Akko Kagari and the White Witch

Chapter Twenty-Two: The End of the Beginning

"Akko!"

Diana was tugging at her sleeve, staring at her watch. "We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us – before Professor Croix locks the door – "

"Okay," said Akko, wrenching her gaze from the sky, "let's go…."

They slipped through the doorway behind them and down a tightly spiraling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. They flattened themselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Crawford and Professor Finnelan. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.

"…only hope the headmistress is not going to make things difficult," Professor Finnelan was saying. "The Heart of Darkness will be performed immediately?"

"As soon as the executioner returns with the Heartless. This whole Izetta affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to informing the press that we've got her at last…. I daresay they'll want to interview you, Anne…and once young Akko is back in her right mind, I expect she'll want to tell the news exactly how you saved her…."

"Somehow, I highly doubt that," said Professor Finnelan. "Miss Kagari has always had an exceptionally low opinion of me…. But I am more than okay with that."

"Well, I'm certain she'll change her mind after tonight," said Crawford.

Their footsteps died away. Akko and Diana waited a few moments to make sure they were really gone, then started to run in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor – then they heard a cackling ahead.

"Mxyz!" Akko muttered, grabbing Diana's wrist. "In here!"

They toe into a deserted classroom to their left just in time. Mr. Mxyzptlk seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in boisterous good spirits, laughing his head off.

"God, he is the worst," whispered Diana, her ear to the door. "I bet he's all excited because the Heartless are going to finish off Izetta…." She checked her watch. "Three minutes, Akko!"

They waited until Mr. Mxyzptlk's gloating voice had faded into the distance, then slid back out of the room and broke into a run again.

"Diana – what'll happen – if we don't get back inside – before Professor Croix locks the door?" Akko panted.

"Technically speaking, it will be the future after we left, so we have no way of knowing what will happen," said Diana, checking her watch again. "One minute!"

They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. "Okay – I can hear Professor Croix," said Diana tensely. "Come on, Akko!"

They crept along the corridor. The door opened. Croix's back appeared.

"I'm going to lock you in," they heard her saying. "It's five minutes to midnight. Diana, you should have one charge left. Three turns ought to do it. Don't forget the Shiny Rod. Good luck."

Croix backed out of the room, closed the door, and pulled out her smartphone to magically lock it. Panicking, Akko and Diana ran forward. Croix looked up, and a wide smile appeared on her lips. "Well?" she said quietly.

"We did it!" said Akko breathlessly. "Izetta is gone, on Qing…."

Croix beamed at them.

"Well done. I think – " she listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you're gone too – get inside – I'll lock you in – "

Akko and Diana slipped back inside the dormitory. Everyone was still unconscious in their beds just like they left them. As the lock clicked behind them, Akko and Diana crept back to their own beds. Diana tucking the Chronal Accelerator prototype back in her pockets, Akko replacing the Shiny Rod back on the bedside table. A moment later, Porlyusica came striding back out of her office.

"Did I hear her leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

She was in a very bad mood. Akko and Diana thought it was best to accept their tea quietly. Porlyusica stood over them, making sure they drank it. But Akko could hardly swallow. She and Diana were waiting, listening, their nerves jangling…. And then, as they both took their fourth cup of tea from Porlyusica, they heard a distant noise akin to thunder clapping from somewhere above them….

"What the hell was that?" said Porlyusica in alarm.

Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Porlyusica was staring at the door.

"Really – they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

Akko was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing closer – "

"She must have teleported, Anne. Poor Professor Holbrooke, caught by surprise like that. When this gets out – "

"She didn't teleport!" Professor Finnelan snapped, now very close at hand. "She couldn't have used the Corridors of Darkness either, not without being spotted by the Heartless! This has something to do with Kagari!"

"Anne – be reasonable – Akko has been locked up – "

BAM!

The door of the hospital wing burst open.

Crawford, Finnelan, Holbrooke, and Croix came striding into the ward. Both Professor Holbrooke and Croix looked at ease. Indeed, Croix in particular looked as though she was quite enjoying herself. Crawford appeared angry. But Professor Finnelan was beside herself.

"Out with it, Miss Kagari!" she bellowed. "What did you do?"

"Professor!" yelled Porlyusica. "Control yourself!"

