Akko Kagari and the Seven Stars

Chapter Seventeen: Strive for Your Ideal Place

It was Barbara.

"You!" shouted Akko.

Barbara smiled in her usual taunting way.

"Me," she said calmly. "I was wondering whether I'd be meeting you here, Star-Born Child. Yes, I know exactly who you are, Akko Kagari."

"But I thought – Croix – "

"Croix?" Barbara laughed. "Yes, she does give off that kind of impression, doesn't she? So useful to have her swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to her, who would ever suspect – what did your friends call me? – Diana's groupie?"

Akko couldn't take it. This couldn't be true, it couldn't.

"But Croix tried to kill me. She used a control device on Shooting Star."

"No, you massively stupid idiot. I tried to kill you! As it turns out, I have an affinity for Magitronics, not that Diana ever cared to notice. I would have succeeded if your gloomy friend Sucy hadn't set off that gas explosion in the stands and forced me to drop my control at the Chariot Race. Another few seconds and I would have gotten you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Croix hadn't been trying to hack into my systems in her effort to save you."

"Croix was trying to save me?"

"Of course," said Barbara coolly. "Why do you think she wanted to referee your next match? She was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really…she didn't need to bother. I couldn't do anything with Professor Holbrooke watching. All the other teachers thought Croix was trying to give herself an unfair advantage with her sudden decision, it did seem a little more than suspicious…and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."

Faster than Akko could follow, Barbara whipped out her wand and muttered a quick spell. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Akko. As she struggled in vain to break her bonds, Barbara suddenly reached out and pulled off her necklace with a snap of the cord.

"Hey, give that back, it's mine!" shouted Akko.

"No, Akko, it's mine," said Barbara eyeing the small jewel like it was made of gold. "And have been wanting to take this for a long time, ever since Halloween, in fact. When I saw this jewel through the eyes of the Minotaur, I was stunned. To think that I would find one right here in Luna Nova."

"You let the Minotaur in?"

"Certainly. As I already explained, I have a certain gift for Magitronics, particularly in the field of artificial control. I had sent the Minotaur to the library hoping that it would lead the teachers away while at the same time I would finally have a chance to get rid of that spoiled brat, Diana."

"You were trying to kill Diana? Why? I thought she was your friend!"

"Diana doesn't have friends – she has servants. And while Hannah might be content with being Diana's flunky for the rest of her life, I have bigger aspirations. Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Croix, who had already suspected that I was stealing from her laboratory, went straight to the third floor to head me off – and not only did my Minotaur fail to beat Diana to death and take your necklace, that stupid polar bear couldn't even manage to bite Croix's leg off properly. Oh well, I knew it wasn't going to be easy to get past that monsters. That's was the point of our little scouting party that night after you had lucked your way out of expulsion."

"My duel with Diana…you were the one who tipped off Elma. You made all that noise hoping we would follow you when we ran away. You lead us to the third floor on purpose."

"See, you're not as dumb as they say you are," said Barbara with a cruel cackle. "After seeing what I was up against, I knew I was going to need a lot more power if I was to make it through the trials. After dark when everyone had gone to sleep, I would slip down to the Arcturus Forest and behead the creatures to drain them of them power. Harribel repeatedly tried tell Professor Holbrooke what was happening, but I was smart enough to detour her away from the castle to keep my actions hidden. And that night when you all turned up in the forest, I couldn't believe my luck. Another chance to kill Diana and to take your precious necklace away."

"Why are you so interested in my necklace?" asked Akko.

"You mean…you haven't the slightest clue?" said Barbara, breaking out in a fit of laughter. "Oh my god, you've been wearing this your whole life and you haven't even realized what it is? I would have thought Diana would have recognized one of the Stars of Arcturus after all the studying she did!"

Akko took a brief pause to process this new information. It was amazing, really. She had been wearing the same necklace her whole life and it had never occurred to her what it might have been. Thinking back, she should have suspected as much, having seen Shiny Rod in Chariot's old performances and the fact that it was Chariot who brought Akko to her parents all those years ago. It was a good idea, in a sense, to hide the Star among the most normal family in all of Japan, right up until Akko discovered magic, that is.

"The Star of Energy," Barbara muttered, focusing on the glinting jewel. "To think it would fall into my lap so easily. But it's useless without the Shiny Rod. So, wait quietly, Akko. I need to examine this interesting fountain."

It was only then that Akko realized what was standing behind Barbara. It was the Fountain of Polaris.

"This Fountain is the key to finding the Shiny Rod," Barbara murmured, tapping the surface of the water to make it ripple. "Trust Professor Holbrooke to come up with something like this…but she's in Era…I'll be long gone by the time she and Ursula come back…."

All Akko could think of doing was to keep Barbara talking and stop her from concentrating on the fountain.

"I saw Croix threaten Ursula in the forest and the classroom – " she blurted.

