Sector LN, Part 4: If We Were Different

Luna Nova Sports Field

"INCENDIO!" Akko cast the spell directly skyward, unleashing a great flame—but it quickly divided into firecrackers and smoke.

"No, Akko, you gotta get angrier!" Amanda shouted. "Like this: INCENDIO!" She cast the spell skyward, unleashing a column of fire that rivaled the New Moon Tower.

"I'm as ANGRY as I can GET! I'm not a Solaran, thank you for asking; any more angry and my HEAD will melt!"

"Besides, anger will not help you perfect the spell." Diana said, coming up to them. "You move your wand in the air in the shape of a candle, like this." She demonstrated.

"But I never see you or Amanda doing that!"

"When our wands become adapted to the spell, they can cast it without the proper movements, but this is how we help them adapt until then."

"Okay." Akko drew the image in the air. "Incendio." More firecrackers came out.

"You have to say the spell while drawing it."

"Ugh! Incendi—darn it! Incen—d'oh!" She kept messing up the drawing. "Incendio! Errrgh!"

"Akko, perhaps that's enough practicing with the Fire Spell." Diana told her, putting out a small candle in her hair. "Let's try the Ventus Spell. All that is is a swirl."

"Or I can do like Wendy does!" Akko smirked. "Ventus Incendio!" She swirled the wand around, her friends ducking as a flaming shockwave exploded out of the wand.

"Watch yourself, Miss Kagari!" yelled Professor Nelson.

"Sorry!"

It was currently free time in gymnastics class, so many students were outside, either racing around the track, practicing magic, or doing other things. Professors Finnelan and Ursula watched Akko's efforts from a second-floor window of the school. "It's nice to see Akko finally accepting Diana's help." Ursula said.

"No doubt she could've used it a long time ago." Finnelan replied, arms folded. "It doesn't seem like you've been training her as much lately."

"Well, since Akko's joined the KND, we haven't had much time. Besides, it's much more fun to train with friends. There's a lot you can teach each other."

"Huff…huff…huff…" Akko began panting after a few more tries.

"Your magic energy's nearly depleted." Diana said. "Perhaps it's time for a break."

"No, just let me drink one of Sucy's potions! I need to get in as much training as possible!"

"Why, so you'll be ready when Mickey's Vengeance Army comes to tear this school down?" Amanda remarked, deciding to get on her broom and do some pull-ups. "Why do you need to know all these combat spells when you have the Shiny Rod, anyway?"

"Because the Shiny Rod takes up too much of my energy. Besides, it was useless against Sheila, what if I encounter other lightbender enemies? Heck, at that rate, I need to practice some darkness spells, too!"

"Well, even if you do," Lotte replied, "you'll always have us to back you up."

"I don't wanna have to rely on you guys all the time. You're so ahead of me, and I'm tired of falling behind. I'm never going to inspire people if I can't do the simplest magic!"

Diana placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Akko, I know you're trying, and I'm proud of the effort you're putting in… but you need to accept your limitations."

"What limitations?! If you were able to get your magic back, then I can too, you said so!"

"I know I did. But this isn't just about your Magic Deficiency. The only reason I became as talented as I am was by pushing myself beyond my limits. But not all witches can be like me, because there will be some things they just aren't good at. I don't mean to discourage you, Akko, but you were far later in learning magic than the rest of us. You won't be able to close the gap in such a short time. You should be focusing your efforts on what you are skilled at, even if it's your shape-shifting."

"But I'm already good at shape-shifting. Heck, look how fast I can transform." Akko flicked her wand and turned into a monkey. "See? Didn't need a spell, didn't need a crazy movement, ook-ook."

"Exactly." Diana smiled. "Now you should try changing without a wand."

Akko changed back. "But what good will that do me in the long run? Chariot didn't 'Wow' the crowds just by transforming. If I don't keep training, you'll have a better chance at becoming like Chariot than I will."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Amanda said, lying on her broom as she casually floated over them. "Seriously, you think you're the only one with problems? Diana's a prick, I'm a disrespectful brat, Jasminka has to keep eating, and Hannah and Barb are chickens."

"WE ARE NOT!" the two shouted.

"My point is, we all have weaknesses, it's stuff we just have to live with. Just like your Magic Deficiency."

"At least Akko is making an effort to conquer her flaw." Diana replied in disapproval. "You, Amanda, embrace your flaw with no shame in it whatsoever."

"And you took an example from me and mentally dissed Mickey Mouse. Who's the bad guy now?"

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Akko was suddenly pumped with enthusiasm. "I just got another crazy idea!"

"This can only go so well." Diana sighed. "Fine, Akko, spill it."

"Let's go to the Mirror World!"

