Reflection

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY HIGHER-PLEDGING PATRONS! THANK YOU!

I had several different mirror! ideas I wanted to try out, but I eventually decided to try this version, with only one of their mirror personas manifesting. I admit, it got a little out-of-hand, but I just wrote what came to me. What happens happens for a reason.

Even so, some parts might make some people a little uncomfortable, so be warned.

They are not in a relationship in this fic. Takes place back at a point when they were sort of at-odds with each other.

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.

----------

															Reflection

"Ahhh geeez... this is no fair..." Akko mumbles as she trudges her way down the hallway. "Sucy's the one who put that weird potion in my bowl. Technically I didn't actually make it explode this time so why am I getting punished..."

Huffing and puffing under her breath, she eventually reaches the storage room Professor Finneran had assigned her to clean the contents of as punishment. It's an out-of-the-way room at the end of a hallway she's only ever been down when she has to clean things.

"Geh... kinda gives me the creeps..."

Akko pushes the door open to find the light inside already on.

The entire room is filled with mirrors of all shapes and sizes. There must be hundreds of them. Akko's jaw drops.

"And I... have to clean all of them...?"

"Perhaps only half of them. I shall handle the other half."

"Duwah!" Akko shrieks and whirls around to find none other than Diana standing beside her. "D-Diana! You scared me!"

"I have been waiting for you, Akko. Professor Finneran told me in advance of your cleaning assignment. As such, I have elected to assist you."

Akko can barely believe her ears.

"Haaaah? You wanna help me, Diana?"

"Consider it less of assistance and more of safety control."

"Hah? Safety control?"

Diana nods.

"As I am certain you are aware, magical mirrors are not necessarily unthreatening objects. I am here to ensure nothing goes amiss."

Akko blinks. But as she takes a moment to let this all sink in, she notices Diana has been pointedly standing right in front of her since she'd entered, purposefully blocking the mirrors from Akko's view to prevent any unintentional accidents.

"I get it..." she mumbles. "So you're my babysitter..."

"If that is how you want to think of it, then so be it. I will not argue the statement. Now then," Diana offers her hand, coaxing Akko to close the door behind herself. "The mirrors in this room have been carefully arranged in a very particular manner. The most deleterious of them are located in the farthest corner-" She inclines her head. "Therefore, do not go near them without me. I have a greater knowledge of them than you do."

"Dele...terious?" Akko parrots. "Are they dangerous mirrors?"

"Not necessarily. However, they require certain elements or powders to be cast upon them regularly in order to reel in and harness their potentially-hazardous behavior. Routine reports suggest they have all been properly pacified since the previous check, but we can never be too careful. In any case, for now you should concern yourself with cleaning the mirrors located elsewhere in the room."

She leads Akko to where several cleaning rags and soapy buckets of water have already been prepared. Akko grimaces.

"R-Really? I've gotta hand-wash them? Can't we just cast some water spell and get it all done at once?"

"Hardly," Diana huffs. "Casting spells in a room filled with magical mirrors is not the best idea. Each mirror will react differently to different magical energies. As such, we must clean them individually, without using our wands."

Akko's just about to heave another sigh when she pauses.

"Huh? We?"

Diana raises an eyebrow.

"Of course I will be cleaning them as well. Or did you think I would simply stand here overseeing your progress for hours without lifting a finger to assist you?"

"Uhh, well... kinda. You don't seem like the type to be doing dirty work, Diana."

"Say what you will." Diana rolls up her sleeves, kneels down, picks up one of the rags, then dips it into the warm water. "In any case, begin with the row of mirrors closest to us. A general rule of thumb when cleaning them is to avoid making eye contact with your reflection, so bear that in mind."

She gives her warning.

But the second Akko picks up a wet rag and gets to swiping the glass of her first mirror, she's already peering curiously into it.

"Oooh! So this one shows your serious self, huh? Somehow I don't like how I look at all. But I think you'd be unchanged in front of it, Diana!"

"Akko. Refrain from-"

"Ooooh! But this one shows your happiest, giddiest self! You should definitely have a look at this one!"

"Akko!"

With a squeak, Akko bows her head and gets back to cleaning.

