I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story
An Eclipse Of Love And Sacrifice
The warm rays of the sun smeared through the window, spreading across the room and warming up his body. Negi laid there, feeling drowzy and tired after a long night. He was slumped across his bed with the covers half across his face as the light hurt his eyes. He was so use to waking up early that he never experianced a proper lie in. He had trouble keeping his eyes open as the bags under them weighed them down. Thank god it was saturday otherwise Negi would be crawling to school in his night wear. The crusty feeling of sleep in the corner of his eye's wasn't helping, it just gave him another reason to keep them shut. He pinched the top of his nose, right next to the tear ducts. He could feel his pupils burning as he rubbed the yellow crust of his eyes, clearing up his sight.
He continously blinked, trying to stop his image from being blurry. It took a few moments, but finally he could see properly, that didn't stop the annoying sting still beating around his eye sockets. He placed both his palms firmly on the springy bed and pushed himself up. As his back straightened up, he could feel his shoulders pump up with feeling, giving him that irritating crackling sound. He pulled his shoulders back, stretching them out and making the feeling turn from irritating to relief. With his hands still holding him up, Negi leaned foward with his legs still stretched out across the bed. He went light headed as the adreneline got the better of him, making his head spin. Negi wobbled around on the bed, trying not to dive back into his pillow.
He tilted his head around to the desk next to him. Slowly but uncontrollably, he reached out to find his glasses. His hand tapped around the wooden desk, almost knocking some objects off. He could feel the alarm clock and remembered that his glasses were to the right of it. Like a snake, his hand slithered around the clock where his hands clumped ontop of the round glass. He carefully gripped them and positioned them on his face. With his glasses on, he was amazed that he had trouble finding them in the first place, just what did he do last night?
His mouth opened wide as Negi yawned, moaning in the progress. Begin a gentleman, he placed his hand over his mouth, blocking any view of the inside of his mouth. He didn't know if anyone else was there, but that didn't mean he could be different. The same thought popped into his head, was Asuna and Konoka still in the room?
While rubbing one eye, his used the other to scan the area like a robot. To his suprise, Asuna wasn't there but Konoka was still fast asleep, that's a first for him. His attention turned to the clock on the same desk beside him. He tapped the top of it and turned the old piece of technology around, revealing the time to be 10:32AM.
"Yikes, I better get up".
Using his feet, he kicked the thick covers of him, it was a wonder how he didn't melt with both the covers and sun keeping him warm. As he twisted his feet around to jump of the bed, the springs make a grieving squeaking sound, making Negi shut one eye tight as the other checked on Konoka, hoping he didn't wake up. She was still sound asleep, relieving Negi of any stress. He quitely placed his feet on the ground and jumped up, finally feeling refreshed. Before he could do anything else, Negi had to open a window. There room was like an oven and they were gingerbread men, baking away.
The annoying thing was that the windows were right next to Konoka. Negi silenty sighed with frustration, he didn't want to wake her up. His sight changed back and forth between Konoka and the window, forcing Negi to question his luck. Being himself, he decided to take the risk and creeped across the floor...well, not creeped. It was more of a shuffle as his feet brushed through the soft carpet. He was taking his time, but it was worth it, not disturbing Konoka. He reached the window, a few inches away from the sleeping beauty. Now that he was close enough, he could get a better look at her. She was lying on her back with her head slightly tilted up. Her mouth was open as her seemingly silent breathing could be heard entering and exiting her mouth. The sight made Negi smile, Konoka looked adorable in his eyes.
Almost forgetting why he was there in the first place, he turned back to the clear glass. The window was high up, Negi didn't know if he could reach the handle. He raised his arm high and stretched it out, only inches away from te handle. He accidently made a grunting sound as he stretched higher, almost waking Konoka as she moved around abit. Negi grinded his teeth together, trying to stay quite. He went onto his tiptoes which raised him higher, allowing his hand to take a firm grip on the handle. He jerked the handle around, lifting it up and pushing the window open. A batch of fresh air flew into the room, giving Negi a sensational feeling as he breathed in. It was just what he needed to make him feel much better as the air flushed into his lungs, creating a pure feeling for him.
Air filled the room and cooled it down, allowing Negi to relax as he stumbled away from the window. Now that one problem was solved, he had to do his daily morning activites. Getting dressed, bushing his teeth, you name it. He wondered where Asuna could have run of to while walking over to the large wardrobe that took up a quatre of the room. He was still in deep thought at how all three of them managed to share such a small room, especially with such objects like the wardrobe taking up so much room, but then the thought would drift away when he remembered that he shouldn't really question it, after all, it was suppose to be a two person room.
Negi straightened up, ready to start the day doing...well, that was another problem, he had nothing to do. He would worry about that later, first things first, he needed to change. Using both hands, he grabbed hold of the wooden knobs glued on the wardrobe doors. He gently pulled them open, letting the smell of new clothes hit him. It wasn't a bad smell, it was a reminder letting him know that he never wore more than a few clothes like his teachers uniform. Maybe it was time to wear something new instead of being the same old Negi.
He rummiged around the long line of clothes to wear, picking out things that looked good and sliding them along his arm like a butler. He tried his best to keep away from the smart looking clothes like suits and looked for casual clothing. Now he really was acting his age, a rare sight. After what seemed to take forever, Negi finally found something to wear. He walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
Nearby, Konoka was slowly waking up, feeling refreshed after a long nights sleep. The air from the window whistled past her soft skin and tickled her. Unlike Negi, she went to sleep much earlier and had no trouble getting up. While leaning up, she ran her tongue across her teeth, creating a faint sucking sound as she could feel that they were still clean. It was amazing, whether it was morning or night, Konoka always looked the same...beautiful and adorable at the same time. She let out a little sigh while looking around, the room seemed to be empty, something Konoka was use to.
