Summary: Five years ago Negi left Mahora and his girls behind without a single word. Now, five years later he returns a broken man. With no memories of his home in Japan or the girls that he once cared about so much, can he stop this new evil. Will it consume him and everyone around him?
Author's Rant: Due to much request I have returned to the world of Negima. Unfortunately, I am still not ready to return to my previous Negima fic. I hope that you all enjoy this one.
Writing Key:
"Thinking"
'Thinking'
Disclaimer: I do not own Negima. My lawyers have already made that clear despite my insistence.
A cool breeze blew gently in Japan's warm summer night. A lone figure stood on top of the roof of a tall building. The breeze blew his long purple and black traveling cloak out around him. On the back of the cloak was a silver crest. The crest was in the design of the old Knights of Templar seal. The difference was the cross that was used. Instead of the fleur-de-lis the cross more closely resembled a St. James cross. Surrounding the cross was a silver shield. Wrapped around the shield was a silver serpent with emerald green eyes. The front of the cloak was held closed by multiple metal clasps. The man's face was completely shrouded in the shadows of his hood.
The man himself made up for a rather intimidating figure. He was taller than average, standing about 180.3 centimeters. He weighed roughly around 63kg. (A.R: About five feet eleven inches and 143 lbs.) Despite his lean stature he gave off a distinct aura of power. Anyone with half a brain could tell that he was the type of person you didn't want to mess with. At his side was long black scabbard that housed a nodachi style sword. On his left side was similar scabbard. Inside was a wakizashi, or Japanese short sword. On both of the scabbards was the same crest that appeared on his cloak. Any other weapons that he held on his person were covered by the cloak.
From his positon on the building, the young man could see just about everything. The neon lights of the city shone brightly below him. Cars and people crowded the streets and sidewalks. Most of the people were young, perhaps school students trying to get in some fun before their classes tomorrow. Cries of vendors trying to sell their wares reached his ears. Somewhere down below he could hear the sound of a man inviting people into a karaoke bar. The giggles of schoolgirls and the raucous laughter of their male counterparts rendered the air. Sounds weren't the only thing that would draw attention to the city. Smells from the carry outs, cafes and food stands hung heavy in the air. The smells were very inviting as were the sounds and sights. However, they were not what drew the man's attention.
His stony gaze passed the city below and rested on a set of buildings in the distance. This set of buildings was none other than Mahora Academy for girls. The set of buildings was surrounded by a much larger campus. From here it was sort of hard to see anything in the darkness. All he could really make out were the buildings and a very large tree on top of a hill. He marveled at the size of the tree. Never in his life had he seen such a large tree. There was something captivating about the gigantic tree. It was an abnormal feeling, no, that wasn't a normal tree. Not at all. Still, he didn't have time to wonder about the landscape. He did have a job after all.
'Amazing. That must be the world tree that the chief spoke about. It's larger than any tree I've seen back in the Kansai region.'
He turned his head and checked his surroundings on top of the building. He wouldn't get things done just standing around here. Still he should make sure of his surroundings before moving on.
"Hey. Are you sure that this is the place?" His voice was calm and mellow. Not what one would expect from someone like him. Yet the voice seemed to address only the air.
"Trust me," answered a second voice. Though he couldn't see the owner, the young man knew it came from over his right shoulder. "This is the place. Have I lied to you yet?"
"Well we'll see soon enough," the younger man shot back coolly. A gentle ringing sound came from the man's pants pocket. He reached down and pulled out a black cell phone. On the front of the phone was a red cross flory surrounded by silver web patterns. He flipped the phone open and answered, "Hello," in the same cool tone. "Yes." He nodded and his eyes narrowed. "I understand. I will eliminate all targets and retain my cover. Understood. Commencing operation." He flipped the phone closed and placed it back into his pocket. "Are you ready to go?"
"Lead the way partner."
The young man nodded. He turned back towards the shadow and took a deep breath. 'I feel so uneasy about this mission. Like something might go wrong or change me.' He shook his head, hiding the emotion behind a carefully constructed wall. "Time to get started."
With this last thought, the young man leapt from the tall building. He could feel the presence of his 'partner' after him. This mission should pose little problem for him. As long as he kept his eyes on the target and didn't become distracted, he would be fine.
