Diana tightened her grip on the rough hazelwood, hugging closer to her broom as the harsh winds beat against her face, her blonde locks whipping around behind her. Narrowing her eyes she scanned the horizon for the dragons she knew roosted near the peaks of the mountain range they approached. She chanced a glance over her shoulder, checking that her companions were close. Those two had a penchant for being reckless after all and this was no time to be going off alone.

A nasty gust of wind threatened her hold during her momentary lapse in concentration, rocking her closer to the tree line. Her foot skimmed through the leaves, kicking them up around her only to be stolen by the wind moments later.

They were almost to the base of the mountain, but Diana knew they would never make it up to the peak against the wind. "Let's land in the clearing!" She yelled over the wind.

Akko scrunched up her face and squinted, leaves flying past her, only catching the tail end of Diana's call. She was about to shout back when she saw Diana and Amanda flying down between the trees, Amanda waving her to follow.

Touching down behind her friends Akko let out a breath of relief. She hunched over, gripping her knees as she took a few steadying breaths. Flying was still her favorite thing next to collecting Shiny Chariot merch, but even the enthusiastic witch had her limits. Her limit, in this case, was flying for an hour trying to keep up with the two witches from Luna Nova that put every other broom rider to shame.

Getting her breath under control, Akko stood back up and ran her fingers through her hair, combing out a few leaves. "Phew! Are we stopping here? We aren't at the top of the mountains yet, that's where we needed to go right?" She chuckled slightly. "Not that I'm complaining."

Diana shrunk her broom, leaning over to stowing it in her pack. "We'll never make it up the mountains with winds this strong." She flicked her hair out of her face, standing straight to scan across the small clearing. There was a thick forest around them with a steep incline in front, blocking their view of the encroaching mountain range. It can't be helped, Diana thought as her eyes flicked over to where Akko was recovering. "We can stay here for the night. This seems like a safe enough place to stop. I'll set up the counter spells to ward off any unwanted intruders."

Amanda put away her broom, tossing her pack against the foot of a tree near their impromptu campsite. She raised her arms towards the sky, bending back and stretching out her stiff muscles. "Good plan, good plan." She nodded dismissively, looking around for a good place to relax.

Akko dumped her bag next to Amanda's, turning to look between the two witches. Her attention was drawn to Diana, as the witch absentmindedly began pulling her hair into a ponytail. Biting her lip, Akko watched as the delicate skin of her neck and shoulders became exposed as Diana gathered up her locks.

Akko cleared her throat, shaking her head as she averted her gaze. She cast her sights on the steep hill next to them, the trees thinning out the higher up it went. The low sun peeking through, illuminating the trees farther up. Her eyes brightened and she started jogging towards the base of the incline.

Diana tightened her ponytail and pulled out her wand, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes and prepared herself to cast. She let out her breath slowly, before pausing mid exhale to open her eyes as a thought crossed her mind. "We should ensure there are no nesting animals nearby. Amanda, could you scout out that rocky hill? Since we are so close to the mountain range, it could easily be occupied by any number of aggressive magical species."

"Already on it Diana!" Akko called out happily over her shoulder.

Diana's head whipped around to search for Akko. "No, I really think-"

"Aw let her go Diana, I don't have the energy for that right now." Amanda said, cutting Diana off before she could finish.

Diana frowned, her mouth still open with a protest on the tip of her tongue.

"Don't worry Diana! I won't be long." Akko called out as she started up the slope.

Diana hesitated, pursing her lips and mulling something over as she turned to watch Akko's retreating form. "Alright, but be careful Akko!" She called out as a second thought.

"When have I not been careful?" Akko chuckled, half turning as she continued up and gave Diana a lopsided smile, a playful spark dancing in her eyes.

Diana huffed, placing a hand on her hip as she gave Akko That Look. The look with her eyebrows raised and eyes squinting, letting Akko know just how unamused she was. Or at least, how unamused she should be.

Akko's smile widened and she stuck out the tip of her tongue. A small giggle escaped her as she turned back and continued bounding up the slope.

Diana rolled her eyes, a slight tugging at the corners of her mouth betraying her as she followed Akko with her eyes.

She let out a sigh and shook her head. Bringing her attention back to her wand, she concentrated on the flowing energy around her and began reciting incantations.

Amanda flopped down against a moss covered tree near Diana, leaning back with her hands behind her head. Spying a furry tail poke out from behind a rock she brought her wand out. "So how long's that been goin' on?" She asked lazily, as she was partially preoccupied with making a nut float just barely out of reach of the squirrel a few feet away from her.

The tip of Diana's wand glowed a subtle milky blue as the magic slowly flowed out, snaking its way around their small clearing.

