Author's Note:
A portion of this chapter is Diana's point of view of Chapter 11.
-----
"Keep Akko out of my dreams and you stay out too! If Unseelie find you, you're going to be in a lot of trouble.
-A"
Diana stared at Amanda's message in the orb. It had gotten worse. Akko entered Amanda's dreams as well. She wrote back that she had a potion that ought to block Akko but it wasn't working for her. If she wanted a dose, she was welcome to have it.
"Akko... what's going on with you?" mumbled Diana. It was verging on ridiculous. Besides her dream walking, there was her unusually high magic absorption at Avebury, and then she shot up into the sky during flying practice the day after Solstice. It took several hours for them to figure out how much to lessen her focus to prevent the broom from going out of control. It was as if Avebury removed limiters on her magic.
While Akko went swimming with Prof. Pisces, she contacted Prof. Lukic and explained her predicament.
"Where did you get this potion?" asked Prof. Lukic.
"I'm sorry, Sucy, but I'm desperate," thought Diana. She took a quick breath and hoped Sucy won't get in trouble. "I got it from Sucy."
"From Sucy, eh? HEEEHEEE-HEEEHEEE-HE. Come, my apprentice. Your friend needs you. HEEEHEEE-- HEEEHEEE-- HEE."
"Yes, master." Sucy's image appeared in the orb. "What's up?"
"The potion didn't work." Diana described everything that happened and all the things she tried.
"Did Akko ever talk to you or see you?"
"No."
"Then the potion is working."
"But I can still see her."
"Don't drink the potion. If you see her in a dream, talk to her. Next night, make her drink the potion and try talking to her. Let me know me what happens." Sucy turned away. "Don't you agree, master?"
Diana could hear Lukic in the background. "Excellent assessment, my apprentice. HEEEHEEE-- HEEEHEEE-- HEE."
"There you go. Anything else?"
"No, that's it."
"Bye."
"Bye." Sucy's image disappeared from the orb. Diana sighed. She didn't look forward to dreaming tonight.
-----
Later that afternoon, she had an unexpected visitor. At first, she thought it was Amanda, come to complain about the dream. She wasn't ready to tell Akko yet. To her relief, it was another O'Neill.
"Good afternoon. Is Lady Cavendish available?" With her worn cloak and unruly hair, this woman looked like she survived many dangerous encounters.
"I'm Lady Cavendish," said Diana. "How may I help you?"
"Really? I apologize for my ignorance. I wasn't informed. Congratulations." She extended her hand to shake. "My name is Juniper O'Neill of the Seelie Court. I have a case from Investigations that requires your attention." Juniper noticed Akko. "Good afternoon. You must be Amanda's friend. I've heard a lot about you. My name is Juniper O'Neill of the Seelie Court."
"Um... you catch seals?" asked Akko, who was obviously confused since Juniper spoke with a heavy Irish brogue.
"May I cast a translator spell on her, Lady Cavendish?" asked Juniper.
"Please call me Diana."
"That makes it easier. You remind me of your mum. Berry wasn't much for titles."
Berry? That must be her mother's nickname. "You knew my mother?"
"She was my mentor when I started working on cases. Anyway, may I cast it?"
"Akko is Japanese, so she sometimes misunderstands English. Let me ask her first. Akko, is it all right if she casts a translator spell on you?"
Akko agreed and after using a translator spell, Juniper was able to converse with Akko. Diana was surprised that Juniper spoke so openly about the case. She was even more surprised when she referred to Akko as the master of Claiomh Solais. She wondered what Amanda told Juniper about Akko.
The surprises didn't stop there. The Briefing page listed her as the leader. Then Juniper even suggested that Akko come with them. Worse, Akko wanted to come. It was all too much. How was she supposed to manage this?
Despite her doubts, Akko didn't give up. She kept offering suggestions and assisted in organizing the information in the folder. Little by little, Diana appreciated her dogged enthusiasm and insight. Sometimes, when Akko was too busy to notice, she would just watch her for a while then go back to the task at hand, feeling more inspired.