Diana keeps an eye on her as she herself diligently cleans every inch of every mirror she gets to. Akko sticks close to her as they go about the room.

/It's so strange seeing Diana doing this kind of work. Crouching on her hands and knees and getting her hands all dirty and wet. I guess she does this kind of thing when she has to. I just never thought she would. That's my own fault for judging her, I guess.../

Akko continues her task, cleaning not only the glass of each mirror but also the frames and backs. Whenever she moves to a new one, she asks Diana about it, until eventually Diana just starts telling her unprompted.

"That one is a bit unconventional," she explains presently. "Your reflection appears on the wooden back, not the glass front."

"Hmmm?" Akko stands in front of the glass to find she's right – there's no reflection of herself at all, just the rest of the room. "Some of these are so weird..."

"Perhaps you may see it that way," Diana says. "But each of these mirrors is invaluable in its own way. Some can show dreams of the future. Some can show the past. Some can open portals to other dimensions-"

"Oooh!"

"-after an arduous and complex spell is cast."

Akko's excited grin fades in an instant.

"Aww, why does there have to be some difficult spell? Why can't they open portals just by having someone look into them?"

"Because then the world as we know it would have ceased to exist centuries ago."

"...Oh... Y-Yeah, I guess so..." Akko finishes cleaning the backward mirror and moves onto the next. It's covered in thick layers of dust, at least ten times more than any of the others. She scrunches her nose a little. "How about this one, Diana?"

Diana lifts her head to look it over.

"Not that one," she says. "No matter how many times it is cleaned, it becomes dusty again only moments later. It is our understanding that it prefers to stay uncleaned."

"Prefers...?" Akko peers into where the glass should be, but she can't see a thing past all the dust. "Some of these mirrors are so complicated..."

Shrugging, she moves on to the one next to it. Diana follows, and together they make their way around the room, mirror by mirror, avoiding the more troublesome ones in the corner for the time being.

Eventually, they make it to some of the last ones. Akko wipes her arm across her forehead and sighs.

"Almost done..."

Stealing a glance at Diana, she finds her a little unkempt with a few smudges on her forearms, sleeves, and skirt. She's equally as dirty as Akko is after all of this, which means she's been working just as hard.

/It's my bad for judging her by her image all the time. I know more than anyone how hard Diana works... Akko smiles faintly. It's kinda nice to be working with her like this./

She stretches her arms up above her head until her shoulders pop, letting out a big sigh.

"All right, how about this next one, Diana?"

The white-haired witch lifts her face.

"Ah, that one prefers to be as immaculate as possible. That is why we keep it on the other side of the room from the one that prefers dust. I will assist you with that one. The more people there are cleaning it, the happier it is."

Akko's still getting used to Diana talking about the mirrors as if they're people.

But I guess magical objects have their own... personalities? Spirits? Whatever...

As Diana stands and joins her at the mirror, Akko begins to clean off the glass in smooth strokes. Diana advises they spend extra time cleaning this one off, and Akko heaves another sigh. She gets into the mechanical motions of wiping it down, yawning and not realizing how close her hand is getting to Diana's until they bump.

"Oh, sorry."

"It is quite all right."

Diana considers herself lucky they aren't standing in front of a different mirror that can reveal how someone is feeling internally.

She takes a brisk step back just as a knock sounds on the door. The two girls look up to see Professor Finneran.

"How are things going, Diana? Oh my! You didn't have to clean!"

Diana addresses her professor respectfully.

"I do not mind at all. I felt Akko could use some assistance." Briefly, she turns to the brunette. "Take a rest. I shall go speak to her."

Diana rests her rag on top of the mirror and crosses the room to speak with the professor. Akko watches her go, puffing her cheeks out more at Finneran than Diana.

"Break-time sounds nice, though."

She places her rag next to Diana's and decides to stretch her legs after so much crouching.

Akko begins walking around the room, trying to keep her eyes on the frames of the mirrors rather than the glass. She's not aware of the fact that her feet are taking her to the corner Diana had advised against visiting.

All of these mirrors are turned to face the wall.

Akko pauses to inspect one of them.

"Is this the one from the Samhain Festival? I can't really tell..."

