Reflect (ch3)

EARLY RELEASE FOR HIGHER-PLEDGING PATRONS! THANK YOU!

I'm still so amazed that this is one of my most popular LWA fics! So many people speak so highly of it and I'm flattered! I hope this final chapter will satisfy you all. It's going to be a big wind-down from the previous two.

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.

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															Chapter 3.

After walking all the way to the cafeteria with their hands softly entwined, Akko and Diana had let one another go and stiffly wished one another well before parting ways.

Diana ended up mending her torn collar with a quick spell, and then ensured her handkerchief was well into her pocket so it wouldn't risk being seen in all its redness.

Akko had gone out of her way to keep her healing right hand closed or turned away from her teammates as much as possible.

Neither of them was willing or wanting to discuss what had happened in the mirror room with anyone else. Though it had been somewhat traumatic in some ways, they would much rather keep it all between themselves.

However, both of them suffer from a restless sleep that night, constantly haunted by images of the other - possessed and dangerous, cruel smiles and rough hands.

It's no wonder both of them wake drowsy and unsettled the next morning, sharing the mutual urge to see one another.

But Akko can't think of any good excuse or reason to show up outside Diana's room. It would be easy enough to make something up to tell Lotte and Sucy where she's going, but there's next to no excuse for her to show herself in front of Hannah and Barbara asking for their teammate.

She debates ideas all morning as she fumbles through her homework for the weekend, mumbling and muttering all the while. Lotte and Sucy have contended themselves with reading and mixing potions respectively.

As usual, Akko is struggling to answer the questions on her homework sheets, trying to find answers throughout the many chapters of her many textbooks.

It's when she's searching for the remedies of a particular plant when she flips across a page that piques her interest.

Amongst the walls and walls of tiny text, there's a small sketched image of a mirror on one of the pages. Akko squints and brings the book closer to her face.

/The framework and the carvings... It looks a lot like that one purple mirror. The one where I saw Diana when I looked in... It's important enough to be put in a textbook?/

Curiously, Akko begins scanning that section, trying to find the tidbit about the mirror-

Her eyes must be playing tricks on her.

/N...No way... That's gotta be a mistake.../

A knock comes on the door. Akko yelps and tenses, fearing it's one of the professors here to chide her about one thing or another.

/W-What if they somehow found out about what happened...?/

But as Lotte scurries to the door, Akko quickly realizes she doesn't have to hide under her bed.

"Good morning. Is Akko available?"

"Eh? Diana?" Akko perks up and then shrinks away in the course of two seconds. She tries to forget what she'd just read about that mirror.

/It's probably a different one anyway.../

She's surprised and happy by Diana's sudden appearance, though she quickly fights off the smile so as not to make Sucy suspicious.

"W-What are you doing here?"

Diana peers over Lotte's shoulder, directly at Akko.

"Professor Ursula has asked that I fetch you."

"Huh? O-Oh, okay!" Scrambling to close her books and put everything aside, Akko slips off her bed and hurries past Lotte. "See you guys later!"

And with that, she closes the door behind herself.

Akko opens her mouth, about to speak, but Diana presses and index finger over her lips. Silently, she beckons Akko several feet down the hallway, where there's less of a risk of their voices leaking into the room. Once they are alone, Diana's expression softens just a little.

"Are you doing well, Akko?"

"Yeah. Just a little tired. How about you?"

"I am much the same," she confesses.

"Oh..." Akko twiddles her fingers and scuffs her shoe again. "U-Um, Professor Ursula doesn't really wanna see me, does she?"

"No. Forgive me for lying. However..." Diana sighs, looking down at Akko's hands. "After what happened, I could scarcely sleep a moment without thinking about you, Akko. I needed to see you again, to ensure you were all right."

"Y-Yeah," she agrees. "It was the same for me..."

A pause, and they meet each other's eyes once again.

But it isn't like yesterday when they'd both been emotional enough to hold each other's hands or throw their arms around each other due to the hazardous situations being over.

Right now, both of them are a little excited, but much calmer. There are no heightened emotions wafting between them that would warrant contact like they had shared yesterday.

