DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING FROM MAHOU SENSEI NEGIMA!
Author's Note: Alright, well, I originally wrote this for my bff Fenrir78. I posted it on Quizilla, and someone liked it on here and put it up, AND CREDITED ME. So, all is cool. They took it down and said I had to post this, so I did. Kinda makes me feel special that people like my story. It motivates me. Have fun reading!
-1 "Just as the legend says, if you pull a bad fortune, you must tie it to a tree on the shrine grounds in order to nullify it," Evangeline said. The clock struck midnight. Asuna was fourteen. She was alive. She had made it. She smiled, so thankful that she had been saved.
"Asuna?" Negi spoke.
"Hmm?" said the saved girl.
"Do you think I'll ever become a successful teacher?" Asuna grabbed his hand and held it tightly in her own,
"You will if you never give up." As his reply, he gripped her hand back.
Asuna sat in the tree that had practically saved her life. The sun was peaking up over the horizon. She smiled softly to herself. She was fourteen and alive. Her friends had saved her. The contract that she had made when she was four with the devil was gone, it was all gone. She was safe at last.
She sighed softly. However, it was not a sad sigh, like the ones she had released so many times the previous day. She had thought yesterday was her last day. But she finally gave in. She cried for help. It was something she had never been able to do, as whenever she had needed help, and she had searched for it people had gotten hurt and people had died.
But she had done it. She was free and she was fourteen. She stared at the sun, then jumped with shock. She had a paper delivery to make. She climbed down the tree, rushing to her 'work'. Eventually, she made it.
"Asuna! Why didn't you show up yesterday?" the man who had taken her route up when she had ditched the previous day asked. Asuna smiled softly,
"I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling quite myself yesterday. But I'm better today!" she grinned, picking up her papers. The man nodded, smiling back,
"We figured it was something like that. It's alright though, I took your route."
"Thank you so much. I really do appreciate it!" she said, racing out the door, to pass out the papers to everyone on her route. She quickly ran through it, rushing. She couldn't wait for school. It seemed rather out of character, but when you know you're going to live, life's suddenly better.
She ended up heading to her dormitory first. She wanted to change into a new, clean outfit. The one she was wearing was a day old. An hour or so after Asuna had been saved, the girls had eventually shuffled off to their own dorms after some persuasion of Asuna and Negi. She smiled, thinking about the words the two had shared.
"Asuna?"
"Yes, Negi?"
"What was it… that you were going to say?"
"What?"
"You know, when you di-…. That's right. That didn't happen."
"What do you mean?"
"When you, when you had your party, the first time-"
"The first time? Negi, there was only one party."
"I-I know that, but… You see… Well…"
"Negi spit it out!" The boy sighed,
"Well, you see. It's all rather hard to explain. In a nutshell, you died, we traveled in the past to figure out why, we found out why, then we were sent back right before your death and now here we are." Asuna looked at him,
"WHAT?!" Negi sighed, than re-began the story, and he told her everything. Absolutely everything. He told her his feelings, and how many people had cried. In the end, Asuna was speechless.
"…So…I died?" Negi nodded, tears glistening in his eyes remembering the event.
"I've got the best friends possible. Negi… You're the most-"
"DON'T SAY IT!" Negi screamed, grasping her, crying on her shoulder.
"Uh? But Negi-"
"DON'T SAY IT! THE LAST TIME YOU DID YOU DIED!!" his back shuddered up and down as he sobbed. Asuna's eyes softened.
"I'm sorry Negi... I didn't realize…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say. She held him to her gently.
"It's alright," Negi said, pulling himself together, "It just reminded me so much of then. We were sitting right here. You said the words, "Negi, you're the most", and then you fell from the tree. You were dead…" Asuna held him tighter.
"It's okay, Negi," she said, "You and the girls saved me. I won't die this time. I swear I won't leave you."
"You promise?" Negi asked. Asuna pulled back and smiled at him.
"I promise Negi."
