Lessons Learned (ch5)

EARLY RELEASE FOR HIGHER-PLEDGING PATRONS!

I feel a few of you will be able to anticipate where this will be going. Let's see if you're correct.

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.

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												Chapter 5. Resanae

The following day, it's difficult for Akko not to go up to Diana before or after classes and ask her how she's feeling. Doing so would surely draw the attention of others, especially their own teammates.

But just the fact that Diana is even attending classes at all tells Akko she must be feeling all right.

/Or... is she actually still exhausted, but she won't miss a class even if her life depended on it?/

Akko can't be sure. But from what she can tell, Diana seems to be her usual, serious self that day. She and Akko catch each other's eyes a few times, but they exchange nothing more than glances and little, knowing nods.

Akko is hopeful that Diana might give her instructions about when and where they can continue their practices together. But Diana had warned her it might take a few days, and sure enough, she gives Akko no such notes or implications that she plans to train with her today.

There is an announcement made that morning that the greenhouse will be off-limits to students until further notice due to a pest infestation. Akko stiffens a little and shoots Diana another glance, but her classmate doesn't even look in her direction and remains inconspicuous.

By the time classes are over that afternoon, Akko is sure she won't be practicing with Diana today. But she's already told Lotte and Sucy that she'll have detention after school every day this week.

Therefore, she sheepishly keeps up the fib and tells them both she's got to attend her detention, despite the fact that she's actually already done that at lunchtime today; she'd told her teammates she'd forgotten something in their dorm room and had spent the entire lunch hour looking for it.

Akko likes her private training sessions with Diana. But she really hates lying to her friends.

So as they are all packing up and preparing to go back to their room that afternoon, Akko is sure to pull them both into a hug.

"Wish me luck, you guys," she sighs, trying to sound like she's about to head off to detention.

"Good luck, Akko," Lotte says, squeezing her back.

Sucy pats her shoulder and grunts.

"What's she making you do today? Clean the trolls' baths? Do the entire schools' laundry on your own? Feed the carnivorous plants by hand?"

"Ahhh not sure. Though I really hope it isn't that last one..." She steps back and lets them go. "I'll see you guys for supper in about an hour!"

"Okay!" Lotte smiles. "We won't eat without you."

"Just try not to get eaten yourself," Sucy chuckles.

"Sucy! Don't joke like that!"

As they leave the classroom, Akko stays behind for a moment, then slips out into the hallway.

/Guess I'll just wander around for an hour pretending I'm still at detention.../

So that's what she does, trudging down the hallway with boredom in her feet and shoulders, sighing and mumbling to herself.

"Wonder when Diana will be able to meet with me again..." Akko reaches one of the exit doors and pushes her way outside. "I should at least practice the spells she's been teaching me. Just gotta find a spot where no one else is hanging around..."

So she tries the little corner around the side of the building where Diana had first taught her the animation spell. But there is a group of girls sitting there and chatting now, so Akko turns away.

She tries several other spots she thinks will be empty, but there's at least one person at or around each of them. She doesn't want to practice in front of others, for fear she might mis-cast a spell and accidentally hit the wrong target again, and just because she doesn't want to be made fun of.

She grumbles and groans her way around campus, looking for a quiet spot out of plain sight, but is unsuccessful.

"Guuuh, this stinks! It almost feels like I'm actually in detention!"

She stomps around until she's finally given up, then realizes she's brought herself to a familiar location.

The large, glass greenhouse stands before her now, looking as magnificent and colorful as ever, even from the outside. She can see several of the gardeners working and walking around the perimeter, and knows they must be trying to stop the leeches from entering underground, as Diana had mentioned earlier.

Akko is just about to heave a sigh and turn away when she notices something.

The door is ajar. Just a little bit.

An idea forms in her head right away.

/That'll be the perfect place to practice! Especially since it's off-limits now, no one will come in to bother me! I can practice my spells on those gross leeches, and then leave whenever I want to!/

Determined, she makes a fist before silently beginning her advance.

She watches and waits until all of the workers have moved far enough away or aren't looking at her before she sprints to the door, pulls it open just an inch, and then squeezes herself through.

It's warm and quiet inside, and she knows she'll have the luxury of doing as she pleases for however long she pleases.