Atop a tree on Mahora campus, a solitary young woman stared out over the campus. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Her hand curled tightly around the barrel of her M40A1 military model rifle. If something was going to happen she would have to be there to stop it.
"Damn! I'm hungry!"
The sound of the voice belonged to none other than Kagurazaka Asuna. Asuna was a young girl just turning the age of nineteen. She was about average height with long orange colored hair. Two bell ornaments held her almost thigh length hair up into two ponytails. Most of her friends said that the ornaments were a little childish but she didn't care. After all they were given to her by someone very special. She was dressed simply in a black t-shirt with the logo from Evangelion printed on the front in red. A waist length red skirt and black pants served as the bottom half of her uniform. Asuna was a pretty girl despite her own thoughts about herself. Though most of those negative thoughts were about her eyes. She had Heterochromia; a trait that she was a little obsessive about. Her left eye was blue and her right eye was a jade color. Her friends told her not to worry and said that the trait gave her more character. It still annoyed her though.
"Do you want me to fix dinner now?"
Asuna looked to her right and saw three pairs of eyes staring back at her. The person that spoke to her was Konoe Konoka. Konoka was about Asuna's age, maybe a few months younger. She had long brunette hair and bright coffee colored eyes. Like Asuna, she had a very pretty face as well. Her smile was always warm, infectious, and most importantly genuine. She was dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of tan Capri pants. Asuna and Konoka had been roommates and friends since their first year of middle school together. They were actually more like sisters than friends. She could always count on Konoka to help her with any problem she might have.
Her mismatched eyes drifted over to the tallest girl in their group Nagase Kaede. Kaede was easily the tallest girl that Asuna had ever known. She had long sandy brown hair that pulled back into a thin ponytail and came almost down to her ankles. Her eyes were fox like and often closed, giving her a constant look of vapidity. Still Asuna had known Kaede long enough to know better. Kaede could actually be quite smart and she was a strong fighter. It was also known that the female ninja was easy-going and very kind hearted. Kaede was dressed in a white long sleeved blouse and a calf length skirt, sky blue in color. Kaede was the blue ranger in the still existent Baka Rangers group.
Asuna's eyes finally came to rest on the final girl in the dorm room. Sakurazaki Setsuna was probably their opposite in many ways. Unlike Kaede she was relatively short had an even more lithe build. Her hair was maybe shoulder length at the most and was a light shade of brown. Her eyes were black as coals and seemed to be a little cold. Her snow white skin contrasted sharply with her darker hair and eyes. When Asuna had first befriended Setsuna, the smaller girl had a serious loner complex. As time went by, Setsuna had slowly become more open. But she still liked to keep to herself. Still she was an incomparably nice person once you got know her and she would do anything for her friends. Asuna admired her and even felt a certain attraction towards the girl.
Asuna shook her head clear and turned to look at Konoka. "We don't really have anything to eat here."
"Maybe we should go out and eat.-De Gozaru."
Konoka smiled brightly. "That sounds good! We haven't eaten out in awhile!"
Setsuna nodded and smiled slightly at Konoka's childlike behavior. "True. Besides, Ojou-sama shouldn't have to cook every night."
"Alright," Asuna agreed readily. Konoka's cooking was good, but sometimes it was fun to go eat out. "We should see if Ku Fei and the others want to come."
"Okay. Just let me go and wash my hair real quick!" Konoka said excitedly. She grabbed a blue towel and rushed into the adjoining bedroom.
"She must be excited. She didn't even correct you when you called her Ojou-sama," Kaede chuckled.
"True. She must not have been out in awhile. Right Asuna-san? Asuna-san?"
The two girls turned and saw that all of Asuna's attention was fixed on a picture on the coffee table. It was a picture of them back when they were in junior high. Asuna and Kaede were in the back, flashing peace signs. Konoka was in the front with her arms around a blushing Setsuna. Their cheeks were pressed together and they were smiling. In the middle of the picture was a smiling blond girl giving the person next to her bunny ears. The person next to Ku Fei was a bespectacled young boy around the age of ten. He had flaming crimson hair and bright brown eyes. He was smiling as he to was giving Ku Fei bunny ears. Setsuna and Kaede smiled sadly at the redheaded girl in front of them.