It wasn't until she heard water splashing down into something that her idea of being on her own again changed. She could hear the sound coming from the bathroom while pulling the covers of her. The room was cool and Konoka enjoyed the fresh air, it was something she looked foward to each day when waking up. Her legs slid across the bed and over the top, letting them dangle about as she changed her position from leaning up to sitting. The sound of water was still coming from the bathroom. She knew it was coming from the sinks taps because of the tone the water was making when it splashed, what she didn't know was who could be in there. She placed her finger of her left cheek and tilted her head to the side, looking innocent.
"I wonder who's still here..." whispered Konoka.
She didn't have to wait long, which was perfectly fine for Konoka. The door handle cranked down and the door calmly opened, followed by Negi in his casual clothes. Konoka's eyes widened when she saw Negi looking like he did, it was so unexpected. He was wearing a plain cloud white shirt with a black tank top over it. He was also wearing blue jeans, this was Negi's view of casual clothing. He didn't expect to see Konoka awake and there eyes connected. Konoka grinned with excitement.
"That look's great on you Negi-kun! You look so cute" smiled Konoka.
Negi rubbed the back of his head a smiled back, trying not to lose consentration.
"Hehe, thanks Konoka. Did I wake you up?" asked Negi.
"Hmm? Oh, no, I woke myself up" replied Konoka.
"That's good, I didn't want to disturb your slumber".
"I think it's you who needs more sleep. When I went to sleep, you were still awake, working on something".
"Eh? I guess I did stay up abit too late, but im fine now".
"Great! So where are you going?".
"Uh..honestly, no where. Im still wondering why I dressed into these cloths".
"Silly Negi, i'll have to arrange for us to do something then. Do you have any idea where Asuna could be?" asked Konoka.
"Nope, I was suprised that it was her gone and you still in bed" joked Negi.
"Haha, well, let me just get changed and we can go into town. We can ask Set-chan to come too!" informed Konoka.
"Sure, I bet she would love to come".
Konoka jumped out of her bed and dashed over to the wardrobe, leaving Negi to wait. Konoka wasn't the girl to take long when it came to changing, so Negi din't have to worry. She dived into the clothes, grabbing all sorts of things she would love too wear. Negi raised his eyebrows, when it came to clothes, girls went mad, even Konoka. She held out two shirts infront her, looking into the nearby mirror and matching herself with them. It was a hard choice, so she decided to let Negi choice.
"Which one do you think looks better?" asked Konoka.
The question caught him by suprise, Negi truly thought that Konoka looked good in whatever she wore, didn't she think that? He hesitated for a moment, letting Konoka's innocent face completely take him over and force him to answer.
"Uh..well I...honestly, you look great in both of them..." stuttered Negi.
"Aww Negi, your so sweet to me. I'll wear this one!" smiled Konoka.
She chose to wear a bright pink shirt with stitches crossing over each other around the edges. All Negi could do was watch as Konoka started to search for trousers to wear, hoping she wouldn't ask him the same question. He could barely look at her without thinking about how cute she acted, which was bad for him being her teacher. With the shirt out the way, Konoka had no problem picking out the rest of her clothes on her own and rushed into the bathroom. Negi could feel her positive attitude splash onto him, which actully felt comforting. She was bursting with excitement, being able to spend more time with Setsuna. The door quickly closed and all Negi could do now was wait, he didn't expect her to be to long.
"She sure is energetic. Maybe we'll run into Asuna on the way there" thought Negi.
To pass the time, Negi looked out the window to explore the beauty of nature. There was certainly alot around Mahora that Negi never had time to take notice of. The tree's coloured up the area with it's pure green leaves. Some would fall off thanks to a strong gust of wind that unexpectedly came every now and then. They would gracefully become apart of the wind and flow through the air, gracefully twirling around and gently landing on the ground.
The flowers would blossom as pollen sprinkled away, glistening in the air and making the area brighten up. The flowers were all in a line, creating a pathway of natural beauty as there pettle's created a rainbow between themselves. To top it all of, the nearby fountain would create the calm oceon sound that relaxed the are. The sun would reflect it's ray of the sparkling water and create happiness to everyone. The sight was truely perfect, an even bigger reason for Negi to go ut today.
With so much going on, Negi didn't notice that Konoka was standing behind him, ready to go. She gently tapped on his shoulder and gave him a quick fright, making him shoot up like a star before turning around.
"Opps! I didn't mean to scare you" said Konoka.
Completely ignoring the comment, Negi looked at Konoka from head to toe. He didn't think it was possible, but Konoka was even more cute than before thanks to the clothing. He was in a trans for a few seconds, before finally snapping out of it.
"Now your the one who looks great!" complimented Negi.
"You really think so? I thought it was abit to much" replied Konoka.
"No no, it's fine. Let's get going then, im sure Setsuna will be happy to see you" said Negi.
They both started to walk. Negi being himself again, opened the door and allowed Konoka out first. She simply giggled and thanked him, walking through the doorway and shortly followed by him.