"And I know the reversal spell now too," she reminds herself. "Well... I don't actually know it, but I know the word, so if something goes wrong and I end up hitting one of the plants again, I can fix it in no time! P-Probably..."

She hadn't actually practiced casting that spell herself. And judging by the toll it had taken, even on someone like Diana... Akko swallows hard.

"Yeah, I'll... try not to miss..."

She scurries her way over to the particular nursery of plants where the leech infestation had been the worst. Even though she and Diana had gotten rid of nearly all of them yesterday, she isn't surprised to find just as many back here now today.

Akko scrunches up her nose and sticks out her tongue.

"Gross little..." She looks up, squinting and trying to see if there are any falling down from the vines along the ceiling. "I gotta be careful. I can't let one of them bite me again..."

She makes a mental note to be more observant and mindful before drawing her wand and taking up her relaxed stance. She takes a moment to calm herself down, remembering all Diana's taught her thus far, in addition to bits and pieces of lectures she'd learned from her professors.

/I know how to pronounce the word. That's easy enough. Then there's the amount of force I put into it, either for a powerful or light hit, close-up or far away. My intentions are only good. I just wanna help the plants. I'm not scared or being defensive, but my magic will still be strong since I'm doing this for a good reason!

/Then I just gotta aim well and make sure I hit the "heart" of my target. Which is tough, because the leeches are small. But thanks to that, it doesn't matter where I hit them, because the spell will affect them fully no matter what!/

She lists off all of these reminders to herself, then straightens her back to prepare herself. She raises her wand, takes aim at one of the greedy little leeches nearby, and narrows her eyes. She speaks with conviction, but without anger or frustration.

"Murowa!"

And she watches as a green streak of light shoots forth from her wand and collides with the parasite. The leech loosens its grip on the plant and falls into the soil, then disintegrates into nothing.

Akko is stunned. This wasn't like yesterday when she'd almost cast the spell and just produced little sparks of magic. She'd actually cast it fully and correctly this time.

"Oh my gosh! I did it! Diana, did you see-" She whips around with a giant smile on her face, only to remember she is alone in here. But she shrugs it off immediately. "Well, okay. Maybe that was just a fluke. Let's see if I can do it again..."

She takes aim at another pest and repeats her process, trying to mimic the same exact stance, breath, and feeling as before.

"Murowa!"

And again, the spell forms and hits its mark, sending yet another leech to its gooey green grave. Akko jumps up and down in delight.

"I did it! I really did it! I can't wait to tell Diana!" She almost turns around and runs out of here right now. But then, a better idea comes to her. "No! I'll get rid of as many of these guys as I can today, then whenever we meet up next, I'll totally surprise Diana and show her how good I am! Yeah!"

She nods vigorously, excited and thrilled about her success and her new idea. "I'm gonna surprise Diana! Her jaw's gonna hit the floor! All right! Let's do this!" She whirls back around, and, with a new conviction in her heart, takes aim at more and more of the leeches, knocking them off their perches one by one.

But despite her eagerness, Akko tries to consciously remind herself to calm down so she won't skew her aim.

/Don't wanna mess it up now when it's going so well!/

So she casts her spell a few times, then takes a brief break to collect herself before beginning all over again.

She can't wait to surprise and impress Diana with her magics. This is part of what fuels Akko to continue casting her spell successfully.

/I can't wait to show her! I can't wait!/

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Diana has just finished conversing with Professor Finneran about the greenhouse's situation.

It is her understanding that all possible actions are being taken in order to deter and eliminate the parasites' migration, but even so, Diana cannot help but feel partially responsible.

Though the professor ensures her she need not concern herself, Diana still believes it her duty to help oversee the safety of those highly important plants. At the very least, she's been assigned the task of ensuring that the greenhouse is secure this evening so the gardeners can do their work.

Therefore, she makes her way outside now, planning to do what needs to be done quickly so she can meet Hannah and Barbara for supper tonight. They'd been upset yesterday, considering Diana had needed to visit the infirmary and had therefore missed having the meal with them. As such, she'd promised them to be there this afternoon.

Her plan is to check the greenhouse inside and out, and then be on her way.