"As always, you never hear the whole story," said Barbara idly, walking around the fountain. "Yes, I was aware that they were all meeting in secret – I think they had their own little group trying to protect Shiny Rod. Croix was paranoid after she suspected me of stealing her technology. She was worried that Ursula might have let it slip how to get past the polar bear, not that it mattered in the end. They all told me willingly what I wanted to know after a few drinks. I was hoping the dragon egg I stole from a local poacher would have merited their dismissal and keep the path clear for me, but you put a stop to that…."

Barbara came back out from behind the fountain and stared hungrily into it.

"The Fountain of Polaris is supposed to provide answers…it's supposed to show the Shiny Rod…so where is it?"

Akko struggled against the ropes binding her, but they didn't give. She had to keep Barbara from giving her whole attention to the fountain.

"I remember that there was something in the news about someone breaking into a vault at the Department of Demi-Humans. That was you, wasn't it? It happened on the same day I went to get registered. That's when I ran into Ursula; she was moving the Shiny Rod to Luna Nova. That means you've been planning this for a long time."

"Oh, yes, a very, very long time," said Barbara quietly. "I had known about the Shiny Rod's existence through Diana. She, Hannah, and myself had been 'friends' ever since we were children because our parents knew each other, but I was the only one who realized that our parents were just using us to solidify the bonds between old witch houses. Our families had always cared more about the purity of our bloodlines rather than us in particular. I was one of the few people that knew about Diana's obsession with Shiny Chariot. You have no idea how many times I wanted to punch her in the face just to shut her up. But the more I began to learn about Chariot, but more I knew about the Shiny Rod and the limitless power it possessed.

"Shiny Chariot wasted it on stupid magic shows, but I was the only one who could see what it was truly capable of. I spent years tracing the location of the Shiny Rod through old news clippings and internet rumors until I finally found it hidden in vault one-nine-one in the Department of Demi-Humans. So when Diana, Hannah, and I went shopping for our school supplies, I slipped away to steal Shiny Rod while everyone was unaware…. But, as you already know, the transfer had already been completed by then. Apparently, Croix has been paying as much attention to my movements from the start…."

Barbara's voice trailed away. Akko was remembering her trip to Westfield London – the day when she first met Diana at Aikatsu Dress-Makers. Diana thought she had been looking for their school books.

Barbara cursed under her breath.

"I don't understand…is the Rod inside the fountain? Should I drink it? Break it?"

Akko's mind was racing.

What I want more than anything else in the world at the moment, she thought, is to find the Shiny Rod before Barbara does. So if I look in the fountain, I should see myself finding it – which means I'll see where it's hidden! But how can I look without Barbara realizing what I'm up to?

She tried to edge to the left, to get a clear look at the fountain without Barbara noticing, but the ropes around her ankles were too tight: she tripped and fell over. Barbara heard the thump of Akko's body hitting the floor and rounded around to her, staring stupefied. Akko smiled with a nervous chuckle; Barbara suddenly looked elated.

"Yes – that's it – the Star-Born Child would have the answer – come here, Akko."

She whipped her wand across the air, and the ropes binding Akko fell off. Akko got slowly to her feet.

"Come here," Barbara repeated. "Look in the fountain and tell me what you see."

Akko walked toward her.

I have to lie, she thought desperately. I have to look and lie about what I see, that's all.

Barbara moved close behind her. Akko closed her eyes, stepped in front of the Fountain of Polaris, and opened them again.

The chamber was gone, replaced by a seemingly endless background of white. Only two people there: one was herself and the other was…Shiny Chariot! Akko's idol smiled down at her. She put her hand inside of her cloak and whipped out a long golden rod with seven empty spaces in its surface. It was Shiny Rod. Chariot winked, pulled off Akko's hat, slipped the rod inside, and topped it on Akko's head once more.

Akko blinked again and she was suddenly back in the chamber with Barbara standing over her shoulder, leering at her intently. At the same time, Akko felt a sudden weight on her head, hidden underneath her pointed hat. Somehow – incredibly – she had gotten Shiny Rod.

"Well?" said Barbara impatiently. "What do you see?"

Akko screwed up her courage.

"I see myself shaking hands with Professor Holbrooke," she invented. "I – I've won the title of Moonlit Witch for the year."

Barbara cursed again.

"You useless little – get out of the way!" she spat.

As Akko stepped aside she felt the Shiny Rod weighing down on her head. She could make a break for it while Barbara was distracted, but she couldn't leave without the Star of Energy. Besides being a dangerous artifact, it was Akko's necklace first. She had it since she was a baby and wasn't about to give it up so easily.

So while Barbara kicked the fountain in a poor attempt to get answers from it, Akko slowly crept up behind and reached for the necklace dangling in her hand. Her finger only brushed the jewel before Barbara suddenly whipped around, shouting something Akko couldn't make out, and was blasted across the chamber. She hit the stone floor on her back, wincing from the impact, but even worse was that her hat had come off during the flight. The Shiny Rod clattered loudly on the ground. Barbara looked dumbstruck before she turned a furious glare on Akko.

