Muddled Up

Master Masa Random/Writer's Trinity

The characters and situations of Magister Negi Magi are the creation of and rightful property of Ken Akamatsu. They are used here without permission. This story may be freely redistributed, but it should not be altered substantially or used for profit in any way.Masayoshi belongs solely in the hands of one Master Masa Random of the Writer's Trinity. Connor belongs completely to X Serac.

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A raven-haired boy awoke with a start as the train he presided in jolted from a slight gap on the tracks. He looked around bleary-eyes from his glasses, thin-rimmed and casual looking, then he groaned in dismay, "Not even half-way there…"

Masayoshi Hitotama is a student from Magica Academy in northern Honshu, where he just barely managed to pass his final exam and received his assignment scroll… however, it was blank. When the highly distressed mage-in-training questioned his school's headmaster of such a lack of planning his future, the old man simply tossed a black leather-bound magic book at the boy's head and teleported him to Great Britain. Three years later, and back in Japan, Masayoshi still had no objective and simply wandered about accepting any interesting job he came by.

He's sixteen now and more desperate than ever to find a proper assignment, so when he suddenly receives a letter from a certain Mahora Gakuen saying that they would gladly fill in the blanks for him and introduced the fact that he could earn his proper Mage's Title by being a teacher, without a second thought he grabbed the first train to Kyoto. Along the way he heard wisps of random talk saying that there was a Magister Magi in training somewhere near Kyoto as well. Hearing this, Masayoshi held fast to his hopes that such a wise and powerful mage could help him in his assignment and tried in all of his very limited power to get there as quickly as possible.

Masayoshi adjusted his glasses and quickly did a quick analysis of his well-being, but before he could even do that, he had to yawn. He stretched one arm straight up into the air and stretched out the stiff muscles and reflexively tugged on his short ponytail. The sleeve of his plain-looking Japanese male uniform slid down his arm a bit and revealed a charm bracelet of two colors; ten red charms and one blue one. The charms all looked very interesting; the blue one was the most prettiest with its radiant shine and appeared to be a chiseled piece of sapphire. The red ones were just as beautiful, but in an almost sad way, they gleamed dully in the sunset and the odd insignia of what appeared to be a bound hand gave off a sad aura. He stroked the charms lovingly and sighed as he opened his pouch that was slung over his shoulder and quickly searched through everything, content he sat back and sighed again.

Masayoshi looked around bleakly in hopes of finding something of interest that may make the time go back faster. Then an idea struck the boy, after quickly calculating the chances of success he shrugged and pulled out a pen from the front of his gakuran. The pen was of the most unique, most wondrous sorts of artifacts you would be blessed to find on any travels you may take; it appeared to be of molten silver, the light bending around it in such ways it seemed as though the pen pulsed with some sort of life of its own, a radiant pure white feather was holstered on the very top, it was the most magnificent of its kind, a blue sort of crest was imbedded upon it, a pattern that one could not truly describe, yet can see it vividly in their minds. Masayoshi made a quick swiping motion in the air.

An elderly man across from Masayoshi lifted his gray bowler hat, as to inspect the odd boy not two feet away from him. The man's name was Marcus Hahns, an ancient shade from eighteenth century Britain. His short grayish white hair was hidden by the said bowler hat, matching his gentleman's attire that he wore. His gray mustache quivered as his crimson eyes narrowed with realization, "Magic user…" then he blinked. The next moment the shade opened his unearthly eyes he would be standing in the middle of a street in Shogawa-michi. With a slight smile, he began to walk in the direction of Kyoto.

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"I want to keep him! Oh please Negi-sensei! Please let us!"

"Yeah! We promise to take good care of him, real good care, please please please!"

Negi sighed deeply, he knew he was defeated, he eyed the girls warily in hopes of trying to put some sort of control over them, "As long as you take real real good care of him I'll let you keep him… but please don't try to cause trouble, and once we find out where his home is we have to take him back."

Fumika, with a cry of joy, immediately hugged her new playmate. She cooed it and stroked its black hair as it began to stir.

