I've had this chapter on my desk for ages, I just forgot to post it. I hope you have a nice day! Make sure to tell me what you think!

Chariot was restless. She kept rolling on her bed, hoping that it would help her go back to sleep, but she ended up sighing as she realized that she would have to wake up at such an early hour with nothing to do.

Ever since that night where she almost kissed Croix, her thoughts would wander, and she couldn't do anything about it.

Sometimes she would think of Croix kissing her, while gently cupping her face. Her lips would taste like coffee, and maybe that instant ramen she keeps eating at late hours.

It would be an unfitting combination, but Chariot would love it anyway.

Other times, her thoughts would wander deeper than that. Other times she would be pinned against the wall by the older woman, passionately kissing her as she desperately grasped into the fabric of her shirt. Her heart would threaten to burst out of its cage, while she would pull the witch closer.

The next morning, she would wake up in her arms, no longer in need of hiding her affection.

Chariot's face reddened as she imagined it, and she hid it in her palms, both embarrassed and ashamed of having such thoughts about her friend.

Arcas jumped on her bed, wiggling his tail in confusion.

"Arcas, don't look at me!" She said, and the dog just gently put his palm on one of her hands, pushing it down. "Arcas no! I'm having uh… 'adult' thoughts! I'd feel more embarrassed if you keep staring-" The dog just licked her face. "Arcas no!"

She struggled against the dog for a while, before finally escaping his 'punishment'. She sighed and buried her face into her pillow, thinking again of what could happen between her and Croix, thinking of how they could have something.

Who was she fooling? That crush never left.

But was it coming back because she was falling, or because of how dependent she was on the older woman?

"Who am I kidding? Croix would never feel that way about me." She told herself, and the dog gave her the most disappointed look a dog could master.

The dog barked, before biting her shirt and trying to drag her out of bed.

"Arcas no!"

He somehow managed to make her get up.

Chariot decided to make breakfast for Croix for once. The witch has been working day and night, and she could see it starting to affect her. It only made the redhead more worried.

She waited for the lilac haired witch to get up. She found it strange that she wasn't awake by now, considering she was always up early.

Chariot knocked on Croix's door, hoping for an answer from the witch, but she received nothing.

"Croix, can I come in?" She asked, but there was still no answer. She looked at Arcas who shared her worry, before slowly opening the door.

Croix was still asleep, and her whole room was a mess of papers and tools.

The redhead frowned, wondering if she should clean it up once the witch goes to work. She didn't think it was her place to touch anything in the woman's room, but this was a little too much for her liking.

She slowly walked towards the bed, and sat by the edge, before resting her hand on her shoulder, shaking her softly.

Croix groaned, then opened her eyes. She slowly turned to Chariot, looking exhausted despite sleeping in.

"Good morning." She said, while rubbing her eyes. She tried to get up, but couldn't find enough strength to do so. Chariot gave her a concerned look. "Just give me a few minutes, I'll be right there." She said, but her voice sounded too tired, like she was forcing herself to speak.

Chariot's hand moved to the witch's forehead, making sure that she didn't have a fever or anything.

"Croix, if you're so tired, maybe you should spend the day at home."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Chariot said, then gave her a small smile as she pulled a few hair strands away from the emerald eyes she loved to stare at. "Wouldn't it be nice to spend time together? You're always so busy lately."

Croix managed to push herself up, and sighed. "I'm sorry, I would love that, but I need to work." She frowned when she saw the sad look on Chariot's face. "Hey, I promise I'll be around more, okay? Besides, we still need to work on your magic."

The redhead sighed.

"Don't push yourself too much, okay?" She asked, before standing up and leaving the room.

Croix rubbed her temples, and leaned back into the bed, before shaking her head and jumping out of it, not giving sleep the chance to take over again.

She was in desperate need of rest, but at the same time, she had to do this, for Chariot's sake.

She paused, as she finished putting her laptop in its bag.

Since when did Chariot take over most of her life?

Was she overdoing it? Was it in her place to do this? Was this okay, for both her and Chariot?

She didn't know.

She just knew that the redhead was on her own, and had no one to rely on, and the truth is… neither did she.

