Chapter Text
Diana Cavendish is perhaps the most brilliant student to walk the halls of Luna Nova.
She has the highest grades of all her peers. She has better composure and etiquette than most of the staff. She is heir to the famed Cavendish household. She goes out of her way to help others, whether it be a student needing advice or a teacher asking her to cast a spell. She even assisted with the Noir Missile Crisis, earning herself the unofficial honor of being part of the “New Nine”.
Suffice to say, Diana is preceded by a reputation of excellence. So where is she now?
“Where is it? Where the bloody hell is it?!”
Diana is in her dorm, throwing apart everything in the room in a frantic search.
It was late into the evening. Diana had just returned from the library, having finished her studies for the day. Between that, a long day of classes, and the time she spent tutoring Akko, Diana just wanted to head straight to bed.
That was 30 minutes ago.
The normally tidy and pristine Blue Team Dorm had now looked like an earthquake had passed through. Books were strewn across the floor, the couches were knocked over, the table was flipped, desk drawers were pulled out, clothes had been thrown out of the wardrobe, and the pillows and blanket on Diana’s bed had been shoved aside.
“How could it just disappear?” Diana pondered. “I could have sworn I had left it sitting on my bed. Could Hannah or Barbara have moved it? No, that couldn’t be, they wouldn’t touch my belongings without my knowledge. Could it have been stolen? But who would have a reason to do that? Could it have simply been thrown away? I don’t know how that could’ve happened but I can’t rule ou-“
“Diana?”
“Ah!” Diana looked over to the room’s entrance and saw Hannah standing at the door, with Barbara right behind her.
“What happened here? The room is a complete mess!” asked Hannah.
“Th-that would be my fault. I seemed to have misplaced an item of mine and have been trying to locate it for some time now. I’ll clean up the room in a moment.”
Barbara stepped into the room. “What are you looking for? Maybe Hannah or I know where it is.”
Diana blushed and turned her head away. “No, no, it’s fine. It really was not that important.”
“Really? You turned our entire dorm upside down looking for something that ‘wasn’t important’?” questioned Hannah.
“I insist we drop the subject, girls. My life will not be ruined if I am unable to find it.”
Hannah wanted to press further, but it was clear that they weren’t going to get anything else out of Diana. Besides, she and Barbara were quite tired, so she resolved to try and get an answer in the morning after they got some rest. With that, they joined Diana in cleaning up the dorm before turning in for the night.
***
Diana found herself looking up at a Christmas tree. She didn’t know where she was or why, but nonetheless, she was staring at a Christmas tree in front of her. It was adorned with various ornaments, most being standard, but some Diana recognized as Shiny Chariot merchandise, and was wrapped with garlands and lights. Atop the tree sat a figure of a unicorn, the patron animal of the Cavendish family. The sight of the tree felt familiar to Diana and filled her with a comforting warmth.
She glanced beneath the tree and saw a pile of presents. Upon closer inspection, it appeared some of the presents had her name on them.
“Aren’t you excited?”
Diana turned to the voice and saw someone standing beside her. It was her mother.
That was when Diana remembered where she was. She was home in the Cavendish Manor, and it was Christmas.
“Of course I am, mother! It’s time to open presents!”
“Then go on and grab a present from under the tree,” she said, chuckling to herself.
Diana took the present nearest to her, one with Shiny Chariot wrapping paper. She immediately tore it open and pulled out what was inside. It was a plush bear, with light brown fur, a blue ribbon around its right ear, and a white spot on its chest in the shape of a large crescent.
“A teddy bear!” Diana exclaimed. “Mother-“ Diana looked back to her mother, only to see no one there.
“Mother?”
Diana looked around the room, a mounting sense of confusion and anxiety beginning to overtake her mind. ‘Wasn’t Mother right next to me? Where did she go?’
Diana got up and began wandering around the manor looking for her mother.
“Mother!”
No answer. Where is she?
“Mother!”
Still no answer. Diana begins to tear up.
Where is she?!
Finally, she arrives at her mother’s bedroom. A peak inside fills Diana’s heart with pure relief. There was her mother, simply resting in bed.
“Mother!” Diana ran up to her mother and embraced her…
And was met with cold.
***
“Diana? Diana?!”
Diana awoke to the sound of Hannah’s voice. She was leaning over Diana’s bed, a worried look across her face. A quick glance at the windows behind her told Diana that it was the middle of the night.
“Hannah?”
“Diana! Are you alright? I woke up from hearing your voice. I walked over to your side of the room, and you were crying in your sleep.”
‘Crying?’ Diana’s hand went up to her eyes. Indeed, she felt tears.
“I am sorry Hannah. I did not mean to worry you. I was simply having a…rather intense nightmare.”
Hannah sat down on the bed. “…Do you want to talk about it?"
