Oh. My. GOD. I am finally done and releasing this chapter!

It's been an interesting past few episodes, hasn't it been? With the Sucy episode, Finding Professor Pisces, undead hijinks, and the possibility of a forced romantic subplot...

...Yeeaaaaaah, I'm not too happy about that last bit. ^^;

Chapter 4. A Long Day

"Metamorphose Faciesse!"

Students were lined up for the practical examination. After an arduous hour spent staring at test papers, it was taking every bit of Akko's willpower to conjure the spell from her wand. Within seconds, she managed to transform a mouse into a small bird.

"I-it worked? It worked! I did it! Yay!"

This feat astonished everyone as much as it did the caster. It wasn't too long ago that Akko sported an array of animal features from the attempt.

As murmurs of awe and disbelief filled the lecture hall, Diana's voice was the first to address Akko directly.

"Of course you did. It was the natural outcome given your consistent effort and hard work."

"Thanks Diana! That really means a lot coming from you!" Akko smiled bashfully.

Diana's acknowledgement left most of their classmates speechless, but she chose to ignore them for now. She was far more curious about Akko's demeanour; if something was troubling the giddy girl, then she was doing a flawless job hiding it.

No less than a second after the exam ended, Akko swiftly gathered her things and dashed out the door. Diana could barely react as she heard the brunette crash throughout the hallway. Confounded, she tapped on Lotte's shoulder from below her.

"Hmm? Diana?"

"Pardon me. Could you be so kind as to explain why Akko was in such a rush?" Diana asked. "There was a matter I wished to discuss with her alone."

"My, aren't you being bold, Miss Cavendish," Sucy teased.

"Just answer my question." Diana did her best to ignore the snickering of her own teammates.

Sucy exchanged glances with her bespectacled friend, both unsure of how exactly to respond. This prompted Diana to speak further.

"Just so you two are aware, my teammates now share knowledge of myself and Akko. There is no further need to withhold information for their sakes."

Lotte and Sucy shared another look before responding in shock.

"Huh?!"

"So, the both of you are really okay with all this?"

The two teams were conversing just outside the Memorial Tree's resting place. Lotte, unable to keep her worry in check, was bombarding Hannah and Barbara with question after question.

"For the last time, yes!" Barbara heaved in exasperation. "You're such a worrywart, you know that?"

"I-it's just that you're, well, you both are, um-"

"You two are assholes," spoke up Sucy.

"Sucy!"

"I think they're assholes."

The violet witch smirked at Lotte, whose hand was slapped against her forehead.

Meanwhile, Hannah spoke up in offence. "How rude! We're not that mean!"

"Oh no, punching Akko in the eye was clearly an act of friendship," Sucy retorted.

"Technically, I just pinched her cheek. Barbara punched her in the eye."

"Hey!" Barbara was about to confront her accusing friend before Diana raised her voice.

"Enough." Diana turned to face Lotte and Sucy, promptly addressing the latter.

"I do not condone my friends' behaviour towards Akko. We've already discussed that matter. However, as they are still my friends, I will not allow you insult them the way you just did."

"Diana!" Hannah and Barbara gushed over their leader's kindness.

"My first point remains, however," Diana continued, her hardened gaze shifting back to her teammates. Their expressions were quickly fraught with guilt.

Sucy shrugged her shoulders. "I don't mince words, but you're right. My apologies."

"Apology accepted."

Lotte sighed in relief, and then gave her friend a soft, almost playful smile.

"Wow, I guess you can be sorry after all."

"Don't get used to it."

With the current dispute done and over with, Diana cleared her throat to signal the next topic at hand.

"Now then, shall I return to my initial inquiry before we become sidetracked even further? What exactly is Akko doing that warranted her immediate departure after class?"

Lotte and Sucy looked at one another before answering in unison.

"We don't know."

"...Huh?" Diana was visibly confounded. "Come again?"

"Akko didn't tell us anything," Lotte clarified. "She said she had an idea, but that was about it."

"Probably has something to do with the library incident a couple days ago," Sucy noted.

Diana winced, those memories flooding back in her mind. So did her teammates as they recalled their part during that event.

"...Was she upset?"

"She was for a bit," Lotte answered.

"Mostly at herself, though."

Diana bit her lip following Sucy's comment. "I'm sorry. Akko wasn't at fault for what transpired then."

"But Diana, neither were you!" Hannah burst out.

Barbara was nodding earnestly in agreement. "Yeah! It was our fault that time. We didn't know you two were dating."

Diana shook her head. "But that was not the first time I pushed her away."

Lotte placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We don't blame you, Diana. Not many people are faced with the same burdens you have, especially with a family as prominent as yours. We understand why you acted the way you did."

"It's just as they said. You're overthinking things," Sucy said matter-of-factly. "If Akko was here, she wouldn't want you to blame yourself. None of us do."

Diana was slightly flustered as she glanced at everyone around her.

"M-my, you are all too kind... thank you, everyone."