She took a deep breath, before leaving her room. She didn't eat much of her food, since she was running late.

Chariot wasn't too pleased, but didn't say anything about it, instead she walked towards Croix and hugged her before she would reach the door.

"Chariot? Is everything okay?" The lilac haired witch asked, confused by the gesture, but still hugged her back.

"Yeah, just stay safe, okay?" The redhead pulled away, biting her lip as she looked away. There was a faint blush on her face, but the older witch didn't think much of it.

"You too." Croix said with a soft smile, and ruffled her hair affectionately, which made the blush darken. "Call me if anything happens, alright?"

"Alright."

And so, Chariot was alone again.

Well, not so alone now that Arcas was by her side. She just wasn't sure what to do.

Sure, she has spent years in one place, isolated from the world, and she found ways to distract herself, but now that she was out… she wanted more than just that.

She fell back into the couch, staring at the ceiling, but that didn't last because Arcas jumped on her stomach, knocking the air out of her.

This was it, this was her life now.

Here she was, using Croix's laptop -she had more than one laptop too, of course- and staring at this page with 'google' written on it.

...To her defense, witches have always been old fashioned.

"So uh, Arcas, what do we 'google'?" She asked, trying to remember what the older witch taught her. Arcas barked, wiggling his tail happily. "How to talk to your crush? Arcas, no!" She glared at him. "I don't know how to delete… uh, history, yet."

Arcas let out a sad whimper, before barking again.

Chariot rolled her eyes and smiled, and turned her attention back to the screen. She managed to find some good music on witchtube, and some games that she mindlessly played for a while until she decided she wanted something else.

She patted Arcas, who has found his way to her lap during her quest. She sighed, and he lifted his head to look at her.

"I'm okay, I just… feel trapped, again." She admitted, moving her hand to scratch his ear. "It's definitely better than where i was but… I don't feel good."

He titled his head to the side, and barked.

"What? No, I can't just go outside, I would panic." Her eyes widened. Just thinking about the world outside walls made her heart race. Her dog moved forward, licking her face to comfort her. She smiled and hugged him.

Her eyes then wandered to the door, lingering on it.

-Colors-

Croix reached Luna Nova, and she already wished for another cup of coffee. She was tired, and if she was being honest, she did not have the tolerance to argue with Diana Cavendish again.

She would have to ignore her for today.

They could act passively aggressive at each other during the whole lesson, but there were better things to do…

...Doing the lesson for example which is why people come to school… not to pick fights with their professors.

Well, she did that before but she had good reasons. Some professors here are dumb.

"Akko, that's enough."

Well, speak of the cabbages devil.

Croix was about to go inside her classroom, when she heard Diana Cavendish's voice. She made sure to come early, so how come the kids were here? Perhaps they needed an empty classroom to talk in?

"Quit bossing me around!" Akko yelled. The lilac haired witch stood by the door, so she couldn't see their faces, but the anger in the brunette's voice was enough indication. "All you do is tell me what and what not to do! You're not my mom!"

"Akko, it's for your own good-"

"How would you know that? I get to decide that! Maybe if you could stop being so controlling, I would start making my own decisions without being stressed all the time!" Akko said, then dashed out of the room, ignoring her friend's protests.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the best decision to make when you're blind, so the brunette found herself tripping at the door and almost falling if it weren't for Croix quickly catching her.

"Are you okay?" She asked, helping her student balance herself. Akko turned to her, her lips pursed and her eyes wide. She was clutching her cane close to her chest. It seemed that she was taking a moment to register everything, and when she did, Croix could have sworn she saw her small ponytail stand up. "Professor! I'm sorry! I didn't realize class starts now."

Croix blinked.

"It doesn't. I came early."

"Oh."

She looked at the other girl, who avoided her gaze. She decided that it would be better not to say anything about the matter. She remembered what she heard the other day, about these two's relationship concerning Chariot.

Could it be that she was the cause of this fight because she talked about knowing the witch?

She let go of Akko's shoulders, and rubbed her neck awkwardly when she realized that she held on for too long, but the kid didn't seem to mind.

"I will be preparing some stuff, but if you two would like to stay here while I do so. I won't mind." She stated, walking inside to set her bag on the desk.