Akko's heart is pounding, but she attributes it to what she'd read about that mirror and why she'd seen Diana's reflection in it.

/N-No! That's definitely not right! It can't be.../

She takes in a deep breath, pushing the thoughts away. Akko finally musters up the courage to reach for Diana's hand, but the sound of foreign voices down the hall causes Diana to flinch away. Akko blushes and withdraws as well.

"A-Ahh, so then... I mean... do you maybe wanna... go for a walk together or something? Just so we can clear our heads?"

She doesn't want Diana to leave just yet, and judging by the conflicted emotions in her blue eyes, Diana has been trying to find an excuse to stay as well. With the offer given, she becomes relieved.

"Yes. I think that would be acceptable."

"G-Great!" Akko plasters on her usual expression. "It'll be nice not to have to clean stuff and do chores this time."

"I agree."

They begin walking together in comfortable silence. After spending a stressful night apart worrying about one another, it's nice to finally be reassured that they're all right. After all that's happened between them, they find it as no surprise that their hands are gravitating closer and closer together with every step.

But a cluster of their chittering classmates up ahead causes Akko and Diana to move apart a bit. Little do they know they're sharing similar thoughts.

/This is never gonna work!/

/I must find an alternative./

Their voices come out as in-sync as their thoughts.

"Wanna go outside?"

"Would you like to go outside?"

Their eyes meet again, and they can feel the heat creeping up to their cheeks. Both girls look away.

"S-Sure."

"I would not be opposed."

So they make their way for the nearest exit, thankful to breathe in some fresh air.

The day is sunny yet cool, and it's much quieter outside than it is inside. A pleasant breeze wraps around both witches and seems to guide them across campus to a small bench that sits out and faces the fields and forests beyond.

It's located behind the main building, making it difficult to see unless you're looking for it. Here, they know they'll have little chance of being disturbed or discovered.

Diana takes care to adjust her skirt as she sits, while Akko all but plops down rather stiffly. The bench is a lot smaller than it had looked from afar, and with the two of them on it now, their legs brush together a little.

Akko find an excuse to look everywhere except at Diana.

/W-Why am I so nervous? Ugh, it's because of what I read about that stupid mirror! It can't be true-/

"Akko?"

"E-Eh?" She turns her head, only to sputter when she finds Diana's face a little closer than she'd anticipated. Akko freezes up and wheezes. "Yes...?"

"Did you not hear me?"

"A-Ah, no, s-sorry. I was kinda spacing out..."

"I asked about your injury. Has it healed yet?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean this?" Akko holds up her right hand and waves it dismissively. "Yeah, it was pretty much all better yesterday after you healed me with that spell. It's like it never happened! See?" She reveals her palm to show the pink line in it has almost vanished.

Diana lets out a breath.

"I am glad. I had feared it might leave a scar. What about your stomach?"

"All better!" Akko chirps. "What about you?"

"My injuries have all healed."

"That's good."

The conversation seems to naturally drop at that point. But Akko can't bear just sitting here in silence. There's so much she wants to say, and a part of her can sense Diana feels the same way. Akko just doesn't know how to go about putting it all into words.

But rather than trying to sugar-coat things or beat around the bush, she decides to try and get to the heart of the matter by being honest.

"You know..." Her voice lowers a pitch, and her eyes drop into Diana's hands in her lap. "It was... really scary yesterday... Watching you do all that horrible stuff. I was really scared that spirit might make you hurt yourself. A-And that was after it had made me hurt you..."

Diana flashes her a sidelong glance, but doesn't manage to catch her gaze.

"It was the same for me," she murmurs. "Watching you be possessed, even when I had tried so hard to prevent something like that from happening. And then to be careless enough to let it happen to myself... To see you in such pain like that, covered in blood-"

Suddenly, her breath hitches. Diana presses a hand to her mouth at the memory of Akko's blood, the smell of it.

"D-Diana?" Akko suddenly has no trouble reaching out for her now. She puts a hand on her back and the other on her knee. "It's okay... It's..."

