A/N: Hello there. For those who don't know me, I've been on this site for a little over ten years now, but this is the first time I've written a fanfic for this fandom. I'll try not to bore you too much with the details (as I will likely be going into more detail on my profile about this at some point in the future, should anyone be interested), but long story short: I encountered the anime for LWA a couple of years back, only got through the first ten episodes before I dropped it, found it again a few months back and decided to watch it and… here we are. XD Ever since reaching the end of the anime, reading one of the mangas and its short novel, I've been itching to write something for it. And after trying to ignore the urge for a while… I've finally caved and conceived 'Shadows of a Spare'. Originally, I wasn't going to post this here until the admins fixed the stats and other glitches. But in the end, I decided it wasn't worth waiting. As demoralising as it is not seeing the stats right now, I want to make sure this fic is accessible to as many users as possible on both this site and AO3.

To give you all a rundown of what to expect: this fic shares the same format as 'The Owlcast' and 'Ghost of a Kind', i.e., OC is inserted into the canon plot. Of course, big changes will occur to events and dialogue to make sure they're properly accommodated into the story with the surprises they'll bring. But expect 'Shadows of a Spare' to initially follow the main series events of the anime only, with certain episodes being replaced by either original content or chapters from the manga where I feel my OC's presence won't fit into certain episodes. I won't be including anything from the original OVAs or The Chamber of Time game as I haven't watched/played them. There won't be any OC x canon character shipping involved, as I don't write those kinds of stories, and while I won't be updating this fic on a set schedule, you can keep track of its progress in the 'active updates' section of my profile. I plan for 'Shadows of a Spare' to be split into a two-part series, so this fic will only encompass episodes one to thirteen, while its sequel will have episodes fourteen to twenty-five. Should the anime get a second season, this fic series will be continued in the future (unless I do end up using The Chamber of Time), but for now, just expect the two parts.

With that being said, I hope you enjoy the introduction chapter to this story. As it is the first chapter, there won't be anything eventful. This is just to introduce my OC and, in following the style of the first anime episode, give you context while offering the necessary worldbuilding. I will be going into more detail surrounding the creative choices I've made at the end of the chapter, so do stick around for that. In the meantime, please note that you can also find this fic over on AO3, under the same title and writer username, just in case something happens to this site and you need to find it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia or its characters; however, I do own any OCs used in this fanfic.

Chapter 1: A Sisters' Promise

Under the dimly lit and soft yellow glows offered by two pairs of lamps on the dark wallpaper of the bedroom, a four-poster bed resided in the middle of two wooden bedside tables adorned with bright and colourful flowers, its green curtains pulled back to expose the bed's plain white sheets. A woman possessing flowing platinum blonde hair streaked with tea-green highlights in between and sickly pale skin occupied the bed, sat up against a propped pillow in a pink dressing gown atop a white nightgown. From between the platinum blonde and tea-green bangs encompassing her face, she smiled fondly towards the left side of the bed, focusing on two young girls around the same age and height seated on stools at her bedside.

The girl on the woman's right looked almost identical to her in appearance, having the same wavy platinum blonde hair and tea-green highlights that reached her shoulders, barring her side-swept bangs both being tea-green. She wore a dark blue jacket over a red dress with white buttons, staring up at the woman with wide and sparkling light blue eyes while clutching a brown furred teddy bear with a silver tag on its right ear close to her person.

"Mother," the girl started with a hint of a posh-sounding British accent, scooting closer to the edge of her stool as she did so. "Could you please tell us a story?"

"Diana," the younger girl on the woman's left said through a small huff with a similar accent, leaning her elbow against the bed and cupping her cheek in her hand. When Diana turned to her with a quick blink and the fading of her smile, the girl's drooped light blue eyes briefly shifted to the green curtains drawn across the window behind them. "It's late. We should let Mother rest."

Like Diana, the girl had shoulder-length wavy platinum blonde hair, the two of them identical in hair style. But her highlights and side-swept bangs were yellow and she was dressed in a light blue cardigan over the top of a white dress.

Diana pouted and squeezed her teddy bear into her front, already looking to say something in protest. Their mother's light-hearted chuckle, however, returned her attention to the bed, along with her sister's.

"It's all right, Delila," the woman reassured in a matching accent. She reached a hand over and gave the addressed girl a small head pat and hair ruffle, her motherly smile never faltering even when her daughter closed an eye in response to her affection. "There's still enough time for a story."

Diana smiled widely at this, her posture straightening and her eyes fixing on her mother when she pulled away from Delila. Delila, meanwhile, folded her arms atop the bed and rested the side of her head on them, silently watching the woman turn her gaze to the quilt and stroke a hand at her chin.