"Asuna-san, are you alright?" Setsuna asked. She knelt down beside the couch and placed her hand against Asuna's forearm.
The simple touch snapped Asuna out of her reverie. She glared down at Setsuna in indignation. "Of course I'm fine!" The fiery girl snapped. "What? Do you think that I actually miss that little brat?!"
Kaede smiled sadly at her fellow Baka Ranger. "It's okay if you miss him.-De Gozaru. We all do. Sometimes it's hard to think about him but we can't pretend like he wasn't here. That's even worse," she finished in a whisper.
"Kaede is right you know," Setsuna added. "You shouldn't be ashamed to miss him. He was more to us than just a teacher after all."
Asuna nodded. "Your right. He was a nuisance as well," she said stubbornly.
The other girls sighed and shook their head. Asuna would never admit, but she missed the boy just as much as they did. He was like Asuna's little brother after all. It had been five years since they last heard from the child teacher. After an 'accident' at the school he left without a single word. The girls of his class had no idea where he went or if he was even okay. It was hard for them after the impact the young mage had on their lives. They were able but to continue but would never forget him.
"Why does everyone look so sad?"
The three girls looked up and saw Konoka staring back at them curiously. Her hair was still a little damp after being washed. Asuna shook her head and jumped up from her spot on the couch. Talking about this in front of Konoka would surely upset the girl. She had never gotten over the way that their sensei left them. Then again, neither did any of the other girls in the class. No, tonight Konoka was happy and she would make sure it stayed that way.
"Nothing to worry about!" Asuna replied in false cheerfulness. "Just bummed out about having to work tomorrow!" Asuna frowned. She forgot that she had to work tomorrow.
Konoka stared at her roommate then at her two friends. She seemed to have bought the lie and smiled. "Don't worry at least you remembered this time. So where are we going to eat?" She asked, grabbing her jacket.
"How about the café," Setsuna suggested.
"You know Ku Fei will want nikuman," Kaede replied.
"Can't we just eat anywhere? I'm still hungry," Asuna whined.
"Come on. We better go. You know how Asuna get's when she's hungry."
What do you mean by that?!" Asuna growled. She chased Konoka out of the dorm room and down the hall.
Setsuna chuckled at the antics of her friends. On her way out of the door she grabbed a long red cloth that leaned against the wall. She swung the sword over her shoulder and walked out after them. Kaede followed her. Before she closed the door she turned and looked at the picture one last time. Her eyes immediately locked onto the young man in the photo.
"Negi-bozu," she whispered. She sighed and flicked off the lights. She pulled the door closed and stood there for a moment.
Two men stared into the icy eyes of the young woman in front of them. One of them was rather old maybe around his late seventies or early eighties. He had a long white beard that ended at a point in his lap. Large bushy eyebrows of the same color blocked his eyes from view. He had a bald head, except for the long ponytail at the back. He gently stoked his beard while he tried to come up with a plan.
The second man was much younger, perhaps around his early to mid thirties. He was tall, with a muscular build. His facial features were sharp and handsome. He was well shaven and his white hair was worn up in short spikes. He wore a crisp white suit over a black dress shirt. A tie that was a deep blood red completed the outfit. His sea blue eyes shimmered with a mixture of excitement and concern. It had been a long time since they had a situation that was worth reporting. He lit up another cigarette and inhaled deeply. He pushed his silver glasses further up onto his nose.
"Are you sure that this is something we should worry about, Mana-kun?" He asked the girl in front of him.
The girl in question gave a slight nod of her head. Tatsumiya Mana was a young girl around the age of nineteen. Mana was rather tall for a young Japanese girl. Her skin was bronzed and she had a lithe, yet muscular figure. Mana kept her dark brown hair long and straight. Two thick tresses of the hair hung down in front of her shoulders. Her outfit didn't resemble that of a normal college girl's, but it served Mana just fine. She wore a black calf length with a slit that started about quarter thigh. She wore a matching sleeveless top that was tied at the top with string. Her coat was a long, light weight three quarters duster that fell down to her shins. Mana's cold ice blue eyes stared blankly ahead; there was no emotion at all. Mana was mostly a loner and she preferred it that way.