But all at once, Akko's mind is flooded by similar images – her elbow rammed up against Diana's throat, her eyes scanning the awful red marks she'd left behind on her wrists.

Diana's been trying her utmost best to keep her emotions in check until now.

Akko breaks first. Tears start dripping heavily down into her lap, and a few land on the backs of Diana's hands.

This is the catalyst for Diana's tears as well.

"Akko..."

The brunette shakes her head, feeling choked up, as if she's getting a knee to the gut all over again.

"Y-You were... scared of me... B-Because I got possessed, a-and did all those terrible things to you, a-and you were too scared to let me touch you..."

Diana doesn't move, not closer to Akko nor farther away from her. She has similar memories now.

"You... thought I hated you..." she murmurs. "I mistreated you so badly it made you believe... I truly hated you... when... when in truth, I-"

"N-No!" Akko blurts out, lifting her tearstained face. "I-It's like you told me, Diana! You didn't do those things! It was that spirit! S-So that means it wasn't your fault. Nothing was..." Her eyes are so earnest, just as they always are. It gives Diana the strength to slip her hand from under Akko's and rest it on top now.

"The same... is true for you, Akko. Nothing was your fault. I know you never meant to hurt me. You would never..."

"Yeah..." Akko wipes the sleeve of her free hand across her face. "A-And I don't think you... actually hate me... do you, Diana?"

"Of course not." Her voice breaks with how desperately she means it. Diana finally brings herself to wrap her arms around Akko and pull her as close as possible.

In only seconds, Akko is returning the embrace.

"I'm sorry-"

"I am so sorry-"

"I hurt you..."

"That I caused you such pain..."

They hide in each other's arms, concealing their faces in the fabrics of one another's uniforms. It's all just as poignant as it had been yesterday, as if it had all just happened again.

But at the very least, the emotion makes it easier for them to be honest. There's no need to hold back, no reason to deny themselves or one another what they need the most.

Just to be close.

Just to hold one another.

Just to cry together.

Just to know they're both all right.

Just this much is enough.

"You didn't hurt me, Diana."

"I do not hate you, Akko."

"It's okay."

"It is all right."

Word by word, breath by breath, they start to feel at ease.

Despite the fact that they'd been at-odds since they'd met, yesterday's events had allowed them both to be honest. They'd never enjoyed being at each other's throats. However, a rocky start, the assumptions of their peers, and the varying expectations of their professors had played parts in molding them to be this way.

But this incident has made them realize it isn't about family lineage or a lack of skill.

It isn't about childhood dreams or a childhood that was taken away.

It's just about them, as they are now.

Two girls who had hurt one another and been hurt themselves.

Two girls who simply want the pain to go away.

And bit by bit, it does.

With every murmured apology, and every whispered acceptance of those apologies.

With every worried glance and every tremble in their fingertips.

With every wobbly smile and every heartfelt tear.

Perhaps this is something neither of them will ever be able to put behind them.

But perhaps they can turn it into something that doesn't need to be forgotten.

Gradually, the tears come to a stop, though both witches are still a little too embarrassed to pull away just yet, not wanting the other to see their reddened faces.

It's now, when both of them have stopped crying, when their chests have stopped jolting with hiccups, when they feel something else. It's warm, almost ticklish in a way, something soft that seems to curl up inside their collars.

And then a pulse, a mutual heartbeat, thumping in time with their own.

It's harder than usual, faster than usual.

Diana tries to tell herself it's because she'd just been crying. She doesn't want to admit what she already knows – what she's probably known for a while now.

Akko also tries to brush it off, but she can't - not after it continues long after they've both calmed down.

Their hearts continue to beat as one.

They've never felt each other's pulse before.

But now they have to wonder if it's always been this way.

/Have they always matched like this...?/

/Have our hearts always shared the same pulse...?/

For Diana, every matching beat of Akko's heart to hers is just another surefire confirmation of what she already knows – what she hardly needed that purple mirror to show her.

But she doesn't want to say anything.

Because she doesn't know how to.

Because she doesn't know where to being.

Because she doesn't want to scare Akko again.

Not like this.

This would be on an entirely different level than cursing at her or kneeing her in the stomach. This could cause her even greater pain...