Fuka smiled excitedly and gently pat the top of its head, proudly thinking to herself that she just got what she wanted without having to amount to fake crying.

The black haired boy growled angrily, "Do I look like a bloody dog to you!?" he furiously tried to break free from the two pairs of shoe laces that bound his hands together behind his back, but to no avail. Negi knew his magic was keeping those shoelaces as strong as two iron chains. The boy appeared to give in and his head slumped onto his chest, his legs were crossed in front of him and he was propped up against a wall. The boy's pouch lay discarded nearby with all of his precious treasures strewn about uncaringly; his silver pen, a black leather-bound book, a neat pile of thin wooden cards topped up with a red ribbon, a lunchbox half-full, three rings, not counting an amethyst one that was in his front pocket, a black hat that matched his clothing, a silver flute, a velvet bag full of marbles, and a well worn glasses repair kit.

Negi cautiously took a step back from the boy and fixed his tie, but an older boy, in his late-teens by his look, stepped forward, "Don't be angry, but you were found in Konoka's bed completely out of it. And seeing that the door was locked at night, well… we must take precautions for some of these things. And until someone comes to explain what's going on, you're stuck here, so shut your trap and sit quietly!"

Negi sighed and pulled a bit on the boy's coat's sleeve, "Please Connor, let's try not to anger him at this moment… Fuka-san, Fumika-san, please stop badgering him…"

The door opened and a gray-haired man stepped through, before the two twins even turned around they gently sighed and fell asleep on Masayoshi, who in turn growled slightly again but immediately seemed to lose all anger as the man's presence fully engulfed the room. Takahata Takamichi quietly looked at everyone in the room and smiled gently, "Negi, when I told you to retrieve the boy, I didn't want you to capture him. Connors, what in the world are you doing here? What of the twins?"

Negi flushed slightly, "I'm sorry… I asked Connor to help me tie him up, and I accidentally woke the Narutaki twins up…" he gestured to everyone as he spoke, quite embarrassed. Takamichi told him they would be meeting a rather unexpected guest soon, and when he showed up Negi was to retrieve him.

The boy sighed in defeat, "Well I understand I was intruding, but I didn't mean to do this… you see I… er… I'm a pilot from…"

Takahata stopped him and bent down so they were eye-to-eye, then after a few seconds of pause, "I thought Masayoshi Hitotama was a shade."

Connor immediately took a defensive stance and eyed the boy in horror now instead of frustration. Negi's eyes widened to an alarming size. The boy giggled a bit, "I've been known to have some run-ins with Shade-hunters, but I'm ninety-eight percent human, I assure you."

Takamichi smiled, "Welcome to Mahora Gakuen then."

Masayoshi blinked apprehensively for a few seconds than exhaled in relief, "Oh thank goodness… here I thought I shot myself back to Kyushu…" he immediately stopped talking and stared around in sheer shock as though he just uttered a horrible curse.

Negi and Connor looked at each other, than to Takamichi, "He's magic?" they spoke in unison.

Takamichi nodded, "From our accounts Masayoshi is indeed a mage, but don't count on his magic, as it has a very low chance of properly working. Thus his Mage's Title: Hell's Fire… uncontrollable and deadly. What is your hit-miss ratio Masayoshi?"

Masayoshi sighed in impatience, "I have a one out of ten chance that my spells will work as I intend."

In a tentative voice, Negi slowly said, "And the other nine out of ten?" he didn't really want to know, but a little voice in his head wanted to know…

The said mage winced a bit, "Best not to speak of those things…" then he turned to Takamichi in a sort of expectant look, "So, I expect you guys will now untie your new fellow worker right? Or is this how you usually greet your new teachers?"

Negi did a double-take then immediately rushed forward to untie the now rather pleasant boy. He quietly dispersed the magic that kept the shoe laces ties together and Masayoshi now stood up, shaking his hands to try to regain his blood flow.

Masayoshi quietly picked up all of his things and shook everyone's hand, "Hi there, nice to meet you. Masayoshi Hitodama, genius extraordinaire, here at your service… for a price of course." He added with that warm smile still on his face.