"I knew you were lying to me!" she shouted.

Seeing no other way out of the situation, Akko quickly scrambled up to her feet and whipped out her own wand. Unfortunately, Barbara quickly held the upper hand. She didn't even need an incantation before she shot Akko's wand right out of her hand, sending it flying to the opposite end of the chamber. Akko considered just running up and punching her in the face, but Barbara shot another invisible volley that threw Akko backwards into the wall. Akko slumped down to the floor, her whole body feeling like it had just been trampled by a herd of bulls.

"Let's face it, Akko, you were never going to beat me," said Barbara tauntingly as she walked over and picked up the Shiny Rod. "Not after all the preparation I went through to prepare for tonight. Skulking around the forest stealing magic from those filthy animals. If it had been Diana that had come, she might have stood a chance. But I know Diana and her ridiculous belief in prophecy. Let me guess, she sent you ahead because she thought the Star-Born Child was supposed to save the world? For someone so smart, she is incredibly stupid."

Barbara was walking toward her with a wicked smile stretched across her face. She made a show as she ripped the cord off her necklace aroound the Star of Energy, holding it loftily over her head so that Akko could see clearly. When she placed the gem in the uppermost slot, a surge of energy rippled from the Shiny Rod, making the hairs on the back of Akko's neck stand up.

"Yes…this is it…real power!" Barbara cackled with glee before turning her gaze on Akko. "I was hoping that Diana would be the first one I used the Shiny Rod's power on, but the Star-Born Child is a pretty good second. After a whole years' worth of annoyances, I'll gladly be rid of you…. Now, Shiny Rod, destroy her!"

Akko closed her eyes, threw up her arms, and braced herself for the attack…but it never came. Carefully opening her eyes again, Akko looked up and saw the bewildered look on Barbara's face. She gritted her teeth and swung the rod again.

"I command you to destroy her!" Barbara shouted. The Rod remained inactive. "I don't get it! Why isn't this working?"

Barbara started violently shaking the Shiny Rod as if that would somehow make it work. Akko slowly and carefully stood up while Barbara's attention was away from her. Throwing all caution to the wind, Akko strode forward, pulled back her fist, and landed a clean blow across Barbara's face. The other witch flopped on the ground while unconsciously tossing Shiny Rod in the air. Akko scrambled back and forth underneath and caught it, though it nearly fumbled out of her hand. Letting out a sigh of relief, Akko returned her focus to Barbara, who was pulling herself up while nursing a bloody nose.

"I don't get it," said Barbara. "Why didn't it work? Is it a fake after all?"

"It's not enough just to have the Stars and Shiny Rod," said Akko, "but you also need to know the Seven Words of Arcturus to use them. Looks like you missed that part in your research."

"So there are magic words involved, too," Barbara sneered. "Fine. A little more research won't hurt anything. Hand over the Rod, Akko."

"Never!" Akko shouted.

"Don't be stupid," said Barbara. "You think you can still beat me? Like you said, just because you have the Shiny Rod doesn't mean you know how to use it. If I don't know the magic words, then you sure as hell don't."

But that's where Barbara was wrong; she did know the words. She hadn't realized it at first, but Akko had been hearing the words repeated in her dreams ever since the day she learned she was a Demi-Human. She could still hear them even now; Shiny Chariot's voice echoing in the back of her mind like a guiding song.

Akko took a deep breath and the words slipped from her lips so naturally:

"Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor!"

A flaring green light enveloped the Shiny Rod, suddenly became unraveled in threads of light and weaving together into a new shape. What had once been a simple staff had now transformed into an intricate golden bow with silver string that glistened in the weak light of the Fountain. And while Barbara was paralyzed in shock and awe, Akko's fingers glided to the string and pulled. An arrow with a brilliant green head materialized in her grip. Akko could feel the power radiating from the arrowhead; it was so difficult to hold on, Akko felt like her fingers would rip apart at any moment.

Clearly sensing the danger, Barbara turned tail and ran towards the door, but Akko's finger had already let loose, screaming at the top of her lungs:

"SHINY ARC!"

Akko's vision was filled with a powerful green light; she could feel the floor and walls quivering around her; the sound of shattering stone rumbled in her ears.

And then, she knew nothing….


Something gold was glinting just above her. Maybe it was a ring. Those are worth a hundred points. She tried to catch it, but her arms were too heavy.

She blinked. It wasn't a ring at all. It was a pair of glasses. How strange.

She blinked again. The smiling face of Miranda Holbrooke swam into view above her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kagari," said Professor Holbrooke.

