AN: Hey everyone!
This was a short little one-shot that I started writing ages ago, but never found the inspiration to finish.
Well, I finally finished it!
I was really torn up by Asuna's death from Episode 23 of the first anime, and when she died, they didn't get too much of the reaction of the other students.
So I wrote this, wondering how Ayaka was feeling when they received the news.
Sorry if this is really short and isn't that good. And sorry for OOC-ness
Negima is owned by Ken Akamatsu, Xebec, and FUNimation
"Thank you"
Negi turned his head around to see tears falling down her face. The moonlight and the lights of the city shined on Asuna's face and brought out her beautiful eyes. While sitting in the giant tree near the campus, everything seemed more beautiful. Asuna's emotional response took Negi by surprise. It was almost her fourteenth birthday, and he thought that she'd be happy. Why was she crying?
"Negi…" Asuna started tearfully, "I…I just want to say…that you're the most…"
Bong!
The loud bell of Mahora Academy's clock tower cut her off. The color quickly drained from Asuna's face and her expression froze in horror. Negi saw her gaze turn foggy and she swayed unsteadily for a second, before she fell out of the tree completely. Negi's heart skipped a beat, before jumping out of the tree himself.
"ASUNA!"
Her body gained speed as she plummeted to the ground, but with luck, Negi was faster. He squeaked with effort as he used the magic in his staff to catch up to Asuna. Two inches from the ground, Negi grabbed Asuna's hand, and changed direction to make him fly low from the ground. His magical staff in his left hand unraveled it's streamers on the end as Negi flew upwards toward the sky. In one swift move, he sat on the staff, like it was a broom, and changed it so that he was holding Asuna in a protective hug-type of grip. After silently flying for a few minutes, Negi took a shaky breath and tried to compose himself.
"I nearly lost my grip. That was a close one. Thought I was going to lose you there. Are you all right?" Negi asked, his voice squeaking.
No answer.
"Asuna?"
Still no answer.
"Can you hear me?"
Maybe…she fainted? Negi thought.
With his free hand, he turned Asuna's head toward him to see if she was truly all right.
What he saw made his heart plummet so fast, that he could've heard it crash to the bottom of his soul if everything around him didn't fade out from fear.
Asuna's face was deathly pale, still caught in the same expression from when she fell out of the tree. Her eyes, which were always sparkling, were dull now, stuck in a faraway gaze. He felt her skin and became even more shocked to find it was ice cold.
He knew. He realized what happened right from looking at her face.
But…it couldn't be true…there had to be another explanation…she couldn't just suddenly…without a cause at least…no…there had to be hope…
That's what Negi was trying to convince himself, but his common sense beat him in reaching reality.
"Please…Asuna…"
Tears flowed uncontrollably down his face before Negi started talking.
"Stay with me now…Asuna…" Negi managed to choke out.
Ayaka stood at the window and looked at the pinkish moon in the night sky. Everyone behind her was partying while she stood thinking. Her worries her getting the better of her. Asuna left early, which was weird considering it was her birthday party. When she didn't turn up, Negi went to go look for her. And now it was past midnight, and they hadn't come back.
"Miss Ayaka…what seems to be troubling you?" Ayaka jumped and turned to see two of her classmates, Evangeline and Chachamaru. Evangeline stood with her gaze as cold as usual while Chachamaru had a worried expression on her face.
"Oh it's nothing…" Ayaka lied. As class representative, it was her duty to stay in charge of the class' affairs, but she couldn't do that if she lost her nerve. Telling them would only spread the anxiousness like the flu.
"You're lying" Evangeline simply stated, her cold British accent slicing through the atmosphere like a machete. "You're worried about Negi and Asuna, aren't you?"
Ayaka stood, baffled. It was like she read her mind.
"You're pretty easy to figure out, Ayaka" Evangeline smiled. Ayaka started to protest, when she heard Konoka call out.
"Negi's outside! It sounds like he needs help!"
Ayaka immediately turned to the window and saw Negi running toward the academy. Relief flooded through Ayaka for a split second, before her mind started asking questions. She squinted to get a better look and saw that Negi was carrying something. Or someone. Everyone in the room was looking out at the windows as well, and whispers started to arise from them.
"Why's Negi running?"
"Is he ok?"
"Didn't you hear what Konoka said?"
"Yeah. She said that it sounded like he needed help"
"Well, what are we standing around for?"
Scattered footsteps echoed through the room as the classmates shuffled outside to see what was wrong. Only Ayaka stayed frozen to her spot. Was that…no…it couldn't be…
"Hey, Ayaka!"
Ayaka jumped and turned to see Haruna and Yue standing there.
