#also jealousy: neither of them is ACTUALLY that jealous because they have egos the size of the sun and are certain they hold an important

[clowndensation]

x if anything about this feels like it doesn't fit, that's because you don't understand the profound effect charoum and gorty have had on each other.

#'vinnie why is gortash's icon a pink crown that says 'princess' on it?' #how about we stop talking for a little while. #key points: i don't think you can want to become archduke of bg and NOT crave attention. he wants to be the specialest guy in the universe #however his desire for attention is an ego thing. #charoum wants attention because he am feel uncomfortable when things are not about him? #similarly gorty is definitely MORE cautious than charoum. but you can't be TOO cautious and also want to take over the world. #recklessness is required to accomplish big things. #charoum is overconfident and believes he can be reckless and survive so he's further on the scale than gorty #similarly taking over the world is not something a typically exhausted person undertakes. that requires energy. #kinky/vanilla TBH i don't think gorty particularly cares. he needs to be mentally engaged. everything else depends on the other person #that said i don't think he'd be mentally engaged with a person who's ideal sex life is missionary sex with the lights off. so. #also jealousy: neither of them is ACTUALLY that jealous because they have egos the size of the sun and are certain they hold an important #place in each other's lives #charoum randomly decides to get jealous when he's bored and in the mood to be annoying #gorty almost full stop doesn't get jealous at all. although he will get possessive at times and force that onto charoum #which i'm lumping into the jealousy stat #ascended astarion i GENUINELY don't think has what it takes to worship anybody. #however there's a hole in the triumvirate that needs filling. and by god if ascended astarion doesn't know how to fill a hole- #charoum

[ambientdinosaur]

A shining light fading

Shiny Chariot, Akko’s guiding light and the ideal she always strived for.

Akko always assumed that it was during her shows when Shiny Chariot shone as brightest, where her dreams were fully realized. But that was not the case, Chariot had already begun to fade.

Chariot Du Nord had a sunny and bright disposition ever since she was a child, and had an idealistic, heartfelt dream to go along with it:

Bringing happiness to everyone.

Of course, this was not an easy task she had set herself up to do. When she was finally able to begin studying to become a witch, she realized that her dream would be much harder than she had anticipated.

Not only that, but others had a hard time to take her seriously, and Chariot was presumably mocked by both her professors and her fellow students for her naive, if not outright impossible dream.

Chariot’s ever-so-bright light would have probably begun to fade here if it wasn’t for another person. Someone who would become very important for Chariot:

Croix Meridies

Croix was probably the one Chariot least expected to support her. Croix was the top student at Luna Nova, and thus worlds apart in magical skill. Why wouldn’t she think the same as the other talented students and teachers?

Because Croix recognized something in Chariot that they shared, a genuine love for magic. Both of them cared deeply about magic and both of them acknowledged the amazing things magic could bring to the world. Chariot wanted to bring joy to the world through magic, to show the fun and amazement it brings, so it was a vital part of her dream. Neither of them wanted magic to disappear, so they strived together to find a solution for it to return.

Eventually, they learned about the Grand Triskelion, a seal holding a powerful world construction magic, and the Claíomh Solais, the staff that could unseal it. Thus they went to pledge before The Nine Olde Witches and hoped they would be blessed with the Claíomh Solais.

However, unlike what they had expected, Chariot was chosen to wield the Claíomh Solais.

Like I’ve described before, this decision had some disastrous side-effects.

However, both were shocked when Chariot was chosen over Croix. Both probably expected it to be Croix who would be more likely to be chosen (at least Croix did). Croix was the more prodigous witch of the two, and clearly meant for greatness.

After the pledge, a ‘crack’ appeared between them. In Chariot, a seed of doubt was planted. While in Croix, a seed of jealousy had started to grow. 

The decision showed some of Croix’s uglier streaks. Her ego was hit by this decision and she grew jealous. Croix probably never expected to play second fiddle to Chariot. She genuinely supported Chariot’s dream, but she probably saw Chariot more of as a side-kick to herself. who could fulfil her dream after she had restored magic to the world.