Akko stared at her. Then she remembered: "Professor! Shiny Rod! It was Barbara! She's got the Shiny Rod! Professor, quick – "

"Calm yourself, dear girl, you are a little behind the times," said Professor Holbrooke. "Barbara does not have the Shiny Rod."

"Then who does? Professor, I – "

"Akko, please, relax, or Miss Porlyusica will have me thrown out."

Akko swallowed and looked around her. She realized she must be in the hospital wing. She was lying in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to her was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Professor Holbrooke, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Barbara is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe it was your guardian Blair who was responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt she thought it would amuse you. Miss Porlyusica, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it."

"How long had I been in here?"

"Three days. Your friends will be most relieved that you have come around, they've been extremely worried."

"But professor, the Shiny Rod – "

"I see you are not to be distracted. Then if that is the case, I suggest you look at your hand."

Akko raised a brow and looked down, only now realizing that her fingers were firmly wrapped around the Shiny Rod.

"You refused to let go of it ever since Professor Ursula found you in the dungeons," said Professor Holbrooke amusingly. "We've tried everything we could to pry it from your hand, but you have a very sturdy grip. Either way, I sincerely doubt we would have been able to take it far. According to Professor Ursula, the Shiny Rod had already bonded with you by the time she arrived."

"She got there? She got Diana's message?"

"Never had the chance to. No sooner had we reached Era than Professor Ursula felt we were needed back here in Luna Nova. I have always learned to trust Professor Ursula's instincts. She went on ahead of me and arrived just in time to find you and Barbara lying there on the ground."

"Wait, what happened to Barbara?" asked Akko, suddenly feeling worried. "Did I…I didn't…."

"Barbara is all right," said Professor Holbrooke, patting Akko's knee lightly. "It was very impressive how you managed to use the Shiny Arc on your first try, but your aim could use a bit of work. Your shot missed by a mile. But the sheer terror of the experience knocked Miss Barbara out cold. It seems like she'll be thinking twice before going up against you again."

"The Shiny Rod is safe," said Akko, sighing in relief. "So…what happens now? With the Shiny Rod, I mean?"

"As I already said, the Shiny Rod has bonded with you, Miss Kagari," said professor Holbrooke. "The Shiny Rod is something that is unknown to us, even after centuries of studying it from some of the best researches like Jellal Fernandes, as you already know – yes, I am well aware of what you and your friends have been up to. Blair has told me everything." She answered before Akko could open her mouth. "From what we can understand, the Shiny Rod has some level of sentience and is particularly fickle in regards to those who wield it. The fact that the Shiny Rod has accepted you is a good sign."

"It's because I'm the Star-Born Child, isn't it?"

"No, I do not think that has anything to do with it. Having some grandiose title or exaggerated prophecy does not make you any different than who you were before you learned all this. I never particularly held much faith in destiny or preordained events. I believe that we all have a choice in our lives. Some of the greatest witches and mages in history have tried to command the Shiny Rod's power, but many of them have failed because they lacked a certain quality."

"What quality?" asked Akko.

"I will not pretend to know what that quality is, but I am willing to venture a guess," said Professor Holbrooke. "That spell you used down in the dungeon erm…what was it called again?"

"Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor," Akko recited easily.

"Yes, that one," said Professor Holbrooke with a chuckle. "Do you know what it means?"

Akko shook her head.

"It's actually a rough translation," said Professor Holbrooke, "but it means: 'Those that try to achieve their dreams must go through hardships. There may come times when you fail and lose sight of that dream. But you must never let the flame in your heart go out. Burn that flame brightly, and strive for your ideal place'. Or you could shorten it to 'Strive for your ideal place'. Essentially what it means is that you should work hard and never give up on your dreams."

"Diana and Professor Ursula both said I had a special power," muttered Akko thoughtfully. "They said I had to power to follow my dreams and inspire others."

"Well, they are smart, after all," said Professor Holbrooke, smiling.

Akko lay there, lost for words. Professor Holbrooke hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling.

"Professor?" said Akko. "I've been thinking…This whole time, I thought that Ara – I mean, the Eclipse Queen – "

"Call her Aradia, Akko. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

"Yes, ma'am. Well, it might not have been Araida behind it this time, but she's still out there, right? Now that Shiny Rod's back, she's going to come after it, isn't she?"

"I wonder about that," Professor Holbrooke hummed thoughtfully. "Rumors persist that Aradia is still out there, perhaps looking for a way to return to power…but often times I wonder if she is not truly dead and gone. I cannot honestly say as I have never truly had the chance to face her myself. In truth, no one has ever seen Aradia other than Chariot Du Nord. Nobody knows what Aradia is truly capable of, and that is what makes her name so frightening to speak. People always fear what they do not understand. Nevertheless, Miss Kagari, while you may only be able to delay her return, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems like a losing battle next time – and if she is delayed again, and again, why, she may never return to power."

Akko nodded, but stopped quickly, because it made her head throb. Then she said, "Professor, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me…things I want to know the truth about…."