The room was quite, just how Setsuna liked it. In her spare time when she wasn't protecting Konoka, which was hardly ever, she would quitely sit in the middle of her room, crossed legged while entrenching her inner thoughts. The blinds were drawn and the lights were off, letting the candles she had lit release a scent that helped her relax and consentrate. They created a gloomy atmosphere that Setstuna could use to block out thoughts she didn't like. The room would feel like the oceon, calm and wavy. The small flames around the room would glow bright, igniting itself even further as it let out heat waves. Setsuna didn't see it like that though, the flames were her elements. Each one represented apart of herself, some would be stronger than others and she intended to keep them balanced. Her breathing would stay calm until she reached her weakess element, love. No matter how hard she would try, the flame was always unbalanced which made Setsuna question herself, her love for a certain person.
Every single time, no matter what the time, what the place, Setsuna couldn't control that one flame in her life. Her hands, which were firmly on her knees, resting themselves, would cringe themselves and tightly grip her clothes, creasing them up. It irritated her, not being able to keep herself from loving this person. At the same time though, she would enjoy it, feeling good about herself knowing that in someway, she has a right to love.
A knock was heard at the door, breaking Setsuna's consentration and dimming the candles. Setsuna silently sighed, the only time someone knocked on her door was if there was trouble. She couldn't ignore the knock, but at the same time she wasn't particually excited about opening it either. Her knees bent foward as she pushed herself of the ground, calmy getting to her feet. The swordsman walked over to the door as her blade dangled on her right, bouncing off her hip.
Her arm reached out for the handle and she took a firm grip on it. Without hesitation, she pulled the handle down and allowed the door to open. She expected someone to be standing there, but what she didn't expect was that someone to be Konoka with Negi not far behind her. She immediantly took notice of Konoka's clothing as the beauty of her hit Setsuna like a missle, knocking her mind back with amazement.
"Ah! Ojou-sama!" said Setsuna, she sounded startled.
"Set-Chaaan!" smiled Konoka.
Wthout warning, Konoka jumped at Setsuna, wrapping her arms around her neck and hugging her. Setsuna didn't know how to respond, she was temporerily paralyzed at the sudden actions of Konoka.
"It's been so long since we talked to each other!" shouted Konoka cheerfully.
Setsuna's face blushed a rosey red colour, she didn't know what Konoka meant by that.
"O-Ojou-sama, it's only been a day since we last spoke" stuttered Setsuna.
"Really? It felt longer to me" smiled Konoka.
She released her grip of Setsuna and backed away, giving Setsuna a chance to regain her senses. She never expected Konoka to knock at her door and was unprepared.
"My mistress, is there anything you need?" Setsuna politely asked.
"Mistress? Set-chan, you know I hate being called that, especially by you" grieved Konoka, she gave Setsuna a silly face, trying not to look disappointed.
"Forgive me. It was so sudden of your arrival" replied Setsuna.
"Well, it's a nice day so me and Negi were wondering if you want to go into town with us" winked Konoka.
Despite the fact that Konoka was driving Setsuna mad with both her looks and kindness, she was still able to give an immediant response, only barely.
"I would like that" smiled Setsuna.
"Great! But you can't go looking like that, you would look silly!" chuckled Konoka.
Although Setsuna was a little weary at first, she did have a point. Going into town with a long robe and clothes that were meant for relaxing wasn't the most appropriate thing to do. Konoka jumped for joy as the two entered her room and shut the door, leaving Negi to wonder what just happened...does the door slamming in his face usually mean they'll be out in a minute or...?
Konoka could smell the sweet scent of the candles, it aroused her senses and made them tingle with enjoyment. Although the darkness in the room was ruining the moment, Konoka tutted as she leeched herself against the wall, trying to find the light switch.
"Set-chan, you shouldn't sit in darkness like this" informed Konoka.
Konoka had hardly ever been in Setsuna's room, she wondered why Setsuna never invited anyone to stay for a little while. She could feel the heat from the candles in the air and on the wall, how could Setsuna stay in such a hot area for so long? The question kept Konoka amused until she felt the switch run across her fingers. She flicked it up and the light bulb sparked, creating light. The whole room brightened up, taking away it's gloomy feeling and revealing Setsuna's very clean room. The room was still hot though, almost making Konoka sweat. She ran her arm over her forehead, letting Setsuna know that she was hot.
"Sorry about the temperature..." apologized Setsuna.
"That's ok. We should find something for you to wear" smiled Konoka.
Setsuna wasn't use to wearing anything else but her school uniform and special clothing that was only worn on certain occasions. If she did have any casual clothing, she wouldn't be suprised if they were from her childhood. While Setsuna was in deep thoughts, Konoka grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her away from the door. All Setsuna could do was stutter as they walked over to her draws.
"So, what are you going to wear?" asked Konoka.
"Uh...im not really sure" replied Setsuna.
Konoka just smiled, picking out something for Setsuna was going to be fun for her...if Setsuna allowed it.
"Do you want me to find something for you?" asked Konoka.
Setsuna blankly blinked at her, Konoka was actually enjoying herself which made Setsuna happy.
"I...would like that" smiled Setsuna.
Negi was patiently waiting outside, he didn't really know what the two of them were doing, but was sure they would be out any minute. The fact that the room was quite didn't bother him, all he could do was wait and he knew it. He leaned against the wall opposite the door, knowing that he still had the whole day to have fun, waiting two or three minutes wasn't going to change anything...at least, he hoped it would only be that long. Negi was patient, but he wasn't the master of waiting. What more could he do though? Leaving the two of them would just be crawl.