"Now, which story should I tell you…" she mumbled.

Diana perked up with the raise of her hand. "What about the story of Beatrix Cavendish?"

"The first witch of our family?" Delila questioned.

Diana turned to her with two excited nods and a hum to match. "Mhm!"

Delila raised her eyes towards her mother as she righted her head again, now resting her chin on her folded arms. "Beatrix was one of the Nine Olde Witches, wasn't she, Mother?"

"Yes," their mother confirmed with a stiff nod. She stared ahead to the opposite side of the room, where a vibrant coloured tapestry bordered by yellow tassels hung above the fireplace between another pair of wall lamps. "She was one of the nine witches who helped to prevent the decline in magic in the past. She was named 'Beatrix the Affectionate' for the kindness she extended towards both friend and foe with her healing magic."

Diana and Delila followed their mother's gaze to the tapestry in unison, which depicted a young woman petting a unicorn. The woman had flowing, waist-length platinum blonde hair streaked with tea-green highlights. She was dressed in green and brown robes, her eyes covered by a large green and pointed hat with a wide rim on her head. The woman and the unicorn were standing amongst small trees decorated with orange fruit and white flowers of varying types, which appeared to be growing atop a giant tree with intricately placed branches supporting the leaved ground below them.

Diana pointed to the unicorn in the tapestry. "And she had a link to unicorns! That's why it's the symbol of the Cavendish, isn't it?"

Their mother's smile widened a little as she gave Diana's closest shoulder a proud pat. "That's right, Diana."

Diana beamed at the praise and closed her eyes with a noise of contentment. But then Delila found her eyes locking with a thin, yellow banner stretched above Beatrix and the unicorn. The young girl lifted her head from the bed and squinted at the ancient text she could see weaved upon it, leaning forward against the bed to get a closer look.

"What does the writing say?" Delila asked, drawing Diana's and their mother's attention to the tapestry once more.

"Civilladura Lelladebura," their mother answered.

"Civilladura… Lelladebura…?" Delila repeated slowly and pursed her lips. "What does it mean?"

"It means 'An old tradition and a new power will cross to open the door to the unseen world'."

Diana frowned. "A new power and an old tradition…" she mumbled, looking to her sister with a wide blink. "What do you think that means, Lila?"

Delila closed her eyes and shrugged, showing she was just as clueless on the matter as Diana was. "Shouldn't you be asking Mother that—?"

Harsh and dry coughing from their mother's direction silenced Delila's question. The two sisters watched on with wide-eyes and open-mouths as their mother's body repeatedly racked against the coughs leaving her lips, failing to muffle them with the fist clenched close to her face and the fingers of her other hand dug deep into the quilt.

"Mother!" Diana called out in a cracked voice upon overcoming her shock, scraping her stool against the carpet to move closer to the bed. "Are you okay?"

Delila eventually returned to reality with the shake her head. She jumped to her feet and turned to run out of the room. "I'll go and get—"

"No," their mother rasped, halting Delila in her tracks. Several seconds longer of coughing ensued before the girls' mother silenced it with a small gasp of breath, her shoulders slumping with relief. "I'm fine. There's no need to panic."

"But Mother—" Delila protested, only going quiet when her mother lifted her head and stared directly at her with furrowed brows.

"It's okay, Delila," she replied calmly despite the croak in her voice. "Please don't worry."

But her words did little to comfort either Delila nor Diana, the latter's blue eyes glistening with the quivering of her lips.

"Mother…" Diana whimpered, prompting the oldest witch in the room to stay quiet and look between her worried daughters.

After a moment of silent contemplation of what she could say to ease their concern, their mother forced a smile.

"Diana, Delila," she began in a low voice, reaching out both of her hands to gently hold Diana's in her right one and Delila's in her left one. "I have no doubt that someday, you two will open the door spoken of in the tapestry and help to build a new future for this family. That's why… I want you both to promise me something."

Diana and Delila exchanged wide-eyed gazes for a few seconds, repeating what their mother said in unison. "A promise?"

"Yes." She moved her daughters' hands to place Diana's on top of Delila's, her own hands cradling the girls' between her palms. "Promise me, no matter what happens, you'll always support and look after each other." Diana and Delila stared speechlessly at their clasped hands as their mother gave them a light squeeze, her voice growing solemn. "For the future of this family, please don't let your differences divide you."