"The truth," Professor Holbrooke sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."

"It's just something I've been thinking about for a while. Everyone assumes the Star-Born Child was born when the Grand Triskellion was destroyed and magic was freed. But I know I have a birth mother, maybe even parents that are still out there. So why me? What makes me so special?"

Professor Holbrooke sighed very deeply this time.

"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. It is not my place. You are right in assuming that your parents are still out there. They are working tirelessly to protect our world from the darkness, and unfortunately, they were not fit to raise a child due to the circumstances. They had to leave shortly after you were born. That is why I took it upon myself to send you to a home where you would be loved when they could not provide for you. You will see them again one day, Miss Kagari…put it from your mind for now. When you are older…I know you hate to hear this…when you are ready, they will find you."

And Akko knew it would be no good to argue.

"The Ring of Gyges belonged to my mom," she said. "Do you know who sent it."

"That would be Professor Ursula's doing," said Professor Holbrooke. "Your mother and Professor Ursula were close friends during their school days. She left it in her possession just before she left. Useful thing…your mother mainly used it for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when she was a student here."

Akko tried to understand this but it made her head pound, so she stopped.

"And professor, there's one more thing…"

"Just the one?"

"How did I get the Shiny Rod from the Fountain of Polaris?"

"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant idea, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Shiny Rod – find it, but not use it – would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just be standing around looking at a bubble of water for the rest of their life. My brain surprises even me sometimes…. Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on those sweets. Ah! Squid Sister's Color Splashers! I absolutely love these! Unfortunately, I tend to make quite a mess with them and I'm sure Miss Porlyusica will flog me if I ruin her pristine hospital wing – but if I'm careful…."

She smiled and popped one into her mouth. Unfortunately, her mouth was open when she bit down on it and sprayed Akko in a rainbow of juices.

"Oops, sorry," she apologized.


Miss Porlyusica, the nurse, was a vindictive old crone that absolutely hated people. How she ever agreed to work in Luna Nova was a mystery.

"Just five minutes," Akko pleaded.

"Absolutely not."

"You let Professor Holbrooke in…."

"Well, of course, that was the headmistress, quite different. You need rest."

"I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, come on, please…"

"Oh, very well," she said with an annoyed grunt. "But five minutes only."

And she let Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka in.

"Akko!"

Lotte looked ready to fling her arms around her, but Akko was glad she held herself in as her head was still very sore. As she looked around, she noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Diana?" asked Akko.

"Trying to convince the staff not to expel Barbara," answered Amanda. "I say we should throw her out after what she did, but Diana thinks she can get rehab. She's a better person than I am."

"Oh, Akko, we were so worried you were going to – Professor Ursula was so worried – " sputtered Lotte.

"The whole school's talking about it," said Sucy. "What really happened?"

It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even stranger and more exciting than the wild rumors. Akko told them everything: Barbara, the fountain, her necklace, and the Shiny Rod. Her friends were a very good audience; they gasped at all the right places, and when Akko described how she summoned Shiny Arc, Constanze threw up her fists in a silent cheer.

"So they just let you keep it?" said Sucy, eyeing the Shiny Rod. "Just like that?"

"Professor Holbrooke says the Shiny Rod and I bonded, so it's better if it sticks with me."

"I always had a feeling she might not be qualified to run this school," said Amanda, looking quite impressed at how crazy the headmistress was.

"So what happened to the rest of you?"

"Well, when Diana came back, everything went all right," said Jasminka. "We carried Constanze out of there – she was unconscious for a while – and we were running back through the rooms until we ran into Sucy. Lotte sang to Arcas and Sucy used a potion to make a vine for us to climb. We were just about to send a message to Professor Holbrooke when Professor Ursula burst through the door – she already knew – she just said, 'Akko's gone after her, hasn't she' and jumped down through the trapdoor."

"Do you think she meant for you to do it?" said Sucy. "Sending you to find the rod and everything?"

"Well," Lotte exploded, "if she did – I mean to say – that's terrible – you could have been killed!"

"No, it isn't," said Akko thoughtfully. "It was in her own weird way, but I think Professor Ursula helped me – and Croix. I think they sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think they know more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I think they had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, they just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident she let me find out how the fountain worked. It's almost like she thought I had the right to go after Shiny Rod if I could…."

"Yeah, Holbrooke's definitely not qualified to run this school," said Amanda proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-the-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Eclipse won, of course – you missed the last race, we were steamrolled without you and Shooting Star – but the food will be good."

At that moment, Porlyusica bustled over and started whacking them with a broom.

"You've been here for nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT!" she screamed shrilly.


After a good night's sleep, Akko felt nearly back to normal.

"I want to go to the feast," she whined to Porlyusica as she straightened her many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?"

