The Six Tea Parties of Jack's Life

by LuxaLucifer

Everyone needs someone when growing up, even the great Jack Rakan. And sometimes growing up means a lot more than you'd think. Even if he didn't realize it, he was always growing up, and Al was always there when he needed him.

Disclaimer- I sadly do not own Negima. If I did there would be less nudity...or at least Jack would get naked more often.

This story goes right up to the newest chapters of Negima, and while it's not really that spoilerific (if you've made it up to book 30) if you really don't want to know anything about what happens, don't read it. The story also covers some of the same things as books 25-26 and books 29-30, so a few conversations are repeated. This is not yaoi, but there are a few references to homosexuality. It's life, it happens.

This fanfiction is my baby. I spent over a month, practically ignoring all my other fanfictions in order to finish this. At the same time, I know that Negima fanfictions aren't very widely read. Even less, ones not about Negi or members of class 3-A. At the very bottom of the list is Albireo Imma (who has a total of four fanfictions on this site) and Jack Rakan (with two). So I'm not going to be surpised in no one reads this for a while, especially because it tops 30 pages long. I just want you, the reader, to know that I poured my heart and soul into this, so I hope you really, really, enjoy it.

EDIT: Edited to make it more accurate with the manga, because what happened to Filius Zecht is never freaking explained. Ever.

Thank you, and happy reading.

---

Jack clearly remembers the first time he saw Albireo Imma. He was barely ten at the time, forced into the gladiator ring by his slaveholder, a brutal man with only money on his mind. After nearly a year of the roughest training he was deemed ready to participate in the grueling matches. Jack had no say in this. He had no say in anything, not even what he wore. He wished, more than anything, that his mother was still alive and his father hadn't left, that his country wasn't in a civil war that was ripping itself apart, and that he hadn't been coerced into buying that stupid sword that had gotten him into this mess in the first place. He knew, inside, that it wasn't his fault, that he'd only been seven and he couldn't be expected to know better, but he still woke up every morning cursing himself.

He won his first fight, but only just. He was beaten up so badly it took magic a full two days of healing. After that, they gave him three days break before they sent him back into the ring.

It was when he was looking up into the stadium, the huge crowd waiting to watch him fight, that he saw him. He was standing in-between a huge boar-man wearing nothing but trousers and a cat-girl with a leopard print dress on (he really hoped it was fake). He wore a white cloak with a hood on and kept his arms over each other so his long sleeves were connected. From his distance, Jack couldn't even tell what color his hair was, but he could see that it was long. He seemed out of place, unmoving amongst the throngs of screaming fans. Jack didn't have time to think about it though, because his battle started and he had to concentrate on staying alive.

After his fight, which went much better than his first, he got patched up by the medics in a back room. It was when they left briefly to get more bandages that he heard the argument.

"You're what?" It was voice of the head of the gladiators. Even just hearing him sent chills down Jack's spine.

"You heard me. I'm withdrawing my support from this establishment." This voice was unfamiliar to Jack, cold and collected.

Jack swung his legs over the table he was sitting on and jumped off, landing without a sound. He crept to the door and peered around it. Just as he thought, it was the head of the gladiators, a lean, mean man with a face like a pug. Instead of his usual look of disdain he was looking respectful and...scared?

The other man was the man from the stadium. He was clothed in the same cloak from before, but had his hood down. His dark blue hair was tied in a over-the-shoulder ponytail and he had blue eyes set in stone. He was slender, his features almost pretty in their delicacy. He was also short, barely coming up to the shoulder of the large slaveholder. He radiated danger, even to where Jack was standing.

"You can't withdraw support! You're the one who-"

"I'm very aware that I'm the one who set up the gladiator stadium in the first place. But that was a long time ago, when I deemed these sort of slaves acceptable. Since then, you have begun to use children. In no way can I allow that. Therefore, I am no longer giving you my money." The man's voice grew even colder, and out of the two men standing before Jack, he knew which one was truly terrifying.

"So you're selling your part of the stadium?" asked the head slaveholder hopefully. Jack understood. If he was selling it, then the slaveholder could just find another benefactor.

"No. I'm just not giving you any extra money. I'm not going to make this atrocity any easier for you. Children should not have to fight this way."

When he said that last sentence, he stared right in Jack's direction, a small, sad smile on his face. Jack shrank back, returning to sit on his table. The medics hadn't returned yet, so he thought about the stuff the stranger had said.

This man had had the stadium built? But that was impossible! The stadium had been built nearly three hundred years ago! Jack had heard that vampires and dragon-people could live practically forever, but could that man really be one of them? It seemed impossible.

Nothing was impossible, he reminded himself.

That was the first time he met Albireo Imma.

---

The second was when he was fifteen. He had lost a few fights by then, and come very close to the brink of death. He was stronger, warier, smarter. He was the dark-skinned prodigy of the Hellas Empire, and his fame was growing slowly but surely.

He was miserable. Slaves were treated badly, beaten savagely to keep them in line, and Jack wasn't treated any differently. He wanted out, but at the rate he was going it'd be another five years before he got out of slavery. He hated the life of a slave more than anything else in the world.

He met Albireo for the second time much as he had the first. He saw him up in the stands, watching his fight. By then Jack had learned to see that far up, and could see the sad eyes and the melancholy smile.

He concentrated on his fight, which was surprisingly easy and took Jack about five minutes to beat.

After the fight, since he wasn't injured, he was given three hours of free time.

He wandered around the stadium, paying for an ice cream cone with his small allowance. He ate it quickly, wondering what to do next. He had no real friends, just other slaves who talked to him only out of shared pain. He was contemplating spending the rest of his money on more ice cream when he bumped right into someone. He briefly saw a flash of bright white and smelled men's cologne before stepping back and looking down- he had grown tall during puberty, and this man was short by today's standards.

It was him, the stranger that had made him think about this stadium's policies all those years ago and what he wanted to do when he was freed. He was the exact same as he was five years ago, wearing the same white cloak with the long sleeves, holding his arms together in the same way, with the same dark blue hair tied in a tight ponytail over his shoulder. His stiff-backed stature was the same, along with his blue eyes, eyes that felt bottomless. Jack tried not to smirk when he saw the outfit he was wearing inside the cloak. It couldn't have been anything other than a tight black skirt that came all the way down to his ankles, coupled with a black turtleneck and a white vest.

"Excuse me?" said the stranger, an amused note in his voice. His voice was deeper than Jack expected, very manly. It didn't fit with the image he saw.

"Oh-sorry." Jack scuffed his shoes against the floor, expecting a sharp rebuke, maybe a painful slap to the head. He was greeted instead with soft peals of laughter, sounding delicate despite the grainy tenor of the stranger's voice.

"You're Jacobus Rakan, correct?" Jack nodded quickly, although confused a little by the lengthened version of his name. He rarely used it, so he didn't think this man would know it.

"I'm Albireo Imma," Albireo bowed slightly, his back straight. Jack knew this man had to come from a rich background with manners that polite. "Would you mind if I treated you to a cup of tea?"

"I don't have anything better to do." agreed Jack, crossing his arms and trying to look apathetic. Truthfully, he was thrilled. He'd been wondering about the identity of this stranger for years, and now he got to sit down and talk with him!

Albireo led him to a teahouse outside of the stadium. It was indoors, surrounded by frills and lace, and by far the nicest building Jack had ever been in.

Albireo took his seat, resting his arms on the table so that his sleeves didn't get in the way. He probably had lots of practice, thought Jack, smiling to himself.

"What did you want to talk about?" asked Jack bluntly.

Albireo all but ignored him, the small smile eternally present. "I've been keeping track of you for some time, Jacobus. Your fights are very impressive, you know. Considering that you don't use any magic, your prowess is amazing. The only reason you were defeated by that bestial wizard from Megalo-Mesembria was because of a small misstep in the last half minute of the fight." A waiter appeared at their table, and Albireo ordered the Ostia special for both of them. Jack didn't mind, since he had no idea what he should order anyway.

"Bestial isn't what you call them anymore, you know," said Jack. "They're demi-humans now." How old was the stranger? Bestial hadn't been acceptable for fifty years.

Albireo looked surprised. "It's been a while since I've been to the Magic World, I suppose. I've just returned from the Old World, you see. I'm only in Ostia for a little while, as I'm headed to Ariadne for a visit."

"You are?" Ariadne was so neutral that they didn't even like to have people visit their country, in fear of contamination. They claimed it would take a really big-ass war to change their stance.

"What's your point?" asked Jack. He wasn't used to people who talked this much. He just wanted him to get to the point.

