Akko and Xelia were screaming, falling from the sky. They both hit the ground roughly, grunting and groaning in pain.

Akko was on a tree branch, but when she tried to get up she fell on the grass in a pile of leaves.

On top of Xelia.

While Xelia was suffocating, Akko noticed that her Shiny Chariot landed on her.

"Yes!" Akko said, holding the card up to her chest, thankful that it wasn't lost. "Thank goodness you're safe!"

"Akko... help..." Xelia grunted from under her. Akko yelped and quickly scrambled off her, and Xelia was breathing heavily to make up for the loss of air. She coughed a bit.

"Sorry!" Akko said nervously.

Then they noticed that girl on the ground.

She got up.

"Can you be even more of a pain in the neck?" She said, talking to them for the first time since they met.

Xelia glared at her coldly. The girl paid no attention. With a single glance, she sent Xelia a tiny smirk before turning back to Akko.

Xelia noticed her broom on the ground and yelped. She quickly picked it up.

"Xelia, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay, just a bit sore. But my broom is broken!" Xelia said, frowning down at her broom snapped in half.

"It seems as though we've arrived at our destination." The girl said. Akko and Xelia stared at her.

"This is Luna Nova?" Akko asked.

"No, I don't think so. My parents described it for me when I asked, and they never mentioned a foggy forest with a purple sky." Xelia said, looking around. "Besides, I don't see anyone else around."

"Arcturus Forest." The girl said, her face lit up spookily. How? No one knows.

"Arcturus...?" Xelia said, and then looked worried when the realization dawned on her. "Wait! You mean the Forbidden Forest?!"

"Never heard of it." Akko said.

They started walking through the forest while Xelia explained.

"The Forest of Arcturus, a holy place protected by magic trees. Legends say once lost, even a witch would have trouble getting out." Xelia said, growing more worried. "And we're just witches in training!"

"I haven't even started classes yet! I could never call that a witch in training." Akko said, squinting through the fog. "And if we can't get out, we won't make it to the Opening Ceremony!"

"You should also consider that we may never get out." The girl said.

"Never get out? That's not funny!" Akko said. Xelia was sweating despite the freezing cold chill.

"S-she's not joking, Akko..." Xelia said, and then gulped.

Akko noticed Xelia's notebook in a clearing.

"Look! It's your notebook!" She said, heading towards it. A plant came to life in front of her, the notebook behind it.

"Woah!" Akko said.

"Akko! Get away from that thing!" Xelia said, paling when she recognized the plant.

The plant opened its petals and tried to chomp on Akko, but she barely dodged.

Akko screamed.

The threesome ran as far away from the plant as possible, but its vines were fast and long-ranged. It was gaining on them.

"What even is that thing?!" Akko screamed.

"It's a type of human-eating plant known as a Mandrake!" Xelia and the mauve-haired girl said in unison.

Then the two girls looked at each other, Xelia confused how the other girl knew that, and the other girl a bit intrigued that Xelia was interested in the same stuff she was.

Soon, the three of them managed to get away from the Mandrake from the mauve girl's directions.

"It's here." The girl said, getting out some rope and looping it around in a circle on the floor.

"Hey, over here you two." The girl said, beckoning them to step inside.

"What's up?" Akko said, stepping in the rope with Xelia.

"Just about there. Juris Haris Haris." The girl said, dropping a few drops of purple potion on the rope.

The rope transformed into a ball of some sort, trapping them in.

"What's all this?" Akko asked.

"Now repeat this spell." The girl said.

"Another one?" Akko asked.

"Will it help find our way?" Xelia asked.

"Catrul Cootera Harala, Tantum Impugnant." The girl said.

Akko nodded. "Catrul Cootera Harala, Tantum Impugnant."

Nothing happened.

"Utilize your diafram! You need to say it louder!"

"CATRUL COOTERA HARALA, TANTUM IMPUGNANT!!!" Akko yelled. Her voice echoed.

And then we heard big stomping sounds.

A giant rooster was in behind them, making clucking sounds. The girl mounted her broom.

