It was some time after everything had happened. Some time after magic had once again poured throughout the world like a waterfall in the rainy season. Some time after Akko had managed to get herself little more than an inch off the ground. Just long enough after everything for the world to settle into a routine. Perfectly normal, in every way.

On one such particularly perfectly normal day at Luna Nova Academy, Akko was failing her classes.

Well, no, she wasn't failing per se, failing implied she couldn't turn things around. No, she wasn't failing, she was…in a rut! Yes! A rut! People always came out of ruts, right?

Yeah, that was it, Akko was in a rut! And how do you get out of ruts?

"And so," Akko slapped her hands against the lunch table where the nine members of all three teams were currently sitting, "you will be my potions partner for the next lesson!"

You beg your smarter friends for help.

Diana stared at the girl with a blank expression. A truly blank expression, not one of those "you say it's blank but you know they're really just confused about what you said" expressions, but an expression that conveyed absolutely no emotion, yet simultaneously burrowed into Akko's soul.

"Pardon me?" She said, after an eternity of silence.

"You heard me!" Akko leaned into the table until she was directly in front of Diana's face. "Diana, be my partner!"

"Akko," Lotte warned quietly, "this kind of is a weird thing to ask…"

'Also, what's with that phrasing?' Lotte thought. 'It sounds like you're asking her out, Akko…!"

"This seems ridiculous and desperate," Amanada said, "I'm not sure which is worse."

"I understand what you're asking, but…" Diana hesitated. "Why…me, exactly?"

"Oh, Diana." Akko shook her head haughtily, the way a teenager might inform their younger sibling that Santa wasn't real. Diana felt a small vein pop in her forehead, but fought down the urge to resort to physical violence. "Lukić is giving out extra credit to any student brave enough to drink their partner's potion! If I'm paired with you, not only can you help me mix a great potion, but you'll mix a perfect potion which I can drink for extra credit!"

Akko stood up at the table and put her arms on her hips.

"A perfect plan!" She announced. "Foolproof! Victory! Good grades! I'll have it all! Ohohohohohoooo, YAY!"

Diana gave another truly blank stare.

"That's…" Hannah started, trying and failing to find the words.

"Crazy?" Amanda offered.

"No, actually." Barbara said. "It's kinda…a really good plan. Diana tutors Akko, Akko learns something, Akko gets extra credit, and Diana gets full credit anyway. It's win-win."

"Yes!" Akko said, clapping a hand on Barbara's shoulder. "An ally!"

"Don't touch me."

"Diana's intelligence would cancel out Akko's stupidity..." Sucy mused.

Lotte lightly jabbed Sucy in the ribs.

"Success rate in range of 85 to 95 percent." Constanze's Stanbot chirped. "Risk of failure: low."

"True though that may be," Diana said, "why am I your choice? Why not get someone else?"

Akko huffed a sigh.

"Diana," Akko said as she rubbed her forehead, "there are exactly two people in this school who are going to get a perfect score: you, and Sucy. And while I trust Sucy to make a good potion, if I asked her to tutor me she'd just laugh and make fun of me!"

The group turned to the girl in question, who poked at her food a bit before glancing up.

"I'm sorry," Sucy said, "what part of that is out of character for me?"

"Not to mention," Akko continued, "that I also don't trust Sucy not to test out her new poisons on me!"

Sucy gave a small cackle, which the other girls ignored.

"For all I know she could turn me into a newt, or kill me, or worse!" Akko huffed and crossed her arms. "No, if I want that good grade and that extra credit, I need a partner who can brew a great potion, and teach me how to brew a great potion. And that person, is Diana!"

Diana blinked.

"This is…" She hesitated, thumbing the handle of her teacup. "Surprisingly well thought-out for you, actually."

Akko gave a small, pouty growl, though she didn't really mean anything by it.

"Very well," Diana said, "I'll agree be your partner for this assignment, with some conditions."

Akko gulped.

"A-and, that is…?"

"That you follow my directions, actually study," Diana sipped her tea, "and do your best to brew the potion on your own."

Akko's face blanked for a moment before breaking out into a grin.

"Yes!" She shouted, standing up on the table's seat and raising her hands in victory. The entire cafeteria jumped slightly at the outburst and stared at the girls in confusion.

"You won't regret this Diana!" Akko said as she leapt down and took off running into the hallway. "I'm going to brew a great potion, just you wait!"

"Be in the library by four, please!" Diana called after her.

"Woohooooo!" Akko's voice trailed off as she vanished from the group's sight.

After a long silence, someone coughed awkwardly, and the crowd went back to its daily activities.

"Diana…" Hannah frowned. "Are you sure this is okay?"

"Hannah, I know you and Barbara are still…adjusting…to Akko," Diana sipped her tea once more, "but this is a perfectly fine idea. I dare say I'm rather proud of Akko for finding such a clever way to raise her grades."

"She's got spunk, I'll give you that." Amanda leaned back. "And I guess it's not as crazy as some of her other plans."

"That," Diana said, "and I have a way of guaranteeing success of this plan. No, O'Neill, not by cheating."

"Hey, I didn't say anything!" Amanda huffed. "Yet…"

"I think that with my help, Akko will brew a perfectly functional potion, and much in the same way she was able to fly recently I think that it would do wonders for her confidence. And, as a bonus, raise her grade." Diana dabbed at her face with a napkin. "As Barbara put it, a win-win."

"I just want to see how this whole thing plays out." Sucy grinned. "Who knows, maybe the little brat will surprise us!"

"Sucy!" Lotte hissed.