However, Akko can't keep quiet about this. Her mind keeps bringing her back to the book she'd been reading this morning, about the passage it had about that mirror...

She'd seen Diana's reflection in it. And now, she can feel Diana's heart beating exactly in time with her own. She has to face the reality.

/What that book said... could it be true...?/

She has to know. And she's well-aware that Diana has an answer for her.

Slowly, steadily, Akko draws in a breath, then lets it out.

"Hey... Diana?"

Another heartbeat passes.

And another.

And another-

"Yes...?"

Akko swallows, tightens her hold on Diana, praying she won't push her away.

"Why didn't you tell me... that purple mirror shows you your soulmate...?"

Diana's heart skids to a halt, and she has to wonder if Akko's does too. She's frozen in the embrace now, unsure of what to do. She swallows, drawing in a thin breath, then gradually eases herself back. Keeping her hands on Akko's shoulders, she seeks her eyes with guilty ones.

"Akko... I had been meaning to tell you eventually, however I-"

"You just... didn't want it to be me, right?" she guesses. "If I see your reflection in that mirror, it must mean you see mine, right? I bet you hate it..."

"Of course not!" Diana's voice rises a pitch with how earnest she's being. Akko can feel the desperation in her fingertips, and see it in her eyes. Diana doesn't blink. "Akko... I had been meaning to tell you not only about the mirror, but also too about... how I feel. I was simply waiting for the right time. However... given recent events..."

As she tapers off, Akko fidgets in her seat, sliding her hands slowly down Diana's sides.

"Wait... s-so you... are you saying you... like me, Diana?"

The white-haired witch dips her head.

"As more than just a classmate, Akko. Long before I caught a glimpse of that mirror, I had always felt I was being drawn to you... I always found myself around you somehow, whether I wanted to be or not. It did not take long before I came to the realization that this was something beyond my control."

Akko's posture straightens up just a little bit, a hopeful tone trickling into her voice.

"You... liked me even before you saw that mirror?"

Diana's sky-blue eyes are shining with nothing but the truth.

"Yes. In my case, that mirror confirmed something I already knew."

The tightness in Akko's chest slowly begins to unravel.

"S-So you... you don't just like me because the mirror says we're... soulmates?"

Now, Diana tilts her head to one side, perplexed.

"Of course not. The mirror has no influence whatsoever on a person's emotions. Our feelings are our own, Akko."

"A-And you... have feelings... for me...?"

Akko still can't believe it. But judging by the fluttering within her own chest, it's entirely real.

Diana nods, and there's a faint pink blush across her cheeks now, something Akko's sure no one else has ever seen before.

But now that she thinks about it, Akko has seen it. Several times before.

Which means-

"However..." Diana carefully removes her hands from Akko's shoulders, and instead folds them into her lap. She lets out a shaky breath. "Akko. I understand this is probably... a lot for you to take in. I had not planned on telling you anything... until I was certain of your feelings as well... but now it seems..."

Akko doesn't like the sudden change in Diana's voice. Suddenly, she won't look her in the eyes.

Akko slides her hands from Diana's waist down to her hands, covering them both.

"Diana...?"

Still, she doesn't lift her head.

"Akko. I do not want you to feel any obligation due to what you have seen in that mirror, and due to what you know now. I realize this very well may not be what you desire. You came to this school to learn magic and follow your dreams, not to find a soulmate. Especially not in someone like me. The last thing I want is... for this to influence you somehow... to make you unhappy..."

Only now does Diana lift her face, but Akko almost wishes she hadn't. There are tears threatening to spill over, the blue of her eyes wavering like pools of water stirred by a storm.

"Akko... I... I apologize for allowing this to happen... I should never have-"

"H-Hold on, Diana!" Akko cuts her off and squeezes her hands tightly, pulling them up to her own chest, cupping them sincerely. Startled, Diana jolts, but falls silent to listen. Akko shakes her head vigorously, and the words tumble out.

