Monday 23rd June 2008, Dublin, Ireland
"I finally graduated, I'd been waiting for this for a long time, but I also felt that it wasn't quite time yet, asincredible as it may seem, I still wanted to take time off, but I had to take the first steps towards thetriumphant return of my career and I went all out to do my best, soon I'd be back on stage and my girlfriendwas already getting everything ready to start working on the devices to help with the hologram process,everything would be perfect."
I wake up next to Daniella, I think the week has just started, it was a weekend that just flew by, it was fun to spend the days with Phoebe and Megan having fun at a party just because I graduated, I even feel more welcomed by the place and everything, by the nine witches now it's time to prepare everything for the return of the Shiny Chariot and this time I'm gonna fully dedicate my self for this greatness that will come.
I get out of bed and go to do my personal hygiene, just like I dress, I leave the room with my girlfriend still in the deepest sleep in the world, I'd even given her a little kiss on the forehead and I went downstairs, arriving there I see my mum and grandma sitting at the table having breakfast which I'm already joining too, I'm very hungry.
"Good morning, Chariot" said my mum giving me some headpats.
"Good morning Mum," I say, grabbing a few things to eat.
"Are you ready to go back?" She asks and I nod very excited to start.
"How much will I get?" I'm really curious to know everything about my shows.
"I think in a fortnight we'll be able to pave the way for your next gig, I'll be your driver for the next ones that come along, we'll do a little tour of Ireland, we'll lay the groundwork for it, build the stage and everything and we'll see how it goes, I hope everything goes well, so you can be great" I can't wait for that, this will be the chance of my life.
"I hope everything works out, now it's really all or nothing, I can't fail this time" I say to my mum.
I continue to eat, already thinking about it, I don't want anything to go wrong, after all it's the last chance, after that I want things to escalate, I'll go back to correct all the mistakes and show Croix that I'm still very much alive for this mission, she'll see that I can achieve world success without her too and this time without stealing magic, I'm gonna be better than her.
I soon finish eating and see that my girlfriend has arrived too, she gives me a kiss and I say good morning to her who joins us at the table, one more person to talk to about the Shiny Chariot, now that the week is starting we'll have a way of putting everything into practice.
"Today I'm going to practise using the holograms while we rehearse, love, really, you haven't rehearsed once these day" I nod.
"If everything goes as expected, we'll be able to perform again in a fortnight" said my girlfriend.
"It's important that you dedicate yourselves again to Shiny Chariot, I'll take care of publicising everything, I'll deal with the people on the internet, I already know how I'm going to give your image a boost, for now we have to go little by little, nothing will go wrong, that's what we'll try, dedicate ourselves as much as we can, even if there are 10,000 or 10 people watching, remember that you do it for the love of doing it. By the way, I've also taken the opportunity to find a counsellor here in Dublin since she's no longer in Glastonbury and can't be seen by the other counsellor, I hope she can be of great help" I nod my head in agreement.
Then I'm already getting ready, leaving the dining table to stretch in the living room, today is the day I'm going to get out of the paper a lot of things I've been planning in a lot of storyboards, Shiny Chariot is going to come back and it's going to reinvent itself with enormous grandeur, I'm not going to stop showing how I can make people smile, that's what I'm going to do.
It's been a while since I've stretched like this, I'm even feeling my muscles and everything around me, it's really giving me a good feeling, I'm even feeling a relief and a little less weight, finally I'm back, after stretching I sit on the sofa and wait for my girlfriend, who soon finishes eating and Aunt April walks through the door and waves to us.
"Look, this week I'm going to take some time off from programming and making games, all so that Daniella can perfect her technique with the holograms, it will be essential for her to make sure that everything goes very well for the Shiny Chariot's return presentation" said Mrs Jordan.
"We mustn't forget another important thing, the girls' driving licences, we're going to do this test performance and then each of us will split up April, we have to help them get their driving licences, as we'll need them to carry the timber from the stage in a lorry" By the nine witches I'd forgotten I even had that.
"That's the least of it, let's go, I want to see how you're going to do, it's going to be a short rehearsal to begin with, work hard" said Aunt April.
Well, let's go, I get up from the sofa and go to the backyard, right in the most open and spacious part, where my girlfriend arrives at the hologram machine, it's really big, it looks like a trambolion, there's even a way to see it through a camera and the rest is huge, which I take advantage of to get into position on the stage, taking deep breaths this is gonna be very epic.
