As the second day of the Arbiter's days off draws to a close, wounds heal, Ether returns and the dawn of a fresh new day begins.

It's graduation day, and according to the invitations everyone has received Athena expects everyone in her class by 10. She waits within for the graduation ceremony and a bit of news.

Today is the final day for Shift and tool development, as the team gets a new assignment tomorrow.

Athena sits at her desk, sipping tea; waiting for her students to arrive.

Alexis arrives fairly early. After his talk with Athena the previous day, he'd spent the entire rest of the day in his room - most of that time just hanging there from a branch, thinking. He's carrying a book with him; filled (at the moment) with mainly blank pages.

He glances around the room, looking for a few specific people.

Let's see... first, I want to talk to Chandi about my book, then The Awakener... then there's that other idea, I'd need to talk to Serpico or... or Harmony... probably Serpico, that'll be easier... still got to think about... Harmony... and then after Serpico I'd need to talk to Asch... well, everyone's sure to be here sooner or later. I should probably wait until after the graduation to speak to Serpico... where's Chandi?

Lumina arrives at the classroom shortly after Alexis, moving to take a seat where her old desk used to be. "Good morning, Sensei Athena. Good morning, Alexis."

The Awakener enters the classroom, and stands at attention by its desk. "Greetings," it says, then goes silent.

Asch enters the classroom... and while for the most part looks the same as usual, something about her outfit stands out immediately. Five keys, one on the pommel of her shift and the others each on one of the golden bands around her wrists and ankles.

"Sorry I am late - I had to finish my tool. My... talk with Serpico yesterday gave me an idea for it."

"Glad to help!" Serpico's voice loudly declares from the door and he walks in just moments after Asch. He looks well, none of the lingering soreness and pain from the last couple of days hanging off him as he takes a seat .

The door to the classroom opens, and Chandi walks in, dressed in a brightly colored, intricately designed shirt and skirt, embroidered with pearls and patterns in the silk cloth. A silk scarf lays draped across the upper part of her forehead, falling across her hair and leading to the back of her outfit, while the lower part of her face is covered in a veil that matches the rest of her clothing. This particular outfit has never been worn by Chandi in front of the group, and what little parts of Chandi's body that are exposed are those without scarring.

"Chandi!" Alexis calls out as soon as the one-armed goddess enters the room. He holds up his new book, a hopeful expression on his face. "Can you help me with something?"

Chandi's eyes darken for a moment before she turns her gaze towards the Bat Arbiter. "What is it, Alexis." She says, coldly.

"My book." Alexis holds it up. "Can you make it so it can change into an anklet and back on command? It'll make it much easier to carry."

Chandi turns her eyes down towards the book, then towards Alexis' feet, attempting to get a rough estimate of the size, before laying her palm on the book. A series of Runes spread out across the cover, absorbing knowledge of the workings so that it can successfully change shape, and possibly add a few new features. The golden runes glow brightly, shimmer, then fade away, leaving a simple brown leather anklet in its place. Chandi then raises her hand, closes all but her index finger, then jams the finger into Alexis' forehead. A second rune forms where the finger lands, this one already shining much more brightly then the ones on the books, before quickly disappearing. Chandi removes her finger, and drops her hand. "There. It'll obey your thoughts. And if I did it right, it may even record things you hear so you won't have to open it and write every time you want to try and learn something."

"Thanks!" Alexis enfolds Chandi's legs in a giant bat-winged hug. "Let me know if there's ever anything I can do for you, okay?"

"There isn't and there won't be." She says, gently peeling the bat boy's wings from her legs, before moving him aside. With that finished, she walks slowly towards a position in the room opposite Alexis, and turns her gaze towards Athena.

"That's a really nice outfit." adds Alexis, as Chandi leaves. The pearls and embroidery on her outfit provide an excellent contrast, to echolocation, compared with the more normal smooth-cloth texture that most people wear - or, for that matter, the smooth-metal texture that Alexis associates mainly with The Awakener.

Talking of whom... Alexis moves over to The Awakener's desk. "Can I ask for your help, too?" When the Awakener's mask turns to look at him, Alexis holds up the book again. "Can you make it so that it's certain that, every time I open the book, it opens at the place I want?"

Harmony walks into the room, yawning as she does. Behind her floats MUSE, humming softly. At her side on her belt, a small pouch now resides, its drawstrings tightly cinched. She settles down at her desk without saying hello to anyone, instead absentmindedly opening her pouch and fishing out a small marble-like sphere that glows slightly with its own light.