"Y-You've got it all wrong, Diana! Well, maybe you're right about the part about me not expecting to find a soulmate a Luna Nova. B-But I did always like being around you. Not just yesterday but all the time! You're always looking out for me and taking care of me. Even when you used to say harsh things to me, it was only for my own good."

Diana takes everything to heart, but doesn't dare to move her hands. She only listens as Akko continues.

"So you're right about the fact that I didn't ever think I'd find a soulmate so soon. But you're wrong about everything else, Diana! I don't see it as a setback or an obligation! It's... It's... It's like a huge bonus!"

"...Eh?" When Diana blinks, a tear falls from each eye. Akko holds her hands closer to her chest.

"It's true!" she cries. "I get to learn magic at the school where Chariot learned it, I get to continue following my dreams and finding new ones, I get to meet more amazing new people and learn more amazing new things! And now... now I've found my soulmate! That's so incredible! That's amazing! How many people can say they're that lucky? Only me!"

Diana hears every word. She can see the excited sparkle in Akko's eyes. She can see the beaming smile on her lips.

But Diana's tears continue to fall in spite of all that.

"But... Akko... do you truly feel this way? Are you... fine with someone like me being your soulmate...?"

"What are you saying?!" Akko blurts. "Diana, I should be asking you that! I'm just some knockoff witch who's not even from a family with any magical lineage. And you're descended from Lady Beatrix herself! I should be asking if you're fine with me..."

Diana turns her hands, just a little bit, just enough so that she may hold Akko's as best she can like this.

"You are certainly not a knockoff witch," Diana murmurs. "Everything you have learned is real, Akko. You have come this far due to your own aspirations and your determination. You are as much a witch as anyone else at this school."

"You really mean it?"

"I do. And I am no longer afraid to admit my feelings for you, Akko. However... what about you? Do you truly feel the same way towards me?"

Akko doesn't answer right away, but she doesn't lose her smile either. Gingerly, she begins to thread her fingers through Diana's, entwining them.

"You know... I do, Diana. I really do. And I never really realized it until yesterday, when all that crazy stuff happened." Her voice softens a little bit as she remembers it all. "Of course I'd be upset if any of my friends got hurt or put in a situation like that.

"But... But since it was you, I... I don't know. It felt a whole lot worse. It was so much scarier. A-And when it was all over, I was so relieved you were all right. I don't think I would've felt that strongly about anyone else, Diana... A-And come to think of it... I definitely wouldn't have kissed anyone else..."

At the mention of the hand kisses they'd shared, Diana blushes once more, and sees the same color reflected on Akko's face.

"It is the same for me..." she confesses.

Akko is absolutely glowing. Diana can feel the waves of excitement wafting off of her, and it matches the pulse in her own chest.

"Wow..." Akko sighs. "Wow! So you're my soulmate, huh? That's... wow..."

"I believe that is as accurately as it can get when put into words," Diana murmurs. "This feeling... is indescribable."

"So... So if you're my soulmate... t-that means you're my girlfriend too, right?"

Diana finally cracks a smile.

"I believe that would be true, yes. Those terms do have a relation, after all."

"Wow..." Akko's smile spreads even wider. "Wow!"

In one swift motion, she releases Diana's hands, only to throw both arms around her in a heartfelt embrace, even stronger and warmer than the last.

"Wow, wow, wow!" She wiggles in excitement, feeling multiple thrills coursing through her chest.

Diana, too, feels as though a suffocating mist has been cleared. She pulls Akko close and breaths her in, allowing the last of her tears to slip free.

Once again she feels their hearts beating as one, fast and elated.

This is what it means for a heart to be soaring.

For Diana, she's known for quite some time of her feelings for Akko.

For Akko, she'd known, but never realized how she felt until now.

But know that she knows for certain, there's no better feeling in the world.

To have found her soulmate...

Other people could look into that mirror and see people they've never even met before, people on the other side of the world.

How lucky is she to have seen Diana?

"I'm... I'm the luckiest girl in the world..." Akko whispers.

Diana brushes her cheek against hers.

"I beg to differ."

Both of them chuckle. Both of them cry.

Softly. Always softly.

Soft laughter. Soft sobs. Soft touches.