And then, all of a sudden, one of the mirrors begins to tip backward.

"Uwah?!"

With a shriek, Akko dives forward to grab it before it can hit the floor. She uses all her strength to right it once again, panting as she finally gets it standing once more.

"Akko?"

"Geh-"

She whirls around to find Diana peering at her from across the room, though luckily Professor Finneran must have just left.

"Are you all right? Did I not tell you not to venture to that side?"

"S-Sorry! I was just stretching my legs is all!"

Geez, I didn't even touch this mirror and it fell over anyway! What the heck?!

She's about to turn it back around to face the wall. But her eyes catch a glimpse of her reflection, just for a split second, and then-

"Akko," Diana begins making her way toward her. "It would be best if you leave this area now."

As Diana nears her classmate, she catches sight of the frame of the mirror Akko is standing in front of. Diana gasps.

"Akko-!"

She puts a hand on her shoulder and turns her around, away from the glass-

-but evidently, she's too late.

"Oh? What's this?"

Akko snatches Diana's wrist in midair, squeezing with crushing force. A cruel smile curls up her lips, and her eyes are a shade darker red than they should be.

"Prissy little Miss Cavendish getting all down and dirty? Maybe I jumped into an alternate dimension?"

Grimacing, Diana tries to wretch her hand free, but she can't shake Akko's grip.

This mirror... it doesn't alter the looker's appearance, but rather projects its own spirit onto them. Evidently it wasn't powdered properly...

Diana squares her shoulders and puffs out her chest.

"You are a rather boorish one, aren't you?"

"Huuuh? Yer pretty nasty yourself, Princess," Akko sneers. "I've seen you around here plenty of times. Always dousing me with pixie dust to weaken me. Well not this time. This time, I'm free."

Akko flicks her arm and releases Diana's wrist, yanking her to one side with excessive force. Unbalanced by the vicious motion, Diana is thrown into the row of mirrors. She crashes into several of them and falls to the floor.

The mirrors have been enchanted so they cannot break, but Diana isn't spared from the pain of the fall. Hissing, she quickly rights herself, staggering to her feet.

Akko is only a few feet away from the door.

Diana hurries over and immediately intercepts her, throwing her arms out to block her path.

"You most certainly are not free! Return Akko's body to her and get back into your mirror at once!"

"Ho?" Akko lifts her chin. "You're a stubborn one all right. And is this how you're gonna make me listen? By ordering me around? Words are all you've got left when you can't use your magic, huh? Guess you can't risk casting a spell in this room, right? So you're just gonna yell at me? Hurt my feelings till I go back inside? Yeah right."

Diana grits her teeth.

"You know as well as I do you will never get very far once you are out of this room. It would be in your best interest to-"

"It'd be in your best interest to shut the hell up and get out of my way!"

With a snarl, Akko grabs a fistful of Diana's collar and squeezes, causing her to sputter. She pushes her back up against the door – hard – trapping her there.

Diana gasps, wincing as she looks down into those red eyes, burning with fury. Feebly, Diana lifts her hands to grab at Akko's, trying to make her relinquish her grip.

"Let... her go..."

Akko raises an eyebrow, baring her teeth.

"What? Let her go? You're being choked against a wall and you still wanna save her? Y'know, I always knew you were a goody-two-shoes, and people like that piss me off."

She takes another step forward, crushing Diana further back against the wall, pressing hard. Her animalistic strength overwhelms Diana. No matter how hard she struggles or pushes back, Akko's grip never falters.

/This has gone too far.../

She turns her face to one side so she can breathe a little better, and notices Akko's free hand reaching for her in an unsettling way. Akko slams her other hand on Diana's hip with an almost bruising impact, forcing her to stay in place so she can't struggle.

"Give it up, Princess," she sneers. "I'll give this body back eventually. I just wanna have a little fun first."

Diana grunts against the pressure on her throat.

"I... will not allow it," she growls. "I will not allow such a... horrible spirit to reside within Akko's body! You are not Akko! She would never... be so terribly rough and uncaring. She would never speak so harshly... without regard for others. You manifest all of the qualities the host would never display. You are a parasite. You do not deserve to taint her for a second longer..."