Neither Delila nor Diana knew what to say at first, the pair continuing to stare wordlessly at the hands their mother kept in her grasp. The two sisters didn't understand what their mother was trying to say. But once they willed up the courage to give each other a sideways glance and lock eyes, it was obvious to the other that they suspected a deeper meaning behind their mother's words, something important that, for the time being, would likely elude them.

Silence lingered between the three of them before Diana and Delila resumed eye contact with their mother, giving life to the words they wanted to reply with in sync. "We promise, Mother."

A weary smile graced the oldest Cavendish's face. "Thank you," she muttered.

Releasing Diana's and Delila's hands, their mother moved closer and wrapped an arm around their shoulders each, slowly pulling the two girls in for a small embrace. Returning the gesture, Diana and Delila each stretched an arm round their mother's back and rested their heads against her shoulders with the closing of their eyes, choosing to bask in the warmth their mother's hug gave them while they still could.

Delila shouldn't have felt intimidated by the Glastonbury Tor. It was a gigantic, steep, lush hill looming over the town of Glastonbury in the southwest of England. What was so intimidating about that? Then again, there was going to be a big difference between seeing the hill in pictures compared to actually standing in front of it—a fact Delila pondered as she admired the scenery from the bottom of the long steps leading to the hill's peak, bathed in the bright light of the early morning sun of May and encompassed by a blue, cloudless sky.

A tall silhouette of an archaic rectangular tower stood at the top, and while Delila was too far away to see the ruined building in detail, she could still make out the shadows of the vegetation growing out of the tower's sides and its top. Delila thought it was a strange sight against the modern backdrop of the town she'd recently ventured through, even if the tor and tower itself were located away from the tightly packed buildings and winding roads and pavements. Though considering this site was connected to the magical world, she wasn't surprised. Those associated with magic were sticklers to the old traditions and methods, meaning unlike the regular people who walked this earth, they never adapted to the changes that came with the passage of time; why would any locations connected to magic be any different, she reasoned. But the longer Delila stared, the more it dawned on her that, perhaps, it wasn't the tor making her feel intimidated, nor the old building situated atop it. No, now that she thought about it a little more, Delila was certain her unease was directed towards the person whom she knew was awaiting her at the top of the hill.

The reminder prompted Delila to reach into the left breast pocket of her white, elbow length puffy sleeved, black dress and pull out a piece of folded paper. Taking it into both hands, Delila flattened it out to reveal the handwritten letter sent to her over half a year ago, around August time if she recalled correctly. The smell of the now dried black ink was long gone, yet the neat and cursive writing etched into the paper remained just as Delila remembered it. It helped to bring the voice of the sender to life inside of her head as she mentally read the letter's contents for yet another time, reminding herself of the reason why she'd travelled to Glastonbury to begin with:

Dear Delila,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I received your letter at the beginning of the first semester, but I couldn't find the appropriate time to pen my reply. As expected, it has been a tricky time for students both new and old, yet I've managed to handle it just fine so far. The contents of your last letter concerned me. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to defend you from our aunt's and our cousins' shared belittling, though I trust that Anna and the rest of the staff have taken good care of you in my place, as always. I sincerely hope they haven't given you any further trouble and that you are doing better now.

With the arrival of the summer holidays here, I've had some time to ponder over recent events on your end. I acknowledge that the past few years haven't been kind to either of us—our shared grief, your affliction, the societal pressures placed upon the House of Cavendish, all of which has been made worse by the ever-increasing decline in magic. While you've reassured me that your decision to stay at home had nothing to do with our estranged relationship, I still bear the guilt of my decision all the same. My enrolment to Luna Nova was my own selfish endeavour, after all, and we can't deny that the burdens thrust upon us didn't strain our relationship prior to my departure. It was unfair of me to leave the responsibility of keeping a watchful eye on our aunt solely to you, for which you have my deepest apologies.

In light of this, I wish to once again extend the invitation for your enrolment at Luna Nova Academy for next year. I realise I have made this proposal twice already and that this isn't necessarily the last opportunity we have to uphold the promise we made to our mother as girls. But with Luna Nova's age limit for acceptance cutting off at sixteen, and our sixteenth birthday fast approaching, I do fear the time we have left to mend our rift is limited.

Please do not feel pressured into accepting for my sake. I understand if you don't feel ready to return to your magical studies just yet. I only wish to give you adequate time to think this through before making a final decision.

I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

—Yours Sincerely, Diana

Folding the letter back up and slipping it into her breast pocket once more, the young Cavendish's hands took a collective grip on the straps of the purple rucksack on her back, her light blue eyes closing for a few seconds with a sharp intake and release of breath through her nostrils.