Akko fidged uncomfortably, before talking again. "I'll come back once the bell rings, sensei. Thank you for catching me." She said, walking away.

The older witch frowned, hoping that she could get around fine. She knew that Diana was still there, but decided to ignore her presence. She could easily feel the animosity in the air.

It would be better to just prepare her things in peace-

"I don't like you, professor." Diana spoke, and Croix paused, resisting the urge to let out the longest sigh ever.

"Ah." She continued to type on her laptop, preferring not to fall in the trap and start an unpleasant conversation this early in the morning.

"How arrogant. Your behavior never ceases to irritate me." Diana continued, crossed her arms.

Oh, she was really doing this, huh?

"You talk nonsense about modern magic, tainting our traditions, and now you're putting ideas in Akko's head."

"Miss Cavendish." Croix didn't bother to look at her, as she continued to type. "Now, I know you just had a fight with your friend, but surely you have a better coping mechanism than picking on your poor teacher."

The young prodigy stared at her silently for a moment, before sighing.

"I must ask you to stay away from Akko. She must know nothing about Shiny Chariot." She said, her voice lowering with each word, making her sound vulnerable. Croix decided to finally look at her, and for a moment, sadness flickered through her blue eyes, before getting replaced by coldness. "It would hurt her deeply, to learn more. So, please refrain from mentioning her again."

"Why would it hurt her?" Croix asked, carefully.

Diana took one last look at her, before answering. "I have no reason to trust you, not when you're friends with that woman."

And with that, she left the classroom, and a perplexed Croix behind.

-Colors-

"I think this was a bad idea, Arcas." Chariot muttered, and gulped as she felt her legs shaking and ready to give out at any moment now.

She did the worst thing imaginable. She went outside. She clutched Arcas' leach close to her chest, and could only look at either her dog or her feet.

What was she thinking?

Being around this many people was going to give her a heart attack. She couldn't look up, and she wondered if they were all staring at her, thinking how weird she was.

She shook her head.

People had better things to do than staring at her and judging her, right?

Well, to be fair, her red hair -now filled with white streaks- would attract eyes.

She felt Arcas wrap his tail around her leg, trying to calm her down. She looked at him and sighed, before smiling.

She had to do this. She couldn't count on Croix forever.

The problem right now was not only her anxiety, but the fact that she forgot everything the other witch showed her. She was too busy worrying about everything to remember the road.

Arcas then barked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"You have a place you want to go to?" She asked him, unsure if she should let him lead the way.

What if they got lost? No that can't be, Arcas is a dog.

What if they get kidnapped?! What if an accident happens? What if someone tries to steal from them?! What if the world ends-

She took a deep sigh. That was going too far.

"Alright, I trust you." She smiled, but it came out more as a grimace. The dog didn't mind. He was too happy, wiggling his tail at her acceptance.

She chuckled at the sight, before getting pulled by the excited dog.

She almost stumbled a few times, trying to keep up with him. Her endurance wasn't the best and she was weaker physically than she used to be.

There wasn't much to do at that tower, at least not something that would keep her in shape.

Arcas eventually stopped -almost causing his owner to trip and fall- before a flower shop. Chariot took a moment to regain her breath, and made a mental note to start exercising.

She tugged her hair behind her ears, and looked at the area. She should have focused on the road, last time Croix showed her around.

"Oh, Arcas! How are you doing?" She turned to see Martha walking out of the flower shop. "And how are you, Chariot?"

Chariot's brain took a moment to process. Yes, of course. Croix told her that Martha owned a flower shop, and yes, Arcas knew the old woman, and yes, Chariot was a hopeless case of a human being who now struggled to form a normal response to a stranger.

Chariot 'struggling' Du Nord. That should be her full name.

"Uh! Hello!" She blurted out, and immediately cringed at her own high pitched voice.

"Hello." The old woman chuckled. She pet Arcas, who now stood on his feet to cradle her. "Are you two going somewhere?" Her question surprised the redhead, and she started fiddling with the edge of her shirt, trying to think of a response. "Would you like to have a cup of tea with me?"