Negi then thought of something, why is he talking like there going to be forever? All they are doing is changing clothes, why complain about that?
"Must be my lack of sleep effecting the brain..." thought Negi.
Finally the door opened, dragging Negi away from his thoughts and turning his attention to them. His eyes opened with suprise as Setsuna walked out first. She was wearing a plan white shirt with a teal blouse over her shoulders. Negi really was suprises at how good Setsuna looked in casual clothing. The only things that wasn't different was her hair and sword, although Negi already expected that, Setsuna being the bodyguard of Konoka.
"You look great, both of you do!" smiled Negi.
Setsuna, still unsure about her clothing, managed to put on a smile, trying to hide the small embarressment she had coming out of her.
"T-Thank you...sensei" whispered Setsuna.
"Were all ready! Lets go!" shouted Konoka.
The three of them started walking, ready to start the day. Although what they didn't know was...something small was coming there way, and if they got involved, it will become something big.
The three of them walked in sync with each other as they approched the town. The day seemed perfect, the sun was out, the grass was pure green and brought the colour out of nature. Birds were cheerfully singing to one another and lightened of the mood. To all there suprise, the town was busier than usual, but who could blame them? Everything about the area around Mahora was in rhymth and the temperature was just right. How could anyone possibly stay in on a day like this? It didn't bother them that much though, they were there just to have fun. The suns rays beat down on them, starting to make everyone feel dehydrated. The irony, they had only been out for a few minutes and already they were thirsty.
They could feel there lips drying up, creating an uncomfortable feeling. Neither of them could resist the temptation to lick them, trying to keep them wet until something could satisfy there thirst. There feet strolled into the heavily crowded town. Each of them stayed close to one another while trying to squeeze past large groups of people. It wasn't how they expected the start of there day, but anything was better than sitting inside.
"The town is quite busy today, we should find somewhere to stay until we plan out the rest of our day" suggested Negi.
"Let's go to the juice bar close to here, I think we all need a drink" replied Konoka.
They all agreed without hesitation. The funny thing about the small trip was Setsuna. Her exposed blade made people move away from them, allowing an easier access to there destination. It was a mystery to how no one was asking why a teenager was walking around with a large sword, but neither of them complained. Although...if anyone did ask, you can be sure Setsuna wouldn't hesitate to answer both mentally and physically if the question sounded like a threat.
Passing the last of the crowd, they managed to reach the juice bar faster than they thought they would. They looked around, tying to find a spot to sit. The juice bare was reletively busy, but not enough to scare the three away.
"Lets sit there" notified Konoka as she pointed over to a table. There was three empty chairs, just there luck!
They all slumped into the chairs, dieing of thirst. Although he was the youngest and needed more rest than the other two, Negi happily offered to get the drinks.
"I'll get the drinks, what would you two like?" asked Negi.
The two well dressed girls looked at each other, trying to think of what they would want. It was funny to them, whenever they wanted a drink but only had seconds to decide, it was like a school test they didn't study for. The two took a moment before turning back to Negi with there answer.
"Orange juice" Konoka and Setsuna said together.
The three of them laughed together, enjoying the moment. Setsuna was especially having fun, which she wasn't use too. The only other times she got to spend with Negi and Konoka was either training, school or when something threatened the safety of others. During those events, there was no time for fun.
"Be back in a second" smiled Negi.
He walked away and joined the long line, leaving Konoka and Setsuna to talk. The two of them were quite at first, not knowing what to talk about. It was a little awkward, being childhood friends that hit a wall during there friendship. After so many years, they finally feel comfortable talking again...so why couldn't they think of anything? Konoka quitely cleared her throat, letting Setsuna know that she was ready to speak.
"The day sure is beautiful" said Konoka.
"I agree, it seems perfect" replied Setsuna.
"If only everyday was like this. I would spend all of it with you Set-chan" smiled Konoka.
The comment made Setsuna flinch with suspence, Konoka was just making this harder for her.
"Thats...sweet Ojou-sama, but I-"
Konoka tilted her head to the side and made a funny face at Setsuna. She covered her mouth with her fingers, clearly making it obvious that she was smirking. Konoka laughed, she enjoyed making Setsuna happy and loved it when she smiled.
"Your smiles so great Set-chan, it makes me happy" informed Konoka.
"Y-You really think so?" whispered Setsuna, she was fascinated now.
"Of course" smiled Konoka.
There time together didn't last long. Negi was calling out to them, letting them know that there drinks were on the way. As they both turned, they watched Negi carefully approching them, struggling to hold all three drinks. Setsuna rose from her seat and made her way over to Negi.
"Need any help?" asked Setsuna.
Negi made a faint "Hehe" sound as Setsuna held both her hands out. He shuffled foward, giving them there drinks while still holding onto his. Setsuna gripped the glass cups and took them of his hands, allowing Negi to stop worrying. Setsuna smiled and turned around, ready to hand over Konoka's drink. Just as Negi was about to thank her, a women came running through the crowds. The two accidently collided. The women being older and heavier than Negi, she couldn't stop herself from falling on top of him. Negi's back landed hard onto the concrete and graced it. The glass he had in his hand hit the floor, shattering into pieces as the fluid spilled over Negi.