"Come on, Delila," she hissed, accompanied with the sudden jerk of her head to the right. "If the entirety of witch-kind could muster the strength to fight against their persecution during the Middle Ages, then surely you can gather the will to walk up this hill!" Delila dared to open an eye at feeling sweat sticking her platinum-blonde and yellow streaked hair to her head, her brows furrowing at her black tights and matching leather shoes. "But it's been so long since we last saw each other," she continued to debate with herself in a low voice, briefly letting go of one of her straps to stroke her left, ear-length, yellow streaked bang closer to her ear. "And I can't deny I'm no longer the person she may remember fondly. What if she is no longer the person I remember in turn?"

Delila knew she was not obligated to be here. The consequences for not showing up to her agreed commitment wasn't dire, after all; well, outside of permanent expulsion. Still, if she so desired, she could just turn around and walk back to the train station right now. However, upon glancing over her shoulder at the path she'd not long trodden over at entertaining such a thought, it didn't take long for a lump to rise in her throat, one she was forced to swallow with the stubborn stomp of her foot.

"No." Returning her gaze to the hill's peak, Delila scowled and raised a hand to flick her right shoulder-length and yellow highlighted bang out of her vision. "It's now or never, Delila."

Delila's little 'pep talk' did nothing to calm the furious pounding of her heart against her rib cage, but at least it didn't affect her mobility. With both hands gripping her rucksack straps with shaking, ghostly white knuckles and her jaw clenched so tightly her teeth were close to penetrating through her lips, the second oldest Cavendish made her slow trek up the hill, ignoring the muffled clinking of glass coming from her bag as she did so. She kept her eyes laser-focused on the approaching tower standing majestically against the cloudless sky, occupying her mind with the clearer view she was beginning to get of it the closer she got.

The tower itself was made of brick, possessing two open and arched entrances at its front and back. Giant and thick tree roots snaked around the bottom of its walls, while tree branches with lush and bunched leaves of varying sizes grew from its left side, its back and in place of its roof. The vegetation on its left side was rather small and the one that poked round from its back from the right side was medium at best. Yet the leaves sprouting from the tower's top were great in number and acted as a canopy, practically replacing the roof that had since crumbled away. It reminded Delila of the depiction of the canopy of leaves she'd seen Beatrix and her unicorn companion standing on in her mother's tapestry, though the leaves here weren't flat and were raised high enough to the sky that it looked like there was a large bush growing up there; she imagined if anyone did attempt to stand on it (should they have been stupid enough to do it, of course), they'd plummet straight through to the ground.

As she came to a stop close to the entrance towering over her, Delila warily scanned around the hilltop to distract herself from the incessant palpitations jumping to her ears, seeking out the one whom she was expecting. At first, it appeared she was alone, but that all changed when a familiar female and posh-sounding British accented voice echoed from inside of the tower.

"Delila," it greeted calmly. Delila's eyes settled upon the thick darkness cast inside of the entrance with a slight flinch. "It's been a while."

Butterflies sprung to Delila's stomach and began their repeated somersaults once she'd registered the faint outline of the silhouette standing within the tower's interior, her anxiety once again taking hold despite having expected their presence. She'd barely been standing there for long, and yet hearing that voice for the first time in what felt like forever tugged on her heartstrings in a way she couldn't quite discern, but one that made her grip a hand at her chest anyways at feeling her eyes start to sting.

"I apologise for startling you," the voice continued as its owner started to walk towards Delila, their approaching footsteps resounding off the brick interior. "I'd not long arrived when I saw you coming."

But Delila failed to give a verbal response. Her silence prolonged when the owner of the footsteps crossed over the entranceway and paused in the early morning sun, exposing a girl around Delila's age and height with a broom held upright in her right hand and bearing a stoic expression. She held a striking resemblance to Delila in appearance, barring the tea-green highlights and bangs streaked into her platinum blonde hair. Yet what robbed Delila of her oxygen was the outfit the other girl wore, consisting of a dark blue tunic, witch's hat and boots with a light blue belt around her waist and matching bands around her hat and shoes (along with a matching ribbon tied around the bottom of the bristles of her broom).

"Is everything all right?" the other girl enquired, her matching light blue eyes briefly revealing a glisten of concern.

It wasn't until she saw the other girl's expression soften with the furrowing of her brows that Delila comprehended her shock was probably showing on her face, snapping the young Cavendish back to reality with three forced blinks. Delila hastily responded with the loud clearing of her throat and her immediate aversion of her eyes to the ground, allowing herself a moment to regain her composure with her knuckles pressed to her mouth.