"Yes Takahata-sensei," she answered in her monotone. She had addressed the younger of the two men.
"How many signatures did you sense?" Asked the older man.
"I sensed several signatures ranging from weak to moderate strength Konoe-sensei," Mana replied professionally. "There is also another signature, separate from the others."
"What about this signature?"
Mana shook her head. "It isn't human. However, it's unreadable."
Takamichi and the dean shared a glance. There weren't many people that were strong enough o distort their own aura. "I see," Konoemon nodded. "Keep your eyes open Mana-kun. Be careful and please keep an eye on my granddaughter."
"Yes sir." Mana walked back towards the office door. On her way she picked up a light brown guitar case.
"I'll walk out with you," Takamichi called after her. He snuffed his cigarette out in an ashtray and turned to face the dean. "I should at least alert Gandolfini and the other mage teachers."
The head master nodded and returned to his papers. Once he heard the door close he dropped his pen and sighed. "I'm getting too old for this."
Takamichi walked beside his former student, mulling over the possibilities in his head. "If you don't sense the signature, it's probably very weak." This gained no response form Mana. Not that he expected one in the first place. "Another option is that the person is strong enough to control the fluctuation of his aura." Again there was no response from the girl next to him. "Maybe you're just losing your touch?" Mana turned and glared at Takamichi; making him smile. "Just kidding. Still, I wonder what it could be."
"You have more experience than I do."
The duo turned a corner and Takamichi laughed. "True. We haven't had much of a problem with demons and such. Not since Negi-kun left."
Mana blinked slightly. She hadn't heard anyone speak the child mage's name in a long time. The girls in class never discussed hi much because it would only depress them. Mana wasn't like the rest of them. She didn't rely on him like a lot of the other girls did. She didn't see what the big deal was anyways. They all made it into college didn't they? True, there was a small part of Mana that missed the mage and wondered what he was up to. She wasn't heartless after all. Well not completely. The other part of her however, new that it came with the territory. She suspected that Negi would one day leave and was prepared for it more than the others.
"It's okay for you to miss him."
"I don't miss him," Mana said in a slightly bitter tone. "The way he left made things even easier."
"Well I suppose you know how you feel better than I do." Takamichi shrugged and continued walking.
"We have more important matters at hand."
Takamichi stopped and watched Mana walk towards the double doors at the end of the hall. "What if you come across this strange character? What will you do?"
"What I am required to," the girl answered coolly. "Even if I have to eliminate it."
Takamichi nodded. "Of course." As Mana walked out the door he whispered, "Be careful Mana-kun. Some things aren't always in black and white."
Mana walked out of the school building and into the warm night air. A slight breeze blew her hair out and around her face. She heard what Takamichi had said when she left. There was no time to worry about that though. The multiple energy signatures appeared to be progressing towards the center of the forest. The mysterious entity that she sensed moved in an erratic pattern. Could he be trying to reach the other signatures? It was possible that the two were working together. If they weren't, then which entity was more pressing? Mana had no clue. Maybe she was losing her touch.
"Mana!"
Mana glanced up from the ground to see who was calling her. Waving at her was a rather short and petite girl. The girls shoulder length blond hair was held up into two identical pigtails like things. She was dressed in some Chinese style dress that had a slit down the left side. Her big emerald colored eyes held the gleam of an excited child. Behind her were Asuna, Konoka, Setsuna and Kaede brought up the rear. Mana nodded in recognition to the girls.
"Ku, where are you guys headed?"
Asuna smiled up at her classmate. "We were on our way to get something to eat when we saw you standing here staring into space."
"Do you want to come with us Mana-chan?" Konoka asked happily.
'I am a little hungry,' Mana thought. As if to prove its point her stomach gave a slight growl. 'I'm supposed to be on a mission though. Well if anything comes up I'm sure Takamichi and the mage teachers can handle it. And the dean did ask me to keep a watch on Konoka.' Mana gave the girls a hesitant nod. "I guess that I could use something to eat."
"Good," Asuna cheered. "Let's go! I'm starving!"
Setsuna fell into step with Mana and regarded her with one open eye. "Why are you carrying your guitar case?"