Diana then shifted her attention towards Sucy, with a look of mild curiosity.

"I must say, though, I wasn't expecting you to offer such words of comfort, Miss Manbavaran."

"Eh, I just see things for how they are," Sucy stated, her expression unchanged. "No need for the angst. This isn't some poorly-written novel."

Her last comment had Lotte laugh nervously, who then addressed her teammate with a disbelieving tone. "T-that wasn't intended to be a jab at Night Fall, was it?"

"...No it wasn't?" Sucy responded unconvincingly.

The snickering witch soon found herself shielding from an upset Lotte, whose arms were pounding flimsily at her.

"Suuuuuucyyyy! You promised not to make fun of Night Fall!"

Diana found herself giggling alongside her teammates, feeling at ease. But before they could relish in the moment any further, they heard a frantic voice from the distance.

"Dianaaaaaaaaaaa!"

The entourage watched as their purple-haired classmate, Avery, scrambled in front of them, gasping for air.

"Exam... out... A-Akko..." she sputtered between breaths.

Diana perked upon hearing her girlfriend's name.

"Miss Avery, please calm yourself," she said, kneeling down before the panicking girl. "Now, what is this about Akko?"

Avery took a moment to collect herself before looking up to Diana.

"T-the exam results are out!"

Diana raised an eyebrow. "This soon?"

"Professor Pisces was marking."

The silence that followed dwelled on everyone for a moment.

"...Makes sense," Sucy uttered incredulously.

Deciding not to ponder the thought any more, Diana shook her head and continued her questioning.

"And what exactly does this have to do with Akko?"

"Did she fail?" Lotte asked worriedly.

"No! It's that... j-just, follow me!" stammered Avery, grabbing Diana by the arm. "It'd be better if I showed you!"

She then dashed off, dragging a confused Diana along. The others wasted no time following in tow.

"No way."

Sucy was staring wide-eyed at the bulletin board above her. Displayed in elegant embroidery were the top fifty exam scores.

The enormous class sizes of Luna Nova meant that half the student body may never see their name among the fifty. As far as most were concerned, though, that was perfectly normal.

What wasn't normal was seeing 'Atsuko Kagari' plastered up there. Forty-ninth place - just barely making the top fifty, but a miraculous development nonetheless given the individual in question.

"T-t-that's impossible!" both Hannah and Barbara said in unison, their hands intertwined in terror.

Lotte, on the other hand, could barely contain her excitement. "That's amazing! Is this what Akko meant when she said she had an idea?"

"Somehow, I doubt this is it," retorted Sucy. "Any plan of Akko's is bound to end with some sort of trouble."

Diana nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Although, everyone here seems plenty troubled already."

Just as she said, the crowd of students around the board were exploding from Akko's presence among the ranks. Some were flabbergasted; others were absolutely livid; and there were several with much more emotional responses.

"It's over! My life is over!" sobbed one such student.

"You still got an 'A', right? That's still better than most!"

"But I did worse than Akko! Akko!"

"She must've cheated! That's the only way she even passed!"

Their overdramatized cries and accusations were aggravating Diana to no end, her fingers bundling into fists as her nails dug into her palms. In her mind, she knew she couldn't afford to lose face here, but every passing second of insults and animosity flung at her girlfriend's name was trying her patience.

Luckily, Sucy took notice.

"You don't seem the least bit surprised by this."

Her question broke Diana from her trance, her previously enraged expression slowly becoming a confident smirk as she faced her friends.

"But of course. Akko has grown significantly since the day she first enrolled here. There was never a doubt in my mind that she would eventually succeed. As well..." She paused for second to consider her next words. "I... I've always believed in her. I know she'll become a splendid witch one day."

"Diana..." her teammates both said softly, ashamed by their own lack in faith.

"I think Akko would be thrilled to hear that, Diana," Lotte giggled.

Diana blushed, looking away in embarrassment. But just like before, the group's attempts to relish this moment was spoiled by a loud, excited voice heading for the crowd.

"Heeeeey! Did you all hear? Akko is outside! On the roof!"

Upon hearing the news, the two teams immediately rushed for the courtyard, leaving behind the shocked murmurs of their classmates.

Once outside, they quickly scanned their surroundings before catching a glimpse of a figure upon the rooftops. Lo and behold, Akko was sporting her signature, goofy smile as she stood triumphantly, a box in one hand and her Shiny Rod in the other.

"A-Akko?" Lotte asked nervously, as though the girl in question could hear her from high up there. "Is that the Shiny Rod she's holding?"

"My goodness, this breaks at least eleven on-campus regulations!" Diana rubbed her temples in vexation, her inner honor student screaming from every fibre. "Whatever is that girl up to?"

Sucy grinned mischievously, excitement filling her voice. "If I had to guess, trouble."

A/N: I only just realized that the majority of this fic has Akko and Diana not being with each other.

Hmm, looks like I'll have to remedy that next chapter. Which is also the last chapter!

Gah, I still need to curb my Warframe addiction somehow =.=

Please review!