"I-I apologise, Diana," Delila spluttered, followed swiftly by a forced cough to even out her tone. She frowned and pursed her lips into a thin line as she pondered on the right words to say, eventually daring to lift her gaze once more. "It's only just hit me that this is the first time we've been together in three years. It's…" She trailed off at the lump she felt rise to her throat, prompting her to swallow thickly and rub a hand at it to dispel it. "…a little overwhelming, admittedly."

Diana's frown deepened, as though she was sceptical of Delila's answer. "And that's all it is?" she pressed, her eyes lowering to the hand still on Delila's chest.

Delila knew why she was looking there, hence her instant nod of the head and the lowering of her hand. "That's all it is," she affirmed.

Diana gave a satisfied nod. "Good." There was a short pause before the older Cavendish continued. "How have you been?"

Delila hesitated to answer at first, her tongue already tingling with a bitter taste without saying anything. She hated that question. Her answer was always the same and she knew Diana only asked because she hoped to hear a different answer to the expected one. Unfortunately, today was not going to be the day that happened.

"Same as always," Delila replied monotonously. She ignored the subtle droop of her sister's eyes upon hearing her answer, her disappointment palpable. This was why Delila preferred their letter exchanges; at least she couldn't see it.

"Does that include the situation at home too?"

Delila gave a stiff nod. "Yes. And yourself?"

Diana closed her eyes. "I'd say I've been doing well."

"Does that also include your studies?"

Diana nodded without opening her eyes. "Perfect marks, as always."

"Good to know."

And then… silence.

It descended between the two teenagers the moment Delila finished talking, causing the younger Cavendish to drop her gaze to her shoes and tug at her dress collar with a finger when nothing else was said. She wanted to berate herself for not making more of an effort to converse. After all, her worries had been for nothing; her sister sounded and acted as she'd done prior to their parting. And yet how could she when she was feeling that familiar invisible wall sprouting between them, the one that seemed to appear whenever the twins were physically together? It was there prior to their parting and had returned once more, making Diana seem so far away even though she was so near.

Luckily for Delila, the silence didn't last.

As expected of her sister, Diana was quick on the ball and swooping in to move things along with a new enquiry, drawing Delila's attention back to her. "How was your journey?"

"Fairly normal, I'd say."

"Did you come to Glastonbury alone?"

"Carter accompanied me to the train station and then saw me off at the bridge in the meadow."

"Oh?" The older Cavendish raised a brow. "Wasn't Anna going to accompany you?"

Delila didn't answer straightaway. She'd secretly hoped her sister wasn't going to bring the elderly maid up, but then again… that was wishful thinking, she realised. The reminder of the reason behind Anna's absence left the teen witch clenching her jaw for several seconds, though she was quick to relax it in attempt to hide her anger. And not just for Diana's sake, either.

"She was," Delila eventually answered in a composed tone, only to huff loudly and cross her arms. "But Aunt Daryl had more pressing matters she needed her to attend to, apparently."

Of course, Delila knew that wasn't true, and while Diana hadn't been there to see it, her sister knew that to be untrue too. It's not like their aunt had changed since the last time Diana had seen her. And this was why Delila wasn't surprised at witnessing the older Cavendish's expression fall with the slight slump of her shoulders.

"… Is that so," Diana said after a short delay, with Delila detecting a hint of despondency in her sister's voice. When Delila nodded, Diana closed her eyes and lowered her head a bit, a soft sigh slipping past her lips. "How unfortunate."

As an awkward silence arose between them again, Delila couldn't help frowning in concern at seeing how crestfallen Diana had become. Her reaction mirrored Anna's the moment their aunt denied the maid's request to accompany her to Glastonbury. But it didn't take long for Diana to square her shoulders without a break in her stoic mask, relaxing Delila's expression in turn.

"Still, I appreciate you coming here today," Diana eventually commented. "I know this wasn't an easy decision for you."

"That I can't deny," Delila admitted sheepishly, her eyes drooping. "Though, I think the reminder of the consequences for not showing up gave me the kick I clearly needed."

"I did say you weren't obligated to be here," Diana stated matter-of-factly. "If you'd preferred to seek out other educational opportunities when you're ready, I'd understand."

"Yet you didn't extend this invitation repeatedly just for education opportunities, did you?" Diana's eyes widened with a shocked blink at Delila's rhetorical question. The younger Cavendish placed a hand to her chest, digging her fingers into her dress' front. "This is the school our ancestor helped to found. If we're going to save our family's future, this is the place I need to be, isn't it?"