"Uh… y-yes. That would be nice, thank you!"

And so, Chariot found herself sitting inside the shop, holding a warm cup of tea in her hands, and admiring the various colors of the flowers. She found herself calmer, watching people from the various windows, rather than being outside with them.

"Are you feeling better?" Martha was sitting beside her, a warm smile on her face, a knowing look in her eyes. She took a sip of the beverage, before petting Arcas. "You seemed rather nervous. Nothing calms me down better than a quiet moment with my tea."

Chariot chuckled. She thought of Croix and how on edge she always looked, even when she drank her coffee. She always talked about how it would calm her nerves.

"Thank you. I'm not used to being around people." The redhead admitted. Her hair finally recovered its color, and she felt comfortable opening up to the woman. "I thought a walk with Arcas would help me get used to them but…"

"Sometimes you just have to take small steps. It won't work right away, but it will eventually." The woman smiled, now staring at the flowers. "I always watch people from here, and the more I look, the more I realize that they are not that scary. At least, not until I see Croix running late after not sleeping for a week."

"That sounds like her, alright." Chariot sighed. She stared at her drink, wondering how the other witch was doing.

She was worried about her health. Was she even resting? Probably not. She was working in every waking hour, and didn't seem to be getting any sleep.

"You know, you could work here." Martha proposed, surprising the redhead who almost spilled her drink. Chariot stared with wide eyes at the cup in her hands, then slowly put it away, not trusting her own clumsiness. Her reaction caused the old woman to chuckle yet again. "It might help you, and you see, I'm sure more people will come here if they see your pretty face. Unless you already have a job?"

"Oh! No I don't, I just…" The witch paused, and rested her hands on her lap. She bit her lip, thinking about the offer. "Do you mind if I think about it?"

"Of course not, my dear." The old woman smiled. "Whether you accept or not, make sure to visit me now and then. This old soul could use some company."

Chariot smiled and nodded. Arcas looked at them, happily wiggling his tail.

He knew this would make his owner feel better.

-Colors-

Croix found herself going home empty handed. She couldn't get her hands on any information from Akko, especially with the girl being hesitant and quiet today due to her argument with Diana.

She hated making no progress. Time was crucial to her, and it was something that drove her to dismiss her own needs in the past.

She was dangerously stepping back into that mindset lately.

She opened the door and stepped inside, instantly dropping everything on the floor. All she wanted at the moment was to throw herself on the couch, and sleep.

Her planning was cut short the moment Chariot threw her arms around her, trapping her into a -very welcome- hug.

Croix chuckled despite her mood, and hugged back. "Hey." She whispered, and her friend answered back, her voice bright and colorful, almost like a laugh was threatening to escape her throat.

"Hey!" Chariot pulled away, smiling brightly at her. "You're back early!"

"Yeah… I figured that I should get more rest. I feel like death." She mumbled, and the younger witch rolled her eyes, almost as if to say 'I warned you'. Her red eyes softened, before she took her by the hand, and guided her to the couch.

Croix noticed the tips of the younger witch's hair burning.

"Did something happen while I was gone?" The lilac haired witch asked, sitting on the couch and leaning back. She raised an eyebrow at Arcas who jumped on her lap, looking somehow, cheeky.

"Arcas and I got out today! We saw Martha and she offered me a job at her shop." The redhead clapped her hands together, excited about her achievement. "I'm still thinking about her offer and…" She stopped suddenly. "I'll make you coffee first!" Then she rushed out to the kitchen, leaving a confused Croix behind.

The lilac haired witch let her words sink in. She watched the redhead from the couch for a moment, before looking down at her own hand, fingers tapping continuously on her lap.

Chariot didn't need her today. That brought a mixture of relief… and disappointment.

In that moment, Croix realized that being dependant, and having someone depend on you… could get dangerously addictive.

Croix's eyes widened, as she made a realization.

The desperation, the dependency… The fury and fear she has seen in Diana Cavendish's eyes.

The sound of the coffee cup being placed on table brought her back from her thoughts. Chariot looked at her in confusion, tilting her head to the side.

The lilac haired witch just smiled at her. She had a feeling that she would be able to get much needed answers soon.