"Same here, Anne, be reasonable," said Crawford. "This door has been locked, we just saw – "

"She helped her escape, I know it!" Professor Finnelan howled, pointing at Akko. Her face was twisted; spit was flying from her mouth.

"Calm down, woman!" Crawford barked. "You're talking nonsense!"

"You don't know Miss Kagari!" shrieked Professor Finnelan. "She did it, I know she did it – "

"That will do, Professor," said Croix calmly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Miss Porlyusica, has anyone left their beds?"

"Of course not!" said Porlyusica, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Professor," said Croix with a superior undertone. "Unless you are suggesting that Miss Kagari are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

"Two places at…," said Professor Finnelan slowly; realization suddenly swept over her face as she spun around to Croix. "You…you son of a…."

Croix stood there, looking particularly smug at Professor Finnelan, seething, while Crawford looked thoroughly shocked at her behavior, and Professor Holbrooke, whose eyes were twinkling behind her glasses. Giving one last nasty look at Croix, Professor Finnelan whirled about and stormed out of the ward.

"The old woman seems quite unbalanced," said Crawford, staring after her. "I'd watch out for her if I were you, Holbrooke."

"Oh, she's not unbalanced," said Professor Holbrooke quietly. "She's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"She's not the only one!" puffed Crawford. "The news is going to have a field day! We had Izetta cornered and she slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs is for the story of that Qilin's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well…I'd better go and notify the Council…."

"And the Heartless?" said Professor Holbrooke. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Crawford, running his fingers distractedly through his beard. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Heart of Darkness on an innocent girl…. Completely out of control…no, I'll have them packed off back to Dol Guldur tonight…."

"The sooner, the better, in my opinion," said Croix, smiling at Akko and Diana. As she, Holbrooke, and Crawford left the dormitory, Porlyusica hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.

There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Lotte had woken up. They could see her sitting up, rubbing her head, and groping the side table for her glasses. She put them on and looked around, slightly bewildered.

"What – what happened?" she groaned. "Akko? Why are we in here? Where's Izetta? Where's Amon? What's going on?"

Akko and Diana looked at each other.

"You tell her," said Akko, helping herself to some more tea.

Everyone made a full recovery by the next day. Once she had been given the go ahead, Diana helped escort Wendy back to her dormitory, explaining the events that led to Qing's release. Wendy looked so relieved that she was almost crying. Ursula was already gone by the time Akko had woken up, and, to even greater relief, Blair had finally woken from her coma, gaining enough strength to transform into her human state, though she was still physically weak and needed to stay inside the hospital wing a little longer. Akko, Lotte, and Sucy explained everything that had happened while she was unconscious: winning the Chariot Cup, Izetta, the truth about what happened at Zurich, and Amon unfortunate escape.

"Thank god…," said Blair, sounding relieved. "I never wanted to believe that Izetta was capable of doing all those things. I never did trust Amon – he never took off that mask of his. I only wish I had been there to help you kids."

"Yeah, it's pretty convenient how you just now wake up after everything is over," said Sucy dryly.

"Sucy!" Lotte scolded her.

When they left the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking advantage of another Blytonbury visit. Neither Lotte nor Sucy felt like going, however, so they and Akko wandered onto the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Izetta and Qing were now. Sitting near the lake, watching the Kraken waving its tentacles lazily above the water, Akko lost the thread of the conversation as she looked across to the opposite bank. That warm, brilliant light that had protected her last night….

She heard a drip in the calm water looked down. A tiny goldfish with a pointed witch's hat had just surfaced from the lake, looking up at them open-mouthed. None of them were truly surprised when the goldfish exploded in a ray of green light and Professor Pisces walked on to the shore next to them, ringing out the wetness in her hair with a pleasant smile.

"I know I shouldn't feel happy after what happened last night," she said. "I mean, Izetta escaping again and everything – but guess what?"

"What?" they said, pretending to look curious.

"Qing! He escaped! He's free! I've been celebrating all night!"

"That's wonderful!" said Lotte, giving Sucy a reproving look because she looked as though she was close to laughing.

"Yeah…probably didn't tie him up properly," said Professor Pisces, gazing happily out over the grounds. "It's at least a slight bright spot on this morning, after the news about Professor Ursula and everything…."

"What do you mean?" said Akko quickly.