The women laid on top of Negi, slightly dazed by what just happened. The crowds around them watched the two lay on the ground. Some gasped, hoping they were ok, others just whispered to there friends and family. Negi had his eyes closed at first from when he prepared for the impact, but slowly opened them. He took a good look at the women who had bumped into him. She had blonde hair and blue eyes while having a worried look on here face. The cuts and scratches on Negi's back started to sting, but he blocked the pain out.
"Uhh...are you ok?" asked Negi.
The women pushed herself up while still on top of him. Her worries grew even larger when she could see Negi properly. All he could do was wait for a reply, quickly taking note of the womens expressions and concerning him.
"Y-Your N-Negi Spingfield!" shouted the girl, she sounded shocked.
Negi's eyes opened with interest. A women he had never met before knew his name. It raised so many questions that he wanted answered immediantly. He could feel the women shaking, she was nervous. Why though? Negi wasn't going to hurt her and he didn't do anything in the past that would scare others...which meant that she had done something wrong. Negi breathed in hard and looked her straight in her eyes, trying to detect any lies.
"H-How do you know my name?" questioned Negi.
The women flinched, hesitating for an answer. She desperately looked around, trying to look for an escape route.
"Forgive me!" shouted the women.
She dashed to her feet and started to run, bashing through crowds and trying to escape from Negi's sight. By the time Negi got to his feet, the women was gone. He wanted to chase after her, but he couldn't leave Setsuna and Konoka to take the blame for the broken glass. He sighed with confusion and turned to Setsuna.
"Are you ok?" asked Setsuna.
Negi took his time answering, all he could think of now was finding that women. Just when he thought about it, he quickly remembered the day out he was suppose to have with Konoka and Setsuna. He didn't want to abandon them or drag them along to his search. He just had to accept that finding her was going to be impossable in the large groups of people, he was going to have to take the risk and hope that she knew his name from somewhere else, the tourmament perhapes? It was possible. He smiled, trying to convice Setsuna that everything was ok.
"Im fine" smiled Negi.
The fluid that was Negi's drink dripped from his face. His hair flopped down infront of his eyes, now he knew how Nodoka felt. He couldn't help but blow up, dangling his hair about while making the other two smile, that was sure to convince them that everything was ok even if it wasn't. How was he suppose to enjoy his day now? There short fun moment was over when one of the workers started to stom over, he didn't look happy. Maybe since Negi was ten, the man would go easy on him?
Negi nervously turned, awaiting his punishment. The man was twice his size and had to look down just to see him. Negi silently gulped, he could hear the mans knuckles crack...all this because of a glass?
"I apologize for the mess. I will pay for the glass" said Negi.
The mans expression changed from angry to relieved. Negi started to get very confused.
"Don't worry about it kid, it wasn't you fault. I saw everything with you and the women" replied the man as he smiled.
"Ah! Does that mean?".
"No charges for the glass. Im just angry that the women didn't even try to help you up. How old are you? You look about eight or nine".
"Eh? Im ten".
The man raised his eyebrows, not expecting Negi to say he was ten. He just shrugged it off though and continued to talk.
"Well, I better get back to work. Since your drink was rudely knocked out of your hands, the next ones free" smiled the man.
Negi was suprised, a man that looked so scary was being nice to him, there's something you don't see everyday. He watched the man walk away, letting Negi turrn his attention to Setsuna and Konoka.
"He seemed nice" noted Konoka.
Negi could see Setsuna with her hand on her blade, she didn't think the same at first.
"Hehe, lets just enjoy the rest of our day" smiled Negi.
After a long day, the night was finally appearing. There was so much to do in the one town that all three of them lost track of time, but they didn't mind. This was the most fun they had in weeks. What kept them entertained the most was each other. They would talk and laugh while strolling past certain shops they were looking for, making the day last even longer, but why complain about having fun? The town started to get empty, meaning that they could roam around more.
Negi tried his hardest to forget the incident that happened early in the morning, but the harder he tried, the more it would come to his mind. It was impossable to enjoy the day when you wasn't fully enjoying it. The three of them were standing in a circle, waiting outside a shop. They were all experiancing the night's beauty as they looked up. The stars twinkled bright, clearing the sky of any clouds and revealing the pure sky. The moon made it even better, it glistened in the air like a diamand and made the water calmly swerve up and down, creating the relaxing sound of waves sloping around. It was strange but, the air seemed so much clearer during night. Negi had an idea that it was because less people were around, giving the air more space to move and less people would breath it in.
Whether it was that, or some other strange reason, the night was just as perfect as the morning. Although, stores were closing down and there wasn't much reason to stay, they did anyway. Each of them knew that they didn't need shops to have fun, not when they had each other.
"Today has been great" said Negi, he was still trying to convince the two that nothing was bothering him.
"It sure has, we should do it again soon!" shouted Konoka.
"Maybe...we'll see how everything goes" replied Setsuna.
Konoka was feeling great, being able to spend the day with Setsuna. If only everyday could be like that, but she knew it wouldn't, not when Setsuna was bound to her duties. Eventully though, maybe not now, maybe not later, but some day, Konoka would want Setsuna to stop treating her like a queen and more like family, it was only a matter of time. Until then, Konoka was just happy that there friendship was back together. The shop next to them wasn't closed yet, which gave Konoka a chance to spend more time with Setsuna and Negi.
"Let's look in here" pointed Konoka.
The shop was usual, a place where they could look around for certain items at low prices. That wasn't why Konoka wanted to go in the shop, she just wanted the day to continue.
"You two go ahead, i'll wait out here for you" smiled Negi.