"Is it an inability or an inexperience that prevents you from using magic in your battles?"

Jack sat back in his chair, startled. "No one ever taught me, that's all."

"I thought as much. Would you like to learn?"

"Huh?"

Albireo's smile grew wider. "I'm fairly experienced in magic, and I've had several pupils over the years. I could teach you, if you want."

"What do you want in return?" asked Jack suspiciously.

"Nothing. Call it a whim, but I take pleasure in doing good deeds once in a while."

"How is teaching me magic a good deed?"

"It will help you earn the money to free yourself faster. Every day one person is freed from captivity is a good day."

"Not many good days then." replied Jack, laughing slightly. Albireo's smile did not fade, but his eyes seemed grave.

"You said you were headed to Ariadne, but I can't go there. When would you teach me?"

Albireo sipped his tea. "I can delay my visit. I have plenty of time to visit the anywhere I want."

"But...why?" Jack realized how stupid he was to trust this man. For all he knew, he could be roping himself into another ten years of hard labor.

"Because I bore easily, and you might be interesting."

"You're not an easy person to trust." Jack said.

"I get that a lot," sighed Albireo. "What do you have to lose? I promise you, this is no scam."

Jack drummed his fingers on the table. The sound was less effective because the table was covered in pink lace, which irked Jack.

"I guess I could give it a try."

Jack Rakan had been through some tough training in his life. In fact, most of his training was tough, with tasks ranging from the mundane to moving a mountain (something Jack had admittedly not done so well at). But nothing had prepared him for the mental strain of learning magic with Albireo Imma.

it took him two weeks to master his first spell, but after that he sped up a great deal- not to say it was any less difficult. They did this behind his slave-holder's back, using a combination of Albireo's clones and time altering spells. With these methods Jack managed to spend days on end training in a secluded spot off of one of the lesser floating islands. Albireo declared him a genius after the first two months, saying that he had the best memory of anyone he'd ever seen, considering how well he could imitate techniques. He said his sword technique was better than a master of the Shinmei Style's and that he was already undoubtedly one of the very best he'd ever seen. Jack didn't say so, but he glowed with this praise. He'd never been acknowledged like that before.

His gladiator battles became easy, a boring intermission until the next time he could train with his master. Albireo was more than reasonably skilled- he was a master in nearly every aspect of fighting, both martial arts and magical and was unparalleled in healing and gravity magic. Jack could always find him reading a book in the Ostia Library, which amazed him. Albireo already knew so much- why did he need to read too?

"Reading opens you up to a whole new world," said Albireo when asked. "I always find something new to learn, even after all this time."

Jack knew nothing about his teacher, but that was all right. As long as he was learning things, he didn't care.

"You need to lighten up, Jack," said Albireo one day. "Don't take life so seriously. It may be difficult at first, but you'll learn. A heavy heart weighs you down."

They were standing in a gazebo in the middle of a field of grass, and it seemed too cliche to be real. Jack gazed around him, wondering vaguely how much of this landscape would be destroyed by future wars. He was pulled away from his daydreams, however, by a large hurricane-like gust of anger heading their way.

"Albireo Imma!" screeched a high-pitched, eardrum-destroying voice. "How dare you still be alive?"

Jack tried to stand his ground against the gale, but ended up hiding unsuccessfully behind Albireo, who, sadly, was too short to be much use. Albireo only chuckled. "Good to see you again too, Kitty. As I've tried to tell you before, being alive isn't really my-"

He was cut off as a foot slammed in their direction. Albireo ducked, which meant Jack received the brunt of the attack. He toppled backward, skidding on the grass. It smelled very nice, he decided. Fresh.

The blur of anger stopped, and Jack was able to see her for the first time. It was a little girl, maybe ten! She had long blonde hair down to her ankles, and seemed to be carrying some sort of puppetry. Her green eyes glinted with malice and her smile seemed wicked beyond reason. But...she was tiny. Jack could've picked her up in one hand and thrown her as far as a broom could fly.

"Ah, Eva, I don't believe you've met Jack. Eva, this is Jack Rakan, a top gladiator and my current pupil. Jack, this is Eva, the High Daylight Walker." said Albireo mildly. Jack picked himself off the ground and nodded shakily in her direction.

"What do I care for lowly humans?" scoffed Evangeline. Jack now recognized her as the feared vampire Evangeline A.K. McDowell and shuddered a little. But still...he never imagined she'd been this...miniature.

"I find humanity interesting to watch." replied Albireo.

"You would," she sneered. "Playing your little games like you do. You're just a used book, you know that?"

"How original."

"Oh, shut up and get out of my field."

Jack looked around. This place was far too beautiful to be a vampire's home, right? And he would've like to stay here, too...

"Hmm...I suppose we could leave...if you would wear this." Albireo pulled a pair of glasses and cat ears out of his sleeve and waved them around wildly. Jack laughed in appreciation. Strangely, so did the green-haired puppet.

"Hell no!" screamed Eva, lunging at Albireo, who held her off with one hand. Jack realized suddenly that he was in the presence of two masters, two ancient beings who were almost completely unrivaled in their mastery and skill. And this was what they did in their spare time? He remembered what Albireo had said about lightening up and knew it was true. Watching them he knew that to become a legend, he had to be a light-hearted idiot, or at least act like one.

Albireo seemed to have an endless supply of semi-erotic, very creepy garments to wear until she literally stomped on him for five minutes while Jack watched in amusement, taking in what he could. "That's it!" yelled Eva. "I'm going to go terrorize a village or something!" She ran off, the puppet cackling all the while.

Albireo turned to Jack, seemingly unaware that he had an indent of his face shaped like a small hand. "Eva is so easily manipulated...and she is more bark than bite. However, she is very powerful and not one to underestimate. One day you may have to fight her. Do you understand about what I was saying earlier?"

It was the first time Jack ever had an inkling about how powerful he would become. It was also the last time he ever trained with Albireo, who told him that he was no longer needed in Ostia and that he had some urgent business in Tantalus to attend to. He was smiling slightly when he said it, but his eyes told a different story. Jack had learned long ago that when Albireo Imma smiled, it didn't always mean he was happy.

That was the second time he met Albireo Imma.

---

The third was about eight years later. Jack was twenty-three, had earned his freedom and was so famous he had his own fan club. In gladiator and erotic circles he was admired and looked up to for his great achievements in fighting and pervertedness. He was a household name around Ostia, and any person interested in fighting around the rest of the world knew his name. He was often called invincible (along with several other less polite names from his enemies) and tried his best to live up to this name.

What almost no one knew, though, was that he was planning to go back into the gladiator ring and win the prize again so he could buy part of the stadium, therefore being able to influence the laws and policies acted on the slaves. He hadn't seen Albireo in years, but he knew that he owned half the stadium. Using that info, he knew that by buying out twenty-six percent of the stadium's holders he could effectively control everyone there. He currently had enough money to buy about fifteen percent, and the prize money would get him a little closer.

He was currently taking a two week break in a secluded mountain cabin, away from people so he could do some mild training and get some decent sleep. Fans were bugging him at all hours, and he knew the announcement of his return to the stadium would make it even worse. At that moment he was knocking over trees for the hell of it, trying to break a sweat.

"It's been a while."

Jack finished his backflip and glanced the other direction. He knew that gravelly voice anywhere. For the first time in memory, he was annoyed by it. Couldn't Albireo contact him like everyone else? Couldn't he sent a letter every once and a while like a normal person? Outside, he laughed hysterically.

"Al! Damn, you haven't changed a bit!"

Al gave him the smile he was used to, the smile he used to (figuratively) look up to. "You have. Your chest has grown."

"You make me sound like a girl." Jack threw his arm over Al's shoulder, making him stagger.

"I just came to give you something. My trip to Ariadne really has been delayed, hasn't it?" laughed Al. Jack realized he was subconsciously radiating anger towards Albireo's long absence, and relaxed slightly. Albireo was a lot older than Jack was- he probably had a lot of things on his mind.

Al pulled a scroll out of his sleeve. It was old, barely held together by the ragged red ribbon that tied it. "I'm giving you this."

"You know I don't read much." said Jack, accepting the scroll without giving it a glance.

"You'll want to read this," advised Al. "I'm giving you my half of the stadium."

Jack took a step back in surprise, gripping the scroll. "What?"

"I hardly ever visit Ostia anymore. I'm sure you'll implement the changes that I've been meaning to for a while," Albireo sighed. "Time seems to slip away from me these days..."

"How did you know?"