Diana remained frozen in place for a few seconds at processing what Delila meant, looking like a deer who'd stepped out into the middle of the road just as a car was speeding towards it. Her sister's reaction said it all for the younger Cavendish; she hadn't expected that response, yet it soon became Delila's turn to be shocked when a faint smile gave way on her sister's face, a sight that forced two confused blinks from Delila.

"A good point well made," Diana conceded, her smile vanishing just as quickly as it appeared when she turned her back to Delila; had she just imagined that? "That being said, we should get going."

"Already?" Delila raised a quizzical brow as she watched her sister walk ahead. "Isn't the opening ceremony still hours away?"

"It is. But I think it's best to show you around when most of the students have yet to arrive." Diana halted in the middle of the tower, eventually prompting Delila to follow her and come to a stop on her left side. "You've never been much of a 'people person', have you?"

"And you have?" Delila instinctively retaliated with a bite in her tone and raised her palms. She didn't realise her mistake until Diana directed a cocked brow at her. "Sorry, force of habit," she added hastily and lowered her hands, not bothering to explain herself any further. She knew her sister would understand the meaning behind her reaction without her having to spell it out. "But thank you."

Diana's expression relaxed with a curt nod. "It's the least I can do to ease any first day nerves."

The older Cavendish broke eye contact to look up towards the top of the tower, granting Delila the chance to give the square interior a proper scan using the little sunlight shining in from the two open entrances. Due to how tall it was, the top of the tower was hidden in darkness almost a quarter of the way up, meaning Delila couldn't see anything to do with the giant tree covering its missing roof. Yet just like the tower's exterior, there were giant and thick roots snaking along all four walls from bottom to top, with one or two tiny windows being visible on the structure's upper levels.

"This is called 'St Michael's Tower', isn't it?" Delila enquired aloud.

"Indeed, it is," Diana replied without looking away.

"At one time, it was supposedly part of a medieval church named after the archangel 'Saint Michael'," Delila continued, catching Diana giving her a sideways glance within her peripheral vision. "Now, here it stands as the main Leyline Terminal to one of the most prestigious witch academies in all of Europe." Delila closed her eyes and lowered her head. "Though, seeing as the tor has been cited as the Isle of Avalon from the legends of King Arthur, one can assume it was always destined to become a powerful magical landmark."

A contented hum brought Delila's eyes to open and turn to her sister. "Still hungering for knowledge, I see."

Delila's brows raised with a confused blink. "Pardon?"

"Diving deep into the history surrounding the places you're visiting; it's very like you to do."

The moment she felt the heat rise to her cheeks, Delila turned her head towards the nearby wall with the singular objective to hide a potential blush from Diana, lifting her nose to the darkness surrounding them for good measure.

"I happened upon that information by accident, is all," she said matter-of-factly. "It was inevitable while I was doublechecking the directions provided in the academy's pamphlet."

Though Delila could see from the corner of her eyes that Diana did not believe her, if the faint smile she thought she saw appear was any indication. "Of course it was."

Delila said nothing more after that, but not because she didn't have another retort in her. Seeing her sister smile for the second time since arriving brought a strange warmth to blossom throughout her very being, one that she hadn't experienced in a long time. For a moment, Diana didn't feel so far away, like the invisible wall had never existed between them in the first place. And yet, as the saying goes 'All good things must come to an end', a fact proven when Diana's amusement disappeared in favour of returning to the task of setting up their transport to their destination, extinguishing that feeling of comfort within Delila like a flame doused with a bucket of water.

Diana positioned her broom underneath her horizontally and spread her legs apart, standing over the top end of the broom and clutching the handle between her palms. She glanced at her younger sister and gestured at their transport with the tilt of her head, giving Delila the cue to get on. "Whenever you're ready."

Diana watched from over her shoulder as Delila climbed on and copied her stance near the back end of the broom; however, she raised a brow when Delila gripped both hands upon the broom's handle.

"This is your first time riding a broom, isn't it?" Diana asked.

"It is," Delila answered, frowning at her sister's current expression and following her gaze to her hands. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"Not if you were the lone rider. But as the passenger, it is highly recommended that you don't grip the handle of the broom."—Delila let go and slowly retracted her hands—"Should flying conditions become turbulent, you'll more than likely fall off while travelling through the leyline." Diana removed one of her hands from the broom to point at her waist. "You're safer holding onto me."

The words barely left Diana's mouth, and yet her subtle finger point was all Delila needed to know what her sister was going to say before she'd even said it.

"I-Is that right," Delila replied with a slight stutter in a voice that raised an octave higher than intended, her body tensing as straight as the broom itself.