If it wasn't for his smile, Konoka would have been so sure that he didn't want to go with them because of a certain reason. Luckily she knew him better than that, knowing that something was probably on his mind. It would be best to not ask him why he didn't want to come, incase it was personal.
"Ok, me and Set-chan wont take long" smiled Konoka.
Setsuna didn't argue with her, she was going to go with her whether she asked or not. Konoka happily skipped into the shop, leaving Setsuna to reminisce with Negi. During the hole day she could see in Negi's eyes that something was bothering him, she just didn't ask incase it ruined the day.
"Whats wrong?" asked Setsuna.
"Did I make it that obvious?" replied Negi.
"Pretty much".
Negi sighed with grief, if Setsuna could see that something was bothering him, Konoka could too. He destroyed the perfect day.
"It was the incident that happened earlier today at the juice bar. That women knew my name" exaplained Negi.
"Don't worry about it. Im sure it's nothing, she may have remembered you from the festival tournemant" replied Setsuna.
She couldn't talk anymore otherwise Konoka would be too far ahead, Setsuna gave Negi a comforting smile and started to turn. She walked into the shop with Konoka and left Negi on his own.
What Negi didn't tell Setsuna was that the women seemed scared of him, that was bothering him the most. Did he do something to intimidate her? No, not Negi, not a ten year old boy. There had to be another reason, something that Negi wasn't seeing. The idea's that came to his mind worried him, what if she knew about his magic and that was why she as scared. That was very unlikely though, unless the website Chisame was reading back at the tournemant had confirmed it. His biggest secret all over the internet, that would be a horrific discovery. Negi could put that thought to rest though, if that is what really happened, there would be chaos around Mahora. No signs of that have happened which means his secret was still safe.
He slapped his hand across his chest, feeling his heartbeats slowly return back to normal after that worrying explanation. He noticed that the area around them was almost empty with only a few remaining people. One of those people caught his attention.
"Could it be?" wondered Negi.
Across the street, trying to blend in with the darkness, was the blonde haired women. She was acting suspicious and tried not to draw attention to herself. She didn't do a very good job however when Negi spotted her. She was turning her head side to side, looking out for something. The street was now clear, leaving the two in clear sight. Negi glared at her as she turned her attention to him where there eyes connected. Negi, completely forgetting about any consequences, called out to her.
"Hey!" shouted Negi.
The women gasped. As he stared to walk over, she turned and ran, forcing Negi to persue. Her footsteps echoed around the town as she clanked her feet hard on the floor, trying to lose Negi again. This time though, he was determined to catch her. With her getting the head start, Negi had some catching up to do, if only he had his staff. The women started to make sharp turns, dashing around corners and increasing her speed. Negi was having trouble keeping up with her, luckily he knew the town well, taking shortcuts that almost cut her off. As she turned another corner, Negi made his way down an alleyway, breathing heavily as he did. Just as he appeared onto the streets, the women ran past him, inches away from his grip.
"Stop!" ordered Negi.
She ignored his comment and continued to run, although even adults start to get tired. She was slowing down, allowing Negi to catch up before he needed a rest. The two were going at the same speeds, which in a way was good and bad. Now Negi had an easier time keeping his eye on her while at the same time knowing that he wasn't going to catch her like this.
"I just want to talk!" shouted Negi.
"Please stop following me!" replied the women.
Just what had she done? That was the main question he wanted to ask. As he moved closer to her, his ears picked up a chant. It was a low level chant, but magic was magic! The women was a mage, just like him. That answered so many of his question relating to how she may have known hisname, but raised even more questions to why she was here. The women slightly turned, stretching her arm out and pointing her palm out at Negi.
"Practe Bigi Nar Ardescat!" chaned the women.
"A beginners incantation? She's a mage!" thought Negi.
Suddenly, apart of his shirt ignited into flames. Not enough to harm him, but enough to startle him. He screeched to a halt, frantically patting the flame with his palm. The fire didn't do anything, infact, it didn't even feel like it was burning which means that the women didn't want to harm Negi. He dimmed the flame and looked back up. The women was further up the street, out of his reach.
"If she's a mage then I can use my magic" thought Negi.
He started running again, the small rest he managed to obtain was enough to catch up with the tired women. Negi lifted his palm and aimed in infront of the women. He had to time it right so he didn't hit her.
"O One Spirit of Wind, Come together and strike mine enemy" chanted Negi.
A large bright arrow bursted out of his hand, wizzing through the air and heading for the women. The magic dived into the ground infront of her and exploded, staggering her back. It only lasted a few seconds though, allowing Negi to be a few inches behind the women as she started to run again. Realising how close he was, she picked up the pace and somehow managed to leave Negi in the dust. She took another turn, forcing Negi to groan with annoyance. He took another trip down a diffferent alleyway. This time though, when he exited himself back into the streets, the women was still running up the street, attempting to get away. Negi jumped to the middle of the streets and stretched out his arms, forcing the women to screech to a halt. They both gasped heavily, trying to regain there breath.
"I j-just want...to ask you some questions!" puffed Negi.
The girl covered half her face with disbelief, unable to accept that this was happening. They both glared at each other, waiting for the next sentance to be said.
"Please, just go away" begged the women.
"I can't allow that, not when your a mage trying to run away" replied Negi.