"Mirror World? Do you mean the Negaverse?"

"Yeah, whatever it's called! I mean, since we got to talking about our problems and stuff, I just wonder what our opposites would be like! I bet the Nega-Akko is super talented and the best at everything! Despite being a royal SNOOOOB."

"It sounds like a great idea to me." Lotte smiled. "I heard that all the Earth operatives got to meet their parallels, so we might as well join the bandwagon."

"Oh, if we must." Diana shook her head. "After school, we can go to the Negaverse via the mirror in my room. Luckily, I know the spell to open the portal without the need of our Negatives."

"First we went to an uncharted planet, now we're off to another dimension!" Akko proclaimed proudly. "I'm so excited, I can't stand it!"

"And we can't stand following you to our deaths." Barbara remarked.

Grunty Industries, Hivory Mountains

Gruntlings hauled in five large crates with Mickey Mouse's insignia. Professor Kriplespac seemed to levitate a chainsaw, cutting the crates open to reveal metal containers inside. "Ahhhhh! Ze Vibranium Bombs!" The weasel professor floated up and hugged the containers lovingly. "It is ein dream come true to be able to gaze upon you! Let alone touch you like so, ja ja…"

"They will make fine weapons indeed, for carrying out our little deed." Gruntilda said.

"Ignoring that cheap rhyme," Capital B replied, "when do you plan to collect the acid from Planet Venom?"

"Sunday is a good day, to leave enough time for leeway."

"Yes, perhaps. You should also know that I've ordered our special spies to harvest trees from the Forest of Niall tonight. That wood will serve as fair payment for the Kremling Krew."

"Excellent, B. For once, things are looking well for me. Hrm…" Grunty stared intently at a newspaper, which was stolen from the KND and depicted Sector LN's valiant feat of exploring Bobopolis. Her lifeless eyes narrowed on the beautiful Cavendish. "And perhaps once this operation is through… Miss Cavendish, I'll pay a visit to you…"

Diana's Room

"Alright, here we go: Speculum Introitus!" Diana cast the spell on her mirror, turning it into a portal. The Nine Witches bravely stepped inside.

Within seconds, they arrived on the opposite end. The room in question appeared to be Diana's, except there were plenty of cobwebs. "What an untidy room." Diana said.

The girls curiously viewed outside the window. They gaped, seeing witches float around on hovercrafts, the grounds outside covered in artificial plants and trees. Luna Nova's walls were cold and metal, and clouds filled the sky. "Look at this place!" Akko said, eyes wide. "It's all… techy!"

"It's Luna Nova without financial trouble." Lotte commented.

"Mmmmmmmmm…" Constanze was gazing at the view in pure euphoria. So much wondrous technology.

"Check it out!" Amanda pointed. "It's a KND treehouse! I mean, a DNK one, I guess. That must be where our opposites are! Let's go up and say 'hello'!" She mounted her broom.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Akko hopped on behind her.

"WAIT, you two!" Diana shouted, but was too late as they had already flown out the window.

"Hey, look at them!" one of the students pointed in panic. "They're riding on a broom! They must be… WWWWWWITCHEEEES!"

"WITCH! WITCH! WITCH! WITCH!" They all drew laser rifles and fired at the two, but their friends surrounded them on their own brooms and cast Protego shields. "Well, it's still not as bad as Bobopolis!" Amanda remarked. "AAAH!" The Nine Witches were caught within a tractor beam, being pulled up into the DNK treehouse.

"Well, at least we'll get in faster." Lotte said nervously.

The beam brought them up into a room before releasing the girls. "Oh my gosh, are you really witches?!" They saw a girl in the entrance of the room, wearing a pink dress, high-heels, and had navy hair in pigtails. "I thought when I saw the brooms, I knew you must be witches, I mean the old kinds, the ones that use brooms and junks! Oh gosh, I gotta see!" She excitedly pranced up to them.

The girls gaped at her impeccably tall height, but this did not surprise them as much as who it was. "Constanze, it's YOU!" Akko realized. "You're a GIANT in this universe!"

"Constanze, that's not my name! My friends call me Esnoc, but my full name is-"

"PLEASE don't say it."

"Oh gosh, you look like me!" Esnoc bent down so her head was right over Constanze. "But you're mini! You're a mini me! My, you're so adorable, I wanna keep you!" She joyfully picked the shortest witch up by the shoulders, hugging her lovingly. All the while, Constanze was royally humiliated by her taller self.

"Forgive us, Esnoc, but we are from the Posiverse." Diana explained. "We wanted to meet our Negatives, so that's why we are here."

"Oh why didn't you say so?! Oh gosh, my friends will LOVE to meet you! Follow me!" She happily skipped out of the room—"OW!" and bumped her head on the doorway. "Sorry! Sometimes I'm so tall, it kills me!"