Of course, Diana's sharp eyes and ears instantly detected her sister's obvious failure to hide her discomfort, causing the older Cavendish to squint. "I take it your problem with physical contact persists?" The pursing of Delila's lips and the awkward sideways glance she gave to the bricked floor beneath them was all the confirmation Diana needed. The older girl lightly shook her head. "I sympathise with your plight, sister. But for your own safety, I must insist you compromise. I can't ignore the obvious risk posed to both the rider and the passenger."

Delila was afraid Diana was going to say that, evidenced by the slump in her posture and her drooped eyes. Yet the younger Cavendish didn't dare utter any further objections, because she knew her sister was right. Besides, her issues with physical touch weren't at a phobia-like level; she could last a quick trip through the leyline if she forced herself to.

"… Very well," Delila relented despondently. "If I must."

"Thank you." Diana waited for Delila to shuffle closer and loosely wrap her arms around her waist before she continued, pretending not to notice her sister's left eye twitching a couple of times. "And you didn't pack anything containing salt, did you?"

Delila crinkled her nose and creased her brow, staring at her sister as if she was talking complete gibberish. "Do I look like a fool with a death wish?" she snarked.

"I didn't mean to offend." Diana faced forward again. "The last thing we need is the leyline going awry. I just wanted to be sure."

Delila rolled her eyes, though she responded without the sarcasm this time; she knew Diana was just being cautious. And possibly attempting to distract her from her current predicament… "Well, be rest assured, sister, that my belongings do not contain anything with salt."

"Does that include your elixirs?"

Delila gave her rucksack a brief over-the-shoulder look at the reminder. "That includes my elixirs," she parroted back, but then she narrowed her eyes at the back of her sister's head upon properly processing the question. "How did you know I had them on my person?"

"Simple common sense," Diana replied without missing a beat, as if she'd expected Delila's enquiry. "I presumed you'd have at least one or two vials just in case."

"And did you presume that before or after hearing them rolling around in my rucksack?" Delila deadpanned.

A small pause followed before Diana let out an irritated sigh, allowing that to be the only response she wished to give to her sister's comments. "Anyway, are you ready to go?"

And as if on cue, the reality of what Delila was about to do hit her in full force. Their conversation had acted as a nice little distraction, and yet all it took was one small reminder of why she was here to kick her nerves back into gear, the palpitations in her chest pounding to the fore and giving rise to that uncomfortable lump in her throat.

Was she nervous because she'd never ridden on a broom before, let alone on a broom through a leyline?

Or was it because she knew that once she entered the leyline, there was no turning back?

Maybe a little bit of both?

"Delila?"

Diana's gentle form of address brought Delila out of her internal interrogation. The young Cavendish found the courage to swallow the lump in her throat; however, she still couldn't bring herself to speak, her prolonged hesitance causing Diana to peek over her shoulder with a faint frown.

"It's okay if you can't do this," her older sister reassured, staring directly into Delila's eyes to prove her point. "If you want to abandon enrolling at Luna Nova and try again somewhere else—"

"But I won't try again, Diana," Delila blurted out in a cracked voice, cutting her sister off and leaving the older Cavendish gaping and recoiling a little at her response. She didn't know where her sudden burst of courage had come from, yet the younger teenage witch didn't waste it. "If I turn back now, I know I won't leave our home ever again. I'll regret this decision for the rest of my life." Fighting against the incessant pounding of her heart trying to escape the confines of her ribcage, Delila tightened her grip on Diana's waist and squeezed her eyes shut, causing Diana's shock to disappear in turn. "So, I implore you to make haste before my paranoid thoughts change my mind."

"Are you sure?" Diana pressed sternly.

"I'm sure," Delila croaked out instantly, missing Diana's dismissive shake of the head as she focused forward again.

"Then let us be off."

"Yes, let's!"

With Delila keeping her eyes closed and tensing her shoulders in preparation for what was to come, Diana tightened her grip on the broom handle, jutted her chin to the air, puffed out her chest and proudly recited the spell name Delila recognised to be for flight. "Tia Freyre!"

Seconds after the spell's recitation, a green glow sprung to life from the bristles of the broom and faintly illuminated the darkness-shrouded walls of the tower. Round and sparkling lights leapt from the broom's bristles as they expanded outward, conjuring a sudden whirlwind around the two sisters and forming a ring of dust beneath them. The invisible and harsh assault on her clothes and hair forced Delila to lower her head close to her sister's back, yet she still refrained from opening her eyes or loosening her grip. Meanwhile, Diana remained unfazed and poised during the brief onslaught, even once the broom started to levitate into the air. Delila's breathing grew short and sharp at feeling her bottom touch the broom's handle and her legs dangling in the air, her pounding pulse practically leaping into her ears. But she still didn't dare to peek at her surroundings as they gradually ascended the tower, knowing that if she did, the little courage she'd found to defy her body's nerves would soon shrivel up like a prune.