Diana sat up. “…You know how I was looking for an item before you and Barbara had returned?” Hannah nodded. “What I was searching for was…a teddy bear.” Diana blushed as she said that, but Hannah said nothing. “The teddy bear was a Christmas gift from my mother…one of the last gifts I had received from her before she passed away.”
“I…I’m so sorry,” said Hannah.
“It’s fine.” Diana responded. “Ever since my mother passed away, I have never been able to sleep without that teddy bear. Whenever I try, I end up plagued with nightmares about her…”
“If you can’t sleep without it, why did you say it wasn’t important?”
“I suppose I was…embarrassed. It is quite unbecoming of someone my age to be unable to fall asleep without a teddy bear.”
Hannah stared at Diana for a moment before letting out a laugh.
“W-what’s so funny?!” Diana exclaimed.
“I’m sorry. It’s just…you do realize that me and Barbara aren’t going to make fun of you for that?”
“I-I know. Still, it is not something I wanted to admit.”
Hannah composed herself and stood up. “Do you think you’ll be able to go back to sleep?” Diana hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. “Then tell you what: I am going to make us some tea, and we can continue chatting until the sun comes up. Alright?”
“I…Thank you, Hannah.”
“No problem. I’ll go get started on the tea.”
The two of them spent the rest of the night chatting about whatever came to mind over some tea. It was a nice distraction for Diana, both from the nightmare and the fact that her teddy bear was still missing. She was glad to have such a good friend in Hannah.
Also, Barbara was surprisingly never woken up the entire night. Must be a heavy sleeper.
***
“Your teddy bear went missing?” asked Akko.
“Indeed. When I had returned to my dorm last night it was nowhere to be found.” Diana answered.
The Red, Blue, and Green teams were gathered in the cafeteria for breakfast. Once everyone had arrived, Diana, at Hannah’s insistence, told their friends about her missing teddy bear.
“Did you try casting a locator spell?” Lotte asked.
“That was one of the first things I had tried, but for whatever reason, the spell failed.”
“Maybe someone took it out of the room?” Jasminka suggested.
“I had left it sitting on my bed when I left for classes, and Hannah and Barbara would not touch my belongings without my knowledge.”
“Maybe someone stole it then,” said Amanda.
“Who would even bother with that?”
“I don’t know, Chloe despises you. Maybe she took it!”
“Well regardless, I had never indicated to anyone until now that the teddy bear was of particular importance to me. If she wanted to steal something of mine, it would make much more sense for her to take a more inherently valuable item.”
“Maybe someone threw it out and now it’s gone. Would explain why your spell didn’t work,” Sucy said, shrugging.
“I…suppose I cannot deny the possibility…” Diana seemed downtrodden by the very thought.
Akko suddenly stood up from her seat, ran over to Diana, and took her hands. “Don’t worry Diana! We’ll all help you find your teddy bear! Right, guys?”
“Of course we’ll help!” Hannah and Barbara shouted in unison.
“Sure! I got nothing better to do anyways,” said Amanda.
“I’ll help in any way I can,” Lotte declared.
“I’ll pitch in too,” Jasminka added.
Constanze said nothing but gave a thumbs up.
“Sounds like a waste of ti-“ Lotte elbowed Sucy. “I mean I’d be happy to lend a hand,” Sucy said with as little enthusiasm as possible.
Akko turned back to Diana. “See! We all got your back!” Akko said, flashing a bright smile.
Diana looked stunned for a moment before she finally smiled. “Truly, what have I done to deserve such great friends?”
***
After classes had wrapped up for the day, the group immediately got to work looking for the teddy bear. Hannah and Barbara asked other students about it while Diana and Akko asked the staff and fairy workers. Lotte tried speaking to spirits around Luna Nova about it. Amanda and Jasminka went out to Blytonbury to look for it on the off chance it wasn’t on campus. Constanze sent out her Stanbots to look for it. Sucy spent her time researching location spells and potions to see if there was anything that might help.
Despite everyone’s efforts, though, the teddy bear was never found. Nighttime soon arrived and Diana decided to head to bed early, seeing as how she had gotten little sleep the night prior. She returned to her room and got ready for bed, preparing herself for the nightmares she would inevitably experience that night. Right before she got into bed, however, there was a knock at the door. She got up to answer it and was met with Akko, holding something behind her back. For whatever reason, she seemed to be nervous.
“Oh, hello there Akko. What brings you here this late?”
“H-hi, Diana. So, listen. Even after we stopped our search today, I kept thinking about how I could help you since we never managed to find your teddy bear. And after I thought on it for a while, I came up with an idea! Which is why, I want you to have this!”
Akko held out what she had behind her back. It was a plushie of a white crow with a large, yellow four-point star on its chest. Diana quickly recognized it as Alcor, the familiar of Shiny Chariot.
Diana took the plushie from Akko’s hands. “You are…giving this to me?”