"Mmmmmmgh." Constanze moaned.

The witches followed her to the living room, where it seemed the other team members were gathered, doing their own activities. They all faced the visitors simultaneously, both sharing equal expressions of awe and bewilderment. "Oh, great." They were approached by a girl who looked just like Akko, but with strict blue eyes. "What have you done now, Esnoc?" she asked in an elegant tone.

"Oh my gosh!" Akko's eyes sparkled. "It's me! A more sophisticated version of me!"

"Oh, these must be our Positives. Well, my dear, my name is Okusta Iragak, but your feeble-minded tongue may refer to me as 'Okka.'"

"Okay, Okka!"

"I dislike you already."

"Th-Th-Th-They're our Positives?" Ettol, Lotte's Negative, asked in a stutter, her body twitching. She had braces and spiked blonde hair. "D-D-D-Does that mean they're g-g-ghosts?!"

"Make yourselves at home." Ycus said kindly. She was much rounder than her counterpart, munching on bananas and apples and clothed in only a black top and shorts.

"Excuse me, Miss." A squeaky voice spoke. "Are you my Positive?"

Diana looked around for the source, before feeling something on her foot. "HUH?!" She was staring down at a doll-sized version of herself, baring an adorable smile.

"You are! My, I've never looked up at myself before!"

"I'M TINY IN THIS WORLD?!" Diana's jaw dropped.

"Man, I've always wanted to do this!" Amanda kicked Anaid to the floor and pinned her foot on her. "My chance to squish Diana like a bug with my foot!"

"No, Amanda!" Jasminka pulled her off. "If you kill Tiny Diana, then our Diana will die!"

"Yes, so please desist." Adnama ordered. She had longer hair and had a longer skirt than her opposite, and her chest was noticeably bigger. "Furthermore, the rules of Vetus Solem clearly state that witches of your stature are not allowed. Please leave quietly."

"Vetus Solem?" Akko asked.

"It's Latin for 'Old Sun.'" Diana clarified. "Making it opposite of Luna Nova – New Moon. So, I deduce that you're known as Sector VS."

"You sound so smart and confident!" Anaid beamed.

"Okay, well, before any of us gets a headache," Lotte began sheepishly, "why don't we all take our counterparts to different rooms and get to know them?"

"You say that as if we already agreed." Okka said in annoyance.

"Well, you did say 'Okka.'" Akko grinned amusingly.

"Wait a minute." Hannah spoke up. "We don't see our Negatives anywhere."

"No, they're coming now." Okka pointed.

"YAHOOOOO!" Two girls broke through the window, one in green tech armor and another in light-gray armor. "Brave Mecha Gladiators, Hannah and Arabrab, make their return!"

"They're back!" Anaid said adoringly. "I love those two so much! They're so strong and confident!"

"Are you saying WE'RE NOT?!" Hannah asked, her and Barbara glaring imposingly at the tiny Negative.

"N-No no, of course not! You two look strong, too!"

"Hey, check it out, Hannah!" Arabrab pointed. "Those two must be fans of ours!"

"Pretty quirky imitation! You think they FIGHT as good as we do?!"

"Only one way to find out! Let's take them…" They boosted over with rocket shoes and grabbed their counterparts.

"TO MECHA MAYHEM!" And they shot out the window like rockets, Hannah and Barbara screaming to the heavens.

"Sigh… I guess we don't have a choice." Okka sighed. "They should be back within the hour, so you have that long."

"Sweet!" cheered Akko. "Time to meet our matches!"

Ettol's Room

"It's nice to meet with you, Ettol." Lotte said kindly. "My name is Lotte Jansson. I hope it isn't hard to pronounce or anything, hehe."

"Yeah yeah, if you're gonna stay, you can at least play -2-player with me." Ettol replied, entering her room, where there lay stacks of game cases.

"Oh, you play videogames." Lotte observed as her Negative began to sit and activate her console. "I'm more into books than I am games. Although I do enjoy the Zelda titles. Mostly because I'm a fantasy geek."

"Yuck, fantasy. That's for babies. Here's how the big girls play!" The game in question was called Plumbers' Duty. It depicted a Negative Mario, dressed like a soldier as he was blowing the heads off Koopas and Goombas with his shotgun.

"It's certainly more… violent than what I'm used to. I take it you don't read much?"

"I read a little manga, but everything sucks."

"Do you have One Piece?"

"We have Ten Wholes – everything about it is terrible."

"Fairy Tail?"

"Goblin Ear – epic battles, but awful characters."

"Dragon Ball?"

"Fairy Chest – beautifully crafted story that only adults can appreciate."