By late evening, Diana had a better idea of the case and decided it was all right for Akko to come. She couldn't help but smile and feel grateful when Akko whooped with excitement. They prepared for bed.
Diana held the potion in her hand. The last thing she wanted was Akko invading her dreams, but Sucy said not to drink it and Lukic agreed. However, the situation changed with this case so she would have to experiment later. She took a dose and hoped that her dreams wouldn't be too strange.
-----
Prior to Wednesday, she and Akko prepared for the mission by doing research and practicing defensive and attack spells. On the last day of practice, she increased the shield in the meadow and added more armor to the dummy. She prepared a shield for herself and Akko.
"I increased the defenses so hit it with all you got," said Diana.
"Are you sure?" asked Akko with concern.
Diana winked. "Go Amanda wild."
Akko laughed. "Ok!" She pointed her wand at the dummy. Its tip began to crackle with magic. The grass near Akko began to bend away from her.
Diana began to have doubts about this experiment, but she braced herself. She had to know what she was dealing with.
Akko's hand began to shake and wand's tip was surrounded by a bright incandescent blue orb. "MURO--"
Diana readied the shield spell as soon as Akko completed the cast. Suddenly, the wand made a popping noise and green sparks fizzled from its tip.
"You need to get a new wand. That one can't handle your magic," said Diana. She suspected as much after Avebury. "You can have my spare in the meantime but don't go all out."
Akko rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry..."
-----
On Wednesday, Diana expected to meet their fourth member, but to her dismay, Bernhardt was just a researcher.
"It'll be fine," said Akko, who squeezed her shoulder.
Her touch felt very reassuring and she smiled back to hide her worries. "I hope so."
The start of the mission was routine, but when they entered the cave, her heart began to beat faster. At first, she wanted to go in before Akko, but on second thought, with her being last, Akko would be protected from the front and back.
She had seen Juniper's eyes when she removed her dark glasses. Her pupils were unusually large which made Diana think that she could see in the dark. If that were the case, then there was no need for Juniper to use a torch. Akko or herself should hold it.
When they reached the cavern, Diana understood her intent. The torch wasn't there to provide light, but was used to draw the attention of the creature that they were hunting. As soon as it attacked, her first thought was to protect Akko. It didn't help that Akko just attacked without a defensible position.
Her shield was just in time to save her from the creature's spew. Her hands were sweaty and she held her wand tighter. "Get back, Akko!"
She cast a spell to enhance her sight. A misshapen creature flailed in the cavern. Juniper flew above it, deflecting and attacking with a spear. Over a thousand years ago, Seelie married into the O'Neill clan and some descendants exhibited Seelie powers. With her glowing green eyes and faery wings, Juniper was such a descendant.
Thorny vines trapped the creature so Diana aimed at its head. "Murowa!"
Juniper twirled her spear over the other head. It fell and flesh began to gather around the wound. Within seconds, it had a tail. It slithered its way to them.
She and Akko attacked it while backing up the tunnel. Finally, they defeated it by stabbing thorns into its eyes. Then Akko ran ahead. Diana readied another shield spell as she stumbled after her.
To her relief, Juniper had sealed the creature in an orb. As they finished up, Diana had a chance to collect her thoughts. It was obvious Juniper could do this by herself so she tried to find out what her aunt did. "Did my aunt really do her share of work?"
"A bit," replied Juniper.
Despite her efforts, Juniper didn't elaborate whether her aunt did her share of work. When she asked about her intentions regarding the escaped head, she felt humbled by Juniper's answer.
"Idle wands never made a good witch. There are things you can't learn from books."
In her own way, Juniper was mentoring them, just as her mother did when Juniper joined her team. She also took Akko's observation about the creature seriously.
Based on Akko's description, she had a vision of the dragon and Juniper in the fire. Diana remembered Akko staring into the fire after the midnight ritual and it took a while for her to respond. She tried to remember how Akko was that time. Akko stood still, with pupils dilated, staring at the fire. Most of the time, Akko was a bundle of energy, always looking around. "So that's how you are in a trance," thought Diana. She would have to watch out when Akko was like that and not interrupt her. Her vision would be valuable if an event was about to happen.