"Professor Holbrooke says you are to be allowed to go," she said sniffily, as though in her opinion Professor Holbrooke didn't realize how risky feasts could be. "And you have another visitor."

"Oh, good," said Akko. "Who is it?"

Professor Ursula sidled through the door as she spoke. Porlyusica walked off quietly to give them some privacy as she sat down next to Akko. Neither she nor Akko said anything; an awkward pause lingered between them; until Ursula finally spoke up.

"I'm truly sorry for everything that I have put you through this year," said Ursula. "You probably already figured out from your friends that I was aware of what Barbara was planning, although I didn't know she was the one attacking the creatures in the forest or that she was the one who slipped us the dragon egg while we were drunk at the bar. She's clever, but has poor sense of judgment. Croix was constantly warning me not to let it happen, but I did and you nearly died for it. I'm sorry."

"It was nothing," said Akko lightly. "You wouldn't have done it if you didn't think I had a chance. You're a good teacher and a good friend – I Know you would never do anything to put me in danger on purpose."

"You're a lot more forgiving than Croix, that's for certain," said Ursula jokingly. "She's still giving me the silent treatment. She's such a – what do the Japanese call it? – a tsundere? Something like that."

"Well, it's good to know she cares," said Akko. "It was hard, but everything worked out in the end. Shiny Rod is safe, Diana is talking about Barbara getting some help, and Aradia isn't anywhere near Luna Nova, if anywhere at all. Everything turned out our way…. But while you're here, there's something I wanna ask you, Professor Ursula."

"After all I put you through, answering your questions is the least I can do."

"Professor Holbrooke said that you and my mom were good friends when you were students," said Akko. Ursula's face became noticeably rigid; she knew what she was going to say. "That started to make me think – Sucy would probably say something about hurting my brain. But it's funny, because you talked about all of your friends during our first week and you never said anything about my mom, so I assume it's one of those people in the photo you showed us. Blair once told me Shiny Chariot dropped me off at my mom and dad's house and Professor Holbrooke said my mom disappeared shortly after I was born, which was right around the same time Shiny Chariot disappeared too."

Ursula's hands clutched the fabric of her tunic, her eyes wandering downward in a guilty sense.

"Professor…," Akko murmured in a tiny voice, "…is Shiny Chariot my mother?"

Ursula let out a deep sigh just like Professor Holbrooke, then looked back at Akko with a sad smile.

"I keep forgetting how smart you really are given your…tendencies," she said. "Yes…Shiny Chariot is your mother. After what happened at the Grand Triskellion, she knew she couldn't raise you herself no matter how much she wanted to. But she didn't give you away because she didn't love you, Akko. The reason she left you with the Kagaris was because she loved you so much. You deserved so much more than what she could give you…and I'll bet she's counting down the days to when she can see you again."

"Shiny Chariot is still out there, right?" asked Akko. "Saving the world?"

"I wouldn't say she's saving it so much…but yes, she's still out there," answered Ursula.

"This is…SO AWESOME!" Akko cheered, pumping her fists into the air. Ursula nearly fell out of her seat in shock. "My mom – my real mom – is SHINY CHARIOT! I knew there was a reason why she was so awesome! Take that, Diana Cavendish! My mom is cooler than yours!"

"You're…certainly taking this well," said Ursula, scratching her chin awkwardly.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Akko chittered. "If I find all the Stars of Arcturus, do you think I'll be able to meet Shiny Chariot – I mean, my mom! That's the reason why she wanted the Shiny Rod moved to Luna Nova on the same day I got accepted, right? Because she wanted me to have it?"

"Actually, that's more of a coincidence…," said Ursula nervously.

"All right, I know what to do!" said Akko with a firm grin. "I'll collect all the Stars of Arcturus and then I'll see my mom again!"

Ursula gaped at Akko like she had never seen anything like her before, but then smile with a hearty laugh.

"Here, I want you to have something," said Ursula as she reached into her pocket. "It's not much, but I figured you deserved something more personal to remember your mother than a bunch of memorabilia."

Akko blinked curiously as Ursula handed her a small photograph. She flipped it over and gasped. It was the photo of Chariot, Croix, Izetta, Athena, and Blair from when they were students; the first photo Ursula showed her that day they had tea. Seeing Chariot as a child and knowing that little girl was gonna grow up to be her mother, it made Akko's heart flutter.

"So…do you like it?"

Akko couldn't speak, but Ursula understood.


Akko made her way down to the end-of-the-year feast alone that night. She had been held up by Porlyusica fussing about, insisting on giving her one last check up, so the dining room was already full. It was decked out in the Eclipse colors of purple and black to celebrate Eclipse winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Eclipse symbol covered the wall behind the statues of the Nine Olde Witches.

When Akko walked in there was sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. She slipped into a seat between Lotte and Constanze and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at her. Diana, Hannah, and Barbara were sitting at the table directly next to them; it looked like Barbara hadn't been expelled after all. When she caught sight of Akko, she squeaked and hid herself under the table. Akko grinned; she was gonna have fun with this.