"Bleach?"

"Color – started bad, but had a lot more variety going in."

"Black Butler?"

"White Maid – atrocious artwork with horrible Christian propaganda."

"Well, you've certainly got a critical taste for quality." Lotte smiled. "Hey, have you ever wished you could interact with the characters in the game?"

"Nope. Interacting with them right now. As old Oiram shoots the head off this Apook."

"I mean REALLY interact with them. Watch this: ahem… la la la… la la la… Spirit of the Game, please come to me…" Ettol's face turned pale at the sight of the little ghost emerging from her console. It had a hat and mustache like Mario's Negative. "Dada Dia!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Ettol bolted out of the treehouse and into the forest. "GHOST!! IN MY GAME! HEEEEEELLLLLP!"

"Ettooool! Come baaaaaack!" Lotte chased her on her broomstick.

Ycus's Room

Fruit trees were abundant in this forestated room as Ycus picked bananas off and munched them up. "Well, let's skip the obvious questions for now." Sucy said. "Tell me about all the woes in your life."

"OH GOD, I HAVE SO MANY!!" Ycus cried. "First my boyfriend dumps me, my sister kills my cat, my other sister kills my dog, and don't get me started on what my brother did to my parrot!"

"I probably did all those things to my old pets."

Aknimsaj's Room

Aknimsaj was so skinny, you could practically see her ribcage. She hovered inches off the floor in deep meditation. Grumbllllle. Jasminka could not get her feet over her knees to mimic her posture, and her constant hunger greatly interfered with her concentration. She reached for her bag of chips, but Aknimsaj said, "No, my child. You must not let hunger get the best of you."

"But if I don't eat, my stomach will hurt."

"Your stomach is not in command of you. You are in command of it. You must repress your urges and shield yourself from pain."

Her stomach still growling, Jasminka glanced at the chips once more. …She breathed in and out through her nose, donning a serious expression as she resumed meditating. If Akko can conquer her deficiency… I can conquer my hunger.

Vetus Solem Halls

"Oh Consie, you're just gonna LOVE meeting my friends!" Esnoc said eagerly, still hugging and holding her shorter parallel. "They're so funderful and wendly! (Wait, that came out wrong.)"

As she walked, Constanze couldn't help but glance into the classrooms: one room had robots blasting at each other, another had lasers trying to burn through stone, and another had students making bombs, and one of them went off in the student's face. This school was like a paradise to Constanze, full of students that could understand her.

"Here we are! Welcome to Old Age Magic!" Esnoc entered a room with potions and students in traditional witch's attire. "Hey, guys, take a look at this! This girl is from the Posiverse, where people are traditional witches just like we are!"

"Oh gosh, she's so cute and small!" one of the students said adoringly.

"She totally looks like she could be your baby sister!" Another girl came up and poked Constanze's little nose.

"Alright, girls, what is all the fuss about?" They stepped aside to let the professor through. Unlike everyone else, she was dressed in a Luna Nova uniform (with the purple and white colors inversed), and had smooth lilac hair in a ponytail. "This girl is from the Ponyverse?"

"No, she's from the Posiverse, silly professor!"

"P-Posiverse!" the woman flushed. "Right, how silly of me, why did I think ponies, hehe!" Her glasses fogged, hiding her green eyes, so she quickly wiped them off. "And what is our new Positive friend's name?"

"I dunno, she never talks!" Esnoc bent her head completely upside-down in front of Constanze's. "Maybe she doesn't know her own name. C'mon, it's easy, just say my name backwards! It's Eznatsnoc __ __ __!"

Constanze could feel her ears bleed after the first name—it was so painfully unpronounceable that no other human could possibly utter it with a straight tongue. "Hahahaha!" one of the others giggled. "Eznatsnoc has the best name in the whole school! And it's so easy to say, too! Eznatsnoc __ __ __!"

"I bet saying it backwards is even easier! C'mon, Posi-girl, tell us! Tell us!"

"Yeah, come on, it's as easy as saying 'is'!"

Pressure was building up on the little witch's heart. Their constant prodding triggered a memory from her childhood.

"Class, we have a new student joining us today. Go on and introduce yourself, sweetheart."

Young Constanze had a large, cute ribbon on her head. She was eight years old, yet she felt much younger and smaller than her peers. "…My name…" She could get out two words, but that was it. "…i-is… Co-onst… C-Consta-anz-anze… A-A-Ama…Amal-lie…li-ie… A-Ama-alie… v-vo…" Snickers were already ringing across the classroom. Constanze blushed, her concentration breaking. "Am-Am-Am-Amalie-lie…"

"Ama-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma lie-lie-lie-lie-LIIIIEEEEE!" one of the kids was singing in the hallway. "She's Ama-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma…"

"Hey, Consta, what was your name again? I dozed off in class."