Connor pulled on his overcoat a bit and loosened his bandana slightly, "Yeah yeah, what uh… what's your purpose around here?"

The teenage bespectacled boy shrugged, "Don't know, guess I'm serving as a teacher until further notice. So do I get introductions or what?"

Negi quickly introduced everyone, "I-I'm Negi Springfield, this is…"

Masayoshi held a hand palm forward to silence negi, "Hold up, Negi… Springfield? As in… the Magister Magi in training?"

Negi blinked, "Er… well, yes."

Masayoshi collapsed onto the floor, "Great… just… great…"

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Konoemon Konoe raised one rather… enormous eyebrow as to better see the boy, "Yes Masayoshi, I believe we can help you with your blank objective scroll, we'll simply fill in the assignment and you'll be good to go."

Masayoshi nodded happily, "Well that's good. I've been searching for three years for someone who could do what you can; glad it didn't all go to waste."

Konoemon suddenly whipped out a piece of paper, "Now about your grades back in the Magica Academy!"

Masayoshi sweatdropped, his hopes were dashed, "Uh… well you see… grades sometimes don't matter all that much when searching for an available career!"

Konoemon quickly scanned through, reading his major grades aloud, causing Masayoshi to wince with every letter grade, "Spell casting… D+. Potions… C+. Spell Knowledge and Identification… B. Enchantments… B-. Writing… A+. Math… B." He raised his head and looked at Masayoshi again, "Though this is not the greatest report I've ever seen, but… it will do."

Masayoshi heaved a sigh in relief, but immediately regretted showing that small bit of emotion as Konoemon would most likely record such a thing.

Konoemon set the paper down and put his hands together, "Now for the rules… Negi, such as yourself, is in training. However you've already passed most of yours, and you are now pursuing your life task correct? No need to answer. Now for the rules of course, you must know what you're doing in the class, I mustn't have you screwing up these girl's minds. And the major rule, you must not fall in love with any of the girls. You got it?"

Masayoshi held his hands up innocently, "Of course! I wouldn't dare to lay a finger on one of your students, unless… you know… I kind of have no choice…"

Konoemon nodded, seemingly content with the new teacher, "You are now the new chemistry teacher. Your class begins soon, don't be late."

Masayoshi bowed himself out of the room and as soon as the door closed behind him he yelped for joy, "Yahoo! Thank goodness! Now I just need to prepare myself for everything." He took a step forward, but it seemed that his body was moving a bit too quickly and tripped over himself in his rush… "Ow…"

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"This… might be harder than I thought…" Masayoshi muttered as his class filed in. As a young teenage boy he unfortunately has little control over his hormones, however Masayoshi has never been one to break the rules, and so with a will unnatural for any boy his age, he averted his eyes and began to read off the names of his students. "Um… Sayo Aisaka."

Many of the students stared at him with shock and some with confusion. The most alarming was the albino-looking girl that sat in the front row, she looked like Masayoshi just threw the eraser at her. In an almost stunned trance she nodded, once.

Masayoshi shrugged off the weird affect and continued…

"He's the new chemistry teacher?" Makie Sasaki poked Yuna, a bit harder than meant to, but it was a poke nonetheless.

Yuna Akashi nodded her eyes not leaving the boy as he struggled to write down a chemical formula, "Yeah… I wonder how old he is… what was his name again?" she turned and addressed the question to Ako.

Ako Izumi blushed ever so slightly, "I don't know… but… I don't think he's that old… he looks younger than Connor-sensei… his name's…"

Akira Okochi nodded, interrupting the conversation, "He's most likely fourteen to sixteen. I doubt he's any older than that. I haven't seen a car around here, and if he's sixteen or older I'd expect a car to be around."

Yuna Akashi gave her a slight shove, "Quiet, he hasn't issued a seating arrangement and I don't want Makie to leave."

"Oh not to worry, its best if I don't split up friends, right?" someone to the left of them said in a sweet sing-song voice. The four turned very slowly and whimpered slightly as Masayoshi raised a thin eyebrow at them all.

Makie waved her hands around frantically, "Oh oh oh, I'm very very sorry Macaroni-sensei!"