Their hearts are racing together, eliciting feelings not even magic could ever hope to rouse.

Time passes, and they let it.

They don't care for anything else right now.

Only this moment. Only each other.

It feels like everything has fallen into place, like they've found something they've been looking for their entire lives, but never knew they were searching for in the first place.

It just feels perfect.

This is the start of a brand new chapter in their lives, a chapter of a book they'll write and finish together.

Only after they have both stopped crying does Akko pull herself away. She finds Diana's arms and slips her hands down them until she's holding hers. Just as she'd done yesterday, Akko lifts each of Diana's wrists to her lips in turn, kissing the pulse beneath her skin.

When it is her turn, Diana alters the positions of their hands and brings Akko's up. Diana kisses them both, and Akko giggles.

When Diana is finished, Akko coyly tugs one of her hands free and reaches for her. She pauses, asking permission with her eyes. In response, Diana raises her hand in a similar fashion to Akko's chest.

They rest their palms against each other's collars, keeping their free hands entwined in their laps. Leaning forward, they rest their foreheads together, the tips of their noses bumping softly.

Akko relishes the feeling of Diana's heartbeat beneath her hand, feeling for herself as it matches her own.

"Wow..." she whispers. "Wow... this is real... you're really my-"

"Soulmate," Diana murmurs. "Which would also encompass the title of girlfriend."

"Ee~!" Akko squeals just at the sound of the word.

For a moment, they both close their eyes, breathing together, feeling their hearts racing as one.

But there's still one last thing Akko wants to try.

Brushing her cheek against Diana's, she gains her attention and looks up into her eyes.

"Hey, Diana... since we're... we're girlfriends now... a-and kinda y'know soulmates..."

"We may be girlfriends now," Diana murmurs. "But we have always been soulmates."

"Y...Yeah..." Akko basks in a dreamy state for a moment, giddy and joyous. "S-So d-do you think we could... try something that girlfriends and soulmates do...?"

That mutual blush spreads across both their faces again.

"I suppose... that would be appropriate... and rather nice."

They ease back, but only for a moment so they can reposition their hands. Akko places one of hers on Diana's shoulder and the other on her waist. Diana mirrors the position.

Their eyes meet, like chestnut-red leaves against a pure blue sky.

Their noses brush again as they lean themselves in and pull each other closer.

Light breaths of air fan out across their lips.

Their hearts thump together, beat by beat...

It's so soft, so tender.

They angle their faces until their lips brush together, lightly at first, almost timid.

And then it becomes a little surer, a little deeper.

It's brief, and yet it feels as though it encompasses a lifetime.

But all of this is overwhelming enough. They don't want to push one another.

Therefore, they part a moment later, eyes still shimmering with emotion. They come together in another embrace, letting out the first breath after the first kiss together.

It's nice to know they have the rest of their lives to keep practicing.

But for now, just this is enough.

Diana strokes her hands down Akko's back and through her hair, feeling her do the same. She sighs.

"It is all so much... so wonderful..."

"It's perfect," Akko sighs. "I'd never ask for anything else."

"Neither would I," Diana agrees. "But... there is so much we must consider now. Our families, our friends, our professors. Who are we going to tell and when? Where do we go from here...?"

Akko's never been one to think ahead that much like Diana does. She thinks that maybe right now, Diana could do well with just enjoying the moment.

"Well..." She twirls her finger around a lock of Diana's soft hair. "For now, how about lunch?"

She grins a beautiful smile as lovely as a freshly-blossomed flower, one Diana can't help but reflect.

"Lunch... sounds wonderful."

Akko leans in to bump their noses together affectionately, then finally gets to her feet. She offers her hands, and Diana accepts.

Akko helps her up, then leans in for another quick hug, giggling.

Diana keeps her hand in Akko's as they begin making their way back to the school; hand-in-hand, with mirrored steps, hearts, and smiles, toward a shared future.

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A/N: This wasn't originally supposed to be a 3-chapter fic, so I hope this ending will suffice! I took the risk and took it all a bit further into the revelation of their relationship like most people asked for, but you can interpret the rest from here!

Thanks again so much for all the support on this fic!