Diana drops one of her hands down to her hip, reaching for her wand. But Akko notices and grabs her wrist again, then slams it hard up against the wall.

"You're insane!" she barks. "You'd really wanna use a spell in this room? Just to save this kid?"

"I would... gladly accept the consequences of such actions... so long as it meant Akko would be returned to her senses..."

"Che. I'm gonna hurl..." Akko twists her face in a gagging motion, then bursts into laughter.

Diana flinches. Her behavior is becoming more and more unpredictable by the moment...

Diana makes another effort to reach for her wand. But Akko suddenly tightens her hold on her collar, and Diana freezes.

"Hey..." Akko leans in closer, until Diana can feel her breath on her lips. "Before I get outta here, why don't we have a little fun, huh? Pretty thing like you... I could have a field day."

A horrible, dizzying sensation fills Diana's body. It feels like she's being pushed down a flight of stairs. She shudders.

"I will not allow you... to defile Akko-"

"Shut up, will ya?"

Without warning, Akko bashes her forehead into Diana's mouth, causing her to bite her lip. A trickle of blood dribbles down her chin.

Akko licks her lips, but refrains from licking Diana's. For now.

Slowly, she begins to move her hand up Diana's side, pressing down over her ribs, curling her nails in.

"Hey, hey," she snickers. "Your heart's pounding pretty fast. Don't tell me this is turning you on? Disgusting." She gets right up in Diana's face and laughs. "Or, wait! Don't tell me you actually like this kid? She makes your heart race, is that it? That's really pathetic. Or wait..."

She falls silent, putting on a thoughtful expression for a moment, holding her hand in place on Diana's chest to feel. "No, wait. Could it be... you're afraid-?"

Suddenly, Akko flinches, and her grip loosens just for a second. Diana seizes her chance and grabs her wand, but the brunette snatches her hand again to prevent her from taking aim.

"Hey! You can't cast magic on her! You really wanna risk it-"

"It would be better than... permitting you to stay in control of her!"

"Shit-! This kid.. She's fighting me..."

Akko staggers, now maintaining her grip on Diana's collar more so to keep herself balanced than to keep Diana from moving.

Her words tell Diana what's happening. Akko is fighting back against the spirit of the mirror.

If she can fend it off herself, I will not need to cast a spell on her.

That would be for the better. Diana doesn't want to use magic on Akko if she can avoid it.

Akko tosses her head from side to side like a raging animal, her grip on Diana constantly loosening or tightening depending on which entity is in control. It's all Diana can do to keep ahold of her wand with one hand, and Akko's wrist with the other.

/I must help her somehow.../

"Akko! Fight it!"

"Shut up!"

The brunette shoves Diana back once again, tearing the collar of her uniform with the force of her grip. Diana winces at a pain in the back of her head, but refuses to give in.

"Akko! You can do it!"

"Shut up!"

Infuriated, Akko lunges forward, crushing her elbow up against Diana's throat. It's such a vicious, unexpected action that Diana drops her wand, crying out in pain as the breath flies from her lungs.

"A-Akko..."

"Shut up... I'll kill you!"

The spirit has now reached the peak of its insanity, its unpredictability, its violence.

Diana uses the last of her strength to think. Think.

/What would snap Akko out of this trance more quickly than anything else...?/

"A-Akko..." she gasps. "Y-You are hurting me..."

It's something Akko would surely never allow.

Akko's contorted voice spits out one last curse.

"Damn it..."

And then a misty grey fog rises up from her skin. The awful red glow vanishes from her eyes, and her violent strength disappears. The mist is sucked back into its mirror across the room, and then all is still...

Akko opens her eyes and finds herself looking down at the floor. She feels dizzy, confused, like she'd just taken a nap and forgotten about it.

/What am I...?/

Groggily, she lifts her head-

-and shrieks in horror.

She finds herself with her arm pinned tightly up against Diana's throat, blood on her lips, her uniform torn and ruffled.

Akko screams again.

"D-Diana?!"

Akko instantly pulls herself away and Diana's weight begins to slump. Akko frantically catches her and sinks down to her knees.