"Oh, I suppose you haven't heard," said Professor Pisces, her smile fading a little. "She probably didn't say anything to you girls because she didn't want you to worry…. You see, and I just found out about this myself, Professor Ursula's health has been failing for quite some time, constantly needing regular medicine and stuff…. But last night, it took a turn for the worst…. I don't know what happened last night, but it was really bad…Professor Ursula is being taken away to a special hospital…. She's packing her things now."

Akko scrambled to her feet.

"I'm going to see her," she said to Lotte and Sucy.

"Do you want us to come with you – "

"We can be moral support – "

"No, I want to go see her alone for now. I'll meet you back here."

Ursula's door was open. There was a large suitcase on her cluttered desk, which was open and nearly full. Croix was bustling around the room packing up the last of her things. Ursula was sitting down, looking pale and clammy, bending over something on the coffee table and only looked up when Akko knocked on the door.

"I saw you coming," said Ursula, smiling. She pointed to the book she had been poring over. It was the Shiny Guide Book.

"I just heard from Professor Pisces," said Akko. "And she said you were leaving because of your health. Is that true?"

"I'm afraid it is," said Croix, busily folding one of Ursula's shirts. "I'm afraid that Amon's bloodbending has only worsened her condition. It's gotten to the point where my own concoctions are not enough to help her along."

"What are you going to do?" asked Akko. "Is Professor Ursula going to…."

"There is a doctor stationed somewhere in the middle east by the name of Angela Zeigler," said Croix. "She's a world-renowned scientist and a peerless surgeon who has created nanotechnology that radically improved the treatment of life-threatening illnesses and injuries. After pulling a few strings, I managed to track her down and ask her to take in Professor Ursula to see if she can treat her condition."

"Then she's going to be okay, right?"

"I wouldn't be so sure, Akko," said Ursula with a weak smile. "The source of my ailment is something that can't be explained with science. At most, it should buy me a few more years…. Just long enough to complete some unfinished business."

"I don't want to lose you!" said Akko. "You're the best teacher I ever had! You've believed in me more than anyone else!"

"Akko, please calm down," said Ursula in a soft, soothing voice. "I'm only going to be gone for a few weeks, and then I'll be right back…. There are still so many things I want to teach you before I…before I go. And from what Professor Croix told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night, Akko. If I'm proud of anything I've done as your teacher, it's how much you've learned…. You mastered the Shiny Balai and learned to perform a perfect Light Spell, correct?"

"I had a little help from Diana," said Akko, distracted. "Who would have thought her family's motto would be the Word?"

"Well, Diana's ancestor was one of the Nine Olde Witches," said Ursula. "But more than that, you mastered the Light Spell and drove back the Heartless. Though I'm not happy about who you learned it from, it is an outstanding achievement nonetheless. You should be proud of yourself. Of all the thing's you've done this year. You've come far from that clumsy girl we knew in First Year."

At that time, Croix finished folding the last of Ursula's clothes and shut the suitcase with a snap.

"You're ready to go, Professor," said Croix. "Sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"It's all right," said Ursula, waving her off. "An old friend offered me a ride on her newly acquired Qilin, and I wouldn't want to miss out on the opportunity."

"Lucky," said Croix, smirking.

"Oh, before I forget – I brought this back from the Tree of Woodward this morning," said Ursula, reaching into her pocket and handing Akko back the Ring of Gyges. "And…" She hesitated, then closed the Shiny Guide Book and pushed it closer to Akko. "I did say that I would expel you if you got into any trouble again…though I suppose this time it was more my fault…. And I'm sure Chariot would be very displeased knowing that her daughter wasn't putting this book to good use. Just promise me you won't cause too much trouble."

"Professor, it's me," said Akko, grinning.

"Right, what was I thinking?" said Ursula, shaking her head amusingly.

There was a knock at the door. Akko hastily stuffed the Ring of Gyges in her pocket and the Shiny Guide Book down her tunic.

It was Professor Finnelan. She only spared Akko a small glance.

"There is a car waiting for you out front, Professor," she said.

"Thank you, Professor Finnelan," said Ursula.

She shakily got to her feet with a little assistance from Croix and picked up her suitcase.

"Well – this is good-bye for now, Miss Kagari," said Ursula, smiling. "I look forward to teaching you again next year."

"Here, let me at least help you to the car…," said Croix insistently.

"I hope you feel better soon, Professor," said Professor Finnelan soberly.