Professor Holbrooke arrived moments later. The babble died away.

"Another year gone!" Professor Holbrooke said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old woman's ramblings before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were…you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts….

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand as thus: In fifth place, Polaris, with three hundred and twenty-two points.; in fourth place, Corona, with three hundred and fifty-two points; Twilight is third with four hundred and sixteen; Lunar had four hundred and forty-five and Eclipse, four hundred and seventy-two."

A storm of cheering and stomping broke out from the Eclipse students. Akko could see Bayonetta banging her glass on the table. It was a sickening sight.

"Yes, yes, well done, Eclipse," said Professor Holbrooke. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still. The Eclipse's smiles faded a little.

"Ahem," said Professor Holbrooke. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...

"First – to Miss Lotte Jansson...for keeping a level head in the face of chaos and unparalleled loyalty to her friends, I award Polaris house thirty points."

Lotte buried her face in her arms as the Polaris cheered; Akko strongly suspected she had burst into tears.

"Second – to Miss Sucy Manbavaran…for her astounding work in the field of pharmaceutical magics and her overwhelming victories in the face of certain peril, I award Polaris house thirty points."

Sucy actually smiled for once as the Polaris started running up to her, patting her back and praising her.

"Third – to Miss Amanda O'Neill…for exceptional broom riding skills and her unfathomable courage, I award Polaris house thirty points."

Amanda jumped up and join in the next round of cheers. Polaris students throughout the dining room were besides themselves – they were ninety points up and jumped straight to third.

"Fourth – to Miss Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank Albrechtsberger…for displaying remarkable intelligence beyond expectation and praiseworthy skills as an inventor, I award Polaris house thirty points."

For the first time ever, Constanze actually looked embarrassed, but that was probably because Amanda was hugging her from the side.

"Fifth – to Miss Jasminka Antonenko…for braving dangers and cruelties that would bend many and for never backing down from them, I award Polaris house thirty points."

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Polaris now had four hundred and seventy-two points- exactly the same as Eclipse. They had tied for the house cup – if only Professor Holbrooke had given them just one more point.

Professor Holbrooke raised her hand. The room gradually fell silent.

"Finally – There are all kinds of courage," said Holbrooke, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, just as much to stand up to our friends, but what takes true valor…to look at ourselves and have the courage to change. To push away our fears and open our hearts to another. I therefore award thirty points…to Miss Diana Cavendish."

Someone standing outside the dining room might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted. Even though it seemed like everything had been building for Polaris to win only for Lunar to swoop in and steal victory, none of them were upset because it still meant the downfall of the Eclipse. Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka stood up to yell and cheer as Diana, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging her. Akko, still cheering, nudged Lotte in the ribs and pointed at Bayonneta, who had smashed her glass on the floor in a fit of anger.

"Which means," Professor Holbrooke called over the storm of applause, for even Corona and Twilight were celebrating, "we need a little change of decoration."

She clapped her hands. In an instant, the purple hangings became blue and the black became silver. Croix was shaking hands with Professor Finnelan, who looked this close to breaking out into a jig. Croix caught Akko's eye and gave her a smile and a wink. Right now, Akko could hardly believe she ever suspected someone like Croix to be evil; she needed to apologize after the feast.

"Yes, yes, I know you are excited," said Professor Holbrooke, "but we still have one more matter to attend to."

With a wave of her hands, Professor Holbrooke summoned a beautiful cloak and hat from thin air. The cloak was a glistening white that looked like it was made from the feathers of an angel and hat bore the Luna Nova symbol between a pair of elk horns. Everyone fell silent and stared at the cloth with noticeable desire.

"The title of Moonlit Witch," said Professor Holbrooke, "is awarded to the most exceptional witch of the year, a proud symbol of your dedication and hard work. Now, the staff and I have discussed long and hard who would deserve such a prestigious title, and let me tell you, it was not easy to decide. But after much deliberation we have chosen to bequeath this to someone who has overcome many hardships in the face of adversity. When others would laugh and mock, this exceptional witch would preserver and pursue her dream without fail. We of Luna Nova are proud to present the title of Moonlit Witch…to Miss Atsuko Kagari."

So stunned was Akko that she did not hear the explosions of applause that surrounded her or the feeling of Professor Holbrooke personally draping her with the Moonlit Witch cloak and hat. She had always been called the failure…she never once believed that she would even be in the running for the title. She finally snapped out of her trance when Amelia O'Neill pulled Akko onto her shoulders for everyone to see. Crowds of people all gathered around her, chanting Akko's name (except for Eclipse, of course). And standing all by herself, away from the crowd, Diana was smiling and clapping just for her.

It was the best evening of Akko's life, better than winning at Chariot Races, Christmas, or beating down minotaurs…she would never, ever forget tonight.