A shiver ran up Diana's spine as she remembered Fietta's readings. This was just the beginning. There would be more cases, so this must be the challenge that Fietta alluded to.
When they entered the ley line, Diana looked forward to spending time with Akko. She would worry about the cases later. Instead, Juniper led them to a foggy island. They met Fietta there who seemed to have anticipated Juniper coming. When Juniper mentioned Yggdrasil, Diana immediately looked around for the magical tree but the fog was too thick.
Fietta's warning alarmed her. At the Coven, the White Witch was very friendly but now she was primed for combat. Diana didn't want to know what she could do with her spiked broom. She was amazed that Juniper remained calm to Fietta's warning.
Thankfully, Akko's interruption broke the tension. Then the nut rolled to her feet. Her fingers tingled upon touching it and she gasped when she saw the glowing leaf within.
"Challenge received," said Juniper. "Really good aim too. Put it away for now."
Her heart skipped a beat. Was this another challenge? She did as Juniper instructed and secured the nut in a pocket.
Eventually, they reached Yggdrasil and she stood in awe of the magic tree. Juniper said, "The young Yggdrasil, the fruit of your efforts. And now, it needs your help to grow."
At that moment, Diana felt like holding Akko's hand. It wasn't too long ago that they flew together and watched the Triskellion in the sky. It was a wondrous moment that she would never forget and now she was looking at what they had accomplished together.
"Diana, do you have the seed?" asked Juniper.
Jolted out of her reverie, Diana fumbled at her pocket. "Yes."
As Juniper and Fietta explained the Yggdrasil's challenge, it felt as if the world was on her shoulders. Was it really meant for her? "It hit Akko first. Does that mean she's supposed to receive it?"
Juniper reasoned that a separate seed didn't drop for Akko. "I think that Yggdrasil wants Akko to help you. Both of you will grow the seed together."
Akko cupped her hand with the seed. "Did you hear that, Diana? We can do this together!"
The warmth of her hands felt very reassuring and Diana blushed. If Akko could help, then it didn't sound too bad. "If that's all right with you..."
"I'd love to help!"
Diana felt so relieved at Akko's answer. She smiled at Akko gratefully. While Juniper explained more about Yggdrasil, she didn't pull away from Akko and took comfort from her touch.
They ate at the Morgian embassy and Diana marveled at the effort all the witches put to study and protect Yggdrasil. Finally, it was time to go home. Juniper travelled with them till Wedinburgh then parted ways to bring the creature to Investigations.
Upon arriving at the manor, Akko graciously let her shower first. It would be nice to clean off the dirt and grime since they spent a lot of time kneeling and digging. She was toweling off when she heard the door open. Did she forget to lock it? She glanced behind to see Akko standing at the door. Akko quickly closed it.
Diana locked the door, but the damage was done. She just flashed Akko and felt dreadful. What an immodest host she was! She probably offended Akko's Japanese sensibilities. Already, she imagined Akko telling her Japanese friends, "That Diana Cavendish... she walks around naked."
As she dried herself, she tried to think of a way to apologize. Akko loved sweets. Anna could go to town and get some cakes within 15 minutes. Diana wore her bathrobe and talked to Anna who immediately went to town. She went back to her room and dressed up.
When Anna returned, they put the cakes, dishes and a pitcher of iced tea on a serving cart. Diana took a deep breath before knocking at Akko's door. "Akko?"
The door opened and Akko bowed low before her from a kneeling position. "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I'll even strip and run around outside so please forgive me!"
Diana's jaw dropped and she knelt down. "What are you doing? I'm the one that forgot to lock the door. I'm the one that has to apologize."
Akko looked up with tear streaked cheeks and runny nose. "I'm so sorry!"
"Don't cry! It's my fault!" Diana began to panic. She reached for a napkin to wipe Akko's tears but bumped the pitcher of iced tea. It fell off the cart, bounced off the door frame and splashed tea over Akko.
"I'm so sorry!"
"I'm so sorry!"