Croix grabbed Ursula by the arm and guided her to the door, Ursula looking over her shoulder with a final nod and a swift smile to Akko before they left the room.

Akko stared at the open door for the longest time, a sinking feeling in her chest, before she turned to Professor Finnelan, who was also watching them leave.

"If there is something you wish to say to me, Miss Kagari," said Professor Finnelan without looking, "I suggest you say it now. I have a lot of paperwork ahead of me, double now that I have to take on Professor Ursula's share while she is gone."

"What you did was going way too far," said Akko bitterly. "I understand why you hate Shiny Chariot, and you hate me because she's my mom, but doing that to Izetta – "

"What are you talking about, you ridiculous girl," Professor Finnelan snapped, turning her head toward Akko. "I don't hate you."

"ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?" roared Akko. "Ever since my first year, you've done nothing but give me a hard time! Pushing extra homework just for me, giving me detention for every little thing, humiliate me in class, and you even threatened to expel me last year! How else could I take that except knowing you hate me?"

"The reason why I push you harder than everyone is because I expect more from you, Miss Kagari!" shouted Professor Finnelan. "I push you because I want you to do better!"

"Wh-what?" said Akko, shaking her head in disbelief. "How does that work?"

Professor Finnelan let out a tired sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She took a deep, calming breath, walked across the room, and took a seat on the chair Ursula had vacated. She gestured to the chair across the table, insisting on Akko to take it. She was slightly hesitant to do so, but Akko did as she was told. Professor Finnelan let out another tired sigh, shook her head, and looked up at Akko. For the first time that she had known the Alchemy teacher, she didn't at Akko with contempt like she usually does. If anything, she looked slightly mournful.

"Miss Kagari, do you think I like punishing you?" said Professor Finnelan solemnly. "Do you think I want to see you fail. I don't – I never did – but I have to do it if you are ever going to improve. Yes, it is true that I hate your mother and your aunt for my daughter's death, but you have nothing to do with that. You are an innocent party in all of this. My feelings towards your family have nothing to do with my feelings toward you, Miss Kagari."

"Then why do you treat me worse than everyone else?" asked Akko. "Ever since the first year, it always seems like you're going after me personally."

"I'm sorry if it seems that way, but it is not without a good reason," said Professor Finnelan. "Do you know what I saw when I first laid eyes on you at the Sorting Ceremony three years ago. I saw a bright young girl, eager to learn, filled with limitless potential. I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were capable of doing extraordinary things. I will confess that I was a little sad that you weren't sorted into my House. Even before I knew your Star-Born Child status.

"But when it came time for classes, I saw nothing but disappointment. I knew you were eager to learn magic, but you were always goofing off, or not paying attention, or trying to do things without putting in the work. Then there was all the rule breaking, the vandalism, and everything else you seem to get in trouble for on a daily basis. When I saw how you acted, I knew you had to be disciplined. So I had to become harsher, stricter, and make sure you never got away with any nonsense."

"And that includes threatening to expel me," Akko muttered dryly.

"You flew all the way from New York on a broomstick," Professor Finnelan retorted; Akko whistled innocently. "Miss Kagari, you are a brilliant young witch. You've proven that repeatedly in all of your written exams. Your test scores easily rival those of Miss Cavendish, and sometimes even surpasses them in such subjects like History of Magic and Magic Astronomy. But your work ethic is that…well, you don't have one. You think that if you try hard enough, you can do it without putting in the effort. That's the real reason why you've been doing terribly in your practical lessons."

"But I can use all the spells from the Shiny Rod just fine!" said Akko defiantly.

"That's because you were willing to work for them," said Professor Finnelan. "You endured trials unlike any other in order to obtain them, and that's why you can perform them so naturally. The same with the Light Spell you performed last night – yes, I interrogated Professor Ursula about that one," she answered to Akko's bewildered expression. "And that's why is makes me so sad to see you wasting such talent in class when I know you have what it takes to do better. You may not believe it, Miss Kagari, but I want you to become the best witch you can possibly be. To leave Luna Nova without any regrets and to have the strength to stand up on your own and take hold of your dream with your own two hands…that is all I want from you, Miss Kagari."