When she arrives, several of the gardener trolls look up to greet her. They know she is authorized to be inside, even at this hour, so none of them try to stop her from entering. Diana extracts her key card and swipes it before pushing her way inside.

She makes her way along the little dirt paths, scouring the area. She can already see there are some leeches clinging to plants deeper in than she'd last known them to be. She extracts her wand and eliminates several of them as she continues on her patrol.

Everything's quiet in the greenhouse, save for the sounds of her own footsteps.

But then, an unexpected sound causes her to stiffen.

"Murowa!"

She knows this voice. She's heard it more often than she cares to admit, especially in recent days.

Irritated, flustered, and a little concerned, Diana hurries onward now.

"That girl... how did she get in here?"

She follows the sound of her voice to the same spot where Diana had trained with her previously.

Sure enough, Akko is there, with her back to her, taking aim at the plants before her. Diana presses a hand to her temple and sighs.

"Goodness, I swear..." She mumbles before calling out to her. "Akko! What do you think you are-"

But Diana's sudden call surprises Akko. She's just cast the spell again, but now it ends in a high-pitched shriek.

"Muro-wah!"

Frightened by Diana's shout and dismayed by the fact that she's been found out, Akko jumps and whirls around to face her on instinct.

But her spell doesn't break.

It happens so quickly. The second Akko registers that Diana is there, it is already too late.

A green bolt of light fires from her wand. Aimless now, the magic simply projects wherever her hand waves the wand as she turns.

And Akko can't do anything but watch in horror as the spell shoots out-

-and strikes Diana directly in the chest.

The shock on Diana's face contorts immediately into an expression of anguish. She gasps and clutches both hands to her chest before falling to her knees.

Akko feels the panic and the terror as strongly as Diana feels that pain. It's like someone's cast a curse that twists and painfully rearranges all of her insides. Her feelings of excitement, pride, and accomplishment all vanish in a split second as an acidic, petrifying fear consumes her.

"Diana!"

Somehow, she manages to make herself move, sprinting across the open space between them to catch Diana just before she hits the ground.

"No, no, no!" She struggles to stay on her feet and to keep her classmate up with her.

But Diana's weight is limp in her arms, and her own legs are shaking far too much to do anything other than buckle.

Akko slumps to her knees, holding tightly to Diana. She's gasping weakly in her arms, her eyes squeezed shut from the excruciating pain, her lips parted in a silent cry of agony. Her pale skin is already losing color, and even her hair is becoming more ashen. Her legs curl in as her body convulses with little shockwaves.

Akko can't think clearly. She doesn't know what to do.

"Diana! Diana!"

She presses a hand over Diana's chest in an effort to keep her still. And she's even more scared when she feels Diana's heart pounding frantically beneath her palm. It's beating hard and fast, straining as the harmful magic spreads throughout her body.

"No, n-no..." Akko whimpers. /W-Why is this happening?! Isn't it just like the time she shot me by accident? I didn't mean to hit her, s-so why is it having such a major effect on her?/

But no sooner than the questions had run through her mind than she realized her answers.

When Diana had cast the spell weeks earlier and accidentally hit her, Diana had been intent on hitting the chrysalis. Akko had merely jumped in the path of the spell after it had already been cast.

But now... even though Akko hadn't intended to hit her either, this was entirely different.

Diana had called out to her unexpectedly, and so when Akko had cried out, it had happened to sound like the final syllable of the spell word. And since she'd cried out in fear and alarm, the magic had been cast as a self-defense spell.

/And that's... one of the strongest kinds.../ she recalls. /A-And it hit her... in the heart.../

Akko can still feel Diana's pulse jumping wildly beneath her hand. But in a matter of seconds, it begins to weaken. Diana's harsh breathing begins to wither, and the tension within her body begins to drain out.

Akko feels hot tears spilling down her cheeks.

"No... D-Diana, n-no!" She lifts her face and her voice, then screams out as loudly as she can. "Help! S-Someone help!"

But even if anyone is near enough to hear her from the other side of the greenhouse walls, she doesn't think they'd make it in time.

Diana's condition is worsening by the second. Akko is forced to watch, feeling as Diana's pulse gets a little slower with every beat. And they are both totally helpless to stop it.