"Diana? Diana!? Wh-What happened? What's going on? Wh-What did I-?" She holds Diana against her chest, hugging her softly. Tears begin to rise up and spill down Akko's cheeks. "Wh-What is this...? Wh-What did I...?"

Terror and confusion erupt inside her chest. She forces herself to focus past it all, concentrating on Diana. She's still breathing, and when Akko holds her closer, she can feel Diana's heartbeat.

She's alive...

Relief floods down her cheeks.

"B-But what... what did I...? Wh-Why...?"

Then, a small sound.

"Mn... Akko...?"

Gasping, Akko eases herself back, keeping both arms around Diana to help her sit up.

"Diana? Diana?"

The white-haired witch moans softly, holding onto Akko's arms to support herself. Slowly, she shakes and lifts her head, her blue eyes instantly seeking Akko's. She breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness... you are all right..."

"W-What?" Akko wails. "What do you mean? Wh-What about you? What-"

"It is all right, Akko. I am fine as well."

"But-!" Akko sniffles, her voice wobbling. "B-But you're bleeding a-and you're hurt! Wh-Why was I-"

"Akko, please." Diana rests both hands on the girl's shoulders. "Take a deep breath. I will explain everything."

Akko's still shaking, but she does as Diana says and inhales slowly, then lets it out. Diana waits until she is ready.

"That mirror tricked you by falling on its own. It must not have been tended to properly, because its resident spirit was able to take control of you."

"W-What?" Akko almost glances back over her shoulder, but Diana prevents her from doing so.

"No. Do not try to look at it again. It could very well do the same thing to you. I must notify the professors and ensure it is pacified immediately."

"Pacified...?" Akko chokes. "S-So... it really was a bad spirit, wasn't it? It... p-possessed me, a-and I... I hurt you like this...?"

"No." Diana gently lays her hand over Akko's in her lap. "You did not hurt me, Akko. You had no control over your actions. That spirit forced you to-"

"B-But you said-!" Akko shakes her head hard. "I-I heard your voice, Diana! Y-You said I was hurting you!"

Diana relents.

"It... was the only way to help you fight the spirit. I knew you would not stand for someone else getting hurt in front of your eyes, by your own hands. I merely said that so you would find the strength to fight back. And you did."

"B-But, you..." Akko looks once again over Diana's ripped collar, the redness on her wrists, the blood on her chin. "You really did get hurt-"

"Not by you, Akko."

Akko's face contorts as more tears well up and spill over. She throws her arms around Diana and buries her face into her shoulder.

"Sorry! I'm sorry, Diana!"

"It is all right, Akko. It is over."

"B-But... you... you were scared... of me... I could feel it..."

"Not of you, Akko," Diana murmurs. "I was scared of what that spirit could do to you. What it was making you do. I was scared for you, Akko." She closes her eyes and slips her arms around Akko's shoulders as well.

"That mirror reflects all of the opposing qualities of the looker. It was violent, cruel, and threatening. Because those are all the things you are not. I know you would never mean to do such awful things. You are kind, considerate, and helpful, Akko. And you bested that spirit all on your own."

Akko's sobs gradually begin to soften. She finally lifts her head again.

"I... did...?"

Diana smiles kindly.

"Indeed you did. Because your desire not to frighten or hurt me was infinitely stronger than that spirit's unbridled desire to cause mayhem. I must admit, I feared I would have to interfere and use magic to reel it in due to how powerful it was. But you bested it all on your own, Akko."

Her words of praise make Akko feel a little better. She wipes her eyes and sniffles again.

"B-But still... you got hurt... because of me..."

Akko glances over Diana once again. She'd rolled up her uniform's sleeves so she could clean, but now her forearms and wrists are red from where Akko herself had restrained her. There's a similar discoloration on her neck, and still a bit of blood on her chin. Akko shudders again.

"Are you sure you're okay, Diana?"

Diana is just about to reassure her when she stops.

Akko reaches out for one of her hands.

Instinctively, Diana pulls away.

Akko gasps, stricken.

"S-Sorry! I-I didn't mean to-!"

"No..." Diana releases a breath. "I am the one who needs to apologize. I know you would never hurt me, Akko. It was only that spirit..." Diana refuses to associate that with Akko. If she lets herself think that way, she'll never be comfortable around Akko again. "No... you would never hurt me..." She puts a hand to her forehead and sighs heavily.