Mana decided that the best way to answer was with another question. "Why are you carrying Yuunagi?"
Setsuna blushed in embarrassment. But before she could answer Ku Fei waved her hand excitedly. "I know! I know!" She put on her best Setsuna face and said, "I'm always prepared."
Asuna chuckled. "That does sound like you Setsuna-san!"
"Asuna-san!" Setsuna cried.
"Aha ha! It does sound a little like you Secchan!" Konoka agreed.
"Ojou-sama!"
"Secchan don't call me Ojou-sama!" Konoka whined.
"Y-yes!"
Asuna and Ku Fei both made whipping sounds to denote Setsuna's submissiveness. Mana looked over her shoulder and noticed that Kaede looked lost in thought. She stepped back from the spectacle of Setsuna chasing Asuna and Ku Fei. The gunslinger fell into step with Kaede, but kept her eyes on the ground.
"You seem distracted by something," Mana said crisply.
Kaede's head shot up when she realized that someone was talking to her. She glanced at Mana with her narrow eyes and shook her head. She didn't want to admit to the priestess (A.N: Mana as a priestess is so obviously a cover!) that she had been thinking about their former sensei. So she decided to say something that was at least semi true.
"I've just been having some strange dreams lately.-De Gozaru. Just trying to figure them out is all." The female ninja smiled and held up two fingers.
Mana nodded and left the situation at that. If Kaede wanted her to know what the dreams were about she would have said something. Despite the slight curiosity that it aroused, it was none of her business. Kaede was also relieved that Mana dropped the subject. She really wasn't in the mood to tell anyone about her dreams yet. Also, she knew that Mana wasn't the kind of person to go out of her way and find out was wrong with someone.
The group of girls continued to make their way around the campus. Even if the lights weren't on they could easily navigate it in the dark. They continued on in relative silence, enjoying the night. It was mid July and the sakura trees were in full bloom. The sweet scent of the cherry blossoms filled the night air. It almost didn't matter where one walked at this time of year. You were sure to be walking atop a thin layer of the petals. Another breeze picked up, blowing some of the flowers and petals into their path. Konoka grabbed a handful of the petals out of the air and threw them at the three girls around her. Growing older hadn't made her grow up one bit. Ku Fei retaliated by playfully throwing some of the petals back.
Kaede chuckled at her companions' behavior and Mana just shook her head. As the group turned on to Sakura Lane Kaede was once again at the back of the group. She hummed softly to herself while she walked. As much as she liked the daytime, she preferred the night. As far as even Kaede knew, there was no reason for it. A chill ran up the ninja's spine and she stopped. She jerked her head to the forest just in time to see some leaves rustling. She saw nothing, but for a slight movement. It came so fast that she couldn't really see what made the commotion. Kaede didn't notice that the rest of the girls stopped and were staring at her oddly.
"Is something wrong Kaede-chan?"
Kaede shook her head in response to Konoka's question. "I thought that I saw something in the woods."
Mana's hand tightened around the handle of her guitar case. This could be one of those creatures she sensed earlier. "What was it?"
"I don't know. I couldn't see it very well."
The man that had been scouting out the school was now running through the forest. He had been inside the dark forest for almost half an hour now. He hadn't realized sheer size of the forest. It made things exceptionally hard for him to locate his targets. Up ahead he sensed a strong group of people and pulled to a stop. He concentrated and reached out with all of his senses.
'There are six of them. Five of them appear to be human. One very strong magical signature, could be a mage. One of them is a demon of some kind and the rest are all human. Every one of them has such a strong aura. Could they be my targets?'
The young man looked up at the moon and sighed. The night was still young. He had plenty of time to complete his mission. Opting check out the suspicious signatures he leapt up into the trees. He ran as fast as he could, leaping from tree branch to tree branch. The people that he searched for were getting close. From his position in the forest he could see a road covered in cherry blossom petals. Just to be on the safe side he suppressed his own aura. He hunched down on the tree branch and waited for the targets to come into view.