They stared at each other for a few moments then laughed at their simultaneous apologies.
"I'll accept your apology if you accept mine," said Diana, using a napkin to dry Akko's tears and face.
"You're not mad?"
"Of course not. It was an accident. You're all wet, so take a bath now. When you're done, let's have some tea and cake."
Akko's eyes grew wide. "There's cake?"
"Right here."
Akko stood up and looked at the cart. "All my favorites!"
"Yes. Go take a bath and you can have them."
"Ok! I'll be quick!" Akko took her a bundle of clothes and towel then went to the bathroom. She yelled from the door. "I'm sorry!"
"I know! Take a bath!"
Diana sat down on a nearby chair and sighed with relief. Disaster averted. She looked at the bed and noticed cards on it. She found the premium card, "A Believing Heart is Your Magic" next to the Shiny Rod card and smiled. "You still have it..."
She called Anna to clean the spill and to get another pitcher of iced tea. After Akko finished her bath, they ate cake in her room and Akko taught her how to play the card game. She lost the first three games but won most of the rest.
"Are you sure you never played?" asked Akko with a pout.
"I only had the premium card. I couldn't play if I wanted to."
After dinner, they played cards until the clock struck midnight. They got ready for bed. Diana picked up the potion and stared at it for a while. There was no need to put it off anymore. Amanda was being affected. She put the potion away and slipped into bed.
-----
Diana walked through the Luna Nova dorm. She saw Amanda who immediately went into the room that she shared with Constanze and Jasminka. She went up the stairs to the top floor and just waited. It wasn't long when Akko left her room.
Diana took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Akko!"
Akko turned around and grinned. "Diana!"
Within seconds, she found herself in a hug and blushed.
"I've been looking for you, Diana!"
"Why?"
Akko looked thoughtful. "I don't know... I just wanted to find you."
"You've found me. So know what?"
Akko held her hands. "Let's play!"
This dream Akko was more expressive than the normal Akko. Diana allowed herself to be dragged around campus, playing games with other students.
They continued to wander around campus together until the sun began to set. Suddenly, Akko grabbed her around the waist and sat on a broom that wasn't there before. Diana yelped in surprise and clung around Akko's neck. Akko flew at a steep climb and they floated over Luna Nova. Diana opened her eyes and marveled at the setting sun. Akko sneezed.
"Your hair..." said Akko, carefully moving strands of mint blonde hair off her face.
"I'm sorry." Diana brushed hair away and in the process her fingers touched Akko's cheek. Akko's skin turned a shade of pink. "So cute..." thought Diana. Reddish brown eyes gazed into blue ones, their faces only inches apart.
Just then something bright passed between them and soon they were surrounded by Pappiliodya. Diana had to shield her eyes since they glowed so brightly.
Diana yawned and rubbed her eyes. The canopy of her bed came into focus. It was such a pleasant dream so she pulled the blanket over her head and tried to sleep. Birds chirped merrily outside, keeping her awake. Reluctantly, she got out of bed and freshened up for breakfast.
While waiting for Akko to wake up, she sent a message to Prof. Chariot to ask for some time to talk.
Since it was her day off, she helped Akko with her studies and they practiced spells. After dinner, she got a message from Prof. Chariot to talk that evening. On her orb, she requested a chat via leylink. Chariot's face appeared in the orb.
"Hi, Diana. What did you want to talk about?" asked Chariot.
Diana told her about Akko's dream walking, what happened at Avebury, the Coven and Yggdrasil. "Sucy said things happen to Akko. Is there any correlation?"
"I'm afraid so. Croix noticed that I was getting into strange situations when we were students. She asked Prof. Woodward about it and Prof. Woodward said that the master of Claiomh Solais is always tested. She was, and all the others after her, including me, were tested in one way or the other."
"Am I being tested too?"
"I think Yggdrasil's challenge is a separate test. But since Akko is staying with you, expect to get involved in whatever happens to her."
"Is there any advice you can give me?"
"All I can say is to expect the unexpected."
"How can I prepare for something that I don't even know?"
"I know... it's strange. Just try to plan for an emergency."