After enduring a short acceleration that took them a good distance into the air, a flash of bright green light appeared above the two sisters, revealing a rectangular, bright green portal situated partway up the tower, decorated inside with streaks of electrified black that arched outwards like tree branches yet slithered forwards like snakes. Delila continued to keep her eyes shut and her grip tight on Diana with ragged and deep breaths, while Diana hunched her shoulders and eyed the approaching portal entrance with a determined frown.

"Hang on tight!" Diana warned, which Delila took as her cue to shuffle closer to her sister. Diana waited until her broom was in close enough range before she boldly shouted the command to grant them access, her voice resounding off the bricked walls. "Open! Reveal the path to us!"

A/N: In case anyone has any questions regarding what I've done in this chapter, here are the answers:

Delila's relation to Diana: Normally, when I undergo fics like this, I tend to avoid making the OC related to a canon character, just to give myself a little bit of leeway for creativity. However, Diana is my favourite character in LWA, and while she is portrayed as an important character meant to rival Akko throughout the anime, I realised rewatching the show that Diana… isn't actually present much when Akko does certain things. The initial reason for wanting to write this fic was to try to give Diana a bit more spotlight and involve her more in Akko's antics, but when I tried to create my OC in order to do this, I found it increasingly difficult without her having some form of connection to Diana. But I'll be honest in saying that the backstory of the Cavendish family and Diana's situation with her mother was the other reason, because if any of you know my current work… 95% of my stories revolve around 'grief'. It is my trademark at this point, honestly. XD As for everything else: her being Diana's younger twin should be obvious. They had to be the same age so they could stick together in the same classes and whatnot.

Delila's OC design: yes, it is Diana's concept art. Had I been an artist or could afford to commission someone, I would have attempted to make her image more distinct and with the original Cavendish trademark appearance. But I won't lie… I kinda like Diana's concept design, and given Delila's character, I think it makes sense she look like an oddball. Also helps to distinguish her from Diana to avoid confusion.

Accents: This is something I intend to do for the characters when necessary, as they are established to be from different countries of origin and I want to make mention of it for the sake of realism and accuracy. Please note, though, that references to their native tongues will be vague, as I am not bilingual and don't have any reliable sources to accurately type up sentences in their languages (maybe except in the case of Sucy, but… no promises). So, for the sake of this story, we'll say that the characters are bilingual (which would be expected since Luna Nova is a British boarding school. They would have to have a good degree of fluency in English to attend). As for the Cavendish family having British accents: I am aware that 'Wedinburgh', where the Cavendish home is originally from, is likely a spoof of 'Edinburgh' in Scotland, meaning technically Diana and Delila should be Scottish, but again… I am unfamiliar with Scottish dialect and the LWA wiki implies the mentioned location is in /Britain/, so… yeah. Plus, the Cavendish are a noble family, so it is expected they would be posh to some degree.

On the topic of 'spoofs', though: Glastonbury. Again, 'Blytonbury' is likely its fictional spoof, but the wiki implies they're two separate locations bordering one another. As such, I included it. I hope you liked the little history tidbits I dropped in there, though. I thought it tied in nicely with the universe and that it was worth mentioning. Also, if you're wondering why Delila travelled to Glastonbury and had Diana pick her up through the St Michael's Leyline Terminal, it is stated that this is the main line of access to Luna Nova. And while in Episode 20 Diana and Akko travel back to Luna Nova using a different leyline from the Cavendish Manor, it is mentioned that prior to Episode 19, Diana has been away from home for quite some time. The timeline is not expanded upon, but it made sense given the family's conflict that Delila go to /her/ rather than the other way around.

And finally: age of enrolment for Diana. According to the wiki, age of acceptance at Luna Nova is between 13 to 16. It's never stated in the anime at what age Diana enrolled at Luna Nova, nor when Bernadette passed (though it must have been after Diana turned eleven, based on what Anna says during Episode 19 about that dress Akko is given to wear), so I've implied that Diana went straight there at the age of thirteen and that Bernadette was already gone by that time. I aim to try to stick to canon as much as I can, but if I am disproved at any point… we can just pass it off as an AU, considering Delila has mucked up a lot already. XD