He didn't have to wait long before a group of girls came into view. At the front of the group a brunette, redhead, and a blond were playing around and giggling. Another girl, one that felt very forbidding came into view. She was carrying wooden guitar case and appeared to be very strong. Another girl with a nodachi followed close to the brunette girl at the front. Bringing up the rear was a very tall girl with a ponytail and squinty eyes. When the young man saw the last girl in the group he felt a small pang in his head. Her signature seemed familiar and powerful.
'Damn!' He thought in surprise. 'That tall nee-chan must be real powerful. Same for the one with the guitar and the one with the sword. But they're all just girls in their teens. Can they really be that strong?'
As soon as that thought entered his head the tall girl turned her head to the forest. Her eyes traveled up to his approximate location. His own eyes widened before he leapt from the branch with inhuman speed. He took refuge behind a tree with much more foliage and continued to observe the girls.
"Is something wrong Kaede-chan?" One of the girls asked.
"I thought I saw something woods." He heard the tall one say.
"What was it?" asked the one with the guitar case.
The man watched her eyes turn a light shade of red and he felt a second pang. He had to grit his teeth to keep from cursing out loud. Could that tall one have actually seen him? What about the one that had the glowing eyes?
"I don't know. I couldn't see it very well."
You were probably imagining it! I bet it was just a stupid squirrel or something!" The redhead said loudly.
The young man's eyes narrowed even further. 'I better get out of here. I'm not supposed to be seen while on my mission.' He looked one more time at Kaede and his body flickered before disappearing.
After Kaede sensed something in the woods the girls seemed a little on edge. However, they weren't about to let their slight apprehension disturb their quest into the city. They were only half way down Sakura Lane when Konoka suddenly stopped.
"Oh no!" She exclaimed. "I forgot my purse back at the dorms!"
"Don't worry I'll pay for you," Asuna offered desperately. At this rate she would never get fed.
"No there was something in there that I wanted to return. I'll just run back and get it," she decided. "Wait here for me guys!"
"Wait! You shouldn't go by yourself!" Setsuna replied. "I'll go with you!"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"But…"
"Don't worry Secchan, the dorms are right there. Besides, there haven't been any demons around for a long time. I'll be fine."
The girls watched her run off with concerned looks on their faces. They knew that if they followed her, Konoka would be upset with them. The girl often had the feeling that she was always being treated like a baby. They all knew that if they followed Konoka she would throw that in their faces. Not to make them feel bad, but just to make a point However, they couldn't help but think that it was a bad idea to let her go off alone.
Konoka ran as fast as she could back to the dorms. To think that the others were treating her like a delicate flower again. She knew that they were just worried about her, but it still annoyed her. Just as she entered one of the campus's many courtyards she froze. Konoka got the feeling that someone had dumped a bucket of ice water of her head. She stood by the fountain; the night air suddenly became very cold to her. She could feel her heart beat faster and see her breath in the air. She steeled her courage and turned around. Nothing. The courtyard was devoid of any sign of life except for her. The only sound was the trickle of the waters in the fountain. Konoka sighed and turned back around.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Her shrill scream filled the night air.
"Konoka!" Asuna cried.
"Ojou-sama!" Setsuna released her sword from its cloth and took off like a shot. The others close behind her.
'Damnit!' Mana cursed mentally. 'I never should have let her go off alone!'
Konoka fell down by the fountain and began to back away from the creature in front of her. It was rather large, about the size of a grown man. Its body was covered in red scales. Its legs were thin but muscular. At the end of its ropey arms were web like hands with 15 centimeter long claws growing from them. His face was flat and ugly. Razor sharp teeth protruded from the creature's mouth and its yellow eyes glowed with demonic intent. Green string like hairs fell from the top of the things head. Its back looked like it had an extra thick hide that ended at the legs. The creature snarled at Konoka, drool dripping from its mouth.
Konoka was too paralyzed from fear to move. Why did she insist on going on her own? She wasn't a fighter and the others were too far away to help her. "Asuna, Secchan, help me," she whispered tearfully.
The creature reared back and leapt into the air. Konoka hid her face with her arms and waited for the creature to kill her. She clenched her eyes shut tight and cried out for the last time.
End Chapter
Well that's the first chapter for ya! Anyone wondering what happens next? Well you'll just have to wait! Mwahahahahaha! Let me know what you guys thought! Till next chapter!