To Akko, it feels like her stomach is being ripped open. Her own heart is pounding so hard, and she wishes she could give it to Diana instead. Her head is throbbing, and there's a strange, white noise drowning out all of her thoughts. She feels numb. She can't move.

She looks over Diana, watching as the tightness in her brow loosens. Her hair and skin are the same color now, stark-white.

Akko realizes with poignant trepidation that Diana is dying in her arms.

/I... I did this... I'm killing her.../

"What... What do I do...?" she sobs. "D-Diana, w-what do I do?!"

But Diana can't find the strength or the words to respond. All she can manage is to open her eyes, just barely. Her eyelashes flutter, and there's a glaze over the blue color as that too begins to fade.

There is fear in her eyes. There is pain.

But there's one more thing there, too.

Hope.

She believes in Akko.

You know this, she seems to be saying.

And at first, Akko can't understand. She's too scared, too shocked, too consumed by her guilt and her tears.

But when she sees that look in Diana's eyes – the look that tells her she's Diana's only hope – something clicks.

"T-The reversal spell! The regeneration spell!"

As soon as she blurts out the answer, Diana's eyelids fall shut.

Akko scrambles for her wand, shaking so badly she drops it once before lying the tip across Diana's collar. Akko can still feel her pulse, but only barely now.

/Th-The word, wh-what's the word for the spell-/

She chokes on her own sobs as she frantically tries to remember. But there's so much swirling around in her head, so many emotions clashing together and confusing her and making her more and more terrified and more and more aware of the fact that Diana is dying...

Akko closes her eyes and sniffles, shaking her head.

"No... no..."

/Calm down.../

A voice runs through her head, and she's so discombobulated, she can't even tell if it's her own thoughts. Part of her believes it is Chariot's voice, but another part thinks it sounds like Diana's voice.

Akko listens to that voice, whoever's it is.

And suddenly, images begin running through her mind.

All the times she's spent with Diana. In class together with her, getting in trouble by her, racing the broom relay with her...

The time Diana caught her from a thousand-foot fall and saved her life.

The time Diana accidentally hit her with the very same spell.

All the times they've trained in secrecy together.

The time Akko cast her first spell successfully, how Diana commended her and smiled, how wonderful she herself had felt.

She still has... so much more she wants to show her. So much more she wants to do with her.

She wants to keep going to classes with her and hear Diana give her flawless answers to every single question.

She wants to keep squabbling with her in front of others, then get along with her when they're alone.

She wants to keep studying with her, training with her.

She wants to keep being her friend.

Everything piles up all at once. Every memory, every feeling, every second she's shared with Diana. She wants to keep sharing more with her, for a long, long time.

Akko draws in a breath, just as one of Diana's last leaves her body.

And all the times they've spent together, all the excitement and joy and wonder, all of it goes into that word:

"Resanae."

Though Akko's eyes are closed, she can sense a golden light surrounding her. When she dares to look for herself, a vibrant, warm glow is pouring from her wand, and transferring to Diana.

Akko swallows thickly and watches, silently begging for the magics to work.

/Please... please...!/

Diana's chest is unmoving beneath her palm, and she can't feel a pulse anymore.

/Please!/

"Diana..."

The golden light seems to hover over her body for a moment, coating Diana in warmth and light.

Akko waits, and for a long, terrifying moment, nothing happens.

/Oh no... w-what if... I'm too late...?/

The realization of what that means is too awful for her to even think about.

But then, Akko feels a flutter of movement beneath her hand. A tiny ripple runs through Diana's chest, and for a second, not she nor Akko draw breath.

Then, the color begins to return to Diana's skin. The withered limpness of her hair is rejuvenated into its usual luscious, soft tresses. She gasps, and Akko does the same, relieved and scared and almost disbelieving.

"D-Diana? Diana?"

Akko leans desperately over her, tears dripping down to seep into Diana's uniform.

Diana hasn't opened her eyes, but Akko can feel the rise and fall of her chest. Her heartbeat is faint at first, but soon becomes stronger. Akko bites her trembling lip and sobs again.

"Diana...? D-Diana, please..."

Akko bows her head, forced to close her eyes now as more tears dribble down her chin and neck.