"I have my sources, Jacobus." smiled Albireo. Jack hated that smile sometimes. It was almost condescending, that satisfied little smirk.

"What sources?"

"A gladiator friend in Ostia. I like to keep my eye on things when I can't be around."

"And why couldn't you be around?" snapped Jack, eight years of suppressed anger bubbling to the surface.

Albireo's shoulders sagged, and suddenly he looked very tired. "I was held up in Tantalus...you wouldn't believe the trouble I had to go through there."

"No, I probably wouldn't." Jack didn't care if his facade was slipping fast and he didn't care if he was acting like a child, if he was being immature. Albireo had left him with barely a warning, slipping out of his life just as quickly as he'd slipped in.

Albireo's smile froze on his face. "I'm sorry, Jacobus. I'm sorry if I didn't meet your high standards."

Jack sighed. "Why were you late, Master?"

Albireo hesitated, his slender fingers hovering over the edge of his turtleneck. He let his cloak drop to the ground for the first time Jack had ever seen, leaving him in his skirt and vest combo. He suddenly looked smaller, fragile somehow. He twisted his body around so Jack could view his back and quickly grasped the hem of his shirt, pulling it up to reveal his slim torso and the worst scar Jack had ever seen, even after years of working with and for gladiators. It was thick, covering a large expanse of his back, and it was still very pink. Jack analyzed it quickly and came to the conclusion that he had been tortured badly with fire. Judging by that level of injury, it seemed impossible that Albireo had survived.

"What happened?" he asked, dumbfounded. Albireo dropped his shirt and threw on his cloak. Their respective facades had been turned on, and they were their appropriate selves again.

"It's a long story," he replied, smiling softly. "Let's just say Tantalus wasn't as friendly as I remembered. Scars fade, though. It's nothing to worry about."

Jack laughed uproariously, slamming his hand into the smaller man's back, nearly knocking him over. "But you toughed 'em out in time to give me this scroll, huh? I knew you were a good guy."

Albireo nodded cheerfully. "Of course. It would take quite a bit to take the likes of me down. Now, I don't suppose you could direct me to the nearest hot springs? I haven't experienced the beautiful mixed bath in some time..."

"I practically live there!" boomed Jack. "Of course, we have to stop at the bar first! I can't stare at the ladies without a drink or two in me!"

"Ah, but can you really hold your liqueur? I've heard rumors..." teased Albireo.

"What rumors? Who the hell is spreading rumors about me? No, what I want to know is how you expect me to believe a little guy like you can put it away!"

"Years of practice, young one."

After their short trip to the hot spring, Jack didn't see Albireo for a long time. But he didn't care this time. Albireo may have help set his life up, but now he was going to lead it. With his new half of the stadium he implemented better treatment of the slaves right away and proposed a collar system to control illegal abuse. That would take years to get through the legislature, but Jack could wait. He lowered prices on the tickets, added security, even fired the corrupt officials and replaced them with upstart believers in the value of fighting. He took on mercenary jobs to save money and gained an even bigger reputation. He became a legend in his own right, and knew that whatever isolated village Al was in, he knew about Jack's success and was proud of him. Jack, for the first time in his life, had the confidence to believe that.

That was the third time he met Albireo Imma.

---

The fourth time didn't happen for ten years. After Jack had accomplished most of what he wanted to do at the stadium, he was faced with something he had never experienced before- true freedom. He was rich and famous enough to go wherever he wanted, do whatever he wanted, and get any girl he wanted. It was very unsettling, this new power of his. So he did what anyone would do in his circumstances- he went absolutely crazy. He travelled all over the world, from Argyre to Vulcan to Antigone. He drank the fine wine of Clytamnestra and climbed the mountains of Cerberus. He thoroughly enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh in Vairocana and talked magical theory with professors of Ariadne. He was challenged almost daily to contests of power and won them all, although once on the desolate west of the Longshan Man plain he nearly died and spent three days crawling around looking for water and Band-Aids. He got involved in no less than four Civil Wars, and every time he backed a side they were the ones that won. He dove to the bottom of the ocean near Al Jamira and visited some monks in Sirenium. He was a bounty hunter for a little while, but got bored of that. He ate shark. He courted princesses. He was briefly married to a merwoman. He owned no less than 253 pairs of pants, all scattered throughout Mundus Magicus. He went to the Old World and raided America with his good looks, picking up their language in three days. He learned what a hot dog was, sat on George Washington's nose at Mount Rushmore, ate his first fortune cookie, went to Disneyworld, and wooed the ladies with his muscles. He even bumped into a few wizards who'd heard of him and demanded a fight. Then he travelled the rest of the world, learning to bungee jump and how to maneuver china shops without breaking anything, an act that had previously eluded him. Jack climbed the Eiffel Tower, saw a kangaroo, used a self-spraying toilet, and unseated a Russian diplomat. He visited Japanese shrines and fought Japanese mages, toured Turkey and fought Turkish wizards, blew through Wales and fought Welsh sorcerers and flew in and out of Mexico, fighting Mexican magicians.

After all of this, he had no idea what to do. He went home and tried to relax for a little while, but relaxing wasn't in his blood. He went out and aimlessly fought a few dragons, but even that got old. Eventually he put himself up for hire and took mercenary jobs, an act that would lead to him being one of the most famous people alive, much more famous than he was already.

He started hearing whispers, even in the outposts of Botealia Can, the island where he was currently staying. Whispers that Hellas was invading other countries and terrorizing their subjects started popping up, but Jack wasn't unduly concerned. This didn't involve him. The only thing he was interested in was the rumor of the invincible mage, the Man of a Thousand Spells and the group of powerful wizards he had with him, Ala Rubra.

It started with him being contacted by the Hellas Empire in the early stages of the war. He had always been partial to his home country, and although he mildly disagreed with what they were doing, he still happily accepted their jobs. Conquest of the magic world? So what? Land changed ownership all the time.

It was when he was shown the bounties he was supposed to collect that his interest piqued. No, piqued wasn't the right word. Skyrocketed was more like it. The first man, Eishun Konoe, was reasonably recognizable to him. A man from the East of the Old World and a master of the Kyoto Shinmei Style. Next, Filius Zecht. His employer assured Jack that he was a full grown man, and Jack believed him. There was almost no info on him. His age was estimated to be over 1000. Next...his employer placed a photograph of Albireo on the table, looking splendid wearing his smile and a lackadaisical expression. Jack laughed wildly, masking his shock. Of course, he had never asked Albireo of his political affiliations. He had never really cared. And now he was a target!

"Your targets...are these three men and...this boy." said his contact, setting down a picutre of a red-headed teen with a annoyed expression on his face.

"Hn...what? He's just a kid." replied Jack, pretending he didn't know that teenagers could be very tough opponents.

"If you underestimate him because he's a child, you'll get hurt." said the man. "They are the main reason that our plan to recover Ostia failed. We've already sent of a group of elites to vanquish them, but they were all killed. If you want, we can give you men, but they won't be formal soldiers. They'll all be mercenaries and bounty hunters."

"Don't need 'em," he found himself replying. "I'll be fine on my own. Leave it to me."

It was a good amount of money, and, besides, he wouldn't mind fighting the so-called invincible one. He'd figure out what to do when he got there.

After collecting a fair amount of research on the four men (he founding nothing on Al and little on Zecht) he set out. He felt his body thrum with excitement. Ah, the thrill of the hunt. He could almost forget that Al was one of the men he was supposed to kill with the most exciting fight of his life as yet looming towards.

He found Ala Rubra in the valley between two mountains, eating a delicious-looking hot-pot. As his quest to fight them went on, his conviction to fight them waned. Really, the Hellas Empire was in the wrong here. He didn't have any real need to fight them. He'd almost given up on it until he saw the smug little face of Nagi Springfield.

"What?" said Nagi, speaking to his friends. They hadn't noticed him yet.

"Don't just eat the meat," scolded Eishun. "Everything. You're the one who said it, birdbrain."

He couldn't resist it- he smashed his sword right into the middle of the table and watched Nagi and Zecht and Al eat all the food before it even hit the ground.

"Sorry to bother you while you're eating! I'm the wandering mercenary swordsman, Jack Rakan! LET'S FIGHT A ROUND!" he yelled, waiting for a response.

Zecht said, "Who is that idiot?", and Nagi replied, "Doesn't look like he's with the Empire." He technically was, considering that he was fighting to collect their bounties to give them to Hellas.

Eishun had the pot stuck on his head, which to Jack was extremely hilarious. "Eishu-whoa!" said Nagi, looking at the swordsman. Eishun just grunted unintelligible noises for a few seconds. "Heh...those who waste food..." he finally growled.