The women sighed. Negi could see she was desperate to get somewhere, he also noticed something in here hand. His first thoughts was that she might be a thief, but there was so many other options. Out of nowhere, she charged Negi. Just as he was about to raise his hands up to block her, she took a sharp right and jumped to the side. Her feet connected with the wall and stuck on them like glue. She stealthely ran around Negi before flipping back onto the ground. The sudden move caught Negi by suprise, she was very skilled and flexable, a little like Kaede. Just as he turned, the women crawled through a small gap in the wall, leading to what appeared to be a self made shelter. She was quick, but not quick enough to escape Negi's eyes.
Negi quitely walked over to the hole, trying to use the element of suprise to his advantage. He placed his hands around the hole and leaned down. While pulling his head closer, he could hear the women talking, but to who? He poked his head through the hole and saw the women. She had her back to him and leaned down, looking at something while talking. Negi tilted his head, the shelter was dark and damp, he wondered why the women was staying there. Surely she had a job and money? Negi watched her palm open, revealing to what appeared to be food. If she was a thief, then she wasn't a very good one. What she too was only enough for...a child? Negi's eyes widened with shock as the women move to one side, revealing a small, cold, scared child. She was dirty and tired, but the sight of food made her smile as she dug into it, eating it as fast as Negi had ever seen anyone eat.
Maybe she did steal it...but it was for a good cause. As a teacher and gentleman, he couldn't leave the two here like this. Negi pushed his legs through the hole, accidently knocking some rocks onto the solid ground and alerting to two strangers. As they turned, Negi was pulling his upper body through the hole, giving the women a chance to raise her guard. Negi could feel his legs aching from the intense running, not only that, he had also left Setsuna and Konoka on there own...but it was for a good reason. He brushed himself down and looked up at the two.
"Im sorry for being an intruder but...you shouldn't be living like this" informed Negi.
The floor was covered in dirt and litter. A strange smell scented the small room and it wasn't very nice. The walls had a mysterious slime scattered across the wall. Negi wondered how they could cope with so much disgusting things around.
"Please, if you try and help us, you will be putting my daughter in danger. Just leave" replied the women.
Putting her daughter in danger? Just what did this women hear about Negi? Surely there was a reasonable explanation.
"What are you talking about? What's going on?" questioned Negi.
"I can't tell you...at least...not infront of my daughter".
"Then can I at least offer you someone nice to stay? We can talk there, I wont take no for an answer if it means leaving you out here".
"Why must you make this so hard...".
"Because I care about you and your daughters safety. Please, take a long look at your daughter and tell me you want her to stay here over night".
The women did exactly that and watched her daughter. She shivering with both coldness and fear. Her face was smeared with dirt and she was curled into a ball, struggling to eat the food she had brought her. The women was so tied up in making sure she was safe from other things, it didn't cme to her mind at what her daughter might want, and she knows that her answer would be to go with Negi.
"Very well..." whispered the women.
Negi was relieved and smiled, happy to know that they wouldn't have to suffer out here for much longer. The questions he wanted to ask can wait, there safety was his first priority. Luckily to get back to Mahora, they had to go in the direction where Setsuna and Konoka will most proberbly be waiting, wondering why Negi was gone.
"Follow me" smiled Negi.
Negi, Setsuna and Asuna were in the main room with the women while Konoka was in the bathroom with the little girl, running a bath for her. Setsuna and Konoka's reactions to finding Negi with two strangers were reasonable. Back at the shop where they were waiting for Negi, a long awkward silence took over. Negi had trouble explaining what happened at first...but after a while they all understood. Asuna on the other hand is still fuming with why another two people that she hasn't even met have to stay with them for the night. Wasn't there room full enough? Aparently not in Negi's eyes.
The women sat quitely in the warm room. She had a mixed feelings of happiness for her daughter and concern for being around another mage. She could see in the corner of her eye the three of them staring at her, but ignored the annoying feeling. Negi couldn't help but stare. The women was young and beautiful, but with so much going o, where was he going to start?
"So, whats your name?" asked Negi.
The women didn't bother looking at him, infact, she slightly tilted her head away. Negi found it hard to talk to her, it was only when Asuna started whisper in his ear that his eyes we finally drawn away from the women.
"What do you think this is? A hotel? I can't believe you're trying to make friends with another mage you haven't even met before" whispered Asuna.
"I agree sensei, she may look sweet, but for all we could know, she may be different" said Setsuna.
"I couldn't leave them of the street, im just going to have to ask more questions unt-"
"My names Alicia and my daughters names Joy. I would prefere it if you didn't talk about me behind my back" growled Alicia.
The three of them blankly blinked at her, if it wasn't for Konoka and Joy's laughter from the other room, everything would be silent again. Alicia was amazed, she would see Joy smile every now and then but this was the first time she heard her daughters laughter in a long time. The sound was sweet and innocent, which made Alicia happy. Knowing her daughter was enjoying herself gave her courage and made her feel comfortable answering Negi's questions.
"What else would you like to know...".
Negi hummed with fascination. Now he could try and get some answers without any problems.
"How did you know my name?" asked Negi.
"Your Negi Springfield, all mages know about you thanks to your dad's fame" answered Alicia.
It was an obvious answer, Negi should have known it but didn't. He hesitated to ask another question, wondering what to ask.
"Where are you from?".
"Australia".
"Wow! That's pretty far" interrupted Asuna.
"There must be an important reason why your here" noted Setsuna.
"There is...im trying to get to Egypt. I wanted to fly there but all the seats were booked. I couldn't wait and the only flight that was even close to Egypt was Japan.