“Yep! You said you couldn’t sleep without your teddy bear, so I was wondering if it would help if you had a new plush.”
“Are you sure? You had to have had this since you were a child. I would not want to take something so precious from you.”
“Don’t worry about it! Sure, I’ve had Alcor there for a while now, but if it helps you, then it would make me much happier if you kept it!”
“…Thank you so much, Akko. This truly means a lot to me.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m just looking out for a friend.” Akko’s grin turned into a smirk. “Besides, I need my rival to be in top condition when I surpass them! I’m not gonna accept it if I win just cause you’re tired!”
Diana chuckled. “Alright, alright. Enough with that. I’ll be heading to bed now. Good night, Akko.”
“Good night, Diana!”
Diana watched Akko run off before heading back into her room. She crawled into the bed but paused for a moment to take a second look at the Alcor plushie. Holding such a special gift from her dearest friend Akko made her feel…comforted. It felt as though Akko was there with her, making sure Diana was alright. With this thought in her mind, Diana fell asleep, clutching the plush in her arms.
***
Diana was staring down at the Earth. She recognized she was in space, standing atop the legendary broom the Shooting Star. The grand triskellion sat in the sky near Earth, appearing as a triple spiral formation of magic energy, as if Diana was looking at a magical light show. The Big Dipper also shined prominently in the sky, being the form that the Shiny Rod took now that its duty was complete. Diana continued to take in the sights around her, finding it all mesmerizing.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Diana turned to the voice and saw someone standing beside her. It was Akko.
“Indeed. I cannot say I have ever seen anything quite like this.”
“I think what’s craziest to me is that we did this. We saved the day!”
“Yes, I suppose we did. Though I believe you deserve most of the credit. This would not have been possible after all if it wasn’t for your ability to wield the Shiny Rod.”
“Nah, I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without you and the rest of our friends. I mean, I still can’t even fly a broom on my own.”
“Still, I don’t think you should sell yourself short simply because you needed some assistance. You’ve done something truly amazing, and you should be proud of that.”
“Alright, I get your point. I’m just saying, you and everyone else should feel just as proud!”
Diana laughed a bit before looking back towards the Earth.
“Hey Diana?”
Diana glanced over, “Yes Akko?”
“I…I’m really glad…that you’re here with me right now.”
Diana, surprised, turned to face towards Akko.
“I know we didn’t exactly get along at first. But it’s always felt like, we’ve had some sort of connection, y’know?”
“…Yes, I think I understand what you mean. It has always felt like there was something drawing us together.”
“Right? That’s why I’m really glad we’re friends now! And…I’m glad that you were the one that fought with me in the end.”
“Akko…”
Akko blushed. “B-but…I think I-I…want something more…”
“What do you mean, Akko?”
“I-I…want to be closer to you, Diana.”
Akko stepped towards Diana.
“I want…to be yours.”
Now Diana was blushing. “Akko, I d-don’t know what to say…”
Akko’s hand went up to Diana’s cheek. “C-Can I…?”
After a moment, Diana nodded. Akko began to lean in closer.
And closer.
And closer…
***
Diana’s eyes blinked open.
“Oh…that was a dream…”
Diana brought her hand to her lips, feeling the ghost of a kiss. As she recalled what had happened in her dream, Diana’s mind became an absolute mess.
Huh? W-why did I dream about Akko? Specifically, why did she confess to me in that dream? I mean, it surely cannot be normal to have a dream that involves sharing a romantic moment with one’s friend. So…what exactly does this mean? Does it mean anything? …Perhaps the dream was simply the result of falling asleep with feelings of gratitude towards Akko. I did receive this plush from her right before I went to bed. Or maybe my subconscious had confused my desire to be closer to Akko as feelings of the romantic sort. Or-
Barbara’s head peeked out from behind the bookshelf. “Oh, you’re awake! Good morning!”
Diana quickly composed herself. “Good morning, Barbara.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“…Y-yes, I slept quite well.”
“I’m glad. I have to say, me and Hannah were surprised when we saw you sleeping with a new plush. Where did you get that, anyway?”
“I-I will tell you about it later. For now, I would like to get ready for class.”
“Alright then, I’ll leave you to it. See you at breakfast!”
Barbara walked behind the bookshelf and was soon out of the room. Diana began to get out of bed, but she stopped to look once again at the Alcor plushie. Despite the strange dream she had, Diana truly had slept well last night, perhaps the best she had slept in a long time. She had that plush, and by extension Akko, to thank for that. Thinking about that, Diana felt the same feeling of comfort she had felt last night. Comfort…and something else. Diana could not quite name that second feeling just yet, but it was there all the same.
Diana picked up the Alcor plushie and gave it an affectionate squeeze, before setting it back on her bed, eagerly awaiting whatever she may dream of in the future.