Akko bit her lip, trying to think of something to say back. This was Professor Finnelan – she's had it out for Akko since the beginning. There was no reason why she should believe anything from the teacher who has always made her school days miserable…. But there was an undeniable sense of sincerity in her voice that made Akko second-guess herself. And now that she thought about it, Professor Finnelan wasn't entirely wrong…. Akko couldn't deny that she could have been a better student all these years….

Professor Finnelan suddenly stood up, snapping Akko out of her stupor.

"I am not going to change, Miss Kagari," said Professor Finnelan firmly. "I will keep pushing you harder and I will punish you when you deserve it, because I want you to succeed. I don't care if you end up hating me by the time you graduate. As long as you leave this school better than when you arrive, then I will know that I have done my job as an educator. The same goes for all of your friends. You all have such wonderful future's ahead of you…I would hate to see it all go to waste…."

And with that, she walked around Akko's seat and marched purposely for the door, leaving Akko to stare at the floor, lost in her own thoughts. Professor Finnelan paused at the door, turned around, and said, "My daughter gave her life for you because she thought you were something worth protecting…. Don't let her sacrifice be for nothing…."

And Professor Finnelan left the office, leaving Akko to her very confused thoughts.

Nobody at Luna Nova knew the truth of what had happened the night Izetta, Qing, and Amon had vanished except for those who had been there. As the end of term approached, Akko heard many different theories about what had really happened, but none of them came close to the truth.

Wendy had suddenly become a celebrity overnight. A rumor suddenly sprouted up the next day that Wendy had saved Diana Cavendish's life from Izetta when she had cornered her in the Tree of Woodward. Though it was the wrong person, it was the truth nonetheless, as it was Wendy that had knocked down Amon the first time. Akko had no idea who it was that had started the rumor, but she couldn't help noticing the smug look on Diana's face when they passed by another group of admirers fawning over Wendy. Though they weren't outwardly friendly, Diana and Wendy seemed to have become rather close friends and respectable rivals. Akko, on the other hand, suddenly saw Wendy as a rival in a different sense….

Though the weather was perfect, though the atmosphere was so cheerful, though she knew they had achieved the near impossible in helping Izetta to freedom, Akko had never approached the end of a school year in worse spirits.

She certainly wasn't the only one who was sorry that their White Magic teacher had got away, but while Akko was disappointed because Amon had escaped justice, everyone else was sad because they had lost an admittedly good teacher.

"Wonder what they'll give us next year?" said Makoto Kowata gloomily.

"Maybe they'll give us an immortal Black Wizard next," suggested Hayate Yagami hopefully.

"Hayate-chan, when have you ever been right?" said Nanoha Takamachi, rolling her eyes.

It wasn't only Amon's escape that was weighing on Akko's mind. She couldn't help thinking a lot about Professor Ursula and the Book of Dawn that had been in her possession. Akko had secretly checked her classroom for the Book again after she had left for the middle east, but it was unsurprisingly missing. She must have been aware that Akko had seen it and hid it somewhere else. The Book of Dawn had predicted her birth and the revival of the magic world, so she couldn't help wondering where the remaining two Books were and who had them. But the thing that was lowing Akko's spirits most of all was Izetta. For maybe half an hour, a glorious half hour, she believed she would finally have her original family back…. It would have been the next best thing to having Shiny Chariot back. And while no news of Izetta was definitely good news, because it meant she had successfully gone into hiding, Akko couldn't help feeling miserable when she thought of the adventures they could have had, and the fact that it was now impossible.

The exam results come out on the last day of term. It had been a very close race, but Diana came out as the top ranked student above Wendy by only a couple points due to her extra classes. And as usual, Akko's practical exams were subpar and were only made up by the written ones. Akko remembered what Finnelan had said to her that morning in Ursula's office and decided right then and there that were would work harder next year, if nothing but to get Finnelan off her back. And speaking of Professor Finnelan, the old Alchemy teacher stayed true to her promise and did not relent on her harsh treatment of Akko, finding new ways to punish her with detention every time she thought she was causing mischief. Akko's feelings towards Professor Finnelan didn't change much either, but at least they now had a mutual understanding – that was better than nothing, Akko supposed.