"What's wrong?" yelled Jack. "Aren't you coming? If you don't come to me, I'll come to-"

Jack could honestly say he didn't see it coming when Eishun flew into the air faster to than than the eye could see, jumped at Jack, and sliced Jack's huge blade in half with his own. "You." finished Jack.

"Must die!" screamed Eishun.

Nagi said, still chewing food, "Oh? He's surviving Eishun's attacks."

"That large man is quite good," replied Al. "I've seen him before. He's the gladiator everyone was talking about in the South a little while ago." It sounded like Albireo had never met Jack before, and Jack understood. In a world where they were the top players, they had to carry a degree of nonchalance. At least, that's what he thought it was.

Jack blocked the next attack and flipped in the air, popping out a few of his guaranteed distraction pills- several busty women (and one not-so-busty) appeared from thin air, distracting Eishun sufficiently enough to drop a giant shrine monkey statue on his head. He then fought Nagi, who seemed just as thrilled as he was to face off. They fought and fought, using a little magic but mostly punching the hell out of each other. Whenever Jack thought he was getting a little ahead of Nagi, the kid would bust out with a move that would put them on par with each other and vice versa. They fought until Jack's fingernails bled and his front teeth were loose, until he was dizzy and barely conscious, until every bone and muscle and fiber of his being was tired and screamed for rest. They fought for thirteen straight hours, and Jack loved every second of it. He hadn't fought like this in years. Not since his first bouts at the stadium, before Al had taught him magic. It woke the passion within him, the passion that had been lying dormant ever since he had grown to a level he thought he couldn't be beaten, the passion the blazed in him and yearned to fight, to do something other than laze around with women and kill a few dragons. He ended up with one knee on the ground, his chest heaving.

"Heh...heh heh...you're good, kid." Jack coughed, loving the blood dripping over his eye and down his nose. Nagi grinned back at him. "You too." he said.

"No," replied Jack. "I challenged you four to one, and this is how I end up...I completely lost."

Nagi gave a bloody smile. "I'm...just satisfied knowing there's someone as good as me."

Jack just couldn't let a kid, even if he was just a red-haired punk, leave so fast. He needed him around so he could have someone tough to fight. So when Eishun picked up the kid and put him on his back to carry him away, Jack yelled, "Hey, you...! Nagi Springfield! I'll be back for a rematch! We will...settle...this..."

"Yeah, bring it on..." hacked Nagi. "Any time, muscle man! This is much better than any war." Nagi gave him a thumbs up.

"He should finish him off." said Zecht in a bored monotone.

"He probably likes him." said Albireo. Jack had forgotten about him in the excitement of the past few hours, but saw the wink Al gave him as he walked away with the rest of Ala Rubra and knew he had to worm his way into their ranks. Hell, at the very least it would give him something to do.

He followed Ala Rubra around for a few days just waiting for his wounds to heal. As soon as they did he attacked Nagi specifically with his rematch, and they fought each other to a standstill again. Then, afterwards, Jack invited Nagi out for a beer. Eishun, who'd kept Nagi away from alcohol as long as he could, tagged along to keep an eye on them, and Albireo and Zecht came too just for the hell of it. They drank each other under the table quite literally. Zecht showed a great physical strength in dragging them both out from under and pouring cold water on them the next day.

"He really should've killed you." was all he said, wrinkling his small nose at the smell of alcohol.

Jack just laughed in response.

Jack tagged along with them for next few days, ignoring Eishun and Zecht's pointed remarks about when he was planning to leave. He professed his secret great loathing for Hellas (pretty much false, as he couldn't really care one way or the other) and languished about how he just needed the money, also not true. Nagi accepted him with open fists and Albireo readily agreed, still pretending not to know him. Eishun soon agreed and Zecht was, well, eventually convinced. Jack made sure he didn't feel like an outsider- he knew that Ala Rubra had been incomplete without him, and his addition was a huge bonus.

However, his curiosity was growing, and he just had to ask Al why they didn't know each other in front of the others.

"Did I ever say that?" laughed Al. "They didn't expect me to know you, so to them what what I said sounded like I didn't. But I do, and that's not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all. It's more interesting this way."

"What is?" asked Jack.

"I'm not really sure."

"Why do you always speak in riddles?"

"I've grown quaint in my old age, I suppose."

Jack roared in laughter. "You're just the same as ever."

"You're not. But if you were I doubt you'd be here. That would be...disappointing."

"You're in a weird mood, aren't you?" snorted Jack.

"Define 'weird'. I'm just being myself, whoever that may be. After all, we change from year to year...to year."

Jack gave him a hearty slap on the back and walked away to banter with Nagi, a much more mindless procedure.

He noticed things over the next few months with Ala Rubra. He noticed that Eishun was very distracted, slipping up when polishing his sword and tripping in midair because of such thick thoughts. He noticed that Nagi was very insecure under all the hot air and powerful spells (that was really almost to be expected, considering his young genius status). He noticed that Zecht and Albireo were very close, sitting next to each other when they ate and sharing secret jokes that no one else got, ones that alluded to events that occurred years ago. They started fighting in battles together, and Zecht starting treating him better. Jack watched the others fight, and learned that Albireo had much more power than he had shown when he had trained him. They fought hard and long, with battles that raged for days. They grew close to each other, talking about the places they could go together and the things they could all see when the war was over. The Megalomesembria Confederation promised them huge rewards if they won the war, and Jack was comfortable claiming he was doing it for the money.

They created their own base at the summit of Mt. Olympus, enchanting it with enough spells to ensure no one but them could ever find it. While they were there they cut their own wood and stoked their own fires, acting like real men. Well, mostly, as Jack had yet to find an instance where Albireo came across as manly. Even Zecht managed it once and a while, but Al never did.

One day, when Nagi got bored and Eishun was away and unable to cap his energy, he suggested that he and Jack train and do whatever they could to boost their power. Several hours later, after they'd exhausted their considerable strength and imagination, Albireo showed up brandishing his ever-present smile.

"Do you really think you've run through every power-up in your arsenal?" he smirked, his hood up. To Jack it sort of made him look like a drowned cat.

Nagi scowled at him. "C'mon, Al, as if you've got any ideas."

"I do, actually. You may not like it though."

"Anything to get stronger!" proclaimed Nagi at the top of his lungs. Zecht heard it all the way back at the cabin, where he shook his head and returned to his knitting.

"Even a little...kiss?" Jack deeply appreciated Al's talent for teasing people. Jack himself was great at the art, but Albireo would forever be the master.

Nagi looked unnerved. "A kiss?"

"He means a Pactio, dumbass." boomed Jack, laughing his butt off. He was on Al's side for this one.

"Oh," said Nagi, looking relieved. "I thought you meant that you...you know...swung that way."

"If you live long enough," replied Albireo mildly. "You'll swing every way before long."

It was easy to forget how young Nagi was, especially considering his strength and demeanor. But when it boiled down to it, Nagi was a teenager who'd yet to experience anything more sexual than a grappling with himself in the shower, and Al's response turned him as red as a beet. Jack didn't care if it was true, just that it was funny.

"How about it?" asked Jack. "Wanna make a Pactio?"

"Don't you need a special circle for that?" asked Nagi, grinning at the prospect of avoiding kissing his friends.

Al pulled a stick of chalk out of his sleeve. "I'm fairly knowledgeable in this subject. I can draw a circle. I don't even need a protractor."

Nagi's face returned to red. "Guys, I don't know if I want to-"

Albireo pulled a thick stack of cards out of his other sleeve. "Nagi-"

"Dude, how much do you keep in there?" interrupted Nagi, awed.

"Not the point," evaded Al. "This is a stack of Pactios, and my last partner died some time ago. My artifact is very useful, and adds a great deal to my power when I have it. When this war escalates, as we know it will, I think it'll be necessary to have a trick up our collective sleeves."

"Literally." added Jack.

Nagi hesitated. "So you're not just doing this to creep me out?"

"...Partly." said Al honestly.

"I'll do it," offered Jack, who'd never made a probationary contract before and was curious to try it.

"We can both do it." said Al cheerily. Nagi looked faintly nauseous.

Albireo speedily drew a circle around Nagi and Jack, whistling a little. Jack grinned in Nagi's direction, just to add on to the pressure the kid was feeling.

"Ready."

Jack was a little uncertain where he had to kiss, so he stepped aside and let Al go first. Nagi's eyes were screwed shut and his lips puckered out, making him look ridiculous. Al leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips, stepping back to catch the card that appeared. It was a picture of Al, surrounded by dozens of books.