"What is that?!" Xelia screamed.

"What exactly did that last spell do?" Akko whispered to the girl nervously.

"You called him a stupid bird." The girl said. "And now it wants to eat you."

Xelia and Akko yelped, Akko glaring at the girl.

"Good luck." She said, before hovering in the air on her broom.

"You're just gonna leave us here?!" Xelia asked worriedly.

"Oh, the bird won't attack you. It's only going to attack Akko." The girl said, hovering higher and out of earshot.

"How's that supposed to make me feel better?!" Xelia called up to her, but the girl was gone.

"C'mon, we have to run!" Akko said.

They scrambled like hamsters, rolling the ball forward as the bird chased them.

While they were running for their lives, the girl started explaining some things about the bird.

"The cockatrice only exists in the Forest of Arcturus. It has a lethal toxin in its feathers. And it's highly sought after by poison collectors. So go ahead and draw its attention while I retrieve some feathers." The girl said.

"Wait - so you trapped us in here just to be decoys?!" Akko yelled at her.

"Sacrifices, actually!" The girl replied, flying out of sight. Oh yeah, you should probably make sure he doesn't breath on you, because you'll turn into stone!"

Xelia and Akko were even more frantic at the words. The cockatrice let out a breath and the trees behind them turned to stone.

The two of them ran as fast they could, stricken by fear.

"This can't be how it ends!" Akko yelled fearfully.

"We still have so much to do!!" Xelia screamed.

The girl managed to pluck one of the cockatrice's feathers, which only made the bird more agitated and turn its anger towards her.

"Shoot." She said. She was barely able to dodge the cockatrice's stone breath.

Xelia and Akko couldn't stop running, and soon, their ball broke upon impact with a tree.

They rolled off a cliff, but Akko was hit against a branch and grabbed Xelia's hand just before she fell.

"Are you okay?" Akko asked.

"Yeah." Xelia replied shakily. Akko pulled her up.

"We have to get out of here! If we don't hurry, we won't make it to the ceremony!" Akko said, looking around after Xelia was hauled up.

"Gah!" Xelia yelped. "My knee..."

Her knee was scarped and bruised.

"It hurts..."

Akko lifted Xelia's arm over her shoulder and begain slowly making her way back on flat ground.

"We can't give up after coming this far!" Akko said. "I won't give up! My story's about to begin!"

A tiny spark of light.

"Extend your hand!"

Another spark.

"Adventure awaits!"

More sparks.

"My heart is pounding, and my head is spinning!"

Even more sparks.

"But I will become a witch!"

A final spark, and a familiar rod manifested before their very eyes.

"Hey, that's - I'd know that wand anywhere!" Akko said, bewildered. Xelia saw it too, and gasped.

The cockatrice roared.

The girl was still being chased by the cockatrice, floundering through the air.

Akko, wanting to help the girl, took the Shiny Rod.

"Xelia, stay there and hide."

"Huh? Akko, you're not saying that you're going to help without me, are you? I want to help too - gah!" Xelia clutched her knee.

"You're hurt. You wouldn't be of much help in that state." Akko said.

"Okay then..." Xelia said, limping away behind a tree.

"Catrul Cootera Harala!" Akko shouted at the beast. "Hey! Over here, demon! Bet you can't catch me!!"

Akko waved at the bird and ran away, heading for a particular plant...

The cockatrice roared and ran after her, the girl wondering why in the world Akko would save her after the things she did.

Akko was running as fast as she could, barely dodging the bird's attacks. Finally, she managed to get to a clearing and watched with pride as the mandrake coiled its vines around the cockatrice.

Xelia was hiding nearby and yelped when she saw the sight.

"Hey!" The girl said, lowering down to the ground, on her broom. "Hop on."

Moments later, Xelia and Akko were riding the girl's broom together.

"Thanks for the help, uh..." Akko said.

"Oh, its Sucy." The girl said. "Sucy Manbavaran."

"It's nice to meet you, Sucy." Xelia said.