#############

[Don't say it.]

It's too easy though! You think I'm going to pass a chance like this up?

[Don't say it.]

Oh, come on...

[Don't say it.]

#############

"Hey Harmony, you really should stop playing with your b---"

Harmony absentmindedly reaches over and swats MUSE around the room, who bounces around like a ping-pong ball.

#############

[I warned you.]

... wait, aren't we immaterial? You know, hand just passes through?

[Yes.]

Then why did that just send us flying around the room?

[Because.]

... that isn't an answer.

[Yes.]

I hate you sometimes, you know that, right?

#############

The Awakener holds up a gauntletted hand and casts a quick two-rune enchantment, first making it Certain that, whenever the bat opens the book with a page, world, or concept in mind, the book will open the book to what he seeks, then tying the End of the enchantment to the End of the book, so it sill last until the book itself meets its own End. It then resumes waiting for Athena to speak.

Serpico quietly observes some of the interactions, and chuckles. He waits for Awakener to finish his work, and then taps Alexis on the wing. "Hey Bats. Did you stand Chandi up on a date or something? She's quite tweaked at ya." He leans back with another laugh after saying that, brushing at the button down grey shirt he chose to wear for the day, still casual but a bit more sensible than his normal open shirt over t-shirt style.

"Thank you!" Alexis gives The Awakener's leg a brief hug.



"Yes, I noticed. I'm not quite sure, but I think it's because I thought Asch would make a better leader than Harmony. I'm kind of hoping that if I'm extra-nice to Chandi for a bit, she'll stop being angry." Alexis glances over at Harmony, especially at her new glowing marbles - they look like MUSE in miniature, but a quick echolocatory ping shows that, unlike MUSE, they're solid and not immaterial.

"...what on earth are those little spheres that Harmony's got?"

Alexis taps briefly into his Sonic rune.

Athena smiles as her students arrive and Alexis puts the finishing touches on his tool. "Welcome one and all to Graduation Day! Today is the day you all become an official Arbiter team. I see everyone has been hard at work with their tools and Shifts; I am very proud of you all."

She stands and walks in front of her desk, leaning on it and watching Chandi and Alexis. "So bickering like that needs to stop." She gives a glare at them both, "You are family now; put your differences aside because I have a mission for you that is... well, for lack of a better term, quite advanced. If you two can't stop squabbling and sniping then maybe you aren't ready for it." Her mouth is a hard line.

But it quickly melts into a grin, "Sibling Rivalry is a part of a family too, so please, talk it out. Chandi, I will have you know I have spoken with Alexis and he is less-than-concerned about Harmony being a team leader now. Harmony, I believe you have the entire team backing you as a leader... and Alexis?" She points at Asch, "If Asch accepts, how about she be the second in command, able to take over if Harmony cannot preform her duties as a team leader? If everyone is alright with that... all that's left is to make yourselves a Team Name if you wish..." A sly smile plays across her face.

"And then I'll tell you all about the mission that Scarred the soul of Shin's best friend yesterday that you are now candidates to take over..."

She lets her words sink in and waits for the team to name themselves and decide on the command order.

"I don't see what bickering you're referring to." Chandi says, politely, unfazed by Athena's glare. "I fulfilled his request, answered his question, and made no insults, attacks, or arguments. I'm merely being quiet and honest, it just so happens that both are rarely seen as kind." Chandi seats herself on one of the nearby chairs, and glances towards Athena. "On the subject of family, you are not to visit my home world, Athena. Direct orders from the Lord. He made it quite clear that if you or any Arbiter attempted to travel there, execution would be the most pleasant consequence. Arbiters attract far too much attention for a world so strained as Aegaeon. As for a team name," Chandi pauses for a moment, "I'm less-than-concerned about it. I'm more interested in why you think our next mission is going to be any more advanced than stopping a worldwide civil war caused by a ten thousand year old mad creator god with memory runes, aiding in the protection of godlike Mortals being pursued by a megalomaniac purist who created said godlike Mortals and more of their ilk, or destroying a crystal that embedded itself into a Leyline, possessed all of the planet's inhabitants, and proceeded to drain them like so much juice from a piece of fruit, all as an experiment by a being that no one but us can see, hear, or remember. Enlighten me."

"...that's a good idea." agrees Alexis. "That's really a very good idea. Asch - would you accept?"

"As for a team name - I think we need something that inspires hope. That tells people, they're safe with us. That we will help those who have no other hope, and save those who are pursued by danger."

"So, I would like to propose that we call ourselves the Dark Ones."