Back To Back (ch4)

All right so I got two particular ideas recently and wrote them out. One is covered here in ch4 and the other will be in ch5! Both are hurt/comfort things, so be prepared for a little pain.

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.

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															Chapter 4.

Akko's been more distracted these past few days than she normally is.

Meaning, she's been very distracted.

She's been finding it more and more difficult to focus in her classes, not only because the material bores her, but because there's something else on her mind.

Ever since she'd visited the Fountain of Polaris, she's been replaying Professor Ursula's words in her mind on a daily basis.

/I can go back there once I've grown far beyond where I was at that time... Ugh! How am I supposed to know how long to wait? Aren't I growing as a witch a bit more each day? Technically, I could've gone the very next day and I would've grown more! But I guess 'far beyond' means I'd have to wait a while, right?/

She just wants to go back there. Even if the Big Dipper Arch doesn't allow her to enter, or if Arcas blocks her path once again, she just wants to go. There's a certain kind of energy around those ruins, something that makes it feel like she's a little closer to Chariot-

"All right class," Professor Ursula calls out. "That will be all for today. Please remember to complete your assignments for next time."

Pulled out of her daydream, Akko staggers to her feet as her classmates begin exiting the room.

"I'll go," she mumbles. "Even if I can't go inside, I'll go to the Fountain anyway. I might as well give it another try, right?"

"What's that?" Lotte inquires from next to her. "Akko, you've gotta stop mumbling. You're taking after Sucy."

"Mm." Sucy grunts from over her shoulder.

Akko quickly covers up what she'd been saying.

"Ahh, sorry, sorry. Just talking to myself. But I think I'm gonna go for a walk. Clear my head a bit."

"Whoa," Sucy utters. "Akko sounding responsible? Something's up."

"Sucy!" Lotte scolds her softly before turning back to her other teammate. "All right, Akko. We'll be waiting for you."

"Thanks."

Akko leaves her belongings behind in the classroom for now and takes off down the halls, bound for the nearest exit. But just before she reaches it, a familiar voice catches her ear.

"Oh, Akko? May I ask where you're going?"

"Croix Sensei!" Akko whips around, a smile automatically painting itself across her face. But it fades after only a few seconds. "I was going to go to the Fountain of Polaris again. I'd gone once before, but I wasn't ready to see everything the Big Dipper Arch had to show me yet. Professor Ursula said I should go back some other time. So I'm gonna try now!"

Croix raises an eyebrow, mildly interested.

"Oh? That sounds like a good plan."

"Do you wanna come with me, Sensei? Maybe if you do, you'll see something about Chariot!"

But Croix puts up her hands.

"Sorry. I've got some things to do. But good luck, Akko." She pats the girl on the head before turning away and walking off.

Akko spins around as well and continues out the doors.

The last time she'd visited the Fountain had been at nighttime, so she knows she'll have a much easier time finding the north school building now in the sunlight of the early afternoon.

It's just a brief walk through the forests (and only a few instances of her needing to turn around and try another direction) before the structure is in sight.

She walks into the abandoned old building, where the air in the hallways is cold and stagnant. The faded alabaster stones of the arches and structures are a bit more dilapidated than they were the last time Akko had been here. Her frantic run with Andrew as they'd tried to avoid Arcas had destroyed a few of the pillars. But most of them still stand now, albeit some seem to be crumbling.

Only now does Akko realize she hadn't thought to fetch the Shiny Rod before coming here.

"Awww geez! I'm such an idiot!"

But she can't stay mad at herself for too long. The energy around this place doesn't allow it.

The air of the ruins gives off a very melancholy, almost strangely-nostalgic kind of essence, even though she'd only ever been here once before a few months back. It feels like the atmosphere is laden with memories and dreams, ones Akko's never experienced before, ones that aren't even her own. But somehow, she just gets that feeling.

When Akko gets into this kind of mood, she likes to go up high. She's spent many nights atop the New Moon Tower's ledge, staring out across the vast expanse of Luna Nova's campus and the stars above, just to collect her thoughts.

Presently, something innate is compelling her to go up, to be bigger than the things that are bigger than she is for once.

So she begins her ascent on the nearest outer staircase, keeping herself steady with a hand on the nearest pillar.

Gradually, she makes her way up until she's standing at the top of the archway, as high up as most of the trees in the surrounding forest.