"I beg your pardon, but that sounds too broad."
"You have to be flexible. I remember that Croix made a little kit that she could carry around. I'll send you the details later."
"Thank you. If you think of anything else, please let me know. I appreciate any insight that you may have."
"I'm sorry I can't be more specific." Chariot shrugged. "Things just happened."
"At least, I have a better idea. Thank you for your time. Good night."
"Good night."
Diana sighed. She was dealing with a trained Akko but Sucy and Lotte had to go through the entire school year with an untrained Akko. She couldn't imagine what they went through.
It was time to convince Akko to drink the potion. She prepared one dose and put it on a tray with a glass of water. She knocked on her door. "Akko? There's something we need to talk about."
Akko opened the door. "What is it?"
"It's about Amanda. She's worried about you because you're going into her dreams. There are Seelie in her clan so their dreamscape is easily accessible within family members. Some Seelie don't like unwanted guests in their dreams so you shouldn't go there. This potion may prevent you from going into Amanda's dreams."
"Oh, I don't want to bother Amanda. Do I just drink it?"
"Yes."
Akko drank a potion, made a disgusted face then washed it down with water. "Ugh... that better work."
"I hope so too. Good night."
"'Night..."
Diana went back to her room and slipped into bed, hoping tonight might reveal a solution to her predicament.
-----
The next morning, she received an angry message from Amanda.
"What the feck is wrong with you? I told you to keep Akko out of my dreams. I brought her over to your dreamscape and you just ignore her.
-A"
Diana read the message thrice and caught her breath. "It can't be..." She requested a chat on Sucy's leylink.
Sucy's image flicked in the orb. "G'Morning..."
"Good morning. Correct me if I'm wrong. When I drink the potion, Akko can't enter my dreams. Is that correct?"
"Yeah."
"When she drinks the potion, I can't enter her dreams, but she can enter mine and I won't be able to see her."
"You got it." Sucy grinned, revealing sharp teeth. "Did you figure it out?"
"What happens when both dream walkers drink the potion?"
"You won't be able to enter each other's dreams." Sucy turned around. "Master! Guess what? Diana's a dream walker too!"
"Really? HEEEHEEE-HEEEHEEE-HE! You must study this more, my apprentice. HEEEHEEE-HEEEHEEE-HE!"
Diana didn't want to be someone's experiment. "Thank you for your help, Sucy. Have a nice day."
"Bye." Sucy's image faded.
How did this happen? She requested a chat on Prof. Chariot's leylink. To her relief, Chariot's image appeared.
"What is it, Diana? Please be quick. Class is about to start." Chariot was learning Dragon language at Luna Nova.
"Professor, do you know of other side-effects to Dream Fuel Spirit?"
"I just know about losing magic."
"What about Dream Walking?"
Chariot gasped and covered her mouth. "You don't mean..."
"I can also dream walk."
"I'm sorry... I'm responsible for this. Let me do some research. I have to go now but I'll let you know what I find."
"Thank you. Goodbye."
"Bye."
It was clear now. Akko didn't enter in her dreams. She entered Akko's. That dream about the Coven was Akko's. Amanda didn't see her at first, but after she lit her clover with magic, she looked directly at her and said, "Diana? What's going on?"
She quickly left after Amanda's warning about the Seelie. There were legends of being able to travel to the faery realm by dreams. That also meant that those from the faery realm may travel into the dreamscape. Using a Seelie's dreamscape to travel to the faery realm would be akin to using a shortcut. Diana shivered with fear at the thought of Unseelie wandering the dreamscape. Those who were unfortunate enough to meet them were often cursed.
Amanda would have to drink the potion to keep them both out until they found a way of avoiding her dreamscape. She sent a message.
------
Amanda,
I apologize about last night. Please join us for lunch. There's a lot we need to talk about.
-Diana
Diana leaned back into the padded armchair. She would have to tell Akko and Amanda everything.
-------
"If this happened to anyone else, I wouldn't believe them," said Amanda. "So what now?"
Diana offered a bottle. "This is a dream walker blocker potion. I can make you a batch every week."