For a moment, she tries to quiet her sobs. At the same time, she keeps her hand over Diana's heart. She's still breathing raggedly, and Akko silently begs for her to be all right.

At last, Diana heaves one last breath before everything evens out. Akko's eyes fly open as she seeks out hers.

"D-Diana...?"

It takes a moment, a moment during which Akko vigorously wipes her free hand's sleeve over her eyes.

And at last, Diana's eyelids flutter again. Her vision is clouded, but soon clears up. The pain is gone, the fear is gone. All that's left is fatigue and relief.

And that's all Akko feels, too. But she feels more of the latter than the former.

"D-Diana! Diana-!" Hiccuping, she can't help but throw herself over Diana, hugging her tightly. "I-I'm... I'm sorry, I-I didn't-"

"Akko..."

Diana can barely find the strength, but she manages to lift her hands and return the embrace, wrapping her arms around Akko's shoulders. Akko squeezes her a little tighter, sobbing into her shoulder.

"I'm- so sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"I know."

Akko thinks Diana seems far too calm for someone who's just stared death in the face and then come back from it all. She's scared that the spell might not have worked, might not have been strong enough.

/Wh-What if she relapses and it happens again...?/

Akko jolts at the thought, easing back from the desperate embrace enough so she can see Diana's face, but doesn't let her go.

"D-Diana... A-Are you-"

"I am fine," she assures her.

"B-But-!" Akko shifts her hand onto Diana's side. Her voice drops a pitch. "Y-Your heart... stopped-"

"Akko..." Diana reaches out towards her. Akko sniffles and hiccups again as Diana gently brushes her fingers over her cheeks, clearing away some of her tears. "You succeeded... in remembering the reversal spell. That means... the effects of the degeneration spell are indefinitely cancelled." She smiles, albeit feebly. "Well done..."

"Diana..." Akko wants to say more, but she cuts off when the other witch suddenly closes her eyes once again. Akko tenses, her voice rising in alarm. "Diana-?"

"Please... allow me... just a moment..."

Her words both scare and reassure Akko. Part of her is nervous that something bad might still happen and Diana's condition could worsen again. But Diana has said that the effects of the first spell have been completely cancelled.

Ultimately, Akko decides to give Diana the moment she needs, and uses it for herself as well. She helps Diana sit up a little bit, then leans forward, pulling her into another hug – softer this time. Diana rests her hands around Akko's shoulders once again, and in return, Akko hugs her sides and the small of her back.

For a while, they simply breathe. Akko relishes the feeling of Diana's chest rising and falling against her own. She can feel the steady beat of her heart as well.

And then, there's something else. Diana dips her forehead against Akko's shoulder, and begins to tremble. Akko realizes she is crying. She hugs her tighter, and cries with her.

"Diana..." she wails. "I'm so-"

"Thank you, Akko."

Diana's soft words stop Akko's distraught ones. She'd been under the impression that Diana was crying out of fear. But now, Akko realizes it's from relief.

Akko knows the guilt she's been feeling is exactly how Diana must have felt a few weeks ago when her spell had hit her. Akko had told Diana herself that she didn't want her to keep feeling guilty about that.

It's clear to her now that Diana wishes the same for her. It isn't going to be easy, but Akko thinks she might be able to forgive herself if Diana can do so this easily.

They stay this way for a few minutes, until they are both certain the ordeal has truly come to an end. Diana's quieter tears stop long before Akko's heavier ones do.

Diana eases herself back and runs a hand through her own hair. Naturally, Akko is still sobbing and blubbering. Diana reaches out to fix her hair instead.

"Now then, don't you think that's enough?"

But Akko shakes her head, and more tears go flying in the process.

"B-But, Diana! I-"

"Did not mean for this to happen," she concludes. "I am the one who surprised you. Although you were certainly not permitted to be here at this time, I should have thought things through. Considering our previous activities, of course you would have been practicing that spell. I should have known better than to call out to you in such a manner."

"But... you're right... I wasn't supposed to be in here... a-and since I snuck in... all of this happened..." She can't even bear to look Diana in the eye anymore. The memories just keep replaying in her mind. She can still see the life draining from Diana's eyes, still hear her strained breathing, still feel her heart slowing...