"That was my first kiss." said Nagi sadly.

"Bibliothecarius Ironicus." Jack heard Al whisper, momentarily oblivious to them.

He stepped up to the plate, slamming his lips into Nagi's awkwardly. Nagi squirmed, and Jack stopped kissing him, giving a whoop when he got his Pactio card.

"You're free to go." he told Nagi.

"Hell no!" protested Nagi. "I want to see your Pactio!"

Al taught him how to summon the power before slipping off back to the cabin, and Nagi and Jack spent the rest of that day and the next playing with his new weapon-making ability.

They stayed in Mt. Olympus for a little while, relaxing for the longest time since Jack had left Botealia Can. Of course, you should never relax too long in a war, because as soon as they had settled a little a humongous contingent of Hellas troops arrived there. They managed to save all the civilians but were driven all the way back to the Argyre Plains in the process. Eventually they made it back to the front lines, back to the main fighting. Jack didn't really care that this battle meant life or death for the wounded Confederation or that thousands of lives hung in the balance. He just loved to fight, to feel the roar of blood in his ears. The battle of the Great Bridge was the monument of his career.

He stopped thinking during this battle. It got the the point that as he fought this battle he only took the time out of his brain to determine whether or not the person he was attacking was the enemy. He didn't sweat because he hadn't had a drink in so long. His stomach was beyond rumbling. He pushed and pushed, running out of magic only to fight barehanded only to regain his magic only to lose it again. He fought and fought without a conscious thought in his head, not seeing his friends, not feeling whose back he was pressed against. He must have defeated thousands of soldiers on his own, not to mention the rest of Ala Rubra. They were a small group of the toughest warriors, joined halfway through by a couple men in white suits and the Dark Evangel herself. He didn't know their names, just that they were on his side. He wasn't Jack Rakan in this battle. He wasn't anyone, just a mindless being that didn't pay heed to bodily needs, just pushed onward day after day of fighting.

When the battle was over, he and the rest of Ala Rubra had hit a whole new level.

Evangeline claimed the only reason she turned out was because she loved a good fight and happened to be in the area, her crazy puppet shouting vulgar things the whole time. Al confided in Jack that he thought his Kitty was secretly on the right side, which Eva vehemently denied.

The men in white suits turned out to be Gateau Kagura von Vandenburg and Takamichi T. Takahata. Gateau was a hard-boiled government lackey who'd earned himself a spot on the front lines through hard work and skill in his pocket-chi technique. Takamichi, while a slow learner, was a worthwhile addition to their group (Jack loved to have new targets in teasing). Again, to Jack it felt like a hole had been filled in Ala Rubra. Suddenly they had access to groups of people that Jack and Nagi hadn't known existed, like detective societies and scholars dedicated to the war effort. They were known in every inner circle now, from the lowliest magic-tech nerd to the highest military official. They were revered, and Jack loved it. It was the best time of his life.

"It's like someone is trying to destroy this world. Is that it?"

At the time, Jack didn't pay any attention to what Albireo said. He was more concerned with lunch, honestly. But over the course of the next few battles he slowly realized the truth of Al's statement. Every battle, every fight and encounter with this mysterious final boss felt less like a war and more like a fight to keep humanity (and all the other facets in the magic world) alive.

They reached the final battle, and Jack began to sense that Albireo was...disturbed. There was no other way to put it. It wasn't an unhappiness. It seemed like a deep emotion was emanating from Albireo, one that Jack just couldn't place. Jack asked him about it right before they began the last attack.

"What're you thinking about?"

For Jack, that was an incredibly deep question.

"Ah...I wonder."

"Huh?" replied Jack.

Albireo turned to him, the smile on his face but a crazed look in his eyes. "If they're trying to end the world, how can I stop them?"

"What?" asked Jack in shock.

"I don't know...my life would be forfeit in this process, but dying was something I wanted for a long time, something I wanted very badly. This could be the opportunity I'e been waiting for all my life."

"Don't be stupid." said Jack. "You've come all this way, haven't you? Get up and fight. Don't let someone else do our dirty work."

Albireo blinked at him, as if just realizing he was there. "How stupid of me. Give up humanity? What was I thinking?"

Jack really had no idea what was going on, so he laughed. It was his default choice. "I dunno. Let's go fight."

This fight, while not nearly as bad at the Battle of the Great Bridge (It was already in history books!), was still brutal. Gateau and Takamichi had to stay back with Grandmaster Seras and Captain Ricardo in order to keep an eye on things, claiming they weren't powerful enough for this battle.

They fought, Jack's favorite activity, and they pushed through to the top chain of command in Cosmo Entelekheia, finally reaching the sub-bosses. He enjoyed the looks on the faces of the minions he defeated before slamming back to the ground, grinning from ear to ear. He ended up placing his hand on Albireo's head (He'd always been short, but had he always been that short?) and walking with the rest of Ala Rubra back to watch Nagi beat the final boss- the big guy, Fate, who was laughing at them. That was weird. He said a few things that Jack didn't pay attention to. What he did pay attention to, however, was the figure that attacked both Fate and Nagi at the same time, throwing them both to the floor. He stood his ground, raising his arms to block the huge blast wave only for them to be completely cut off all the way past the elbow. The searing pain gouged a hole in his mind, and for a split second his eyes wandered over to Albireo, who was looking ahead of them with a look of absolute fear on his face, a look that Jack had never imagined Albireo could give. Then he was thrown onto the ground, blood sprayed all over his face and stumps of arms. He blocked out the pain so he could look up at the scariest thing he'd ever seen. It was a person, he was sure it was, but it was cloaked in black and had this aura...this aura that just chilled him to the bone. Jack couldn't name one time in his life he'd been scared like this, not one, not even when he was little and was forced into slavery. If he could've, if his body was able, he would've run away as fast as he could. To the right of him, Albireo was limp against the stone. To his left Eishun, Zecht, and Nagi were bleeding, Eishun shielding Nagi from harm.

"Ridiculous." snarled Jack.

"Impossible..." gasped Albireo, his face a mask of shock and fear. "That's..."

Jack realized he couldn't win. There was no winning. He was going to die. His arms were gone, he couldn't fight, and he was going to die. He was going to die. He wasn't good enough to fight this. No one was, no one, not even Nagi. They were going to destroy the world, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Nagi stood up, ready to keep fighting. Jack just couldn't understand how that was possible. Yes, he was bleeding, but that wasn't it. This fear permeated every fiber of Jack's being. Wasn't Nagi feeling it too? Wasn't Nagi scared?

"Y-you can't Nagi! You're in no shape to-" yelled Albireo, blood dripping down his forehead. For some reason, the blood annoyed Jack. Albireo Imma should never be injured like that. He was too good for that, too good for pain.

"Al, use all the magic you have left to heal my wounds." replied Nagi bravely, grinning like the idiot he was.

"B-but such a reckless recovery would-" protested Al. He was shaking with worry and fear. Jack have never seen him so uncomposed.

"I only need to last 30 minutes." said Nagi.

"But-"

Filius Zecht got up too, calm as ever. "Heh heh...very well. I'll help, Nagi. I got hurt the least of us."

"Master..."

"Zecht! You two can't possibly beat him alone!" said Albireo, scared beyond his wits. He healed Nagi and Eishun and exchanged brief words with Zecht. Jack watched, beating off extreme pain, as Albireo's shoulders sagged. "Goodbye, Filius." he whispered. He swayed a little, and Jack knew that without any magic left in him Albireo must be extremely nauseous and ill, and he'd eventually be bedridden for some time until he had his magic back. Albireo limped over to him and bandaged his arms. They didn't say much, both of them fully aware that their world could be ending around them.

"I don't want the world to end." croaked Al, his hands slipping as he finished bandaging Jack's arm.

"I thought you said-"

"I was wrong. I don't want to die. Not yet." whispered Albireo.

"Then you won't."

"What? You saw the Lifemaker, didn't you? He means to end all humanity."

"The Lifemaker? Is that what he's called?" Jack laughed, his head still light from the pain and loss of blood.

"Yes. There's no way they could beat him. And Filius...he's not coming back."

"You're good friends, aren't you?" asked Jack.

"He's my oldest friend. Sometimes it's nice having someone your own age..."

"Erk-hey, hey, he beat him." interrupted Jack, pointing his face towards the direction of Nagi beating the hell out of the Lifemaker.

"...So it would seem." laughed Al, regaining his composure.