Amanda leaned back on the chair with her hands behind her head. "Nah. I don't like potions. If I find you, I'll just toss you out." Her green eyes glinted with mischief. "The question is, what will you two do in your dreams?"
Diana blushed. "If your mind is in the gutter, please leave me out of it."
Amanda laughed. "Joking aside, it sounds like you want some privacy. What about you, Akko?"
"It's just a dream, right? I don't see a problem," replied Akko.
Amanda looked at Diana and shrugged. It was as if she wanted to say that Akko was fine with it but didn't want to force the topic.
"Prof. Chariot is researching this. I'll try to avoid going into your dreams. Akko, if you do see me, just tell me to leave."
"But why would I want to?" asked Akko innocently.
Amanda covered her mouth with the cloth napkin and coughed into it but Diana suspected that she was laughing instead.
Diana stared at her plate. Her ears felt like they were burning. "I mean... I guess it's up to you."
Amanda stood up. "Thanks for lunch. I'm going to hang out with Aunt June."
"Aunt June?" repeated Akko.
"Juniper," said Diana.
"Oh! She's here?" said Akko.
"She's visiting today," replied Amanda. "Anyway, I'm sure you two have some studying to do." She winked.
A vein throbbed on Diana's forehead when Amanda emphasized the word studying. "I'll walk you out."
They bade Amanda farewell at the door. After Diana closed the door, Akko said, "I won't drink the potion either. You're welcome to come into my dreams."
Diana clenched her hand and stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, Akko. I must ask that you avoid entering my dreams."
"I understand. You should have your privacy."
"Thank you." She was grateful that Akko didn't reject the potion while Amanda was there. If Akko had done so, she would have felt pressured to give Akko permission. She appreciated that Akko respected her privacy.
-----
The next day, Anna handed Akko a letter while they were eating lunch. "Dear guest, this came for you."
Akko took the letter and read the white seal. "Duchy of Bianagi, East Morgiana Republic."
"It's from Fietta," said Diana. The Duchy was awarded to the current White.
Akko broke the seal and read the letter.
----
"Dear Akko,
I'd like to invite you and Diana to a weekend of stargazing. I suggest that you visit as soon as possible. Please reply with the date of a convenient weekend for you. You may send your reply to the embassy.
Best Wishes,
-Fietta"
-----
"Do you have any plans?" asked Akko.
Diana summoned a calendar. "The earliest we can go is next weekend."
"Is that all right?"
"Of course."
"I'll tell her right away!"
After lunch, Diana returned to her room to wait for Akko. When she heard Akko knock, she picked up a capsule and a seal kit then opened her door.
"Do you have any postage stamps?"
"We won't need any."
"Eh?"
Diana offered her arm. "Come with me."
They walked to a barn behind the manor and went in. An owl perched on a stand hooted, "Hello, Mistress."
Diana stroked the owl's head gently. "Hello, Gwen. Do you feel like flying today?"
The owl bobbed its head.
"Akko, put the letter here." Diana pointed to a nearby table.
Akko did as instructed. Diana opened the capsule and placed it near the letter. She cast a spell that sucked the letter into the capsule which automatically closed. Diana activated the seal kit and placed a Cavendish seal on the capsule. She tied the capsule to Gwen's leg and then cast a spell to let Gwen know where to go. "Fly safe."
Gwen hooted and flew out an open window.
"Wow..." said Akko, who craned her neck to see where Gwen flew. "Diana, where can I get that letter thingy and the wax stuff?"
Diana giggled at Akko's description. "There's a magic shop in town. But you don't have a bird, do you?"
Akko looked disappointed. "That's true. I just thought it would be cool to send letters that way."
"We haven't gone shopping in a while. How about we go and check out the magic shop?"
Her face brightened up. "Ok!"
-----
On late Sunday evening, Prof. Chariot requested a chat.
"Good evening, Diana. I haven't been able to figure out what caused Dream Walker, but from my research, it's a very rare magical ability. There's a technique called Lucid Dreaming which helps you have more control over Dream Walking. I found a witch who could teach you about it." The name Sanya Litback and her leylink appeared on her orb.