"It's all my fault..." she chokes. "I-I keep breaking the rules and disobeying orders. It's just like you said, Diana. If I k-keep doing this, someone could get hurt. A-And-"

"I must admit you are absolutely correct on that point," Diana sighs. "Rules are created and enforced for a reason. It is not always for the sake of keeping secrets. More often than not, rules are created for safety measures.

"The reason the professors decided to close off the greenhouse until further notice was because they came to the conclusion that dealing with the pests would require the usage of potentially-harmful magics. That is why they prohibited unauthorized students from entering."

Akko flinches.

"A-And I... I..."

"You gave in to your usual habits and broke the rules," Diana notes. "However, I am certain you did so with only the best intentions in mind, correct?"

"I-I just... wanted to practice the spells more... A-And I wanted to impress you... but instead... all I did was hurt you..."

Akko can't say anymore. She breaks down crying, hard and loud.

Diana pulls her close, and begins to slowly stroke through her hair.

"Unfortunately," she murmurs. "Sometimes, even when we have the best intentions in mind, things can still go awry." Akko shudders in her arms, and Diana knows she's repenting for everything. "Perhaps this will encourage you to consider the rules more seriously in the future."

Akko nods into her shoulder, then curls her fingers into Diana's sides.

"Sorry..."

Diana says nothing in response. While she longs to tell Akko everything is all right, that is not the case. She truly hopes Akko will learn from this mishap and refrain from breaking more rules in the future.

Diana continues running her fingers through Akko's hair for a moment. But she knows Akko doesn't deserve all the guilt and dismay she's surely suffering from. Diana knows she has learned her lesson. Therefore, she opts to praise Akko for the things she managed to do right.

"From what I can discern," she says. "You have learned the degeneration spell, haven't you? If you managed to cast it so effectively on accident, I am certain you must know how to use it intentionally as well."

Akko continues to whimper, but shrugs just a little bit as her answer. Diana goes on.

"And you have even successfully cast the reversal spell. I must admit... I am impressed, Akko."

Those four words seem to get a reaction out of her. Akko sniffles a little more, then gradually eases herself back.

"Eh...?"

Diana nods.

"Indeed, I myself managed to cast the reversal spell yesterday. But that was to spare the life of a plant. You have managed to successfully cast it and save my life."

Akko's tears begin to slow down a little bit, and she blinks, holding tighter to Diana's sides. Up until now, she'd only been focusing on the wrong she'd done.

"I... I did...?"

Diana raises an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? Of course you did. Who else could have done it?" She offers a small smile. "The degeneration spell you cast is powerful. And since it took me by surprise as it did, there was no foreseeable way for me to have defended myself against it. Once I was affected, there was no way for me to speak or cast magic for myself. Had you not pulled yourself together, Akko, had you not focused and believed you could save me... you would not have."

She hears Akko whimper again, so Diana wipes away another of her tears.

"But you did. And there was no one else who could have accomplished such a feat. Only you. I am glad I put my faith in you, Akko."

Her words chase away the guilt and the fear, little by little. Until all that's left is something warmer, and lighter.

"D-Diana..."

Akko can't say anymore than her name. She lunges forward to embrace her again, and the tears start anew.

Diana decides to hold her for just a moment longer, savoring the feeling.

She'd been so scared. She'd been terrified and completely helpless. She'd truly almost died here today. She'd put her last sliver of faith in Akko.

And Akko had pulled through, just as she always did.

Diana lets their embrace go on for a moment longer, then decides it is time to leave. Easing herself back, she gets Akko's attention.

"We had best leave now."

Akko wipes her face again and again, nodding all the while.

"Y-Yeah... yeah... we should go... before more of those leeches start falling on us..."

"Indeed."

"H-Here, lemme help you..."

Akko slips her arm around Diana and helps her up. They find some semblance of balance together, but unlike yesterday, Diana is unwilling to be the only one to rely upon the other.

"You'd best lean against me," she advises Akko. "Using the reversal spell drains a significant amount of energy, and I am certain there are plenty of other factors that have played into exhausting you."

Akko can't argue with her this time. She admittedly leans against Diana for support, but also manages to support her in turn. They alternate between bearing more of the other's weight, stopping every few minutes to catch their breath and gather their bearings.