And with that I'm already putting into practice the most basic thing, which is the presentation where the Noir Dragon appears, where my girlfriend is following all the steps, I can already see the holograms appearing and well, the effects don't look like much, but I imagine that must be the capacity of this machine and i can push the machine to even beyond that.
"Very well, I've tried my best to make these holographic drones, I hope you do a good job, it's too important for you Chariot to be able to execute your presentation and these drones work, I'm not the expert in this kind of thing like Croix, but I can improve over time" said Mrs Jordan.
I'm continuing to do the steps, but I just want things to go more smoothly and everything, I'm already doing my bit, the holograms are looking pretty good for the wayAunt April made them, something might even come of it, maybe I can reinvent a more economical and less flashy way for Shiny Chariot to present herself.
[...]
I'm even a bit tired, we spent a couple of hours rehearsing here in the morning, but we had to stop because it started raining and we went indoors, I even sat on the sofa to relax, it's a shame that the rehearsal is over for today, it was going really well, but the rain always gets in the way.
"They did very well today, the Chariot is already doing well, all that's left is for Daniella to keep up better, but over time she'll learn to use the machine better" said Aunt April.
"It's quite complex to move around, I admit, it feels like I'm flying an aeroplane, but I'm getting there, I can see what everyone is doing, typing in commands and everything, I hope I can improve a lot from now on" I trust my girl, I know she can do it.
"Well, that's it for today. I'm going to go back and tinker with a few more things, now that I've been rehearsing I've seen a few things about the machine and limitations that I can improve in terms of power and everything else, maybe it'll come out better" said Mrs Jordan.
We smiled and then she left the house, to tinker with the machine, I hope she's coming for lunch too. We were soon surprised by a child running down the stairs, she came right up to us, a little red-haired girl who looked like Mummy Laura, only with purple eyes, all smiling and cute, my little sister was awake she's so cute, I love her.
"Little sister Chariot, let's play, let's play!" She said excitedly.
"But we can't go outside because it's raining" I say, scratching the back of my neck.
"I want to play with you and Daniella, let's play witches" I'm a little surprised, but it's OK, we'll show her the magic.
"And does Holly want to play too?" I ask my sister.
"The other little sister is asleep" said little Hellene well it's time to do what mums did with me when I was five.
I take a piece of pencil and start to show her some magical things like Mum Laura did with me as a child, now it's all going to be repeated, how cute I think I'm going to make her very fascinated with magic in this way, I even take a deep breath and take the pencil creating butterflies and fairies, as well as some lights, which she looks at me smiling and then I hand her the pencil, which she just shrugs and doesn't take.
"How are you going to be a little witch without your wan... For the nine witches!" The girl without a magic wand did the same thing I did, only even better, there are so many things she generated with magic just by being all smiley and cute, I even look at Daniella shocked and scared.
"Mum Laura has already said, no wand, I'm a McLaren" The girl is even younger than when I met the mums and she already knows how to do magic without a wand, she's not even five years old and she's at this level.
"How old is this girl? I only learnt magic for the first time when I was six years old with a wand, and that's all you can do now, it wasn't all that without a wand" said the shocked Daniella and well that's what happens to most McLaren's they didn't use wands at all.
"Hellene, what else do you know about magic, little sister?" She even puts her hand to her chin, thinking.
"Little sis can fly a broomstick, transform animals, put on different clothes, lift things and I even know how to move a stuffed animal!" She knows the kind of things that I only learnt when I was seven years old at such a young age that's impressive she's gonna be one of the greatest witches of this generation.
"How do you know all this?" I ask shocked.
"Mum and Grandma teach magic!" They teach too much that's impressive, even myself wasn't taught that much.
"Hellene started at the same age as Laura when she began to use magic, I remember that my grandmother Elisabeth taught her magic when she was only two years old, Hellene is the same, both always with enormous potential" A child of almost five can fly on a broomstick, I only learnt that when I was almost six.
"You taught magic to a two-year-old baby?" Daniella said, shocked.
"It's normal, you learn from a very early age, it's almost like walking, I learnt around the same age, but Laura is the one who teaches best today, she took everything Elisabeth had, apart from the tapping part, and put it into practice" it's too bizarre.