Amelia O'Neill pulled out a decent amount of M.O.M.s, just enough to qualify her a job in the Magic Council according to her. Rashmi had made top marks in her S.T.A.R.s, but Rajani only barely managed to scrap by in the practical exams where she completely bombed the written portions. Polaris House, meanwhile, largely thanks to their spectacular performance in the Chariot Cup, had won the House Championship for the first time since Akko arrived in Luna Nova. But while Akko had won the Moonlit Witch two years in a row, this year was Wendy's turn to be lifted on to people's shoulders, donning the feathery cape and horned hat, while everyone sang praises of Wendy's bravery, Diana being the loudest among them. Even Akko managed to forget about the events of the past few days as she ate, drank, talked, and laughed with the rest.

As the Mystic Rail pulled out of the station the next morning, Diana gave their party some surprising news.

"I went to see Professor Croix this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Magic Numerology."

"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" said Hannah.

"I know," sighed Diana, "but I thought long and hard and I came to realize…I hate Magic Numerology! I hate it with every fiber of my being! But besides that, I can't stand another year like this one. That Chronal Accelerator, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Magic Numerology and Foretelling, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again."

"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about that," said Amanda grumpily, then turned to Constanze. "And I can't believe you kept your mouth shut about it. We're supposed to be friends."

"I promised the Professor I wouldn't tell anyone," said Stan-Bot severely. She looked around at Akko, who was watching the town disappear in a blur of color….

"Oh, cheer up, Akko!" said Jasminka sadly.

"I'm okay," said Akko quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays."

"Well, I might have something that will help with that," said Sucy. "My mom is the Head Doctor at the Alchemilla Hospital. She usually gets tickets every year for the International Chariot Race Tournament every summer. I was thinking maybe you and Lotte would like to come over during the summer and we could see it together."

"It's rather unusual for you to invite people," said Lotte, leering at Sucy suspiciously. "…you just want to experiment on Akko over the summer, don't you."

"I will neither confirm nor deny this," said Sucy plainly.

"That's actually pretty good," said Amanda brightly. "My mom gets tickets every year, too. Pays to have someone in the family with a seat on the Magic Council. I was just going to invite Constanze and Jasminka to come with me, but I guess we'll meet up with you there."

"It goes without saying that the Cavendish Family is always invited with the best seats," said Diana haughtily, casually tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Usually it's just Hannah, Barbara, and I, but I suppose we can stop by to visit you all before the match. It would be highly unlikely we would be seated near each other during the match, especially you, O'Neill."

"Do you want me to punch your teeth in?" growled Amanda.

"So then it's agreed," said Lotte quickly before a fight broke out. "We'll all meet up at the International Chariot Race Tournament. Sounds like fun, right, Akko?"

This proposal had the effect of cheering Akko up a great deal.

"Yeah…it sounds awesome. I've never seen a professional Chariot Race before…."

Feeling considerably more cheerful, Akko joined Lotte, Amanda, and Barbara in several games of cards, and when the attendant with the cart arrived, she bought herself a very large lunch, though she avoided any tea they offered.

But it was late in the afternoon before the thing that made her truly happy turned up….

"Sorry I'm late, kids," called Blair's voice walking down the aisle. "Had to pick up some stuff and you guys left without me. You know how hard it is to catch up to a magic train?"

Akko turned around in her seat and looked down. Blair was padding down the aisle in her cat form, carefully balancing a large, lumpy box equal to her in size, tied in worn out piece of rope with a small, coffee-stained letter tucked into it. Akko bended down and took the poorly made parcel off of Blair's head. She looked at the letter and saw that it had her name scrawled hastily on it.

"Who's it from?" Akko asked curiously.

"You're gonna have to read it to find out," said Blair with a Cheshire grin, leaping to the top of Akko's head rest and peering from above. "Go on, open it."

Akko picked up the note, ripped it open, and shouted, "It's from Iz – I mean, my aunt!"

"What?" said everyone excitedly, leaning in closer. "Read it! Read it!"

Dear Akko,

I hope this find you before you reach your parents. I wanted to say some things before you went back to your normal life

Qing and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this letter falls into the wrong hands. I was surprised that Blair
managed to find us so quickly and I have nothing but faith in her, but she is usually more trouble than she's worth.

I believe the Heartless are still searching for me, but they haven't got a chance of finding me here. I am planning to allow
some people to glimpse me soon, a long way from Luna Nova, so that the security on the castle will be lifted.