/It's much nicer up here when I'm not running for my life./

The spot she's currently at is sturdy enough to support her weight, so she sits down, dangling her legs over the edge.

Akko closes her eyes and tries to collect her thoughts and bearings. She allows her mind to wander, taking her back through all the things she's done over the past several weeks, wondering if she's progressed enough for the Fountain to accept her now, wondering if it will ever reveal her hidden potential to her...

Suddenly, the still, quiet air is disrupted by a small noise. She can't really describe it, but she's heard it before...

"Oh!"

When she opens her eyes, she spots them immediately. There's a string of small, black cubes floating in midair, spiraling together not far from where she's sitting.

"Those things again! Last time they led me to the Holy Grail with Amanda. Or at least, that's what we thought it was... Maybe they're trying to lead me to something else now!"

A rush of excitement runs through her, and Akko jumps to her feet. The blocks have gathered just a little ways down the archway's path.

Akko hurries as much as she dares, making sure to keep her weight balanced. The cubes continue to swirl nearby, around a part of the arched structure.

"What is it you wanna show me...?"

Akko takes another step forward, squinting down at the cubes, trying to make out if there's anything inscribed on the stone there or something like that. She doesn't see anything.

But the next thing she knows, there's a horrible scraping sound.

The stone she's stepped onto shifts dangerously beneath her shoes. In a split second, it falls away, and the stones around it begin to crumble, too.

"Uwah, n-no-!"

With a shriek, Akko tries to turn and run back to a more stable spot. But it's too late.

Her weight sinks down into the crumbling archway, jutting stones collapsing all around her as she plummets.

All she can do is close her eyes.

There's a series of sharp, debilitating pains as the rocks smash into her.

But nothing's as bad as when she hits the ground.

The impact stuns her instantly. A crushing numbness spreads across every inch of her body, immobilizing her.

She can do nothing as the rocks continue to fall all around her, dust clogging the once-clean air.

She can't feel anything other than pain. She can't feel her legs or her arms. Only an agonizing sting in her chest.

Her jaws part in a wail that makes no sound as the breath struggles to enter her lungs.

It hurts.

It hurts...

All she can do is lie there.

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Diana informs Hannah and Barbara that she has something to attend to, and therefore not to wait up for her.

And she does have something she wants to attend to.

Or rather, someone.

She'd heard Akko's mutterings back in the classroom, about how she'd been planning on going to the Fountain of Polaris. That girl tends to talk out loud, after all, so it's no wonder Diana overheard her.

In addition, Diana tends to be a bit more inclined to listen to Akko than most other people.

She might've caught up with her classmate sooner had Professor Finneran not stopped Diana in the hallway to discuss something with her. By the time Diana's turned around, Akko is gone. She passes Professor Croix on the way to the exit, but avoids eye contact.

Diana decides that going to her room to retrieve her broom will take too much time. She wants to talk with Akko as soon as possible.

Therefore, she sets out through the forests, bound for the north school building. Diana has not recently been there herself, but due to her extensive knowledge of the campus due to her patrols, she knows exactly where it is located.

It isn't long before she can see the large building peeking through the clusters of brown trees. She sees no signs of Akko.

Diana enters and makes her way down the quiet hallways, keeping her senses alert. She walks until she finds herself outside once more, where the archways stand.

But right away, she notices a strange, thin mist in the air, despite the clearness of the weather.

"What is this...?"

As she steps out into the clearing, an unsettling feeling slithers down her spine.

There are large piles of rubble scattered about, which isn't uncommon for the site of an old building. However, the dust settling around them tells her one of these collapses was recent.

"Akko..."

Diana can't see her, but the knowledge of what she's piecing together here makes her nauseous.

"Akko!"

Diana rushes forward, heading for a tall pile of rocks where the dust is still rather thick.

She hopes she's mistaken. She hopes it isn't what some part of her knows it is...

Skidding to a halt, Diana spots her classmate lying there on her side, utterly motionless, with dust and grit and pieces of rock littered around and over her.

Terror seizes Diana's heart. Her mind temporarily takes her back to the last time she'd seen something like this, when Akko had jumped in front of her spell, when Diana's magic had struck her...

"Akko!"

Diana races to her side and drops to her knees beside Akko. She's covered in scratches and dirt, and though Diana can't see any blood, she knows Akko's condition could be serious.

As soon as Diana is near her, Akko's eyelids flutter open, and a meek breath falls from her lips.