"Come on. Let's go see what's wrong." Haruna stated, running ahead and motioning for Yue and Ayaka to follow. Ayaka followed, fear turning her stomach over as she thought of the worst case scenario…
"SOMEONE! HELP! PLEASE! I NEED HELP!"
Negi's tearful, squeaky voice echoed as he ran toward the main entrance, Asuna's cold body in his arms. Everything was clouded around him. He didn't know where to go. Panic was overcoming him and he couldn't think clearly. All he knew is that he needed to find someone that could help him out.
"HELP! PLEASE, CAN SOMEONE HELP?"
Breathing heavily, Negi stopped in the middle of the campus entrance and collapsed on his knees. He started to lose his control, and looking at Asuna, tears fell more rapidly.
"Asuna…" he squealed, closing his eyes tight.
Footsteps approached, but Negi didn't look up. He heard the whispery voices of his students getting closer.
"Professor Negi!" Konoka's voice became louder than the others' voices.
"Help! Please, she needs help!"
Ayaka thought frustrated, 'Who is he talking about?' as she ran behind the rest of the group. When she finally caught up to them, what saw her frightened her.
Surrounded by a circle of the students of Class 2A was the little professor. He was kneeling on the ground, with Asuna's body across his lap. Her head leaned against his shoulders and at first, Ayaka thought she was asleep. A closer look proved her wrong. Asuna's eyes were glazed over and open wide. Her skin was as pale white as the snow. Her eyes darted from Asuna's limp body to Negi's tearful face.
Setsuna and Konoka knelt down beside the two and looked on, horrified.
"What happened?" Konoka asked Negi, placing a hand on her heart.
"She…she won't wake up…she…she's dead…"
Konoka froze in fear. Everyone around them became rigid. Ayaka could feel her strength leaving her body. Did I hear him right? Did he just say that Asuna…?
Setsuna placed two finger on Asuna's jugular, and opened her eyes wide.
"He's right"
Konoka looked at her disbelievingly. All the girls gasped in horror.
"W-what?" Ayaka stood stone-still when she asked Setsuna.
Tearfully, the fighter replied, "He's right…Asuna's dead…"
The floor dropped underneath Ayaka's feet. She collapsed onto her knees at the news. That couldn't be true. Asuna couldn't die on her birthday, just like that.
Sayo, the ghost student, floated into the center of the ring, Kazumi following her. She stared at the scene, but stayed silent.
"That…That can't be…she…she was fine when…s-she was at the party…" Ayaka stuttered.
Sayo knelt down beside Negi and the girls. She kept staring at Asuna's body. Kazumi looked at her concerned.
"Sayo…?"
The ghost girl dropped her head. Her shoulders trembled.
In the background, Ayaka heard the voices of the other students around her.
"What was that?"
"Setsuna said that Asuna…is dead"
"What? Dead?"
"That's impossible!"
Ayaka crawled toward the lifeless body and laid a hand on the cold shoulder.
"Asuna…w-wake up…come on, stop...stop fooling around…"
Ayaka shook Asuna's body harder, tears forming in her eyes.
"Asuna! This isn't funny!"
"Ayaka…"
"Get up, Bells!"
"Ayaka…!"
"Come on Asuna!"
"AYAKA! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Sayo snapped. The blonde haired girl looked up from Asuna and gazed at the ghost in surprise. Everyone else also reacted in surprise; to see Sayo yell and act strange like that.
"S-Sayo?" Kazumi started.
"Ayaka, stop this. Setsuna and Professor Negi are right. She is dead"
Everyone gasped in disbelief. Negi looked up from cradling Asuna's still body with tears dripping down his face.
"That…that's not true! She's just playing a joke on-"
"SHE'S DEAD, AYAKA! THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO!" Sayo hollered, tears streaming down her face rapidly.
"Sayo…"
"I know what it's like, Ayaka. I know…I know…what a corpse looks like." Sayo struggled to explain, "And a spirit can sense another's life-force. Asuna's…is gone. I can't sense it." She buried her face in her hands.
Ayaka moved forward, and did the same thing Setsuna did; felt Asuna's pulse.
There was none.
Her heart felt as if it deflated. She could probably hear it whistle if she listened closely.
Ayaka didn't stop the tears from falling. And neither did anyone else. The Narutaki twins bawled iin unision while Kaede hugged them, crying herself. Yue, Haruna, and Nodoka all bent their heads and cried. Setsuna was hugging Konoka. Even Mana and Fei Ku started to weep.
No…this…can't be happening…Asuna…no…
Ayaka couldn't believe it. Asuna was dead. So suddenly…
Why her? Why?
She wouldn't ever see her…ever again.
Ayaka felt that, though they fought a great deal…
They were still as close as any best friends ever were…
But now…it was all over…
AN: as I said before, very short, but still so sad! :'(
Hope u liked it!