You probably already figured it out by now, but I thought you should know that I was the merchant that tried to sell you
the Shiny Balai in Finland. I wasn't aware that you already had a magnificent broom, but I thought it would be worth
giving to you either way. Unfortunately, Holbrooke showed up and I couldn't show myself just yet. I had to slip it in the Shiny
Rod as Mikko one night. A rather nasty way of giving a present, but I hope this makes up for thirteen years' worth of
birthdays I unfortunately missed.

I would also like to apologize for all the trouble I have given you this year. That night in the park, the scare on Halloween,
all of it. I went to Luna Nova out of a personal vendetta, but you can't imagine how proud I was to see my little niece grow
up. You have the Du Nord Family eyes, you know that.

During my travels, I ran into someone you might know and enclosed something for you that should make your next year at
Luna Nova more enjoyable.

If you ever need me, send word. I promise I will come running.

I'll write again soon.

Izetta.

Akko looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of paper in there. She read it through quickly and felt suddenly like she was floating, her heart filled with warmth and contained joy.

I, Chariot Pleiades Du Nord, hereby give my daughter, Atsuko Rukia Kagari, permission to visit Blytonbury on weekends.

"It's written by my mom!" said Akko happily.

"I can't believe she managed to track down Shiny Chariot," said Diana, staring at the signature with awe and want.

Akko looked back at Izetta's letter.

"Hang on, there's a P.S…."

Since it's kind of my fault that Lotte doesn't have a pet any more, I thought she might like a new one. Just make sure to be careful with it around water, it hates bright sunlight, and don't feed it after midnight.

"What'd she send you, a gremlin?" said Amanda.

Akko handed the lumpy box over to Lotte, who carefully pulled on the withered rope and opened the box.

Before anybody realized what happened, something hopped out of the box and latched itself on to Lotte's face. The bespectacled girl flailed her arms around in a panic, smacking Blair off the headrest, before finally calming down enough to take a hold of the creature and rip it off. She took a deep, gasping breath and looked at her newest pet –

"Harukakka!" the creature cried.

It looked like a tiny human with a head that was disproportionate to its body – a puchi, if Akko remembered from their trip to Blake's Menagerie. The little human had short brunette hair with pink ribbons on either side, very large green eyes and an unnaturally wide mouth. The little puchi waved its stubby arms around happily toward Lotte, making playful noises.

"Ooh, how cute!" Hannah squealed.

"What're you gonna call it?" asked Barbara.

"Mmm…how about…Harukasan?" said Lotte.

"Why'd you choose that name?" asked Sucy.

"I have no idea," said Lotte curiously. "It was like some mysterious godly force made me name her."

Akko read and reread the letter from Izetta all the way back into Shibuya Station. It was still clutched tightly in her hand as she and a number of Japanese students stepped off the train onto the platform where their families were waiting. Blair hopped onto Akko's shoulder and they turned back to the train waving good-bye to their friends leaning out the windows before the train started up again.

"We'll call you about the Chariot Tournament!" Lotte shouted as the train started gaining speed, and then they disappeared around the bend and out of sight. Akko wheeled the trolley bearing her luggage around towards the ramp when she spotted her father running toward her, sweating like he had just run a marathon.

"Otou-san, what's wrong?" asked Akko worriedly when he father stopped in front of her.

"Akko – you need – to run," Mr. Kagari wheezed. "It's your mother – she is – "

But before he could finish what he was saying, he suddenly froze up, a look of pure terror spreading across his face. Akko suddenly felt a hand falling on top of her head, finger starting to dig painfully into her skull with an iron grip, and she hear the voice that made her insides turn to ice.

"Look who decided to show up again," came the terrifyingly cold voice of Mrs. Kagari. "After turning your aunt into a hippo and running away for nearly a year…I didn't think you had the guts to come back…."

"I-I-I-I was hoping you had forgotten about that," Akko shuddered fearfully.

"Oh, I haven't – it's the only thing that's been on my mind for the last eleven months," hissed Mrs. Kagari. "I hope you said your fond farewells to your friends, Atsuko…because you might not be seeing them again when I am through with you…."

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Akko cried.

While Akko was receiving the worst punishment in her short, unnatural life all the way in Japan, Annabelle Crème was walking through the deserted halls of Luna Nova, finally having the peace and quite she desperately needed to finish her novel. She was nearly finished – she just needed to come up with an ending for the protagonist and her friends to defeat the titanic monster. She was chewing on the end of her magic pen thoughtfully when she heard a loud clatter coming from her right.