"D... Dia..."

But she can't even manage to say her full name. Wheezing heavily, Akko closes her eyes again, and a few tears slip down her cheeks.

"Akko!" Diana tries to fight the panic, tries to maintain her composure for both their sakes. "When did this happen? How long have you been like this?"

Akko's only response is a small shake of her head, indicating it hadn't been long.

Diana doesn't waste anymore time asking questions. She draws her wand and casts a calming spell.

"Seriinah."

The magic spreads out across Akko's body, almost like a soft blanket. Akko can feel the pain subsiding bit by bit, and her breath comes a little easier.

Diana keeps her wand in one hand and carefully reaches out to touch Akko's side.

"The spell will only numb the pain for now. You will need to be treated immediately. However, I need to assess whether or not you have broken any bones before I can consider transporting you."

She uses her magic to cast another spell, one she's never had to use in an actual situation before. It allows her to get a sense of Akko's body, allows her to temporarily feel for herself where Akko is injured the most.

Diana feels a horrible ache all throughout her body, but the worst of it is at the center of her chest. No ribs or other bones appear to have been broken, but Akko is very severely winded from the fall.

Diana withdraws her hand and puts her wand away.

"I will have to help you sit up. Brace yourself, Akko."

Gently, Diana slips her arm beneath Akko's sore shoulders, causing her to flinch. But Akko bites her lip and swallows the whimper down as Diana supports her weight and gradually lifts her up into a sitting position.

Akko gasps as her lungs finally sit properly, but it's still difficult for her to breathe. She squeezes her eyes shut to focus on that for a moment.

Diana strokes through her hair and down her back to soothe her, trying to keep Akko's posture as straight as possible.

"Take your time," she murmurs. "I fear I will not be able to move you until you've at least gotten your breath back."

Akko nods weakly, allowing Diana's touch to help ease the pain.

For several minutes, she pants in shallow breaths, until at last the air begins to come a little easier.

Diana holds her close both to support and comfort her, gingerly clearing Akko's tears away. At the very least, she's grateful for the fact that Akko hasn't broken any bones or hit her head, though it's quite possible she's fractured a few ribs. And there will surely be dozens of bruises popping up over the next few days.

But other than that, Diana believes she'll be all right.

This had truly terrified her, though.

She'd seen Akko trip or misuse a spell before, typically resulting in very minor injuries, if any at all. But she'd only ever seen her get hurt this badly once before, when Diana's spell had struck her months earlier.

Diana had never felt so frightened in all her life until then, and before today, she hadn't felt so frightened since.

But now, Diana's fear is ebbing away along with Akko's agony. They both know she's going to be all right.

But their predicament isn't over yet.

As Akko heaves a few more breaths, Diana regrets not having gone to retrieve her broom after all. She draws her wand again to send out a signal flare, but can't rely on anyone seeing it. She knows she'll have to take Akko back to the school herself.

"Akko..." Rubbing her classmate's back, Diana tries to get her attention. "I need to take you back promptly. Do you think you are prepared for that?"

At last, Akko opens her eyes again. Her mouth is still gaping and her shoulders are still shuddering, but she gives a clear nod. Diana reflects the gesture.

"Very well. However, should you feel any more significant pain, you must inform me right away. Am I clear?"

Akko dips her chin.

With that understood, Diana carefully slides her free arm beneath Akko's knees. She pulls the girl close to her own chest as not to jostle her while Diana gets to her feet. She staggers only for a second before regaining her balance completely. Diana casts an inquiring look down at Akko, but the girl in her arms doesn't indicate she feels any pain from this.

Tightening her hold on Akko, Diana heads back the way she'd come, setting a brisk pace through the woods.

Akko lies limply in her arms, resting her head against the front of Diana's shoulder. The spell Diana had cast on her before is still working its magic, and rather than pain, all Akko feels is numbness.

She focuses on her breathing, inhaling as deeply as she can. She already feels better in knowing she's quite literally in Diana's capable hands.

However, it isn't long before Akko senses her classmate is struggling with her weight. Diana's pulse starts to pound more fervently against her ear, and Akko can tell she's straining herself. When she glances up, sweat is beading beneath Diana's bangs, and she's starting to breathe harder.

Akko's more worried about Diana than herself at this point. With a rasp, she finds her voice.

"D-Diana..."

The white-haired witch pauses so she may hear Akko better.