"Hey Constanze, is that some sorta new song or somethin'?"

"Gosh, just tell us your name already!" Esnoc shouted. "Do ya know your own name or what?!"

"MMMNN!" Constanze bit the Negative's arm.

"Yow!" She dropped Constanze as she ran out of the room and charged down the hall. Constanze dove into a restroom, going to sit on one of the stalls and sob to herself.

Adnama's Room

"I don't assume this will spur any good conversation with you," Adnama said as she showed Amanda a scrapbook, "but here's how I like to spend my days."

Amanda opened it and looked through, seeing pictures of ashamed students. "The heck is this?"

"These are all the students whom I caught breaking the rules."

"So, you're some kind of hall monitor? Man, how lame can you get? Well, I'm not surprised."

"I can only assume you're of the delinquent nature. You clearly have no shame in your presentation, which is to be expected of such a flat chest."

Amanda's calmness broke like glass. "Excuse me?"

"In our world, a woman's dignity is only symbolized by our beauty, and it guarantees us for a long life. It's unfortunate that you are my Positive, however."

"For your information, I'm part-Solaran, and we're naturally flat-chested! But we also have longer lifespans, so you're welcome."

"Yes, but if you wanted to look more beautiful, you're better off getting a sex-change."

And that set off her fuse. "THAT'S IT! You like punishing people?! Well, Granny Suna always told me, if an ogre is shoving you in the toilet, you PUNCH him in the balls!" Her flaming fist flew and SOCKED her Negative in the jaw. "But since you're a girl, the next best thing is jaws."

Adnama stood, rubbing her jaw as she glared at her with spite. "You crossed the line, Delinquent. I'm left with no other option."

Principal's Office

Amanda was bound, gagged, and locked up in a cage. "I always knew Positives were nothing but trouble." Professor Alusru said. "Don't worry, Adnama, we'll teach her some respect."

"Thank you, Professor. I really hope my teeth aren't fractured."

Not a second later did the cage EXPLODE, and Amanda was brimming with Fire Fury. "When someone picks a fight with you, you fight back." She spoke with pure infuriation. "And under no circumstances do you ever…EVER… TELL THE TEACHERS ON THEM!"

Mecha Mayhem

Two large robots charged at Hannah and Arabrab with buzzsaw hands, but the duo extracted lightsabers and severed the saws before slicing upward and slicing the robots in half. "Hannah and Arabrab put on an impressive display as always! But I can't say the same for their lookalikes, however."

"WE DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS!" Hannah and Barbara were running for their lives from the pursuing Rollbots. "Grrr, I can't take this anymore." Barbara said, deciding to grab some seeds from her satchel and throw them along the ground. When the Rollbots rolled over them, the seeds BURST, wrapping them up in vines, but the robots unraveled and easily ripped them. During this moment, Hannah searched for a photo of Amanda's fight with Chris on her camera, then she clicked the 'Life' button to create a green hologram of Amanda. She was as fiery as her original self, running up to start slicing the robots with a flaming sword.

"That Amanda clone's the best shot we have at this point." Hannah said, gasping for breath. "This camera takes my own magic energy to create these strong illusions. And I think the real Amanda is stronger than me…"

The clone was able to stab the left robot in the stomach, but that was all she could muster before the hologram vanished. "Glik. Glik. Glik." The robot beeped. "Error. Error. Voice file not found. Oh, wait, there it is. It says, 'Initiate Death Cannon.'" With that, both robots opened their chests and began charging powerful lasers.

"Have any plants that will work?" Hannah asked.

"No. It's over, Hannah."

And just before the robots fired the lasers, Hannah and Arabrab jumped in the way and extracted energy mirror shields, bouncing the beams directly skyward and exploding into blinding fireworks. "Nothing stands in the way of bravery and kindness!"

"It's like they're mocking us." The Positives moaned.

Anaid's Room

"Here we are! This is my room!" Anaid announced from the floor. After Diana looked up from her, she gasped in utmost disbelief: there were pictures of Okka all over the place. Her pillow was Okka, her blanket was Okka, and there were Okka bobble heads. "Whenever Okka cuts her hair, I save all the strands and use it for rope to get around! And there's a necklace I made from her eyelashes. And there's photos of me clipping her nails."

"You…You seriously worship that girl?!" Diana couldn't stomach the idea.

"Of course! She's the most amazing magitist I've ever seen! How lucky I am to be in the same sector as her."

"Don't tell me that you actually shrunk yourself just to look up to her."