It was coming from Professor Croix's laboratory – she had left the door open again.

There was a lot of noise going on inside, like someone was tossing stuff around. Annabelle Crème was very young and naturally curious, so it came as no surprise when she walked inside to check on things; she ducked out of the way in time when a beaker sent flying over her head.

"Where is it? Where is it?" Croix muttered to herself. She was running around her mess of a laboratory, throwing around piles of papers, unnamed gadgets, and even the sink, all in a desperate bid to look for something. "Come on, I know it was around here somewhere."

"Excuse me, Professor Croix," said Annabelle Crème out loud, rapping her knuckles on the door. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, it's you, Professor Crème," said Croix, looking over her shoulder in surprise. "Oh, it's nothing to worry about. I just lost something and I can't figure out where to find it."

"Did you ever consider cleaning up," said Annabelle Crème, noting the cup of half-finished ramen sitting on one of the computer towers. "What're you looking for anywhere?"

"I finished building the completed version of my Chronal Accelerator a couple weeks ago," said Croix, scratching her head. "After I received the final data report from Miss Cavendish, I decided that it was a wash and was planning on scrapping the whole thing for parts. But now that I'm looking for it, I can't seem to find it anywhere. Which is really weird, because it never left my workbench."

"You think somebody took it?" asked Annabelle Crème.

"I don't see why they would," said Croix, shrugging her shoulders. "It may be finished, but the amount of power that thing needs to charge is astronomical. It's useless without a suitable power source. Who would want that useless thing?"

It had been a long journey for him, but Amon had finally made it to his destination.

He had crossed the ocean and an entire continent to reach this small, backwater town in the middle of nowhere off the country's shore. But when he arrived, instead of finding a small, quiet town, he was greeted with the sight of carnage and destruction. The quaint little buildings had been absolutely shredded into bits of lumber, cars were tossed every which way, some of them smashing into shops and homes, and even the distant lighthouse had been cut in half. It looked like a tornado had plowed through this town – and according to the news reports he heard on the way here, that's exactly what happened.

There was no sign of life anywhere from where he was standing – it seemed like the entire town had been killed in the freak storm that had appeared out of nowhere…. Or that's what he thought until he saw movement near the border.

He could only see it from a distance, but Amon could barely make out the crude, dilapidated pickup truck leaving the town limits. And the people inside – two girls from what he could see. Amon smiled under his mask.

As the truck fled off into the distance, Amon slowly started to follow, stepped over the broken sign in the middle of the street that bore the former town's name: Arcadia Bay

And that finally brings and end to the White Witch. This has been one of the biggest turning points in the entire series with a lot of surprising revelations, including the revelation that the so-called big bad Aradia that everyone thought was the main antagonist was actually fake. And now you all must be wondering, if Aradia isn't the series main antagonist, then who is? Well, you're going to have to wait until the next book to find out. And trust me, if any of you have figured out who it is by now, then you must have the power to see into the future, too.

And it also revealed that something is wrong with Ursula, something that has been plaguing her for a long time. This will play an important role in Akko's life in the next several books, and the truth behind this disease may cause Akko to question everything she believed in.

Up next is the biggest event in Akko's life. An event that takes place once every seven years is coming to Luna Nova, and Akko once again finds herself in the middle of everything. The Contest of Champions has arrived, and five students from Luna Nova will be chosen to compete in a tournament against seven rival schools. But there are many secrets lurking in the shadows, including a mysterious and dangerous new teacher, a hidden conspiracy that had been at work for centuries, and worst of all, the greatest threat that the world has ever known finally reveals themselves. Don't miss the exciting next installment: Akko Kagari and the Contest of Champions!

Oh, and I have one more announcement to make. Having gained enough experience thus far, I have decided to branch out and…start my own original story! That's right, it won't be another parody, but an original story with an original plot! It will be called Serenity Academy, and, as you may have guessed, it will have a school setting just like the Akko Kagari series. But this series won't focus solely on magic, but a variety of different things including science and spirits. Some famous characters like Natsu, Ichigo, and Accelerator will appear, along with some lesser known characters like Eruna Ichinomiya and Squid Girl. It will likely be in the anime x-over category, so be on the lookout.

Since this is an original story, it will likely take me longer to write, but I will try to balance work between the Akko Kagari series and Serenity Academy series. Please look forward to them.