"Thank you. I'll talk to her," said Diana.
"That's all I have for now. I'll keep in touch. Good night."
"Good night." Chariot's image faded from the orb. Diana sent a message to Sanya, explaining that she was a dream walker and that she would like to chat.
-----
On Monday, Diana arrived at the office where Luna Nova applicants would be tested. The applicants were from non-magical lineages but were still given tests that were designed for magical lineages. Only one applicant passed so far, but only with the narrowest of margins. The test proctor was a retired Luna Nova astrology professor, Sandra Cass.
During the test, she noticed that one girl had a Chariot bracelet. During a break before the next test, Diana asked her, "Alice, have you ever been to a Shiny Chariot show?"
"Yes! It was so awesome! But my parents want me to be a doctor, so I've been taking the science track in school. If I could prove that I could do magic, they'll let me attend Luna Nova."
Diana checked her scores and winced at all the fail marks. It reminded her of Akko who had really low grades during her first quarter. What if Alice was like Akko? If she had met Alice before Solstice, maybe she could have recommended that Alice attend Solstice so that she could revive her magic. But that would only work if Alice had magic in the first place.
By the end of the test session, Alice failed the test. Diana continued to think about how to help Alice even till she went to sleep.
-----
Diana walked into the office. Alice was there, casting spell after spell without avail. Her wand had no reaction.
When Diana drew near, Alice turned to her with desperation in her voice. "Diana! Please tell Prof. Cass to test me again! I'll do better next time!"
"I'm sorry. If you can't show any proof that you can do magic, Prof. Cass won't even consider you."
Still, Alice kept on begging. Annoyed, Diana left the office and got on her broom. Alice chased her till the ley line. Diana entered her room in Luna Nova and sat down to read about Yggdrasil. She heard someone shouting and looked out the window. Alice was walking across the lawn, calling her name. Students passed her by, as if they didn't see her.
Diana walked over to her. "Alice, please leave. You're not a student here."
"Not yet. I want to try one more time. Please give me a chance," said Alice.
Her stubbornness reminded her of Akko. "I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, please be patient."
"All right." Alice walked away and gradually faded.
-----
Diana sat up on her bed. That was a very weird dream. She got out of bed to get ready for work. Upon arriving at the office, she almost half-expected to see Alice there. To be sure she wasn't dreaming, she pinched herself. As usual, most of the applicants failed. It was only when she was going home when she realized it.
"Alice is a dream walker!"
After she arrived at the manor, she went to find Akko. Akko was in the library, making notes diligently. "Akko! I found another dream walker!"
Akko looked up. "What're you talking about?"
Diana told her about her strange dream with Alice and explained her theory. "Dream walking is a rare magical ability so if Alice is a dream walker, then she must be capable of magic."
"But she failed the tests."
"You had a lot of trouble with just casting basic spells, remember? If she had her magic taken, she may have trouble focusing."
"Is there anything we can do?"
"First, let's make sure she really is a dream walker." She showed Alice's picture in her orb. "Focus on her in your mind before you go to sleep. If you see her, talk to her. Let me know if she responds."
"Ok."
After they had lunch, Diana called the other applicants with Anna's help. She asked each girl if she had seen a Shiny Chariot show and she listed two more that had seen it. That night, she imprinted their faces into her mind as she drifted off to sleep.
-----
The next day, Diana spoke to Akko about what they found after work. "I found Ellen and Minna in my dreams. Only Minna reacted to me."
"Alice talked to me as well."
"Good. Do you mind coming to Avebury with Minna and Alice?"
"Ok. When?"
"I'll make arrangements with them and let you know."
With quick calls, Diana scheduled Thursday afternoon for Avebury and instructed Akko how to get there.
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On Thursday, they met at the park entrance and walked to the Stone circle.
"Do you feel anything, Akko?" asked Diana.
"Sort of..." Akko stretched out her hand. She didn't tremble anymore. "It's very weak."
"It can't be helped. It's past Solstice. Let's walk around. Let me know if there's a spot that's strong."