Chariot accepted her role however and managed to unlock 6 of the 7 words. But it had its tolls on Chariot. She never had expected to have a responsibility as big as the Claíomh Solais. In her hands, she had the device to be able to change the fate of the world. But she had never asked for that. All she wanted was to make people happy.

This responsibilty also caused her to begin doubting herself and her self-worth. In her eyes, Croix would have been much better off with Claíomh Solais instead. The bright light of Chariot had started to flicker.

While she had unlocked 6 of the 7 Words needed to unseal the Grand Triskelion, the seventh and final word remained elusive. Phasansheer Shearylla, which meaning lies within one’s heart, never seemed to appear for Chariot. The seventh star on Claíomh Solais remained unresponsive.

Unsure with what to do, she decided she should continue to strive towards her own dream, hoping that it would lead her to the last Word. She did what she always had loved to do, showing the fun of magic.

Eventually, she was approached with a chance to perform for bigger audiences, on a stage for herself in front of hundreds, and perhaps even thousands, of people. Thinking that she would reach more peoples’ hearts this way, she took the chance.

She took on a stage persona, Shiny Chariot, and the staff Claíomh Solais became known as the Shiny Rod. She slowly started to become a phenomenon.

It seemed that she was starting to live her dream.

But only for a while.

Soon enough, critics were no longer impressed by Shiny Chariot’s acts. She started to doubt her own abilities, just like before, and desperately wanted something that somehow could live up to her detractors’ expectations.

Croix, who had graduated by that time since unlocking the Sixth Word, had started to research alternative ways to restore magic. This magic system, Dream Fuel Spirit, allowed to convert peoples dreaming energy into magic.

Believing she had found the key to impress even more people, Chariot adopted Croix’s experimental magic into her shows. In return, Croix would have a large sample size to study its effects.

The Dream Fuel Spirit magic showed to be an enormous success. Chariot was able to cast fantastic magic on a previously unreachable level than before. Her shows rose dramatically in popularity, and it was probably at this point she had truly become a phenomenon. She had her own merchendise in the form of plushies, replicas of the Shiny Rod, a trading card game etc. Who knows to what extent this amount of merchandise reached (Akko probably does)? Maybe even her own brand of cereal?

This lasted until Chariot learned what the Dream Fuel Spirit actually does. Croix had withheld the truth from Chariot. The magic she had been able to cast thanks to the Dream Fuel Spirit, had come at a large cost. Not to herself, but to her audience.

She had presumably thought the effects of Dream Fuel Spirit were only temporary and that the ‘dreaming energy’ she fueled her magic with would replenish itself over time. She now learned however that it in fact had affected them permanently by taking a ‘certain’ ability from them. The ability to use magic.

Since Chariot’s shows had mostly enchanted ‘muggles’ rather than witches, Croix hadn’t had any qualms unleashing the Dream Fuel Spirit magic on them. She didn’t think they truly cared about magic, so she didn’t care about them in return. And if there were any witches present during Chariot’s shows, then those would be deemed unfortunate sacrifices. Finding the key to restore magic was far more important to her.

Needless to say, Chariot couldn’t condone such actions. She wanted to make people happy by showing how exciting and thrilling magic can be. It was a feeling she wanted to share. But now all those who had been in her audience had lost the chance to experience that for themselves. By using the Dream Fuel Spirit magic, Chariot had gone against the core principle of her childhood dream.

This lead to Chariot and Croix have a falling out. Croix’s jealousy over the Claíomh Solais had turned into frustration at this point, and lashed out on Chariot. She could no longer support Chariot’s dream, if it meant it wouldn’t lead to unsealing the Grand Triskelion. The Claíomh Solais had shown to be too whimsical and unreliable for Croix’s taste. She could no longer just sit around and wait for Chariot eventually unlocking the last Word, while magic was still fading away around them. She had to take action on her own.

But Chariot didn’t know what else she could do. She hoped that she would find the final word by doing what she loved. She never had asked to have the power to reconstruct the world. She never wanted that amount of responsibility. All she wanted was to make people happy with her magic. And she wouldn’t accept any restoring magic that would bring misery to others, like Croix had started to adopt.

This was the insuperable abyss that had grown between them. The two, who had been so close and had always believed in eachother, could no longer condone the other’s actions. They no longer viewed magic the same way as before.