Everyone in class laughed aloud from her horrid mispronunciation of their new teacher's name, however they all silenced themselves quickly, they didn't know just how this teacher would operate.

Masayoshi stared questionably at Makie, and then he too began to wave his hands around, mimicking Makie, but slower, and looked curious, "Exactly what does this gesture mean? I… can't comprehend such a display of-" BOOM!

The class's attention was immediately ripped away from Masayoshi's hands to a section of the grounds down below. A rather large crater now stood where a tree once was. Masayoshi licked his lips and immediately waved his arms around to disperse the magic circle he unintentionally created while he recklessly copied Makie's action.

Kazumi Asakura took a quick snapshot then stared in wonder at the gaping hole, "I wonder what might have done that…" she then shrugged, "It'll make a great story that's for sure…"

Fuka and Fumika Narutaki stared in wonder then simultaneously pulled on Kaede's shirt asking what happened, while Kaede Nagase desperately tried to get them to stop while maintaining her passive smile, "No I don't know what happened de gozaru…"

Sakurako Shiina pulled out a handful of coins, "Three to one says Hakase was behind it!"

Satomi Hakase immediately took on a look of irritation, "What? I've been right by you the entire time!"

Evangeline A.K. McDowell nudged her loyal companion, "Once this foolhardy class is over, find out what happened… I sense magic, and it's not normal…"

Chachamaru Karakuri nodded once, "Of course, master. Shall I dispel all magic in the area?"

Evangeline crossed her arms in front of her, "No, you'll fry your circuits… just set it in a ten foot radius for now…"

Masayoshi suddenly felt an odd tugging on the edge of his mind, he fought a bit, but then realized something was either trying to suppress his magic or trying to draw it out, he smirked slightly, I'll show the interloper what happens when you mess with Honshu's finest. With a slight gesture his bracelet lit up, but none could see it as it was currently hidden in the cuff of his black suit.

Chachamaru's antennae detected a strong magical wave, but before she could properly tell her master, her system began to go through an emergency shut down and she, quite abruptly stopped moving then in that very instant she fell forward her metal forehead making an odd clanking sound as it hit the wooden table.

Everyone stared in a twist of horror, fright, (Evangeline's irritation), and some in sort of laughing manner. Yet before anyone had the chance to even open their mouth the bell rang and Masayoshi, in a shrilly and somewhat alarmed voice, yelled, "Class dismissed! Goodbye now!" and he quickly ran out of the room as fast as his legs would carry him.

The rest of the girls simply stared at the door as it shut from his immense speed. Only one girl's voice chirped up, Misora Kasuga in an amazed voice, "Wow… he makes me look slow…"

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So ends the first day of Masayoshi's stay at Mahora. Who knows what will happen next! And did you guys like the new Masayoshi? If not I can always try to throw in something you guys want. Now for special thanks!

Tsutomu Teruko- Howell will appear soon, don't worry. I promised to get him in here and a promise is a promise! So review and work with me to get him in character! Oh and I stole your format from Pactum Factum, sorry, it was just so neat and organized I had to take it, I'll remove it if you'd like.

X Serac- Connor's here! But I'm trying to keep him from becoming an extreme character and have him and Howell be a sort of comic relief. Hope it's good, so I hope you stay by my side for this story as well!

Eternal Longing- I'm aware of your confusion in Screwed Up, so I tried to ease his mysterious personality and make him seem… rather simple. I hope it works!

Jennon-Donnon- If you're here I'm sure I have a great many mistakes that I depend on you to fix. And your most interesting reviews will bring a smile to me!

Raedric- I thank you for reading and reviewing much of Screwed Up and Messed Up, it is always good to hear from those I don't get to see much of. I hope this satisfies.

To anyone else who frequently reviews but I have unfortunately forgotten about- I love all of you and I trust you will continue to bring me smiles!

Slight Translations/Explanations:

Masayoshi's appearance – It's Masayoshi Hitotama, not Hitodama. Of course who knows, this may be him. Oh this is non-canon with Messed Up, which was a sort of something I really wanted to do. This should be good…