Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Prologue

Artoria stood on the balcony, leaning over the railing, watching her two young charges down below. They were in the company of one of her royal knights and his, for want of a better word, squire. A soft smile was on her face. Even Hans had perhaps met his energetic match in those two...

A page rapped on the doorframe behind her and announced visitors. She turned and her smile deepened as the two Mahora teachers came walking in. "Takamichi-kun...it's been a while," she greeted the man. "You've really grown up. And you...must be Meia Gisborn-sensei. The principal has spoken much about you, as well."

Meia gave a polite bow, stating her honor at meeting the illustrious queen, while Takamichi chuckled. "And you've hardly changed at all, Saber-san...you certainly don't look your age. But that's one of the gifts of the Pendragon line, isn't it?" He and Meia joined her on the balcony, and he glanced down below. "Ah? Isn't that...Riku-kun and Kaoru-kun?"

"Yes...it seems they and a few of Kain's other students sneaked through the gate with him. They wound up here in the aftermath of the Gate's destruction...luckily for them, and, perhaps, for me as well.

"I'm surprised you came here," she continued, focusing on her two guests more fully. "Your word suggested that you came to Arcanus Myrror in order to help Kain and his band out. With more of your forces, as well..."

"We've split up to meet with as much of the scattered party as we can," Meia explained. "However...the very nature and magnitude of this attack suggests who the perpetrators were, as well as what we've learned from the few reliable witnesses. Furthermore, some of the governments seem unconcerned about the inherent danger, as evidenced by the official public explanation for these events. Whatever they're plotting, it's only going to undermine our efforts to resist this new threat...and, even for us, stopping them is of greater importance than the safety of our students. We've been coordinating with our reliable allies in order to prepare a resistance for when the attack comes."

Artoria nodded. "Regrettable, but sensible. However, from what I've been able to learn so far, Kain is doing fine himself. Avalon will, of course, use all its powers to resist the enemy. What have you learned so far?"

"It seems Aiden-san has been in contact with Kain-kun," Takamichi replied. "And I know Kamo-kun has been with him for a while now, as well. Mai is one of our lost lambs at the moment, but we have some of our most reliable support backing her up." As the queen raised an eyebrow at this news Takamichi continued, "We've made contact with both Urahara Kisuke and Mashiro Kazahana, the leader of Garderobe Academy. Both are already putting plans in motion, and both are starting out helping to gather Kain-kun's scattered friends as well. No word from the Soul Society yet, however."

"From what the Royal Archmage tells me, that is likely to continue," Artoria replied. "With the gates between the two worlds all gone, there is a corruption in the flow of time betwixt the two—specifically, the rate of time here is greatly accelerated, and Soul Society, while it is not cut off, is still more closely connected to Earth. It is therefore moving, from our point of view, at the same greatly reduced speed. Even if they were to send aid immediately, it would not arrive for several weeks, if not months." She smiled slightly. "Although, from what I hear, there is already one captain out and about here on Arcanus Myrror. He, too, seems more interested in Kain than anything else right now."

"That is something," Meia agreed. "It seems like, for better or worse, everything is going to come to a head at the Memorial Festival in Orimus..."

F I N

Author's Note: Assembling

With Yue out of the way, we're returning to Kain, finally! And for the Prologue, since I already cameo'd most of the party at the end of Act 11, I decided to show what happened to the two teachers, who are acting as the intermediaries to start assembling the allied force. One thing Negima lacked was a concentrated group of Nagi's old allies...there were cameos and suggestions of some of the leaders who helped him, but for the most part, it was all on the kids. Well, nothing really wrong with that, them being the heroes of the story and all, but they needed a little bit more support. Of course, between all the allies I've given them, Kain's party will have to have stiffer opposition from the Obsidian Star, and he will have it—the Obsidian Star, in its entirety, is a much nastier organization than Cosmo Entelechia.

In any case, let's move on with the story!