Chariot tried to continue with her shows without the Dream Fuel Spirit. But it was no longer the same as before. She couldn’t live up to the fantastical levels of magic that the Dream Fuel Spirit had brought, so she felt immensely pressured by the audience to live up to their expectations, once again. She felt she wasn’t enough anymore.

This led to a final, desperate action by Chariot:

It was at this point Chariot realized how twisted and misaimed her dream had become. Not only had she unknowingly taken away peoples’ ability to use magic to fulfil her own dream, now she didn’t even use magic to make people happy. She had resorted to an overly grand gesture just to prove she wasn’t a failure. That she actually was enough.

But right after doing so, she saw how recklessly dangerous this action was. Her magic had been strong enough to permanently leave a mark on the moon. What if the shot had been even stronger, and unwittingly doomed the entire planet?

Chariot’s bright light faded away completely at this point, becoming just mere embers after that and she would never be able to shine again as brightly as she had before.

After this Chariot went into exile and cast away her own name. Adopting the ‘Ursula Callistis’ persona, she went back to Luna Nova to apply as a teacher, and to atone for her own actions.

As Ursula, Chariot was a shadow of her past self. She had little belief in herself anymore and wanted to remain as unnoticed as possible. She wouldn’t use magic any more to excite others. She probably felt that she didn’t have the right to do so anymore.

However, she couldn’t remain this way forever. Everything changed once again when Akko Kagari enrolled.

Akko had somehow managed to end up in Arcturus Forest, recover the Shiny Rod and be chosen by it. She also manages to unlock the first Word despite not even knowing the true importance of the Shiny Rod.

Chariot immediately becomes concerned about Akko. Not only is Akko now the new wielder of the Claíomh Solais, but she is also an outspoken, unabashed fan of Shiny Chariot. This of course worries Chariot greatly for several reasons. By this point, Shiny Chariot is still as shunned among the witch elite as she ever was, and largely forgotten by the rest. For that reason alone is Akko guaranteed to be ridiculed by the whole school.

Chariot’s second big fear however concerns her even more. That Akko was among those who had their magic ability taken away at her shows.

That means that Akko would have an even harder time at Luna Nova than Chariot ever had. Chariot may have been clumsy and not highly skilled at tradiotional magic in school, but Akko can’t even fly or initially cast some of the most basic spells properly.

So Chariot made a decision. She can no longer guide Akko as her idol Shiny Chariot, but she will do everything she can as Professor Ursula to support her. Chariot becomes determined to help Akko succeed where she failed, with both becoming a great witch and unsealing the Grand Triskelion, despite all odds.

And it seems to actually work out. Her tutelage slowly helps Akko becoming more and more proficient at magic, while Akko at the same time unlocks more Words of the Shiny Rod at a steady pace. Akko continues to achieve what others deem as impossible for her, such as when she relieves the old spirit Vajarois from her own curse during the Samhain Festival. Something no one had even considered.

But this all changes too, when Croix returns.

Croix, who returns to Luna Nova to start working on her grand scheme after years of research, quickly realizes what Chariot has been doing the past decade and the situation with Akko. She sees that Akko has become the new wielder of the Claíomh Solais and that Chariot has been helping her from the side, albeit as Professor Ursula.

Croix is having none of this. She is not going wait around once more for a second person to have a go at unlocking the Grand Triskelion. She is now determined that she shall do it, no matter what it takes.

So she tries to ungenuinely gain Akko’s favour and setting her up against Chariot. She also gives false leads to disrupt Akko’s progress with unlocking the Words.

She eventually manages to cause a rift between Akko and Chariot, by making Akko feel that Professor Ursula is holding her back.

This is when Chariot truly realizes how high the pedestal Akko have placed her past self on. Chariot has tried to be someone who would make up for all the hardship Akko has gone through because of her own past mistakes. But Akko couldn’t value Ursula’s support properly because of Shiny Chariot. Shiny Chariot has been the most important figure in Akko’s entire life, but she doesn’t realize that Ursula has done more to actually help her. Shiny Chariot is an abstract ideal, while the things Ursula has done has been right in front of her.