"N-No. Actually…" Anaid looked down in shame, kicking at the floor. "I did this to myself when I tried to make a shrink ray. I asked Okka to help me, but she said…"

"You dug your own hole with this, so you need to dig your way out."

"Hmm…" Diana began to piece it all together. I had thought me and Akko switched roles, but this girl is nothing like Akko at all! Well, I suppose Akko obsessed over Chariot, but… "Well, have you tried to develop a growth ray?"

"Not really. I didn't want to humiliate myself again. But it's okay." She looked up at Diana with a smile. "When I look up at people like this, I realize how awesome and amazing they are! And when I cheer at them, they feel really confident and believe in their selves!"

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Don't YOU long to make something out of yourself?! How could you be fine with merely looking up to people with no desire to be like them?!"

"B-But…But it's hard." Anaid was on the verge of tears, intimidated by her superior parallel.

Diana sighed. "Well, given that you're so small, what if I make the enlarging ray for you?"

"I couldn't ask you to do that."

"No, but I don't feel so comfortable knowing my opposite is in such a vulnerable state. So, I insist that I make one for you."

"I'm very grateful… but do you know how to?"

"Actually, I don't. I don't know anything about magitech. However, I am good at following instructions. So, please walk me through the process and I will do the best I can."

"Wow… no one's ever asked me to help them with anything."

"Well, perhaps there are some things you are naturally gifted with. Things you can teach others to do. You won't know until you try."

"Diana…" Anaid formed a grateful smile and exclaimed, "I'm giving you the best foot rub of your life!"

"Please do not!"

Okka's Room

"And then I grabbed Sheila in my talons," Akko continued her riveting tale, "and grew six gorilla arms and started punching her. NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA! It was hard to manage all those arms, but practice makes perfect! I'm sure you can agree with that."

"Can't you go bother one of the other Negatives?" Okka asked, eyes buried in a book at her desk.

"Hmmmmph!" Akko's cheeks puffed. "Anyway, I bet it was nothing compared to what you can do. You must be a monster at magic!"

"Magitech, I think you mean. If you couldn't tell, Vetus Solem abandoned the traditional ways long ago. Technology is the way of the future. Sigh, and besides, even if it weren't, I never wanted to come here. My parents forced me to because they thought I was too lazy. And they said if I flunked, they would kick me out onto the streets. I had to force myself to learn magitech, and even though I developed a talent with it, it still feels empty inside. That's partly why I joined the DNK. So I would have a home to go to in case that does happen."

"I'm sorry to hear that… but you know, there's lots of fun to be had when you're in a magic school! How about I give you a taste of some old-school magic? With my own little touches added to it, of course." Akko grinned wryly.

"No thank you. If I don't enjoy modern magic, why would I ever enjoy your ancient parlor tricks?"

"Hee hee hee!" Akko drew her wand and flicked it, transforming in a heartbeat. She landed on Okka's desk, now in the form of a blue frog with peacock feathers. "Gero!" She flashed the feathers, glowing neon.

"AAAH!" Okka fell out of her chair, terrified by the sight. "You're not… human!"

"No, I am human! But I'm also," she hopped and changed into, "a porcu-parrot!" She had spiked red feathers. "A hipporaff!" She became a hippo with a long neck. "And a tickle-pillar!" She became a light-red snake-sized caterpillar and crawled into Okka's clothes.

"Stop it! What are you doing?! G-Get out of—ah hahahahahahaha!" Akko was crawling around her armpits and tickling her with tiny legs. She hopped out the collar and changed back.

"Good, now that I got you riled up, it's time for the main course! What? Why is my foot a hoof?" Her right leg was that of a white horse. "What's this in my butt?" She turned and slouched over, seeing a chimp tail with a flower on it. "I'm feeling a little lightheaded." Her head inflated like a puffer-fish, rising to the ceiling before POPPING! "Ha hee! Now I'm a rainbow BEE!" She buzzed around Okka's head, leaving a rainbowy trail. "And I can be a manta too, ya see?" She became a sparkly pink manta, except her shiny smile took up the underside of her body.

"Ah hahahahaha! Ha ha ha ha! Y-You're so ridiculous, I can't stand it!"

"And I won't let you stand it!" Akko became a snake, rolling around like a wheel, and when she unraveled, her face only had eyes, while her mouth stretched along her body. "Because that's how we roll!"

School bathroom

Constanze continued sobbing in the bathroom. Her Negative was everything she feared she would be, so peppy and speaking her heart out. The way they were bragging about her name… this entire world only existed to taunt Constanze. So many names that were hard to pronounce, and she had the longest name in her school. She thought an all-tech school would be a paradise, but in truth it was a nightmare.

Someone knocked on her stall. "Are you in there?" The professor from the Old Age Magic class opened the door. "I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm Professor Xiorc. And I believe your name is Constanze, right?"