Akko whimpers.

"I'm sorry..."

She wants to hug Diana again. More than anything.

But Akko merely opens her arms and does nothing more. If Diana wants to hug her, she'll do it when she's ready.

It takes Diana a moment to compose herself, erasing the images of that horrible smile on Akko's lips, that inane strength in her body, that cruel glower in her eyes, that awful laugh in her voice...

When she next opens her eyes, it all vanishes.

All that's before her is a girl with tears in her eyes, apologies in her voice, and tender hands outstretched.

The real Akko.

Slowly, Diana eases herself forward, accepting the embrace and reciprocating it gently.

Akko hiccups and folds her arms around Diana softly. She's so gentle, so careful.

/She would never hurt me.../

Diana pushes all other thoughts away until only the real Akko remains.

She stays there in her embrace until both of them have calmed down. When Akko eases back, she reaches out to hold one of Diana's hands, turning her arm over. Akko gingerly traces her fingers over the redness coating Diana's wrist. She lifts Diana's hand to her lips and dips down to kiss it.

"Sorry..."

The gesture takes Diana by surprise, but she remains quiet, accepting Akko's apologies. She does the same thing for Diana's other wrist, then reaches up to wipe the blood from her chin. Her chestnut eyes are still wavering, tears still leaking out every few seconds.

"I'm really sorry, Diana..."

This time, Diana initiates a hug, pulling her in.

"It is all right, Akko. Thank you."

Another moment of tender silence fills the room.

As the two girls share their honest feelings, the glass of the mirrors all around them begin to glow softly. Akko opens her eyes to find the light becoming brighter and brighter.

"What... What's going on...?"

A warm ray of sunlight slants in through the window, bouncing off all of the mirrors. It envelopes both girls in a golden glow.

The pain in Diana's head is gently sapped away, as is the redness on her skin and the cut on her lip. The guilt and fear in their both hearts are gently coaxed away, until only relief and contentment remain.

It only lasts for a moment, and then the lighting in the room returns to normal.

Akko's jaw is still agape at what just happened. But Diana smiles.

"We did spend quite some time cleaning them. Perhaps this is their way of showing gratitude."

Akko blinks, casting her gaze around the room at all of the silent mirrors. She grins.

"You're welcome!"

Finally feeling better, Akko gets to her feet, offering both hands to Diana. She accepts.

Akko helps her up, putting one hand to the small of her back to support her.

"You sure you're okay? Like, really really sure?"

Diana nods.

"Yes. I am 'really really' sure."

Akko laughs hearing her say something so un-Diana-like. She picks up Diana's wand for her and gives it back, then turns to all of the mirrors.

"Well then, I guess we should finish up, huh? We still have a few to clean."

"Later," Diana says. "First we must inform the professors about that mirror before it acts up again."

"Oh, right. Will they be able to fix it?"

"They can sprinkle a special powder on it to quell its rowdy spirit."

"That's good. If it projects the opposite of how a person is, I'd never wanna see Lotte in it... But maybe Sucy would be all right..."

Diana rolls her eyes as the girl rambles off. She opens the door and is about to call her to get her attention when Akko squeaks again.

"Oh! Diana! When I look in this mirror-"

"Akko!" she chides. "Did I not tell you not to look-"

"But Diana! When I look at this one, I see you! What's this mirror do? How come it's showing me you?"

Diana takes note of the carvings of the mirror's frame and feels an instant heat in her cheeks.

"I... I am uncertain about that one."

"Ehhh? I thought you knew about all of them!"

"Not that one. Come now, Akko."

"Okaaayy..."

As she turns away from the mirror, Diana catches a glimpse of her own reflection in it, but she doesn't see herself, either. When she looks in, she sees long brown hair and a red sash.

She quickly turns away and follows her classmate out of the room.

Akko doesn't need to know which mirror that is.

-----------

A/N: Depending on how people react to this story, I might whip up another chapter! I want the title not only to be a reference to the obvious mirror reflection, but maybe if I make a ch2, I will have Akko and Diana "reflect" on what happened.