Akko soon realized how important Ursula have been to her. How easily clouded her opinon had become in her search for Chariot. But she found her trust again in Ursula.

But Chariot probably knew that this was just a tiny patchwork over an inevitable rip that the truth about Chariot would cause.

Chariot had finally come to terms that she could no longer keep the truth away from Akko. She wanted on her own terms deconstruct the pedestal Akko had put her on. But as misfortune would have it, she gets interrupted when she finally is about to show her true identity and tell about her greatest failures.

Instead, Croix becomes the one that forces her to tell the truth, but in a situation and a manner far from what Chariot would have liked. She was forced to smash the high pedestal entirely, instead of breaking it down in smaller pieces, one at a time.

This way was the way that Akko would be most unlikely to forgive her.

Chariot went back alone to the academy, leaving Akko to her own devices. Diana justly berates her for this. However, Diana can’t understand where Chariot is mentally at the moment. She no longer feels she can approach Akko nor that she has to right to do so. And what could she have done by herself at this point? Akko woudn’t have wanted to come with Chariot anyway. Chariot feels that the only way she is of help to Akko now is by staying away from her.

This is Chariot at her lowest point. She has failed once again. She had hoped that she could make up for the damage she had done to Akko, by always being by her side and help Akko achieve her dream. She had hoped that she would finally succeed with something and not be a constant failure. She had hoped she still could have done something that was meaningful and good in her life.

She had hoped that someone would forgive her. That Akko could forgive her.

But she had come to the realization that it would be impossible at this point. She had betrayed Akko on several levels. She had destroyed the view Akko had of her as a bright, shining witch, she had taken away the will that had driven Akko this whole time, she had betrayed Akko by fooling her that she was someone else, but the worst part was that she had brought Akko so much pain and struggle in her life. She believes that even if Akko somehow were to forgive her, how would she been able to think she even could forgive herself?

At this point, not even the faint embers of Chariot’s brilliance are left. This light of hers, that had shone on and mesmerized countless of people around the world, including Akko, Diana and Croix, had truly faded now. Only the ashes of her bright light remain.

If Diana also had revealed that she had lost her magic because of her, Chariot probably wouldn’t have been able to bear it any longer.

But there is one thing Chariot doesn’t realize:

Despite Chariot accidently taking both Akko and Diana’s magic, despite bringing them so much hardship in their lives, there was something Chariot had given them something that would end up more important: a love for magic.

She had succeded to show how fun and exciting magic was to them. This genuine love for magic is what always had driven them to overcome any struggle. Just as Chariot had shared this sense of wonder about magic, Akko and Diana too wanted to share this feeling to others. And they didn’t want to give up until they could share it.

Never forget, a believing heart is your magic

They adopted this core belief of Chariot’s dream to their hearts. This idea that an uncondtional belief in the love of magic itself could lead them anywhere. This was a constant reminder to keep on believing even in rough times. Of course, this is also what both Akko and Diana reminded the other when both were struggling to believe in themselves.

In a way, Chariot had given the inspiration to never give up to the two who needed it the most.

Even when Akko and Diana learn the truth about Shiny Chariot, they still keep the ideals that Chariot had imparted on them. Shiny Chariot had indeed hurt them and she turned out to not be the shining, flawless witch they had assumed, but they still recognize that her beliefs were true. Her dream was important.

This all means that Chariot’s dream did have a bigger impact than her mistakes. Her dream had not been in vain.

Chariot may no longer be able to fulfil her dream, but she inspired two other witches to succeed in her stead.

Chariot, however, believes there is only one thing left she can do: to stop Croix, no matter what.

Her brilliant shine might be gone but she wants to prevent Croix from making a mistake similar to her. She wants to stop Croix before she does something recklessly dangerous, and prevent Croix from living the rest of her life in regret. Like how Chariot herself has.

#long post #a very long post in fact #x_x #i'm a mess at the moment after this #I've been crying most of the time while writing the final part #this got more emotional than i expected #chariot du nord #shiny chariot #ursula callistis #professor ursula #croix meridies #diana cavendish #akko kagari #analysis #lwa #Little Witch Academia #weekly amaze wahwahs