"Aren't you going to play with me, little sister?" She's levitating a teddy in front of me and calling me, you can see the magic flowing through her hand.
I nod my head and use my magic, I'm not as good as her with my hands, I think I'm embarrassing myself in front of my little sister, how can she be so young and be able to manipulate magic so well? This new generation is going to be strong, it seems, if Hellene is this monstrosity of magic, who can say about the eldest, she certainly wasn't even affected by the Dream Fuel Spirit and must just be enjoying the extra magic, I know you're going to be very proud Diana, I know that my other little sister is becoming a great witch.
[...]
"Great witch, I don't know what you were thinking, but look Chariot, at that time I was still feeling the effects of the Dream Fuel Spirit, it took me at least two years to recover, I was completely affected and in the meantime I was really suffering to be able to perform even the slightest spell, even more being humiliated by my cousins and the others around me, it was a huge suffering, I imagine that my younger sister must not even have been affected by any of this."
"Hellene was at the gigs even before Dream Fuel Spirit came out, she's not as big a fan of Shiny Chariot as you were, a lot because she knows that Chariot has always been her sister and so they've always been more like sisters, but Holly on the other hand not only knows that she has a sister Shiny Chariot, but she's also a big fan, more than I realised, that girl asked me to set up a Shiny Chariot museum, it's bizarre how that girl likes it so much."
"Are you telling me that Shiny Holly is my sister? I know her from the internet, I was always drooling over the Shiny Chariot museum she made and I really wanted to visit it, I can't believe it, I have enormous admiration for that girl."
"People, focus here, I know you were impressed by Hellene and Holly, but we have to get back to talking about what happened, the summer is practically over, we only have August to continue telling this story, July is already over, I know you really want to talk, but do it after the moment of telling here."
Monday 30 June 2008, Dublin, Ireland
The holograms have improved slightly, I'm very happy, seeing the stage across the road being set up, and thinking that I'll be making my comeback this weekend, I'm really happy to see how well I'll be able to do in
these performances, I arrive for another day of rehearsal, after stretching and eating, and I'm already going outside, today by some miracle it's a sunny day, this will be better for me.
"Well, today I've brought you a special update, I've been testing it a lot and I think it might be closer than Croix got with her holograms" said Aunt April, and I got ready to rehearse.
"Look, if it doesn't get any more complex, I'd appreciate it, because there's too much to remember about this thing" said Daniella as she got into the machine.
"So let's go, girls, show the holograms in action" I say, positioning myself.
I take a deep breath and even close my eyes for a moment, when I open them what comes over me is the feeling that I'm on stage at night again, it's my way of distracting myself, I start to perform making the rehearsal that much more immersive, I can see that the holograms have really improved a lot, this time you can't see how perceptible the hologram is, that's a good sign, we have to do our best to make things work.
I continue to take steps and move slightly like a feather, all to make that impression while I rehearse, people will be charmed by the new and renewed Shiny Chariot, this time with a look that gives the idea that I'm more mature with slightly longer hair.
"Very well, the holograms are holding up better and they're better made, the drones are doing a great job, now try to throw yourself Chariot, let's see if the drones catch you" I nod my head as I do the rehearsal.
I throw myself backwards and I feel the drones catching me in the same way as when I was performing with Croix, which I end up doing and I see Mrs Jordan's expression that nothing was going so well, what could have happened? I made a mistake, I even stopped the rehearsal.
"What happened, Aunt April?" I ask her.
"Not good, the drones stop using the holographic function when you play, we'll have to avoid doing numbers like this or they'll notice the blatant artificiality of these presentations, the best thing for us to do is for you to avoid it until I improve the drones" said Mrs Jordan and I'm quite worried about that.
"Well, there are only a few that I need to do that, but they're quite striking, but what if I use my magic together, so I can throw myself in, with my hand glowing and thus be caught" I say giving an idea.
"We can try, but I don't know if it's such a good idea, let's do it anyway, we still have all the time in the world to rehearse, even more so with this sun today" That's good, I'll get ready.
The good thing about the rehearsal is that I can simply pause the performance to try out this way of throwing myself, I get ready and on the first of these attempts, combining with the hologram drones, I throw myself, I feel everything enveloping me and then I stand up again and Aunt April smiles.
"Hey, it actually works" said Mrs Jordan.
"Did it work?" I say excitedly and smiling.