Akko had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. As to be expected, Akko nearly failed in all of her practical exams, but more than made up for it with her outstanding scores on the written exams; Diana, of course, had the best grades of the first years. They did find Barbara's test results and were none too surprised to see she had ranked third among their year behind Diana and Constanze; she had to be exceptionally gifted if she passed all the trails by herself. Amanda had hoped that Hannah would have flunked, but she had decently average scores. It was a shame, but as Amanda said, you couldn't have everything in life.

And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Blair was sunbathing in the window, nearly forgotten until Akko ran back to get her; Professor Ursula was there to take them down the path to the gate through the Ley Lines and through the forest back to the train station; they were boarding the silver bullet train; talking and laughing as the scenery blurred through the windows; eating Squid Sister's Color Splashers as they sped past New Delhi; pulling into the Yamanote Line in Shibuya Station.

Akko, Nanoha Takamachi, and a few other Japanese students were pulling down their trunks and walking off onto the platform. Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka leaned out the windows.

"You have to come and spend a summer in New York," said Amanda, "I could show you the sights – nothing too touristy, though."

"Thanks," said Akko, "but I think I'll wanna spend a little time with my friends before I get out my passport. I haven't seen them for almost a year."

People jostled them as they exited the train. Some of them called:

"Bye, Akko!"

"See ya, Kagari!"

"Looks like someone's popular," said Sucy, smirking at her.

"I just hope Hikari doesn't find out," said Akko. "She'll never let me hear the end of it."

"There she is, Yuki-Chan, Kyoko-chan, it's Akko-chan! Hey, Akko-Chan!"

And speak of the vampire, Hikari, Yuki, and Kyoko were running down the stairs followed shortly behind by Akko's parents. Akko braced herself as Hikari tackled her to the ground; she could hear Sucy snickering.

"Akko-chan, I missed you!" cried Hikari.

"Yeah, yeah, now get off me!" snapped Akko.

"They seem like good people," said Lotte.

"Are you Akko's friends?" asked Yuki, bowing to Lotte and the others. "Thanking you for taking such good care of Akko."

"Believe me, it wasn't easy," said Amanda; Constanze nodded in agreement.

Mr. and Mrs. Kagari helped their daughter up and hugged her with everything they had.

"Busy year?" said Mrs. Kagari.

"Like you wouldn't believe," said Akko, giggling.

"You can tell us all about it on the way to Midori-ya," said Mr. Kagari. "Lunch is on me."

Akko's old friends cheered at the same time the loud, bellowing horn sounded from the front of the platform. The train started to move. Lotte and the other waved and shouted their good-byes and Akko waved in return, not stopping until the train had turned around the bend and disappeared in a blur.

Her first year at Luna Nova Academy had been such a thrilling and emotional one. As she reached into her bag and felt the cool surface of Shiny Rod, Akko couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen next….


...But somewhere very far away, in an undisclosed location, men plotted in shadows.

Sitting along in the darkenss with only a candle for a light source, a man stooped low over a tattered old book, peering the faded words with captivated interest. He was slow to turn the pages, not wanting to miss a single letter and he deciphered their meaning. He didn't know how long he had been there - his whole body felt stiff, so it must have been hours.

And then, out of the shadows, another man stepped into the candle light, drapped in a tattered whiterobe, his chest exposed to display his messy collection of burn scars that stretched from one side to the other.

"It is done," said the man in white. "Akko Kagari has left Luna Nova with the Claiomh Solias in hand. She will likely begin her search for the other Stars of Arcturus very soon."

"Well done, Ruvik, very well done," said the shadow man, still pouring over his book. "Influencing Barbara England into stealing the Claiomh Solais, thereby setting off the chain of events that would lead to Kagari acquiring it for herself. Absolutely brilliant."

"The girl already hated Cavendish," said Ruvik. "All I did was bring it to the surface."

"Now that Akko Kagari had the Claiomh Solais, the first chapter of her story is complete," said the man in shadow with a knowing chuckle. "Everything falls into place."

He shut the book on the table and the the faded golden writing of the title was illuminated by the candle: Aradia Series Vol. II – The Book of Midday


Now there are probably a few things you are all wondering: Aradia is supposed to be the Voldemort of this series, so why didn't she appear? Why leave the villain as only Barbara? Well, there's a lot bigger mystery behind that and Aradia may not be what she appears.

And some of you are probably wondering why I named Shiny Chariot as Akko's mother early on in the series. Well, if you haven't figured out that part by now, the rest of the series will just confuse you. There was no way I could ever make any mentioning of Akko's birth parents without making it too obvious, so might as well get it out in the open. Akko still doesn't know that Ursula and Chariot are the same person (but we all do), so I'll still have something of a shock factor when the big reveal happens.

So please leave a review and I'll see you in Book 2: Akko Kagari and the Evil Within.