Once they are out of the greenhouse, they head for the school building. It is Akko who decides where they are going next.

"We're going to the nurse again," she declares. "I don't care if you think you're fine, Diana. We're going."

And Diana cannot argue with her, either.

"Very well. You shall get yourself checked as well."

"Fine."

Akko agrees to do as much, but only after Diana herself has been checked and treated.

They make their way to the infirmary, much the same as they had yesterday. The nurse is understandably surprised to see them back together again.

When she inquires as to what has happened, Akko tells her she and Diana had merely been studying together when Diana had suddenly felt sick. She attributed it to her ailments from yesterday's visit.

In turn, Diana explains to the nurse that Akko had skipped out on eating lunch in lieu of her detention, and therefore was fatigued and feeling ill as well.

So the nurse checks them both over, and they stay close to one another's sides all the while. She prescribes them each a bottle of medicine and instructs them on how and when to take it before sending them off.

"And I hope," she says a little worriedly. "Not to see you back again tomorrow."

The two girls turn back to her and smile.

"Don't worry!" Akko grins. "I'll make sure Diana takes her medicine!"

"And I shall be certain to inform our professors about yours," Diana tells her classmate. "I shall give them notice so that they will pause classes and make an announcement reminding you to take your prescription."

"Haaah? You can't do that! Then everyone would know!"

"Precisely. This way, everyone will know when you are to take your medicine. Thusly, no one will allow you to forget."

"T-Then I'll make sure they tell you to take yours, too!"

"That will not be necessary. I will not forget."

As they head down the hallway together, they continue bantering for a few minutes. Only when they reach the dorm rooms do they finally quiet their voices.

Akko brings Diana to the latter's dorm room, then starts twiddling her fingers.

"Hey, Diana? Are you... are you sure you're okay?"

Diana folds her hands behind her back in her usual posture and replies with confidence.

"I've informed you of the strength of the degeneration spell you had cast, did I not?"

"Y...Yeah..."

"Well then, you should rest easily in knowing that your reversal spell was even stronger. With all of the willpower and energy you poured into it, there is no possible way for any of the initial spell's effects to remain in any form, nor to any degree."

Akko looks up timidly.

"You're sure?"

"Positive." Diana offers another brief smile. "Now then, if you will please excuse me. I have plans for supper."

"Okay. See you, Diana."

Diana dips her head, then turns away.

But before she can knock on the door, Akko rushes over to hug her just one last time.

Diana can feel the relief leaking off of her, and Akko's arms squeeze in such a way that conveys more silent regret for what she'd done. Diana briefly pats the girl's shoulders and head, returning the embrace softly.

"Take care of yourself. We shall continue practicing together before long."

With a nod, Akko finally lets her go, then hurries off down the hallway.

Diana watches her go, then knocks on the door. She is met with the worried faces of her teammates, and Hannah and Barbara demand to know why she's been given medicine for the second day in a row. Diana reassures them it's nothing serious, and eases their minds by offering to make good on her promise to have supper together with them.

Likewise, Akko goes to her own room and is greeted enthusiastically by Lotte and Sucy. They've decided to go to supper with her and let her have their desserts as a reward for serving her detention hours. Akko agrees to go along with them, but refuses to have their desserts. She still feels guilty about lying to them, and she feels guilty about what she'd done to Diana. But she does allow herself to enjoy supper with her friends.

And it is no coincidence that she decides to have them sit at a table right next to where Diana and her team are seated. This way, Akko and Diana can enjoy the company of their friends, while still being mindful of one another's presence.

Hannah and Barbara remind Diana to take her medicine at almost the same time as Lotte and Sucy remind Akko to take hers.

When they've all finished enjoying themselves, the six girls inadvertently end up leaving the cafeteria together. Each team seems too at-ease to antagonize the other, so they simply walk out peacefully.

Akko catches Diana's eye and receives a tiny smile from her. Akko grins in return.

They walk almost side-by-side one another in between their respective teammates, before going their separate ways for the night.

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A/N: I bet around that first line break you all knew what I had planned, hm? Sorry if it all felt a little rushed, but that was intended. After all, a spell as serious as that works quickly and maliciously, so it'd need to be dealt with just as quickly.

There will be a small epilogue!

Please review!