"It worked very well, congratulations Chariot, let's continue with the rehearsal, it seems that your magic helped the drone to maintain the holographic function, now let's continue, your return will be a success if it stays that way" I'm looking forward to it.
I'm concentrating again, I'm looking at everything and I'm trying to do my best today, I want to see how far I can go, who would have thought that before I had everything I needed to succeed and now I have to scramble to get close to what was my peak, but I'm sure everything will get better, I'm even taking a deep breath.
[...]
What a day of rehearsals, we had lunch and spent hours rehearsing, we got a lot out of it today, I'm really tired from moving around, but now there's even a snack to relax, I see that Mum Laura is coming and we'll eat outside, with Grandma bringing us some cakes and sandwiches, I was very hungey and finally some food will be good for now.
"Those stage timbers are heavy, huh" said my mum a bit tired.
"Are you putting it all together yourself Laura?" She shrugs like this isn't a problem at all.
"Cheaper and quicker than a crane, I still have the strength for it" Oh Mum, you really are a comedy, but look, Mum still has plenty of arms, I remember when she was a big girl when I was in my final year at the Cavendish mansion.
"You're no longer the 28-year-old Laura at the height of her powers, don't push yourself so hard Laura, you've already given birth to two children and you've become much more sedentary over the years" she just shrugs.
"Well, somehow we'll get back to work" Mum just doesn't care.
"Today we've made a lot of progress on the holograms, they're getting more and more perfect and we've even managed to cover up some of the imperfections when we perform, so on Sunday everyone will see the legendary Shiny Chariot back on stage" said Aunt April.
"Can little sis play after eating?" I just nod my head when Hellene appears, she's so cute.
"It's finally good to see that the sisters are playing together, after so long I've only seen you popping in to stay in your room or do other things, now you've finally left to play with your sister" said Mum Laura.
"Hey, I used to play with Hellene from time to time" says Mum.
"I've rarely seen you playing with her and it's not the kind of thing Hellene likes to play with, she's a witch like the rest of us, she's tired of playing games that aren't funny, so give them the witchy games she wants so much" Like the one with the flying ball on the broom? That was too dangerous.
"The games we used to play as witches were really dangerous" I tell her.
"As if I wouldn't play with Hellene like that, this girl is a prodigy when it comes to magic, we have to polish this diamond a lot, Hellene will have everything it takes to be a witch as talented if not more so than her older sister" Well if that's the case I'll play with her with this witch stuff, I just think Hellene is still too young for that.
I continue to eat, I'm starving, even though I've only had lunch for a short time, training has really tired me out, but I think I'm getting that perfection I had when I helped the girls in Luna Nova, whether I like it or not, the atmosphere is much better than anything I've experienced before, to be honest.
I have a friendly family that I'm finally appreciating, it's not like when I was with Croix it was just her and her and her all the time and I ignored my surroundings, even Hellene I'm getting closer to, things have really improved like that.
I finish eating and as soon as I get up I'm already pushed by my little sister and I go over to where Holly is too, it's not possible that a girl of only three to four years old is also playing at this, I'm shocked.
"We're going to play catch with a broom, only if you catch it you'll have to help the other and the others who catch it will stand still until someone comes to save them, if you catch too much you'll have to help" I used to play this as a child with my mums, I know what it's like.
"Is Chariot really still in the mood to do this?" Teases Megan.
"Megan, I'm still the fastest of all of us here" I say confidently.
"Chariot, you're lucky I'm working on your stage otherwise I wouldn't give you a chance" said Mum Laura.
"I'm going to start working on the hologram, feel free, look after Meg, I know she can get up to a lot, but she's my girl" I don't think she needs to be looked after, she needs to look after herself, she teases me like that and she has no idea how agile I am.
Well, apparently Daniella, Megan, Holly, Hellene and I are playing, it's not that crowded, but you can have fun, I even put my hand up to say that I'm going to stay with you just to show that I'm still active, let's show these girls who's the fastest, I'm going to get Megan just so she can be the next catch, she's going to see me.
What's interesting about this game is that it's limited to where we can go because of the sorcerer's stone, but I want to see if they can go that fast, I keep focussing on the blonde with the purple eyes, this girl is going to see something.
"Now the fun has begun" I say confidently.