Diana's eyes flicked to Amanda, still concentrating on the magic leaving her wand. The tugs at the corners of her mouth disappeared. "I don't know what you are talking about. How long has what been going on?" She asked between spells.

Amanda snorted, letting the nut drop to the forest floor as her concentration lapsed. The squirrel darted out, snatching up the nut and scurried away. "Oh come ooonnnn. It's just me. How long have you and Akko been 'secretly' dating?"

Diana sighed. She had a feeling she would be doing that a lot on this trip. "Akko and I are not in a relationship, Amanda."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Alright." Looks like she abandoned her task for nothing. "Anyway, why did you want me to come along? You never invite me on your little 'only-friends adventures'." Amanda made air quotes to emphasize her point, even if Diana was pointedly ignoring her.

"I'm starting to regret my decision." Diana grumbled, before continuing to recite the long list of protection charms.

Amanda let out a hearty chuckle. "Don't get me wrong, I wanted to get off the grid for a while. Broom racing is a blast, but basking in the limelight has its drawbacks." She leaned forward, picking at the moss at her feet. "Namely, my father always knows where I am and won't stop houndin' my ass to come back to the family business."

She flicked a piece of moss away and pulled her wand out, spinning it around a few times, watching as it twirled through the air. "When Akko said you needed another for your 'platonic gal pal adventures' I was all over that." She threw another glance at Diana. "We've all been curious what you two get up to on these things."

Diana's eyes flicked towards the sky as she took a deep breath, willing herself not to react as she paused her spellwork. "This area isn't as well documented and I anticipate it will be much more dangerous than our previous expeditions." She hesitated a moment, tapping her toe on the soil. "And after the… mishap recently, I am inclined to bring more help than usual."

Amanda's head shot forward, amusement written all over her face. "Oh yeah!" She nearly choked, snorting at the reference. "Akko told me about that. Didn't she almost get eaten by a dragon?!"

Diana grimaced, hoping for more sensitivity around the subject of one of her more recent painful memories. That is quite the exaggeration… but our escape was too close for comfort, I will admit."

Amanda's excitement died down, leaving just a slight smile behind. "So what? You want me to keep an eye out for Akko?"

Diana threw her an indignant glare. "Akko is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But… yes. There is a very good chance we could run into another dragon out here…" Diana hesitated, chewing on her lip. "I just.. I want to be sure she doesn't needlessly put herself in harm's way again."

Amanda studied Diana for a moment. The usually composed witch seemed tense and maybe a tad worried. She was staring off at nothing, frowning slightly and rolling her wand between her fingers. Amanda wasn't used to seeing Diana let her worry seep through her barrier. Either Akko hadn't told her the whole story or something else was up that Diana wasn't letting on.

"Alright." She heaved herself off the ground, a light smirk replacing her thoughtful expression. "Anything for my love struck BFF."

Diana blinked, startled out of her thoughts. Realizing what Amanda said she lost the fight, rolling her eyes with a humph. "There is nothing going on between us. I care for my friend. That is all."

Amanda snickered. "Tell that to your wandering eyes."

Diana huffed and turned away, flicking a few loose strands of hair out of her face. "I finished enchanting our campsite." She surveyed her handiwork. A dome of magic barely noticeable other than its shimmering light surrounded the clearing around them. She glanced at the receding sun. "Akko should have been back by now… I'm going to go check on her."

"I'm sure she's fine." Amanda said, turning to squint into the forest. Deep within the darkness of the trees around them, something shifted in the shadows, catching her eye. A line appeared between her brows as she scrutinized the movement.

"Nevertheless, I'd like to be on the safe side. I'll be just a few minutes."

Suddenly a sly smile made its way onto Amanda's face, eyes flickering with recognition. "And I'll just be here while you do that, minding my own business. Definitely not going out to look for something."

She waited till Diana had started up the hill before slipping past the barrier herself.

The air around Akko seemed lighter, more crisp. The smell of the forest mixing with the open air as she climbed. The trees thinning out, leaving the oppressing atmosphere of the forest behind. A wide smile spread across her face as she appreciated the untouched nature thrumming with energy.

This was her favorite part of going on these adventures with Diana. Not the fighting, or excitement, though that was certainly fun. But just taking a moment to feel the magical energy that swirled around her. Feel it flow up from the ground through her boots. Feel it flow through her fingers as they brushed against the trees. Feel it in the air as she breathed, filling her lungs and very being with its energy with each breath. It never ceased to bring her back to the awe and wonder she had first experienced when watching Shiny Chariot perform all those years ago.

She closed her eyes, tilting her head towards the sky, taking in a deep breath. Savoring the tingling sensation of magic surrounding her.

Ever since the revival of magic nearly 8 years ago, magical energy had begun to seep back out into the world. So much had changed since then. The increase in magic allowed mythical beasts of old to make a resurgence since there was enough energy to sustain them. And this brought a vast untapped wealth of knowledge just waiting to be discovered.