They walked around twice and Akko pointed to an area where she felt something stronger than the rest. Diana marked the place on the map. She gave Alice and Minna wands.
"Alice, Minna, try casting a light spell, Lumigia. Even if it doesn't work, just keep trying."
Diana debated whether to tell the girls about Dream Fuel Spirit. Given Akko's depression after finding out about it, she decided against it. Instead, she told the girls that Solstice had charged Avebury with magic and that if they work hard enough, they can tap into that magic.
"Is that true?" whispered Akko.
"My mother took me here to revitalize my magic. I was able to do simple spells a few weeks later. Let's sit. This may take a while."
After they sat down, Akko took out her Chariot cards.
"Do you always have that with you?" asked Diana.
"Most of the time," grinned Akko. "Wanna play?"
"You're such a fangirl. Three out of five?"
"You're on!"
They played many games and the shadows of the stones lengthened as sunset drew near. Minna and Alice were sitting down after getting tired of standing and were still trying the spell. Akko was dealing cards when Minna yelped. Diana and Akko looked at the girls. Minna's wand sparked feebly and dimmed.
Diana stood up and went to Minna. "Again. Focus on the wand. Imagine light at its tip."
"Lumigia!" Minna's wand flickered with a tiny point of light for a few seconds and dimmed.
"Good job! Keep practicing." Diana checked her watch. "We have about an hour before the park closes."
The girls practiced but only Minna showed progress. Diana put a consoling hand on Alice's shoulder. "Just keep trying. We'll go to a magic shop and buy wands. You two need to come here every day until the retest."
"We can test again?" asked Alice hopefully.
"I'll convince Prof. Cass to retest you. Now, let's get to the shop before it closes."
They all went to a local magic shop. Minna and Alice purchased their wands. Diana gave them instructions on how to find the spot in Avebury. "It's all up to you now."
"Thank you so much," said Alice who was close to tears. They parted ways.
"I wish I had someone who helped me with magic before I went to Luna Nova," said Akko wistfully as they travelled the ley line.
When she first took the job, Diana had wondered how Akko got in despite her lack of skill so she spoke to Prof. Holbrook.
"Ms. Kagari wrote such a passionate essay about Shiny Chariot and it so happened that her idol was teaching. I wanted them to meet and I hoped that Chariot would regain the passion she lost," explained Prof. Holbrook.
That meant that Prof. Holbrook knew that Chariot was searching for the words. She hoped that Akko would somehow encourage Chariot to look for the words again. Instead, Chariot's fan, Akko, inherited that destiny. Diana smiled at Akko. "Even without help, you did very well on your own. I think that shows how much talent you have."
Akko's cheeks turned pink and her eyes glanced away. "N-not really. Prof. Chariot helped a lot."
Diana took a deep breath. After seeing Alice and Minna struggle, she had to say it. "I apologize for not taking you seriously. I just thought you were just pretending to be Chariot and magic was just a toy for you."
"It's partly my fault too. I came to Luna Nova with all these fantasies about magic. I was trying to suit my fantasies whenever I could. But now, I know better and I know even more with your help."
Diana blushed. "Thank you." Along the way, they ended up flying closer together, their shoulders almost touching.
They would be traveling to Morgiana after work tomorrow, so Diana started packing after dinner. She was selecting accessories on her dresser when she noticed something glowing in a tray. She moved some hairclips aside and picked up the seed. Her eyes widened and she rushed to Akko's room, knocking on the door. "Akko! Akko! Come see!"
Akko opened the door and her eyes strayed to the seed on her palm. "It grew! That's great, Diana!" She hugged her and Diana stepped back to regain her balance. Akko pulled away. "Oh... sorry... I was just so happy."
"It's all right," said Diana, blushing. Yggdrasil's seed had sprouted two new leaves.
"Yosh! We just need to find four more girls then you can plant it!" said Akko, punching her fist high.
Diana laughed. "I hope that's all we have to do!" As long as she had Akko, she'd gladly welcome a challenge.
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To be continued in: Arcturus' Champion