I start to make a sudden dash towards Jordan, she notices and dodges, and what's worse, it's in such a way that I go very straight, almost reaching the edge of the sorcerer's stone zone, which luckily has a barrier that we can use as a support to stop the broom, she even mocks me.
"Our Chariot, she went to get bread and forgot her change" she can't be that agile, she's only 10 years old.
I go for her again and I even use my speed and she uses it too until she gets to the edge and when it's time to brake I'm getting really close and she just makes a sharp turn that I have to stand on my toes to get back and I'm just shocked, how can a girl seven years younger than me be so agile like that? What are you giving these witches to eat, I remember how easily I could always catch Megan, she even laughs.
"Chariot, I think it's better to go for someone easier for you, like your girlfriend, because you won't get her, but in the sense of getting her in the game, not getting her in something else" Ugh, it can't be that Megan has improved so much since the last time we played this she's flying as fast as mum and she's only 10.
"Little sister! Come to us! Stop going to Meg!" I'm a bit embarrassed.
"Listen to the children, they're easier than me" Oh, she's such a prick.
"You're a child too!" She shrugs her shoulders, grimaces and even smacks herself on the bum as she flies off on her broom.
It can't be that I'm rusty on the broom, I've just missed being three times champion of the broom relay and I'm being humiliated by a 10-year-old, but it's not going to be like that, I'm going to go for the children then, sorry little sister but let's see if you're all that, I even look at her smiling and I go up to the two of them, my little sisters together.
I get close and dodge the barrier, but I manage to brake and use my foot to push myself back, I breathe a sigh of relief, then I see her making faces too, it can't be that I'm so humiliated by a child who's barely out of nappies, she's even teasing me like Megan and slapping her own bottom.
"Even you Daniella, my own girlfriend doubting my broom skills" Ahhhhh, I'm being cooked here by everyone.
I'm not going to be that far behind, I'm going to focus a lot, she may be good on the broom, but she's still a four-year-old child, if it's not her it'll be Holly, these two will know who Shiny Chariot really is, I'm even concentrating and thinking of a tactic here, I can pretend to go to Megan and then go towards Hellene, that way she'll be taken by surprise, that's it.
[...]
What a day, it's been marvellous, I'm really enjoying myself, but now it's time for bed, to start another day, this summer has been having some wonderful days, I've finally been able to enjoy my family more, Daniella is very different from Croix who always isolated herself and things were just between me and her, with Parker you feel part of the family, she encourages you to be like that, I really love this girl.
"I think someone's finally managing to smile" said my girlfriend.
"I am, I don't think I've ever had as much fun with people from my family as I do now, I wonder how you don't feel jealous, I always pay too much attention to the family and you must feel a bit isolated because of that" She even takes my face in her hands and smiles, running her hand over my cheeks.
"I'm not going to be jealous of children, after all they're your family, I know that a good relationship with the family is important, look how much more you smile, how much you've cheered up, how you even feel like a new woman, that's what I most want to see from you Chariot Du Nord, the renewed girl you've become, those who truly love care about the happiness of others" said my marvellous Daniella.
"I don't know how to react to all this affection and care, it's simply something that goes beyond what I'm used to, you're a spectacular girlfriend Daniella, an incredible person, I'm proud to have someone like you, mature and caring and everything..." I'll always say the same things.
"You don't have to react to anything or feel indebted, I'm here to be the person who gives you that love and affection and you've been giving it to me too, I'm the happiest person in the world having someone like you as a girlfriend and maybe a dai as a future wife" I'd be very happy if I married this marvellous woman.
"I love you Daniella Parker" I kiss her and she kisses me back.
"I love you too, Chariot Du Nord" She then lies down on the bed with all the affection she has given me.
We look at each other, admiring each other's faces. I don't think I've ever experienced a romance as marvellous as the one I'm living, she's someone I want for life, for sure, I want to have Daniella Parker as my wife one day and be the happiest person in the world.
"I was managing to be happy again, I think the rehearsals and Daniella's marvellous company were makingeverything better, it was paradise, I really thought it would never end, I could be at my worst and there wasmy brunette with the beautiful green eyes, she was there to console me and tell me that I would get up andbe the best, I really loved that woman, it's a shame that I threw away one of the happiest moments of my lifefor a huge blunder, I even feel bad about it, she didn't deserve it, I'm glad that nowadays she's happy withsomeone else, because she can't be with me."
See you, preparation witches...