It was then that Jack understood the fragility of their world. They were but an illusion, all of them. At least, all of them from the magic world. If the illusion broke they would be stranded on the uninhabitable surface of Mars to die. That was, if the illusion broke. And it would. That was why the Lifemaker was doing all of this. He was exploiting the fall of the world before it happened. He was nothing more than a pawn to the great Mage of the Beginning. And yet...he found that he didn't care. Sure, the world could end tomorrow or twenty years from now. He could die that easily at any point in time. It didn't really matter what was happening, not even if he was just an illusion. He didn't feel like one, and that was enough for him. He decided not to think about it anymore, and it was then his attentions were brought back to Al, who was yelling into his Pactio, talking to Nagi.

The next few minutes were chaotic, but Jack didn't really pay attention to them. Albireo got a little worked up and collapsed, and Jack carried him to a room as soon as his arms were reattached. He could tell that Ala Rubra, while not done for, was in the wane. Filius Zecht was gone, and a void once again opened in Ala Rubra. Al wasn't at their awards ceremony, which troubled him for two or three seconds, but a nice amount of beer made him feel better.

He stayed with Nagi for another two years, long enough for the arrival of Kurt Goedel and to help save Arika from death. It wasn't long after that, however, that he felt he should take his leave. There wasn't any real fight to look forward to. Sure, he was thrilled the war was over and all, but he wished he still have someone with a good fight in them to go up against once and a while. He bid his farewells to Eishun, who was going back to Japan soon anyway, Kurt and Takamichi, whose wide-eyed innocence still made him laugh, Theodora, who quite literally needed to get off his back, Gateau (that wasn't really that emotional- they'd never really been close), and Nagi, with whom he'd had a goodbye spar with.

Last he said goodbye to Albireo, who was, as ever, closed off to what he was planning on doing next. Their goodbye was both informal and impersonal, just a few words. Jack may have spent the last few years at Albireo's side, but he had never felt farther from him.

That was the fourth time he met Albireo Imma.

---

The fifth wasn't that long after, considering the decade between the last meetings. It was only a couple years, but Jack had already grown bored again. He'd returned to manage the stadium for a little while but had grown tired of it and left on another journey around the world. It was lonely though, as he'd become accustomed to companionship while traveling.

He went back to Ostia and was surprised to see Kurt Goedel doing official paperwork in an outside cafe. He said hi and bought some cakes, and Kurt commented on how it was almost like a class reunion. When Jack asked why, Kurt mentioned that he'd seen Albireo only a minute ago, heading in the other direction. He said he'd seemed different, distracted somehow. This was vague, but Jack somehow felt that he had to find Al immediately. He didn't know why, just that he did. He wandered in the direction Kurt had pointed, signing autographs for civilians and taking photos on the way. He ended up on the outskirts of Ostia, on a forested edge of land that led straight to the edge of the cliff. It was protected by the government- there was no other way to explain why the trees were still standing.

Jack wandered aimlessly for some time, forgetting that he was even looking for Al until he stumbled onto him in a glade. The sun was so dazzling and the grass so green that Jack forgot to breathe for a second. Nature was stronger than even he.

He looked down and blinked in surprise. Albireo was sitting on the ground, pretending he didn't notice Jack and staring blearily at a blade of grass.

Jack sat next to Albireo, failing to comprehend what was so engrossing about that particular blade of grass. He opened his mouth to talk and thought better of it.

"It's my birthday today." murmured Albireo softly. His hands were clamped together in a vice-like grip. Jack had never seen him like this before. He was wearing none of his usual clothing- just a turtleneck and plain pants. His hair wasn't in a ponytail and hung around his shoulders, slightly frizzy, like when Jack's hair had freshly dried from a shower.

Jack didn't reply to Al's statement, just waited for him to continue.

"Do you want to know how old I am?" Al's voice was deeper than usual, and more serious. Jack could hear his voice shake.

"Sure. Why not?"

Al looked up at him, his blue eyes vulnerable. "Do you? Do you really? Or do you just think you do, and are not prepared for what I am going to say?"

"I do, Al. Bring it on."

"Today I am two thousand two hundred and fifty seven years old."

"Is that all?"

"I'm not joking, Jack." snapped Albireo.

"Sorry."

"I was born in the year 482. The year of the Consulship of Cursor and Maximus."

"I don't know when that is." admitted Jack. The little schooling he'd had had mostly been at Al's hands, and Al had never mentioned anything before A.D.

Al sighed. "272 B.C."

"I had no idea you were that old."

"Filius was older," said Al softly. "But I can't talk to him now."

"Tell me, Al. I'd like to know about your past, I really would."

Al relaxed against him, and Jack threw his arm around his shoulder. Al felt cold, colder than he thought he would sitting out in this sun.

"I was born as the lowest of the low, the son of two farmers. Not that you would recognize them as farmers- they threw seeds at the ground and hoped they would grow. I was illiterate and completely untaught about the world, as was the vast majority of humanity. I didn't even know what reading was. The rich weren't any better off than the poor, and it was more likely than not that your child would die in infancy. I was the fifth child of my parents, and by the time they had me any caring they would've had for me had been worn down by years of caring for children and working very hard to stay alive. I don't blame them for any injuries they inflicted on me in my early years- the word love didn't even exist. Am I boring you yet?" He asked this question with a slight smile.

"Not at all."

"Robbers were as common as rain back then, and we had long been accustomed to hiding in our small home with our weapons pointed at the door for hours at a time. We'd just had a very bad run in with some only a few days before and were very cautious when a man on a horse rode through. Horses were very rare then. You were lucky to see one in your lifetime. You can't imagine our shock- it would be like seeing a alien spaceship land on Mundus Magicus. He was clothed in garments that seemed fabulously rich to us and disgustingly poor to you, and we questioned him on where he was going. He said he was headed to Italy- or what it was called then- on a long journey. None of us knew where that was, but we were thrilled by the prospect of such a place. Was there something better than what we had?

"I wasn't particularly attached to my family, so I decided to try for Italy myself. I lived in what was present day France- you can't imagine what the trip was like. I must've been mad to think I could make it there, I really must've. I was the biggest, most naive fool there was. I didn't know where Italy was. The stranger on the horse had only given the vaguest of directions, and I was very possibly heading in the wrong direction.

"I was. It was a miracle I made it back to, not civilization per say, because civilization wasn't really existent back then, no matter what present-day scholars say. I ended up far from Italy, in Egypt, right on the Nile River. If I hadn't I wouldn't be here today. I was almost recruited as a slave to work on a grave pyramid, but I narrowly avoided it and stumbled upon it."

"What?" asked Jack.

"The Library of Alexandria. It was one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, and it was...magnificent. I was a poor boy from up North who'd never seen a stone structure in his life and now I was seeing the greatest building in the world. I burned with the desire to know everything there was in that room, in that world that was closed to me. I was filthy and sweaty, a man who'd just left his teens. It had taken me two years to find my way there, and I was scarred and greasy enough to show it. Bathing hadn't been invented either-" Albireo chuckled a little at this. "-and the smell in the streets was a thousand times worse that the worst body odor you've ever smelled."

"Worse than mine?" asked Jack skeptically. He knew he could smell pretty bad at times, not that he really cared. A manly enough man didn't notice things like that.

"Even worse." chuckled Al. "Anyway, I knew I'd never be allowed in the library, so I waited until night to sneak in. It was a poorly thought out plan, as I'd no idea how to get in or how big it was or even how to read, but I wanted in so badly I could taste it.

"When I sneaked in, I found myself presented with the most amazing thing I had ever seen. My initial amazement there has yet to be topped by any event in my long life. Rows and rows of scrolls, thousands of them covering every subject known to man. I was awed and terrified and wished beyond wishes that I could read them. I longed for them, Jacobus, I wanted them more than anything. I wandered those halls for hours and hours, long after sun rose. It never occurred to me that there was no way the building could be that big, that I wouldn't see a single person that entire time. It was a complete surprise to me when I reached an end to the scrolls and hit this area...I can't really describe it. It was black, but I could see. There was nothing there, but I felt like if I reached out I would brush up against something. I could feel the presence of someone, someone who scared me. Back then your instincts were much more primal, and my body screamed at me to run more than anything. It was the most basic thing my body could possibly tell me to do, and I bolted for the door but found nothing but the strange emptiness waiting for me. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder, and it felt like my body had been plunged into ice cold water. I screamed, not out of pain, but out of fear. I can't explain it, not even now. I haven't forgotten it either, I haven't forgotten anything about that time of my life.