Akko chuckled slightly, remembering how excited Diana had looked when they first discovered a magical plant that hadn't been seen in centuries. These magical entities could allow previously unattainable medical potions and remedies to be created once again.

Or, at least, that's what Diana had begun spouting excitedly as she ran around grabbing thick, yellowed texts from shelves and pilling them up on a table. Diana had dove head first into her research, kicking off an enthusiastic start to their of their adventures together.

Their first adventure had been one of her favorites. It was right after the success of her first magic show. She had been on cloud nine, adrenaline still pumping through her as she danced and twirled around her dressing room. She could practically hear everyone gushing over how amazing she had been.

And of course, awed by her incredible display of magical prowess, Diana had practically begged her to accompany her on a research trip right then and there.

She giggled, remembering how she had imagined herself as a brave knight leading a fair princess through the dangerous woods in search of some new magical creature.

Although, that had been far from what actually ended up happening-

Akko's eyes snapped open, a muffled noise cutting off her thoughts as it caught her attention. Her eyebrows knit together as she tried to process the noise, straining her ears. Was it a giant man-eating dragon, lying in wait to gobble her up?

Akko shook the thought from her head, grimacing. No, a giant man-eating dragon would definitely not wait for its meal to come to it, she thought ruefully. Her arm still ached at the memory of a certain trip with Diana. Dragon's jaws snapping shut, just barely missing, teeth grazing her skin. She shuddered and rubbed her arm.

A few pebbles and some rubble slid down, coming to a rest at her feet as another noise cut through the air. It was noticeably louder this time, something between a hiss and a whimper.

Now that didn't sound like a dangerous monster. That sounded more like an animal in pain. Akko let go of her arm and crouched, slowly inching forward.

Diana had said to be careful, but whatever was making those noises wasn't dangerous. Plus, there was no harm in doing a little investigating.

Heading in the direction of the noise, Akko squinted, searching for signs of the source of the noise.

Another strained cry rang out, accompanied by a few rocks rolling down the slope on the path to her right. A fist sized rock bounced past her, covered in red, leaving a sloppy trail behind it. Akko kneeled down and lightly wiped at the red liquid with two fingers. Blood.

She stood up quickly, whatever was making those noises was hurt. She took a step before pausing. The creature would be scared and defensive, she couldn't just charge at it like usual. Akko glanced back down at the blood on her hand before nodding to herself.

Slowly and carefully Akko followed the path towards the top of the ridge. Splotches of red were scattered about haphazardly. Sometimes splashed across the ground, sometimes smeared across a rock at head height, seemingly no pattern controlling where the blood would fall.

Rounding a corner, a huge bird like beast covered in feathers came into view. Akko ducked behind a tree, poking her head out to watch it intently, looking for an opportunity to approach.

As Akko studied the creature she realized it wasn't completely covered in feathers. The creature had large blue and white wings and a head that resembled an eagle's. But its lower body, it looked more like a horse than any bird Akko had ever seen.

Akko racked her brain, she could have sworn Diana had mentioned something like this before. A Griffin maybe?

She peered closer, trying to find the source of all the blood, which was hard when the red mess was smeared all over the ground and across its feathers. The 'Maybe Griffin' was hiding behind its wing, its head reaching inside every once in a while.

Suddenly it jerked its head back with another cry, flailing its wings to try and steady itself, exposing a nasty gash across its back leg.

Three deep claw marks marred the beast's otherwise pristine skin. The wound was puffy and red, dark red still oozing out.

If that wound isn't treated it could get infected, or even cause the 'Maybe Griffin' to bleed out!

Akko rushed forward, forgetting her plan to be cautious. The unexpected movement startled the beast and it let out a strangled screech, scrambling up onto its legs

"AHH! I'm sorry for startling you!" Akko skidded to a halt, bowing deeply, hair falling down around her face. "I just want to help you!"

The beast paused its struggling, pulling its injured leg in defensively as it squinted at her.

She lifted her head up slightly, still bowing. "I've never met a Griffin befor-"

The 'Definitely Not A Griffin I'm Sorry Ok's head arched back, wings straining to spread out wide as it screeched at her.

Akko scrambled back, barely avoiding a wing as it swiped over her head. "Alright, Alright! I'm sorry! Not a Griffin!"

The 'Not Griffin' snorted, flicking its tail in irritation; but settled down nonetheless, partially folding its wings, one still held at an odd angle so as to not touch its leg.

Akko let out a breath, studying the beast. The creature eyed her before returning to 'caring' for its wound.

It did seem less defensive, she thought, maybe she was getting through to it. Akko inched closer. "Sooo… If you're not a Griffin what are you?"

