didn't take long before she saw Diana returning with the bag in her hand. "Is this it?" Akko nodded and took it from her. "Professor Ursula came earlier and left it with the nurse. It was probably left in the room," Diana explained. While listening to Diana's explanation, Akko carefully checked to make sure nothing had accidentally fallen out, especially her passport. Seeing that everything was in place, she felt a strong rumble in her stomach she was hungry. "Um, Diana, by any chance, do you have something to eat?" Diana looked at her a bit puzzled, but understanding the message, she said, "I'm sorry, Akko. I didn't bring anything with me when I left the dining hall to come here." Wait, what time was it? Taking out her cellphone, Akko realized it was already past noon. She had indeed slept. Bringing her attention back to Diana, she heard her say, "But if you want, I can talk to the nurse. Maybe you can be allowed out to eat something before, you know... leaving."
Her expression shifted to a mix of sadness and frustration. However, she had already accomplished her goal here; the only thing left was to return to her home in Japan. Not wanting to leave the girl without a response, she spoke, "It's okay, Diana, and thank you." The girl exited the room once again, leaving Akko alone with her thoughts.
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The food was truly delicious, surprising her as this wasn't something very common at Luna Nova. As she finished her meal, still in the company of Diana, she noticed Professor Ursula appearing at the dining hall's door. She took a small sigh, knowing exactly why Ursula was there, and took her final steps through the school.
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She was now standing in front of the carriage that had become a part of her story. The little Gnome, as always, greeted her politely and invited her to take her seat for the journey ahead. Diana and Ursula stood behind her, the elder wearing a somewhat complex expression, while the latter had a distant look as if something precious was about to vanish from her life.
Summoning all the courage she had, Akko turned and looked at the girl of her dreams. She approached slowly, and when there was almost no space between them, she said, "Thank you." Standing on her tiptoes, she gave a gentle kiss near the girl's lips, understanding that doing so directly would make it nearly impossible to part in that moment. She then turned toward her professor, offering a respectful nod, and with a slight jog, she boarded the mundane transportation and took off.
"I hope we can meet again," she said as she looked at the imposing structure of Luna Nova for the last time.
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Diana stood in front of Wembley Stadium in London, holding her ticket and queuing up to enter the backstage area. The truth was that she didn't really care about the artist who was performing; what truly stood out to her was a certain Japanese girl accompanying her behind the scenes.
Six years had passed, and even though they still wrote to each other frequently, the last time Diana saw her in person was on that final day at the school. She had to admit that she longed to see her again. Those years had been somewhat empty, lacking the warmth she had discovered during the time they shared. Her only comfort was the small red ribbon she never parted with.
The young man checking the tickets passed by her, quickly scanning the VIP ticket. He handed her a pass to enter, and without wasting any more time, she followed the designated path.
The journey was, to say the least, interesting. After all, her whole life had been about reading magic books and upholding her family name, so she hadn't had much time to indulge in certain pastimes. And though she might not want to admit it, this whole experience did pique her interest a bit. After all, it was something that managed to capture the heart of a wonderful person.
As she saw the artist who was about to perform in the distance, she realized that she was getting closer to the designated area. Nervousness started to take over her body; her hands began to tremble slightly, something quite unusual for her. Her steps slowed down as her pace diminished in speed.
Feeling cornered between the edge that separated the tunnel she had passed through and the VIP area, she saw her standing with her back turned, facing a laptop. She looked just as beautiful, but definitely carried a more mature aura. Her signature ponytail was a bit longer, and she was casually dressed, wearing a jacket with the artist's name printed on it.
In a subtle movement, Akko turned around, and their eyes met. The girl jumped up and ran toward her, and as if solving a puzzle, she felt arms around her that completed the picture. Diana returned the hug, and as she continued to feel the warmth of the other girl, she whispered her name.
"Akko….."
FIN
Author Notes
Okay here we are, it was a fantastic journey in all aspects, bringing this fic to the English community was awesome, thank you for all the reviews, kudos, Favs, Follows, and all the people that well take the opportunity to read this, hope to see you in another story (and that will be really soon ;v).
Oh and for the last part well if you want to leave a comment of how you feel about this story it would help me in the future and I would really appreciate it.
Bye, love you all.
Declaimer: I don't own any characters from Little Witch Academia, I'm just doing this for fun.