"Mmm." She nodded.

"There, there." Xiorc brought her in and hugged her. "I understand. You have trouble speaking. Our backwards names come naturally to us, but pronouncing them frontwards is also easy for us. But Positives cannot pronounce the Negative names as well. I may not understand how you feel, but I can relate to your plight. As a witch trying to teach old magic to modern-day magitists, I know how it feels being an outcast."

"Mmm…"

"Do you like to draw pictures, Constanze? I find that if I draw pictures of my favorite things, I start to feel better about my own woes."

"…" Constanze got her mini chalkboard from her Infi-Cube. She drew a picture of a Stanbot and a wrench. "You like to build machines as well. I suppose that contrasts with your opposite okay." She then erased it and drew two stars, circles around them, and a wide smile. "And who is this?"

"…Akko…"

"Well, Constanze, I'm glad you told me." Akko replied with a friendly smile. "And I like hearing you speak."

"She must be a friend of yours." Xiorc assumed. "Well, Constanze, perhaps you should return to your friends. I know that a magitist like yourself would feel at home here, but it's no substitute for friends you feel comfortable around."

"Hmm…" Constanze smiled and gave the teacher a hug. Xiorc returned the hug. She was happy to meet a magitist who wasn't as sour as the rest of them.

Somewhere in the forest

"G-G-G-Ghosts." Ettol shuddered, hiding in a small hole covered by a hatch. "In my game. Ghosts… in my game. Ghosts in my game!"

"Ettol?" Lotte peeped the hatch open.

"GHOSTS IN MY GAAAAME!"

"Ettol, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you."

"SORRY?! There's a ghost haunting my favorite game and you're SORRY?!"

"But the game isn't haunted! All objects have spirits inside of them."

"There are ghosts inside EVERYTHING?!"

"Yes. You see, my family has the ability to talk to these spirits. We believe—huh?"

Ettol had loaded a gun. "Farewell, cruel world." She cocked it to her head.

"GYAAAAAAHH! Ettol, stop!" Lotte cast a spell to turn it into a candycane. "Please don't kill yourself! Why are you so afraid of ghosts, anyway?!"

"B-B-Because a ghost killed my grandpa! Strangled him to death!"

"Oh… I'm sorry." My own grandpa died of sickness. He was happy that he could be with the spirits. "But Ettol, I'm sure that was just an evil spirit. It's no different from a living criminal. The fact is, objects have souls just the same as people do. And sometimes, that soul is strengthened by the bond we share with it. Here, see for yourself." Lotte showed her the game disk.

"EEEEK!" Ettol went pale.

"No, trust me. La la la… la la la…" Slowly, the spirit of Oiram revealed itself, staring up at Ettol. "Go on, Ettol… say 'hi' to him."

". . . H-h-h-h…hi, Oiram."

"Let's-a stay!"

"He says 'hello.'"

"…" Ettol formed a small smile and reached down to pet him. "It…It's nice… to meet you…"

"F*** you so much for playing my game."

"Hehehe." Lotte giggled.

Mecha Mayhem; waiting room

"YEEEAAAH! That was AWESOME!" The super sisters high-fived one-another. "Let's go one more round!" Arabrab said.

"NO WAY!" Barbara shouted. "In fact, we never want you to do that again!"

"Yeah!" Hannah agreed. "It's a wonder our lives are always in danger! Because you keep risking your own!"

"But you two are Kids Next Door operatives." Nega-Hannah replied. "You're supposed to risk your lives, aren't you? It's no different from us."

"Yes it is!" Barbara argued. "We don't ENJOY risking our lives, we do it to help people! But you guys are just in it for the thrill, and if you keep doing it, you'll get killed, and what'll that mean for us?!"

"Exactly! So stop with this silly Mecha Mayhem nonsense! It's not just YOUR lives you're risking, it's OURS, and we don't feel like dying!"

The two fighters exchanged guilty glances. "Well… our job as DNK operatives is to protect kids, not endanger them." Arabrab said. "If it really upsets you, we won't do this, anymore."

"Well… good." Hannah replied, still scowling.

"Well… I guess we'll take you back to our treehouse now." Nega-Hannah figured.

"Yes. Let's go."

Anaid's Room

Diana was wearing a welding mask as she was using a blowtorch on the ray gun. She stopped and asked, "Is this enough?"

"Yeah, that should be it. But I'm not sure, though…"

"Let's test it out." Diana aimed the ray gun at one of the Okka bobble heads and enlarged it. "It seems to work. I guess I'll try it on you now."

"But what if something bad happens? You'll die, won't you?"