"He said to me, he said, "Al." That was my name then. Last names weren't common then, and Al was all I had. Then he said, "You want to learn."

"I was so scared, Jacobus, I was. I thought I was going to die. So I nodded and whispered "Yes." It was what I thought he wanted to hear.

"Then he said in this horrible, mocking voice, "Then you will learn. I am the Mage of the Beginning, and I will teach you how to live and to forget how to die, Albireo Imma." And I blacked out, losing consciousness as quickly as you can kill a man, Jack. I woke up to see him standing over me, a hand on my head. And then the most excruciating pain hit me, a pain I can still feel on certain days. I screamed and cried for hours. I wasn't the man you see here, Jack, I was a completely different person. My current personality has remained intact throughout the majority of my life, but it was not so at this time. He said I was special, that I had to be special to reach this place in the library. He said I was an experiment and that I would have to forgive him for this. Then he laughed at me, and that laugh cut right through to the bone. He had no remorse for what he did to me.

"Then he told me that I was to learn forever, as long as humanity exists. That my life would not end until the last human died and that I alone would not change as the world around me did. I don't know his reasoning for this. The only thing I can fathom is that he wanted to see how a human would react when faced with this future. I didn't comprehend him or believe him. I was in the real Library of Alexandria, far below the one visible to the normal human. I was alone in that place, but I had learned how to read overnight. Now able to recognize words, I started reading every scroll I could get a hold of. I pushed my meeting with the Lifemaker to the back of my mind, trying to convince myself that he wasn't real, just a symbol from one of the gods or the result of too much stress. I didn't realize what he had done to me, that he had cursed me with something very close to immortality, or that he had done something similar to Filius Zecht three hundred years before. I immersed myself with reading, and learned every language there was at the time. What I thought was a short stay in the Library was much longer than I thought, and when I exhausted my supply of books there I ended up back in Egypt, expecting everything to look the same. For the most part it did, except the library itself, which was now just a burned out building. Confused, I asked an Egyptian about it and he said that the Library of Alexandria had burned down over a hundred years ago, when Caesar had "accidentally" burned it down. That day also happened to be the very day I first met the Mage of the Beginning.

"Scared, I fled back to my home only to find that my parents and siblings were dead. In their place were their great-great-grandsons and great-great-granddaughters. They didn't recognize me or know my name- my parents had apparently assumed I was dead and went about their lives.

"I went back to Egypt, the only place I knew. Ah-I am boring you, aren't I?"

Jack had laid his head on top of Al's. "Sorry! Not at all. My neck was sore from all the banging I was doing last night with this hot-"

"Should I continue?"

"Yes, please." replied Jack hastily, filing the hot foreign chick away for another day.

"Anyway, I went back to Egypt and put the knowledge I had learned to use, taking on odd jobs and giving advice here and there until I had gained quite a reputation. Eventually the Pharaoh noticed me and ordered me to work for him. When I did not age, they believed me to be a messenger of the gods, giving me whatever luxury I wanted. I was in a state of long-term shock, I really think so. I drank their wine and gorged myself on their food, wondering why I woke up to the same unaged face in the mirror. I only began to accept my fate the day I was assassinated."

"Assassinated?"

"Yes. A small anti-Egyptian faction who believed that I was the puppet-master behind the the throne decided to dispose of me, and they did so in quite the horrible fashion, beheading me and sticking my head on a pike for everyone to see. I really did think I was dead, I promise you. It was only when my head slowly dissolved on the spear it was stuck on and reassembled itself on my body, still in its shallow grave," Albireo gave him a heartbroken smile. "That is how I found out that I cannot be killed. You can think of the most horrible death possible, rip my bones apart and feed my blood to starving animals, but I will come back together again."

"How long does it take?" asked Jack, feeling slightly sick.

"Depends on the injury. If it was an easy death, a few months. If not...it can be much longer. My longest recovery was fifteen years, and I'd rather not go into that experience. Hmm...I seem to have gotten off track. When I was myself again, the Egyptians truly believed I was a very powerful god and corralled me inside their palaces. It was in this manner that I met Cleopatra. She was a fine woman, and she desired my company, believing me to be good luck and capable of performing fine magic. Like I said...I wasn't the same man you see now, and I took advantage of my situation. I sired my first child with one of Cleopatra's maids, and they were both beyond thrilled to have her carry a god's offspring.

"But I'm no god, Jacobus, and neither was my child. When he was young, I spent more time with him than anyone else. I had little else to do but read, and thought maybe he would be like me. But what the Lifemaker did to me was not genetic, and it was not contagious. Cleopatra died, poisoning herself, and so did my son's mother, dying of sickness like so many did in those days. And then my son grew older than me, middle-aged by our standards and an old man by theirs. It is truly a horrible thing to see your child grow old and die. It was a wake-up call for me, another realization in the long line to come that I was not normal.

"After that, I left Egypt. I had read about the magic world in the Library of Alexandria, and I decided to go there and learn magic. Another hard journey was ahead of me, but this time I was confidant I would make it there. I stayed there for a few hundred years, learning about every subject I could. The magic world was slightly more advanced, but not much. I made no permanent home for myself, roaming around the world, and when I had done that, returning to the Old World and roaming about that one. I died a few times, but I was reckless, and that was to be expected. I am certain the Lifemaker must've been watching me that whole time, waiting to see what tricks his pet would pull. I was on the brink of insanity, with no companionship or friend to last the ages with me.

"That was when I met Filius Zecht, who had been in the form of a child for nearly a thousand years by then. I traveled with him and learned a great many things. He saved me and helped shape the person you see now. Of course, no one can spend eternity together, but we did meet many times over the centuries. After that, I looked at life with a healthier outlook. I didn't see the endless years stretching in front of me- I saw one day, a day where something interesting would happen, if I could just find where it was. I met Joan of Arc and Napoleon, Da Vinci and Michalangelo, Martin Luther and King Henry the Eighth. I helped invent the modern carrot and shape the samurai. I fought many battles over the years and met many women and had many children, never sticking around to see then grow up but always making sure I supported both them and their mothers. In this way I have more descendants than Genghis Khan. I helped the world recognize hygiene as a convenient practice. And in the past few years I helped save the world from certain destruction and watched the Lifemaker be defeated. I've led a good life, Jack, but once an a while I have to tell someone."

Albireo fell onto the grass, seemingly exhausted. Jack laid onto the grass next to him. "I'm glad you told me. You can talk to me about whatever." Sappier than he usually was, but it wasn't everyday the only man he looked up to poured out his heart to him.

Albireo looked at him with clear blue eyes. "Don't you understand, Jack? You're going to die too."

That was the fifth time he met Albireo Imma.

---

The sixth wasn't until nearly twenty years later. After hearing Al's story he'd been more appreciative of his life. Everyone fears death, but no one realizes what it would mean not to be mortal. What little fear of death Jack possessed disappeared that day, and he lived his life with wild abandon, drinking his way through several villages and fighting reckless battles, still always mindful of never losing himself in the process. He was on a cruise in Eos several years later when he heard the news- Nagi had disappeared and was presumed dead.

At first, Jack refused to accept it. Nagi Springfield was as likely to be beaten as he was-not at all. While others whispered thoughts concerning his death, Jack loudly proclaimed that Nagi was just hiding or incapacitated. After all, he killed the Lifemaker. They was no way he could go down. He searched for Gateau and Al, the only companions left traveling with the Thousand Master, but to no avail. He did find Takamichi at Mahora Academy, where he'd just brought Himeko-chan (as Nagi had called her) to live and learn. He'd grown into a young man, and it was disconcerting for Jack to realize he was growing older. He still had another hundred years left in him- his Hellas blood saw to that- but he still felt the years of battles slowly weighing on him. Asuna was doing well, said Takamichi, and she'd made a few friends. Then he told Jack everything that had happened- how they'd been fighting demons in Istanbul when Nagi had gone missing right in the bray of fighting. Gateau, Al, and he had continued, but Al was busy fending off the strongest of the demons and couldn't help them. They had to leave without him, barely managing to escape, and even when they did Gateau was mortally injured. It saddened Jack to learn that Gateau was dead. Any hopes of a real Ala Rubra reunion had died with Zecht and been buried with Vandenburg. When asked, Takamichi admitted he had no idea what had happened to Al and that he had taken up a teaching post at Mahora Academy.

He went to Istanbul, looking for any signs of Nagi or Al. He wasn't too worried about Al, knowing that he was incapable of dying, but concentrated on Nagi. When this became futile he returned to the magic world, deciding to disappear himself. He was sick and tired of his life in the spotlight- it was time to lay low and live quietly for a little while. He was sure he could find a outlying desert post with a few pretty women, and he did, drawing on his vast stores of money to live a calm, quiet life until he was sufficiently sick of it.