"Then, what were you going to say?" Asuna didn't reply. She would have thought that Negi would have asked her again. She glanced at him. He was asleep. She smiled softly and took him back to their home. She laid him on his bed, the couch, and covered him with a blanket, before heading out again to think, at the tree.
Asuna was cared for. She was really cared for. She had a lot of friends, and Negi cared for her. She felt so bad, for putting him through her death. But it was okay now. Her own words haunted her. "Negi, you're the most…" Most what? She didn't know…
Everyone at school, well, everyone in class 2-A greeted her when she entered the door. Even Ayaka, though she said it was her duty as class representative. Asuna smiled, and greeted everyone back. She sat next to Koneka, and soon Negi entered. Nodoka stood up,
"Everyone rise." Everyone complied.
"Good morning Professor Negi," all the girls said in unison. Negi smiled,
"Good morning class! Let us begin class with ideas for the cultural festival!" That got every single girl chatting. Eventually the ideal idea was spoken. A play. Everyone loved the idea. In the end the leading man- Negi. Who was the leading girl? Since Yue was the writer, it was Nodoka. She blushed feverishly. What play were they doing? Cinderella, well, and adaptation of Cinderella changing a few characters around.
What part did Asuna get? She was ugly stepsister 1,Masu. Who was the second ugly step sister?, Ayaka. Who was the evil step mother?, Konoka. The whole thing was rather unfitting, other than Nodoka. Cinderella was supposed to be shy, and things like that. That was Nodoka.
It was the day of the play. Everyone was so nervous. The rehearsals had gone perfectly, but they were all on edge. All of the girls and Negi were so afraid that they would be the one to make the mistake. Although, Nodoka seemed rather confident. She had kissed Negi and she was ready.
The play began. It started with Chisame playing Cinderella's father, and Chiduru as her mother. The audience saw as Chiduru died, leaving a desolate Chisame. It next showed Chisame meeting and marrying Konoka in a comic way. Then the scene where Chisame, Cinderella's father, died. The rest went by easily. Asuna acted perfectly, to the surprise of many who thought that theatre would not be her forte. However, she was graceful.
It was near the end of the play. They were all at the ball. Asuna looked so beautiful, even though she was supposed to be the ugly stepsister. She outshined everyone. No one compared. It was her turn to go up to Prince Charming, Negi, and beg him for a dance.
"Prince Charming!! Would you please grace my beautiful self with a dance?" she asked, reciting her lines. Negi gulped. She was so perfect…
"Negi," Asuna whispered sharply, reminding him that he had lines to say.
"I shall," Negi said in a strictly polite tone, catching himself as he had started softly, gently, lovingly? The two danced for a moment. When the song was over, which it was quickly, they parted.
It was a few minutes later in the play. Prince Charming was to be at the food table, awkwardly. Masu (Asuna) was to go up to him, and compliment him, after Maru (Ayaka) had.
"Prince Charming, you're the most handsome guy here!" Ayaka as Maru said, hearts in her eyes. Asuna as Masu came up, bumping her harshly off stage as she was supposed to.
"Prince Charming! You're the most, the most, the most-" Asuna trailed off. She had fallen out of character. She started again,
"Negi, you're the most perfect guy I've ever met!." Asuna covered her mouth, her eyes widening. What had she just said? She had screwed up the line. She said Negi, not Prince Charming. She had screwed up. Running off of the stage, tears ran down her cheeks, cascading like a waterfall. . She had just ruined the play.
"Asuna!!" Negi cried, chasing after her. He ran to the tree she so often sat in. There she was, crying. She was in the same place as she had always turned to. Negi made it up there and sat next to her. He placed his hand atop hers. Asuna looked at him.
"Negi, you're the most perfect guy I've ever met. You're so sweet, and kind, and you care so much about me. I think I love you," she said, the tears still dripping. Negi smiled, and wiped away her tears.
"I love you too Asuna," he said. Then he softly pressed his lips against hers. Asuna didn't pull back. Instead, she turned her hand over, grasping his. There they sat, full of love, holding hands and feeling right.