"Well, something will have to coincidentally kill me. Besides, I followed your instructions to the last detail. You should be able to determine if it is in working order."

"Y-Yes. It looks good from where I'm standing."

Diana smiled. "Then I think we're ready." Anaid returned the smile. She stood still as Diana fired the ray, and her Negative sprouted to normal size in a flash.

"Waaaah! It worked! Everything looks tinier now!"

"Just as things should be." Diana replied, approaching her with a proud smile. "You know, I may not know a thing about technology, but I do know that most size-changing magic or devices must have time limits. For you to have made a shrink ray that lasted as long as yours, it shows you have potential. You just have to have more faith in yourself."

"That's easy for you to say. You're amazing, Diana, I can tell. I bet Okka's Positive worships you instead of the other way around."

"Hm hm, you couldn't be more wrong about that. Actually… I guess I kind of admire Akko as well."

Treehouse bathroom

Once everyone had returned, both sectors were gathered in a restroom. "If I am correct, this mirror should connect with one in your own base." Okka said. "You may use it to return. Before you go, however… I must admit that your visit was entertaining, Atsuko. If traditional mages are as baffling as you are, perhaps I will find them amusing."

"And maybe you'll wanna try it yourself." She winked. "Hehehe! See you on the other side!" She happily jumped into the mirror.

"Remember what I told you, Anaid." Diana said. "If you work hard and become great, soon other people will admire you. You might like how it feels."

"Hehehe!" Anaid waved as her opposite climbed in the mirror.

"Need some help, Conse?" Esnoc asked with a grin. The short witch glared at her before climbing up on the sink and going in. Adnama glared at her Positive, bruised and covered with soot, but Amanda passed her a wry smile before bidding farewell.

"Thank you for the lesson, Aknimsaj." Jasminka smiled. "I'll try to go as long as I can without eating." She climbed up—and severed the sink counter from the wall. "Hehe. Oops." Then she climbed in the mirror. Hannah cast a spell to restore the sink. Lotte climbed in, Sucy bounced off her Negative's belly, and Hannah and Barbara shared one more disgruntled look with their upset Negatives before climbing in last.

Luna Nova Sports Field

The Nine Witches laid a picnic blanket under the shade of a tree, enjoying the fresh, magic-filled air and sunlight. "You know, team, there's only one lesson to be learned from the Negaverse." Akko began, munching on her sandwich. "Everyone there is either a jerk or has no motivation." she said through chews, much to Diana's disgust.

"I don't agree with that." Lotte said. "Sector VS has their own problems, just like we do. Still, when you meet someone who's the very opposite of you… it kind of makes you appreciate yourself more, doesn't it?"

"You bet it does." Amanda agreed.

"No doubt." followed Sucy.

"It certainly makes you appreciate how things turned out in the end." Diana said, calmly drinking tea. "You know, Akko… you may believe you are behind the rest of us… but ever since we met, I feel as if you've taught us as much as we've taught you. That's partly why I've been agreeing with your decisions lately. I'm just… so curious what you're going to surprise us with next." Diana cracked a smile.

"Hehehehe! Wow, I'm actually a teacher to Diana!" Akko's grin was as white as snow. "We really ARE in Opposite Land!"

"Yeah, but we were Diana's best friends first." Hannah remarked. "I'm sure there was a TON she learned from us, am I right?"

"Well, I sure learned that the safest place to hide is behind my skirt." Diana chortled, smirking slightly.

". . . . ." The statement didn't spark amusement. Hannah and Barbara were actually hurt by it. "Are…Are you serious?"

"Do you really think we're cowards?" Barbara followed.

"Well… I never really minded, actually. After all, you wouldn't be the only students in need of my help."

"Uh-!" Barbara choked in her own shock. "C-Come on, Diana! If you're the top student, that should at least make us 2nd best!"

"You are better than other students I've seen… although, whenever we do projects, I seem to recall doing most of the work."

"Y-Yeah, but we're still better at magic than these guys, right?!" Hannah asked.

"Uh, feelings!" Amanda retorted.

"Hmm… if I'm being honest, these six have bested quite a handful of monsters. Even Akko."

"B-But…" Hannah couldn't think of an argument. To think that Diana, their leader and best friend, was comparing them to their former enemies in such a way.

"Sigh… I'm eating over here." Barbara stood, took her food, and walked away.

"Me, too." Hannah joined her. Diana was left confused by their behavior.

"Boy, Diana, you really know how to make people hate you." Amanda remarked.

"Ah, they'll come back." Akko shrugged off. "I always thought they were more sensitive than they looked."

"Hmm…" Diana looked in their direction with slight guilt. She doesn't recall ever angering those two before. "Sigh, having a larger circle of friends can be a pain sometimes."