"Why are you trying to get to Egypt? How did you end up on the streets?" questioned Negi.
"Im trying to get to Egypt to...save my daughters life".
The answer made everyone straightened up and raise there eyebrows, now they were really interested.
"Your daughters life? What happened?" asked Setsuna.
Alicia finally turned to them, they only way to clearly explain it was by telling them. She hated doing it though because it brought sadness to her life. She looked at the three of them, watching there eyes consentrate on nothing but her. Her daughters laughing wasn't helping, it just made everything even harder. The memory brought a tear to her eye and it gracefully dripped down her cheek. She covered her mouth, trying to hide the sadness that was unravelling itself.
"Almost three years ago, me and my daughter were happily living in a small village. We were a poor community but our lives were better than they are now. We would be like a farm, growing crops and gathering supplies from our animals. Me being a mage, we had some extra luck with the amount we got...but all that changed. For absolutely no reason, a demon attacked our village. Alot of our friends died that day...including my husband".
Alicia started to sniff, trying to hold the tears in. But the story's sadness didn't end there.
"We were the last few alive in the village. I tried so hard to protect my daughter but it wasn't enough. The demon found me entertaining to watch, it loved watching to see how far I would go to save my daughter...and that's when it came up with an idea. The demon offered me something...it offered my daughters life. There was a catch though, it would only allow her to live...for three...more...years. It told me that if I truely care about my daughter, I would go to the end of the world for her to find the cure to lift the curse" explained Alicia.
She couldn't hold them in anymore. The tears started to fall and she made faint weaping sounds. Setsuna walked over to comfort her. She sat her down and placed her arm around her neck and over Alicia's shoulder.
"What was the cure to lift the curse?" asked Setsuna.
"T-The cure was...to find a solar eclipse and be in the middle of it. I have been trying to find one for almost three years now but each time I was close...something would stop us in our tracks whether it be the weather or a sickness. I have been doing research and the next eclipse should be in Egypt".
The story made everyone feel sorry for her, she would do anything to save her daughter and she has tried so hard...only to fail each time.
"What did the demon exactly say when he offered you the deal?" asked Setsuna.
"Uh...if I remember correctly, it said".
"Those who are willing to kill themselves for others truly are fascinating. What more will thy do with there life? I have a proposal for you. I give you her life, and in return I want you to attempt to save her by doing almost the impossable for a mere mortal like you. When the sun and moon line up against the earth, those who possess the curse will be free from it's grasp. Three years...I will give you three years to prove your love to this...simpleton. Only you and you alone can help her achieve this cure. If any new mortal interferes, I will not hesitate to bring the pain down upon there souls. Remember...three years, for when your lifeline is up, I will come for her and take her away from you, creating nothing but suffering from your pathetic life".
"How long do you have left?" asked Negi.
"A week...this is our last chance otherwise...i'll lose my daughter...I can't live without her, I just...I can't. She's all I have left, she is the only thing that is keeping me going".
"Then let me help you" said Negi.
"No, no you can't. The demon specificully told me that if any other mage helped, it would be allowed to intervene how ever it wanted. That's why I was running away from you. I had no choice but to accept the offer otherwise it would have killed my daughter right there. Over the past two years I have been reseaching and travelling all over the word, trying to reach certain places. Every last ounce of money I have earned has gone to plane and train tickets to places that took me closest to my destination".
"Well...how do you plan on getting there now?" asked Asuna.
"Honestly...I don't know. I don't think I can either...that's what makes this so painful" replied Alicia.
"No demon is going to stand in my way, im going to help you with both getting there and saving your daughter. We can talk to the dean and ask him for help with getting there. The rest can be up to us" smiled Negi.
"But...the demon will kill you and stop us".
"I have faced a few demons before. One even thought it could come to Mahora to defeat me and a friend, we showed him though" smirked Negi, he gave a quick thumbs up.
"I...I still don't know".
"Too be honest, you haven't really got a choice. You need our help getting there safely so taking us is your best bet" said Asuna.
"Well...yes but...".
"Listen, I wasn't a hundred percent with you staying here...but your story has changed my mind. Get some rest and we will sort everything out tommorow" replied Asuna.
Alicia looked up at Setsuna who gave her a comforting nod. Her tears of sadness turned to tears of happiness and she smiled, finally she had a chance of saving her daughter. Speaking of her daughter, the bathroom door opened and Joy ran out, looking sparkling clean. Her attention immediantly turned to her sobbing mother and she ran over to her with open arms, giving her a hug.
"What's wrong mummy?" asked Joy.
One of her tears fell onto Joys cheek. She placed her face over the side of her face and wiped it off using her thumb. Joy looked so sweet and innocent.
"Nothing...nothings wrong. Everything's going to be just fine" whispered Alicia.
She looked up Setsuna,Negi, Asuna and Konoka, giving them all a smile.
"Let's not talk about it anymore. I don't want my daughter knowing about this and the past" requested Alicia.
Negi, Setsuna and Asuna noded with promise. Konoka on the other hand...
"Talk about what?" asked Konoka, she had her finger on her cheek like she usually did when she was confused.
Heres Chapter 1 of my newest story! So much for my short time off, Hehe. After doing the research for this story, I just couldn't help myself but to write the first chapter. Man this was long! Don't expect this to be updated every day like the rest of my stories =P I may update this every 3-4 days or more, depending on how much I do.
Any reviews would be appreciated! I want to know what you guys think of the plot, characters and how I write.
Thanks for reading!