Mahou Sensei Negima: The Chronicles of Time
Chapter 1: Arrival of the Mighty Ones
A week has passed since Negi and his class from fifteen years ago returned to their time after helping their future selves stop Gragon's revival and put an end to his new plans. Life was returning to normal and soon the girls were back to their usual selves.
"Well, that was sure a crazy adventure we had in the future." Asuna said. Negi nodded.
"I wonder what will ever happen to Rose? Or Grace? Or any of our future selves?" Negi said. Chamo rode on Negi's shoulder.
"Just forget about it Negi. Let them handle it. We've got to deal with what is happening in our time." Chamo said.
"Yeah. For once, I actually agree with you Chamo." Asuna said. Chamo groaned.
"And just what does THAT mean?" Chamo said. Asuna chuckled. Just up ahead of them was Kotaro and Jennifer. They were with Konoka and Setsuna.
"Yo! Negi! Over here!" Kotaro said. Negi smiled and waved.
"Hey Konoka! Hi Setsuna!" Asuna called. They smiled and waved back.
"Well girls, I think you know where you should be." Negi said. Konoka nodded.
"Yeah. We've got class...again. Come on teach." Asuna said. They rushed to class without knowing that someone in a gold cloak was watching them in the shadows of a tree.
"They're heading for the main building. How is it on your ends?" the figure said. As Negi and his group approached the academy, they were watched by several other gold hooded figures.
"All set here. Ready and waiting." one said.
"Ready whenever you are." another said. Just then, they saw Evangeline pass by.
"Hello Evangeline. Aren't you going the wrong way?" Negi said. Evangeline huffed.
"Not really. I'm skipping class today. I need a vacation." Evangeline said with a yawn. But Asuna caught her by the collar of her coat.
"Not so fast little missy. You're coming with US." Asuna said. Evangeline growled.
"How DARE you. Let me go! Don't think I won't hurt you Kagurazaka! I mean it!" Evangeline shouted. Just then, Negi's group was jumped by three gold cloaked figures.
"What the?!" Asuna said.
"You three! Negi Springfield! Asuna Kagurazaka! Evangeline A.K. McDowell! You are under arrest!" one of them said. The three of them gasped.
"Arrest?! What for?! We don't even know you gold nuts!" Asuna said. Negi looked at their cloaks and gasped.
"No. It...It couldn't be!" Negi thought.
"You are under arrest for breaching the wall between past and future as well as using magic to remove a member of our group from existance. That is the crime of the highest level. You are not going anywhere now!" another said. Evangeline growled.
"Look. We don't know who the devil you are. So get lost before I bite you. Go on. Beat it." Evangeline said waving her hand. Suddenly, one of them fired bolts of lightning from it's sleeves and Evangeline was zapped. Everyone around her gasped.
"Evangeline!" Sakurako said. Kotaro, Jennifer, Konoka and Setsuna hurried over.
"Negi! What happened? Who are these guys?!" Konoka said. Negi looked at them nervously. Asuna looked at Negi's frozen face.
"Hmm? Hey! Teach! Snap out of it!" Asuna said. She bopped Negi in the head and he shook his head.
"What is with you?! Don't stand there! Fight back!" Asuna said. The girls drew their pactio cards and activated their powers. But quick as a flash, one of them caught them using some kind of psychic hold.
"Oh great! It...It's got us already!" Chamo said.
"Attempted usage of pactio powers? That just added to your charges you criminals!" one said. But just then, the hooded figure was struck down by a charging Kaede. It released the others and they jumped away.
"Hey you. I don't know what you are, but no one hurts my friends." Kaede said. The hooded figure got back up and growled.
"Do not toy with me girl. You'll only be adding to their charges!" it said. Kaede smiled.
"Hey professor. Want me to kick some butt for you?" Kaede said. Suddenly, Fei Ku arrived.
"Not without me you don't!" Fei Ku said. The hooded figures faced them and looked around.
"This is your last warning. Retreat!" one said. They vanished in the blink of an eye leaving the others confused and dumb struck.
"Uhh...what was all that?" Setsuna said.
"I don't know. But let's get to class...before they come back!" Asuna said. The girls went to class while Negi stood there holding his staff.
"No. Why us? What did we do?" Negi thought. Asuna hurried back and grabbed Negi. She dragged him all the way to class. Meanwhile, the hooded figures watched from the shadow of a tree.
"They're more of a threat than I thought. They cannot be allowed to roam freely. I fear for any further damage to the time line." one said. The one Kaede tackled groaned.
"That girl...can hit hard." it said. From the sound of their voices, one was a girl and the other two were men.
"We should report this...to Kuraz." the girl said. They nodded and vanished. After that, the school day went on normally without anymore surprises. When the girls went for lunch, Negi sat alone pondering. Nodoka, Yue and Haruna approached him.
"Excuse me. Professor Springfield?" Yue said. Negi looked at them with lunch trays in their hands.
"Do you mind if we sit with you?" Haruna said. Negi said it was no trouble and they sat with him. Asuna was already eating with Konoka and Setsuna. But she kept her eye on Negi the whole time.
"Negi..." Asuna thought.
"Professor? Are you all right? We heard about what happened earlier and..." Nodoka said. But she was cut off by Kotaro approaching their table whistling a tune.
"Hey Negi. You doing all right?" Kotaro said. Negi looked at Kotaro and then looked away. Kotaro picked up his sandwich and took a bite.
"So...who were those guys in the gold cloaks? Not really anyone I met before." Kotaro said while chewing.
"I...It's better you don't know." Negi said. Kotaro gulped and looked at him.
"But why? Professor, who ARE they?" Yue said. Negi looked at them.
"Let's just say...that those mages are even stronger than I am." Negi said. They gasped including Asuna, who was listening to their conversation.
"Stronger than you? How?" Haruna said.
"They're...twelve of the most powerful mages in existance. They call themselves...the...the..." Negi. But he stopped and sighed.
"Sorry girls. But I can't tell you anymore. Please excuse me." Negi said. He took his milk carton and left. Asuna watched Negi leave feeling worried. After lunch, the day went on and Negi was walking back to the dorm room. Asuna hurried to his side.
"Hey Negi. You doing all right?" Asuna said. Negi looked away.
"Listen. You shouldn't keep stuff like that locked away. If you do, who knows how that could affect you. Do you want your future self to turn out differently? I know I don't." Asuna said. Negi looked at her.
"It's not that Asuna. Those mages from earlier...are..." Negi said. Suddenly, he and Asuna were jumped by more of the gold hooded figures from before. This time there were twelve of them!
"Whoa! We've been ambushed!" Asuna said. Just then, the other girls from Class 2-A saw Negi and Asuna in trouble. They hurried over but one of them stopped the girls from coming any closer. One of the hooded figures approached Negi and Asuna slowly. Negi reached for his staff and Asuna reached for her card. With their hand on them, they stood ready to fight.
"Hey! We've got a bone to pick with you! Who do you think you are?! What gives you the right to call us criminals?!" Asuna said. The hooded figure facing them pulled his hood down. It revealed a man's face with gold hair and a gold beard going down his face. He had dark brown eyes and they looked at Negi and Asuna coldly.
"We do. You have been placed under arrest by the order of the Magnificent Twelve, the legendary mages of the magical world!" he said. Asuna and the others gasped.
"Wait. LEGENDARY mages? Magnificent Twelve?" Asuna said. The face they were looking at was Kuraz, the leader of the Magnificent Twelve that the three earlier spoke of. His eyes were locked dead on Negi and Asuna.
END OF CHAPTER