"What is it? Is the pain returning?"

Akko shakes her head.

"Diana... you should rest..."

"Nonsense. You need to be treated immediately, Akko."

With that said, Diana begins walking once again.

She would've put Akko on her back and carried her that way, but for fear of aggravating her sore chest or potentially stifling her ability to breathe, Diana had opted for this instead. It is much more difficult for Diana herself, but much more beneficial to Akko this way.

As Diana staggers onward, she glances down to check on Akko as often as possible, and frequently inquires if she's feeling any sort of alteration in her condition. But thankfully, the numbing spell's effects last until they are within sight of the school.

A few fellows students who had been walking around outside spot them and become frantic. Diana implores them to fetch the first professor they can find, and the girls scamper off.

Moments later, several professors are rushing to Akko and Diana. Professor Ursula is among them, and she is who gently takes Akko from Diana's arms.

"My goodness, what in the world happened?! Q-Quickly Diana, please follow me to the infirmary and explain!"

So Diana does just that, simply telling the professors she'd found Akko after she'd fallen. Though Diana is very careful to censor herself. She does not mention that Akko fell from the ruins at the north building, because she fears if the staff knew of safety hazards in that area, they might close it off indefinitely. And Diana knows Akko longs to return to that place.

Therefore, she tells them Akko had fallen off her broom while attempting to practice by herself. Akko manages to flash Diana a grateful glance for the cover-up.

They bring Akko to the infirmary and set her down on a bed for the nurse to check her over. Diana stays close to Akko's side. Sensing her discomfort as she's being examined, Diana reaches out to rest her hand over Akko's.

At long last, Akko is given treatment with a spell and a dosage of medicine before she is deemed stable. As the older witches convene across the room to talk amongst themselves, Diana stays by Akko's bedside, still holding onto her hand.

Akko lets out a long sigh, thankful that it doesn't hurt so badly to do so anymore. Diana looks her over once more.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better," she replies, glad for a lack of breathlessness this time. "What about you, Diana?"

"Me? Akko, I was not the one who fell twenty feet into the ground."

"No, but you were really exhausted."

"Physical exertion such as that is minor in comparison to the injuries you sustained. You need not worry about me, Akko. Please focus on yourself."

Akko knows if Diana's talking normally and using all those big unnecessary words, she's probably fine.

"Okay." She turns her hand over so that her palm is now pressed against Diana's. Akko interlocks their fingers and squeezes gently. "Thanks, Diana. Not just for saving me, but for not telling them about the ruins."

"There is no need for you to thank me," Diana murmurs. "I simply acted as anyone else would have."

"Mm but still..." Akko's voice tapers off and her eyes begin to close.

Diana feels it's best to leave her to rest for now. But before she goes, she wants to inquire one last thing of her.

"Akko? How exactly did you end up falling?"

"Hm? Oh, there were... these weird little cube things... I saw them before but I don't know what they are. I just wanted to see..." She yawns and lets out a long sigh. Diana rubs the back of her classmate's hand.

"I see. In any case, I am relieved to know you are all right, Akko."

"Thanks, Diana..."

"Get some rest."

And with this, Diana slips her hand away from Akko's and makes her way toward the door.

She is almost startled to find Professor Croix heading toward the room, clearly intent on entering. Diana stands her ground in the doorway.

"Sensei, Akko cannot entertain visitors at the moment. I myself was just leaving."

Croix hums.

"Really? That's too bad."

With a dismissive flick of her wrist, Croix passes by without a second glance at the room.

Diana watches her, waits until she's completely out of sight.

Only then does she close the door behind herself and begin making her way back to her dorm room.

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A/N: This is all I have for this particular little plotline. I'll admit the main reason for it all was simply to have Diana princess-carry Akko :'3 It's a very Diana-esque way to carry someone haha, though I'd never be opposed to seeing her as the one being carried.

But I wanted to try doing something a bit more serious with Akko's injury, and have her actually be hurt. We haven't really seen that in the show aside from in episode 2, and I'd want to see it to a certain degree if only to see Diana's reaction.

I couldn't think of a reason to have Akko fall right away. I didn't want her to just be a klutz, so I threw in Croix, because it's proven in canon now that she's trying to thwart or even get rid of Akko so she can't wield the Shiny Rod. But Diana is on to her, and she's not going to let Croix hurt Akko again :V

Anyway, next chapter, Akko will repay the favor!