"Wakey wakey, Zephy-kun!"

"Mmmhh…" Zephyrus stirred a little. "Let me sleep…" He took his blanket and covered himself in it.

"The sun is high, the sky is bright! Rise and shine you lazy bum!" Arigatou cried out loud. She jumped onto the bed and tried pulling the blanket away, but Zephyrus held it tight. "Wake up!"

Zephyrus ignored her calls, hoping that she would give up and leave him alone. A few seconds have passed, still no signs of Arigatou waking him up. Zephyrus grinned, thinking that his little trick had worked. "Now I can sle-GYAAAHHH!"

Arigatou held his feet and started tickling it. "Wakey up wakey up!"

Zephyrus thrashed about, yelling for his sister to stop the torture. "ARI NEE-CHAN! STOP! ONEGAI!"

"Are you awake yet?" Arigatou asked, still continuing the torture.

"YES I AM! STOPPPPPPP!" Zephyrus pleaded her.

"Hmph!" She stopped tickling him. "Go brush your teeth and wash your face! Mom would be here soon!" Arigatou said demandingly.

"What for…"

"Go now!"

"Uhh…." Zephyrus walked slowly towards the bathroom, rubbing his little eyes on the way.

Zephyrus turned the knob on, allowing the icy-cold water to flow out of the water tap and fill in the basin. While waiting for the basin to be filled, he wiped off the vapor formed on the mirror's surface, revealing his reflected image. He stared at his refection and thought for a while, "Me…being an acolyte…?"

Noticing that the basin was about to be full, he turned off the knob. Zephyrus took a long, deep breath and sunk his face inside the icy-cold water for a few seconds before taking it out again. He took a handful of water and splashed it onto his face for a few times, washing off dirt and other dirty substances on it. The icy water sure helped a lot in refreshing Zephyrus.

Just as Zephyrus stepped out of the washroom, Arigatou approaches and hands in a whole lot of clothes for him to carry.

"Packie packie! Mom should be here soon! Better get packed before she arrives!" her excited sister said and left to pack her own clothes.

Zephyrus stared at her and thought, "Geez, we are just going to take some test to be an acolyte. We aren't going for a vacation…"

A knock came from the door. "Ari-kun, Zephy-kun, may I come in?" Yunaliska asked, followed by another knock at the door.

"Yes, mommy!" Arigatou said as she ran to the door and opened it to their mother. "Good morning mom!" Arigatou smiled and hugged the high priestess tightly.

"Good morning Ari-kun," Yunaliska said as she strokes the little girl's forehead. "Had a good night's sleep?"

"I'm too excited that I can't sleep! I'm awakie all night!" Arigatou said excitedly.

Yunaliska giggled and looked at Zephyrus. "Good morning honey." She went over to Zephyrus and sat beside him.

"Good morning mom," Zephyrus said.

Yunaliska hugged him and asked "Slept well last night, Zephy-kun?"

"Not really…Ari nee-chan made too much noise last night," Zephyrus said.

Arigatou stared at him and pouted. "Hey!"

"Nee-chan's very noisy last night" Zephyrus teased.

She stared at him and jerked her tongue at him.

"Mommy, Ari nee-chan's denying it…"

"Are not!"

"You are!"

"Are not!"

"You are!"

"Oh, quit it both of you!" Yunaliska said as she placed her finger on their mouth, silencing them. "You two are just so cute!"

Zephyrus and Arigatou turned away, crossed their arms and pulled out an 'hmph!' almost in unison. Yunaliska couldn't help but to chuckle by just looking at the pair.

"Hiya!" Derg appeared on the doorstep. He was just about to enter when Yunaliska halted him.

"Derg, what did I taught you about manners?" she asked.

"Erm…oh!" Derg took a few steps backwards. He knocked the door twice and said, "Good morning, may I come in?"

"Better now. You may."

Derg entered and saw the two siblings ignoring each another. He scratched his head, thinking if this led to the noise he heard earlier.

"Good morning." Another three girls appeared on the doorstep. "Can we come in?"

"Sure, come in," said Yuna.

Xiao, Reina and Reishoa entered the room and bowed, "Good morning, Mother Yuna."

"Good morning girls," Yuna greeted. "See Derg, the girls are very much well mannered compared to you."

Derg pretended that he didn't listen.

"Hie there, Ari, Zephy. Slept well last night?" Xiao asked.

"Too excited! Can't sleep!" Arigatou said excitedly.

"Nee-chan made too much noise. I can't slee-EEK!" Before Zephyrus could end his sentence, Arigatou gave him a cold stare and chased after him.

Xiao, Derg, Reishoa and Reina turned their heads left-to-right repeatedly, watching the two siblings running in circles around their mother. Xiao and Derg laughed hysterically watching those two. Arigatou finally caught hold of her brother, and punished him- by pinching his cheeks!

"AW-CH!" Zephyrus cried out. "STOP IT NEE-CHAN!"

"That's for teasing me!" Arigatou released her brother, satisfied that she finally got him.

"Ow…" Zephyrus' eyes were now teary, bearing from the pain.

Arigatou kneeled down, caressing his cheeks. "Just when are you gonna stop teasing, huh?"

"Not if I could help it..." Zephyrus said, holding back his tears. "It hurts nee-chan…"

"Aww…" Arigatou stroked his forehead and apologized, "I didn't mean it that way. Sorry lil bro."

"Ish okie…ow…" Zephyrus stared at her and pouted.

"Sis, are they friends or foes?" Reina whispered to her sister.

"Siblings, Reina," Reishoa couldn't help but to giggle.

"Well…we are wasting quite some time already…" Yunaliska interrupted the scene. "Aren't I supposed to give you the tasks?"

"Yep yep!" Arigatou said.

The six children gathered around her, eager to listen.

"Now, listen. Derg, you've been assigned to meet Priest Rubalkabara. Xiao, Reina and Reishoa, you three have been assigned to meet Father Yosuke. Ari-kun, Zephy-kun, both of you are to meet with Mother Mathilda," she said as she handed them letters for the job change. "Show them the letter, and they will confirm that you've met them, which qualifies you to be an Acolyte."

"What! I'm alone?" Derg complained.

"Yes." Yunaliska said.

"Mother Yuna, where can I find the ascetics?" Reishoa asked.

"It's clearly written on the back of the letter. Make sure you don't lose it," Yunaliska said as she stood up. "I'll be waiting for all of you in the Sanctuary gates."

"Okay," Zephyrus said.

"Make it quick," Yunaliska said and left.

"Hmm, why don't we check out the location of the ascetics now? Mother Yuna said that it is written on the back of the letter," Derg suggested.

"Erm, okay," Reishoa nodded.

Everybody observed the wordings at the back of the letter which tells the location of the respective ascetics. Not long after that, everybody cried out in unison:

"WHY ARE THEY SO FAR AWAY?"