Negi contacted him at just the right time- he'd just grown bored of his women and large, magically-hidden house when Negi Springfield asked for a meeting. If you asked him, he'd be honest- he never even knew Nagi had a son. But apparently he did, and he wanted to talk. Jack said yes, but after thinking about the meeting place, he figured it was more trouble than it was worth to go. Maybe for the right amount of money, but nothing else could get him out of his comfort zone and back into the public eye.

That was, until Negi arrived on his doorstep in desperate need of help. He beat the dumbass bad guy, Kagetaro (who turned out to be quite the cool guy) and acquainted himself with Negi and his many female friends, like Chisame, Eishun's kid Konoka, Setsuna, Chachamaru...there were too many to name (lucky kid). He decided to teach Negi to while away the time. Negi wasn't very strong, but he claimed he beat Takamichi and managed to land a hit on Jack himself, so he figured why the hell not. It was Nagi's kid, after all. It was worth it just for that. Maybe he could even get some money out of it.

Teaching Negi was a lot funner than he'd expected. He hadn't realized how out of touch with it he was until he re-immersed with the world. Besides, all of Negi's hot chicks didn't hurt. And it was hilarious to tease the little guy to death.

Negi told him about his adventures at Mahora, including Al's kind gesture in allowing him to briefly meet his father through his pactio. He told his how he lived under the library and couldn't leave, but Jack decided not to dwell on it.

Eventually he found himself back at the stadium, entering himself into the competition for what would hopefully be the last time. Thank god he'd had a few drinks with the only solo competitor, the one and only Kagetaro. It was a blast, fighting in the ring again, but at the same time, it brought back a good deal of horrible memories. More than once he found himself looking into the stands and expecting to see Albireo there, only to be disappointed.

His fight with Negi was amazing- he was a crazy genius like his father and a brilliant strategist like his mother. He was continually surprised by his progress, even managing to get himself hit by the kid's lightning and practically dying. Sure, it hurt like hell, but it wasn't a good fight unless there was a little pain.

Some things happened that Jack didn't really care about- some erasing key thing, a battle with Fate, sorta-kinda-dying, fighting with all his old friends, things like that.

Once everything settled, he found himself in a one-on-one tea party with his oldest ally, Albireo Imma. He dressed the same, smiled the same, looked the same, but Jack could tell something was different about him. He seemed...weaker. It was barely noticeable, but once Jack saw it he couldn't get it out of his mind.

"It's been some time, hasn't it, Jacobus?"

"Yeah, I guess so." he mused.

Al laughed. "As eloquent as ever. Tea?"

"Do you have the Ostia special?" asked Jack, unable to hid his grin.

Al gave a genuine laugh in response. "I probably do. Just give me a moment." He rummaged through his tea bags and leaves and retrieved the sought item, pouring them both a cup.

"Do you remember when we met? We drank this tea then."

Al shook his head. "That wasn't when we met. You were ten, peeking out from behind a door as I argued with the current slave-master. I believe you fired him, did you not?"

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, I fired that bastard. So you saw me?"

"You knew I saw you."

"Does that count as meeting?" Jack drank the tea in one gulp, waiting for Albireo to admonish him for not drinking it right. Al saw his look and said, "I gave up trying to convince you of anything, Jack, drink it however you want."

"Why're you stuck down here?" Jack looked around Library Island. It was a cushy home, with a huge house and trees and lakes, but Jack certainly wouldn't want to be trapped there for ten years.

"The last time I died was ten years ago, the same day Nagi disappeared," confessed Al. "There are things hidden in Mahora that only a select few are privy to. As you know, the Lifemaker did not die that day. He was free for another ten years, until Nagi managed to seal him away. Of course, being the kind, wonderful, humble man that I am, I sacrificed my freedom for a few decades to see that he remained sealed under Mahora. It obviously didn't work. The remains of the seal are still in place, so my mobility is better, but not yet back to full capacity. The only time I can really move freely is when my magical power isn't limited by the tree, which is at the Mahora Festival, and I can send an illusion of myself to experience the world."

"Sounds really sucky." said Jack, not really getting it all. He didn't know the Lifemaker was sealed under Mahora...well, you learn something new every day.

"I am a bookworm at heart, Jack. Being surrounded by thousands...millions...of books is a happy thing for me. And I must admit..." Al looked around, a sad look in his eyes. "The way this place is built...it reminds me greatly of the Library of Alexandria."

"Oh."

"I must boring you with my life. I'm sorry, but the only regular visitor I get is Kitty, and she's not really a real conversationist."

"You really haven't seen anyone for ten years?" Jack realized.

"These days Negi stops by, and Konoemon comes by every once and a while, but he's a busy man..."

From that moment on, Jack was even more boisterous and loud than usual, trying to entertain his friend for as long as possible. He even implied that he wouldn't mind staying overnight, and although Albireo hid it, he looked overjoyed. He stayed with him over a week, enjoying his friend's endless cordiality and hospitality.

Eventually, though, Jack knew he had to go. Theodora had been begging his real body back in the Magic World (which had spent most of the last week drooling and sleeping) to attend some important political thing involving his stadium, and he figured he'd better go. Al made some weird comment about him being a good husband, but he understood and invited him to a goodbye tea. Jack, who'd grown very sick of tea, said yes because Al was his friend and he was lonely, and he figured he'd care for the one person who'd saved him all those years ago as long as he could.

"You must be anxious to return home." remarked Al. Jack admired his friend's dangling sleeves and said randomly, "You haven't changed much, have you?"

"Ah, but you've changed, so your perception of me has to be different." Al gazed at him with his heavy-lidded, devious eyes.

"I used to look up to you." admitted Jack.

"So you don't now?" teased Al.

"In a different way, I do. You're the only one I'm comfortable being serious with."

"I understand. Your idiocy is your defense mechanism."

Jack opened his mouth to protest but realized he was right. He'd come to this conclusion himself years ago.

"I, on the other hand, choose to reveal only parts of myself as I see fit. A different tactic, one that you rarely see in these days of loudness and straightforwardness. I feel so old sometimes..."

"No offense, dude, but you are old."

"Touche. In human terms, you're no spring chicken."

"In Hellas terms, I'm twenty-five."

"Which means I met you when you were approximately two."

"I was a sexy two year old, right?"

"No comment." Jack remembered all the creepy jokes Al made with Eva and hoped to got he wasn't being seriously. He didn't actually have a fetish for ten year olds, right? Al saw his face and blushed.

"You're reading me wrong Jacobus. My default setting is to say the thing that reveals the least about me."

Jack winked. "I get it. I understand. No need to cover up your feelings."

"You're a jackass."

"I know, but you love me anyway."

Albireo glanced at a clock hanging on a wall behind Jack. "You have to leave in a few minutes, don't you? I myself have a hair appointment with Haruna Saotome. Apparently she thinks I'll look good in pigtails."

"And you agreed to this?" snorted Jack.

"She's my great-granddaughter, as it turns out. I told you I've had lots of children."

"You're changing. Twenty years ago you told me that you never got involved with your family."

"Maybe I've changed a little." muttered Al.

Jack gulped his tea down, and Al was silent for a moment.

"Thank you for staying for this week. Company means a lot to me." said Albireo softly.

Jack clapped his friend on the back. "No problem. I'll come over any time, just say the word. You're..." Jack cleared his throat, embarrassed about what he was going to say. "My best friend."

"No I'm not. Nagi was your best friend."

"Fine then. You're my..you're like my..." Jack felt himself turn beet red. "Father, ok?"

And the touched look on Al's face said everything Jack needed to hear. "Thank you, Jacobus. Thank you."

And this time Jack could see the happiness in the smile.

That was the sixth time he met Albireo Imma, the man who was his teacher, mentor, idol, friend, and father.

The End

---

If there's anything that seems off, I assure you that I researched this as much as I could. Al's past hasn't been delved into at all, so I thought I'd make one up for him. I worked really hard for this not to mess with the Negima plot at all, and it's also historically accurate. All the names of the magic world places are from the maps in the Negima books, and for most of the foreign words or names I used the book's name for it (Ex: Goedol instead of Godel, Zecht instead of Zect). Cosmo Entelekia is a horrible pain in the ass of a name...

I hope you enjoyed this and read it to the end. I would appreciate a review, but you don't have to give one if you don't want to. Thanks for reading! :)