If the creature had eyebrows it would have been raising them, casting an incredulous look at her from over its wing.

"Oh wait! You're the other one!" She flashed a bright smile at the beast. "A Hippogryph right?! I'll call you Hip!"

The Hippogryph blinked slowly at her before 'Humphing' and ducking back under its wing.

Akko giggled, taking another step closer. "Aww don't be like that, Hip. You know…" another step, "I have a friend who's a lot like you." She knelt down, tucking her legs behind her as she sat. "Who doesn't like to admit when they need help."

Hip kept its head pointedly hidden, still covering its injury with its wing.

Seeing as it hadn't moved away or freaked out again Akko took that as encouragement, scooting a bit closer, ignoring the blood getting all over her jeans. "She's so stubborn. And lately, I feel like things have been even more distant between us."

The Hippogryph flashed a glance at her, shifting its body slightly to ease the weight off its injured leg.

"But just like with her, I am going to sit here until you let me help you. I don't care if you think you can do it by yourself."

The beast lifted its head out from under its wing, holding her fierce stare.

Akko continued to hold its gaze, as she talked. "I'm not as oblivious as I used to be, I know she's hurting, but sometimes you can't just charge in." She looked off, a wistful smile on her face. "Even if that would make everything easier."

Akko gently touched the tips of the Hippogryph's feathers. The rich blue feathers stuck together in clumps, blood smeared across haphazardly. "I feel like being happy and pretending I don't notice makes her the most comfortable, she closes off more whenever I pry."

Hip cocked its head, slowly raising its wing to reveal its back leg.

Akko gave it a small knowing smile and sat up on her knees. She leaned over the wound, careful not to touch anything as she inspected it. "She's been really focused on her research lately. I hope whatever this trip is for is what she's been looking for. I just want her to be happy."

Akko pulled out her wand. "Hang on for a moment. She taught me a spell for something like this, but it'll take a while." She steeled herself, taking in a deep breath. "Leigheas." The tip of her wand glowed a light blue as she held it over the deep gashes.

Akko shifted, getting a little more comfortable as she watched the faint light drip down onto the wound. She reached up with her free hand, gently stroking her new friend absentmindedly.

"Ya know, for the longest time I didn't realize how important she was to me." The flowing light crept along the first gash, coating the edges and soaking into it. "She went from my rival to a friend and someone I admired."

The magic light seemed to be taking some of the pain away as it seeped into Hip's leg, a small sigh escaped its beak as it slumped down slightly, giving Akko more room to pet the Hippogryph's head.

"We were so close in our last years at school. She even helped set me up with a producer to start doing shows after we graduated. But being away from her hurt so much." She looked up at Hip. "You know, that hurt deep down in your chest, that ache that just won't go away?"

She shook her head, focusing back on the magic surrounding the beast's leg. "I missed my friends, but with Diana… it was like something in my chest was missing."

Hip snorted, blowing her bangs back. She looked up incredulously, only to find it giving her a playful look. "Looks like you're feeling a little better." She grumbled to herself, rolling her eyes. "Well, I finally convinced her to let me come on a trip with her. Mostly so I could be with her, heh." She chuckled softly, rubbing the back of her neck.

The light of Akko's magic was slowly fading, leaving behind, still tender, but nearly healed skin. "Diana means the world to me, I'd do anything and everything to help her."

As the last of the light faded she sat back, admiring her handiwork. She had really gotten good, hadn't she! Maybe Diana would have been able to fully heal the wound, but she had done a mighty fine job if she said so herself.

She gave Hip a wide smile, brushing off some dirt and standing up. "You have someone who cares about you too, don't you Hip? They would want you safe, even if you had to get help, wouldn't they?" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

Hip snorted and flicked her with the corner of its wing.

Akko laughed, shooing the beast's feathers away from her face. "Ahaha, yeah yeah. Now you better get home before someone starts worrying about you." She gave the beast a playful wink and took a step back to give it more room.

Hesitantly, Hip stood. Gingerly placing weight on its front leg. Glancing at her uncertainty as it did.

Akko nodded encouragingly, balling up her fists eagerly and holding them close to her chest. "That's it! You got it!"

The beast took a few experimental steps forward. It glanced back at Akko again, who was nodding vigorously, on her toes and leaning forward in anticipation.

Slowly Hip unfurled its wings, crouching down slightly as it readied to take off. Without much warning the beast leaped forward off the ledge, wings beating hard, stirring up the dirt and rubble around Akko.

Akko threw up her hands to block the wind and debris from hitting her face, watching as the beast flew off. "Yeah!" She jumped up and waved after it excitedly. She watched her new friend grow smaller in the sky, her heart soaring as high as the Hippogryph was flying. If only all her problems could be solved with magic.