There was an explosion behind, and the three girls turned to look.

The cockatrice spread its wings and flew after them, fueled by rage.

"It just won't quit!" Akko yelled.

"With three of us, we won't get enough speed!" Xelia said worriedly.

Nearby, Professor Ursula was riding her broom, looking at the scene with a look of worry.

"This doesn't look good!" She said, frowning.

The cockatrice roared and burst fire from its mouth.

The girls barely managed to dodge, but some embers got caught on the broom and it was set alight. The flames were spreading closer to Akko.

"Gah! It can breath fire too?!"

"How did this even happen?" Professor Ursula asked herself, flying after them.

"It's a fire! What do I do?!" Akko yelled, holding her Shiny Rod in the air, staring at the flames with pure fear.

Professor Ursula gasped when she saw it.

"It can't be..." She mumbled. "She has the Shiny Rod!"

"AAAAAAAAAH!!" Xelia screamed, and Akko was trying to blow the fire away.

The cockatrice blew one final gust of fire and incinerated the broom, watching as they all fell to their deaths.

"Recite the spell!" Ursula called to Akko. " You have to use the magic!"

Akko noticed the Shiny Rod was glowing.

"It's glowing!" She said in wonder.

"Note, Orfei!" Ursula called.

"Note... Orfei!" Akko repeated.

"Oudon!" Ursula said.

"Retorei!!" They said in unison, as the Shiny Rod turned into a bow. An arrow manifested in Akko's hands. She drew it back, aiming for the ground below them.

"SHINYY ARC!!" Akko yelled, letting the arrow loose and creating a gateway to the Leyline. They all fell in and Professor Ursula sighed in relief as they were brought to Luna Nova safe.

As they were falling through the Leyline, Akko saw yellow orbs float past them, going too fast for them to see what was inside.

"Whoa..." Akko mumbled.

Then, the Luna Nova symbol flashed over them, and in a burst of white light, they had made it.

They were in the middle of the assembly, every witch had been gathered there. The principal stopped her speech short and stared at them, befuddled.

When Akko realized where they were, she jumped up in joy. "Alright! We made it in time!" She was giggling now.

Xelia cringed at all the staring students and teachers, wanting to melt into the floor right then and there.

In the evening, a professor walked Akko to her dorm room.

"Despite your little outburst at the Opening Ceremony, the principal still allowed your admission under special consideration." She said."It's not something that's done often. You should be extremely thankful."

Akko was walking behind, sulking and looking down at the floor.

"Yes ma'am..." She said.

She opened a door and revealed a dorm room with a normal bed and bunk bed. There was a desk filled with notebooks and textbooks, a jar of pencils and quills, ink bottles, and a chair behind it.

Xelia was sitting on the desk reading a book until she turned to the door and saw Akko.

There was another girl there with orange hair in a pixie cut, with bluebell eyes and big round glasses. She was sitting on her bed and turned to look at Akko, curious.

"Say hello to your new roommates." The professor said. Akko was thankful to see Xelia there, and intrigued by the other girl. Xelia was just as relieved to see Akko.

Akko took a few steps in.

"Listen carefully, girls. For the next three years, we will be giving especially strict guidance to you two, Ms. Magix and Ms. Kagari. And of course, Ms. Manbavaran as well." The professor said. She turned away and closed the door behind her.

"My name's Atsuko Kagari! But you can call me Akko!" Akko said to the orange-haired girl.

"Oh, and I'm Xelia Magix. Nice to meet you!" Xelia said, holding out her hand to teh girl with a warm smile.

"Oh! I'm Lotte. It's nice to meet you too." She said, her voice shy and quiet.

"It's a pleasure!" Akko said, giving her trademark goofy smile.

Oh, how it would be amazing at Luna Nova.

https://youtu.be/JRmgL564x8E

A/N:

Hello! Finally got the first episode done XD

Anyway! I hope you enjoyed!

WinterStarFragments, your character will be added soon! Don't worry - I won't forget. :)

Stay safe and well, and have a great day/night! <3 <3